heavenlinefs and gravity be the conftant ornaments of your fpeech. Let patience and humility, fimplicity and fincerity fhine in all parts of your converfation. See that you forget and forgive wrong, and requite them with kindness. Be merciful in your cenfures, and put the most favourable conftruction upon, your brethren's carriage. Be flow in promifing, pun&tual in fulfilling. Let meeknefs, innocency, affabiencfs, yieldingnefs and courtefy, commend your converfation to all men. Let none of your relations want that love and loyalty, that reverence and duty, that tenderness, care, and vigilancy, which their feveral places and capacities call for. This is true godlinefs. I charge you before the most high God, that none of you be found a fwearer, or a liar, a lover of evil company, or a fcoffer, or malicious, or covetous, or a drunkard, or a glutton, unrighteous in his dealing, unclean in his living, or a quarreller, or a thief, or backbiter, or a railer: for I denounce unto you from the living God, that damnation is the end of all fuch. LETTER S. LETTER CCCCXXXIV. [From Mr. G. Robinfon, to the Rev. J. Welley.] Rev. Sir, * Langham-Row, July 6, 1775 THE THE following lines are to acquaint you with the Lord's dealings with me in body and mind. About twelve or thirteen years ago he inclined me to go amongst the people called Methodists. The nearest place they came to was, at least, twelve, or thirteen miles from where I lived. From thence I used to come home on foot in the night. But when that dear man of God, Mr. Robertíhaw came into Lin colnshire, colnshire, he came into the Marfhes, and preached the gospel amongst us. The next year he joined three fmall Societies: one at Truflthorpe, one at Saltfleet, and one at Langham-Row, where I live, for which many will have cause to blefs God to all eternity. On account of going to hear the gofpel, my relations were fet against me. My landlord, who was my fecond uncle, under whom I held a very dear little farm, faid, No Methodist should live under him; neither would he give me any thing if I would not give up my new religion as he called it. My parents also oppofed me; but bleffed be God my wife and I had both found the pardoning love of God, and did not much fear what man could do unto us: though we were at that time very poor and low in the world. But we knew the Lord was our Shepherd; that the earth and all its fulness was his; and that all things fhall work together for good to them that love God. Accordingly, before the time came that we were to leave our houfe, the old, rich man died! And upon his death-bed he altered his Will, and gave a cottage (value fifty fhillings a year) to me and my heirs for ever: for which I was much more thankful, than I should have been for thousands of gold and filver, without the grace of God! My uncle joined my brother and two near kinsmen executors, and left nine or ten thousand pounds amongst them. My father died foon after, and gave me but five fhillings, for fear I fhould give any thing among ft the Methodists. My mother a little after died, and had not an opportunity to make a Will, fo I joined with my brother in what he had, and got about 150l. The two relations who were joined with my brother in the eftate, came to hear the preaching. And were fomething convinced that it was the truth; but they let the world laugh them out of their good defires, and foon gave over. About a year after they were both deprived of their fenses; one of VOL. X. 8 P them them hanged himself, and the other is now under confine ment. My brother had been under great disorder of body for fome years. In April 1772, he married a young woman, but died in May 1773. His widow not being with child, he left a freehold eftate to me and my heirs for ever, to the value of gol. per annum at old rent: paying his widow nineteen pounds a year in lieu of her thirds, during the term of her natural life. He alfo left me a new large brick house, in which we have preaching every fortnight. But as it will not always hold the congregation. I will give bricks and ground to build a preaching-house upon, and will be at fome expence befides, and convey it over to the ufe of the people called Methodists before one ftone be laid. Glory be to God, he is reviving his work in Lincolnshire! Three have lately found a sense of pardon; and I have two fervants, youths about fixteen years of age, and three of my children (all between ten and fourteen) that feem much in earnest about their fouls. I have four more fervants that walk in the light of God's countenance, and several more in our little fociety who feem fully convinced of the neceffity of full falvation. There has been a flir, amongst the people ever fince that dear man of God, Mr. Jofeph Garnet died at my houfe. His dying prayers are about to be answered. I think myfelf highly favoured that I had him five weeks before he died. Dear Sir, I beg an intereft in your prayers for myself, my family and the fociety. I hope you will praife God on my account, for things temporal and spiritual, and pray that the Lord may help me to devote my all unto him. Rev. and dear Sir, I am your affectionate, though unworthy fervant for Chrifl's fake, G. R. LETTER I LETTER CCCCXXXV. [From Mifs A. B. to the Rev. J. Welley.] Rev. Sir, Finflock, July 7, 1775. Praife the Lord that I have another opportunity of writing to you! It is a favour I had little hope of laft week; being firft informed of your dangerous illness, and afterwards of your death. Since which, S. A. has fent me the good news of your being yet in the land of the living, and in good health. May the Lord continue his goodnefs to you, renew the vigour both of your body and mind, and grant that every future day may greatly increase your weight of glory! moment. The mercies of the Lord toward me are renewed every I am enabled to hold fast the bleffed hope of everlafting life. Under a consciousness of the vanity and tranfitorinefs of earthly things, and the durable and fatisfactory nature of things eternal, I am enabled to bid adieu to the former, and earnestly to pursue the latter. The experience I have already had, of the happiness arifing from fuch a conduct, mightily confirms me in my choice. The being freed from inordinate paffions, and by the light of truth, to have the contracted ideas of my mind enlarged, and capacitated to compleat the glorious perfections of God, in his works of nature, providence and grace; and to have the mind at free liberty, to devote itself to him; and above all, to have his fmiles and approbation continually; this furely is an abundant compenfation for the parting with thofe vain delights, which we cannot long enjoy, or with thofe evils, which, if we part not with in time, will hold us in eternal torment. O happy choice! What reafon have I to praife and adore God, that he ever caufed the joyful found of falvation by faith, to reach my ears, and affect my heart! Glory be to him that he imparted to me the fpirit of bondage, whereby I feared because I had finned! and thanks be to him that he left me not without hope; 3 P 2 bu but revealed in me the Son of his love, and enabled me by the Spirit of adoption, to cry Abba, Father. Since which I blefs him, he has been with me, to eftablifh, ftrengthen and fettle me in the truth. I feel the need of constantly adverting to Jefus, and in the fullest sense to pray without ceafing, and with most intense vigour to do all things to his glory. I fhall be very thankful to be inftrufted how to improve every gift and grace to the utmost, while I remain, dear Sir, your much obliged Servant, A. B. PO E TR Y. EDWIN and ANGELINA. [By Dr. Goldsmith.] TURN gentle Hermit of the dale, To where yon taper cheers the vale, For here forlorn and loft, I tread Forbear, my fon the Hermit cries, Here, to the houseless child of want My door is open ftill; And though my portion is but fcant, Then |