conscience, they will surely suffer for it. This will weaken their hands, and bring distress into their hearts. Wilful sin sadly perplexes and retards our progress. May the Lord keep us from it! It raises a dark cloud, and hides the Sun of Righteousness from our view; and till he is pleased freely to shine forth again, we can do nothing: and for this perhaps he will make us wait, and cry out often, "How long, O Lord! how long?"

Thus, by reading the word of God, by frequent prayer, by a simple attention to the Lord's will, together with the use of public ordinances, and the observations we are able to make upon what passes within us and without us, which is what we call experience, the Lord watering and blessing with the influence of his Holy Spirit, may we grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, be more humbled in our own eyes, more weaned from self, more fixed on him as our all in all, till at last we shall meet before his throne.

The communion of saints, another point you desired my thoughts upon, is the great privilege of all the children of God; they may be separate from each other in body, and yet may daily meet at the throne of grace. This is one branch of the communion of saints, to be present in spirit to each other; sharing in common of the influences of the same Spirit; they feel the same desires, aim at the same objects, and, so far as they are personally acquainted, are led to bear each other upon their hearts in prayer. It has often been an encouragement to me in a dark and dull hour, when rather the constraint of duty, than the consideration of privilege, has brought me upon my knees, to reflect how many hearts, and eyes, and hands, have been probably lifted up in the same moment with mine; this thought has given me new courage. O what a great family has our Father! and what Da

vid says of the natural is true of the spiritual life, Psalm civ. "These wait all upon thee; that thou "" mayest give them their meat in due season. That "thou givest them, they gather: thou openest thine "hand, and they are filled with good." Then I particularly think of those who have been helpful to me in time past; the seasons of sweet communion we have enjoyed together, the subjects of our mutual complaints, &c. Where are they, or how engaged now? Perhaps this moment praying or thinking about me. Then I am roused to make their cases my own, and by attempting to plead for them, I get strength to pray for myself. It is an encouragement, no doubt, in a field of battle, to know that the army we belong to is large, unanimous, all in action, pressing on from every side against the common enemy, and gaining ground in every attack. But if we derive fresh spirits from considering our friends and associates on earth, how should we take fire if we could penetrate within the veil, and take. a view of the invisible world! We should not then complain that we were serving God alone. O the numbers, the voices, the raptures of that heavenly host! Not one complaining note, not one discordant string. How many thousand years has the harmony been strengthening by the hourly accession of

new voices !

I sometimes compare this earth to a temporary gallery or stage, erected for all the heirs of glory to pass over, that they may join in the coronation of the Great King: a solemnity in which they shall not be mere spectators, but deeply-interested parties; for he is their husband, their Lord; they bear his name, and shall share in all his honours. Righteous Abel led the van:-the procession has been sometimes broader, sometimes narrowed to almost a single person, as in the days of Noah. After many generations had successively entered and

disappeared, the King himself passed on in person, preceded by one chosen harbinger; he received many insults on his passage; but he bore all for the sake of those he loved, and entered triumphant into his glory.

He was followed by twelve faithful servants, and after them the procession became wider than ever. There are many yet unborn who must (as we do now) tread in the steps of those gone before; and when the whole company is arrived, the stage shall be taken down and burnt.

Then all the chosen race shall meet before the throne, Shall bless the conduct of his grace, and make his wonders known.

Let us then, dear Sir, be of good courage; all the saints on earth, all the saints in heaven, the angels of the Lord, yea, the Lord of angels himself, all are on our side. Though the company is large, yet there is room;-many mansions ;- -a place for you;-a place, I trust, for worthless me.

I am, &c.

LETTER XXVI.

On the gradual Increase of Gospel-Illumination.

Dear Sir,

THE day is now breaking! how beautiful its ap

pearance! how welcome the expectation of the approaching sun! It is this thought makes the dawn agreeable, that it is the presage of a brighter light; otherwise, if we expect no more day than it is this minute, we should rather complain of dark

ness, than rejoice in the early beauties of the morning. Thus the life of grace is the dawn of immortality; beautiful beyond expression, if compared with the night and thick darkness which formerly covered us; yet faint, indistinct, and unsatisfying, in comparison of the glory which shall be revealed. It is, however, a sure earnest; so surely as we now see the light of the Son of Righteousness, so surely shall we see the Sun himself, Jesus the Lord, in all his glory and lustre. In the mean time, we have reason to be thankful for a measure of light to walk and work by, and sufficient to show us the pits and snares by which we might be endangered : and we have a promise, that our present light shall grow stonger and stronger, if we are diligent in the use of the appointed means, till the messenger of Jesus shall lead us within the veil, and then farewell shades and obscurity for ever.

I can now almost see to write, and shall soon put the extinguisher over my candle; I do this without the least reluctance, when I enjoy a better light; but I should have been unwilling half an hour ago. Just thus, methinks, when the light of the glorious gospel shines into the heart, all our former feeble lights, our apprehensions, and our contrivances, become at once unnecessary and unnoticed.

How

cheerfully did the apostle put out the candle of his own righteousness, attainments, and diligence, when the true Sun arose upon him! Phil. iii. 7, 8. Your last letter is as a comment upon his determination. Adored be the grace that has given us to be likeminded, even to "account all things but loss for the "excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our "Lord."

While I am writing, a new lustre, which gilds the house on the hill opposite to my study-window; informs me that the sun is now rising; he is rising to others, but not yet to me;-my situation is low

er, so that they enjoy a few gleams of sun-shine before me; yet this momentary difference is inconsiderable, when compared to the duration of a whole day. Thus some are called by grace earlier in life, and some later; but the seeming difference will be lost and vanish when the great day of eternity comes on. There is a time, the Lord's best appointed time, when he will arise and shine upon many a soul that now sits " in darkness, and in the region "of the shadow of death."

I have been thinking on the Lord's conference with Nicodemus: It is a copious subject, and affords room, in one part or other, for the whole round of doctrinal or experimental topics. Nicodemus is an encouraging example to those who are seeking the Lord's salvation: he had received some favourable impressions of Jesus; but he was very ignorant, and much under the fear of man. He durst only come by night, and at first, though he heard, he understood not; but he, who opens the eyes of the blind, brought him surely, though gently, forward. The next time we hear of him, he durst put in a word in behalf of Christ, even in the midst of his enemies, John vii.; and at last, he had the courage openly and publicly to assist in preparing the body of his Master for its funeral, at a time when our Lord's more avowed followers had all forsook him, and fled. So true is that, " Then shall ye "know, if ye follow on to know the Lord;" and again, "He giveth power to the faint; and to them "that have no might, he increaseth strength." Hope then, my soul, against hope; though thy graces are faint and languid, he who planted them, will water his own work, and not suffer them wholly to die. He can make a little one as a thousand; at his presence mountains sink into plains, streams gush out of the flinty rock, and the wilderness blossoms as the rose. He can pull down what sin builds