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swimming about in the water. There was somebody in company with me, to whom I spoke; but who it was I know not, for I saw no man; only I can remember talking to somebody, and I seemed to be very earnest to catch some of these fish; and I thought I would be as careful as possible how I handled them. I would, if I could, take them at each end, one hand at the head and the other at the tail, and hold them fast. And many very fine ones I caught, as I thought; and, as I took them out of the water, they did look so white and delicate upon the bellies of them, that I thought I never saw finer fish. And I remember that there stood some kind of vessel by me, into which I put them: nor do I remember that one got out of my hands. And, when I had cleared the water, I got not a few out of the mud, and was mightily pleased with my great success. awoke, and there was an end to my fishing. it came into my mind what the Lord said to Peter, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." And again when our God compares the kingdom of God unto a net that was cast into the sea, and it gathered of every kind, which, when it was full they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away, Matt. xiii. 47, 48. I likewise thought of Ezekiel's river, and the account of fishing in that, Ezek. xlvii; for the conversion of sinners, and nothing else, is meant in all that account of fishing. The next morning I awoke a little be

But I

But

fore three o'clock, and, as I was turning many things over in my thoughts, the image of God, in which Adam was created, came into my mind, and I was led through the whole book of God in my meditations upon that subject. First, about what it was, and the loss of it, and of God's promise about the restoration of it, and my soul was most wonderfully meekened, humbled, and comforted, in me while I was meditating upon these things; and it abode with me some time in the forenoon; but, on the Saturday afternoon, it was all gone, and I doubted at times whether it would ever come back again. But, knowing that God often takes things, thus premeditated on, away for a time, and sends his Spirit to bring them again to our remembrance when he intends we shall handle them, I told a friend of mine last night what had been my thoughts, and how gone, and that I believed they would all come again fresh to me this morning; and so they did; and, as I was about three hours meditating on them, so I have been much about three hours in delivering them; and they have, even every particular of them, been brought so exactly back to me and set before me, that I cannot recollect any one thing of moment, in my view of them, that has not been brought forth and set before you. And, as the dream the night before was about fishing, and the next night's meditation was about the gospel, God grant that this may be of some use in God's hand, that not a few may be effectually taken! God grant it, for Christ's sake! Amen,

CONTEMPLATIONS

ON THE

GOD OF ISRAEL,

IN

A SERIES OF LETTERS TO A FRIEND

CONTEMPLATIONS, &c.

LETTER I.

To the Rev. J. JENKINS, Lewes, Sussex.

CRICKLEWOOD.

Dear son in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied.

I HAVE for some time had it upon my mind to send thee some account of my late goings on, having for some few weeks back been much indulged and helped by the Holy Spirit of promise, of whose influence, help, and energetic intercession at the throne of grace, I have been very watchful and observant; and, on the other hand, could not but wonder at the backwardness, deadness, dryness, and barrenness, both in power and in expression, when his sensible influence was withheld from me. His divine person, and his most benign influences and operations, were for many days my meditations, both by night and by day; and, during this time, these things were the principal subjects. of my ministry; and, had I wrote them then, I have no doubt but thou wouldest have felt the

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