H— joins me in kind love, and thanks you for your letter. Believe me to remain

THINE epiftle comforted my heart. My hope of you is ftedfaft. Nothing ever raised a doubt in my mind of the goodness of thy state but thy long abode on mount Tabor; for, when once meekness, contrition, godly forrow, compunction of heart, felf-abasement, and humility, wear off, and drynefs and lightness attend our joy, there is danger. Pride and self-seeking creep in; nor is watchfulness and diligence in prayer attended to. The veffel goes on, but wants ballaft; and, when the rod comes on, we fall many leagues

leagues back. But now, bleffed be God, we keep pace; we are in one and the fame "If we

my

way. suffer with him, we shall reign with him." If we share in the afflictions, fo fhall we in the confolations. I have had fome uncommon feasons of refreshing of late; I mean, fecret refreshings on my own spirit. His foul humbling advances towards me diffolved me, and fenfibly affected both my body and foul. My hair moved upon my head, and I could feel my blood run in my veins. His prefence, his unparalleled condefcenfion, the freedom and the familiarity that he used with me, made foul foar aloft in the moft profound gratitude. I was obliged to ftand ftill, and weep it out, for my mind floated on the river of selfabafing and unfpeakable pleasure. The world and all about me feemed reduced to the drop of a bucket, or the small duft of a balance; my eyes poured out before him the tears of undiffembled love, and I kept waving my hand, and coyly putting away the effects of his undeserved vifit, crying out, "I am not worthy, I am not worthy, I am not worthy, I am not worthy." But, like himself, for he is like no other, he preffed his good-will, and the tokens of his eternal loyve, upon me, without taking the leaft notice of my repeated cries of unworthiness. My foul's unwearied enemy, who feldom leaves me one whole day together, fled, and not a corruption moved, nor a wandering thought fprung up, to lead my

mind

mind aftray. I had three of these unexpected vifits; but they were tranfient, like those of a wayfaring man, who turns afide and tarries but a night. But I knew that they were earnests of more enduring and uninterrupted felicity. Soon after this my implacable enemy returned with double force; not to difpute me out of the reality of what I enjoyed, for I have felt more of that than ever he did, and know the sweetness of it better than he does; nor did he attempt to call in queftion my intereft. He has dropt that for upwards of twenty years; nay, he has acknowledged it, and confeffed it, when he hath wanted to tempt me to prefumption. But, as all the doubts that his lies have raised in my mind could never move me from the foundation, so all his acknowledgments of the goodness of my state never added to my establishment. He can neither blefs us at all, nor curfe us at all. The work that he came to do was to ftir up hard thoughts, prejudices, and enmity, at the best of friends, because I was then deferted, and my mind fuffered to be defiled with a foul-mouthed devil, a rebelJious and most blafphemous Jacobin. This word flew into my mind, " But I gave myself unto prayer." I took the hint; and, for three or four days, fhut myself up, for the space of four or five hours in a day, to attend upon that very thing. And never to be fure did that holy and bleffed Spirit, that all-prevailing interceffor, that quint

9

effence

effence of all meeknefs, fimplicity, and purity, help my infirmities more. I was amazed at the fortitude, boldnefs, freedom, fervour, argument, and powerful pleadings, that he equipped and furnished me with. Well might the Ancient of Days fay to his apostles, "I will fend you a Comforter, which the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." For years have I watched and attended to the secret and wonderful operations and influences of that benign and unchangeable friend of finners, and have admired his quick, seasonable, and invariable counsel, cautions, and inftructions, and have often called him by all the fweet names of heavenly Dove, fweet One, bleffed Comforter, fure and faithful Witnefs, yea, and every sweet and pathetic name that my heart could indite, or my lips utter; and, while I have been heaping them upon his bleffed head, he has kept my mind tranquil, and his pleafing operations have wonderfully proclaimed his approbation of my fimple encomiums. Soon after this I fell ill, and have been laid by a fortnight, during which time he left me not, but favoured me more than ufual; and one night I had the following dream. I dreamed that I was fitting at table with many of my friends. I do not remember any entertainment on the table. My mind was chiefly taken up at looking at my friends; and, among

the

the reft, there fat the Lord Jefus Chrift in person; and I knew him immediately; nor did he vanish out of my fight; and I found my mind inclined to put two queftions to him. I faid to him, Lord, there are but few in this world that know thee, and there is bread enough in our Father's house, and to fpare; and, as there are but few that know thee, and as thou haft but a few to feed, how is it then, that thou giveft us fo little? He fmiled, but gave me no answer. But I thought that every one at the table were looking at him, waiting for his reply; which convinced me that my open queftion was the language of all their hearts. As I could not fucceed in this question, I put another, and the eyes of all at the table feemed to look at me. I faid, When you begin your work on us, you spare no pains, nor let our fouls find reft, until you have weaned us from every thing under heaven; nor will you appear fatisfied till you have brought us to love you with all our heart, and with all our foul; and, when you have gained this, what can be the reafon of your leaving us, provoking us, and trying us, in fo dreadful a manner? The eyes of all the company, as foon as I had done with my queftion, were turned from me, and looked at him. But all that I got was another pleasing smile; for my beloved gave me no answer. I cannot, at this time, defcribe to my dear fifter how dead my foul is to this world, nor how dead this world is to me.

Never