s absolutely
needful.

1. You know, that since May, 1836, I was able to walk but little.
This infirmity the Lord entirely removed, just before I became
afflicted in my head. This was exceedingly kind; for air and exercise
are the only means, which almost immediately relieve my head. How
much greater would have been the affliction, had I not been able to
walk about in the air!---Truly, "He stayeth His rough wind, in the day
of His east wind." I delight in pointing out the gentleness of the
stroke.

Oxford, Feb. 7, 1838.

2. The Lord might have chosen to confine me to my bed, and kept me
there in much pain these thirteen weeks, for the sake of teaching me
the lessons which He purposes me to learn through this affliction;
instead of this, the pain in my head has been so slight, that it
would not be worth mentioning, were it not connected with a weakness
of the mental faculties, which allows of but little exertion.

3. Further, it might have pleased the Lord to incapacitate me
altogether for active service, but instead of this, He has still
allowed me, in some small measure, to help by my judgment in some
church matters, to write some letters in His service, to speak now
and then a word to believers for the furtherance of their faith, and
to confess His name repeatedly before unconverted persons, with whom
I have met on my journeys. Besides all this, I have had strength for
other work connected with the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

4. In one other point the Lord has been especially gracious to me, in
that, while I have been unable to preach, unable to write or read
much, or even to converse for any length of time with the brethren,
He has allowed me always sufficient strength for as much secret
prayer as I desired. Even praying with others has been often trying
to my head; but prayer in secret has not only never tried my head,
but has been habitually (I mean the act of prayer) a relief to my
head. Oh! how can I sufficiently praise God for this. How
comparatively slight are any trials to a child of God, as long as
under them he is enabled to converse freely with his Father! And so
sweet has been this communion with my Father, a few times, and so
have I been enabled to pour out my heart before Him, that whilst
those favoured seasons have lasted, I not only felt the affliction to
be no affliction, and could call it, from my heart, sweet affliction;
but I was almost unwilling soon to go back to the multiplicity of
engageme