LETTER XXVIII.

To PHILOMELA, of the King's Dale.

I HAVE paid feveral vifits this week, both to you on the hill, and to thofe in the valley, only I was abfent in body; fo that my appearance was imperceptible; fomewhat like that of the beloved ftanding behind the wall, and fhewing himfelf through the lattice. Whether any troubles have happened to either of your families, I know not; but you have been much on my mind when I have been fecretly engaged in that greateft, beft, most bleffed, and most glorious privilege that ever perifhing finners were favoured with.

Private prayer is my court vifits to my God, the life and breath of my foul; it is the afcenfion of the foul to the Almighty, and its returns are the defcenfion of Chrift to the foul's help. It is the affuafion of grief, the easement of a burdened heart, and the vent of a joyful one. It is the rich favour of myftical incenfe, the overflowings of a living fountain, an all-prevailing facrifice, the delight of the Almighty, and a ravishing charm to the heavenly bridegroom.

Prayer

Prayer has made the Sun of Righteousness to ftand still in his firmament, though difcharged from the lips of a blind beggar. It has brought the Ancient of Days to dwell in a bufh; and even a worm, by this fimple mean, has held the King of kings in the galleries; yea, Omnipotence itself has been constrained to fay, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." But duft and afhes replied, " I will not, except thou blefs me." And he bleffed him there, and allowed that himself had been conquered, and ftyled his antagonist a prevailer with God. Thus Judah's Lion was overcome, and the lame duck waddled off with the victory.

Prayer is a defence against the spirit of this world, and a guard against the inroads of vanity; it is a maul upon the head of the old man, and a lafh of fcorpions for the devil.

Prayer is a bridle in the jaws of a perfecutor, a spell to a voracious enemy, a dagger at the heart of a heretic, a key to parables and dark fayings, and a battering-ram on the walls of falvation. "The kingdom of heaven fuffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

Prayer opens the bountiful hand of God, opens the door of mercy, keeps Chrift in the throne of our affections, and covers every rival and ufurper with fhame and confufion of face.

Prayer is my royal-exchange, where I have brought thousands of cares, burdens, fnares, troubles, vexations, temptations, doubts, fears, mifgiv

ings of heart, forrows of mind, fainting fits, unbelieving fits, fits of love-fickness, fits of carnal and spiritual jealoufy, hardness of heart, rebellion of heart, and ingratitude of heart; together with every other diforder, as the leprofy, the evil of the heart, the plague of the heart, and the plague of the head; together with deaf ears, blind eyes, feeble knees, languid hands, halting feet, and a ftiff neck; with many oppofitions, perfecutions, falfe charges, flanderous accufations, and vile reproaches; and have, by this fimple mean, got rid of them all at times. I have gone to this change with all forts of devils, as an unclean devil, a false preaching devil, a blasphemous devil, a reforming devil, a furious devil, a fawning devil, and a fleepy devil, and have left them in the hands of him that could manage them, when my strength has been all gone, and felf-defpair has feized me. All these, and thousands more, have I taken to this royal-exchange; and you know that one of the names of a believer is that of an exchanger (Matt. xxv. 27); and I have received in return thousands of kiffes, bleffings, mercies, and deliverances; many refreshings, renewings, revivals, restorations, and returns of comfort, peace, love, and joy; together with fresh difcoveries, love tokens, wholesome truths, profound myfteries, glorious glimpfes, bright profpects, terreftrial views, undoubted evidences, infallible proofs, heavenly leffons, confirming vifits, confpicuous deliverances,

earnests,

carnefts, pledges, and foretaftes, reviving cordials, precious promifes, or bank notes, payable this day, and every day through life, and even to millions of ages after date, figned, fealed, and delivered, by Jehovah himself: and God knows, and conscience too, that I lie not.

Prayer has scattered many confederate enemies of my foul, marred the schemes of Jacobins, frustrated the tokens of liars, and made diviners mad. It counteracts the defigns of Satan and his dear children; it hath made me the enemy of the world, the rival of impoftors, the envy of hypocrites, an eyefore to the devil, an admiration to perishing finners, a fpectacle to the world, and a wonder to myself." He that prays to his Father, that feeth in fecret, fhall be rewarded openly."

By prayer the poor come up from the duft, and the beggar from the dunghill, and get a feat among the princes of God's people, and an inheritance in the throne of glory. Mental prayer hath brought me from fleeping in a barn to a comfortable lodging, from a lodging to a cottage, from a cottage to a house, and from a houfe to a little farm; it hath brought food for my need, apparel for my ufe, furniture for my dwelling, fuel to my hearth, money to my pocket, and faithful friends to my heart, and hath kept my pot boiling almost thirty years. "For all these things I will be inquired of by the house of Ifrael, that I may do these things for them." Ezek. xxxvi. 37.

Prayer brought me from the coal-barge to a pulpit, from being a fervant of fervants to be a ruler in the Lord's household; it delivered my hands from the fhovel, and my thoulders from the facks.

Yea, earneft defires hath raised four houses of prayer for God, and brought the presence of God into the houses; it hath brought living waters to my well, oil to my crufe, joy to my heart, and a bleffing to many fouls. And what shall fay more? Why, prayer hath brought little animals to my fields, living creatures to my yard, a horse for my ufe, when the King's bufinefs requires hafte, and a vehicle at my command in inclement weather. This has caufed the very abjects to gather together about me, and the eyes of the envious to look on me, who have seen it, and grieved, grudged, and gnafhed, and wandered up and down, and gone round the walls of my dwelling grinning like a dog. "No good thing will I withhold from them that walk uprightly."

Prayer hath brought the fouls of fome, when departed, back into their bodies again. It engages the Almighty on the fide of the fuppliant, and eftablishes an alliance with God. It hath ftopped the bottles of heaven for three years and fix months, and opened them again at the expiration of that term; yea, and brought a miraculous plenty into the house of a poor widow, while deftruction and famine were riding all around in univerfal triumph,