Barton, March 17, 1781

Dear Friend,

I hope this will find you and your family in good health, as I am at present, blessed be God for it.

Perhaps you are desirous to know how I like my situation. As for the agreeableness of my abode, I believe it is impossible for me to be fixed at a place more agreeable to my natural inclination. The air is wholesome, the country quite pleasant, and in the morning the first sound I hear is that of the little birds chanting forth their great Creator's praise. My health is in some measure restored, and I spend a great deal of time in walking the fields, which I find to be very useful. I have a reason to hope God will be glorified in these parts, by the means of preaching pure, free, and unmixed grace, which is indeed to sin-burdened consciences, a reviving sound. Jesus Christ is, as one sweetly observes, 'music to the ear, honey to the mouth, and melody to the heart of a believer.'

I hope your heart longs to view and discover the glories and excellencies of the infinitely and inestimably beloved Jesus. One look from Him, and one look to Him, will melt the heart, enliven the affections, warm the soul, subdue sin, and conquer our corruptions more than all our legal endeavours possibly can.

We must first have a discovery of Christ's love, manifested to us by the Holy Ghost, before we can love Christ. "For we love Him, because He first loved us." And when the love of Jesus has taken place in our minds, there will be a walking in Jesus, and an abounding in the work of the Lord. How precious Christ is to a believer, is impossible for any one to describe. He is the believer's meat, and drink, his physic, his garment of salvation, his all sufficient Saviour, his fountain of happiness, his foundation, comforter, and the whole of his hope and confidence is built upon the doings and sufferings of Jesus Christ the righteous. there is no friend like Christ. He is a friend indeed. He shewed His friendship towards His people in engaging as a Surety for them from all eternity; when our case was desperate, He engaged for us. When justice was ready to give the blow our transgressions deserved, He interposed and averted it by taking it on Himself. And when He knew that we should run through all our stock and become bankrupts, He became our bondsman, and engaged to pay our whole debt. When He saw we should fall into the depths of sin and misery, He undertook to bring us out of them, to cleanse us from all our sin, clothe us with His righteousness, and bring us safely to glory. His dying for us, paying our debts, purchasing our persons out of the hand of law and justice, and procuring all things needful for us, is a proof of His friendship. Oh! let us look to, and live upon Jesus, as our all in all. I hope you see more into the nature of Christ's salvation than ever. We are lost as to ourselves entirely, and can do nothing for ourselves, except it be to hasten on our own ruin. And those who are saved, it is entirely owing to the Lord's rich, free, and sovereign grace. And it is only to such as feel and experience their own lost, miserable, and undone condition, that Jesus Christ appears to be a precious and suitable Saviour. Those that are themselves void of all righteousness, and see the need they stand in of a perfect and an all-sufficient righteousness to present them perfect at the bar of God, to the end they may be delivered from all condemnation. such will most gladly betake themselves to the righteousness of the Lord Jesus. And only such as feel their own guilt, impurity, and sinful defilement, will fly to Christ's blood, as the fountain which alone can cleanse from all sin and uncleanness. O my friend, I cannot but wish you to make constant and daily use of the Lord Jesus, for every purpose of salvation. Do you need pardon? Go to Jesus for it. Do you need righteousness? Go to Christ. Are your corruptions strong? Go to Christ for the subduing of them. Whatever you need for soul and body, make use of Christ and His fulness, and you will find that He giveth to all believers liberally, and upbraideth not. cast therefore all your cares upon Him, trust your all in His hand, and you will find Him more than sufficient to supply all your needs, and able to do for you above all your expectations. You cannot trust the Lord Jesus too much, nor yourself too little. The more you trust the Lord Jesus, the more you will honour Him; and the more you go out of yourself entirely to Christ, so much the more do you glorify Him. All fullness dwells in Jesus for this purpose, that out of His fullness we might receive, and grace for grace. He is the fountain from whence all grace flows, and it is always high tide with Jesus Christ. I do myself sincerely wish you a great and blessed supply out of Christ's fullness, and from His Spirit.

Read 'The Drop of Honey;' and if you really value the good of your soul, pray that you may understand what is therein written and contained. It is not so easy as many think to gain a true and proper acquaintance and knowledge of Christ's salvation. Resting on convictions is not resting upon Christ. few, very few make Jesus their refuge; and His person, work and offices, are too much overlooked and neglected.

I hope you are enlightened to see that the way of salvation, is by the life and death of the Son of God. He undertook the cause of His people. He stood up in their law-place, room, and stead, and died the just for the unjust, that He might bring them unto God, and He hath opened the fountain for sin and uncleanness, and He stands ready to bestow free, full, and eternal salvation, upon all that come unto Him. (Editor's note: upon all that come to Him- enabled to do so by His grace).

Oh! that you may be enabled by the Holy Ghost to try (Editor's note: not-to try- but to partake of) the virtue of Christ's blood. It is this alone sprinkled on the conscience, can sanctify us, and purify, and purge our consciences from dead works. It is His glorious obedience imputed to us, that alone can make us righteous before the Lord. It is faith in Christ Jesus alone, that can make us holy and happy. One says, ' Faith in Christ Jesus supplies all wants, it honours God, as the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews shews, and God honours (Editor's note: not sure what he means by honour here, it almost sounds like this is some reward for creature merit, which of course would be totally false) those most that live by it. By faith we may (Editor's note: not may- but do) live a life to God, of joy in Him our righteousness, as if we had never sinned. By faith we live above sin, infirmities, temptations, and desertions, sense, reason, fears , and doubts. Faith sweetens the sweetest mercy, and the bitterest misery; it renders great afflictions as none. It is the bulwark of the soul's strength and comfort. By faith, we cheerfully, readily, and constantly obey God.. In a measure it makes the yoke of Christ easy and sweet. It states the soul in the possession of heaven while the body remains here upon earth. By faith we view the glory of heaven, even then, when to a carnal eye we seem most miserable.'