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of earth. This should soon cause us to take down our harps from the drooping willows, and tune them to the highest praise. This, I am persuaded, would make this inhospitable wilderness, this wild desert, blossom, and appear as the garden of Eden. Even this presence of our God would make a paradise: and to live, which now appears only a living death, would be Christ. Yea, methinks the prospect of this would reconcile me to life, and make all its burdens easy and sweet. What could be too grievous to bear, or too dear to part with, to see our God thus glorified, the dear Redeemer's kingdom come with power, perishing sinners plucked as brands out of the burning, and the ransomed of the Lord returning to Zion with songs and everlasting joy. "Well, blessed be God, every promise and purpose, concerning Zion, and our Zion in particular, shall have its full accomplishment: for we have to do with a God, who is infinitely wise in purposing, wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. And hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? O for faith and prayer! to believe what he hath promised; and to give him no rest, till Zion become a praise in all the earth.

"May this be abundantly experienced on the solemn day approaching, the next Thursday, the last day of this month: a day set apart by the general Association of Ministers in this colony, under a sense of the great declension of religion; that God would return, and visit the land with divine influences; that religion, in its power and purity, may be revived. Had it not been for this appointment, I believe I should, have returned before now. But this has seemed to set my bounds, ever since I came here (unless Providence should order otherwise for me) having a desire to be present and unite on this solemn, most important occasion. Join us, my dear Newport friends, in this ail interesting affair; and, on this day, which will be your stated half day, as early as you can, in the afternoon; that you may meet, perhaps hundreds, of God's dear ministers and children, at the same throne of grace, for one and the same blessing. O may we then feel the unity of the Spirit; bear each others burdens, and be all united for the whole. Being cemented by the divine Spirit, may we surround

the throne of grace; be gathered at the footstool of Jehovah; and be present before the mercy-seat, with our divine Redeemer and intercessor at our head, and the arm of faith fast about him, refusing to let him go; let us lift up holy hands, without wrath or doubting ; feel, and tell our God, we are all as dead men before him, if he help us not; tell him our land, our nation, our world is burnt up with excessive drought, for want of the dews. of heaven, and divine influence. Let us put in our plea, in the name of our worthy Advocate, and see if God will not glorify his Son, in granting our request for his sake.

"Surely it is time for us to be awaked and alarmed. Where are we sinking? What will be the consequence of this dreadful stupefaction? The symptoms of death are upon us, or we never could live at so low a rate. Were it my case alone, or only of a few individuals, the glory of God, and the kingdom and interest of the ever worthy Lamb of God, and the wonderful work of redeeming love, might yet flourish and be magnified but when it is as an overflowing deluge, a wide breaking in of many waters, who that has any exercise of true love to God, can be careless and easy in such a time of declension?

"If I prefer not the prosperity of Jerusalem to my chief joy, I know nothing. Well, let us pray for the peace and prosperity thereof, and be encouraged, notwithstanding present appearances: for the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is his rest. Here will he dwell. He will abundantly bless her provision, and satisfy her poor with bread. Faith says, it is enough: the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. I will pray and wait in hope; and blessed be she who believeth; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord (in his word.) And surely we may stretch our desires abroad, even to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills; for there are glorious things spoken concerning the city of our God."

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The following is another letter, written to the same persons

MY VERY DEAR, DEAR

"YOUR griefs and distresses greatly affect me. Forgive me, my dear soul, that I am so deficient in my attempts to assist and comfort you. I reproach myself for this, while yet I know God only can comfort you: and I am, in my poor manner, looking to him to do it. "You say, you doubt whether you know the true God, and in heart choose him. If not, why do you thirst, long, and pant for, and place all your happiness in that very sovereign, holy, righteous, good and glori ous God, who is revealed in his word, and by his works? You next doubt whether your anxiety about this does not prove selfish? If your anxiety about this matter arises wholly from a desire of securing your own happiness, and preventing your own private, personal misery, it is doubtless selfish. If you see nothing worthy, lovely and excellent in God's true character; and therefore desire the knowledge of it, only to secure eternal life to you, it is wrong. But, if you place eternal life or happiness in the knowledge of the only true God, as he is the sum of all perfection, and infinite excellence, in and of himself; then you will desire this knowledge for its own sake; and will doubtless desire to know, that you do know that which you esteem infinitely worthy, excellent and glorious; and will be far from being satisfied with just such a degree of that knowledge, as you suppose may secure your title to heaven.

