fame gracious hand. Human nature, it is true, fhrinks from fuffering; but grace triumphs in refignation. I believe I fhall have reafon to blefs God in eternity, for having known you in time; and fure I am, it will increase my happiness, to meet you among "the fpirits of the juft made perfect."

"My heart feels the power of religion, but I have no head knowledge. I had the advantage of a very moral education, my connections in life were among the great and the gay; and L having the power, indulged myself in every fashionable diffipation; till, about four years ago, the death of feveral very dear friends, made me reflect for a while. I was occafionally thrown into the Rev. Mr. [now Dr.] Haweis's company. The subject of his conversation was, generally, religion, to which I was very attentive. I attended his preaching three times a week for many months, and could, at the fame time, have gone to a ball, play, or concert, without any fcruple, but for Mr. V's death, which kept Mrs. V. at home, who was one object of my Idolatry. When Mr. V. died, I almost destroyed my health by fretting, ftill I could not fee the hand of God, which I can now trace through feveral years of my life, and which has been difplayed in a won⚫derful manner in my behalf. Not long after, I determined to withdraw from the world, and began to establish my own righteoufnefs, by doing all that I could.

"Soon after the London Conference, we removed to Bristol, and my mother attended Guinea-ftreet Chapel. I piqued myself on being free from prejudice, faying that it was to my mother what a ball or play was to us, it foothed her care and diverted her attention. Indeed I was often ftaggered by the comfort fhe. received; and faid, if I could feel as much as fhe did from hearing, I would go too. I heard you the beginning of last year,-was pleafed, at firft, with your preaching, and, at my return, told them, though I never meant to be a Methodist, I would hear you whenever you preached. I did, and was often deeply affected. Yet I yielded to temptation the following April, and again took a peep into the world. But it no longer charmed me; and, after spending fome days in gaiety, in which my heart bore no fhare, I returned home, again attended your miniftry, and received particular comfort from the following texts, which you preached from: Col. i. 27. John iv. 10. Zech. ix. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 19. Luke xii. 32. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 1 Kings xix. 11, 12. Your departure almoft broke my heart. I could not hear any one elfe, and now thought, I never fhould get to heaven, and almost determined never to go to Chapel again. I had no ferious friend to open my mind to at this time, for I did not know Mits C. But an idea arofe in my mind, that I wanted a fingle eye; therefore, I now went to the preaching in the fpirit of facritice. God was my only friend. My one defire and prayer, night and day, was,

Lord

'Lord fhew me the way; and, as the light fhined, I followed it. Great was my fimplicity, and many and fweet, were the confolations my Saviour condefcended to bestow on me, for he was my only teacher.

"In October I was providentially, and, in a very extraordinary way, enabled to introduce myfelf to Mifs C.; and, in an agony, related all that I have written you. She entered fully into my feelings, and gave me your letter to her, which I carried home and read, till its contents were written in indelible characters on my heart. She introduced me to the Preachers, and my mother permitted my afking them, at all times, to our houfe, which I confidered as a great privilege. Laft February I felt myself called to join in connection, and received a note of admiffion. The want of my foul now was, to know my fins forgiven, to look to God as my reconciled Father;. I wanted the witness in myfelf.

"The month of May, was entirely spent on the fofa, in such a state of languor from pain, as to render me incapable of the least exertion; even fpeaking was painful. But all this time, my foul was stayed upon God; my defires increafed, and my mind was kept in a sweet praying frame, a going out of myself, as it were, and taking fhelter in Him. Every breath I drew, ended in a prayer. I felt myself helpless as an infant, dependant upon God for all things. I was in a conftant, daily expectation of receiving all I wanted; and, on Friday, May 31, under Mr. Rutherford's Sermon, though entirely independant of it, (for I could not give any account of what he had been preaching about,) I was given to feel that God was waiting to be gracious to me; the spirit of prayer and fupplication was given me, and fuch an affurance that I was accepted in the Beloved, as I cannot defcribe, but which I fhall never forget.

