Letter I

LETTER I.

Olney, September 8, 1779. Mv Dearchilu,

I WAS glad of your letter, for we were just thinking of you, as it seems you were of us, that it was a long time since we heard from you. When you want -a letter from me you must write : if I send you one for one, 1 think it will be pretty well.

R died about a fortnight ago, and I buried

him and three others within a week. All four were rather young people, that is, about thirty years of age. LastSunday evening I preached a funeral sermon for Richard ; the text was Gen. xlix. 19— , That short verse contained his history ; and 1 hope it contains yours likewise. The first part is sure to you if you live ; you will meet with many troops, sins, fears, cares, and troubles, which will fight against you, and seem at times almost to overcome you : yea, overcome you they certainly would, if you were to fight them in your own strength. If you should not seek and love the Lord Jesus, you would be destroyed by them. But I cannot bear to entertain such a thought ; surely you must, you will love him. You hear a great deal of his beauty and goodness ; believe it, for it is true; and that a great deal is but a little of what ought to be said of him. But pray him to .show himself and his own love to your heart; 'then you will iove him indeed*: all the world would love him, did they but rightly know him. Well, if you love the Lord Jesus, you will certainly overcome at last ; and then you shall have the crown of life, and all the happiness which is contained in the promises made to them who overcome, in the second and third chapter of Revelations. My dear child, pray to him, and never be content or satisfied till you feel your desire and love fixed upon him. Nothing less will content me for you. If you should behave to me and your mamma with the greatest tenderness, affection, and attention as you grow up (as I hope you will, ahd you yourself are sensible you ought), still I should weep over you. if I saw you neglisent and ungrateful towards the Lord. We love you, and would do -much to show it; but we could not, we dare not, be crucified for you. This was such love as only he could show ; judge what a return it calls for from you. Not to love the Lord, is a disposition of the height of wickedness and the depth of miser}'.

Believe me to be yours.