with humility, and with an abiding sense of thy amazing mercies to me, the chief of sinners; and since thou hast pardoned all my sins, and art become my salvation, may I be well content to do and suffer the good pleasure of thy solemn Majesty !"

Sometimes, when reflecting upon the penal sufferings of Jesus, and contrasting the unspeakable difference between my sorrows and the sorrows, groans, and throes, burning agonies, and horrors of the poor suffering Saviour, I am ashamed of myself that a murmur should ever escape my lips. An eternity of hopeless misery must I have endured in hell but for Jesus Christ, who bore the punishment I deserved.

A further view of these things will humble us before God, and make us walk humbly with God. O how sweet to be led to see that from aforetime God blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Jesus Christ! There is, indeed, an everlasting solemnity in the cross of Christ. The immutable counsels and glorious designs of God hinge (if I may so express myself) upon the doing and the dying of God's incarnate Son. If I boast at all, let it be in the cross of Christ. If I glory at all, let it be in God; that I know something of him as a God pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin, through the blood of Christ my Lord, to whom be glory in the church. Amen.-Yours affectionately,

London, Oct. 7, 1842.

P. R.

A LETTER FROM THE LATE DANIEL HERBERT.

My dear Brother, I take the liberty to address you as such, because I believe we are kindred souls, loved with the same love, and redeemed by the same blood; and that Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, planned and fixed our everlasting salvation from the days of old, and that on our behalf was made that indissoluble, irrevocable, and unalterable covenant, where our names were entered in the eternal book of life, as the elect of God the Father, to be redeemed by God the Son, and to be quickened (as I trust we are) by God the Holy Ghost. Therefore I write to you as a blood-bought sinner, one redeemed from the law's curse, whose debts are paid, whose salvation is secure, whose righteousness is complete, whose justification is certain, and for whom there never was, nor can be, any condemnation.

I have read your friendly epistle over and over again; and, as you wish me to be explicit, I will answer it in my plain way, as it becomes one of the royal stock, a kindred soul, a brother in Jesus, and a heir of the same inheritance. I duly received your favour, by which you lay me under an obligation that I fear I shall never be able to cancel.

But what you gave to me to God is lent;

I know my God will pay you ten per cent.

It gives me infinite pleasure to hear that my hymns and poems have been any profit to you and others. I will be bold to say that I am firmly persuaded that no pharisee, no free-willer, no Arminian,

no workmonger, no Arian, no Socinian, and no one untaught of the Spirit of God, can ever read them with approbation; for they were written by a poor, ruined, helpless sinner, made glad of salvation in a way that just suits a poor bankrupt, who has neither money nor price. You make mention in your letter of having a few who know salvation to be all of grace, through the righteousness of the GodMan, the elect's Surety. Bless God for a few! where are we to go to find many? The Bible, my dear friend, gives us no authority to expect this: "A remnant shall be saved." You say most of the professors about you are either pharisees or Antinomians. I don't wish to have the characters of your pharisees, for I know them well; but I should like to know a little of your "Antinomians," because 'tis the name I bear among the pharisees of this place. Now I will tell you what an Antinomian* I am. I am a poor, ruined, helpless, undone man; completely lost as to anything I could do to help myself. But God has laid my help upon the Almighty Jesus, through whom I have redemption and the forgiveness of all my sins. I am a sinner saved, eternally saved, in which salvation I had no more hand than in my creation. Now, if you think this letter worthy a reply, let me [* We feel an objection to acknowledge the title "Antinomian" as properly applied to such as Daniel Herbert and ourselves, for more than one reason. 1. Because it is a term of reproach. Now, though to be reproached is the lot of the people of God, that is no reason why they themselves should voluntarily assume such a badge. 2. It is a term inapplicable to the living family of God. For what is its meaning? It means, literally, "one opposed to law." But this is not the case with any taught of God. They are not opposed to the law, properly so called, that is, the ministration of condemnation and death. On the contrary, though they do not allow it to be the rule of life to a believer, yet they believe that it is "holy, just, and good;" and that it is the instrument in the hands of the Holy Spirit to bring the soul in guilty before God, and thus fit it for the reception of the gospel. Nor, again, are they opposed to "the perfect law of liberty;" but believe it to be the rule of Christian walk and conversation. Nor are they opposed to "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus;" for by it they are "made free from the law of sin and death." (Rom. vii. 2.) Nor are they opposed to "the law of the land;" but "subinit themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." (1 Pet. ii. 13.) The Apostle says expressly that we 66 are not without law to God, but under law" (as the passage should have been translated) "to Christ." (1 Cor. ix. 21.) As, therefore, it cannot be said truly of any Christian that he is "against or opposed to law," we cannot recognize the term "Autinomian" as applicable to him. 3. It has come to siguify generally a loose and careless liver, one who continues in sin that grace may abound; and as the people of God are "zealous of good works," and "created in Christ Jesus unto them," they are especially bound to reject a title which is considered applicable to ungodly men, who do evil that good may come. 4. As there are real Antinomians in the professing church of God, "spots in their feasts of charity," "trees twice dead plucked up by the roots," in a word, such characters as are described by Jude and Peter, the people of God are especially bound to reject a title which identifies them with such ungodly persons. For these reasons, we neither call ourselves "Antinomians," nor ever allow ourselves to be so called without protesting against the title.

