sometimes I feel so tied and bound in spirit, I think they must clearly see it; but when after service I speak of it to some few individuals, they can scarcely believe me, saying they thought I must have been sweetly enjoying what I said they felt it good to be there. How puzzling these things are! At other times, when I have found sweet liberty and freedom of spirit, matter flowing in, a door of utterance given, with some degree of clearness touching the subject matter delivered, and holy boldness withal, then I seem to be almost the only one that has enjoyed. But why write I these things to one who knows far better about them than I do? only because I would give vent to my feelings.

I really sometimes conclude I never can speak again in the Lord's name. The Bible appears a completely sealed book; not a single ray of light; all seems as dark as midnight; no heart or soul to read; and when I do attempt it, I have not the common understanding of a man. All past experience appears gone, my evidences beclouded, darkness in my mind, my judgment confounded, my spirit bound, and the Lord seeming to hide himself. Then, like poor Job, I cry, "O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat;" but, "behold, if I go forward he is not there; and backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him." Then Satan, with carnal reason and unbelief, all say, "His mercy is clean gone for ever, he will be favourable no more, he hath shut up his tender bowels of pity and compassion, and that for evermore.' How many times have I thus concluded; yet notwithstanding, in the end, the Lord has always proved himself faithful and true to his promise! "I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you." Thus Job concluded, amidst all his sufferings, anguish of mind, and pain of body, "He knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

It is a mercy that, in the hour of temptation, when beset on every hand, when the devil roars, corruptions rage, lust boils, and the old man of sin is determined to have his own will and way, I say it is a mercy that the foot of faith hath held his steps, his way have we kept, and not declined." Sure I am, that if we were not upheld by an almighty power and an invisible hand, we should surely sink to rise no more, make shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience; but, blessed be our unchangeable God and Saviour, he hath promised to give us shoes of iron and brass, and as our day our strength shall be. Who is a God like unto our God? There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God." None can possibly deliver us but He that made both heaven and earth. O that I could trust him more, and lean less to my own understanding!

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But as I always was, so it seems I ever shall be, both a fool, and one slow of heart to believe all that the Lord hath spoken, and all that he has done for me, a poor vile, sinful, rebellious creature. I would have it otherwise, but cannot. I would live to his glory, honour,

and praise, exalt his blessed name, set him up on high, make mention of his righteousness, and his alone, for life and everlasting salvation, knowing that this only can give us an admittance into his eternal kingdom and glory above. I am not so much distressed as it regards my eternal state and safety in Christ Jesus, knowing whom I have believed, and being fully persuaded he is both able and willing to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. But what my distress chiefly arises from is, that I am such an unprofitable servant, that I cannot do more for Him that has done so much for me. Surely I take nothing but shame and confusion of face to myself, and believe I ever shall. I often think of you, how you labour in the dear Lord's vineyard; how many miles you have to travel, how cheerfully you go to your work, and regret that you do not, or cannot, preach every night in his blessed name. Well, my brother, go on; and may the Lord abundantly own and bless your labours to the gathering in of poor sinners into his sheepfold, and the building up of his saints on their most holy faith. Yours in the best of all bonds, JAMES LEWIS.

Chichester, Nov. 18th, 1846.

AN ORIGINAL LETTER BY THE LATE JOHN KENT.

Dear respected Friend,-Your kind letter came safe to hand. I received it with every feeling of gratitude; and it has made an impression upon my heart. Letters from you ought always to have a speedy answer; and I would gladly have done so, but my loss of sight lays me under the necessity of waiting the coming in of a friend to do it for me. My son, who has been my letter writer for some years past, is at present moved into the country, as the doctor recommends change of air as the only remedy. What may be the issue of his present illness must be left to Him whose ways are in the mighty waters, where his footsteps are not seen.

I hope this will find you, with the family, in that best of earthly favours, health. Through mercy, I enjoy more of that blessing than might have been expected at the age of seventy-five years; but I have to be ashamed of my ingratitude and forgetfulness, for mercy and goodness have followed me all the days of my life. I feel the old tabernacle to be falling into decay; and every day tells me that I shall shortly put it off, and go down to the silent chambers of the tomb. I bless God for a good hope beyond it. He has overcome the last enemy, even death, and him who has the power of death, which is the devil, and consecrated the grave as a subterraneous passage to glory; and given us in the gospel a sure pledge of that inheritance which "is incorruptible and undefiled, and cannot fade away." The grapes of Canaan were to Israel a token of the goodly land beyond the swellings of Jordan. I wish you many a faith's view of it from the top of Pisgah,

It was a saying of good old Rutherford,

I want not to love the

breasts more than the nurse.' recommend them as a sweet morsel. Since you last heard from me, it has pleased my heavenly Father to remove from me the partner of my joys and sorrows. She has entered, I would hope, into her eternal rest; having, as she told me just before her death, committed both body and soul into the hands of her dear Redeemer.

If you have not seen his Letters, I

Wishing you all joy and peace in believing, I remain, in the fellowship of the gospel, Your brother in Christ Jesus,

Devonport, June 25th, 1842.

JOHN KENT.

A LETTER BY THE LATE JOHN KEYT.

The very kind, savoury, and affectionate epistle of my well beloved friend, ought to have been acknowledged long before this, but your poor correspondent is of himself both weak and helpless in the performance of every work, and feels that when he would do good, evil. is present with him.

