'LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.'

MY DEAR, KIND FRIEND,-Many thanks for your very kind present just received, which is indeed a plain proof that though 'out of sight,' not 'out of mind.' It recalls to memory the many kindnesses I have received from you in former days, both at Hertford and B., which I have always valued because of the love from which they evidently sprang; and though I do not presume to rank myself with the great Apostle of the Gentiles, yet I may, I think, in some measure, adopt the words in Phil. iv. 10, 'I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again;' ver. 17, 'Not because I desire a gift; but I desire fruit that may abound to your account;' and love is one of the most precious fruits of the Spirit, and an evident mark of the Lord's work in the soul, for says Christ, 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another;' and the same blessed Lord has declared, for the encouragement of such, that 'whosoever shall give a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple (that is, because he is a disciple), verily I say unto you, he (or she) shall in no wise lose his (or her) reward.' The Lord grant that our love may abound more and more, both towards the blessed Lord Jesus himself and to all his disciples, because they belong to him. Often there is this mark of love to the brethren, a certain cleaving in heart and affection to them because they belong to Christ, when as yet there may not be any other very visible mark or evidence of a work of grace in the heart, and the poor things often fear that they have nothing right; but may such be encouraged to 'follow on to know the Lord,' for the prophet says in Hosea vi. 3, 'Then shall we know,' if we do so, for the 'going forth (to bless such poor seekers) is prepared as the morning (that is, it shall as surely come as the morning succeeds the night); and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.'

We thank you much for your kind enquiries after the health of our dear son. I am sorry to say that, though rather better again just now, his medical man says he fears there are symptoms of disease of the lungs, and should there not be a great improvement, he seemed to think a change of climate might be needful: you may imagine this is a heavy trial to us in many ways, and sometimes I sink very low under this and other things, but I desire to testify to the glory of a gracious and faithful God and Saviour, that he has given strength and help hitherto according to all our need, and I found it particu

larly so the last two Sundays, therefore I would desire to bless his holy name, and to commit all into his hands.

We are very sorry to hear of your own affliction in the case of your poor little girl, and also of Mr. D.'s mother's illness. May God send both strength and help according to your day, and that all your trials and hers may drive or draw you both nearer to the Rock of refuge, and then they will only do you good. I am sorry she cannot hear with profit; it is a great trial; but the Lord himself is all-sufficient.

I am glad my former letter proved a help to you. The Lord bless you and your family. Our kind love to yourself, Mrs. D., and every other friend. Kind regards to Mr. H.-Ever yours very sincerely,

Chatham Place, April 23, 1872.

R. M.

SALVATION IS OF THE LORD. MY DEAR MISS B.,-No doubt you have been expecting a letter from me long ere this, but, dear friend, as I have told you before, I must tell you again, that letter-writing in a dark state of mind, and feeling like the silly dove without a heart, is trying work; and now that I have taken up my pen I feel I have nothing to say beyond an enquiry after your health and how you are going on in the best things, and also how you are getting along in providential things. When T. and J. S. were here, they told me you were not very well. I shall be glad, dear Ann (if it be the will of God), to hear that you are restored to your usual health. As regards myself, my health is not what it was a few years back; however, I have great cause to be thankful for the measure of health I enjoy, but I want a grateful heart, that I might feel grateful to God for his many, many mercies continued to one of the most unworthy of all his creatures. There was a time when I could tell out a little of what was going on in my heart; but now I can see nothing but confusion, wickedness, and darkness when I look within, this makes my days sad, lonely, and gloomy: there was a time when the sweet word of the Lord used to drop into my poor soul and cheer my sorrowful spirit, but for some time I have had nothing of this kind, and if it were not that my hope was sustained by an invincible power I must have sunk under the attacks of the enemy and the gloom of my own wretched mind; yet notwithstanding all this, my trust is still fixed in God, for,

'Not the righteous, not the righteous,

Sinners Jesus came to save.'

I shall now say farewell for to-day. If the Lord will, I intend to write a little every day until my letter is finished; this will suit me better than having to write a long letter in one day, for sometimes I have many household things to attend to, and often many visitors dropping in.

Saturday, 10th. It was my intention to have written a little yesterday, but the day slipped away before doing so. Since writing on Friday I trust I have been a little strengthened in mind. On Friday night, past eleven, after Mary went to bed, I was looking at my sad state, so hard, barren, and unprofitable, when the following words came softly into my soul and for a minute or two melted me into tears: 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you.' I think the words came from the Lord, because I feel a little strengthened, and not so very gloomy in my spirit. To-day these words passed through my mind, ‘Then strengthen your brethren.' I do not say, nor do I know that these words came from the Lord; but if they are from him, then there must be something of a painful nature before me.

