y peace, lest Satan get
the advantage by means of a stranger in the family, and undo what has
been begun. The world may have peace without God; but you shall not.
You have, however feebly, taken hold of his covenant, and he will keep
you to your choice. 'If his children forsake his laws and go astray,'
etc. Psalm 79:30."

"NOVEMBER, 1805.

"MY DEAR FRIEND--This is not our rest; through much tribulation
all Christ's disciples must follow him. There is a rest prepared for
the people of God: as far as tasted in this world--and in this world
it is tasted--it consists in a mind resigned to the will of God in
proportion as it can say, 'Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in
heaven.' Christ himself was made perfect through suffering, and all
his followers shall be so in their appointed measure. What is our cup
to his? O my dear friend, we are ransomed, we are redeemed, and we are
fitting and preparing for the purchased inheritance, that perfect rest
prepared for the people of God when their warfare is finished. Let him
do all his pleasure with us here; let him subdue our iniquities in his
own way; let him glorify his name by our sufferings--his glory is ever
connected with his people's best interests. We shall one day
acknowledge that he has done all things well, and that not one word of
all that he has promised has failed.

"It has pleased the Lord to take from us our dear sweet Rebecca;
young as she was, through much tribulation she entered in: I have
scarcely seen severer suffering, nor a harder dismission. It is well;
the Lord will answer his own ends by it for the good of all concerned,
as well as for his own glory. Our dear G---- was ill at the same time,
and all hope was lost as to him also; for a whole week we looked upon
him as dying, A bold measure was taken with him, which succeeded; the
Lord had commanded life; it was not thought of for her. God had
appointed to her entrance into life eternal. It is all well. Blessed,
blessed be his name; for her he has taken and him he has restored,
both equally. I.G. S---- was confined at the same time with a broken
arm; N. B---- with the fever and pleurisy. Deep have been the wounds in
this aged heart, not yet weaned from earth, but tremblingly alive to
every thing that concerns my children. Yet I do give up. I have asked
but one thing with importunity, and by that I abide. I did not ask for
temporal life, but