We have read that the compiler of "A History of all Religions" once wrote to Mr. Huntington, asking him to give him an account of the creed and sentiments of the sect called "Antinomians," as he was generally called one of them. Mr. H. treated his letter with contempt, and returned it no answer. Indeed, throughout his works, we believe, he applies the term Antinomian to ungodly professors of the doctrines of grace.-EDS.]

know how far my character tallies with that of the Lincolnshire Antinomians. For my own part, I frankly declare that I am such an Antinomian as I wish to live and hope to die; for had I ten thousand tongues I would use them all in exalting the praise and glory of free, sovereign, unsought, efficacious grace, that made me accepted in the Beloved. But as for professors in general, they are, I suppose, as much alike as are the painted tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but are all rottenness within. The wise man has truly said, "There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but his ways are the ways of death." Don't startle, my friend. Methinks I hear you say, "Ŏ what am I? Where am I? What is my creed? On what foundation do I stand ? Am I not the chaff instead of the wheat ?Am I not a goat, and not a sheep? Am I not a bastard, and not a free-born child ?".

But whence does this arise? Why, from that spirit which leads us to look for purity in that heart which, as you observe, is deceitful above all things and desperately, nay devilishly wicked. For old Adam nature will always remain the same; and those who talk of sanctified nature know not what sanctification means. As for your fears of being an hypocrite, recollect that the "old devil," who forged that lie, was a liar from the beginning, and has had almost six thousand years' practice, and knows how to attack us on our weak sides. But when we are sensibly weak in ourselves, and Christ is all in all, we are too strong for the devil. "For the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent taketh it by force;" and who are these but mighty strong ones who can from the heart cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" or, like the poor woman, "Lord, help me!" But perhaps my dear brother is still saying, "How shall I know for certainty that I am in the right way?" Let the declaration made by our adorable Jesus settle the point. Christ says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Then if Christ is the only right way, all others must be wrong. If Christ is the truth, then all the religion man may possess, that has not Christ as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, is a lie. If Christ is the life, all profession without Christ tends to death; and this is the reason that it may be said of many places, "Death is in the pot." Then may you, my valued friend, attend to the old Prophet Jeremiah's advice: "Stand ye in the way, and inquire for the good old paths, and you shall find rest for your souls." But as Noah's dove found no rest but in the ark, so the guilty sinner, who has once felt the love of God manifest to his soul, finds no rest but in Jesus; and that is only attained when God gives faith to believe that Christ was made siu for us, and that we are made the righteousness of God in him. Then, when God gives us peace, who can create trouble? My prayer to God is, that you may possess a larger measure (if it be the will of God) of that faith which it is the work of Jehovah the Father to create, the work of Jehovah Jesus to establish, and the work of Jehovah the Holy Ghost to keep in lively exercise; that faith which works by love, and has the God of love to work it.

