"NEW YORK, February 20, 1794.

"This day I have a letter from my poor wanderer. It is more than
a year since I heard of him. Accept of my thanks, good and gracious
Lord. I feared his cup had been full, and he called out of the world
with all his sins on his own head; for I have no tidings of his
turning from his sinful courses, or fleeing from the wrath to come, by
taking hold of the hope set before him.

"I bless thee, Oh, I bless thee, for thy sparing mercy, thy
long-suffering, thy patience, thy forbearance. Yea, even to him, thou
hast been more than all this. Thou hast been his preserver, his
provider; thou hast watched over him in many imminent dangers, in the
great deeps, in burning and in frozen climes.

"Thou hast followed him with thy preserving mercy and temporal
bounty. He is still in the land of the living, and among those who are
called to look unto thee and live. Still thou feedest my hopes of
better things for him. Thou sufferest my prayers to lie on the table
of thy covenant. I will trust, I will hope, I will believe, that in an
accepted time thou wilt hear me, and in a day of thy power thou wilt
bow his stubborn will, and lay him an humble suppliant at thy feet.
Oh, I trust thou wilt bring this poor prodigal to himself, and turn
his steps towards his Father's house. See how he feeds with the swine
upon husks, and even these not his own. O turn his thoughts to his
'Father's house, where there is bread enough, and to spare.'

"'Lord, remember thy gracious word, on which thou hast caused me
to hope,' and which has ever been my comfort in the time of my
affliction, and in my straits my only relief.

"He is again launched into thy great ocean. Lord, he is far from
every friend and from every means of grace, and for any thing I know,
far from thee by wicked works; under thy curse and hateful in thy
sight; but thou, God, seest him. Means are not necessary, if thou
willest to work without. Thou canst find an avenue to his heart at
once. Dead as he is, vile as he is, guilty as he is, far from help of
man, and in the most unlikely situation to receive the help of God,
yet I know all these hinderances, all these mountains shall melt as
wax at thy presence.

"Lord, I believe, thou knowest I believe, that if thou but speak
the word, this dead soul shall live; this vile, this guilty soul shall
be cleansed, shall be renewed, and my son be changed to a