"When I prayed that I might not deceive myself, I had given me a clear view of fweet and precious promifes, which I claimed when I returned to my chamber, particularly, 'I will receive thee graciously, and love thee freely,' By grace ye are faved, through faith, Be faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.' I could doubt no longer; my heart replied, It is enough, Lord: mine eyes have feen thy falvation!" I thought my heart would burft with gratitude; and though I felt myfelf the most unworthy of God's creatures; yet the confideration of the dignity conferred upon me, feeing that I was born of God, made me very confiderate how I acted. These were golden hours, never to be forgotten.

"I have now given you, my dear friend, the ftrongest proof of affection that I can give, with the hope that you will admonish, reprove, and correct me, as you see fit.

E 2

M. L. R."

From

From this period, fhe advanced, with increafing knowledge, holinefs, and comfort, in the good ways of God. Having obtained the vital, operative, and purifying faith of the gospel, the lived by faith, the walked by faith, and her victory over the world, by faith, was conftant and complete. The love that fully poffeffed her heart, was a perennial fountain of felicity; and, from this delightful season, all fear that hath torment was entirely caft out, particularly the fear of death, to which the had been in bondage, to a moft dreadful degree, from her earliest infancy. Affiduous in the use of the means of grace; employed in the continued act of doing or receiving good, her great proficiency in the life of piety, devotion, and benevolence, appeared to all. The following extracts from a few of her Letters, written about this time, will enable the reader to form fome judgment of the state of her mind.

"I FEEL much fatisfaction in the idea of my vifit to Bath. With what a different fpirit will it be undertaken, and how changed my views, from every vifit I have yet paid to that place! I pray God to fanctify it to the good of my foul, which is indeed, at this time, in a bleffed ftate; like a weaned child, looking to my hea venly Father for all things,-pining for clofer communion with Him, and praying for entire devotedness. Who fhall dare fay, they have fuffered in vain? The band of Omnipotence has indeed been fignally feen in my favour: nothing lefs could ftrip me of idols, which were clofe twisted in the very fibres of my heart. I can truly say, that none need despair."

At another time the writes,

"THE conclufion of your very kind letter, my dear friend, is the occafion of this fpeedy reply. I can, not only bear, but am very thankful to you for the strongest proof you can give of a friendship, that will, I truft, be matured in eternity. Your letter is indeed a valuable treafure, juft what I feem to need. I felt my foul refreshed and ftrengthened while I read it. At prefent, I have most humiliating views of my utter helpleffness, and of the deceit of that heart which I once thought fo pure. I fee much before me, and feeling my own weakness, I fhould be utterly caft down, did I not look to "One mighty to fave to the uttermoft all who come unto him." People of lefs active minds know nothing of what we have to combat, and thus it is, I believe, God camot truft me with health. You, like a fkilful Pilot, have kindly warned me against thofe rocks on which fo many have made fhipwreck of this faith and a good confcience. path you have pointed out is the most excellent way. The Bible, twelve months ago, was a fealed book to me: through mercy, it now imparts light and life; I derive instruction and comfort from the truths it contains.. Truly God has been very jealous of me, by taking away all my idols, and fhewing me the infufficiency of

all

The

all created good, fo that I have often fuffered much from a fear of loving my mother too well, who feemed to be all that I had left, my world of happiness."

At another time,

"SOMETIMES I can rejoice in hope of that day, when this corruptible body fhall put on incorruption, and this mortal, immortality.' Then I go out of myfelf, and take fhelter in God. But the moment I take my eye off God, and think only of my corrupt nature, I feel littlenefs of faith, and fee myself furrounded by fo many dangers, that I am led to wifh the time of my difcharge near, that no man may take my crown from me. But this is all wrong I know."

