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LETTER XV.

THIS is Tuesday, 19th of April, and on Thursday night next, the ambaffador and his fuite purpose, if the Lord permit, to be at Cricklewood by fupper time, if not fomewhat fooner. I say the ambassador, though this word has given many of the great and learned fo much offence, that fome of them, I am informed, have construed W. A. to fignify the Wonderful Afs. Well, I am not displeased with this; I know the great mafter of the heavenly family has rode on that poor creature, and the colt the foal of her; and I am fure he has fanctified the whole breed of them for his own service, and has confecrated them. Moreover, he has provided a good crib for them, where there is clean provender, winnowed with the fhovel and with the fan, and there they are well fed; while "the riders on horfes are confounded," ftarve, and perifh through

want.

When you, at fome cheerful hour, called me by that name, I never was offended at it, nor attempted to difown it or deny it, but adopted it for my title; and, having found that nothing foolish or unlearned dropped out of your mouth, have preferved it to this day, and have waited that

I might know the event, or the accomplishment. of it, and have no doubt about it. You greatly miftook my cafe; that it was not the cafe of Job and Hezekiah, but that of Cain and Judas. &c. This is the very language that I have aeard for fome years now from the mouth of the black prince himself, and may I not with certaimy conclude that he belongs to, and is one of the black council? The expreffions he ufes are the very fame, his own language betrayeth him; I am not in the leaft afraid of him, nor will all that they can fay give me a moment's uneafiness. M and he will be in company together, I doubt not, for evermore. They are joint heirs, nor have I a doubt that the bleffed Saviour will ever feparate them from each other. My purpofe is to fend my own horfes to Eaft Grinstead over night, and fet off with a pair from Lewes on Thursday morning, and make the best of our road; but my old horfes are getting ftiff, and can travel but a flow pace. Some are nagging me to get a new pair, but they will last me out. Lady S. will have no call to cry another basket this year; the bank of radish has failed, the froft has deftroyed them : fo that inflead of ten pounds, there is not much more than ten fhillings' worth. But if the vicar fail, the ambaffador will not turn out begging; no, no, he has many fources yet; the fummer is coming on, and here are calves and butter coming; lambs and fheep, bees like

wife; and if things prefs hard, he can feize on all the ducks in the brooks, and there are now thirty-fix young ones there. You may perceive by this that his excellency will not go down. God bless my friend for evermore.

Amen.

J. J.

LETTER XVI.

NONE but God can tell how glad I am to hear once more from my beloved friend, and how it rejoices my heart that he is returned again to the little cabin in peace and fafety. I kindly thank you for remembrance of me, and for every every inftructive hint. But I muft inform my kind and fympathizing friend how weak I am brought both in body and fpirits. This violent rheumatic pain hath affected every part of my frame, and fo relaxed it, that I verily believe that it is near its diffolution; nor do I expect that it will any more be restored to any comfortable degree of health and ftrength. Yet, thanks be to God, my foul is wonderfully fupported under all, far beyond my expectation; and though I can hardly tell you how I am helped, yet helped I am; and

even the near approach of death does not greatly alarm nor terrify me, though reafon fuggefts, that when death comes nearer that it will be otherwise. I am, at times, as if I was almost got out of the ftrait; feeling my bonds and fetters, as it were, getting flack, and my foul almoft laofened; but then fomething holds, fome bar appears to be preventing love and joy from coming in and here I fret fadly. However, I can difcern the difference between this and times that are paft: there is no wath in my cup, nor anger, nor are my crimes in battle array before me; though old things recur to my mind at times, and make me dejected, yet guilt does not flick to my confcience as heretofore; nor am I overwhelmed with horror, nor finking in defpondency, nor yet troubled with the tear that I i all die in a ditch; all thefe fomehow have difappeared. The goodnefs of God in his providence to me, will not fuffer me to doubt but what I fhail be fed, and have a bed to die on, though at ought comes now and then, What if I mould be difabled long from keeping the doors of the Lord s houfe open, how fhall I do then? But thefe cannot abide long together, nor do they tarry for a night. Sometimes I ftand aftonished at my fortitude when I confider what an unstable creature I have been all the days of my life and am ready to question whether it proceeds from infenfibility or from faith, yet I think it cannot be from the former.

I

fenfibly feel my native depravity, the plague of my heart grieves me forely, the long forbearance of God fenfibly affects me, his mercy, his goodnefs, move and melt me. These things feemingly prove that I am not among the dead; but ftill, it quickened, why am I thus? Nevertheless, I do moft earnestly entreat him to fpare me a little, that I may, if it is his will, gather a little ftrength. The few fheep that are in the wildernefs rather hang to my fkirts; I fhould like to continue a little longer to feed them; for it is my delightful work, efpecially when I find that I am enabled to do it with the approbation of the chief Shepherd. There are likewife here two fatherless girls that Providence has put on my hands, that I feel fomewhat for, though I have a fecret hope that God will raife up fome friends to bring them up, that they might not be under the neceffity of returning to their carnal relations, who are all going, I fear, the wrong way as fast as they can walk. But, above all, one thing I do defire, which, if it please God to grant it, I fhall kindly thank him; that is, that I may have ftrength to make one more journey to London, in order to fee my beft earthly friend, yea more than earthly, fpiritual and heavenly; for whom, and the word I have heard from his mouth, I do thank God moft fincerely, and fecretly believe that I fhall for ever. Mercy and truth be with