few months past, but, alas, I lived too far off from God—company—visits—bustle—noise—stir—clamour—and levity of manners, light and trifling professors, and no power given me sufficient to keep me on my guard. These stole my time, attention, and talents; the spirit’s operations were not watched, the Saviour was slighted, and his dear company shunned; established believers and deep taught favorites of the most high were left, and I was in doubts what to do between conscience and feelings, guided too much by the latter, and the former got hardened. These and a thousand things more I deeply regret; these try my spirit now, and though I have no doubt they are pardoned, for I have tasted, felt, and handled that blessing also in this place, yet I cannot, will not forgive myself, while I live in the body. What the Lord is doing with me, has puzzled many, but he has not left me wholly in the dark about it. As the great Head of the Church, he is washing the feet of his disciples; digging and purging his garden, pruning his trees, awaking the north wind, beating his spices, snuffing his candles, trimming his lamps, trying his gold, refining his silver, purging the dross, removing the rubbish, descending in a cloud, and stripping me of self-admiration, which is rank idolatry—and all this is in covenant love. This is using the fan, and the sieve, and I hope purging that away that can be well spared; and I can assure my dear friends I am still praying over, and watching the accomplishment of that sweet text in Zechariah, “I will bring the third part _through_ the fire; I will try them as gold is tried, and refine them as silver is refined: they shall call on my name. I will say it is my people, and they shall say, the Lord is my God, Selah.” The Lord tries our faith, by stirring up every thing in opposition to us, yet enabling us to believe thro’ all. He tries our love, by leading us to see the awful errors that abound in the world, in opposition to the most blessed Redeemer; and by sometimes hiding his face. He tries our hope, by permitting Satan to assault us on every hand. He tries our patience, by delays to answer our prayers, by the length of our afflictions, and by their aboundings. Thus he tries us, and then he most graciously gives us an opportunity of trying him. We try his love, and find it the same every hour. We try his power, and find it supports and cheers us. We try his word, and find it precious. We try his obedience, death, and intercession, and find it brings a lasting peace to the soul. We try his truth and faithfulness, and find that firm all the way to heaven! We try his long suffering, by our daily provocations; and we try his mercy, and find it kind. His grace, and find it sovereign, rich, and free. Thus the Lord deals with us, and we with him.