To Miss March Date: LONDON, April 26, 1777. To begin at the end: I did not preach any sermon for you in particular, though by accident. I know what sermon you mean, and both you and I have need of it. I have some fine remains of Charles Perronet's wherein he describes his own experience. See letters of Feb. 11 and June 11. It exactly agrees with yours. He too was led at first to Jesus the Mediator, and seemed in a manner to have no concern with the Father and the Holy Ghost. Afterwards he had communion with the Father, next with the Spirit, and then with the whole Trinity. You therefore are afraid where no fear is. Our Lord is not displeased at your following His Spirit. I do not remember the making mention of covetousness: but it is likely I might; for I am exceedingly afraid of it, lest it should steal unawares (as it always comes in disguise) either upon myself or my friends. I know no way to escape it but (having saved all we can) to give all we can. I think this is at present your rule as well as mine; and I trust it always will be. We cannot impute too much to divine Providence, unless we make it interfere with our free-agency. I suppose that young woman, by saying she did not believe God had anything to do with it, only meant that the passion itself was not at all from God, but altogether from evil nature. She could not mean that God does not in a thousand instances draw good out of evil; yea, that He may not sometimes permit us to be overtaken in a fault to preserve us from a greater.

General rules are easily laid down. But it is not possible to apply them accurately in particular cases without the anointing of the Holy One; this alone, abiding with us, can teach us of all things. Thus our general rule is 'Thou shalt do no murder'; which plainly forbids everything that tends to impair health, and implies that we use every probable means of preserving or restoring it. But when we come to apply this to particular instances, we are presently in a labyrinth, and want that anointing which alone can make plain the way before our face and direct us to do in every, minute circumstance what is acceptable to God. You have abundant reason to praise God both for spiritual and temporal blessings. Beware of indulging gloomy thoughts; they are the bane of thankfulness. You are encompassed with ten thousand mercies; let these sink you into humble thankfulness.