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distress, both spiritually and temporally. When every door seemed to be shut, and help, I thought, could arise from no quarter, these words came; "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." And, blessed be the name of the Lord, I have found it so: if not entirely fulfilled, it is in part, for I begin to recover in circumstances as I increase in faith. But faith is the Lord's work; for I find I can do nothing of myself: and this I humbly beg of Christ, that he will carry on the work of faith with power. I have great reason to be grateful; for God has done great things for me indeed. I am under great obligations, also, to M. C. in Margaret street, as she was, under Christ, the means of bringing me to seek the Lord; and, when I was in great distress, relieved me, and proved herself a christian indeed; for we were but strangers. And much I thank you, sir, for your kindness; may God repay you with every good thing! How different when I went to the popish priests, who knew me, and my family, from a child; and had received many favours from my father, and had known me in very different circumstances! They told me they could do nothing for me; that they had not seen me at confession, nor at sacraments, for some time; and, therefore, could do nothing for me. This was true; for I had been seeking the Lord, and began to see through all their abominations, even before God had visited me with soul distress: for, since

the first time I heard you preach, I never went but once; and then I could not join with them in prayer, nor have ever once since thought of any of their prayers, or saints, but with horror; and, I trust in Jesus Christ, I never shall, as I am well convinced of all their hypocrisy, for, when I was in France, I saw how they blinded the people, and led them into all manner of error, and prohibited their reading the word of God. And when I reflect how the Lord hath brought me out of darkness into the glorious light of the gospel, it fills my heart with gratitude and love that such a work should be done for such a wretch as me! But I find, as you beautifully observe, that the Lord will have mercy on whom he will have mercy; and that, if he did not first choose us, we never should choose him: and yet I am sometimes sadly distressed; but I thank the Lord I am much happier than when I first wrote to you. I have found several of my prayers have been answered, such as the Lord has enabled me to put up, and I hope in time, the Lord will clear all my doubts. And, oh my God, may I never be one of those that come near to thy kingdom, and after all are shut out! as you observed from your text last Lord's day; "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." Pray, dear sir, for me, that I may be clothed with Christ's righteousness, and may not be found wanting.

Pardon me, sir, if there is any thing in this letter that offends; and likewise for intruding so

much on your time, as I know you have much to do. And, if it be God's blessed will, may you be long kept preaching for the edification of souls like mine, and the benefit of all your hearers; which is the sincere wish and prayer of,

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Your letter came to hand, which I perused with comfort. A spiritual growth is visible, which confirms me in your eternal election, and that of God.

As you have unexpectedly sent me two letters; the first of which I answered, and the contents of which satisfy me that the work is of God, I shall now relate, for your comfort, something that passed between the Lord and my spirit concerning you.

you

The whole day, on the evening of which first heard the word from my mouth, was a very cloudy and dark day with me. The bible was a sealed book, and no passage presented itself to my mind for a text: I read, meditated, and supplicated; but all, to appearance, in vain. I was three hours in the chapel study before the time of worship came on; but still my mind was beclouded, and nothing offered itself for my subject. The more I read and prayed, the more was my mind bewildered, until within a few minutes of the time of preaching; and no small degree of peevishness, fretfulness, and distress, invaded my mind: till, all on a sudden, these words darted through the cloud, and a glorious light shone on them: "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house: so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him," Psal. xlv. 10, 11. When I was informed that a female Catholic was smitten by the discourse, I could but admire the suitableness of the text; a text in which your sex, your family, your own people in communion, your father's house, and false worship, were all pointed out, Your attention was called for, your beauty desired, and your worship claimed, by the Lord, the only Christ of God and Saviour of men, and who hath condescended since to manifes: himself to be thy Lord in everlasting covenant. I was comfortably persuaded, as soon as I heard that a Catho

lic was there, by the distress that I felt and by the manner in which my text came, and the method of handling it, that it was sent of God for your salvation. Nevertheless, when Mrs. C. told me that you desired to speak with me, I was afraid to comply with your request, knowing the mystery of iniquity that the papists are in, the doctrines of devils which they hold, and the depths of Satan that they speak, Rev. ii. 24. To which strong delusions God has, in just judgment, given them up, that they might believe a lie, and be damned, 2 Thess. ii. 12; for giving up and ridiculing the scriptures; and suffering their souls, senses, and pockets, to be plundered by such crafty seducers, who lie in wait to deceive; whose portrait is so exactly drawn; whose coming is set forth by the coming of Satan into Paradise; whose doctrines are so clearly foretold; whose deceivableness of unrighteousness is so clearly pointed out; the world wondering after the beast is so fully described; and the cursed end, both of the whore and her family, laid down, as it is written;" I will cast her into a bed, and all that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds; and I will kill her children with death," Rev. ii. 22, 23. And all this in that blessed, though much despised book, that he who runs may read it.

Knowing these things, and that natural conscience, when awakened, natural convictions, when stirred up, and natural passions, when moved, go

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