seemeth good in thy sight_.—Thus may you stand in the days of evil. But finally; sickness, age, death, and judgment, are days of evil; not that there can be any curse in these things, to one of God’s elect, but they will be found such to those who know not God.—These are days in which none but the favourites of Christ can lift up their heads: _the prudent man foreseeth the evil_, _and hideth himself_, _but the simple __pass on and are punished_. But in times of sickness and age, the brightest saint may suffer much in body, and be afflicted in mind: God may hide his face, Satan may plague, conscience may be uneasy; pain may be great, the spirits may droop; but there is no curse in all these things: one smile from the Saviour will clear all up, and make the soul happy in a sickly body. Hence the promise, _blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy_; even a precious Jesus in his personal or mystical suffering, the Lord will make his bed in his sickness. This my dear brother is acting the part of a kind nurse, he will strengthen you upon the bed of languishing: thus shall my subject be felt in times of sickness and age, even the peculiar blessedness of considering, of remembering our Creator in the days of youth. Death and judgment will be evil times to many of our fallen race, but they must be the crowning days of all who love _his_ appearing. But I must not enlarge, I think I shall tire your patience in this long letter; the sheep are gathering together, I must ran with some food for them—’tis past seven o’Clock; God bless thee. Ever your’s in him who is our hiding place, and our shield, [Picture: Signature of J. C.] _LETTER V_. TO THEOPHILUS. DEAR FRIEND, I well remember some conversation which we once had upon the subject of the creation, and feeling my mind particularly imprest with that subject, I venture only to drop a word or two upon it, ’tis a mercy to be satisfied with what God has said; but some are daringly presumptuous, so that they can treat both the Deity and his revelation with contempt. I am glad you are delivered from that snare. The Mosaic account of the Creation has always been supposed to be too weak, simple, and incorrect for a philosophic mind; they vainly suppose the mind ought to have been led through the whole Planetary System, instead of being led to the glorious Work of Redemption, which reflects his highest honour and beauty; for here, and here alone, his brightest form of glory shines.