ll in all to me, as He was at the beginning. No
variableness has been found in Him towards me, though I have again
and again provoked Him. I say this to my shame. (Brethren, let us
seek to be faithful, in the Lord, towards each other! Let us seek to
love each other in the truth, and for the truth's sake, without
variableness! It is easy, comparatively, to begin to love; but it
requires much watchfulness, not to grow weary in love, when little or
no love is returned; yea, when we are unkindly treated, instead of
being loved. But as our gracious, faithful God, notwithstanding all
our variableness, loves us without change, so should we, His
children, love each other. Lord, help us so to do!)

Besides this gentleness, long-suffering, and faithfulness, which the
Lord has manifested towards me, and which I have experienced in
common with you all, the Lord has bestowed upon me peculiar blessings
and privileges. One of the chief is, that He has condescended to call
me for the ministry of His word. How can I praise Him sufficiently
for this! One who was such a sinner, such a servant of Satan, so fit
for hell, so deserving of everlasting destruction, was not merely
cleansed from sin and made a child of God through faith in the Lord
Jesus, and thus fitted for heaven, and did not merely receive the
sure promise that he should have eternal glory; but was also called
unto, and, in a measure, qualified for the expounding of the word of
God. I magnify Him for this honour!---But more than this. More than
eleven years, with very little interruption, have I been allowed,
more or less, to preach the Word. My soul does magnify the Lord for
this! More still. The Lord has condescended to use me as an
instrument in converting many sinners, and, in a measure at least, in
benefiting many of His children. For this honour I do now praise God,
and shall praise Him not merely as long as I live, but as long as I
have a being. But I do not stop here. I have many other reasons to
speak well of the Lord, but I would only mention one. It is my
present affliction. Yes, my present affliction is among the many
things, for which I have very much reason to praise God; and I do
praise Him for it. Before you, before the whole church of Christ, and
before the world would I confess that God has dealt in very kindness
towards me in this affliction. I own, I have not borne it without
impatience and fretfulness; I own, I have been several times overcome
by irritabi