28. - To Miss Ireland.

Accustom yourself to look upon your body as the temple of the Holy Ghost, and meet him in your heart by simple recollection, and a steady belief of these Gospel truths, “He is here, he is in me,” &c: nor do you let them go for any thing you do feel, or you do not feel. May God bless, comfort, establish, and raise you! Farewell.

J. FLETCHER.

28. - TO MISS IRELAND.

MADELEY, July - - , 1766.

MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, - The poor account your father has brought us of your health, and his apprehensions of not seeing you any more before that solemn day when all people, nations, and tongues shall stand together at the bar of God, make me venture (together with my love to you,) to send you a few lines; and my earnest prayer to God is, that they may be blessed to your soul.

First, then, my dear friend, let me beseech you not to flatter yourself with the hopes of living long here on earth. These hopes fill us with worldly thoughts and make us backward to prepare for our change. I would not for the world entertain such thoughts about myself. I have now in my parish a young man who has been these two years under the surgeons’ hand. Since they have given him up, which is about two months ago, he has fled to the Lord, and found in him that saving health which surpasses a thousand times that which the surgeons flattered him with; and he now longs to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. To see the bridge of life cut off behind us, and to have done with all the thoughts of repairing it to go back into the world, has a natural tendency to make us venture forward to the foot of the cross.

2dly. Consider, my dear, how good the Lord is to call you to be transplanted into a better world before you have taken deeper root in this sinful world: and if it is too hard for nature to die now, how much harder do you think it would be if you lived to be the mother of a family, and to cleave to earth by the ties of many new relations, schemes of gain, or prospects of happiness?

3dly. Reflect, by your illness the Lord, who forecasts for us, intimates long life would not be for his glory nor your happiness. I believe he takes many young people from the evil to come, and out of the way of those temptations or misfortunes which would have made them miserable in time and in eternity.

4thly. Your earthly father loves you much; - witness the hundreds of miles he has gone for the bare prospect of your health: but, my dear, your heavenly Father loves you a thousand times better; and he is all wisdom as well as all goodness. Allow, then, such a loving, gracious Father to choose for you; and if he chooses death, acquiesce and say, as you can, “Good is the will of the Lord;” his choice must be best!

5thly. Weigh the sinfulness of sin, both original and actual, and firmly believe the wages of sin is death. This will make you patiently accept the punishment; especially if you consider that Jesus Christ by dying for us, has taken away the sting of death, and turned the grave into a passage to a blessed eternity.

6thly. Try, my dear, to get nearer to the dear Redeemer. “He hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us,” Galatians 3:9. He hath quenched the wrath of God in his atoning blood. By his atoning blood, by his harmless life, and painful death, he has satisfied all the demands of the law and justice of God; by his resurrection he asserted the full discharge of all our spiritual debts; by his ascension into heaven, where he has gone to prepare us a place, he has opened a way to endless glory. By his powerful intercession, and the merits of his blood which plead continually for us, he keeps that way open; and to encourage us he assures us, “He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that him who comes to him he will in no wise cast out.” He mildly offers rest to the heavy laden, pardon to the guilty, strength to the feeble, and life to the dead. You know his words, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and he that liveth and believeth in me shall newer die.”

7thly. When you have considered your lost estate as a simmer by nature, together with the greatness, the fulness, the freeness, and suitableness of Christ’s salvation; and when you have diligently viewed the glories and charms of his person, believe in him. Without any ceremony choose him for your physician, your husband, and your king. Be not afraid to venture upon and trust in him; cast yourself on him in frequent acts of reliance, and stay your soul on him by means of his promises. Pray much for faith, and be not afraid of accepting, using, and thanking God for a little. The smoking flax