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ments I put together, would be highly pleasing to me. To preserve the memorial of the righteous, seems an act of justice due to the living and to the dead; and particularly due in gratitude to Him, who hath been their Rock and their Strength, and by whose power and goodness they have been led and supported, through many tribulations, into His glorious kingdom.

I shall just say, before I conclude, that I wish for thee as for myself, an increase of every virtue; and that we may experience, as an addition to all other blessings, the blessing of a thankful, deeply thankful, and truly devoted heart.

I feel in measure the good-will which truth inspires extend to thy family, in which I salute them, and wish the virtues and riches of it evermore to rest upon them; that therein they may become fruitful to His praise, who hath called them to glory and virtue :-particularly I wish this for thy son; may he, like good old Jacob, be concerned to seek, and favoured to experience, the Divine blessing to prevail above the blessings "of his progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the

everlasting hills," to rest upon him and on

his seed for ever.

I need not tell thee, that to hear from thee at convenient seasons, will not only be expected and acceptable, but acknowledged as a favour, by thy sincerely affectionate friend,

JOHN THORP.

Letter XIV.

TO ROBERT VALENTINE.

Manchester, 8th Mo. 15, 1782.

My dear Friend,

Understanding thou art likely to be at Kendal on first-day next, I could not with ease let slip the opportunity of writing, first to inform thee we got safe home the evening of the day we left thee; and I think I may safely add, we were favoured to return in some degree of thankfulness, under the covering of Divine peace.

We were much pleased, nay more than pleased, to hear thou hadst a satisfactory

meeting with friends at Leeds. What can we say to these things! God only is wise, and all that He does is right. Oh! that we may carefully endeavour after that perfect degree of resignation, that not only bows in submission to every dispensation of Divine Providence, but that can in every thing give thanks.

I think I know so well, my very dear friend, the Rock whereon thou standest, and its sufficiency to support; the humility, simplicity, and dedication of thy heart to be, to do, to bear, and suffer all things according to the will of God, that it seems to me almost unnecessary to endeavour to express that desire and encouragement which I feel in my heart for thee, that thou mayst steadily persevere therein, even to the end. But I am not altogether ignorant of the devices of the enemy, nor of the deeply proving exercises which attend thee in the course of thy ministerial labours and sufferings amongst a backsliding and rebellious people; and I know something, yea, more than language can express, of those most trying, most humiliating seasons, wherein the mind is

divested of its strength and comfort, and is suffered to feel, in an ineffable manner, its own weakness and misery. When I consider these things, my dear friend, together with thy advanced age, bodily weakness, the perilousness of the present times, thy distance from thy near connexions, and the unfeeling state of those who, many times, are thy attendants from place to place; when my mind hath been baptized into sympathy with thee in feeling these things, my heart within me hath been humbled on thy account; but yet I neither see nor feel the least room for despondency; on the contra ry, my heart is filled with faith and encouragement for thee.

We know Him in whom we have believed; that infinite mercy, power, and love, are with Him, and that He is able to keep those who have committed themselves unto Him. What a blessedness there is in casting our care entirely upon Him! I fully believe, I can hardly help saying, I know thou dost this, and that therein thou wilt be safe, and infallibly experience, to thy everlasting comfort, that He, the Lord God Almighty,

who raised thee up to be His servant, and called thee from a distant land to labour in this part of His vineyard, will not only support thee in His service, and bless the work in thy hands, but will assuredly be to thee both sword, and bow, and battle-axe; thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

I hope thou wilt not be offended at the liberty I have taken to write these things; I have copied them, as carefully as I have been able, from the present feelings of my heart.

I should be glad of one line from thee, but I know thou writest with much difficulty; however, I hope, when it is well with thee, thou wilt remember me. My wife, brother Thomas Cash, and Margaret Cooke, unite in dear love to thee, with thy affectionate loving friend,

JOHN THORp.

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