have no chastisement are baftards, and not fons. A reply to this will greatly oblige,

I RECEIVED your kind epiftle, and do moft fincerely thank you for the fame, and fhall comply with your requeft, for I feel a pleafure in fo doing; and fhould I give too much scope to my pen, I hope you will pardon it. To procced. My parents being profeffors of religion, I was early brought to attend on the word preached, under the Rev. D B—. He being a Calvinift

Calvinist diffenter, (and I believe he preached the doctrines of the gofpel clearly) I fat under him till I was in my twentieth year; but it was from constraint, and not out of any love to it. But during all thefe years I attained to no degree of knowledge of the doctrines I heard; and I believe that the heathens, who never faw a bible nor heard the word, could not be more blind and ignorant than I was.

But, at the end of this period of time, one Lord's day Mr. B preached from these words, "O Ifrael, thou haft destroyed thyself; but in me is thy help." As he went on treating of the firft part, I found my attention drawn to it, and faw that I was interested in the subject; and I do believe there never was a truer description given of the fall of man, as far as it could be conveyed from light received from the letter of the word, than he gave at that time: it made me tremble from head to foot. I believed the report; and clearly did he fhew how fallen man was under the curfe of the law, and, as fuch, obnoxious to the wrath of God; and confcience made the application by bearing this teftimony, "Thou art the man." He then treated largely on free grace, and falvation by Christ, and fhewed that it was only for finners that Chrift died, and that this falvation became ours by believing. I fhall not enlarge on his fermon, but tell you that these last tidings made my very heart leap for joy. I thought,

thought, yea I had not a doubt, but I was one of thofe that Chrift died for, because I now faw myfelf a finner. On this ground I commenced a be liever; and I came from under the fermon with light on the whole plan of falvation, and as firm a confidence of my own perfonal intereft therein as a poor creature could have. For two nights I could not close my eyes, my joys did rife fo high; and all the free invitations and unconditional promifes of the gofpel kept flowing into my mind. I thought I was in a new world; the world was now nothing to me, and I wanted to die, that I might be out of it. I could not pay the leaft attention to any worldly affairs for three weeks. I once went to Mr. B, and told him how his miniftry had been bleffed to me, and we rejoiced together; and my wonderful converfion was blazed abroad far and near. I fat under his ministry, I think, about fix years.

My joys at length were not quite fo high. After the time mentioned above they began to abate, which I thought to be ftrange; but I went to my father, and told him how it was with me, and he told me that all thofe who were walking in the ways of God found it so, and I should only maintain and keep my comfort in a way of religion. Indeed he was a good nurfe to me, and very high I was in his efteem, but not more fo than he was in mine. I had no fmall fhare of joy, at feasons, for the space of a year and an half. About this

time these words were brought fuddenly to my mind, and that with power: "And I will caufe you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." I was much perplexed at this, and thought what rod had I got to pass under? And I thought I was fafe enough in the bond of the covenant already. However, about fix months after this I was vifited with fevere afflictions, which fo weakened my tabernacle, and the faculties of my soul, that at times I was incapable of thinking, contemplating, or any thing else. But this I conjectured to be the fulfilment of the first part of the foregoing promise which the Lord fent to me. From that time my joys declined; but my confidence ftill remained unfhaken as to the reality of the work. At times I can recollect that there was fomething within me that would whisper that " all was not right at the bottom." But this voice was foon hushed and fmothered, by being attributed to other causes, viz. the devil and the power of unbelief, which I was taught to refift. Indeed, I had fo many to build me up in this my confidence, that it was no wonder I ftood my ground; and I had as high an opinion of myself as others had of me, which only fed my pride. Having fat under the aforefaid inftrument about fix years, he left his charge to take another; and in his ftead came the Rev. G— T. He was (to my view) as found in the doctrines of the gospel as the other, and I much

approved

approved of his miniftry, and fat under it, I think, about four years. At this time I married, and Providence fixed my habitation in this place, where I fat under the miniftry of J——— M ———, and was much delighted with the fame; as he was not inferior to him I left. After fome time I heard that Mr. Jenkins preached in a very fingular way; but, as I heard he preached the doctrines of the gospel, I thought I would go and hear him; for I affure you from these I never deviated in judgment, for all my religion lay in the belief of them. But I now know that my religion would not ftand the fiery teft. But fure, if it had been God's genuine work, it could not have been overthrown; for what he does is done for ever. But a ftormy wind has rent this wall; and when it fell there was not left fo much as one ftone upon another that was not thrown down. O Sir! to think how many that are called fhepherds, and whole flocks under them, are refting fhort of the things that accompany falvation, is a fore trial to me. But I must leave this part of the Saviour's government with him who is wonderful in counfel, and excellent in working; but cannot get rid of my feelings for those who are fo near to me. Adieu; and may God reward your kindness to the chiefeft of all finners. So prays

Yours in the hope of the gospel,

The King's Dale.

PHILOMELA.

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