for, very far from the spot I ftood upon, I could not bear the rays of his countenance; for furely the face of Mofes never fhone brighter than his did at that time; and never fure was a foul more burnt in the flames of jealousy than I was. I am fure my feelings could never be equalled but by Satan himself. I had been basking in the rays. of God's prefence, and now caft down to the lowest hell without a gleam of hope. And, befides this, what further added to my jealousy, I faw the dew fweetly diftil on two perfons who fat near me. I knew they had found him whom my foul loveth. But on Monday morning he did come indeed, and gave me fuch a view of his love and faithfulness to his word, oath, and covenant, as my pen nor tongue can never defcribe, Your prediction was indeed fulfilled; for he came down on my foul as the dew on the mown grafs, and as the rain that waters the earth. And fuch a time in prayer did my foul never experience before. He admitted me into his very heart, and his language to me feemed the fame as the king's to Efther, "What is thy petition, and what is thy request? and it shall be granted thee, not only to the half, but the whole of my kingdom." But I found I wanted another enlargement, that I might afk enough; for I faw there was no ftraitness in God. And the Lord knows what I did afk at this time, for I know not. But, whatever it was, I shall know hereafter; for nothing can be impoffiole

to this faith. However, in a few hours I found my mind clouded again, and Satan was permitted to affault and fuggeft to my mind that it was not real, and that I was catching at something I could not hold faft. But these words fettled and decided the matter," It is the voice of my Beloved: behold, he cometh leaping on the mountains, and skipping on the hills." And a sweet peace I found in my foul. However, before the day was paft, I felt my mind again beclouded, and my foul disturbed, and Satan fuggefting that it was not real; but the above words were attended again, the second time, with power, and kept vibrating through my very foul for, I believe, two hours; and the matter was made clear to me that I was not deceived. On Tuesday morning the Lord met me again in prayer; and, I blefs his name, he renewed the fame over again, as he did the morning before; and fweetly did he commune with my foul; and he has brought me to fit at his feet, clothed, and in my right mind, and has told me, that " he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and fure;" and that he will lead me into the myfteries of it, for the half has not been told me; and never before did I feel fuch contrition and godly forrow. It has killed me outright, and, as you fay in one of your letters, bleeds my very foul to death. O how much do I need your prayers, that be kept near him, that I may not be carried away!

I may

away! for Satan will use all his efforts to get me again into his fieve. I have communicated this to no foul living but yourself, thanking you for all favours. I know you are wife as an angel of God; therefore, if you fee any thing in this letter that is not produced under the influence of the Spirit of God, fail not to communicate it to me as foon as you can; for I have reason to be afraid of all my joys. If it should be proved they be false, please to keep the contents of this fecret ; for, if they know I am up again, they will be trying to make me the keeper of their vineyards, which, perhaps, would be attended with a neglect of my own. Indeed, at prefent, I want no converfation with any body; I am fo afraid of lofing what I have got. Adieu.

The King's Dale.

PHILOMELA.

I A

LETTER

LETTER XXV.

To NOCTUA AURITA, in the Defert.

I HAVE been expecting a letter from

you every day for this month past, and have felt much at your long filence. Satan has endeavoured to help the matter forward, and has suggefted to me what, perhaps, never entered your head. But he is not worth fpending any time about; fo I will not fay any thing more about him, but proceed to tell my dear friend that, fince I wrote you laft, I have experienced a sweet gale from the fouth wind, which, for a time, carried all that was not mortal within the veil, and left me nothing but the poor frail tabernacle here below, and even that felt the effects of it fo much that it was hardly able to fuftain it. Indeed, my dear brother, I hardly knew, for fome time, whether in the body, or out of the body; and, had it been the will of my God, glad fhould I have been to have taken my eternal flight, and left mortality behind. But I am fully perfuaded that is not to take place yet; because it is given me to believe that it is appointed for me to bear no small part of the burden and heat of the day; and I am to

stand in many of the Lord's battles. But, however weak I am, he will teach my hands to war, and my fingers to fight; and I trust that no weapon that is formed against me shall profper; because I know all my enemies are his enemies. I had, three nights ago, a very particular dream, which I well know came from God, and will, I have no doubt, have its accomplishment; and, as you are one of the parties concerned, I will make bold to trouble you with the relation of it. I dreamed I was standing in an open road; you came up to me, and converfed with me for about a quarter of an hour, when you turned from me and went out of my fight. You was no fooner gone than there came up to me a middle-aged woman, very comely in her appearance. She had on a long white robe; fhe had a foft, smooth, fmiling countenance; and very pleafant did fhe look at me; but I faw the very devil under that robe. I trembled at her appearance till my very joints fhook; for I perceived she had very evil defigns against me. She very minutely furveyed me from head to foot. I therefore took my garments and girded them round me as tight as poffibly I could, and stood trembling before her, as I thought her intention was to rob me. I had not stood long before you came to me the fecond time; which when the faw, fhe turned, and went out of my fight. You converfed with me as before, though I do not recollect any thing of the converfation.

I fecretly