that he might sanctify us; he then laid it down for our life, and raised it again for our justification; took it at last to heaven as the first-fruits of them that sleep; and appears in it as in an eternal temple, wherein dwells the glorious Shekinah, or all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. All our access to God is only through that rent vail of his flesh; and he, who allows Christ to be no more than a creature, denies all the intrinsic glory of the eternal Godhead that ever dwelt between the cherubims, and condemns every hoping soul that ever took shelter under the shadowing wings of the Almighty.

Upon the whole, I found my ignorance of Greek and Hebrew to be no impediment in the way of the Spirit of power, as I firmly believed that God had written his law on my heart: and I am persuaded that what the Holy Ghost writes on the mind of man is always agreeable to the original text; and that, if there are any errors in our English translation, the blessed Spirit will never impress the minds of God's elect from a false copy, nor appear as the broad seal of heaven to ratify a lie. No; he shall guide you into all truth; and he shall glorify me, John xvi. 13, 14.

But I shall now return to my former subject, and inform my reader how my faith managed the great debt before mentioned, God having long exercised my faith and patience, despair of ever getting it paid. that a capital error crept into the

until I began to It so happened church of God

at Horsham, in Sussex; and some friends sent for me, as it was a place where I had often preached; indeed it was the first place that I ever preached at in a public manner. I therefore complied with their request; and in my way thither was blessed with one of the most comfortable and lively frames of mind that I had ever enjoyed. This frame was attended with a most delightful chain of heavenly meditations; which, when I arrived at my journey's end, I committed to paper, and sent to a friend in town. This circumstance, under God, paved a way for my being invited to preach at Chelsea, where I delivered a discourse from this text, "Children, have ye any meat?" I was afterward informed that a confirmed Arian came out of curiosity to hear me; and, though I knew nothing of it, I was led, in the course of my sermon, to be very severe against the destructive tenets of that sect. In consequence of which he went home convinced; and upon his arrival there was seized with a fit of illness, during which Christ was graciously pleased to manifest his atonement to his conscience. When he felt the power, he cried out, "The darkness is past, and the true light now shineth." He continued in this divine ecstasy till his body dropped into the jaws of death, which was about a fortnight after the above discourse was delivered. Thus God fulfils his word, "They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine,"

But to return to my subject. A gentleman, famous for a liberal turn of mind, asked me to lodge at his house, with which I gladly complied; and in the evening he inquired about my health, ministerial success, and also concerning my circumstances. As God alone knew my wants, so none but God could have inclined his heart to re

lieve me. At my departure he gave me ten guineas. This precious answer to prayer, coming so seasonably in a time of need, put my discontent to the blush, dashed infidelity itself out of countenance, and stopped the mouth of an accusing devil. "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed," Psal. xxxvii. 3.

I found God's promises to be the Christian's bank note; and a living faith will always draw on the divine Banker: yea, and the Spirit of prayer, and a deep sense of want, will give an heir of promise a filial boldness at the inexhaustible bank of heaven.

Indeed the providence of God is a great mystery; nor could I unriddle it, even while I was daily exercised with it. During my residence at Ewell I have often begun the week with eighteen or twenty pence, sometimes with two shillings, and sometimes with half a crown; and we have lived through the whole week upon that only, without contracting any debt. And I found it impossible at the week's end, upon the best reflection I could make, to tell how we had been supported

gerant meets by mm. I had the

precious cyment of freet com God and every day did his providence and gr eins cars appear more or less over me.

I gene

ly found those blessings the sweetest which had used me the most importunity in prayer. This akes the dinner of herbs, where love is, better an a stalled ox and hatred therewith, Prov. v. 17.

Some time after this I was brought into an>ther strait, by receiving a letter that required me to give up one of my little flocks, which happened to be at that time my chief support. This plot was laid by a person who made a god of his wealth, and therefore found fault with my sermons, conceiving they were levelled at him. And indeed the allegation was certainly well founded; for, if a man has got the world in his heart, the preacher is sure of hitting him, if he should only draw a bow at a venture. For, if the love of money be the root of all evil, it is impossible to wield the sword of the Spirit without cutting either root or branch.

This treatment drove me to London. When I left my own home on the Lord's day morning, my whole stock of money amounted to no more than two pence; of which I took one half, and left my dame the other. One halfpenny of this I paid at Hampton-court bridge; and soon after a poor man asked an alms of me, to whom I gave the other halfpenny. Then I besought the Lord not to send any other person to ask alms of me until his bountiful hand had supplied my own wants. However, this trial also worked together for my good; for it was the means of bringing me to preach constantly