And this is the holy Spirit’s account of a pardoned and justified man in Christ, in whose spirit there is no grille, yet his nature makes him often sigh, O wretched man that I am! I trust the ever blessed Spirit of all grace will most effectually purge away my pride, self-will, stubbornness, rebellion, and carelessness, according to his gracious promise: “And I will purge out the rebels from among you.” But this cannot be accomplished without deep afflictions. You know the generally received maxim—Violent maladies require violent remedies. Another method the above persons adopt is to degrade my ministry, by asserting that “All I ever advanced was from strength of memory.” If this was the case, it is certainly very much to my credit, that I was so much given to study as to fill my mind with sufficient matter to preach so often as I did, near thirty Sermons a month, for fourteen years, and for these ten years past to the same people.—But you shall hear what an envious preacher said in company, who has just left us: “Oh, as to C’s religion and preaching, he was generally running about with a parcel of gay young people, till the last moment he had to come into the pulpit—and as to Sermons, why he generally went into his study and learned a Sermon by heart, and then came and preached it.” This is so palpable that it is not worth contradicting. How I can be running about with gay young people till preaching time, and at the same time be in my study, learning a Sermon by heart, I don’t know—and yet, would you believe it, this contradiction was received by the company. Some people will believe any thing but the truth; and it is no wonder God permits them to be always in bondage about the minister they professed to be blessed under. It was most justly remarked by a good man, when gossips came to him with a story against his minister, “And pray has not the preacher one good qualification—not _one_, that you can tell me of, either as a man, a christian, a preacher, a husband, a father, or a neighbour? Strange to tell, if he has not—and if he has, would you call to tell me of that? I believe not.”—Dear Mrs. E. go thou, and do likewise.