of means, and
he generally honors these means, of his own appointing, with his
blessing. When we either trust to these means, and fancy merit in
them, or neglect to use them as his appointment, he generally makes us
feel our error, but he does not cast us out of his family; he chastens
us, and restores us.

"I write hastily, just to say that you have my sympathy and my
love; for well I know, the almighty Lord alone can loose your bonds,
and give you 'joy and peace in believing.' All my advice may be summed
up in this--trust in the Lord with all your heart; at least aim at
this; I say, aim at it, for this too must be given you. Roll yourself,
your doubts, your fears, your sins, your duties, all on him: say,
'Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.' He is an almighty Saviour to
deliver sinners from sin as well as from punishment. I leave you on
the Father of mercies, and will, when the Lord enables, pray for you.

"Yours, etc."

To the same.

"At last, my dear friend, the Lord appears; appears the Bible
God--'the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in
goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity,
transgression, and sin.'

"When was it that the Lord proclaimed this, and took unto
himself this name? After Israel, his chosen, had been guilty of that
awful sin in the wilderness, of making the golden calf, and
proclaiming, 'These be thy gods, O Israel:' David takes it up in the
103d Psalm, 'The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and
plenteous in mercy.' Read on, my dear, then turn to the 130th. This
God is your God, and has long been your God; his work was upon your
heart, though you could not discern it. In bondage you have long
been, but not a willing captive; unbelief kept you in bondage, long,
long after your eyes were opened to see your bondage; and even to
discern, in some feeble measure, your remedy.

"The Lord has wise reasons for all you have suffered: if not now,
you shall in some after-time 'know and consider all the way by which
he has led you, to prove you, to try you, and show you what was in
your heart, that he might do you good in your latter end.' You did not
wait patiently for the Lord your God; you did not in general say,
'Though he slay me, I will trust in him:' no, my friend has been a
great unbeliever, yet hath the Lord, the sovereign Lord, 'whose ways
are not as our ways, nor his though