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forward some able and willing. I am much tried with the embarrassed state of Lady Glenorchy's funds; more especially as there is no surplus of my own; while opportunities of various kinds are daily occurring for active service, and my heart is keenly set for usefulness; but this also I must leave with God. Help me by your prayers; and believe me, with Christian regard, Your poor fellow pilgrim, D. MAXWELL.

TO MISS RITCHIE.

September 5, 1797.

It has long been upon my mind to answer dear Miss Ritchie's profitable letter, received several months ago. She will, through the influence of that love which hopeth all things, forgive my seeming neglect, and accept a few lines written in the Christian spirit; and, in some degree, under a sweet gale of heavenly and divine love. Of late I have, through undeserved mercy, been much favoured with close and delightful fellowship with the Father and the Son. O how does this dignify human nature; I must also say, how does it humble it, even to the dust. What a word of consolation, pure and indescribable, springs from this sacred fountain; ever full, yet ever flowing. And how simple the mode of conveyance, by faith. This is, indeed, a wonderworking principle, as one justly terms it. I shall bless my God, through all the unwasting ages of eternity, for the many useful lessons he has taught me respecting it, and still continues to teach me, and bears with my slowness in learning and practising them. O, who is a God like unto our God? I hope I may venture to say he is my God and my all; who performeth all things for me.

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Amazing privilege": "Lord what is man, that thou dost thus visit him." I have but a taste, compared with what is purchased, and what I may be enabled to receive.

I bless the Lord he daily sets before me the glorious prize; all the communicable fulness of Deity. The door stands open: he kindly invites me to come forward; and gives for my encouragement a sweet taste, which the poverty of human language prevents my explaining. At a prayer meeting, about two or three weeks ago, my God gave me a rich display of his mercy. God the Father and Son broke in with sweet surprise upon my soul. He has given many powerful renewals of it since and though not always with the same degree of joy, it has abode with me to the present moment. For some considerable time past, in our little class meeting in my own house, we have been

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Jehovah

most uncommonly favoured with the divine presence. comes down, and consecrates the place by his presence: and we are all constrained to confess a present God. He overshadows me, and fills with such a deep, holy, reverential awe, sweetly tempered with love, as I cannot explain. I sensibly feel that I speak under a sacred unction which reaches the hearts of others, and so affects my own that it seems as if the curtains of mortality were drawn aside, and heaven opened to our view. They are indeed precious seasons. O that we may be enabled to im

prove them to the uttermost.

I praise my God, who still keeps me poor in spirit; truly sensible of my shortcomings; yet constantly thirsting after the full enjoyment of every purchased blessing, and surrounded with the presence of the first person of the glorious Trinity. How wonderful his condescension! For still I find my fellowship and intercourse are more constantly with the Father than with the Son; sometimes with both. And still I find communion with Jehovah attended with a much larger measure of holy, solemn, reverential awe than with the Son. A peculiar degree of inexpressible sweetness attends the latter. I feel that I every moment want the merit of his blood, and every moment enjoy it : blessed Jesus, how infinite my obligations to thee!

I feel at times shy to write or speak of the deep things of God! lest my testimony should not be received, or not understood; or lest any should suppose I have more grace than I really have. But I feel this inward life is so powerfully maintained while I testify of it, that I cannot be altogether silent; though I do not often either write or speak fully of it. Let us press on to the heights and depths of redeeming love and assist each other by prayer, &c., as our Lord shall direct. Our new preachers this year have been ushered into their appointment in this circuit with many tokens for good. Wishing Miss Ritchie every blessing purchased for her, I ain, in gospel bonds, her friend and fellow pilgrim, D. MAXWELL.

CHAPTER XXXIII.-1798.

Diary and correspondence continued.

January 5. In the beginning of this year, as usual, I renewed my engagement to be the Lord's, and only for him, with all I have, and am, or ever shall have. Lord, ratify the deed, and accept the poor gift of a poor worm, because offered upon that altar that sanctifies the gift. The day following, when at a throne of grace, and when beginning to ask the life of one of his ministers, Jehovah poured a spirit of prayer upon me; gave me a sensible manifestation of his love and increase of fellowship;

with much liberty to pray for the spiritual prosperity of his servant, but little freedom to ask for his life. I seemed to meet his spirit at a throne of grace, as full of joyous sensations before his God, and gratitude to me, for the interest taken in his welfare. I have hardly once bowed a knee in prayer since, without a repetition of this: nor ever lifted up my heart to the Lord, whether alone or with others, but instantly my friend joined me in spirit; when even his countenance appeared to the eye of my mind as full of heavenly joy. This being rather a new thing to me, I feel unable to decide upon it, and what to think of it I know not; therefore, only simply state the matter of fact. It is possible, in the course of providence, I may hear of something that will prove explanatory. I praise my God, who so blessed my own soul in my attempt to help a precious fellow creature ; and still helps me to hold fast the blessing. This requires no explanation, being no unusual thing. O for gratitude.

