when any child of God is raised up and restored in this way, as the poor prodigal was, when the kiss, the robe, and the ring, quite killed him; and as a propitious look from the Lord Jesus Christ killed Peter to sin, self, and the world, when he went out, and with a flood of the tears of penitence and love, discharged the guilt with which he had been drenched while in the sieve of Satan. Such are forgiven; but it is long before they can forgive themselves. They are acquitted by God, but they will not suffer conscience to acquit them. What carefulnesss it works in them! yea, what clearing of themselves! yea, what indignation! yea, what fear! yea, what vehement desire! yea what zeal! yea, what revenge! 2 Cor. vii. 11.

Thus, my dearly-beloved brother, does the Holy Spirit help the infirmities of the saints of God through the mediation of Jesus Christ; and continually communicates grace from his fulness to help us in every time of need; whose inexhaustible fuiness of grace is sufficient to change the heart of the stoutest rebel, to raise up the fearfully fallen, and to restore the most awful backslider. 66 Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory, for ever

and ever. Amen," 1 Tim. i. 16, 17. And so

says

Your affectionate servant, friend, and brother,

W. H.

LETTER XIII.

To the Rev. J. JENKINS, at the new Vicarage, Lewes, Sussex.

THE COALHEAVER TO THE WELSH

AMBASSADOR

SENDETH GREETING, WITH WORDS OF PEACE

AND LOVE.

BELOVED, the perishing soul, parched with the heat of a fiery law, who is led to the fountain of living water to drink, is to have a well of living water in his heart, which is to spring up into everlasting life. I know that Christ has rent the heavens and come down; that there is a new and living way opened into the holy of holies; and that he

has admitted our hearts and hopes,

our faith and

our affections, already to the right hand of God

where he sitteth; and where our heart is, there is our treasure. And there is nothing that men delight in more than in their treasure: of this they boast, and on this they set their mind, and this generally employs their thoughts; and therefore you must not wonder if I come again and again, for we have heavenly treasure even in earthen vessels. The next thing that I shall treat of is,

12. The assistance of the Spirit against Satan. "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun: when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion," Isa. lix. 19, 20. Every time that a new-born soul gets under the hiding of God's countenance, or into the furnace of affliction, or is exercised with legal bondage or spiritual desertions, the adversary is sure to be upon him, to raise doubts and fears in him, by calling the whole work of God upon his soul into question; and, by raising scruples in his mind, he rouses up the unbelief of his heart; and then he deals with the poor soul just as a highwayman does with the unwary traveller; he comes upon him unexpectedly, and flurries him, and fills him with confusion, so that he is robbed before he can recollect himself. So the believer, when his comforts are gone, is suddenly surprised by the various assaults of Satan; "As a bird that is caught in a snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them,"

Eccl. ix. 12. The devil labours to dispute him out of the truth of the work of God in his heart, by setting before him such as the foolish virgins and how far they went on; the gifts and abilities of Judas, and what became of him; and of many in the present day, who made a great shew and deceived many. Moreover, Satan suggests to the young believer that the real children of God receive a Comforter that abides with them for ever, and therefore they are always comfortable; and that no such temptations befall the real saints of God, for, "He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not, 1 John v. 18. The blood of Christ cleanseth them from all sin, and he that is born of God sinneth not, 1 John iii. 9; Whereas,' saith Satan, you are full of sin and hardness of heart, full of rebellion and unbelief, and all manner of concupiscence. No, no; do not deceive yourself,' saith he; the saints of God are purged, and therefore clean; they are washed, and they are whiter than snow: whereas you are as black as the tents of Kedar, and are filled with secret rage and envy at those that do really love and fear God; and this is an infallible mark of an hypocrite. For they that hate Zion shall be desolate. This,' says Satan, 'was the case and state of Saul, king of Israel; he hated David because the Lord was with him. And this upon him was an evident token of perdition; for he that hateth his brother is as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother;

yea, he that hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

'Besides, you really hate them because they are happy, and because you see and know that the Lord is with them; this is hating the Holy Comforter also; and, if this be not doing despite to the Spirit of grace, what is? Moreover, real believers are kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation; but where is your keeping? Have I not access to you when I please? Are you not at this time in my hands? You have often, and (as you thought) with the deepest selfabhorrence, confessed your own vileness, and told God that had he destroyed you he would have been strictly righteous, for you have been an awful sinner against him. God only softened your heart and gave you a little joy, like that of the way-side hearers, on purpose to draw those confessions out of your mouth, that he may take advantage of it, and condemn you out of your own mouth, as a wicked servant. And not only this, but you have called God himself your Father, as the Jews of old did, when the devil himself was their father; and you have called Jesus Christ your dear Lord and Master, when you know at this very time that I have full power over you. Never, no never, was there such a headstrong, daring, presumptuous, God-dishonouring wretch as you. You a saint! You look like one; don't you? No, no: do not deceive yourself; all your joys and hopes, and