I am afraid I shall tire your patience; but, looking over your

letter, I find I have not yet done. It seems to me to be the wish of my friend to know who and what I am; but perhaps, if I tell him all, I shall hear no more from him. I am a poor old sinner, often ready to cry, with Paul, "O wretched man that I am!" At other times, I can sing my triumphant song," Thanks be to God, who giveth me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Sometimes rejoicing, sometimes mourning, sometimes fearing, but never despairing. I will now frankly tell you what I have been, as well as what I am at present. I was for many years engaged in the woollen manufacture, and employed more than a hundred hands. For many years I was successful, and pride began to creep into my heart on account of my imaginary independence. I dealt largely with a house in London, from my connection with which I had large expectations. Upon one occasion, I drew upon them two bills of upwards of £700 on account; and when they became due the house failed, and my bills were returned on my hands. I lost every shilling, and have never since recovered a penny. This broke me down, and I gave up business immediately. I found I had nearly enough to pay my creditors; but I have never been in business since, except in a very trifling way. O my dear friend, none but my God knows what I have experienced; but though I have gone with a broken heart, yet I trust I can say that, while treading tribulation's ground, I have had sweet manifestations of the love of God, infinitely more valuable than the hundreds I lost. I have also brought up a large family, having had fourteen children; but only four of them are now living, all of whom are settled in London. I had a dear daughter about nine months ago, upwards of twenty years of age. She was one of the Lord's precious jewels. I watched her bedside nearly five days and nights; and, could I see you, I would read to you what I wrote at her bedside. Heart-rending but soul-rejoicing scene!

"But how do you

But methinks my friend is ready to exclaim, live now?" If such a question had been proposed to the prophet Elijah, he would have told you that God sent him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and that when one brook was dried up the Lord directed him to another. And as the Lord made the handful of meal and the little oil hold out for the prophet, the widow, and her son for a whole year, so the very same · God is my provider; but how I cannot tell you.

This, my dear friend, is a small part of my history; let it suffice for the present. If I should ever see you, I will tell you ten times more. But my paper is almost full, and I must not forget to thank you for your kind present, which I shall leave my Father and Banker to make up to you. I also acknowledge myself gratified at your liberal invitation, which I must not think of accepting; for, were I to visit G-, I fear your opinion would tally with my own, that I did not pay carriage.

God bless you, and shine upon your sonl! and, when it is well with you, remember poor DANIEL HERBERT.

Sudbury, Dec. 25, 1817.

"THEM THAT HONOUR ME I WILL HONOUR." "

Monday, January 30th, 1843.

*

My dear -I was glad to hear that you are about to follow the Lord Jesus Christ through the ordinance of believer's baptism. May your soul be much blest in it. Many may find it only a shell; but I believe some are so favored as to find a kernel with the shell, in the Lord's presence being manifested on the occasion. Whoever may slight and despise it, we have on record how blessedly. the Trinity bore testimony to it, when Jesus Christ was baptized. (Matt. iii. 16, 17.) "Whosoever shall do the will of God, shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." I dare say you are anxious to know the proceedings here yesterday respecting it. There was a very large concourse of people both times, and many children of God scattered through this neighbourhood were gathered together, distant and near. There were many from mere curiosity, and many could not get even standing room, particularly in the afternoon. I went through a regular service, and then baptized seven women and five men, and after the afternoon service! I baptized six women and five men. It seems a great number to be! baptized in one day by a minister called so narrow-minded.

This, however, is the first time of baptizing with us, and it is nearly fourteen years since I came into this neighbourhood, and more than eleven years since I left the Church of England. In the morning I felt rather shut up in speaking, but in the afternoon I was blest with a little power and liberty, and I trust and believe that the Lord was with us, and several, I understand, found it good to be there. What a different feeling I had in going down from the pulpit to baptize those of whom I had a good hope that they were: partakers of grace according to the mode so clearly stated in the word of God, from what I used to experience when I had to descend from the pulpit in the Church of England to sprinkle infants, and to give a flat contradiction to what I stated in the pulpit respecting regeneration, &c., at the same time encouraging the blind and ignorant godfathers and godmothers in their sin and mocking of God, who came forward so boldly and carelessly to make such awful vows and promises. I am satisfied many things may be bought too dear, even gold, but one thing cannot, which is a good conscience.

"

I have now something to relate, in which I trust you and the other friends at O-, will feel interested, and will be glad to hear; and may the Lord make it a blessing, and may He have all the praise. It is a new strain for me to begin with, "My heart is inditing a good matter; I speak of the things which I have made touching the king; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer." After talking over the proceedings of the day with four friends, I retired (on Lord's day evening) to bed in a comfortable state of mind, feeling thankful that the Lord had brought me through a trying day, concerning which I had been much exercised, and trusting the Lord had blest the word to some that day through such