ness, from all the hard speeches and calumnies endured by us while we are among his enemies, which will be but a short time, for God shall shortly bruise Satan under our feet, and he, in union with unbelief, is commander-in-chief of all his Majesty's enemies. Almighty God, cut short his power! Glory be to our most precious Christ, though he is an avowed enemy, he is in chains, with a bruised head, restrained by a whom he may, not whom he will devour, and all the vessels of mercy shall be brought forth to the light, and shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, for ever and ever. Dear Lord, enable me to take up my cross, and despise the shame; and if it should be thy will to lay me as low as Lazarus in temporals, I hope, my brother, that Christ will still give me a song in that night of adversity, that I may rejoice that my name is written in heaven, and in hope of the glory of God; and, in the testimony of a good conscience, be found still at mercy's door, waiting for the fulfilment of that gracious promise, "I will deliver thee." It is the Lord alone that knows the inward strugglings and conflicts endured, and the sighs, groans, and tears that are frequently forced from the heart and eyes, by the fury of the oppressor. I want, my dear friend, a fresh token of the love of Jesus, that I may have a "Thus saith the Lord," the sword of the Spirit, against all my enemies, and be enabled to stand in this evil day of tribulation and anguish, rebuke and blasphemy; and, while the enemies of the cross are saying that it is my adherence to the doctrines preached by you that has brought all this trouble upon me, I am still helped to say, Methinks I'd rather feel the keenest smart from rude affliction's hand, than once depart from sterling truth," knowing that if I deny Christ he will also deny me; and besides, I hear him Will ye say, also go away?" But alas! to whom shall I go? for it is he alone that has the words of eternal life. I have found them to be so under your ministry; and those truths of God contained in the Bible, which you preach, have, by their divine and sweet unction on my conscience, enabled me hitherto to maintain my integrity and confidence, in spite of all

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that oppose. But my continuing until this day is entirely owing to his hold of me, and not mine of him; for I have often, when my love to him has been keenly tried, called all into question, and seemed just ready to give all up, and you certainly would have heard, my dear brother, long ere this, that I was gone with Obstinate, Pliable, or Turnaway, if the strong hand of God had not kept me. Not unto us, not unto us, but unto the name of God belongs all the glory of preserving as well as electing grace.

The name of Jesus, at times, proves a sovereign balm for every wound, and a cordial for every fear, from an experience of what he has done for me, and the visits of his love that he often makes, though frequently they are so transient that I do but just behold him before he vanishes out of my sight; but he leaves such a blessing behind him, that I can have no doubt but that it is he of whom it is said, "His visitations preserve the spirit;" "His name is like ointment poured forth;" while we, under a sense of our vileness and deserts, our dreadful backslidings, rebellion, and desperately wicked hearts, possess a hope that he nevertheless loves us, pardons us, and freely and fully forgives all our sins, blots them out, and will remember them no more for ever. Does joy in the Holy Ghost for such matchless favours, such unmerited, free grace, bestowed on such wretched sinners, lead us to sin, that grace may abound? "God forbid," says an apostle; and the damnation of such as affirm that the preaching of full and free forgiveness for sins past, present, and to come, through the rich and atoning blood of Christ, leads to licentiousness, is just; for they know not what they say, nor whereof they affirm. We who have tasted the grace of God in truth, and received the truth in the love of it, and found the sweet comfort and healing flowing from the dear wounds of a crucified Redeemer, know that the evil, bitter, and malignant nature of sin is learnt no where so effectually as in the sufferings of

Christ. Dear Saviour, I would tell to sinners round what a dear Saviour thou art, but my warmest and greatest efforts only vex me, because they are so much below thy real worth. One believing view of oneness to him and union with him, produces all I want; therefore, he is All and in All. Am I called to tread through the thorny road of adversity and persecution? it is with Christ, and he has been there, and much worse, before me; for my sorest afflictions and heaviest trials are only a taste of that cup of which he drunk the very dregs.

May the great love of our adorable and matchless Jesus keep us, my dear brother, on the tiptoe and stretch after the full enjoyment of glories unsullied, and joys uninterrupted.

I remain, as ever, yours, a smoking flax,

SARAH.

Dear Barnabas,-It is the sweet visits of my heavenly Bridegroom and the smiles of his favour that enable and embolden me still to go on with mywhat shall I call it? why, whisperings from the dust, or a feeble female attempt to raise a note to the praise of free grace, by way of letters from Sarah to Barnabas. I have frequently wished when I have began a letter to you, to have told you of some of the particular things, wherein God has proved a God of Providence on my behalf. O what a God near at hand has he been to me. I would mention one instance that happened very lately, which I am sure will be treated with contempt and ridicule by those that know not the power nor work of divine faith; but unto me, it was better than thousands of gold and silver. One morning, being in want of bread, and the voice of carnal reason saying, "Where is now thy God, and his promise, Thy bread shall be given?" and unbelief answering, "Verily, I cannot tell where he is;" the Lord God of Elijah strengthened poor little faith once more, and she cried, "Lord help me;" and within a quarter of an hour after, a servant of a neighbour brought me a cake, which she said her Mrs. had sent me, and I never eat such a cake before, though it was a plain one, and I really thought

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that I was favoured to enter fully into the true relish that Elijah had in eating that cake which the angel brought him, and I was lifted from the dunghill to eat bread with princes. Forget not all his benefits, my soul, but record them to the honour of the faithfulness of thy God, whose promise is yea and amen, and never was forfeited yet. But, my dear brother, time fails me to tell you in how many ways and how many times God has appeared as a God of providence for me. Once on a Saturday night, very late, when we had no prospect of any thing for the Sabbath, my heavenly Father moved the hearts of my dear and valuable friends in Wiltshire to send me a piece of gold; it came highly prized, because greatly needed. Thus I have at the divine command been compelled to go to sea again and again, and to go down to do business in the deep waters of temporal and spiritual adversity, that I might learn the mighty works of God, and experience what wonders he can perform even in the deep; and at this present time my situation is very like unto the children of Israel at the Red Sea, (though, by the by, it is not the first time I have been here) driven so close, that none can deliver but God alone. I must sink without him, and for the most part of my time, I am like an untamed heifer, and like Jonah, fretting and saying, "I do well to be angry," or, with Jacob, saying, All these things are against me." To my shame be it spoken, though I have had so many signal deliverances, and such sweet promises sent home with power time after time, particularly this one, "Though I make an end of all nations, I will not make a full end of thee;" yet I am often forced to a stand, and constrained to ask, where is my faith? and stand astonished at the goodness and long suffering patience of God with me, that I am not left to fill up the measure of mine iniquity. I had intended in this letter to have mentioned another particular interference of God in my behalf, as a God of providence and grace; but time forbids at present; but should it be the will of God to spare me a little longer, perhaps I may at some future time. For the present I conclude, yours in the best of bonds, a wonder unto many,

SARAH.

NOTE.

THE preceding letters have not undergone the same careful revision as the former part of the work. Many of Mr. Warburton's friends were tediously anxious to obtain possession of it, and this, added to the publisher's desire to issue it with the new year, caused the letters to be hurried through the press without the proof sheets being sent out of town. It is, however, hoped, that they will be found so far correct, as to prevent complaints from any real friends.

J. GADSBY, PRINTER, MARKET-STREET, MANCHESTER.