away! for Satan will use all his efforts to get me again into his fieve. I have communicated this to no foul living but yourself, thanking you for all favours. I know you are wife as an angel of God; therefore, if you fee any thing in this letter that is not produced under the influence of the Spirit of God, fail not to communicate it to me as foon as you can; for I have reason to be afraid of all my joys. If it fhould be proved they be falfe, pleafe to keep the contents of this fecret; for, if they know I am up again, they will be trying to make me the keeper of their vineyards, which, perhaps, would be attended with a neglect of my own. Indeed, at prefent, I want no conversation with any body; I am so afraid of lofing what I have got. Adieu."

The King's Dale.

PHILOMELA.

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LETTER

LETTER XXV.

To NOCTUA AURITA, in the Defert.

I HAVE been expecting a letter from

you every day for this month paft, and have felt much at your long filence., Satan has endeavoured to help the matter forward, and has fuggested to me what, perhaps, never entered your head. But he is not worth fpending any time about; fo I will not fay any thing more about him, but proceed to tell my dear friend that, fince I wrote you last, I have experienced a sweet gale from the fouth wind, which, for a time, carried all that was not mortal within the veil, and left me nothing but the poor frail tabernacle here below, and even that felt the effects of it fo much that it was hardly able to fuftain it. Indeed, my dear brother, I hardly knew, for fome time, whether in the body, or out of the body; and, had it been the will of my God, glad should I have been to have taken my eternal flight, and left mortality behind. But I am fully perfuaded that is not to take place yet; because it is given me to believe that it is appointed for me to bear no small part of the burden and heat of the day; and I am to ftand

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ftand in many of the Lord's battles. But, however weak I am, he will teach my hands to war, and my fingers to fight; and I trust that no weapon that is formed against me fhall profper; because I know all my enemies are his enemies. I had, three nights ago, a very particular dream, which I well know came from God, and will, I have no doubt, have its accomplishment; and, as you are one of the parties concerned, I will make bold to trouble you with the relation of it. I dreamed I was ftanding in an open road; you came up to me, and converfed with me for about a quarter of an hour, when you turned from me and went out of my fight. You was no fooner gone than there came up to me a middle-aged woman, very comely in her appearance. She had on a long white robe; fhe had a foft, smooth, fmiling countenance; and very pleafant did fhe look at me; but I faw the very devil under that robe. I trembled at her appearance till my very joints fhook; for I perceived fhe had very evil defigns against me. She very minutely furveyed me from head to foot. I therefore took my garments and girded them round me as tight as poffibly I could, and stood trembling before her, as I thought her intention was to rob me. I had not ftood long before you came to me the fecond time; which when the faw, fhe turned, and went out of my fight. You converfed with me as before, though I do not recollect any thing of the conversation.

I fecretly

I fecretly wished you not to leave me, as I knew the flatterer was at no great diftance; but I did not afk You turned and went out of my you. fight again; and no fooner was you gone, but this woman came up to me again, but fomewhat nearer. I felt the fame fenfations as before, and, as before, took my garments, and girt them round me with all the ftrength I had, and stood trembling before her, expecting her to fall on me. I wished for you to come again; but you came no more. This was done three times; and I believe with my trembling I awoke. What it all means I muft leave to God and future difcovery; but fure I am, by the repetitions of the dream, and by my ftrange feelings under it, that fome fore trial awaits me. I know that the church of Rome, and all falfe churches, as well as the foolish virgins, are called women, and are fet forth as very gaudy and gay in their drefs, as this woman was; and I believe it is the business and delight of fuch perfons to rob the children of God. But who can take away the garment of imputed righteoufnefs, or lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? My garment I wrapt close round me ; and I believe it is faith that puts this robe on, and keeps it close. However, fuffer we muft; and, "if we fuffer with him, we fhall also reign with him;" for our confolations are as fure as our fufferings. The Lord promifes ftrength equal to the day; and, if fo, I fhall ftand and withstand.

My

My other three fucceeding epiftles you told me drew fome fecrets from your heart; and I am fure they did my foul good; and, as this is the third fince you wrote me, I hope these will do the fame again. I faw the herald last night, and he was as well as ufual. Hope this will meet you and your family well. Believe me to remain

HAVING a little leifure time upon

my hands, I am inclined to write to thee, having a defire to know how thou doft. But which way to fteer my course, so as to find thee, is the difficult task that I have undertaken.

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In my former

epiftles