fubmiffion, and refignation to the will of God. And, though these are fometimes fhort and tranfient, yet they are genuine fruits, and fuch fruits as are produced under the influence of the Holy Ghoft, who applies the word, and works with it, and by it.

All these, and many more fuch fruits, do the hearts of God's children conceive by the word, and under the operation of the Holy Spirit of God; which often fills their foul with pious grief, godly forrow, or love to God, or felf-loathing; fo that they would be glad, could the discourse be stopped while they might retire into fome lonely apartment to acknowledge his goodness, exprefs their joys, or to pour out their fouls before God; and are often grieved, when they go home, to find the bleffed unction and the divine power abated, and the heavenly dew dried up.

There is a continual flowing of grace from the fountain to the holy city of Zion. The river of pleasure, that flows from the Fountain of life, fends forth its streams, which make glad the city of God; and Zion continually plays all her springs back again in devotion, worship, and adoration: hence the church is called a fpring fhut up, a fountain fealed. Shut up and fealed under fore trials; opened and unfealed in times of deliverance: fhut up and fealed to all rivals and ftrangers; opened and unfealed to the Lord and to his friends.

At times, when the believer is under fore conficts, and the Spirit begins to fanctify the trial, the divine flowings are wonderful, especially in prayer; matter and manner, words and power, are so abundant, that the foul is as wine which hath no vent; he is ready to burst, like new bottles. Job xxxii. 19. He has no fooner fent up the whole weight and fenfations of his foul, but the heart conceives again, and he is constrained to speak, that he may be refreshed. Job xxxii. 20. But ftill the spring rises, till he can attend to nothing elfe. For my love they are mine adverfaries, but I give myself unto prayer. Pfalm cix. 4. At fuch times, the Spirit of grace and fupplication operates in a wonderful manner; the believer, under the Spirit's influence, is more formidable than an army with banners; there is nothing in heaven, earth, or hell, that can ftand against him, as may be feen in Hezekiah (Ifaiah chap. xxxviii), and in Daniel (Dan, ix. 21); the former of whom drove back the fun in his firmament, and the latter fetched down an angel from heaven.

So, on the other hand, when the Holy Spirit, furnishes the foul for praifes and thank-offerings at the time of confpicuous deliverances from fore trials,, temptations, or fpiritual defertions, the foul is fo banquetted, and the unction is so abundant, that the heart must pour it out- Thou prepareft a table before me in the prefence of mine enemies; thou, anointeft

anointeft my bead with oil; my cup runneth over. Pfal.

xxiii. 5. While we are bleffing God he keeps bleffing us-In bleffing I will blefs thee. His love flows in, and we pour it out; the facred flame burns, and the continual burnt-offering goes up. But the former and latter of thefe are upon our folemn feast days, and at the commencement of the years of jubilee; for, in the general, things are not fo.

My fon, think on these things, and follow after charity, righteoufnefs, peace, faith, meeknefs, patience, with all them that call upon God out of a pure heart; while I remain, in the beft of bonds,

LETTER XV.

To the Rev. J. JENKINS, at the new Vicarage,
Lewes, Suffex.

To my joy, and the crown of my rejoicing.

BELOVED, when I finished my last I concluded that the crufe was nearly exhausted; but this morning early it fprung up again, and feemed to flow in various directions; it anointed my eyes, and I perceived it with this obfervation, The yoke fhall be destroyed because of the anointing. I found it was fo, and therefore I purfued it with pleasure, finding the service to be perfect freedom. My born is exalted like the horn of an unicorn, and I am anointed with fresh oil. O, that this was a little more obferved and attended to! But the believer is too much like the worldly mifer, he never knows what he is worth. I must now speak of the things which I bave made touching the King, and his anointing; and I hope it will turn out to thee that my heart hath been inditing a good matter. The matter is,

14. Concerning the judgment of the Holy Spirit. In the juftification of our fouls the Holy Spirit brings the righteousness of Chrift near to us, and

enlightens

enlightens the finner to fee Chrift as the end of the law; while he works faith in the heart to go forth, embrace him, and put him on: hence we are faid to be justified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. The Holy Spirit, by the miniftry of the apoftles, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael; he, by applying the words of reproof and rebuke to them, arraigned and brought in many guilty, who humbly craved forgiveness and obtained it; when the bleffed Spirit, who takes of the things that are Chrift's and fhews them to us, pointed these poor condemned finners to the atonement and fatiffaction of Chrift, and to his righteoufnefs and reconciliation with God by it; and, upon their believing, he filled them with the flames of love and zeal; and, fanctifying them, he fet them apart, and devoted them as holy veffels of honour, meet for the Master's ufe. You have this work and these people thus described by the prophet-In that day fhall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are efcaped of Ifrael. And it fhall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerufalem, fhall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerufalem: when the Lord Shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerufalem from the midft thereof, by the Spirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning. Ifa. iv. 2-A Where this work is done there is a court of equity and justice