CXCIII.

April 2, 1807.

I RECEIVED the epistle of my daughter; and, as far as I am skilled in anatomy, or in physiognomy, the outward man decays, but the inward man is renewed; his heart seems happy, and his countenance healthy. Winter frosts and east winds have no effect upon charity, the bond of all perfectness. Nor will faith be confined at home, or be deterred from venturing abroad, nor will she cease to plow up the mysteries, because of the cold. Faith, hope, and love, can go abroad when we are confined at home; and find access within the vail when we are detained within the curtains. And, as to the old man, his bounds are circumscribed: his parole is between the two thrones; he cannot gain the throne of our renewed affections within, nor draw near the throne of grace above. Grace shall reign in the heart; and the Saviour is holy, harmless, separate from sin and sinners, and will never suffer the spawn of the old man to come near him.

A wonder, and a new thing it is, that a woman should compass a man, Jer. xxxi. 22. But here is a Welsh girl who has compassed

four men. Her outward man decays; her old man still plagues her; her inward man is renewed day by day; and her Mediator, who is the man Christ Jesus, still mediates for her. A glorious reward is before us, when the fight and the race are finished. An eternal weight of glory follows upon our light and momentary afflictions, and the Lord in our nature, in part of the children's flesh and blood, has got possession of it, and secures and ensures it to all the seed. And he has already admitted our hearts and hopes, faith and affections, thoughts and desires, prayers and praises, to go and come, ascend and descend, and to go in and out; which serves to shew us that the door is not shut, that the way is cast up, the obstacles are removed, and the cloud of our transgressions blotted out; and, as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between us and everlasting life.

If you could but know how I have explored these invisible regions of bliss; fancied and imagined the glorious orders of beings there; their songs, appearances, felicity, employments, delights, shining robes, sparkling crowns; their palms, shouts, triumphs, exultations, thrones, princedoms; their fountains of life, rivers of pleasure, and (above all) the beauty, the perfection of beauty, and the beauty of holinessin I mean the sovereign Ruler and glorious King

of the place! There is nothing, girl, but the

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vail between that country and this.

Farewell! My love to the Doctor.

Ever yours.

W. H. S. S.

CXCIV.

Sept. 7, 1810.

I WAS in hopes that my dear Doctor would have done as he is done by. I always endeavour to mix up something when he comes to my shop, either to purge, to heal, to supple, to strengthen, or to revive. But no soap pills, no juniper, for me: these he says might do me good, but he takes care not to bring them. I am but poorly, the hot work at Grub-street is too much for my tottering tabernacle. But it must come down, and it shall be built again; Truth has said it, and Omniptence will perform it. Yours in Him,

THE COALHEAVER,

CXCV.

June 22, 1812.

DEAR FRIEND,

THE Doctress told me yesterday that she intended, in a few days, to pay us a visit. I beg you will tender my kind respects to the Captain, and tell him that I shall be glad to see him with his sister. He will meet with a hearty welcome, and a pleasant garden to walk in. I have but one spare bed, but I think I could get him one in the neighbourhood. I am, blessed be my God, better of my gravelly complaint, but the rheumatism sticks fast to my hip; old age, as well as the queen of the south, is attended with a very great train; but Christ is my physician, my healing balm, my saving health, my life, and the length of my days, or the continuer of everlasting light, being the fountain of it; and I endeavour to comfort myself with these things.

A young man, who kept the Bull Inn at Cranbrook, and was brought forth under me some years ago in town, has been for sometime very ill, and wished much to see and hear me once more ere he died. He heard me twice last Sunday, from 2 Cor. v. 4, 5. On Tuesday I went to see him, and on Thursday noon he departed in peace, according to God's promise to all his saints. Dame sends her respects. Yours in faith and hope,

W. H. S. S.

CXCVI.

Feb. 4, 1799.

WELL, and how comes my dear brother on now? Does the blessed work go on? Doth the true light shine? God shines into our hearts to make manifest the evil of our nature. The more it shines, the worse we see ourselves. And it shines three ways; First, to discover our sins, and to reprove us for them; "All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light; for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." It shines into the word; "We have a sure word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed as to a light shining in a dark place, till the day dawn, and day star arise in your hearts.".

Thirdly, it shines in the face of the Mediator; God gives us "the light of the knowledge of the glory of himself in the face of Jesus Christ."

Fourthly, That we may see what he hath done for us and in us; "I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight."

Fifthly, It discovers more and more the evil of our hearts, and the suitableness and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father. The path of the just shines more and more unto the perfect day.