At another time,

"WERE I to confine my views to myfelf, I fhould quite defpair of entering into that Ret (perfect love) which I fo much long to poffefs; but when I look back, and fee how much my heavenly Father has done for me in a little time, my faith gains a glorious lift: all the difficulties vanish, and I fee that "all things are poffible to him that believeth." My fears difperfe, my foul is comforted, and ‘a heaven opens in the wild.' There is a bleffed reality in Religion, even in the taste I have of it, that those attached to the most refined pleasures of the world, with every thing that affluent elegance can beftow, can never conceive,-this I can testify :And O! to live above, while in the world, is truly great. I pant for a deeper communion with God, and for a deeper conformity to the divine will; indeed I wish to be all given up to God. I fee much before me, and my eager foul gafps after an unpoffeffedgood."

At another time,

"I Believe that I fhall foon emerge from my folitude, with increafing afpirations after more of that life which is hid with Christ in God. Indeed, my foul is on the full-ftretch for all the bleflings purchafed for me by the death of Jefus. Yes! I will prefs toward the mark for the prize of my high calling of God in Chrift Jefus.""

At another time,

"OH! for a more intimate acquaintance with him!-for a clofer walk! This is what my foul pants after moft earneftly; to feel more of that mind which was in Jefus. Old things are indeed done away, and all things become new to me, yet I feel a great fear of yielding too much to creature happinefs. However, that text of Scripture is moft comfortable, My grace is fufficient for thee.' I am now happy in His love, who hath loved me, and given himself for me, and I am convinced that all is mine, be caufe I am his. I am, at this time, loft in wonder, love, and praife. My heart is ready to burft with gratitude!

In the year 1796, a new fcene prefented itself. Providence' moft frequently myfterious in the execution of its plans, though ever wife and just in their defign, pointed her way to the connection which, of all others, appeared least objectionable to her. Mr. Roberts had experienced the greatest of domeftic trials, and it had been the ardent wifh of his first wife, that her beloved friend, Mifs Randolph, fhould fucceed to that fituation from which the Lord wa to remove her. In the view of this new and important circumstance, the fentiments of our late friend may be appreciated from her own words.

"IN recalling the past scenes of my life to remembrance, and comparing them with my prefent comforts, my foul was conftrained to acknowledge the boundless love of God extended towards me, a helplefs worm, in a very wonderful manner. I take encouragement by the review, and am determined, through grace, to fet out anew, if haply I may find all that for which I am apprehended of God in Chrift Jefus. You are, defervedly, the dif tinguished object of my tendercit regard, for though it was thro' grace I listened to the found of glad tidings, yet yours was the voice which conveyed them to my heart. And how does this confideration bind my foul to yours in indiffoluble chains, which not even the icy hand of death fhall deftroy. Well! if I was to die this day, I am thankful for the affection you have bestowed upon me; above all, for the gratitude I feel towards God for his ineftimable gift, in bleffing me with a friend, in whofe love I find every thing I have renounced, who will be my pilot to guide and guard me through life's uncertain fea. Let it be your province to tell me of my numberless failings and imperfections, if you would have me to be what you think I am.

"I am utterly astonished at the forbearance of my Father and God; but he knows my defire, and fees that my heart is toward him, without a voice.' I would fain be altogether a chriftian. Then, and not till then, I fhall count myfelf worthy of the diftinguished bleffing of being united to you by the most facred of all ties. I cannot, for an inftant, doubt that the Lord has fanctioned our growing love, and I firmly believe our mutual attachment is in the order of Providence. If I did not think fo, I never would fee your face again, though my death fhould be the confequence of fuch a facrifice. But I feel my heart expand with a pleafing foreboding that tells of happiness to come. 'I fee from far a gladdening ray,' that feems to fhoot its bright beams toward us. This is fuch a ftretch of divine bounty, that I am ready to exclaim, Lord, what am I, that thou fhouldft deal thus graciously with me? But the Lord knows how to manage my heart, and mold it to his purpofe, by thus wooing me to Himfelf. Oh! that I may be faithful."