LETTER XX.-To the Same. DECEMBER 11, 1779. REV. AND DEAR SIR,-I should not have been silent thus long, had not my dearest Lord seen good to afflict my body. I have lately been confined, and am just recovering from a sore throat. It was not ulcerated, but attended with a fever. Numbers in this town, or neighbourhood, have been ill, and several have died, four in one family within a month. I applied hartshorn to my throat, and found benefit from it. I am now, I bless God, much better. I have reason to praise him for every affliction; for all he permits does work together for my good. I do love my Lord with all my heart. "All my capacious powers can wish, Or friendship half so sweet." No, no, all the creation can boast is poor and mean compared with him I love. In him I feel a constant heaven, and my soul truly sits loose to all besides. I have victory, through his grace, over all things, inward and outward, that are contrary to his will. I have at times various temptations; but they find no place in me, nor at any time distress or bring me into bondage. I have (glory be to God) the inward testimony of his Spirit, that I please him, and that he dwelleth in me. My body and soul are both the Lord's; and I earnestly desire that his whole will may be done in me and by me. I am a sacrifice offered up through Jesus, my adorable High Priest; and am determined, through grace divine, ever to remain so. I am a pilgrim in a strange country, and all my treasure is above. I am traveling as fast as the wings of time will bear me forward, to my celestial country; though thorns, and snares, and gins, sometimes beset my path; yet my feet are shod, my sandals on, and I trample on them. Though the arrows of the archer are flying, I have a shield that turns aside the fiery darts. I have a shadow from the heat, and a refuge from the storm. I live upon the food of angels, and drink largely of the fountain of the water of life. His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are perfect peace. How great is the love wherewith he hath loved me! O how large his grace to the most unworthy! "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name." I have heard from cousin J. and his soul prospers; blessed be God! I hope, dear sir, you ever do, and ever will remember, at the throne of grace, your most unworthy, but truly affectionate child in a precious Jesus, R H. A. ROE. LETTER XXI.-To Mr. Robert Roe. MACCLESFIELD, Jan. 14, 1780. MY DEAR COUSIN,-I am willing to answer any question, or write in any manner that will give your soul satisfaction !-break any snare of the enemy, or, in any way whatsoever, glorify God: but I am often led to think you do not want information in your judgment respecting these things; and therefore that your aim is to see how far I am, or am not, consistent with myself in my different letters. Were many people to peruse what I write to you, they would think it very presuming in me to argue points of doctrine, or experience with you, who are intended to be a teacher in Israel: yet, you so draw me in, that I dare not refuse. I rejoice to hear that your soul is more happy in God than when you wrote before. O live near to him, and press forward, and all is yours! I would again repeat, trample upon all that is past, and come this moment to Jesus by faith alone, for present, instantaneous, perfect love. "Ready are you to receive; Readier is your God to give." But I must hasten to consider your objections. You ask, if I," previous to justification, forsake all sin, and have power to keep myself from evil, by the grace I receive from the convincing Spirit of God--what need of his free justifying or sanctifying grace? On the other hand, if I offend (say you) in one point, not being faithful to the grace of conviction, am I never afterward to be accepted, even by the Gospel charter? How agrees this (you go on to ask) with trampling, as you often bid me, on my worthiness and unworthiness, and coming by faith alone?" I would here put a few questions to you, and I beseech you answer them to the Lord. Can your forsaking all sin now, (though it be pleasing to God, and what he requires and commands,) cancel your old sins, or obtain forgiveness for what is past? Have you no need, then, of the free justifying grace of God, to be received by faith alone? On the other hand, if you resist the convincing Spirit of God, and continue in sin, contrary to his strivings and drawings, will he continue his operations, and, in spite of you, work that faith in you which alone justifies the ungodly? Yet consistent with these things, you may, through the power of temptation, and your evil, unregenerate nature, have been overcome and given way, not being faithful to the grace of light and conviction and yet, you may still come, hating the sin you have committed, and burdened with your past unfaithfulness, trampling on your present worthiness or unworthiness, come just as you are, -a poor prodigal, a condemned malefactor, to Jesus, and receive freely, by faith alone, the mercy and the pardon you no ways deserve. Again, you are now a believer, but feel the remains of a carnal nature. It is your happy privilege, through the Spirit, to mortify the deeds of the body, or the motions of the body of sin, that still works in your members. This is pleasing unto God, and what he requires, as fruits of that faith, whereby he hath promised you shall be able to quench every fiery dart of the devil. But, supposing you do this without once being unfaithful to the grace of justification, (and alas! very few, if any, can truly plead they have been so,) will this cleanse your heart from the root of inbred sin? Ah no! And have you no need then of the free sanctifying grace of God, to be received by faith alone? If, on the other hand, you are willingly, wilfully, or habitually unfaithful to grace given, are led captive, and overcome by your inbred sin, or outward temptations: if you resist the teachings of the Spirit of God, who would point you to the all cleansing blood, and do not earnestly seek to go into perfection, neither desire holiness, will he come forcibly, and take possession of your heart, and dwell there, whether you will or no? Yet, consistent with what I have urged, though you may be deeply conscious you have not been strictly faithful to justifying grace; nay, through surprise, or temptation, you have been vanquished, and foiled, and overcome by inward corruption; yet, coming self-condemned and humbled in the dust to Jesus; will he refuse freely to forgive, yea, (and if you earnestly desire it, and come by faith alone to receive it) to cleanse you from all unrighteousness? You ask, How am I to learn the difference between sin and temptation? I own there is some difficulty here; I mean, in discerning between the motions of inbred sin, while it yet remains, and the temptations of Satan. Nothing but the Spirit of God, by his inward teaching, can make it clear to you. But this we know, whether our temptations are from our evil hearts when unrenewed, or from the enemy. If our will stand firm for God, and oppose all that would rise, or is offered contrary to his will, he is so far from accounting us guilty of sin, that he approves, and will reward the victory. But O! rest not without inward purity, and when your heart is cleansed from all sin, you will see more fully the nature of temptation. Pray let us know if you are likely soon to get ordained and if you are, whether you will accept the curacy now offered you. I hope you had a profitable time with Mr. Wesley. I had a precious season when he was here; and I think I never saw him so full of the Spirit of his Master,--so full of God. May the Lord fill your earthen vessel with all his fulness, and keep you till redemption's day, prays your affectionate cousin and friend, H. A. ROE. t LETTER XXII.-To Miss Loxdale. MACCLESFIELD, May 20, 1780. MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,-How agreeable was the reception of your affectionate letter; but I am very sorry to find your health is so indifferent. My dear friend, let me advise you to take all the care you can of your body, for it is not your own, but the Lord's. And I am fully convinced we have no right to trifle with the precious talent of health, which is given us to improve to the glory of our God. I every day experience fresh calls, and fresh motives to praise and love our adorable Lord. Nor |