will forbid any body to disturb us. Send me word And believe me yours affectionately,

how soon.

"W. G."

April 6-Severe and various have been my trials since the fourteenth of March; but one has been predominant. I have struggled with it in vain, and groaned all the day in the bitterness of my soul. I have been harassed by company, and got little leisure for prayer and meditation, but on Sundays. This day the Lord has been showing me my backslidings. When confessing them before him this morning, Peter's fall came to my mind. I prayed that the Lord would look upon me, that I might be made sensible of my sin, and mourn for it. I continued wrestling with many cries and tears till he gave me access to him, and enabled me to make a full surrender of myself to him. I besought him to take from me (if necessary) health, fortune, friends, name, reputation, every comfort under the sun, even life itself, so that I might enjoy the consolation of knowing that he loved me, and never would forsake me. After this I went to the chapel; but how was my heart overwhelmed when Mr De C

took

for his text, "And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter." The whole sermon seemed to be a message from the Lord to my soul. O that the impression thereof may never be effaced! May I this day return to him who is willing to heal my backslidings, and to love me, even me, freely. Blessed Jesus, turn thou me, cause thy gracious face to shine upon me, so shall I be saved!

Sunday, April 13.-Blessed be the Lord for all his mercies! He has heard my cry, and revived his work in my soul. My heart and affections have been drawn

out towards him throughout this last week, particularly for three days past. For some days I was in great trouble of mind, and set apart some time for seeking the Lord. It was then he removed my distress, and gave me liberty to pour out my soul in prayer. O that I may now go on striving against sin, looking unto Jesus to bring me off more than conqueror! I feel my weakness, and the need I have of supplies of grace moment by moment. Lord, help thy poor weak creature! Unto thee I commit my soul; preserve it from the rage of thine enemies, and clothe it with thy righteousness, then shall I never be ashamed.

Sunday, May 5.-For some days past I have enjoyed much peace, and a sweet hope of attaining establishment in the faith. I begin to see my interest in Christ from the light I receive in reading and hearing his word. I see there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; and from Scripture marks I can perceive that I have received him as my Saviour. This morning I was much comforted in reading Shepherd's Sound Believer. He answers an objection that has long kept me from comfort. I now see that it is not presumption to believe, but the bounden duty of every one who hears the gospel. The Lord hath given us two commandments in the new dispensation; which are, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life, and to love the brethren. These are equally binding upon all who hear them; and none ever thought it presumption to obey the latter. Ashamed of my past unbelief, I now ventured to obey this sweet command; and my soul was filled with peace and joy in believing. I could not refrain from crying out for some time together, Jesus is mine, and I am his! I saw that nothing but unbelief could prevent my happiness. My

joy was exceeding great. I Lord, increase my faith; and rob me of thy peace!

felt that I did believe. suffer not the enemy to

At this time Lady Glenorchy wrote to Lady Maxwell the following letter:

Lady Glenorchy to Lady Maxwell.

66

Wednesday Evening.

6

"My dear Madam,-Your letter gives me real pleasure, as it affords me some hopes, that you will not wholly withdraw from me that friendship which I hitherto have, and do still esteem a singular blessing. The taking any step which endangered my losing it, was the greatest act of self-denial to me; and I do not think any thing less than the clear conviction I have for some time had of the propriety of it, could have supported me under the struggles I felt between the desire of your approbation, and what I thought duty to the cause in which I am engaged. I am sorry if I have offended you by saying, We boasted too much of a Catholic spirit.' I know that I have found fault with others for being too narrow-minded, whom I now see acted from more knowledge of the religious world than I had; and I am not ashamed to acknowledge, that I have in many things acted too hastily, and judged rashly. I hope the Lord will preserve me from this for the future. By what I have done, I would not have it supposed that I do not think the Methodists the people of God-Far be this from me; I only think they do not all preach pure doctrine, and therefore I would not have all of them to preach in my chapel, else I should frustrate my intention in opening it. Though I desire to have it open to every sect and

denomination, yet there is but one doctrine I would have taught there,-and it is this and this alone which obliges me to do what I have done. If I have erred, I pray God forgive me, and I trust he will, as it is, I hope, more from ignorance of his will, than a rebellious spirit. I have now to beg once more, my dear Madam, that you will continue me some share of your friendship and prayers. This last you are bound to do as a Christian, if you think me out of the way of truth. I feel that I am very ignorant, weak, and helpless; and it is my desire that the will of God may be done in me and by me at all times. Help me then, by your prayers, to obtain more strength, and knowledge of the Lord Jesus; and I also beg that you will write to me as often as you can, and say whatever you think may tend to stir me up to more diligence in the work of the Lord, or keep me from that spiritual slumber to which my heart is very prone. I shall not have time to call on you before I set out for Taymouth. I pray that the Lord may bless you with every spiritual blessing, and return a hundred-fold all the prayers and good offices you have bestowed on your most obliged and affectionate friend and servant, W. G."

Wednesday, May 29.-The Lord has shown me many evils in my heart this evening; and, blessed be his name, he has imbittered sin unto me, by causing my backslidings to reprove me. He has made the creature as thorns in my flesh, and shown me the folly of overvaluing it. O that I may learn wisdom, and no longer hew out unto myself broken cisterns, but cleave unto the Lord only, who is my best friend, my only real comforter! O that I may from this moment give up my whole heart to him, and seek no other portion ! I am distressed and oppressed on every side. All

seems against me, but I will still trust in the Lord. O that I knew his will, that I could hear his voice saying, This is the way, walk ye in it. Lord, thou only knowest my troubles; they are various and complicated, and greatly increased by a sinful heart. But what is this great mountain before thee? Speak the word, and it shall become a plain. What is this tempestuous ocean, that threatens to swallow me up? Say unto it, Be still, and there shall be a calm. O blessed Jesus, speak thou unto my perplexed afflicted soul, and say, Peace, be still. O bring my will into perfect submission to thine. My perverse nature shrinks back from the cross, even though I know that thou hast commanded me to take it up. But if thou wilt give me patience and strength, then, Lord, I will bear it after thee with joy. O heal the diseases of my soul, pour balm into the wounds which sin hath made; then shall I run with alacrity and joy the way of thy commandments!

Taymouth, June 28.—Before I left Edinburgh, I dismissed Mr Wesley's preachers from my chapel, as, from some writings of Mr Wesley which fell into my hands, and from the sentiments of some of his preachers of late officiating there, I found they held doctrines that appear to be erroneous. First, They deny the doctrines of imputed righteousness, election, and the saints' perseverance, which I think are clearly revealed in Scripture. Secondly, I found that none of our gospel ministers would preach in the chapel, if they continued to have the use of the pulpit; so that, by receiving them, I should exclude those who were sound in the faith, and thereby frustrate the end I had in view in opening the chapel, which was, to have all who preached pure evangelical doctrine to preach there, of any sect