before the presence of the Lord's glory, that I thought it unmeet to be very sorrowful on earth when there was such joy in heaven, and I of the same family, though in a lower room. And a drop of heaven's joy coming down into my soul, I ascended on its wings and rejoiced with Father, Son, and Spirit, and with saints and angels, at my dear husband's safe arrival in glory. Thus kindly my dear Lord sustains me with spiritual cordials, at times; but when he withdraws, my spirit fainteth.

Give thanks and pray for, my dear Brother,

To Mr. T.

Your sorrowful rejoicing Sister in Christ,

ANNE DUTTON.

Mr. Dutton, the husband of the writer of the above letter, was pastor of the church at Great Gransden, Huntingdonshire. They built a new meeting-house and a minister's house in 1743. Mr.D. went to America in August in that year, for the purpose of soliciting assistance towards the cause at Gransden. He obtained all the money he wanted; but on coming home, having nearly reached the English coast, the ship was cast away, and Mr. D. was lost.

I have read many of her precious letters, to the joy and rejoicing of my soul; so much so, that I felt such a union to her spirit as made me very desirous of visiting the last resting-place of her mortal remains. On doing so last year, the present Baptist minister at Gransden kindly showed me the spot where she lay. I there found also that the late Mr. Christopher Goulding (a hearer of Mr. Huntington's) had erected a head-stone to her memory about 1822. I also went into the chapel where she was a member for many years, and was favoured by Mr. King, the present minister, to look at her handwriting in the church books. She died in 1765, in the 74th year of her age.

I can truly say that she being dead yet speaketh. Her numerous published works are 60 in number, amongst which are 25 volumes of letters. Sacks full of unpublished letters were burned after her death. Her biographer says: 66 I have often known her to write 16 or 18 hours out of the 24; and I suppose all her other avocations of the day scarcely had one. She would often lament over the time lost in eating, drinking, and sleeping, and long for immortality, when she should serve the Lord without let or interruption; and would often express, with more than common emphasis, And his servants shall serve him."

J. K.

[This excellent letter of Mrs. Dutton, with the accompanying interesting account, was sent by Mr. Jas. Knight, of Waterloo, near Liverpool; and we are pleased to insert it, not only on account of its own value, but because of our Christian love and esteem for the friend who sent it.]

THOUGH thy grace be languid as the glimmering spark, though the overflowing of corruption threaten it with total extinction, yet, since the great Jehovah has undertaken to cherish the dim principle, many waters cannot quench it, nor all the floods drown it.-Ambrose Serle.

THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST.

DURING the whole of my indisposition, I had daily proofs of the Lord's great faithfulness in fulfilling his promises, graciously made to us in his Word. As my day of trial and suffering was, so was my strength. Soon after the commencement of my complaint, when I understood the very serious consequences likely to follow, he graciously favoured me with such glorious views of himself as produced a comfortable, calm frame of mind, and a joyful resignation to his will. I never had such views before; I mean, in the same degree of clearness and continuance, of his sovereignty and justice, of his goodness and tenderness. It was impossible for me to believe that he, who gave his life a ransom for me, would ultimately do me any harm, but the greatest good. It was the amazing sight, by faith, of a crucified Saviour, that conquered all the rebellions of my will, and banished all my fears. Under whatever character I viewed the Lord, I could not help loving him, and having confidence in him, and rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory. The loveliness of his character, as set forth in his Word, the infinite dignity of the Person of Jesus, the fulness of his salvation, the immutability of his counsels, were brought before my view with such overpowering evidence and glory that my feeble nature could hardly support itself under it.

I found a nearness in my mind to the eternal world, which I never experienced before; and heaven was almost in view. To worship God with all the heart, and to adore his divine perfections, would, I thought, be a heaven of eternal joys to satisfy any soul for ever. All things here on earth were at a distance from my mind. But I felt a continual care on my mind for his blessed cause and interest in the world; and I rejoiced that it could go on and prosper without my assistance. The government is on Jesus's shoulders, and that is enough. Because he lives, his cause shall live and flourish abundantly. Jesus and him crucified, was all for the eternal salvation of my poor guilty soul. All other knowledge but what I knew of him was totally useless and of no value. But I felt inexpressible thankfulness for the little (O how little!) I knew of him. I was glad I had endeavoured to speak of him to poor perishing sinners; but I was sorry and ashamed that I had spoken no better of a character so infinitely deserving of every commendation, and so necessary for sinners to be acquainted with. I rejoiced that he was exalted on earth, and would be exalted till time is no more. I felt great love to, and value for, all those who, as public ministers, were endeavouring faithfully to set forth his glories. After all the vain talk that is in the world, Jesus is everything to a lost sinner. He is All in all. I could hardly bear bestowing a thought on any other subject. Extract from Letter by T. CHARLES,

Bala, March 25th, 1801.

EPISTLES TO VARIOUS FRIENDS.

"Whilst the long cloud of witnesses Shows the same path to heaven.” My very dear Friend,-I received a very sweet and savoury epistle from you a few weeks ago, for which I thank you. I confess I am but a poor correspondent. It ought to have been answered before; but I cannot write so easily as I once did. My fingers are much deformed, and I do not often feel in a fit state of mind for writing.

I am still travelling a rough and thorny path, and find it true that "through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God." Paul's words have been and still are very appropriate to me: "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart." I have church troubles, which are often a grief to me; and I have also a common share of the troubles of life, both in the family and in circumstances; and I have had an additional one for some months. My poor wife is thrust into the prison, bound with two chains, and has been there about six months. The law and sin have bound her hand and foot. "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." These two chains bound Paul so fast for three days and three nights that he could neither eat nor drink; and, for aught I know, expected to be delivered over to the executioner, as much as Peter did to be brought before the Jews after Easter to share the same fate his brother James had met with a little before. Nor is she bound only, but appears to be kept confined between two soldiers,-Satan on the one hand, and death on the other. This is a fearful state to be in.