February 2. (Friday.) Surely my God hath heard, pitied, and helped me since last Friday. The latter part of that day the Lord was good, and when tried unexpectedly appeared in my behalf. He took hold as it were of my heart, and prevented any painful feeling; and filled me with a strong hope that he would undertake my cause, in one way or another; so that I remained unmoved, though appearances were much against attaining the object I had in view. But if the Lord says, "Fear not," "faith laughs at impossibilities, and cries, It shall be done." Though not as yet done, still my trust is in Him who never fails to fulfil the hopes himself hath given. The following day also, especially in the evening, the Lord felt graciously near, and my hope strong. On the Monday, likewise, I had reason to praise him; when reading of the Lord Jesus, he suddenly drew nigh, wonderfully clear to the eye of faith; and very soon after, in secret prayer, gave me a delightful view of the sacred Trinity, of the personality of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; of their equality in power and glory, and sameness of substance. On Thursday, in secret prayer, he gave me sweet access to a throne of grace. I have since been tried with the distress and danger of one nearly allied by the ties of nature; for whom much prayer has ascended for his life, but more especially for the life of his soul. Hear, Lord, and answer the many petitions offered up for our poor guilty country; and, if possible, spare us yet. I bless the Lord for the privilege of secret prayer. What a source of comfort and profit to one's own soul, and that of others. Here we are permitted to pour out our souls, when grief assails, when danger is nigh, or apprehended to be so; when difficulties in crease, and close and variegated trials press the spirits down; and in all these cases find help, less or more, sooner or later, as our compassionate God and Saviour sees best.

March 23. (Friday.) Since last date I have had some sweet

and profitable times. On Monday evening, at the prayer meeting, the Lord was present to bless and do us good. Through mercy I obtained an answer, in a measure, to a petition frequently put up of late respecting that meeting: O that it may be fully answered. A fresh flame of strong desire seemed kindled in my soul, for the full possession of the fullest salvation of God. O how I longed to plunge into the Godhead's deepest sea of holy, pure, perfect love. I felt all on fire to be lost in the immensity of Deity. Since then have been much drawn out in secret prayer to plead for it; and have been favoured with such enlarged desires, such expanded, glorious views of it, as brought a present heaven into my soul. The language of my heart was, and is, "Sink me to perfection's height, The depth of humble love :"

this, not as a glorious acquisition to aggrandize, and bring much respect and admiration to self from surrounding creatures, or self-approbation; but as the accomplishment of the gospel promises to help me more to glorify God. These are scattered richly through the New Testament: such as First Corinthians, chapter xiii, from the 4th verse to the end; also, Ephesians, chapter iii, from the 6th verse to the end; also, Second Thessalonians, chapter v, from the 16th verse to the 24th inclusive. Though most of these are rather in the language of prayer and exhortation than promises, yet it alters not the case, as we are morally certain the apostle would neither have exhorted those to whom he wrote to do these things, nor have prayed for them himself, if they were not to be obtained. Nay, he expressly says, at the 24th verse of the last reference: " Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." What will he do? He will sanctify wholly; he will fill with that perfect love that casteth out all fear. And all this will sink the creature to the dust, feeling as well as seeing, we are nothing, and that Christ is all in all. None prize a Saviour as do these humble souls; they feel they can do nothing without him,

"Weaker than a bruised reed,

Help they every moment need."

They are taught to live every moment by faith upon him; not as an abstracted speculative principle, but by a faith that brings deep peace and present power. O my God, let me, for thy name's sake, enjoy much of this full salvation, that stands so closely connected with poverty of spirit; with humble love, that gives the glory of all to thee.

After this long digression, I go on to say: On Tuesday morning, I had a delightful time in secret, from the views given me of the great things Christ has purchased for his people; and freely bestows on those who, Abrahamlike, stagger not at the promises through unbelief, but become strong in faith, and thus

receive their accomplishment. I prove the great utility of living It brings the soul by simple faith, even in my small measure. to a throne of grace, as a child to an indulgent parent: not with a price in hand, but pleading only its own necessities-and to insure a supply, the merits of Jesus; who, by his meritorious sufferings, has purchased every blessing his people can want; well aware that this alone can turn the scale in its favour. Lord, increase my faith, that I may glorify thee by receiving all thou waitest to give. On Thursday the Lord was present to teach and comfort us, when met for the purpose of praise, prayer, and Christian conference, as those of old; and at night, in secret prayer, I was enabled to plead for more grace, deeply conscious of my shortcomings, and saw both the willingness of my God to bestow, and the value of the blessings I asked. Lord, answer speedily. Have still been enabled to retain a measure of the blessing bestowed at the Lord's supper, as formerly mentioned. Yet I have been of late much and variously exercised in mind on many accounts; and have had some severe trials to encounter: yet, if competent to judge, I feel more desirous of power to glorify my gracious God, by living in his will, than to be delivered from them. He knows what is best for me, and has ever been good to me in all his dispensations; therefore, I still endeavour in all to say, "Thy will be done;" and also in all to trust in him. I do find it good so to do; though yet many petitions, frequently and fervently put up, remain unanswered.

April 6. (Friday.) Still I walk in darkness, and have no light in point of providential dispensations; but this I must qualify so far as to say it is only as to particulars. The Lord has, I think, given reason to believe, in general, judgments will overtake our guilty land but as to the precise time, the manner, the weight, the duration, I am altogether ignorant. How far either church or state will be affected by them, I know not; or what the final result will be, except that they will be followed by great days of the gospel.* O God, thou art a God of mercy! Judgment is thy strange work; therefore I look up to thee. I can trust in thee in the time of trouble: thou hast given me good cause so to do. Yet, Lord, my heart trembles within me, and I am afraid of thy just judgments. Just they will be, come when they will. My inmost soul keenly feels the wonderful length and depth of thy mercy in sparing me so long. O that it may be sanctified to saints and sinners.t

*This seems almost prophetic. Thank God, we live to see those days. "O Jesus, ride on till all be subdued."

†These were not the apprehensions of a weak and timorous mind. Such was the general alarm, that the voluntary contributions for the support of the British government against the threatened French invasion, amounted this year to upward of two millions and a half sterling, beside £139,332 15s. 2d. remitted from British residents at Bengal.-Vide Aspin's Ana. of Universal History, vol. i, p. 169.

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