me.

thing more than faith and hope, though these abide; but it is the greatest of all, which is charity, or love. But, though it is thus with me, I know that Satan is very near to me, and would deprive me of all, if he could. I feel such fiery darts from him, at times, as I have never experienced before. But he is not permitted to hurt Chrift was manifested in the flesh to destroy the works of the devil. I did grieve fadly at fomething you faid in your letter; it was this: your faying I should be at the old work of cleaving to Moses again and again. But I fhall certainly die to him and his law; and that has been predicted to me in another dream, which I had the night before laft. It was this:-I dreamed I was from home in a friend's house. A perfon came in to me, and told me I was dead, and wanted me to go with him to see my corpfe, which was at a house a little distance off. I was moved with indignation against him, and told him I was heartily glad I was dead, for I had plague enough of myself all my life-time, and would not move one ftep to view my own corpfe; and that any body might have the trouble of my funeral that pleased. Perhaps this will be fulfilled when I can fay, with Paul, " I, through the law, am dead to the law." Pardon my troubling you so much about dreams; for, when I write to you, I cannot write only what I feel. I hope we fhall fee you foon. I have every indul

gence

gence heart can wifh; I mean that of attending on his Majesty's heralds, whofe glorious orations are remarkably bleffed to me. Surely "the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage." I affure you, when we all get together we talk much about you. I know we all feel much foul union to you. Pray remember our little fifter Moorhen; you know fhe has no breafts. She has received your kind epiftle, and thanks you for it; but the wonders how you found out her cafe, as he never has told you. I must now conclude, hoping to hear from you foon: and believe me to remain

Your very fincere and affectionate

The King's Dale.

PHILOMELA.

LETTER III.

To PHILOMELA, of the King's Dale.

I HAVE juft received mine own The bee found its way to my hive with wax on its legs, and honey in its bag. The promised land ftill flows with this delicious fare. Eat as much of it as doth thee good; for fuch is

with ufury. The bee found its

the

the knowledge of wisdom when it enters the heart; "then there fhall be a reward, and thine expectation fhall not be cut off." I am a tenant at will and every little wind that shakes the cottage I am ready to take as a warning to quit, which will haften my arrival at the better houfe "not made with hands." And I am the more inclined to entertain fuch thoughts, as our Ifrael at large begin to loath the manna, calling the weightier matters light food. For fuch conduct the divine refentment may juftly appear; yea, and will appear, to fend "a famine in the land, and cleanness of teeth throughout all their tribes." The numberless clouds without rain, which are blowed to and fro with every wind, throughout all our coafts, are certain preludes to this evil arrow; for "they will make empty the foul of the hungry, and cause the drink of the thirsty to fail." But even this shall not deprive me of my crown, nor screen their backs from God's fcourge. How light are these bodily afflictions when the dying love of Jefus affords to the weary mind a downy pillow! "I will keep that man in perfect peace whofe mind is stayed on me." This is making all our bed eafy in our fickness, and is the fweeteft reft to the foul on the bed of languishing.

It is true the eye of faith, in the rays of the Morning Star, perceives the day-dawn and dayfpring from on high inclined to vifit; and the foul ftruggles hard to quit the dark and gloomy regions

regions of death's fhadow. As the radiance of immortal glory spreads, the more precious is it for the eye of faith to behold the fun. This is seeing Him who is invifible to all the fight of mortals, or to all the light of nature. The goodness of Jehovah appears in the land of the living; faith perceives it, and draws her unerring conclufion to the enlightened mind, that " he is the fairest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely." The heavenly dawn fhines upon obfcure prophecy, and illumines that dark place, and brings divine harmony to light, where carnal reafon had bred the worft confufion. Confidence puts her hand on divine veracity, and waits till faithfulness makes the promise good. And here the foul faints unless she believes. But the heavenly dove flutters in the heart, broods over the foul, and produces hope and expectation, which are both the foul's anchor and looker-out: the former ftays her from finking in her fainting fits, and the other fills her with anxiety till the defire is accomplished. Thus faith fees the promised object at a distance, and a divine impulfe on the will bends it to make the choice, until the immortal feed of electing and everlasting love is fhed abroad in the heart by the promised Comforter; and then the affections are all called forth to acquiefce in and to admire the choice. Now the Ancient of Days, and the child whofe age is an hand-breadth, are no more at a diftance. The Sun of Righteousness and the

worm

worm of the duft meet together, without any danger of being fcorched or dried up. He prefents his fuffering nature to view, and fhines through it; darkness paffes, and the true light fhines; while the eye fees, the ear hears, and faith feels the word of life. O how melting, how humbling, how foul and felf-debafing, is the vifion! And, when it speaks in the court of confcience, then "the juft fhall live by faith." There is no more fpirit left; all, all is drunk up, and crucifixion takes place; fellowship in his fufferings, and being planted together in the likeness of his death, is both felt and understood; and the effect is, the world becomes crucified in the vifion, and the finner is crucified to the world. This is manifefting himself on earth to the objects given him; and, when he awakes, arifes, and afcends again, he takes the heart, the affections, the thoughts, the defires, wishes, appetites, and all the powers of the foul, with him, and leaves us as mere fhadows without fubftance, machines without wheels, or as automaton figures. We may speak, and that is all; and fometimes not that. Whether in the body or out of the body we cannot tell; God knoweth. The match is made, the knot is tied, and Philomela is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord my God. The bond of the covenant has encompaffed her; and all that he loves muft live; for the true light always conveys dying love, which is his healing beams. All light, unattended