more perfuaded of the truth of it; for every letter I receive convinces me of it; the clear discoveries you make of you make of my case, and the ftrength and confidence, hope and encouragement, that I feel communicated, is a proof of it. Though I am fo barren, dull, weak, and in general lifeless, yet I feel some strength rifing up that fupports me under all these things. I have greatly regretted the lofs of the fweet frames I lately enjoyed, and have refolved for the future not to be in fo great hafte to mention them, fhould I be favoured with them again; as I think I must appear to you as if I had a design to impose upon you, but God knows I have not; but conclude, when I enjoy them, that they will be now durable; that is, that I have a foot-hold now that I fhall never lofe.

But how often have I been

disappointed in this! I have begged the Lord would forgive me, and that I will be more cautious for the future; that when I can get a morfel, to enjoy it alone, and fay nothing to any body about it. Indeed, I have met with fuch ftraits of late, that I found myself under the ncceffity either to "fight or fly," &c. &c. and have, at times, found ftrength to fland against the enemy, and to oppofe him in fuch a manner, as I have thought that I could perceive him plainly giving ground, and at laft going off; then I have remembered this Scripture, Refit the devil and he will flee from you; and O! how have I rejoiced,

laughed at him, and bantered him in my turn. At times, I feel myself very compofed, and quietly waiting. I wonder at myfelf that I feel fuch ftrong confidence, and fo little fruit; I mean fo little joy and peace: at other times I am stirred up to fuch fretfulness and peevifhnefs, that no one in the house, or about the house, can get a civil word from me. True enough are many of your fayings-that there is no peace where Hagar keeps houfe, &c. I am now looking for it to get better and lighter; but I believe, that inftead of that, that darker and worse it will get yet for awhile. If it is the " place of breaking forth of children," how is it that I have so often held out my hand, as if I was feeking help, and how often that help has been given me; and when I had received help, that I drew back again? Far be it from the Almighty that he fhould mock and triumph over a poor creature; yet what the devil fuggefts appears to be so true, that I do not know what to fay to him, especially when he infinuates that it is fuch a departure from God's ordinary way to keep one in fufpenfe for fo long a time; but this, I know, is reasoning with unprofitable talk. The palpable darkness and bondage i have felt after thofe sweet seasons, have led me to tell the Almighty that I had rather difpenfe with fuch tranfitory enjoyments, if it was his will, than to endure fuch difappointments; and that I had rather go halting on, drag

through all difficulties, and be favoured only with dying in peace and safety at laft, than enjoy such elevations, and then go fo much the lower down again on the account of them. How does my dear friend do this fharp weather? Poor Mrs. Shoofmith departed in full triumph; fhe often told me that your fayings were true respecting the influence of Hagar as a mistress; and told her fon in law, Mr. Morris, a little before the went off, that a legal and a pharifaic spirit had been her bane all her life, but this was the last furnace she should go into, and that the dross was now gone; fo no more time.

J. J.

LETTER V.

I AM now in doubt whether my dear friend is at home or not, or elfe that he is much engaged in some of the King's affairs, as I have not received a line from him fince I wrote my laft-three weeks or more ago. I greatly long to fee him. Since the laft ftorm that Satan blew in me, I have had, for the most part, a sweet calm, quietnefs, and much affurance; and things in general have gone on fuccefful in a measure:

and I must and will fay this-that if the righteous fmite me, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it is a kindnefs, and an excellent oil; but now things begin again to take a turn. My destiny is not to have peace and profperity long together; the flesh begins again to crawl, and call for fome entertainment, though not so vehemently as in times paft, yet I am afraid of his picking his morfels; then again pride will begin to talk,

you certainly grow, and get ftrength furprifingly; and if you had but few years to live, and go on at that rate, you would be one of the first in the kingdom;" but his language is too ftinking to blot the paper with. But the Lord has been good to me, and ftill is, which at times much debafes and humbles me; and the thought, efpecially, the little confidence that lies under all, that he will fave me out of all my mifery, makes him very dear to me; fo that I count my life of nothing worth, and truly it is worth but the leaft trifle that can be imagined. things in your laft have been of use to settle and eftablifh my judgment. Satan will ftuff the mind and the heart with his rage and wiles to-day, and then fet us to preach and bring these bugbears forth, &c. and to-morrow he will lay in a fresh ftock, &c. but this is not the good treafure, &c. nor is it doing the work of an evangelift; "nor does preaching fin and Satan's snares defiroy the devil's works." Satan is overcome by the blood

Some

of the Lamb, and the word of God's teftimony; and you add, that you formerly laboured much at this business; and God knows I have, and to very little profit: but I fee now the vanity of it; and if I was to begin again, I think I should act wifer and better. I fincerely thank my kind friend for this hint; I feel the propriety of it; for these are not the things, you add, that make for peace, but are what belong to man's mifery, &c. What follows are things that shall abide between us; but ugly things as they are, I have been often glad to have them from your mouth; and often has this afforded me no fmall comfort: bleffed be God that has held my foul in life, and that he has not fuffered Satan to kill me, nor my own luft to confume me. What I greatly defire is, to see you; but I am fo deaf, and am afraid that I fhall not profit. Will my Will my friend inform me, by a line, of his engagements, and when it will be convenient for me to vifit him, if the Lord permits me fuch a thing? A cripple I am, but I still hobble about; crawl like a man half dead; drag to the pulpit, and can but hardly stand there; and yet I love to go there, but it is but little I can do. I can do, did I fay? that is nothing at all; and what I do is worfe than nothing. I have a choice little woman that has come forth laft week, out of nine years capti. vity, the wife of a bailiff to a great farmer that lives near Ninfield, but is now at Ringier.