I trust you are going on in the divine life, and that you still find the ministry of good Mr. Wilkinson, who is one of the greatest ornaments in the Church of England, very profitable to your soul—the Lord help you to go on till you finish your course with joy.—With respect to myself, I believe I am now very blessedly, though _painfully_, experiencing the fulfilment of that precious promise, in Ezekiel xxxvith, From all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. This is done by the manifestation of the atonement, the application of truth, and the power of the Gospel, by the sacred indwelling and the powerful operations of the ever-blessed Spirit. But the furnace of affliction generally attends this work—many long to see me out of it; and my nature often rebels against it, but faith knows, it is good to be here. The filthiness from which we must be cleansed is all the uncleanness; pollution, and impurity of our defiled nature, in their guilt, love, power, and practice—from _these_ will I cleanse them. The idols or idolatry are things loved, adored, and enshrined in our affections as rivals to God; these must come down, that Christ may be all in all; and so must all our natural religion if ever we get sweetly established in the truth. I am well satisfied with the Lord’s dealings with me, and at times I can submit to this chastisement, just as the Pilgrims did. So Bunyan says, “Then I saw in my dream that the Shining One told them to lie down, which they did, and he chastised them sore; and as he chastised them with the whip of small cords, he said, As many as I love I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. This done, he bid them go on their way, and follow the advice of the Shepherds, looking unto Jesus.” Why were they thus scourged? they had got vain confident, thought highly of themselves, their gifts, attainments, experience, manifestations, graces, works, sincerity, sufferings, and services. These look well without, but it is only a black monster in a white robe—the devil spreading a net for their feet to turn them into self-admiration, from Christ. This is one of the paths of the destroyer—here I have often been, to my shame I speak it, nor can I escape the cross for it; but this text cheers me, As many as I love—not as many as I hate, but _love_, I rebuke and chasten. The gardener takes but little notice of that tree he intends to cut down. He never manures, primes, waters, or defends it; but he does all these things to his own plantation—you know how to apply it.—Grace be with you.—Kind respects to your better half, and my old kind friend, S. D. Your’s, truly, _Ruhamah_. LETTER VIII. _Valley of Achor_, _Oct._ 1, 1818. Mrs. LAWSON, MY DEAR AFFLICTED FRIEND,