you will most affectionately believe that I sympathize with you in all your bodily afflictions, and pray the LORD to sanctify and remove them. Oh what a suffering life is yours! The LORD give you patience and resignation, and grant that you may have abundant cause to bless him for the rod, and bring you out of the furnace refined, as gold is refined!-Present kindest love to all your household, And believe me, &c.

M. C.

LETTER IV.

Perhaps, my dear

Margate, Feb. 26, 1801.

, you may have had

hard thoughts of me for not writing to you long before this. I have the pleasure to tell you that illness has not prevented me. Before I received your last I had been rather poorly, but not materially so. The truth is, I have often sought an opportunity for the sole purpose of writing to you, but have as often been

think all you say

defeated in my design. I thank you for your kind affection for me, and the never doubting it was sincere, has given me boldness in writing to you. Though the more I know of myself, the more sensibly am I persuaded that I am indeed "less than the least of saints:" yet I verily believe you you say of me. But you do not know my heart: I have many conflicts with an evil nature, known only to myself; and I desire, as long as I am in the body, to feel it. I have long thought there is nothing worth living for here, but to fill up our days to the glory of GoD; and when that is done, why should the Christian wish for life? Oh to have an abiding hope of a better world! and which, blessed be GoD, I am not withI would not part with it for the uni'There's nothing here deserves my 'joys, there's nothing like my GOD;' and this I have often found at a throne of grace, when I have been indulged with the light of

out.

verse.

the LORD's countenance; when I have more sensibly felt the vanity of the world; when sin has appeared hateful, and conformity to the dear Saviour the chief wish of my heart. Five minutes thus spent is worth an age of carnal joy. The presence of God, as my GOD, is a heaven upon earth. I suppose the Apostle felt this, when he had a desire to depart and to be with CHRIST; and that has not been peculiar to him. Many of the dear saints of GOD have been thus favoured, and have been ready to exclaim, If thus in the prison, Oh for the palace! I think I may say, without exaggeration, that, at many times, and even within a few days, I have had such feelings as I have been endeavouring to describe: but perhaps my dear may say,

What has this to do with my case? it seems only to tantalize me. Why, let me draw this inference: if religion has done this for me in a smaller degree, and for many of the children of God to a much greater, why not

also for you? the fault must be in yourself. What hindereth your taking the consolations of the Gospel? Your deep affliction requires suitable comfort. You can't find it away from GOD. Let me affectionately entreat you to examine what is the cause, and to make it matter of constant prayer, that the Spirit of GOD may convince you of sin, give you to see your absolute need of CHRIST, and enable you properly to estimate his value as the physician of souls. We must know and feel ourselves to be sinners, before we can be said to be weary and heavy laden. This is declared to be the work and office of the Holy Spirit of GOD, to teach a poor sinner his lost and helpless state, to make him really hate sin, not merely because of its sad consequences in affliction here and misery hereafter, but because God hates it, and has declared that without holiness no man can see him (that is, acceptably)-Oh! that the LORD may guide you here by his unerring

counsel, and afterwards receive you to glory! "Ask therefore, and it shall be given, seek " and you shall find."

Pray let me hear from you soon. All friends here are well.

Miss

grows in grace daily, and promises for a shining Christian. Oh! what cause of thankfulness!

Believe me truly and affectionately, your's

M. C.

LETTER V.

Margate, March 21, 1801.

sensibly re

Your letter, my dear

newed the sympathetick feelings I have often

experienced on your behalf. Ah! what a mournful affliction is yours!

Oh, that it would please the LORD to sanctify and remove it !-but it will not be duly sanctified unless it has a happy influence on your soul, to bring you to the foot of the bleeding cross, as a poor lost miserable sinner; and there,