ments with herefy, popery, Arminianifm, or any open fins, or fcandal; who have not been left to go naked, fo as for the enemies of the truth to fee their fhame; thefe, faith the Lord, "Shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy." These last tidings of my fon have rejoiced my heart: a little of the fweetness of thy vifit reached me; the favour of his name will foon begin to spread itself, the power of the Spirit will go forth, the fame will go abroad, and the joyful found will be known and obeyed. Every love-token will raise thine expectations, inflame thy defires, and increase thy longings, until every thought will be busy, every faculty of the foul in expectation, and the heart will be wide open to receive the King of kings; and every let, hinderance, or disappointment, will be attended with jealousy, love-fickness, and fainting fits; for when once he begins to tell thee all that is in thine heart towards him, and to shew thee his glory, there will be no more spirit left in thee; thou wilt be a dove without a heart, a creature without firength, a riddle without a meaning, a machine without a principle; for he will fo fwallow thee up in his glorious light and love, as nothing will be left thee but a blank or a dream. And thus I am come beforehand to anoint thee to this myftical burial and refurrection, under the operation of the Holy Ghoft; under which change, old things will pass away, and all things will become new; thou wilt return to the days of thy youth, and thy flesh will be fresher than a child's; time will fhew thee whether I am a liar or not. I wept over thine epiftle with many tears, and bleffed him for his mercy to thee, because he hath not caft off his kindness to the poor and needy; and because he hath confirmed the word of his fervant, and performed the counsel of his unworthy meffenger. I have long ftood alone, not daring to come into the secret, into the affembly, which is fo confused as to cry some one thing, and fome another, the greater part not knowing wherefore they are come together; but now I expect a companion in travel, a true yokefellow, speaking the fame things, treading in the same steps; a fellow-helper unto the kingdom of God, which ftands in power; none but thefe, none but these. May the candle of God fhine bright on thy head, and the dew of heaven lay on thy branch; may his glory be fresh in thee, and his fecret upon thy tabernacle, is the prayer of, Ever thine, W. II. S. S. LETTER V. Beloved of God, true Yokefellow, and faithful Companion. I HAVE just received the favour of thy laft epiftle, and thought it was long in coming; I was ready to fay, why tarry the wheels of his chariot, hath he not fped? But Cushi is come at laft with good tidings, and has not run by the way of the plain, but is come in the fafe and good old way of truth and tribulation; he looks not back, nor tarries in all the plain. To the mountain, my fon, to the mountain where the King of kings keeps his court, and embraces every royalift that fubmits to his ftandard, fues for his favour, and accepts of the punishment of his rebellion. Ziba, the fervant of Saul, hath belied thy fervant: forget thee I do not, hate thee I cannot; he is one of them that fows difcord among brethren: however, if he speaks fair believe him not, for there are seven abominations. in his heart he is the father of lies, and this is a child of his own, and I will not father his baftards, for I never conceived it nor brought it forth. No, my fon, I have travailed again and again in birth till Chrift be formed in thee; nor do I believe that I fhall labour in vain, or bring forth for trouble, for I believe that I am one of the bleffed of the Lord, and thou mine offspring with me. The parting, and thy pre-engagement to dine at thy laft vifit, was not fo agreeable to me; I could not fend thee away with pipe and tabret, as usual; I hope it will not be fo the next time. However, this thy fickness hath not been unto death, but for the glory of God, and the good of his fervant; and thou haft now feen one text fulfilled. He is " a very present help in trouble." The day-ftar is rifen in thine heart, yea, call it the morning-ftar, for it is the forerunner of perfect day: the fun will foon rife upon thee with healing in his beams, and then thou fhalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. The fweet fenfations that thou haft lately. felt, is the Comforter, my fon; it is the myrrh that drops on the handles of the lock, and makes the bar of unbelief give way; "The Lord whom you feek will fuddenly come to his temple." It was a diftant view of him fkipping upon the mountains, and leaping upon the hills, that kept the spouse looking from the lion's den, from the mountains of the leopards, and from the land of Shenir; and I hope the Lewes Downs will become the hill Mizar. It is a heavenly wooing; the courtship is going on, and the union will follow; it is a fight, a difcovery of the only, and best beloved; a view of his beauty, worth, and fuperexcellency: this is the life, the foul of real religion, and the whole body of divinity, for all without it is only a name to live; to fetch the rake and the hoe will be the greatest difficulty. "But no text was applied :' never mind the fhell if thou get the kernel; it is not the written word, life, but the Spirit's quickening operations; not the written words pardon, peace, light, and love, but forgiveness obtained, peace applied, God fhining into the heart, and the love of God shed abroad there, that are the things that accompany falvation: "The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power;" nothing elfe will ever fubdue fin, or maintain the foul's ftanding in faith and hope. Thou haft acknowledged me in part, and I have no doubt thou wilt acknowledge me to the end, that my predictions and boafting of thee will be found a truth. I will not fay that a few more accounts of these love-vifits will not provoke the old weatherbeaten Coalheaver to jealoufy; it is not always fo agreeable to one that bears the heat and burthen of the day, to fee him get the penny who has wrought but one hour, although I know it is right for the mafter of the houfe to do as he will with his own; and I hope -mine eye will not be evil because he is good. Go on, my son, and get out if poffible, I will not hold thee by the heel, but hope ever to remain a fellow-helper of thy joy. Grace and peace be with thee. Ever thine, W. H. |