esteem & affection. Surely you enhance our responsibility thereby; “to whom is given, of him shall much be required.” May it not be of us as it is said of Israel, “Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.” Nay, but may all the divine goodness & grace be sanctified to us to our greater devotedness to God alone. I say goodness & grace for the Lord is so mindful of us in both respects. He so gives us of His truth, & in it shows us so much of His own precious excellence, & then stoops to look after our bodily good. Such condescension, such indulgence on His part to number even the hairs of our heads, to see to the wants of these carnal natures, to make Himself one of us, putting Himself in our place; it is so wonderful ! He’s so high, & yet stooping so low, conversant with the necessities of the poorest of His saints, & constantly present in the humblest cot, & down in the dark mine with the poor toiling laborer, in the shop, in the street, on the ocean, ever thinking of, sympathizing with, & loving to do them good. This is condescension, this is love worth of God. Oh! Thus ever to think of Him, & to have such thoughts restrain us from the least act of disobedience & move us to profounder reverence & far greater devotedness to Him. It is due to God to confess His faithfulness. How certain He is to fulfill His word when we trust Him, & how much more competent does He prove Himself to take care of us than we when we undertake to take care of ourselves. From the time, now nearly 2 years, when He gave me grace to resolve that I would give myself up to Him & be forgetful of my temporal wants, serving in the gospel wholly