all you can do for me is, to pray incessantly, that God would make me humble, holy, resigned, and heavenly-minded, by all my trials. "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." Let us run, wrestle, and fight, that we may win the prize, and obtain that complete happiness to be "holy, as God is holy." So wishing and praying that you may advance in learning and grace, and be fit for special service for God, I remain, Your affectionate brother, DAVID BRAINERD. LETTER CXXXII. REV. DAVID BRAINERD to a FRIEND. The Forks of Delaware, Dec. 24, 1744. REV. AND DEAR BROTHER, I have little to say to you about spiritual joys, and those blessed refreshments and divine consolations with which I have been much favoured in times past: but this I can tell you, that if I gain experience in no other point, yet I am sure I do in this -that the present world has nothing in it to satisfy an immortal soul: and hence, that it is not to be desired for itself, but only because God may be seen and served in it. And I wish I could be more patient and willing to live in it for this end, than I can usually find myself to be. It is no virtue, I know, to desire death, only to be freed from the miseries of life: but I want that divine hope which you observed, when I saw you last, was the very sinews of vital religion. Earth can do us no good, and if there can be no hope of our doing good on earth, how can we desire to live in it? And yet we ought to desire, or at least to be resigned to tarry in it; because it is the will of our allwise Sovereign. But perhaps these thoughts will appear melancholy and gloomy, and consequently will be very undesirable to you; and therefore I forbear to add. I wish you may not read them in the same circumstances in which I write them. I have a little more to do and suffer in a dark disconsolate world; and then I hope to be as happy as you are. I should ask you to pray for me, were I worth your concern. May the Lord enable us both to "endure hardships as good soldiers of Jesus Christ;" and may we "obtain mercy of God to be faithful to the death," in the discharge of our respective trusts. I am, your unworthy brother, and humble servant, DAVID BRAINERD. LETTER CXXXIII. REV. JAMES HERVEY to LADY FRANCES SHIRLEY. Miles's Lane, March 31, 1752. MADAM, Yesterday, in the evening, I received your ladyship's letter; and the first thing I do this morning is to return my thanks for the honour it did me, and the pleasure it gave me. You may depend upon it, I always appear, in my letters to your ladyship, with one of my best frames of mind: just as I should appear in person, was I able to wait upon your ladyship with my sprucest suit of clothes. But it is not always sunshine and serenity in my breast; neither is it always purity and harmony in my temper. I have so much vanity and so many follies; such stupid inattention, and odious ingratitude; such stubborn irresignation and unconquerable pride; such frequent sallies of foolish desire, and workings of evil affection; above all, such unreasonable unbelief in the merits of my Saviour, and the promises of my God; that I should not bear to have any one acquainted with the transactions of my heart;-any, but that tender, indulgent, gracious God, who considers "whereof we are made; who remembers that we are but dust;" and whose mercy is as his majesty, exceedingly great and infinite. At his adorable feet I would lie very, very low; and make, from the bottom of my depraved soul, the poor leper's confession, unclean! unclean! God Almighty is pleased, of his singular goodness, to preserve me from any very scandalous out-breakings of corruption; but I am often exercised with inward trials; have often reason to complain, “ when I would do good evil is present with me." This, my lady,. I believe the wise and gracious God permits that He may show us, what is in our heart: that it is deceitful and desperately wicked; and may bring us off from all self-admiration, to abhor ourselves in dust and ashes;—that He may teach us to prize our glorious advocate and surety more highly; to renounce our wretchedly imperfect selves more thoroughly; and place our whole affiance on his Son's precious blood, and immaculate righteousness;--that He may quicken our desires after brighter and more transforming manifestations of Christ; after richer and more efficacious communications of his Spirit; that He may wean our affections more and more from this disordered state, and render us less unwilling to be dissolved ;-to be dissolved, and enter into that happy world, where all ignorance will be dispelled; all corruption destroyed; and we shall love the Lord Jesus Christ, not only in sincerity, but with everlasting ardour. We have, doubtless, many enemies, and probably shall not cease to be assaulted with temptations, so long as we continue in this wilderness. But let us not fear, my lady. We have a captain and a guide, who is as gracious as we could wish : far more gracious than we can think. Hear his own words; and may His own Spirit write them upon your ladyship's heart: "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire around about, and will be the glory in the midst of her." (') Only let us look unto Him, walk closely with Him, and, like good Hezekiah, (of whom I have just been reading,) cleave unto Him. I assure you, my lady, I should lose a signal satisfaction, as well as offend highly against gratitude, if I should cease to pray for your increase in faith, in holiness, and in joy. Your ladyship's most obliged and dutiful servant, J. HERVEY. LETTER CXXXIV. The REV. AUGUSTUS TOPLADY to MRS. A. G. Flattery distasteful to a spirit that knows itself MADAM, Knightsbridge, Lord's day evening, Your letter quite distresses me, because it places excellencies to my account which I feel myself to be totally unpossessed of. Among all the weak and unworthy servants of Christ, I am the unworthiest and the weakest. If you knew me, as well as I know myself, you would be entirely of my mind. For the Lord's sake, let us look to Jesus only, (1) Zech. ii. 5. |