TO THE REV. C. ATMORE, GLASGOW.

Coates, October 10, 1787.

am pleased to see by your letter that your gracious God is owning your labours and comforting your own soul. Shall I congratulate you upon a complete victory over all your inward foes? Are the Canaanites wholly driven out of the land? If so, I would say, Hail, happy soul! whose heart is now a quiet dwelling,

"Where only Christ is heard to speak,

Where Jesus reigns alone."

If otherwise, permit me to say, O rest not till thus blessed! Cry earnestly to God, and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple, never more to depart.

I am a witness of his faithfulness and power. I proved a mighty exertion of both in my little excursion to the south; when, in the diversified scenes I went through, all the powers of action both of body and mind were called forth, and kept on the stretch sometimes from morning until night. Yet, through the tender mercy of my God, my mind was preserved uniformly stayed upon himself; my fellowship, without interruption, was with the Father and the Son; and my evidence for sanctification strong as a cable fixed to an immovable rock, and bright as the sun shining at noonday! This was the Lord's doing, and truly wonderful in my eyes. What shall I, what can I render unto the Lord for all his goodness? O may my future life speak his praise, and evince my gratitude.

Since I came home the Lord has been very gracious. While I now write I feel a sweet sense of the presence of God. I thus write, not to make known my own attainments, but for the encouragement of others, and to the glory of the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

When God is at work, either among a people or in the heart of an individual, the adversary of souls is peculiarly at work also: a belief of the former should prevent discouragement, and a fear of the latter stir up to much prayer! O the power of faithful prayer! I live by prayer. May you prove its sovereign efficacy in every difficult case, and find the apostle's request for the Colossians (chap. i, 9, 10) answered in your own soul. I am pleased to hear that Mrs. Atmore's sphere of usefulness is enlarged, and her soul happy.

Enclosed is the widow's mite toward liquidating the debt incurred by erecting galleries. We go on much as usual in Edinburgh. More life is much wanted. May the Lord pour out his Spirit! then the barren wilderness shall become a fruitful field.

Repeated interruptions, &c., oblige me to conclude. Praying

for peace and prosperity among your people, and the continuance of both in your own and Mrs. Atmore's soul, I am, Rev. sir, Your faithful, humble servant in Christ, D. MAXWELL. P. S. I have many demands, yet, if funds are low, add another guinea, and I will repay it.

TO THE REV. ALEXANDER MATHER.

December 1, 1787.

What has become of Mr. Mather, my profitable correspondent? I should suppose my last has never come to hand, as it is now about two months since I wrote, and have had no reply. In my letter I mentioned a small excursion I had made into England upon business; but I went no farther than Workington, in Cumberland, and of consequence had little profitable intercourse with Christians; yet experienced much, very much, of the delightful and gracious presence of my God, even in that barren clime. I find his mercy sweetens every toil, makes every region please; and since I came home, the Lord has wonderfully exerted his omnipotent power in carrying me over mountains of difficulties in my important engagement, and through pretty severe exercises of mind in both I proved my God a present help, a strong hold in the day of trouble. Often, after these trying seasons, he, as it were, rends the heavens and comes down; appears in majesty divine; puts my foes to flight, and drowns all my fears and painful feelings in the ocean of redeeming love. At other times, when, perhaps for hours, I have been necessarily engaged in secular affairs, a fear has arisen, lest by so doing I should sink from that happy state into which I have been brought then, quick as lightning, Jesus appears himself; comes down as rain upon the mown grass; makes my soul as the chariots of Aminadab; and strengthens me to leap over a wall, or to overcome a troop. Sometimes, when meditating upon what the Lord has done for me, or when hearing the word preached, the sacred Three draw near as distinct persons, and yet, to my view and apprehension, one, in a manner inexplicable. I much wish to improve these gracious visitations to the utmost. My soul, night and day, feeds upon the word of God in secret, which, with prayer, is the means from which I reap most profit. You see how freely I still write, having given you an abstract of the Lord's dealings with me for months past.

I believe, if the Lord will, I shall be obliged to go to Bristol some time in the end of January, or beginning of February, upon Lady Glenorchy's chapel business. It is to be opened about that time. This is a new concern, and I feel a little awkward in it; but, being called to it, I must endeavour to go through with it as the Lord shall assist. There is a depth in providence in this dispensation I have not yet been able to fathom. I find the line,

both of reason and faith, too short to get to the bottom of it; but I leave it to the Lord, and only wish to fulfil his will in it. With my best wishes to Mrs. Mather, I remain, Rev. sir,

Your faithful, humble servant,

D. MAXWELL.

CHAPTER XXIII.-1788.

Particulars respecting Hope Chapel-Lady Maxwell visits BristolForms an intimacy with Mrs. E. Johnson-Short account of-Correspondence continued.

