Invisibles, realities, demonstrated in the holy life and triumphant death of Mr. John Janeway,…

Dear Friend, MY soul is enlarged towards you and my affections work within me; and yet give me leave now to lay aside those weak flames ⟨p. 80⟩of natural affection, and to kindle my soul with divine love. Here there is no fear of running out too far while all is in Christ, and for Christ. O that now I could let out the strength of my soul, not as to your self but as to God! O that my heart were more enlarged, that it may be comprehensive of a more full true Christian love! God is altogether lovely, and to be loved for himself, and we are so far dark, ignorant and blind, as we do not see and account him most amiable. O let me have such discoveries of his excellency, that my heart may pant, thirst and break for its earnest longings after the richest participations of him; that I may for ever be swallowed up of his love! O that I may love him a thousand times more than I do! That I may rejoice in him, and take the sweetest complacency, & delight in him alone; & that I could let out my affections most, where I see any thing of himself, any beams of the image of his holiness, and that beareth the impression of his spirit. Had you visited me from the dead, could my affections have moved more strongly, or my rejoicings have been greater than they were at the receipt of those lines which I had from you, wherein so much of Christ in you, and the goodness of Christ to me did appear. Fulfil my joy in the Lord, refresh my bowels, and let not my rejoicing be in vain. If it hath pleased the Lord to make the imperfect & weak endeavours of his unworthy servant, any way subservient to his own glory ⟨p. 81⟩in you, it is that which I account my self unworthy of, & desire to receive it from him as a manifestation of the riches of his free goodness to my self; knowing my self to be unworthy to be his instrument in the meanest service, much more in so great a one as this is. Hoping and persuading my self of the effectual work of my former letter, I am encouraged to write again both because of my promise, and your expectation and the weighty nature of the subject that I was then upon, which was Love. True Christian love, which is a thing so comely, so beautiful and sweet, and of such weighty power in all actions to make them divine & excellent, that there is no labour lost in endeavouring to get more of it, even in those in whom it most aboundeth. The Apostle,