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I often wonder that any who love and fear God should ever take the least notice of one so unworthy and nothing-worth; but the wonder increases when I am told (as in your last) that the good Lord hath condescended to bless the feeble communications of such a feeble one. But this is a fresh confirmation of the apostle's assertion: For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence, &c.' (1 Cor. i. 26.) This blessed portion of divine revelation is for us despised ones an answer to all the attacks of the worldly-wise. But this is not all; when assaulted and opposed by our enemies, we are not overcome, because we have ever found that, in times of trouble and conflict, "the name of the Lord is a strong tower;" yea, to us the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;" for he hath known our souls in every adversity, and will never forsake the work of his own hands. The wise man's observation is, I think, applicable to us weak ones. "The conies (i.e. rabbits) are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks." (Prov. xxx. 26.) Nothing Nothing so helpless as these creatures, nor any dwelling so strong as theirs: we also feel ourselves the weakest of all things, yet, having for our "defence the munitions of rocks," we abide in safety. And though now we are lightly esteemed by many whose shining abilities or earthly possessions are "their strong city, and as an high wall in their own conceit," nevertheless, "their rock is not as our rock;" for the period will soon arrive, when all uncertain riches and every refuge of lies will be entirely swept away.

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Nothing short of 'the house built upon the rock," Jesus Christ

the righteous, can stand the storms of temptation, the hour of death, and the judgment day. Many, it is to be feared, who stand high in their profession, are unacquainted with the meaning of the apostle: "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." (1 Peter iv. 17.) They go on in a smooth path without any changes; they take the lamp of profession, but are destitute of a new heart. (the vessel,) and the Holy Spirit's indwelling, which is the oil in the vessel, with the lamp of the wise. It is not so with the vessel of mercy; such a one is arrested and brought to the judgment seat of Christ at the beginning of his profession. Under the quickening operations of the Holy Spirit, this poor soul finds trouble and sorrow, and begins to pray in earnest, as Paul did when the Lord Jesus met him by the way to Damascus, rent the caul of his heart, and discovered to him the awful state he was in and the fallacy of all his former profession. The voice of the Son of God aroused him from the sleep of death, as he himself describes: When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." This poor persecutor of the saints, when Jesus met him by the way, felt the truth of the Saviour's declaration: "The words that I speak

unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John vi. 63.)

The elect sinner in his natural state is dead in trespasses and sins; and these spiritually dead ones shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.” Thus, whenever the Almighty comes near to judgment, however various the manner of his operation with his chosen ones may be, divine life always attends his voice; life in us produces motion and sensations of soul trouble. "Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them." (Isaiah xxvi. 16.) Thus judgment begins at the house of God. Before a spiritual birth can take place, there is a begetting with the word of truth: spiritual quickening and soul-travail succeed, and then follows spiritual birth, when perfect love casts out tormenting fear. The atoning blood of Christ is sprinkled on the conscience, speaking peace; and his everlasting righteousness is apprehended and put on by faith. When this takes place, we are justified freely from all things, and are delivered from all condemnation. Now we come into the experience mentioned in Isa. liv. 14: "In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise up against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." In this cluster of precious promises faith finds a strong consolation, and the soul is assured of its perfect safety, although in the present state of probation it is still exposed to the assaults of many enemies, oppression, fear, terror, some that gather together, weapons, tongues, &c. These we must expect to be exercised with, more or less, which constitutes the present time a state of warfare.

But notwithstanding all the oppositions we may meet with, "there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus;" for his everlasting righteousness is an everlasting breastplate, through which no weapon can ever pierce; and though a host of foes should encamp against us, not one shall ever finally prevail, for we are "kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation."

The church of God is likened to a vineyard, and no tree is so weak and feeble as a vine, or requires so much care; therefore to comfort such helpless ones the promise is made: "I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." The Almighty hath engaged to "keep us as the apple of his eye," and we are sensible of his gracious care. How often, when according to our feelings we have been pressed above measure, when all things have appeared to be against us when, like Hezekiah, we have concluded that we should not see the Lord's delivering hand again in the land of the living; or, like Jonah, who said, "I am cast out of thy sight" how oft at such seasons hath he come in with a Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." We are conscious that in many sore conflicts we "have cried, and the Lord hath heard us, and delivered us out of our distresses;" and even in the worst of times faith assures us that "he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think."

But, after all, how apt we are to shrink at the appearance of the least difficulty, to despond and partially cast away our confidence, which has "great recompense of reward!" These exercises have their influence; they teach us many profitable lessons. We learn that we can do nothing without faith; and that faith can do nothing without him who is its author, and who ever maintains the work of his own hands. I often feel myself to be one of the most helpless, the most insignificant beings upon the face of the earth; full of wants and necessities, perplexed, discouraged, and cast down; yet at the same time utterly unable to move a single step, or cast a single look towards him "who is my life, and the length of my days," if I might gain a world. Sometimes, like Issachar, "I am as a strong ass crouching down between two burdens;" tribulation on one side, and temptation on the other; yet even then, if a beam of heavenly light darts upon my soul, like him I can see that rest is good, though not at present enjoyed, and the land of promise to be pleasant, though not in present possession; and when favoured with a sight of the goodly inheritance, though at a distance, the vision produces a sweet submission; and with him I bow my shoulder to bear, and become a servant to tribute; willing to bear the daily cross, to bow to the Sovereign will of God, and ardently desire to reach the dear Redeemer's standard of obedience, so as to say from my heart, "Not my will, O Lord, but thine be done."

There are seasons, now and then, when the sun shines upon my soul and upon my path, so that I can rejoice in the midst of tribulations; when the Holy Spirit condescends in his blessed operations