LAND had been purchased, by the joint benevolence of the Ladies Glenorchy and Hope, on which to erect a chapel at the Hot Wells, near Bristol. These ladies had frequently visited this place; not to unite in the frivolities of fashionable life, but solely to seek for benefit from the long famed salubrity of its waters. They had witnessed the dissipation and folly which reigned triumphant throughout all ranks, with sincere regret; and lamented the want of an awakening and spiritual ministry, and the paucity of places for the public worship of God, at a situation were hundreds annually resort who particularly need the consolations of the gospel. Influenced by these impressions, they determined on the erection of a chapel; but before they could accomplish their pious design they were both called to the joy of their Lord. By the appointment of Lady Glenorchy it became the duty of Lady Maxwell to carry this design into effect. After all the arrangements which could be made by means of letters, she hastened to the spot, personally to examine into every particular connected with the business, and to adopt measures best calculated to secure the objects aimed at by her departed friends. She left Edinburgh on the 11th of October in this year, and after inspecting the various chapels under her care, which lay on her road, arrived at Bristol on the 27th. She entered into the concern under much discouragement, but with confidence that as the cause was the Lord's he would favour her with all necessary and seasonable assistance. She had to encounter many and great difficulties, but was enabled to surmount them though she has not either in her diary or correspondence stated particulars. The chapel, however, was ultimately erected, and being desirous to perpetuate the memory of her "dear daughter," she named it "Hope Chapel." This chapel, as will be seen, afterward became to her ladyship a source of painful solicitude but, had we materials, it would be away from the object of this work to enter into any lengthened detail of its history. In her diary she has recorded several acts of kindness shown her by many Christian friends while at Bristol; repeated pleasing interviews with Mr. Wesley; and the close intimacy

which she formed with Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, a maiden lady, at whose house she for some time resided.

This pious female was descended from an ancient and noble family. Her great grandfather was son to Counsellor Johnson, who was appointed master of the rolls to King Charles the Second. The residence of her father was at Chippenham, Wiltshire. She was the youngest of four children, one son and three daughters, and was born in June, 1721. From her infancy she feared God, but did not obtain an experimental knowledge of salvation, by the remission of sin through faith in the atoning blood, until near the close of the year 1744. Soon after this, she united herself to Mr. Wesley's society in Bristol, and was one of the first fruits of the extraordinary work of God, the light of which was then just dawning on the world. For above half a century she continued a steady, pious, consistent, and active member, adorning in all things the gospel of God her Saviour. During the greatest part of this period she resided with her eldest sister, Mrs. Mary Johnson, a lady of similar spirit, and they had one heart and one way. Like Lady Maxwell, her benevolence was bounded only by her abilities. In the earlier part of her religious life, she also, with Lady Maxwell, regretted her want of means to gratify the generous wishes of her heart; but, by the death of relatives, she received repeated accessions to her property; all of which she cheerfully devoted to the cause of God, and to the wants of the necessitous. In one instance twelve hundred pounds came into her possession, purposely to be distributed among the poor; and this labour of love was faithfully performed, and with delight and satisfaction, by her own hand. She died as she had lived, exulting through the blood of the Cross. About three o'clock on the morning of her death she endeavoured to repeat the apostle's triumphant exclamation, "I have fought" but here her breath failed, and weakness forbade her finishing the blessed sentence, the import of which her heart experienced. About four, she cried out, "Come-Lord-come -come," and a little after, "Lord," with which word she sunk into the arms of her Redeemer. "Thus," says her biographer, on the 18th of December, 1798, a few minutes before five in the morning, after near fifty-five years' close walk with God, Elizabeth Johnson obtained the summit of her wishes; the answer of her prayers; the end of her faith; the final salvation of her soul; and, as a ripe shock of corn, was gathered into the heavenly garner in the seventy-eighth year of her age. Her remains were interred on the 27th, in the family vault at Laycock, in Wiltshire." Many of the following letters will be found addressed to this eminent saint.

66

Having completed her work for the present at Bristol, Lady Maxwell again bent her course homeward. On her way she visited her friend and correspondent, Mr. Mather, at Wakefield,

and arrived in safety at Edinburgh on the 8th of November. Several of the subsequent epistles refer to the above particulars, and will sufficiently show what was the state of her ladyship's mind and heart in the midst of these multifarious engagements. And it will be seen that, while she was faithfully discharging the duties which devolved upon her in that part of the Lord's vineyard committed to her care, she was cheered and encouraged by hearing of the spread of the gospel and the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom in different parts of the world.

TO THE REV. C. ATMORE.

January 5, 1788.

For the comfort of your own soul, Rev. sir, and the good of others, I wish to give you a more accurate account of the Lord's work in different places, as communicated to me by two Christian friends in England, than I did yesterday. My information from Hull runs thus:-"The work of the Lord is greatly deepened in many hearts in this place lately. Five of our friends, within this last six weeks, are clearly brought into full liberty. They simply and freely testify that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." Several are athirst for purity of heart, and I trust a cloud of witnesses will be raised up here, whose lives and humble, though open profession, will evince to all who know them that they are redeemed from sin." Thus far my friend at Hull. Bolton,-" The Lord seems to be going out of his common way to alarm and convert the children of men. Here eight returned thanks for pardon one Sabbath day: and seventeen young women belonging to the Sunday school were justified very lately. Many more have recently been brought in; some by being alarmed by visions in the night, and others by seeing the distress of some who were crying for pardon."

Mr. P. Cox, at Brunswick, writes, "Great news from Zion. Never was there so great a work in America, no, nor in any part of England, according to all the accounts in Mr. Wesley's journals, as is now in Brunswick and Sussex circuits. At many of our preaching places, we cannot meet the classes, on account of the cries of the distressed. Sometimes fifty in a day are truly converted to the living God. On the 26th and 27th of July our quarterly meeting for Brunswick was held at Mawburgh chapel, and on the 28th and 29th, for Sussex circuit, at Jones' chapel. It was thought, at the least computation, that during these four days there were between two and three hundred savingly brought to God. It is impossible for us to ascertain the numbers exactly; however, such a sight I never beheld before. The penitents lay in rows on the ground, crying for mercy at the hand of God; many of whom were the principal gentry of the country, and several of Dr. Cox's chief opposers when he bore his testimony against the slave trade."