-portion; yea, in this world we poffefs double, and in the world to come everlafting joy fhall be unto us (Ifa. Ixi. 7), for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

I long to know the ftate of your corn, whether your lord and master hath waded through this unparalleled harveft. It hath fallen to our lot to be caft on the ftage of this world when perilous times are come. For many months before this war broke out I had little before my eyes but calamitous times, and nothing but wars and rumours of wars followed my fears; and now, for these five months back, famine is continually in my view, and little elfe upon my mind. Seed-time and harvest, promised to all, feems this year to be denied to us. And I have long prophefied that the awful rebellion difcovered in this hour of temptation would be followed by fome external or internal judgment; by famine, peftilence, or fomething awful. But no judgment so fatal as an internal one; I mean that of being given up to blindness of mind, hardness of heart, and being left under the awful curfe of God. Many of our impoftors and hypocrites in profeffion have been fo engaged in political matters, and in the con:cerns of government, that they have neglected their lawful calling, and the concerns of their family, and have brought themfelves to want bread. But it looks now as if they muft fetch up their loft Q 2

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time by working over-hours, even to keep themfelves from ftarving.

I know, by the word of the Lord, that oppreffion will be the crying fin throughout this world when the Saviour comes to take to himself his great power to reign. And this fin will extort more lamentable cries from the poor and needy than even Pharaoh's cruelty did from the children of Ifrael; and a more confpicuous Deliverer will appear than ever Mofes was. Read Pfalm lxxii. And, what is more aftonishing, I have fainted in praying God to remove what I fee to be coming on. I have no heart to pray against it, my faith fails; and, if I attempt it, it is against wind and tide, for the Spirit helps me not; nor will he ever make interceffion for us contrary to the will of God. Therefore I take it for granted that it is appointed for us. Not long ago our oppreffors contrived an artificial famine; and it feems now as if God would fend a real one, that the oppreffor may have an opportunity of filling up his meafure; for fure I am that God will never forget that work..

At present I am but poorly, very weak inwardly; which makes me often look to the end of my race; for, look which way I may, I fee nothing but causes of grief and forrow; and yet the whole bulk of profeffors feem to fit ftill and be at rest. They fee the whole country bleffed with gofpel mi

nifters, and the work of the Lord going profperoufly on every where; but I am fo blind that I can fee nothing of it, but quite the reverfe; for, go where I will, I find here and there a poor perifhing finner ftarving for want of the bread of life, and there are none to break it unto them. In my view of things this is a time of spiritual famine, when many of the poor and needy feek water, and there is none. Wells without water, and

clouds without rain, we have plenty; but the miniftry of the Spirit, and the power of God unto falvation, is rarely to be found. But we muft leave the government upon the fhoulders of the wonderful Counsellor; for none of the fubjects of his kingdom fhall ever perish, but shall have eternal life. I have run quite out of the way; but it is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh.

Our glass is running out apace, and the bitternefs of death is paft; life and immortality hath been brought to light in our fouls; the incarnate Word hath quickened us; he hath chaftened us fore, but he hath not given us over unto death, >Then "wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his fin?" Out of the dark regions of the fhadow of death have we been brought; our fins have been removed, and our guilt purged; he hath begotten us to a lively hope, and bleffed us with inward peace; he hath circumcised our hearts to love him, and will not fuffer

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fuffer any thing to fatisfy us fhort of his prefence, his grace, and the light of his countenance; and, though these be often denied us, yet the time cometh when we fhall fee him as he is; and our prefent forrows and fufferings fhall be all forgotten; when we shall hear no more the groanings of Zion, nor fhall her children fay any more, "Behold, I am fick;" for all the remains of corruption fhall be done away. Farewell, dear fifter; and let me know by a few lines, as foon as you are able to write, what fupport, what relief, what encouragement, what views, profpects, meditations, fimiles, or vifits, you have been favoured with, in this last furnace; and you will much oblige

Your affectionate friend and brother,

The Defert.

NOCTUA AURITA.

LETTER

LETTER XXXIX.

To NOCTUA AURITA, in the Defert.

I HAVE received yours, and do moft

kindly thank you for the fame. I was forry to hear of your inward weaknefs; fhould be glad to know if it hath pleased the Lord to re-establish your health.

Some things in your letter convinced me that' you still remain a prophet of the Lord to me: for you have described my feelings as true as if you had known all the workings of my mind for this fortnight paft; though I know you could not have received my last little scrap of a letter till after' yours was written.

Relapfed into legal bondage I am. O! it is at wretched captivity. You tell me to look once more towards God's holy temple. But, alas! I have no faith in exercife on the object of faith, nor yet on the promise. I feel the old man alive in all his members. Never, I think, did I experience' fuch a frame fince I defcended from the mount. God has put me into his furnace, and has fupported me there hitherto; though at times I fear his rod has been spent on me in vain. I am shut up from Q4

the