fmell of myrrh, aloes, and caffia, out o the ivory palaces; and God doth make manifeft the favour of the knowledge of Christ among his people. This we know; and, on the other hand, if one come into our company whofe fcent remains in him, whofe fcent is not changed, who is fettled on his old lees, what a ftinking favour do fuch little foxes fend forth! But who can defcribe that nofe that fo fenfibly diftinguishes between the odour of Chrift's garments, and the ftench of the foxes, and the ftinking favour of dead flies? Nor is the new man without his ears. What is spoken to the outward ears hath no effect if it goes no farther: "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak friendly to her heart." Hofca ii. 14. Hence it is faid of Chrift that "he fhall not cry, nor lift up, nor caufe his voice to be. heard in the street." Ifa. xlii. 2. And yet many will fay in the laft day, "We have eaten in thy prefence, and thou haft taught in our streets." They heard the voice of the man; but it is only the dead, or felf-condemned, that hear the voice of the Son of God and live: "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." John xviii. 37. And all his fheep hear his voice, and follow and diftinguish his voice from all others; and Chrift hath dropped his benediction both upon fuch ears and eyes: "Bleffed are your eyes, for they fee, and your ears, for they hear." And I know that he hath often spoke to my inmost soul,

and I heard the voice, felt it, and understood it; but my outward ears had nothing to do with it. But what those ears are that hear fo plainly when he fpeaks friendly to the heart, I cannot defcribe. The eyes of the new man are as wonderful: "The world fees me no more," fays Chrift, " but ye fee me; and because I live ye fhall live alfo." And again: "I will fend the Comforter to you, whom the world cannot receive, because it feeth him not, nor knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you." Mofes faw him that is invifible; the patriarchs faw the promise at a distance; "A wife man foresees the evil, and hides himself;" and the faint, in his first love, fees "the King in his beauty, and the land which is very far off." And I have feen my dear Mafter in open vifion for many months together. But what thefe eyes are is a myftery. Paul fays these things are spiritually difcerned; and he tells us that the eyes of our understanding are opened; but he doth not explain what those eyes arc. I know that faith difcovers wonders. But the foul hath more eyes than one. What are the eyes of the understanding? The new man hath got his affections alfo, which are peculiar to him, the objects of which are, firft, God, and his word, and his faints. These affections, love, or charity, are the principal parts of the new man; and, when in exercise, they fill the foul with joy unfpeakable and full of glory.

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glory. Nor is the new man without his hands. There is a fomething that holds the beloved fast, and will not let him go. Thefe hands hold faft the faithful word, and every thing that Chrift hath given us, that no man take our crown. These hands appear to be the powerful actings of faith, which, under the Spirit's influence and operations, are very powerful. I have often been thinking of the feet of the new man, by which we go in and out and find pasture; yea, God fays "They fhall mount up as upon eagles' wings, they fhall run and not be weary, they fhall walk and not faint." I know believing is called a coming to God, and we are faid to walk by faith and not by fight; but I think love must have her part in these wonderful journies of the foul; for faith can neither work nor walk but by love.

Thus I have fent my dear fifter a few of my fecret thoughts upon these things. But, as Milton fays, "I find no end, in wondering mazes loft;" and yet there is a fecret pleafure in foaring and diving, though I can neither reach the top nor fathom the bottom.

Whatever name the Lord's elect are called by, the Saviour is generally fet forth or reprefented by fomething fuitable to it. They are debtors, and he the furety; fubjects, and he the king; children, and he the father; lion's whelps, and he the lion; lambs, &c. and he was reprefented by the ram. A lamb flain from the foundation of the world he is, and that in a two-fold fenfe:

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firft,

firft, in the purpofe of God; and, in the next place, he was typically flain by Abel's facrifice. It is true he did not fuffer in his divine nature; he was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit;" he suffered in the flesh, and bore our fins in his own body upon the tree. Yet, you have no call to wonder at his being typified both by a ram and a lamb, when the fcriptures often fet him forth both in his feniority and in his youth. In the book of Daniel, where he is reprefented as the judge of quick and dead, the hair of his head is faid to be as white as the pure wool; and he is the Ancient of Days; but in the Song of Solomon, where he is defcribed as a wooer, his locks are faid to be bufhy, and black

as a raven.

The best knowledge, and the fafeft that thou wilt ever attain to refpecting the Trinity in this world is, a knowledge of God the Father's love shed abroad in thy heart. This fays, " Yea, I have loved thee, and with loving-kindness have I drawn thee. The next is the voice of the blood of fprinkling, which speaks pardon, peace, and reconciliation, which are better things than the blood of Abel. The third is the Spirit's voice, crying, Abba, Father. Thefe are the witneffes of the Trinity; and these three agree in one. The Lord for ever blefs thee.

The Defert.

NOCTUA AURITA.

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LETTER

LETTER XLI.

To NOCTUA AURITA, in the Defert.

I EMBRACE this opportunity of fending you a few lines to inform you a little how I go on. When I wrote to you laft my foul was melted within me because of trouble; I was fainting in the day of adverfity, for my foul was much difcouraged because of the way. But the Lord, who comforteth thofe that are caft down, and who is ever a refuge for the poor and needy, has condefcended to appear for me, to raise my hope and expectation, being once more brought to enjoy the presence of him who is all in all to my foul. And I think I do now know fomething of what the apostle calls " rejoicing in hope;" and this hope I find to be an anchor to my foul, for it does enter into that within the vail. The tempeft with which I was toffed has ceased its raging, and a bleffed calm is brought to my mind. I am fure Satan himself has felt it; he could not endure it; and unbelief was put to the blufh, while faith laid faft hold of his word of promife which was fpoken foul. How true are the words of the wife

to my

man when he fays, "As cold water to a thirsty

foul,