I write freely to you. I know you are no stranger to it. I lay there nearly seven years, when I was a young man; and have often been shut up there in feeling since. A person thus confined in prison is secluded from society, and has time on his hands; and he will be much employed in thinking. And Satan will be very busy endeavouring to present something to attract his attention; not Jesus Christ as a suitable Saviour and Deliverer. No; he will try his utmost wiles and stratagems to lay all the obstructions in the way, and if possible prevent the poor sinner from looking there. He hates Jesus Christ; and he trembles to see a poor sin-smitten and sin-burdened sinner flying to Christ, striving and struggling to find a shelter and a hidingplace in his blood, his wounds, and his righteousness, that he may be screened from the impending evil that hangs over his head, and, as he thinks, is just about to burst upon him. Satan would rather he should think about something else. He will, therefore, present to his mind an Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright; an Ahithophel; a Judas, who went and hanged himself, that he might go to his own place. "Ah!" says Satan, "that is your character; that will be your end. It is useless for you to look or try to pray to Jesus Christ; he will have nothing to do with you. There is no mercy for you; God

has given you over to a reprobate mind. You will surely be lost. There is nothing before you but a fearful looking-for of judg ment; your portion will be to dwell with devils and damned spirits, and that for ever."

This is doing business in deep waters, and no one knows what it is but he who has been there. How often has my poor wife come to my bedside before she has dressed me in the morning (for I have not been able to dress myself for some years), crying, wringing her hands, and saying, "O! I shall be lost! I am certainly given up by the Lord. I shall die distracted. Despair will surely swallow me up. O! I am gone for ever. What shall I do?" Such a poor soul is sunk too low, and bound too fast, for any human arm to bring it up, or to knock off its fetters. The same Almighty One who raised Lazarus out of the grave, who broke the chains with which Peter was bound, and brought him out of prison; who also went before Cyrus and opened the two-leaved gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron asunder, that he might deliver his captives, and release his prisoners; the same Almighty one must stretch out his arm for the help of such a poor sinner, or he is gone for ever. But, blessed be God, he has laid the help of such poor sinners on One that is mighty to save. Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." He can not only knock off the chains and strike the keepers with fear, that they become as dead men, as he did for poor Peter, but he has already triumphed over both on the cross, and made a show of them openly. He, "through death, destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." And he has thrown death upon his back, and plucked the sting from between his teeth, so that it can never hurt that poor soul whose hope is fixed in his atoning blood. He must die, it is true; or rather, he must fall asleep, and this a sleep of the body only; for at death his body is laid in the peaceful grave for a little while, and the spirit will go into the arms of its Saviour. Then at length Christ will destroy death in reality, and accomplish that wonderful declaration: "Death is swallowed up in victory." Then the soul and body too shall be placed in his presence, there to dwell for ever where there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor sighing for ever. He, that most merciful and Almighty He, will be sure to accomplish what he has undertaken. He was appointed and anointed too by the Father for this very purpose, to open the prison-doors to them that were bound, and to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and deliver the captives; and also by the blood of his covenant to deliver the prisoners out of the pit in which there was no water. And Paul tells us that he is faithful to him that appointed him. And the prophet tells us that "righteousness is the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." Upon this girdle hang the keys of hell and of death, by which keys he opens the prison-doors to them that are bound, and makes himself known as the great I AM, who openeth and no man shutteth,

and shutteth and no man openeth. It was this girdle that Jacob laid hold of when he said: "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Thou saidst unto me, Return, and I will be with thee." And every poor sinner whose faith and hope hang upon this girdle will be sure to outride every storm, and live at last, in spite of all the enemies he may have to meet with.

I did not think of saying what I have when I began; nor have I written thus to instruct you. You know much more of these things than I can tell you. I have written plainly and simply to you as to one who fears God, and I do not think you will be offended. If it should please the Lord to lay the case of my poor wife upon your heart, and lead you to pray for her, I shall rejoice. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.' Nor will you be the losers. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor (in spirit); the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing, and make his bed in his sickness." May this be your happy lot, and mine.

I hope you are well, with Mrs. W. My wife desires her love to both; and accept the same from

Your affectionate Friend and Companion in the
Path of Tribulation,

Upper Dicker, Sept., 1864.

ISAAC DUNK.

My dear Friend and Brother beloved in the Grace and Hope by which alone Salvation comes, and saves the soul from hell,— Your kind and encouraging letter reached me at the appointed time, and greatly helped to stem the torrent of the mighty streams of sin, rebellion, misery, and unbelief that seemed hurrying me along to the gulfs of despair. O! My dear friend, self, sin, and Satan are more than a match for me; and the horrid effects of their power during the last few days have almost stupefied me. I do not wonder at the Lord's people appearing to others like persons of weak intellect, and of the meanest mind. The raging waves of corruption and iniquity are often working like a violent sea, agitating the whole frame, overwhelming the soul and even the natural nervous system, whilst we are in converse with those we have to do with in the family, the world, and the business; yet they look for us to be cheerful, communicative, and attentive to everything they say to us, and wonder what is the matter. Well, we know what is the matter. All our joys are gone. Restless sin and raging hell have struck our comforts dead; and a conflict is going on that is very dangerous to our souls, as to appearance; though the purpose and grace of God have made it a safe path. He beholds the safety of Israel, and he beholds the misery of Israel. But I live to learn more and more of the meaning of what it is to be saved by hope; for