ever, and of course more rebellious and stubborn. O! when shall I be able to master unbelief, rebellion, and Satan! would to God I was delivered from them, and that I could but see their destruction; I would then rejoice more than all the conquerors in this world ever did. God Almighty bless you and preserve you long for our sake, is the sincere wish and prayer of your most obliged friend,

J. JENKINS.

LETTER LXXIX.

To the Rev. J. JENKINS.

THE path of my son shines more and more; he goes from strength to strength; he makes straight paths for his feet, nothing lame appears to be turned out of the way; the Lord's way begins to be made known to him, which is his saving health among all nations.

Satan's threatening to kill my son, is a little like Goliath's defiance of David; he shouted victory upon the brink of ruin, and Satan threatens in the belly of hell; but the Captain of our salvation has destroyed him that had the power of death by death, and triumphed over him in it,

and has led captivity captive; and by an infinite satisfaction redeemed us from the hand of the terrible, and by an omnipotent power has, and will, wound that infernal head over divers countries. O! King of kings, and Lord of lords; ride forth, and ride prosperously, because of truth, meekness, and righteousness, which are so much wanted in the earth.

No, no; thou dost not sink lower than before: but every time that the glorious visitor withdraws these visitations which preserve our spirits, and which are attended with enlargement, sweetness, and glorious light; which, when withdrawn, make the stocks in our apprehension more galling, the wormwood and gall more bitter, and the dark regions more dismal. These glorious changes are not to sink us lower, but to raise us higher; but the wonderful difference of the climate make our sensations the keener, which makes the captive exile hasten that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, and his bread fail.

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The last sabbath, my son, was a good day; it was almost one of the days of the Son of man. These earnests, foretastes, and sweet morsels, sharpen the appetite, and make us pant for the living God, like the hart for the water brook. few more of these changes, and then the door of hope will fly open, the prisoner will go forth, and he that sits in darkness will shew himself; and then every budding hope and expectation, every longing desire, every spiritual thought, faith,

You

hope, heart, and affections, will all be admitted to enter into the holy of holies, and even to the right hand of God, where Christ sitteth; thy heart and thy treasure will be both together, and you may fetch them back again if you can. have acknowledged me in part, and you will in future acknowledge me in this also, and even to the end; for thou wilt never get out of my sight, out of my depth, nor out of my track, go where thou wilt.

It is these things, my son, that make a minister, and they make a minister a workman that needs not to be ashamed; thou wilt preach the things that thou hast seen and felt, and not be like the false prophets who speak a vision out of their own hearts, when they have seen nothing, Jer. xxiii. 16. Ezek. xiii. 3. Thou wilt shine in thy Master's rays, burn in his love, stand in his strength, personate his majesty, and speak a vision out of his mouth; thou wilt not depend on the barren prop of a treacherous memory for matter, but on the fountain of life; and the springing well within, will furnish thee better than ten thousand volumes of the ancient fathers. The words of the Lord are pure words, as gold purified seven times; and when these flow with power from the bowl to the golden pipe, every branch in the candlestick will share in the light and heat, which keeps the virgins with their loins girt and their lamps burning; blessed is such an ambassador, and blessed is that hill of Zion that has such a watchman upon its walls; for he cannot hold

his peace, he must preach by day and pray by night.

Satan, rebellion, and unbelief, are already mastered and destroyed. Satan, the prince of this world, is both cast down and cast out; and our old man, with all his members, is crucified with Christ; nor must my son expect to get rid of all the old inhabitants of the land, some must be left to prove Israel. When we are clothed upon with our house that is from above, then this saying shall be brought to pass that is written; "In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts," Zech. xiv. 21. Furthermore, these are left to keep us from confidence in the flesh, and from trusting in our own hearts; to keep us looking to Jesus; to exercise us and our grace as soldiers; to make us watch; to furnish us with errands and petitions to the throne of grace; to make us loath self, and deny it; to make us long to be unclothed; to remind us of our past folly, and to humble us under it; to teach us that this is not our rest; to make us cleave close to Christ, and to depend upon him for fresh supplies; to shew us the need of a Saviour, and of momentary support from him; to shew the power of grace over corruption; to give Satan an opportunity of filling up his measure, by resisting the will of God, and harassing the objects of his choice. Moreover, the difference between the two covenants is wonderfully seen herein, and the different foundations, the rock and the sand. Adam could

not stand on the footing of works, when there was no Canaanite in Eden, nor corruption in his heart; but we stand firm upon the bases of grace, encompassed with a legion of foes without, and possessed by a million of corruptions within. And in this is wonderfully displayed the riches of God's grace; for it is here that his grace is seen to be sufficient for us, and herein is his strength made perfect in weakness. That Adam should stand in jeopardy when in a state of innocence, and we be made to stand and most gladly to rejoice in our infirmities is a wonderful mystery; and it may truly be said of Jacob and of Israel, "What hath God wrought?" Numb. xxiii. 23. Why he has wrought so, as there is no enchant ment against Jacob nor divination against Israel, notwithstanding all the accusations, temptations, fiery darts, and terrors of Satan; the devils are still subject to us through his name; and we shall, by and by, put our feet upon the necks of these lords that have formerly had dominion over us.

Be diligent, struggle hard, continue instant in prayer; plead the atonement, the promises, the invitations, the covenant, and the man at God's right hand made strong for himself; plead guilty, and petition for the balm and hyssop; give him no rest until he establish, and until he make thee a praise and a blessing in the earth. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thee. Amen.

W. H. S. S.

VOL. XIII.

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