love surpasseth the love of women.  This Friend receiveth sinners—­casts out none who come to him.  He was never known to disappoint the hopes of any poor sinner.  He receives them into his heart; he takes all their burdens and cares on himself, pays all their debts, answers all demands against them, and is every way surety for them; they become his own, no one has any thing to say to them but himself.  He knows them—­how apt to err, to wander, yea, to forget him, and prove ungrateful; all this he knows, but he has made provision for all.  He has a rod, and he will subdue their iniquities.  He will heal their backslidings, he will bring back and restore his wanderers.  He will in due time perfect what concerns them, and present them to his Father purified, without spot or wrinkle.

“In the meantime he requires them to confide in him; to go up through this wilderness leaning upon him; to tell him all their complaints and griefs, and to comfort themselves:  and he will impress the comfort by means of his great and precious promises, scattered like so many pearls through his sacred Bible, tabled there on purpose for us to ground our prayers upon, and delight ourselves in.  This is your friend’s Friend, and of ten thousand besides.  This was the wicked Magdalene’s Friend; this, the persecuting Paul’s Friend, wicked Manasseh’s Friend; the adulterous, murdering David’s Friend.  And he is your Friend, though your eyes are holden that you see him not.  He is leading you by a way that you know not.  This is one of his characters, ‘I will bring the blind by a way that they know not.’

“I was happy to find your niece was to return with Mr. C——­; but, my dear, a painful dread has assaulted my peace, lest Satan get the advantage by means of a stranger in the family, and undo what has been begun.  The world may have peace without God; but you shall not.  You have, however feebly, taken hold of his covenant, and he will keep you to your choice.  ‘If his children forsake his laws and go astray,’ etc.  Psalm 79:30.”

“NOVEMBER, 1805.

“MY DEAR FRIEND—­This is not our rest; through much tribulation all Christ’s disciples must follow him.  There is a rest prepared for the people of God:  as far as tasted in this world—­and in this world it is tasted—­it consists in a mind resigned to the will of God in proportion as it can say, ’Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.’  Christ himself was made perfect through suffering, and all his followers shall be so in their appointed measure.  What is our cup to his?  O my dear friend, we are ransomed, we are redeemed, and we are fitting and preparing for the purchased inheritance, that perfect rest prepared for the people of God when their warfare is finished.  Let him do all his pleasure with us here; let him subdue our iniquities in his own way; let him glorify his name by our sufferings—­his glory is ever connected with his people’s best interests.  We shall one day acknowledge that he has done all things well, and that not one word of all that he has promised has failed.