Letter II

LETTER II.

Old Jewry, October 22, \Tl% My Dear Child,

You may well expect to hear from me; but you will hardly expect a long letter, if you remember what little leisure I have in London. , Almost every day loads me with debt, and brings me letters

which I am not able to anwer; but my dear Betsymust not be forgotten. We have been here a fortnight and upwards ; the Lord gave us a pleasant and safe journey. Your mamma has been, upon the whole, comfortably well; and as you know we are at Dr. ———'s, I need not tell you that we are situated as much to our minds as can be, in the midst of so much noise and smoke. But here I can have no garden ; no pretty walks amongst trees and fields ; no birds but such as are prisoners in iron cages, so that I pity them, for all their singing.

But the same sun that shines at N , is often

to be seen at London ; and the Lord Jesus, like the sun, is in all places at once. Go where we will, we are not far from him, if we have but eyes to see hjm, and hearts to perceive him. My dear child, when you look at the sun, 1 wish it may lead your thoughts to him who made it, and who placed it in the firmament, not only to give us light, but to be the brightest, noblest emblem of himself: there is but one sun, and there needs not another; so there is but one Saviour ; but he is complete and all-sufficient, the sun of righteousness, the fountain of life and comfort; his beams, wherever they reach_r bring healing, strength, peace, and joy to the soul. Pray to him, my dear, to shine forth, and reveal himself tp you. O, how different is he from all that you have ever seen with your bodily eyes ' he is the sun of the soul, and he can make you as sensible of his presence as you are of the sunshine at noon-day j and when once you obtain a clear sight of him, a thousand little things, which have hitherto engaged! your attention, will in a manner disappear.

As by the light of op'ning day,

'the stars are all conceal'd ; ,

So earthly beauties fade away
When Jesus is reveal'd.

I entreat, I charge you to ask him every clay to show himself to you. Think of him as being always with you ; about your path by day, about your bed by night, nearer to you than any object you can see, though you see him not ; whether you are sitting or walking, in company or alone. People often consider God as if he saw them from a great distance : but this is wrong; for though he be in heaven, the heaven of heavens cannot contain him ; he is as much with us as with the angels ; in him we live, and move, and have our being ; as we live in the air which surrounds us, and is within us, so that it cannot be separated from us a moment. And whatever thoughts you can obtain of God from the Scripture, as great, holy, wise, and good, endeavour to apply them all to Jesus Christ, who once? died upon the cross, for he is the true God and eternal life, with whom you have to do, and though he be the King of kings and Lord of lords, and rules over all; he is so condescending and compassionate, that he will hear and answer the prayer of a child. Seek him, and you shall find him ; whatever else you seek, you may be disappointed, but he is never sought in vain.

Your yery affectionate.