double wrath. Pray over that verse; and may He who first made the light to shine out of darkness shine into your heart, to let you see the way of salvation clearly. Soon may you

sing, "Thou wast angry with me; but thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me." "O, to grace, how great a debtor!" You are always in my prayers, that God would reveal himself unto you. O the joy of being able to say, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." Ever yours in the gospel, &c.

TO THE REV. P. L. MILLER, WALLACETOWN.

A word in season to the weary.

Sept. 14. 1842

MY DEAR PATRICK-When I last saw Horatius, I agreed not to ask him at all at the autumn communion, but only in the spring. I know not well where to look, as A. is to undertake the Edinburgh communion.

Don't be cast down, except for sin. Lie low in self, and set both feet on the Rock of Ages. The sun, by one blink, can give a smile to nature, so can the Lord's face give life to our dark souls. Numbers do not prove life always. Remember the well of Sychar. Get much of the hidden life in your own soul; soon it will make life spread around. Try prayer when preaching fails. He can turn the water Farewell! Ever yours in Jesus, &c.

into wine.

TO THE REV. J. MILNE, PERTH.
Another word in season to a brother.

Sept. 24. 1842.

MY DEAR BROTHER-I long after you in the bowels of Jesus Christ. If I make you sorry, who is he that maketh me glad, but the same who is made sorry by me. I often try to carry you to Jesus, as the four friends did the palsied man, and I have been longing to hear you say that his word to you was-"Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee;" and then, “ arise and walk." I wonder often God does not hide his face from me and lay me low, yet he restores my soul after many falls. He holds me by my right hand, and I believe will bring me to glory, though the weakest and most inconstant of all his saved ones. We shall praise more loudly than other men, and love more ardently, and gaze upon his wounds more wistfully, and say-He gave himself for us.

Cheer up,

brother, and tell poor sinners what Jesus can do; for if he could not save the vilest of them all, we had never preached the good news.

If I could be with you, how gladly would I, but I do not see my way. I have promised to be in London the first Sabbath of November, which will take me soon away, and for a long time, from this poor flock.

Will you come to me on Monday the 17th, the last day of the Concert for prayer? I think of printing a similar tract to last year's, or perhaps the same, with improvements. Suggest something.

This is Saturday, and I am empty. O for fulness out of Him! Why do we not take all out of Jesus? Ever yours till glory dawn, &c.

TO THE REV. J. MILNE, PERTH.
Breathings of heart.

December 13. 1842.

MY DEAR BROTHER-We are to have the communion, if God permit, on 1st January 1843. A. B. is to be with me. Could you come down on the Thursday or Friday previous, and give us a good and comfortable word in the evening, 29th or 30th December-either you choose, or both if you prefer

that?

I preach at Newtyle to-night, and to-morrow evening at Lintrathen in a barn, and on Thursday at Kirriemuir. Pray for me, for I am a poor worm, all guilt and all helplessness, but still able to say-In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. When shall the day break and the shadows flee away? When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. I long for love without any coldness, light without dimness, and purity without spot or wrinkle. I long to be at Jesus feet, and tell him I am all his, and ever will be. Yours till then, &c.

TO ONE WHO HAD LATELY TAKEN UP THE CROSS.
Kept by God-Meeting with God.

ST PETER'S, Jan. 31 1843. MY DEAR M.-I was glad indeed to hear that you are prospering, and that you do not repent having made Moses' choice-Heb. xi. 24, 25—of which I used to tell you so often. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. You remem

row.

66

ber what Ruth said when she clave to Naomi ? Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." I have not got your note by me, and it is late, but I will answer it to-morI only write a line to-night to strengthen your faith"that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me," Rom. i. 12. I have been remaining quiet since I wrote you last, that I may gather strength for the north. I expect hard service, but I hope Jesus will be with me. You remember the sweet promise Jacob got at Bethel while he slept at the foot of that wondrous ladder, "Behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." That promise is to you and me as truly as to Jacob. Therefore, do not fear though you may be taken among those who are strangers to Jesus and his love. There is a sweet promise; Ezek. xi. 16. I have felt its preciousness in foreign lands. Jesus himself will be our sanctuary not made with hands. I was preaching on Thursday last, on Rev. xix. 12, "On his head were many crowns;" trying to teach them the kingly office of the Lord Jesus. It was a very solemn night. On Sabbath I lectured on Heb. ix. 9, 10, and preached in the evening on Isa. xlix. 5, "Though Israel be not gathered:" shewing that however many will be lost by unbelief, still Christ would not lose one beam of his glory. If all the world were blind, and said the sun was dark, that would not take away one bright ray from it. It was a very awful subject, and my heart yearned over poor lost sinners. Four little girls have come since, asking, "What must I do to be saved?" Three of them were awakened before, and one very lately. A widow came last night whom I never saw before, to tell me that she had found the Lord Jesus. To-night we have been at a large meeting about the tracts which are distributed monthly to every house in town -a very sweet society. It is now late, and I am talking a little while with you as we used to do before retiring. Did you read Gen. xxxii. to-day? What a solemn chapter. Do you ever come to a spot you can call Mahanaim, where the angels of God meet you? I trust you are one of the heirs of salvation, and that the angels are sent forth to minister to you. Unconverted souls have no such privilege. You see Jacob was going on God's errand, at God's command (see xxxi. 3), when the angels of God met him. O it is sweet to go on God's errands! How long we went Satan's, and the world's, and our own, "serving diverse lusts and pleasures Do you

