and was fully perfuaded that he was in full poffeffion of the faith of God's elect; a faith that had stood the fiery teft for more than ten years. But not one word that dropped from his lips to me, at my two laft vifits, are put down in the following sheets, left it fhould be suspected that my attachment to him had fwayed my mind to exaggerate. The contents of the following pages are fome letters which I fent him at different times; but, as many of these were written in a hurry, and fome without any date, I could not put them according to the ufual method of letter and anfwer, but have put mine together, and his together. Next are some of his laft fayings, fent me by those who were eye and ear witneffes; whose characters are well known at Lewes, and whose testimony will not be called in question. Befides, the spirit that breathes in all his epiftles is fufficient to satisfy any foul endued with divine and the sweet favour of them will fuit every life; nose that has been delighted with his garments, which "fmell of myrrh, aloes, and caffia, out of the ivory palaces," Pfa. xlv. 8. I have alfo added the Funeral Sermon; not that I confider the performance as any thing excellent; but as it respects the end of the world, the judgment of the juft, and the great transactions of the last day, it behoves the children of God to be well acquainted with these things, feeing it is for the elect's fake that God has made them known. How that which is here written will agree with what was preached, I must leave to those who heard it, feeing it was delivered on the 23d of September, 1810, and I did not begin to write it till the 4th of February, during which time it went from my mind: but both in the preaching and writing I have endeavoured to adhere ftrictly to the text. I have committed one fault, which it is now too late to amend; namely, that some of my letters to Mr. Jenkins have at times been read in my house; and, when approved of, copies have been taken by fome of my family, not a few of which have crept into the prefs. At my dear friend's death his niece fent the whole packet of my letters (written to her uncle) up to me, and I fent them indifcriminately to the prefs, and had corrected feveral of the fheets before the mistake was discovered. Pray forgive me this wrong. My deceased friend has left two orphan nieces, who are well known at Lewes; for them the profits, which may arife from the fale of this work, are intended; and I fhall hold myself accountable to Mr. Morris for the money, as foon as the impreffion (confifting of one thousand copies) is fold off. Dearly beloved in the Lord, and fellow heirs of the promise, farewell! grace, mercy, and truth be with you, and with all them that love our Lord Jefus Chrift! this is the defire and prayer of Your willing and affectionate fervant Cricklewood House, 5th March, 1811. W. H. |