bolt of curfed infidelity fly back. The opening of this door diffolves the foul: "My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him." Song v. 4. But ftill we are not enlarged; for this is but the hole of the door. The bowels move for him, but he is not come in the promifed and glorious manifeftation of himself. Faith is come, as it was to the blind man healed; but the object of faith is not yet difcovered: "Doft thou believe on the Son of God? Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? Thou haft both feen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."

The next door that Wisdom opens is the door of " the strong hold of Satan." And her voice at this door is, I am fent "to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prifoners from the prifon, and them that fit in darkness out of the prison-house.” Ifa. xlii. 7. "Son, daughter, thy fins are forgiven thee." And this is a full discharge. Guilt flies, the yoke of our tranfgreffion is broken, Satan vanishes, pardoning love flows in, and fear and torment are caft out; the chains of our fins are knocked off, the prifon garments are laid afide, and the wedding garment is put on. He puts off our fackcloth, and girds us with gladness.

The next door is the door of mercy. This opens almost of its own accord, as foon as we escape the prifon. By Jefus we have accefs with con

fidence

fidence into this grace wherein we ftand. And the cry of Wisdom at this door is, " Verily, verily, I fay unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the fheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he fhall be faved, and fhall go in and out, and find pafture." John x. 7-9. Now this door, that admits us into the prefence of God, and into communion and fellowship both with the Father and the Son, is God's lifting up the light of his countenance upon us, and giving us the light of the knowledge of the glory of himself in the face of Jesus Christ, and a full enjoyment of God's everlasting love through Chrift, which is fed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghoft. This is the door; for, if God hides his face, who can behold him? and, without being drawn by his love, who can come to him? And, if he leaves a man in his own guilt, and under the wrath of the law, by these things "he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening." Job xii. 14. Hence it appears that a man must have the light of the Lord's countenance, attended with his love, before he can enter into the joy of the Lord.

The next door that Wisdom cries at is the door of the wedding-chamber: "And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was fhut." Matt. xxv. 10. Wifdom's cry at this door will be, "Come, ye bleffed of my Father,

enter

enter the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." This door will be opened at the firft refurrection, after the living faints are changed, and the dead in Chrift raised; in which they will be fafe, while the wicked are burnt up, and the world with them. And this will be Wisdom's laft cry, "Thy dead men fhall live; with my dead body shall they arife. Awake and fing, ye that dwell in the duft; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs; and the earth fhall caft out the dead."-" Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and fhut thy doors about thee: hide thyfelf as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpaft. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth alfo fhall difclofe her blood, and fhall no more cover her flain." Ifa. xxvi. 19-21.

Now will the Mafter be rifen up, and have shut the door, after which all knocking and calling will meet with no regard, for there can be no ad

mittance.

Thus, dearly beloved Philomela, have I endeavoured to fhew thee fomething of the paths of Wisdom, together with her myftical gates and doors, as well as I could, and as far as I have been led through them; and through which all regenerate fouls pafs who "follow the Lamb in the regeneration." This "is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not

feen:

feen the lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion paffed by it." Job xxviii. 7, 8. The lion of the bottomlef's pit never walked here, nor were any whelps of his ever found there. And to this agrees the prophet: "And an highway fhall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean fhall not pass over it, but it shall be for those the wayfaring men, though fools, fhall not err therein. No lion fhall be there, nor any ravenous beaft fhall go up thercon, it fhall not be found there; but the redeemed fhall walk there. And the ranfomed of the Lord fhall return, and come to Zion with fongs, and everlasting joy upon their heads." Ifa. xxxv. 8-10. Numbers are searching to find this path, who never had fo much as their face Zionward, but ftumble upon the dark mountains in a way not caft up: "The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them; because he knoweth not how to go to the city." Eccl. x. 15. This is the way that is" above to the wife, that he may depart from hell beneath;" it is "the way of life; and in the path thereof there is no death." The curfe and wrath of God attend every other way but this. "There is a way that feemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Because they feek not union with the true vine, nor have they any regard to the branches in it, therefore" their portion is curfed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards."

vineyards.” Job xxiv. 18. And now, what is this highway and a way? The highway is Chrift and faith in him: "I am the way; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." This is the highway. And the way, which is to be called, "The way of holinefs," is, following Chrift in the regeneration; for fuch fhall fit down with him on his throne.

Thus, Philomela, I have led thee in the way which, in a state of nature, I knew not, and in a path which, to all unregenerate men, is not known, nor can be, till God make darknefs light before them, and crooked things ftraight. Upon all other paths but this hypocrites as well as faints may walk. But no lion nor lion's whelps, no fierce lion nor ravenous beaft, no unclean creature, no apoftate, no heretic or hypocrite, have I ever met with or found upon this path: the way of regeneration is untrodden and unfrequented by all thefe. I could wifh thee to make a few high heaps, and to fet up a few land-marks, to be of use in future times. But nothing of this fort can be attended to at prefent; for at Wisdom's gates and doors not only her heavenly voice is heard and felt, but all manner of fruits, new and old, are laid up at these gates for his best beloved. Song vii. 13. Hence the pleasantness of the ways, the ravishing voice, and delicious fruit, take up all the attention; fo that all advice upon this head is in vain. Therefore fing on, Philomela; for to

add