them, and that they might know the fin of their heart by the application of the law; this alters not the ftate of their fouls; they were members of Chrift before, fo they were when in their troubles, and they were more fure of this when their deliverance came. It remains, therefore, that it cannot, in the worst sense, mean a real believer; for, though he may be exercised in his pilgrimage, and on his death-bed, with legal bondage, yet he cannot go out of the church, and out of the world, under the wrath of God, nor yet in bondage; his end must be peace, not wrath. The covenant, the oath of God, the promise of life, the death of Christ, and the Spirit's work, all forbid this. To conclude this fubject, in the ftrictest and worst fense of the words, the comer-in at the fouth gate is the way-fide hearer, who has his natural affections and paffions stirred up; in whom light, joy, gifts, and zeal, fpring up; and who, in time of temptation and perfecution, falls away, and goes out of the church, and into the world, and then out of the world under the wrath and curfe of God. And this character is further defcribed by this prophet in the 16th verse of this fame chapter; and Chrift, in his days, quotes the words, and applies them: "Thus faith the Lord God, If the prince give a gift to any of his fons, the inheritance thereof fhall be his fons; it fhall be their poffeffion by inheritance." Ezek. xlvi. 16. This inheritance is eternal life; and Chrift came

that

that we might have it; and he that hath it, to him fhall be given, and he fhall have more abundance; for Chrift came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. But, if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his fervants, then it fhall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince." Ezek. xlvi. 17. Our Saviour's explanation and application of this text is, "Take the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents; for he that hath not (hath not life, but a spiritual gift), it fhall be taken away from him, even that which he hath." And it is often feen that a fervant cuts a moft glaring figure in the church of God, until the spirit of love and liberty be poured forth upon fome of the elect of God about him; and, when he fees this, he finks in his foul at the fight, and at the light, and hates it, as Saul did, when he faw that God was with David. Such an one finks in the esteem of fuch heaven-born fouls as much as Saul did in the eyes of Samuel, when he said, "Honour me now before the elders of my people." Nothing difcovers a falfe profeffion, and a falfe profeffor, like the fpirit of love and liberty being poured out upon poor broken-hearted finners about him; and, if it come upon fuch as have looked up to him as fomething great, difcriminating grace difcovers him. At this he is offended, and hates the light, and flees from it, and fights against it; and this withers his joys, it

blafts

blafts his zeal and diligence, and dries up the glee of his animal spirits, and natural abilities too; fo that his gifts return to the prince, and he gives the talent to others. He that receives this gift is a fervant, and he comes in at the fouth gate. He begins his profeffion with having his paffions moved, and his natural affections stirred up, and comes in at the fouth gate; and, when the jubilee comes, he either takes offence at it, or elfe, in perfecution and temptation, falls away, and legal bondage feizes him, and he goes back to the first husband, the law, never being divorced from it : and this is going out at the north gate. And, when death cuts fuch a corrupt tree down, the tree falls toward the north; and where the tree falls there it fhall lie. But the name and title of the other is that of a fon; and his inheritance fhall not be taken from him, nor fhall he go out of the church but by death: he came in by the north gate. A fpirit of bondage, fooner or later, more or lefs, doth exercise all the elect of God, till love cafts their fears out: fuch come in by the north gate, and fhall go out by the fouth. Death cuts that tree of righteoufnefs down, and it falls toward the fouth; and in the place where it falls there it fhall lic.

I must confefs that I rather wonder at your giving up all expectations of fenfible vifits from God by the way, only from your conftructions put upon that dark and ambiguous text; "An

enemy

enemy hath done this." God will never apply any paffage of his word in a sense that shall run counter to the whole current of fcripture.

"I am

And fure I am that away before a jot or And as fure as tempt

with you alway to the world's end. I will water them every moment. I will keep them night and day. Their leaf fhall be green; nor fhall they ceafe from yielding fruit." heaven and earth fhall pass tittle of his word fhall fail. ations, desertions, legal bondage, or unbelief, obfcure the good work on thy heart, so sure will God fhine upon it, revive it, and bring it forth to light again; being confident of this very thing, that he, which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, when it fhall be perfected, both in body and foul. In this confidence, and in the best of bonds, I remain

Yours to ferve for his fake,

The Defert.

NOCTUA AURITA.

LETTER

LETTER XXXV.

To NOCTUA AURITA, of the Defert.

I HAVE received your letter, which came to me wet with the dew of heaven; and therefore I must call it Gideon's fleece, when it was taken out of the floor wet. I hope you' will excuse my coming to you fo foon; but really I could ftay no longer. By your letter my mind is entirely delivered from that darkness which has entangled me for these three months paft, refpecting the coming in by the fouth gate, and going forth by the north, &c. I believe Satan never had before fuch a fimple fool to deal with. I perceive he is the enemy that has done me all this mischief; but he is now difcovered. I know it was he that applied that paffage to my mind, and made me believe that it was left on record on purpose for me, and could be applicable to no one's cafe but mine. I can fee now, as clear as I can see the fun at noon day, when he entered firft, and the ends he had in view; and, by my relating to you the, exercises I have paffed under fince I wrote you that letter, I think you will fee it too. You know he had then gained his point fo far as to cut off

all