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testimony accuses him in his own conscience, and his countenance accuses him before the saints: and thus, by perverting his way, he shall surely be known; and, in time, his conduct shall accuse and reproach him for an hypocrite, even before the world.

They that are partial in the law of faith, that are partial in the law of truth, and who corrupt the covenant of life and peace, (which is the priestly covenant, or the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, in the hand of our great Melchisedec,) God declares, the Lord of Hosts declares, that he will make them contemptible and base before all the people. Read Malachi, Chap. 2. You have seen something of this fulfilled already; and he that will observe these things, shall see

more.

Tender my kind love to your mother; and tell her, I am glad that God has given her a son who aims at a future inheritance. Give my kind love to Walter; and to all that rest in the Saviour, who are knit together in love; while I remain,

Dear Brethren,

Your willing Servant,

In Christ Jesus,

Paddington, Jan. 7, 1791.

W. II.

LETTER XXIII.

1

To the Rev. MR. HUNTINGTON,

MY DEARLY BELOVED PASTOR,

I HAVE already given you so much trouble on several occasions, that nothing but the hope of receiving a word of advice could now prevail with me to write again. But what will not a distressed soul do, and where will it not fly when the least prospect of gaining relief presents itself? And, truly, I am now distressed out of measure. What to do, I know not; for, do what I will, sin gets the mastery of me: in consequence of which, I have lost all hope of salvation from it; being such a wretched, self-condemned sinner, that I cannot believe there is any mercy for me. My besetting sin none but God and myself, without you guess what it is, know any thing of. But, though my falls into it do not bring a public scandal on the profession I make, yet that text, "Happy is the man who condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth," is sufficient, for my conscience does condemn me. "The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit," Oh! my pastor, "The spirit of man

may sustain the infirmities of the body, but a wounded spirit, who can bear?" I think, dear sir, you are well enough acquainted with the lusts and corruptions of nature, to gather, from the hints I have dropt, what my besetting sin is; and, if you do not think me too far gone, the favour of an answer shall be ranked amongst the foremost of the many favours undeservedly received by,

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A WEEK having elapsed since the date of my last, without receiving an answer from you, I am necessitated to conclude you, at least, think me too far gone indeed; otherwise, I think you

would have presented some foundation for hope, or administered some cordial or other to my distressed sin-sick soul. But, David-like, I look on the right-hand, and on the left, but no man seems to know me. Therefore perish I must, unless the Lord, in mercy, put forth his hand, and snatch me from the pit, ere it shut it's mouth upon

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As I have two or three thousand hearers and correspondents, it cannot be expected that I can be at the beck and call of every one. Visiting, receiving visitors, and answering letters, would more than take up all my time, without either reading, studying, or preaching. You know God

If

is faithful to his word. If his children sin against him, he will visit their sins with the rod. they backslide, they shall be filled with their own. ways. If they sin through all the barriers of filial fear, and sin away their spiritual strength, the wise man says, they shall have no rule over their own spirit, but be like a city that is broken down, and without walls. By whom, or by what, a man is overcome, by the same is he brought into bondage. And it is but meet that he should feel the yoke of his own transgressions, and for a time be holden with the cords of his own sin, that he may be sick of his own ways, being filled with his own devices. A little of thy present exercise will serve to imbitter the works of darkness, to fill the vicious appetite with self-loathing, to cover thy face with shame and confusion, to make thy conscience sore, thy heart tender of God, and thy spirit more meek. I have no doubt but the Lord will heal thee in his own time; but my desire is that thou mayest be tried, and then thy deliverance will be more thankfully received; delivering mercy will leave the deeper impression, and a sense of undeserved love will leave a more lasting obligation on thy weak and unstable heart. God has got more ways to keep us from evil than one. If constraining mercy will not allure, an army of terrors shall deter. If we sin away our liberty, he will lay us in irons. If we are not taught by the voice of love, we shall be instructed by a strong hand. If we will be nibbling at the

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