of the gospel; to enjoy delightful fellowship with the Father and the Son: a holy familiarity with Jehovah; at times so near, so solemn, and faith so realizing the sacred presence, that mortal language would in vain attempt to express what is seen, what is felt: and in short, what passes between the Majesty of heaven and dust and ashes, upon these very solemn and very important occasions. Suffice it to say, it is glory all, and all Divine. As far as I understand the mind of the Lord, these sacred interviews are granted for the spiritual benefit of others, as well as myself. There is generally a remarkable spirit of prayer and supplication poured upon me for the prosperity of the Lord's people; and I am so permitted to plead for them, so let into Jehovah, so made to see by faith him that is invisible, as I can no ways express. Blessed be the Lord for a capacity to enjoy it! At other times, my intercourse is, in a peculiar manner, with God the Son: then the grandeur of Majesty is absorbed in pure love. I sink down into a boundless ocean of perfect love. O that I may improve to the uttermost these great privileges.

My situation, from various causes, requires much of the presence of God-much Divine teaching, support, and comfort; and, in tender mercy, he bestows it. But you must not conclude that I have a perpetual sunshine. No! I have sifting times, when every grain of grace is tried: diversified temptations prevail, and Divine comforts run in a low channel. These are

chasms, which the Lord shews me, I must endeavour to fill up with faith and prayer, He sensibly strengthens me to endure; and thus kept, I soon emerge, I humbly hope, with some advantage : with fresh proofs of the Lord's goodness; with deeper convictions of my own weakness; and with clearer views of the suitability of Jesus in all his mediatorial characters. How good, how tender, is our God! Surely, as one whom his mother comforteth, so doth he deal with us. And it is no small mercy that we are not permitted to rest in present attainments. Perhaps this is one end that is answered by these changes we sometimes experience for the worse, according to our own apprehension; though I believe it is only an alteration in point of enjoyment, not of possession : for I have found a degree of danger, of sinking down too much into the extatic sweets of present enjoyment, when my soul was in its zenith of fellowship with the Triune God. It would be very desirable to feel the soul every moment ascending with an even flame; but I am doubtful whether the animal frame, in its present state, can admit of this.

Surely "It doth not yet appear what we shall be" it is enough to know, that when Christ shall" appear, we shall be like him." Hail, auspicious morn! Till then, let us press on, and with unabating vigour, nobly struggle through every difficulty. "And yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come."

I enter into dear Miss Ritchie's tender and acute feelings, when taking a retrospect of the

great loss she has sustained, by the departure of a justly dear and invaluable friend. Perhaps, the most costly sacrifice she ever offered up to Him, who claims and possesses all her heart. I have been uncommonly carried above almost every painful thought and feeling, since Mr. W-left our world, by being allowed one invariable and delightful view of him, as worshipping before the throne. This keeps me perfectly alive to the full value of his character; softens, and sweetly melts my heart; and will, I trust, accelerate my motion heavenward. His death, I believe, has been made a blessing to many, by him whose prerogative it is to extract good from seeming

evil.

As I cannot always command my time, part of this was written some days ago. Since then, I have had a most precious view of a Triune Deity, which still remains with me, more clear than formerly. What an immense treasure is here opened to the Christian by simple faith. In diversified distress, how soothing, in our best times: what a splendid thought, to be surrounded with the Sacred Trinity! "It is mystery all!" The line of reason is too short to fathom the depth of his love our understanding too limited to conceive properly of its dignity.

But my paper admonishes me that I must have done. Do you follow out the glorious theme, and enlarge upon it in your next; which I hope to be able to answer sooner than I have done your last. D. MAXWELL.

1793.

State of the nation at this period-spread of infidelity -war proclaimed with France-meetings for prayer, among Christians-Diary and correspondence continued.

Before we proceed to further extracts from her Ladyship's writings, it may be proper briefly to advert to the state of the nation at this period, in order to illustrate many of her subsequent allusions. This, indeed, will tend to shew, in awful contrast, the influence of infidel and irreligious principles, when compared with the genuine tendency of the gospel of Christ, as displayed in these volumes. To those conversant with the history of Europe, it will be readily remembered, that the most fearful convulsions were, at this time, threatening to shake the very basis of all civil, political, and ecclesiastical establishments. The horrid principles, maintained by the atheistical and infidel philosophers of France, had already spread anarchy, devastation, and misery throughout every rank and order of her vast population. By the levelling influence of these degraded, and degrading principles, all

their religious houses had been suppressed-the property of the clergy confiscated-the clergy themselves deprived of all their judiciary functions and the very plate of their churches converted into currency. Having thrown down the altar, they proceeded, with the most infatuated violence, to further outrage; and under the specious pretence of liberty and equality, abolished all titular distinctions, and feudal rights ;* and declared the kingly authority to be extinct. Having, further, endeavoured to eradicate from their minds all sense of moral responsibility, and all apprehensions of a coming eternity-without law, and consequently without controul, they indulged, without remorse, the most savage and brutal passions; and stood forth, before the astonished gaze of the world, a nation of lawless banditti. Besides a number of dreadful massacres at Paris, and elsewhere, in the course of the preceding year, the destructive guillotine was invented; and France was now covered with scaffolds, on which an immense quantity of blood was shed. To this blind and infuriated rage, during the present year, Louis XVI. first, and afterwards Marie Antoinette of Austria, his bereaved widow, fell a sacrifice. And, as if determined to carry their blasphemy to the most

* On the 25th of August, 1792, the archives of the order of St. Esprit, and the titles of nobility, enrolled in the convent of the Great Augustines, at Paris, with all the registered proofs of nobility, amounting to nearly 600 huge folios, were publicly burned in the Place Vendome.