his blessed, loving Spirit fill your soul! Pray much, and you shall attain all the salvation you desire. I am yours in bonds of divine love, H. A. ROE. LETTER XII.-To a Preacher of the Gospel, in answer to some inquiries relative to the state of her soul. MACCLESFIELD, Dec. 6, 1778. DEAR SIR,-To tell you one thousandth part of the preciousness of Jesus, is a task impossible to men or angels. To my soul, he is truly the altogether lovely:-the one object in which all my desires, expectations, and affections centre-the Alpha and the Omega. To him my more than all I owe, being snatched by his grace, a brand from everlasting burnings! My surety he is; my life, my peace, my treasure, my husband, brother, friendmy wisdom, my righteousness, my sanctification; my all in all, for time and for eternity. Him, and him alone I desire: him, and him alone I love. "I have no sharer of my heart, To rob my Saviour of a part, And desecrate the whole: His loveliness my soul has prepossess'd, Yet, O how is my heart expanded when I see I have yet received but, as it were, a drop out of the ocean! but a glimpse of his precious fulness; and an eternity of growing bliss lies yet before me! This glorious prospect truly lays me where 1 would for ever lie, at his dear feet, the monument of his mercy. O that I could praise him as I would! but language fails, and I long for that day when I shall praise him in nobler strains above. Were he to give the summons now, and call from earth away, O how gladly could I wing my flight this hour! Loose from creature and created good, I only wait the joyful word, Come up hither!Then would I exulting "Clap the glad wing, and soar away, And mingle with the blaze of day." In that blessed kingdom, dear sir, I hope to meet you, though perhaps on earth we may meet no more. In the meantime may you be filled with all the communicable fulness of Father, Son, and Spirit; rejoicing herein with increasing joy, and made very useful in your Lord's vineyard, prays sincerely your real well wisher for Christ's sake, H.A. ROE. LETTER XIII.—To Mr. Robert Roe. CHESTER, Dec. 19, 1778. DEAR COUSIN,I am glad to hear by your sister, that you are restored to a measure of health; and that the Lord, the faithful God, is still your support:-may he be so to the end of your pilgrimage. Lean every moment on your Beloved, and attend continually to the lessons of his love. I trust you have learned many sweet and important truths in your late affliction, and are coming out of it as gold purified in the fire. You have no cause to fear all the legions of your spiritual enemies :-tempt they may, and powerfully assault, but cannot harm. I am led to believe all the depressions of mind you sometimes feel, are in a great measure owing to two things: First, not being deeply and clearly sensible what is temptation, and what is sin: and, Secondly, accounting the inseparable infirmities of the corruptible body to be sin: such as, errors in judgment, failures of memory, bodily weakness, or pain; and at times, through various causes, a de pression of animal spirits. This last mistake may arise from another, viz. looking upon elevating, transporting joy, as inseparable from true grace. Now, I think you must allow, that, as free agents nothing but what our will chooses in opposition to the will of God, or, as Mr. Wesley expresses it, "nothing but a wilful transgression of a known law is sin." Granting this, then, and though ten thousand sinful objects, or desires, in all the pleasing forms that Satan can invent, may be darted into our minds, or displayed before the eyes of our imagination, if our will and affections do not embrace or choose them, but we resist and hate them; in this case we do not sin, but conquer. Secondly; when through various indispositions of the frail, tottering body, we feel a very small degree of joy; nay, perhaps only a degree of hope and confidence, and, at the same time, the enemy endeavouring to lay the axe of his temptations at the root of this: this, I say, is a time to take the advice of God by his prophet, "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light?-Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." This text proves that joy is not inseparable from grace. It is not according to our joy, (for this is the fruit or effect of faith,) but according to our faith he blesses and saves, accepts and loves us. Our love to God, his cause, his people, his precepts, all springing from the root of faith, are so many acts of the soul, which our blessed Lord and Master approves and accepts through the Beloved; and are inseparable evidences of our sonship. But joys, comforts, and communications of the Holy Ghost, are so many free gifts bestowed upon us; because the Lord delights in blessing, comforting, and dwelling in us, and are so many pledges of his unmerited love. Now, if the Lord permit bodily affliction, so that the animal spirits cannot receive the communications; (1 mean, cannot receive them without a extraordinary exertion of his power and love, which, indeed, we often see manifested in the dying hours of those who love God, and I myself have often felt in sickness and close trials,) ought we not, in such cases, to cast ourselves by faith on him, lean on his bosom, and without giving way to reasoning, believe he will make every affliction work for good? Surely we ought to trust him at all times— it is our privilege. Do not mistake me; I am not condemning a religion that may be felt; I would only prove to you, that faith is the root of joy, and not joy the root of faith; and that you ought not to cast away your shield of faith, because you have not, for the present moment, much joy. When we are beset with various trials, various temptations, and various suggestions; such as, Thou wilt surely fall; such a temptation will prove too hard for thee, &c, "My grace is sufficient for thee," saith the Lord; he who knows all your trials. Now, when by faith we embrace and rely on this promise, knowing he who is faithful will perform his word; we are strengthened by a sweet peace, and well grounded confidence and hope, that shall never make us ashamed. And, while we continue to live by this faith, we more than conquer, whether our joy be little or great. This is our shield, and God is pleased by afflictions to try and prove this faith, that it may burn the brighter, and be more conspicuous to all. Not that he is displeased with us for any thing, nor as a punishment; but, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. I believe this is often your case; and he calls upon you by his word, "not to cast away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. And yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." With respect to sanctification, I mean the instantaneous work, you have the word of a God“I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." Here is a full, free promise. Do you seek this salvation by faith, or by works? If by faith, then you have no need to tarry for worthiness or fitness, but come now, just as your are. You must embrace the promise, believe it, hang upon it, rejoice in it as your own, trusting God to perform it. Soon as you cast your soul upon him by faith, he will seal the blessing on your heart. May he reveal these things to you by his Spirit, and fill you with all his fulness, prays, your affectionate friend and cousin, H. A. ROE. LETTER XIV.-To the Same. NANTWICH, April 20, 1779. Dear Cousin,-You are quite mistaken-you do not try my patience at all; but you are made a means of humbling my soul before God, when you think me capable of answering in a proper manner the questions you ask: and yet, as far as the Lord has taught me, I am willing to communicate. I believe your eye is single: you are a child of God, and an heir of glory--a well beloved of the eternal Trinity. For you the Father gave his only Son: Jesus the Saviour bled for you: and the blessed Spirit hath applied the blood of sprinkling to the pardon of your sins, and the comfort of your soul in all your various trials. I account it no strange thing that you should be assaulted like your hea |