I AM glad, my dear friend, that your visit to **** has been of such benefit to you; and I pray God to continue it to your soul, and not to suffer these impressions to wear off. Temptations doubtless will attend every situation we are in; but the soul that rests secure in the love of God will easily conquer them. I wish you may find more and more benefit from the church prayers: they are for human compositions very excellent, and I belief the best form of prayers that ever was put together. I cannot reproach you for that which God has pardoned, but you certainly ought now to be more watchful, that you fall not again; for then great indeed would be your condemnation. The danger which may accrue to you by going to Miss **** will I find be known to you by experience only. She is certainly a good creature herself, and I love her, but there is a spirit ♦haunts her absolutely contrary to the spirit I am seeking after. She is not capable, my dear, of watching your words with any ill design. Her only view is to find out your errors. And if possible cure you of them. I doubt not but if you could converse with her alone, and keep clear of disputes, she might be of great use to you, and I hope God will bless this and every other means to the good of your soul. The most excellent people in the world will be of little avail, unless his Spirit assists, and with this there is nothing so weak or mean, but what may tend to increase his love in our hearts. *For my own part, silence and solitude seem at present best for me, and I am more hurt by some religious people, whom I converse with, than by the people of the world. Indeed there is scarce any, who does not in some measure hurt me, except Mr. ****. Numberless are the snares that lie in our way to the heavenly kingdom. ’Tis truly a warfare, and a very difficult one, but the crown that awaits us at the end, is well worth the striving for, even unto blood. Besides the encouragements and comforts we find in the way are glorious: sure I am that _Alexander_ never found such joy in all his conquests, as the soul that presses after the footsteps of Christ does in one conquest over self-will. There is more delight in suffering for God, than in reigning with the world. To clasp the cross of Christ close to the heart is more happiness than angels can give; and what inexpressible satisfaction is it to a soul, whose every faculty loves its Redeemer, to cry out,
Give me to feel thine agonies, One drop of thy sad cup afford; I fain with thee would sympathize, And share the sufferings of my Lord.
♦ “haunts” replaced with “haunts her” per Errata
*Oh God of unspeakable mercy, unbounded love, how little is all we can do or suffer for thee! Oh that we might not have a thought, nor even a pulse beat, but for our God! What is all that earth or heaven itself can give in comparison of thee? Oh uncreated beauty, how does every other excellence fade away at thy presence! How does a taste of thy love make every other love insipid! And a ray of thy light darken the brightest of created Beings! Oh when, when shall our souls be wholly swallowed up in thee! When shall we know thee even also as we are known! Thou knowest the desire of our hearts. Thou seest how our souls stretch, and pant after thee, even to fainting! Oh give us to drink of the waters of life, even in this our pilgrimage, until we come to drink freely of them from that river, which proceedeth out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb for ever and ever. _Amen_, Lord Jesus.
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_My beloved friend_,