Tho’ thousand snares beset his feet, Not one shall hold him fast; Whatever dangers he may meet, He shall get safe at last. The Lord refresh your soul with these blessed things, that you may say with your afflicted brother, “This is my comfort in my affliction, thy word hath quickened me.” Permit me to remind you, that God doth not willingly afflict, nor grieve us; there is a cause. We are sinners, and God will make us know it. God chastens us for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. Every rod was eternally appointed for us; we shall have all that is allotted to us—men and devils can add no more to them; for if God appoints their number ten we never shall have eleven. I dare say you are anxious at times to know how I am, and how I go on. Look into your own experience, and you will know that, for as in water face answereth to face, so doth the heart of one child of God to another. Remember, he hath, he doth, he will deliver you. Wishing you the smiles of him, who is the health of your countenance, and your delivering God, I remain, Yours, truly, _Ruhamah_. LETTER IX. _Valley of Achor_, _December_ 17_th_, 1817. Mr. & Mrs. F. MY DEAR FRIENDS, I need not apologize, I hope, for troubling you with a few lines, as I trust you are born of God, and _love God as he is in Jesus_, though perhaps you feel at times much grief of heart, that you enjoy so little of the sweetness of believing in Christ. What a mercy God makes us manifest to each others hearts, that we belong to his family; but the witness of God is greater, this is infinitely preferable to any human testimony, however clear and pleasing it may be to us, in point of brotherly love, and we which believe, have the witness in ourselves, we can prove that God has done something for us; though this work may be under a cloud for a time, yet the Lord the Spirit renews it, clears it up, makes it plain, and encourages us to hope in himself till faith is lost in sight, and hope in full enjoyment. Blessed be God we are getting nearer home, and though we seem to lag and hang back, yet God declares he will save her that halteth, and her that he has afflicted, therefore, on his divine faithfulness let us hope for what he has promised to us, and our expectation shall not be cut off. This is a sweet encouragement to my soul, in my painful pilgrimage, but when I look to the promises, to Christ in the promises, and to his fidelity, I thank God and take courage. The Lord deals well with me in the land of my captivity, and I only want more faith to trust in him, greater submission to his will, a living upon him as he is set forth, a leaving all with him, to manage for me, and to favor me with the presence of the holy spirit, in his saving offices; as a spirit of revelation in my understanding, as a spirit of