"Suppose, my dear, I have a certain sum offered me, upon condition I become reconciled to, and acquainted with a worthy person. I have no esteem or love for the person; but for the sake of the interest, I will try for a reconciliation and acquaintance; and may be very inquisitive to know, if I have complied with the terms: that is, whether I am indeed entitled to the reward; which is all I care for. But when I become truly acquainted with the person, I see so much real worth and excellency in him, that my heart is most sensibly attracted to him; and I find this knowledge is happi

ness. I pursue a farther acquaintance. I hear him. described, and believe he is what he is described to be : and I hear, and believe it to be complete happiness to know and enjoy such a friend. So I hear and believe that this knowledge is connected with some great and good effects, in whomsoever it takes place. But I find so little of these effects in myself (through my own blindness and stupidity) and in a sense of the importance of the matter, that I grow anxious to know whether I have indeed any true knowledge; and so am in the way of a growing acquaintance, rather from the excellency and importance of this knowledge, than from the fear of losing the sum this, as a private, personal interest, hardly comes into view; is overlooked, in comparison with the happiness, which is attained by the exhibition and display of true worth and excellence, and tends to exalt it.

"It is supposed there is the same natural desire of happiness in both cases: but, then, the one has no regard to any being but himself. The other goes out of himself, and places his happiness in that which is the good of being in general. And here, my dear friend, I think, it is easy to see how a desire to know, that we do know, and are really in heart acquainted with God's true character, may spring from a benevolent disposition of heart, a regard to him, as the sum of all being and perfection; and so not a mere selfish desire. I think it is certain we may desire to know this, as we are directed to glory in it. Jer. ix. "Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, who exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."

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The following letter was written to a friend who then lived in the country, who was greatly attentive to her spiritual concerns, under a strong and abiding conviction of the depravity and hardness of her heart, and viewing herself to be in an unconverted state.

66

MY DEAR, KIND FRIEND,

Newport, Oct. 27, 1770.

"I THANK you for your very kind and acceptable favor of the 11th inst. Only you draw a character that does by no means belong to me. And, however mortifying it is to me; yet I must assure you, did my real character come into your view, you would be so far from loving and admiring, that you must yourself be very bad, not to detest and abhor it. But so infinite wisdom has seen best to order it, that I should not be cast out and abhorred by all living, while I ought to loath myself for all my abominations, and great deffciencies; for which I have no possible excuse; but indeed am infinitely guilty for my criminal abuse of the long and rich advantages with which I have been favored. I was early planted in the house of my good God, that I might be fat and flourishing: but, alas! my leanness, my leanness! Were it not for the rich, free and sovereign grace of the gospel, which affords hope and relief for the most wretched and guilty, I must.now lie down in absolute despair. Here is my only hope: and refuge.

"And here is a hope and refuge set before my dear friend, let her guilt be ever so great, or her abused advantages ever so many, if she will but accept the offered salvation, the only remedy that infinite wisdom and sovereign grace has provided. And what objection can she possibly have to a way and a remedy so infinitely well calculated to secure the divine honor, and confer the richest and infinitely the best of blessings on guilty sinners a way which opens the most grand and noble prospects of richest treasures, highest happiness, and most satisfying enjoyments for one complete eternity and opens these prospects even to the most poor, wretched, miserable, captivated, enslaved, sunken, destitute creatures, by a union to the great and glorious

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