not feel your heart lighter now as you walk on the narrow way ? Is not a Christian's darkest hour calmer than the world's brightest? Is not Jacob's prayer in his distress an interesting one? (v. 9-12.) He puts God in remembrance of his promise. This is what we should do-"The Lord which said unto me." And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good." God commands us to do this; Isa. xliii. 26, "Put me in remembrance." It is a blessed way of praying, to pray upon a promise, and to plead, "Do as thou hast said." You remember "Faith's Plea," a little book Miss C. gave you. Who do you think the man was that wrestled with Jacob? Was it not Jesus? the sinner's friend. At the daybreak Jacob began to see his blessed features, and when his thigh was out of joint he could do nothing but hang upon him. This is what you and I should do. Say, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me." Are there not some spots that you can call Peniel, where you have met Jehovah-Jesus face to face? When you do get into his presence, O do not weary of it; do not soon let go your hold. I am sure we lose much by our slight hold on Jesus. I was telling an interesting story to-night. Thirty thousand Spaniards lately came over the Pyrenees into France, to escape the civil wars. Some Geneva youths determined to take the opportunity of providing them with Spanish Testaments. The London Society granted them 10,000 copies. With these they set off and distributed freely. But the Spanish priests had come over and would not allow the Spaniards to receive or keep them. Many were burned or torn; they called them "The plague." One Spanish youth bought a Testament-kept it-read it-believed on Jesus; and when his countrymen returned to Spain, he staid behind to hear more of these wonders of redeeming love. Was not this one precious soul worth all the expense and trouble a thousand times over? "Be not weary in welldoing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Be active for God; you have lost much time already. Do nothing rashly, nothing unfeminine-give no just cause for reproach, but do not fear ridicule or proud men's sneer. If they knew what you know, they would rather inquire, “O that I knew where I might find him!" Meanwhile, good night. May he who never slumbers nor sleeps watch over you all, and keep you till your dying day! May Jesus be near you, and make you his own! I fear I must not visit Kelso this season. I leave for the north on Monday, and do not expect to be home till the 25th. I fear this

cuts off all hope of my visiting R

all

the time you men

be

tion. I do hope to be in England early in the summer, but before that I do not see my way. But I shall gladly leave myself in Jehovah's hand. Present duty is ours; neither must we consult our mere wishes. If I hear from you fore I leave I shall try and send you another line. I am glad you teach in the classes, and I think I see you telling you know. Remember Paul; when his heart was changed, for thirty years he did nothing else than serve Jesus. He laboured away in the service of Him who died for him, and plucked him from the burning. It is interesting to notice also, how often Paul told them of his own conversion. He told it to the Jews; Acts xxii.-then to Agrippa; Acts xxvi. -then to the Galatians; Gal. i. 13-16-then to the Philippians; Phil. iii. 4. I think this is an example for us to do the same, cautiously and wisely. John Newton once preached in Newgate to the prisoners. He chose 1 Tim. i. 15, for his text, and told them his own history, so that they wept and he wept. Pray for me still, that my way may be made plain. This is one of the blessings of having spiritual children, that you will surely pray for me. Do not cease to pray for that her eyes may be opened to see her true condition, and that she may call upon Jesus before it be too late. I must now leave you and write a little to others. I preach at Wallacetown to-night. May the Master be there! O he is, a sweet Master! One smile from Jesus sustains my soul amid all the storms and frowns of this passing world. Pray to know Jesus better. Have no other righteousness-no other strength but only Jesus. Soon we shall see him coming in the clouds of heaven. May you be kept faithful to death. Ever your loving friend, &c.

TO M. B.,

One of his flock who had felt deserted in soul.

PETERHEAD, Feb. 7. 1843.

DEAR FRIEND-I was very happy to hear from you. grieve to hear of your sorrow; but Job's sorrow was deeper, and David's also, in the xlii. Psalm. If you cannot say, “I found him whom my soul loveth," is it not sweet that you can say, "I am sick of love"-he is my beloved still, though he has withdrawn himself and is gone for a time? Seek into the cause of your declension. See that it be not some