March 7th. You will see, dear Ann, by the date of this note, that I began it some time ago; and you will likewise see that my intention was to write a little every day, but it is not in man that walketh to order his steps aright. I make up my mind to do this, that, and the other, but it is all overturned, and I feel I can do nothing, and that I am a weak, foolish woman; and as for my good intentions, they are just good for nothing, but to tease me in shewing me, over and over again, that I am a vain, silly creature, that can do nothing of myself that is really good.

Since I last sent you a letter, doubtless you have heard that error had made its appearance among us at Gower Street; but you will be glad to hear that a goodly number rose up against it, and the church has declared that no man is to be allowed to preach at the chapel who denies the Eternal Son, the only-begotten of the Father. We had a church-meeting last Monday three weeks, and a solemn one it was. I believe the Lord's presence was there to strengthen his children, who had to speak and defend the truth respecting the Eternal Sonship of the Lord Jesus; and the Lord did greater and better for us than we expected; the goodness of God to us in the matter was a means for a short time of loosing my bonds, for the following morning after the church-meeting, before I got up (although

I had lost my voice owing to a cold), I could not refrain from singing, 'Come thou fount of every blessing,' &c.; then I felt such love and union of spirit springing up in my soul to the dear members of the church, who were enabled by grace to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints; after that one of the friends came in, and when we began to speak of the goodness of the Lord to us the night before, I could not refrain from tears, but I soon returned to my own sad place again, to muse over a sinful, wicked, backsliding heart, and to feel what an unprofitable sinner I am; surely in me, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. O what an unspeakable mercy that salvation is of grace! Jesus Christ came not into the world to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. It is now twelve o'clock, so I must say good night, dear Ann.

March 9th. Well, dear Ann, again I take up my pen, and what can I say, or where can I find words to enable me to speak of the great goodness and mercy of the gracious Lord? A few minutes ago, I bowed at his footstool, not liking the morning to pass away without trying to thank him for his kind protection over myself, poor little Mary, and the house during the night; although from the felt barrenness of the ungrateful, stupid heart and the promptings of carnal reason, it seemed useless; but before I rose up, a sweet feeling sense of the tender mercies of God fell upon my dried-up spirit; it only lasted (in the power of it) for a few moments, but the poor frail body felt as if I could not bear it much longer. How many professors have risen up, generation after generation, to try and stop and do away with a gracious feeling religion; but, through the mercy of God, the attempt to do so has always failed, for the fire of the life of God in the soul of a redeemed, quickened sinner cannot go out, however low it may get. Blessed, blessed, blessed for ever be his great and holy name, for who is a God like unto our God and Saviour?

Dear friend, I should very much like to hear from you soon, but

how can I ask that favour after my long silence! When you do write, let me know how the real friends are.

Please to give my love to Mr. C. with kind respects to his wife, and thank them both again and again, on my behalf, for their truly kind invitation to me by the Smalls. Love to D., to Mr. and Mrs. R., T. and J. S., and all friends known to me that you believe to be friends indeed. Hoping you will not return long silence for long silence,— I remain, my dear Ann, affectionately yours in the love of the truth, 21, Hamilton Street, Camden Town, T. V.

Feb. 9, 1860.

'GOD IS OUR REFUGE.'

MY NEAR AND DEAR FRIEND,—It is really an aching and painful time since I have heard from you. I am anxiously waiting to hear from you once more, and for you to impart to me by letter a little of your own soul, and to be informed how my aged and afflicted friend, your mother, is, and to have some account of my Mary. Poor doves! Have the windows received you a little? or, has the door of communion in the everlasting Redeemer been opened to you, so that you have had a very sensible feeling of dwelling in the secret places of the stairs, or in the clefts of the Rock of Eternal Ages? or have you found a dwelling-place in the wounds of your glorious Husband? I have been blaming myself for part of two letters to you, where I have been complaining of my poverty. Why should I thus do, when I am so much better off than my precious Lord and Master? Forgive me, dear child, this wrong, and cast over your love as a covering, and place it as among my manifold infirmities; and as you want your Husband's hope to be again and again placed feelingly and believingly upon you, so cast your skirt over your poor, but loving friend.

The cholera had the commission to visit our town on Wednesday last, about five have since died; I cannot understand the present cases or state of the affliction. A special prayer-meeting was held at the Old Baptist Chapel on Monday last, and at Lavington, both numerously attended, and a deep feeling pervaded the bosom of many; the meetings are to be continued this evening. O what an immortal mercy it is that we have an unchangeable Friend in the everlasting Redeemer, though we are the subject of ten thousand changes! soon began to ring them again when I last saw your circle at Bath: some person got in who left on the platform, as it appeared, a mother

I