and interpreters to explain them, are fcarce.-If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to fhew unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him. Job xxxiii. 23. And I think that, if every congregated thousand in a profeffion in this nation had a real meffenger to bring forth fuch good tidings, and endowed with divine skill to interpret them to finners in whofe hearts they are written, old England would be one of the happieft countries in all the world.

Dearly beloved, pardon me for the amazing length of this epiftle; it was written, fome late at night, and the reft early in the morning. When the waters are moved, and I can step in, I am (like Peter on the mount) apt to forget myself, but hope ever to remember thee at the throne; and he that hath fuch a friend muft fhew himself friendly.

Ever yours,

W. HUNTINGTON, S S.

LETTER

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To the Rev. J. JENKINS, Letves, Suffex.

Fellow Servant, and Fellow Soldier,

GRACE and peace be with thee, both in the armoury and in the field. Counsel in the heart, faith the wife man (or rather Wisdom itself), is as deep waters, and the words of wisdom a flowing brook. This witness is true; for before I had gotten the last out of hand I had two more in my heart; and therefore I must speak, or write, that I may be eased. I fhewed, in my laft, how each perfon in the glorious Trinity were jointly concerned in the falvation of God's elect; and treated a little of their co-operations in every branch of it. And this will further appear, even in the application of the promises.The words of the wife are as goads, and as nails faftened by the masters of affemblies, which are given from one fhepherd. Eccl. xii. 11. In the mafters of affemblies a plurality of perfons appear; but in the one fhepherd the unity of God is feen. If it be replied, that by the masters of affemblies the Jewish doctors are meant; I answer, they were not preachers of God's word; they made that of none effect by their own traditions. Nor can it mean the apoftles or ordinary gofpel-minifters, for they dare not take the

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title of master: Be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your mafter, even Chrift. Matt. xxiii. 8. Nor is it in the power of any man to apply the word of God. faften the word of God, as a nail driven up to the head, requires power; and the excellency of the power. is of God, and not of us. If the most eloquent orator in the world, by the dint of elocution, was to attempt this work, and move the paffions of men to the uttermost, all that can be faid of it is, that they received it in word only: but, when the word comes with power, in the Holy Ghoft, and in much assurance, the nail is fastened; nor is it poffible for either men or devils to draw it out. God the Father calls himfelf a mafter. If I am a master, where is my fear? Mal. i. 6. Call no man master, for one is your master, even Chrift. And fo he that is taught of the Spirit fows to the Spirit, and is led by the Spirit; he learns, obeys, and follows his mafter. Now thefe words of the wife, called goads, that prick, and nails, that hold faft, are given from one fhepherd, even God: The. Lord is my fhepherd, therefore I shall not want: for we are the people of bis pafture, and the sheep of his band.

Again We are baptized in the name of all the three divine perfons. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. Matt. xxviii. 19. And, when we are baptized with the Holy Ghoft and with fire, the love of God is fhed abroad in the heart; the fun of righteoufnefs arifes with healing in

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his beams, and shines like the fun in his full strength; when the Holy Ghoft brings the live coal from off the altar, or puts both life and love in the word, and lays it upon our tongue, telling us that our iniquity is taken away, and our fin purged, and that we must now confefs. it, and proclaim it. This baptifm makes a minister a flaming fire, a burning and fhining light; and unites poor fouls to Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft; and interefts them in the love of all three. But, befides the baptifm of the Holy Ghoft, there is another that follows, and that is the fiery trial. We read of the fpirit of judgment, and of the fpirit of burning: for God keeps his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerufalem, that his real churches may not be overrun with tares and chaff, ftraw and ftubble. The veffels of gold and of filver will stand the furnace, but the veffels of wood and of earth will confume: the former, by lofing their drofs, appear the brighter and better for the fire; the latter, like a fool brayed in a mortar, ten times worse.

This bleffed mystery ever was, and ever will be, with the chofen of God; for thus it is written: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, fo my Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus faith the Lord of Hofts, It is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the fea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, and the defire of all nations shall come. Haggai ii. 5, 6. Here is God the Father speaking and covenanting; and the effential Word, who is the cove

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nant-head, and the covenant itfelf; because the covenant is with him, made with him, confirmed by him, and all the bleffings of it are in him. The glorious proclamation of the name of the Lord is nothing else but the mercy and bleffings of God in Christ Jefus, held forth in the covenant of grace: and this my name, fays God, is in bim-in the angel that went before them. Hence they are charged to obey him, and not to provoke him, for he will not pardon your tranfgreffions. When Mofes calls Chrift the Rock, whose work is perfect; and fets him before them as their refuge, their life, and the length of their days; and tells them not to fay in their heart, Who fball afcend into heaven, or who shall defcend into the deep? to fetch the Word to them; these are all applied in the New Teftament to Chrift, and are the things of the new covenant, which the Spirit applies to the elect of God. Here is the Lord of Hofts speaking, and the Word (Christ) spoken of, and called the defire of all nations; and the covenant with him; and the Spirit'remaining still among them; for, although national mercies were often taken away from Ifrael, and national calamities brought on, yet the elect were never deferted of their God.

Moreover, the Holy Trinity are to be confidered in all our addreffes or approaches to God: For through bim we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Here is the Father, to whom we find nearness and accefs, the furety having removed our fins and a broken law out of the way, and appear

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