And at these times we are generally followed with this" Hast thou not procured these things to thyself?" and these bonds are never broken but by Him who has more strength than even Samson.

I have at this time no certain text for to-night, and how I shall get through I know not; but against hope ours is to believe in hope, and hope that is seen is not hope; but, if we hope for what we do not as yet see, we wait for it; this is our place, and we are compelled at times to walk by faith, and not by sight. True, it is more pleasant to us to see all straight before us, and for gladness and good feelings to arise at the sight but Paul could say, in a more trying case than mine, "The will of the Lord be done!"

My text yesterday was an old one (Isa. xi. 15, 16). We had a good congregation in the morning, and a very large one in the evening; I think, many more than on the two last occasions of my being here.

Yours affectionately,

ISAAC BEEMAN.

DEAR MARY,

TO THE SAME.

Nelson Square, September 22, 1828.

My subject yesterday was the whole of the fourteenth chapter of Hosea, which, about twentythree years since, was very sweet to me; and, you know, the word of God is incorruptible, and liveth and abideth for ever, therefore it can never be finally lost nor grow absolutely old. I was thinking, on

Saturday morning, before I arose, that I had not had, upon this my intended journey, any word, as I sometimes have had, when the following was gradually (not with great power) brought to my mind: "And behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." I know, or hope I know, some things he has spoken; and has he spoken and shall he not make it good? The first shall be last and the last first; it is of God, and not of man.

The congregation was large, both morning and evening, rather most in the evening. Soon after I began my subject, I also began to feel it, and the sweetness of it in some small measure; and as I had gone through all this, and it being a path that I knew, when I had the feeling, matters flowed freely, and the attention of the people was apparent; and, I firmly believe, it pleased God, by such a dim candle, to cause the light to shine upon the path of many in that place who truly fear God; for, as in water face answers to face, so the hearts of them that fear God. I could see it, and they felt it, and God will have the glory from all that love him; for as we have all fallen, as well as Israel of old, and as none but God can make us sensible of it, we know the power is of him. He also causes us to return; "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned;" but never till this is done. He also puts words in our mouth: "Take with you words ;" and He shews what words we are to take, besides "We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord." And the Spirit of God makes us use the words which he teaches, till, like Jacob of old, we obtain the blessing; and thus, sensibly feeling he has received us into his favour, in

VOL. II.

D

which is life, we readily render the calves of our lips, giving thanks to his name.

:

When this is the case with us, we find out whence mercy flows to us, and that none but He who has proclaimed his name Merciful could shew us the mercy we wanted. No eye to pity, nor hand to help, but his "In Thee the fatherless findeth mercy." This cures us for ever of all Arminianism : Ashur shall not save us :" of the works of our hands it shall now no more be said by us, Ye are our gods, since in Thee only the fatherless findeth mercy. All backslidings are healed by this, and the love of God is enjoyed through the only merits of a crucified Saviour given to one as undeserving as any ever could be. We feel it to be free, in every view of it we can take; we are sure it comes to us without money and without any price as from us. "Thou wast angry with us;" and we felt his jealous rebukes: "but thine anger is now turned away," which is sensibly known by feeling his love, and the comforts attending it flow into the heart. From this time, as in my own, so in your case, and all who are reclaimed and brought home to God, he becomes" as the dew unto Israel;" the life of all grace in the soul. What feelings, under his operations, are produced in the heart! Light and life work in every faculty of the soul; in his light we see light, and the feeling sense of his discriminating love enlarges the heart, as it rises within, while he opens to us the sweet mysteries of his kingdom, the secrets of his covenant and counsels of old; and so makes us grow in the sensible enjoyment of his love and knowledge of his good will of purpose and of promise. What did you see of this in your brooks and streams, when you grew as the lily and cast forth your roots as Lebanon?" You clearly saw that all, to you, pro

ceeded as from a first cause, which was his everlasting love; and, by the various exercises you have gone through, he has caused you to be rooted and grounded in this, so as not to be moved away from the hope of the gospel.

In some such way as this I went through my text; but my paper will not contain even the heads of the subject. However, at the close, I attempted to shew that they whom God made truly wise (and also how he made them so),-that they understood these things, and knew them by sensible experience; that such were both "wise" and "prudent;" that they had not only the knowledge, but the experience which is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost, and which is wisdom applied to practice; for mere theory will do nothing for us; the things seen must be applied to the heart by a superior Power, and then it is said, the prudent is crowned with knowledge. But I must have done : I am to speak again on Tuesday evening.

Yours affectionately,

ISAAC BEEMAN.

DEAR MARY,

TO THE SAME.

Nelson Square, June 28, 1830.

We had a great many people yesterday morning. My subject was 2 Cor. iv. 1-7, and I felt a considerable degree of power while first speaking of having this ministry," how it was received, and what it was; how made known; also of the mercy of God,

66

and its powerful constraint upon the heart, to keep it from fainting in our profession or in the work of the ministry. In the next verse, while opening it as well as I was able, I thought of some who, if not quite blind, must both see and feel; but this I must leave, as nothing good can be done unless God doeth it.

"But by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." In this part I attacked the wisdom of man, who thinks he knows something, and makes use of his abilities to gain proselytes, not being able to trust God to give him people and hearers, who will receive plain truths, as laid down in his word, and clearly delivered (without worldly wisdom) by those whom God sends into his own vineyard.

In the evening I finished my subject, but not with so much power either in prayer or in speaking: yet I may not complain, though I best like the power. I endeavoured to shew how grace and truth came by Christ; for the law came by Moses, which condemns all flesh, and which law he must fulfil, and make satisfaction for our breaches thereof; then mercy and truth meet together grace to save us, consistently with law and justice, came by Christ, and flows from God to us through him in all its freeness. God is the giver, and we are passives.

I mentioned how the gospel, to some, was hid, the devil keeping his goods in peace, and what such were employed in, and thus the light kept out. So such professors may be known, more or less.

Some

The next," We preach not ourselves." pretenders, who think they preach Christ, preach only themselves. Their understanding is displayed upon Christ and his gospel, and that is all; no Christ revealed to them, of course no Christ in them. He