power on my will, as a spirit of faith in my heart, as a spirit of love in my affections, as a spirit of light in my judgment, and as a spirit of peace in my conscience; with his constant operations as a spirit of supplication, enabling me at all times to draw near unto God—this is that seven-fold operation of the divine spirit which we daily need. You have your trials as well as I have, and it is of very little consequence where we have them, whether in my state or in yours, none of the children of God are exempt from the blessed peace Christ has made, and of course they are not exempt from the tribulation he has promised—they both go together, and perhaps my present place, was the spot appointed from all eternity, where I was to enjoy the solid peace of the gospel; and this I trust I shall be much favored with before I return; it is in this pleasing hope I live, I have much to oppose and much to encourage that hope, our path-way dear brother is through fire and water, and our way to glory is up hill. Our spirits tire, flag, weary, get heavy and faint, but we go on from strength to strength, till we get home. Your’s, truly, _Ruhamah_. LETTER X. _Valley of Achor_, _January_ 1, 1818. Mr. & Mrs. W. R—T. Grace be onto you and peace. I have often admired the grace of our Lord Jesus in its freedom, in its sovereignty, and in its power, in our complete and eternal salvation—this you and I shall have to bless God for, to all eternity; and if you was snatched away by death this moment, you would be ready to praise and adore God for it—and surely our fitness for a better world is to be enabled upon earth to give the glory due to his name. No doubt you will most readily unite with me in this particular, that it requires great grace to support and uphold a man in great difficulties, but while the left hand of God is laid upon him, does not the right hand of grace support, and at times console and cheer his heart. Perhaps this is the meaning of that important text, “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.” This is the grace I now need. I will not trouble you with a list of my sorrows, but can assure you they are greater than I ever did, or ever can tell any one in the world. Satan is busy in raking up all my faults, from childhood. Carnal reason thinks God deals very hard with me. Sense can see no further than to-day, and suggests I shall die beneath my load. Fancy paints out a thousand troubles I may never see; while unbelief is ready to give the lie to every promise in the Bible, and wants to persuade me to give up praying, and abandon myself to despair. Thus I am tried every day, and much deeper now than when I first entered this Valley. But, hark! the voice of love and mercy sounds from the covenant of grace, “For