having the broad seal of heaven on their souls, by which they become God's secret treasure, being sealed up to the day of redemption, which is redemption from the grave. These things are recorded by the Holy Trinity, and these things are written in the minds and hearts of all believers; and these inscriptions are as puzzling to the wise and prudent among us, as the hand-writing upon the walls of Belshazzar's palace was to the wise men of Babylon. But messengers who bear such tidings, and interpreters to explain them, are scarce. "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him." And I think that, if every congregated thousand in a profession in this nation had a real messenger to bring forth such good tidings, and endowed with divine skill to interpret them to sinners in whose hearts they are written, old England would be one of the happiest countries in all the world.

Dearly beloved, pardon me for the amazing length of this epistle; it was written, some late at night, and the rest early in the morning. When the waters are moved, and I can step in, I am, like Peter on the mount, apt to forget myself, but hope ever to remember thee at the throne; and he that hath such a friend must shew himself friendly.

LETTER V.

To the Rev. J. JENKINS, Lewes, Sussex.

FELLOW SERVANT, AND FELLOW SOLDIER,

GRACE and peace be with thee, both in the armoury and in the field. "Counsel in the heart," saith the wise man, or rather Wisdom itself, "is as deep waters, and the words of wisdom a flowing brook." This witness is true; for before I had gotten the last out of hand I had two more in my heart; and therefore I must speak, or write, that I may be eased. I shewed in my last, how each person in the glorious Trinity were jointly concerned in the salvation of God's elect; and treated a little of their co-operations in every branch of it. And this will further appear, even in the application of the promises. "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd," Eccl. xii. 11. In the masters of assemblies a plurality of persons appear; but in the one shepherd the unity of God is seen. If it be replied, that by the masters of assemblies the Jewish doctors are meant; I answer, they were not preachers of God's word; they made that of none effect by their

own traditions. Nor can it mean the apostles or or dinary gospel ministers, for they dare not take the title of master: "Be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ." Nor is it in the power of any man to apply the word of God. To fasten the word of God, as a nail driven up to the head, requires power; and the excellency of the power is of God, and not of us. If the most eloquent orator in the world, by the dint of elocution, was to attempt this work, and move the passions of men to the uttermost, all that can be said of it is, that they received it in word only; but, when the word comes with power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, the nail iş fastened; nor is it possible for either men or devils to draw it out. God the Father calls himself a master. "If I be a master, where is my fear?" Mal. i. 6. Call no man master, for one is your master, even Christ, Matt. xxiii. 10. And so he that is taught of the Spirit sows to the Spirit, and is led by the Spirit; he learns, obeys, and follows his master. Now these words of the wise, called goads, that prick; and nails, that hold fast, are given from one shepherd, even God: "The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I shall not want; for we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."

Again. We are baptized in the name of all the three divine persons. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,"

Matt. xxviii. 19. And, when we are baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, the love of God is shed abroad in the heart; the sun of righteousness arises with healing in his beams, and shines like the sun in his full strength; when the Holy Ghost brings the live coal from off the altar, or puts both life and love in the word, and lays it upon our tongue, telling us that our iniquity is taken away, and our sin purged, and that we must now confess it, and proclaim it. This baptism makes a minister a flaming fire, a burning and shining light; and unites poor souls to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and interests them in the love of all three. But besides the baptism of the Holy Ghost, there is another that follows, and that is the fiery trial. We read of the spirit of judgment, and of the spirit of burning: for God keeps his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem, that his real churches may not be overrun with tares and chaff, straw and stubble. The vessels of gold and of silver will stand the furnace, but the vessels of wood and of earth will consume: the former, by losing their dross, appear the brighter and better for the fire; the latter, like a fool brayed in a morter, ten times worse.

This blessed mystery ever was, and ever will be with the chosen of God; for thus it is written: "According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts, It is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the

dry land. And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come," Haggai ii. 5—7. Here is God the Father speaking and covenanting; and the essential Word, who is the covenant head, and the covenant itself; because the covenant is with him, made with him, confirmed by him, and all the blessings of it are in him. The glorious proclamation of the name of the Lord is nothing else but the mercy and blessings of God in Christ Jesus, held forth in the covenant of grace: and this my name, says God, is in him; in the angel that went before them. Hence they are charged to obey him, and not to provoke him, for he will not pardon your transgressions. When Moses calls Christ the Rock, whose work is perfect; and sets him before them as their refuge, their life, and the length of their days; and tells them not to say in their heart, "Who shall ascend into heaven, or who shall descend into the deep?" to fetch the Word to them; these are all applied in the new Testament to Christ, and are the things of the new covenant, which the Spirit applies to the elect of God. Here is the Lord of Hosts speaking, and the Word, Christ, spoken of, and called the desire of all nations; and the covenant with him; and the Spirit remaining still among them: for although national mercies were often taken away from Israel, and national calamities brought on, yet the elect were never deserted of their God.

Moreover, the Holy Trinity are to be considered in all our addresses or approaches to God: