word. I have feen the provifion bleffed to others, but nothing under the prieft's hands for me. He has been clothed with falvation, and the food has been fo bleffed to others, that I have feen them fhout aloud for joy, while I have hung down my head like a bulrufh. God fays, that thofe who are planted in his houfe fhall flourish in his courts; that they fhall be fat and flourishing: instead of this, I am crying out, " My leanness, my leannefs! wo unto me!" though there is no famine of the word, but bread enough and, to fpare. But I know I have procured all this to myself by my pride, and by that folly that is bound up in my heart; and there it is like to remain, unless the rod of correction drives it out. I think the prophet Isaiah speaks also of this darkness that I feel, where he fays, "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light?" and then he enjoins the hardest work of all, when he fays, "Let him truft in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God," because he mentions his God. I infer, therefore, that he means the darkness that I am in; becaufe, through all, I have not been led to caft away my confidence; because I think that this trial comes from God himself, for I cannot fee that Satan has any hand in it; so it must be God, I think, that laid that paffage with fuch a weight on my mind. But perhaps, when you read this, you will fee for me,

as you have done oft times before. You tell me you have an earneft defire to cftablish me; and this laft epiftle is not lefs precious to me than the former; and indeed I do feel my love to you in the Lord increafing in whatever frame I am; and I firmly believe you are to be the inftrument of confirming the work that God has done upon my foul by the miniftry of my dear father in Christ. I have fome things on my mind that, were it expedient, I would communicate to you; but there is at present a lion in the way. I have had many pros and cons on my mind fince I received your laft whether I fhould write to you or not. But I believe you are to know all my heart. May the Lord give you fomething for me that shall bring my mind forth from out of these dark regions; for I feem held faft where I am, and that with a firong hand. I know there hath been many things which you have predicted to me that I could not believe till they came to pafs. But true it is that not one word that you have spoken to me has fell to the ground; nor have I found you a false prophet in any of your predictions. I was glad to hear you was better in bodily health. We fhall be glad to fee you in our parts again; and believe me to remain, as much as ever,

Your affectionate friend, but

The King's Dale.

unworthy fifter in the Lord,

PHILOMELA.

LETTER

YOUR laft is now before me; and

I have juft as much right to thank you for it, as you have to thank me for mine; for, if any thing from me may caft a ray of light on thy mind, or on thy path, I am often rewarded in anfwering thine by fome fresh thoughts, or new difcoveries, which are often attended with devotional fenfations, which melt my foul down, and draw out my gratitude to the beft of all friends.

"The wicked have no bands in their death, their strength is firm." But remember, it is their strength. Satan, who blinds their eyes, and keeps their confcience afleep, is the ftrong man armed, that fortifies their carnal mind, and fupports their falfe confidence and vain hope, even when launching forth into the bottomlefs pit. Thefe, our Lord tells us, "lift up their eyes in hell," and never before. But we, my dear fifter, are planted together in the likeness of Chrift's death, as well as in the likeness of his refurrection, and must indeed drink of the cup that he drank of. And it is well known that he had bands in his death; for Chrift

N 3

Chrift was a bond-fervant under the law, as appears by the thirty pieces of filver which he was fold for; which was the price to be paid (according to the law) to the owner of a bond-fervant which had been gored to death by the horns of a beaft. Read and compare Exod. xxi. chap. with Pfalm xxii. and Zech. xi. 12. The Saviour's worst bands were our fins, his Father's wrath, and the powers of darkness. When the prince of this world came to him to bruise his heel, thefe deep waters entered his foul, Pfalm lxix. 1; befides the infults of the Jews, and the excruciating pains of his body. But all thefe pains of death were loofed, because "it was not poffible that he should be holden of it." Acts ii. 24. Our worst bands are the corruptions of our heart, the law in our members, and inbred fin that works in us, and will work in us as long as we live. Thefe often make us halt, faint, and ftumble, and often betray us into a spirit of legal bondage, and procure us many chastisements, many fpiritual desertions, and much fatherly anger. And thefe fenfible fufpenfions of divine favour, frowns, stripes, and bondage, when fanctified, are intended to purge the branch, that it may bring forth more fruit. Not a few of thefe purging draughts have fallen to thy fhare already in the fhort course of thy pilgrimage; and when humbling grace operates, how are our finful stirrings subdued, how are they detested, and for a while out of fight, when sweet

love, meeknefs, contrition, godly forrow, felfabhorrence, unfeigned faith and abounding hope, much peace and divine tranquillity, all appear uppermoft in the foul, and make it look like a bride. adorned with her jewels. This, my dear fifter, is what I mean by bands in the faints' death. These corruptions will stick by us to the laft, and Satan often works fadly in them and by them; and it is generally feen, though not always, that the child of God, on his death-bed, is not a little exercifed with them; as it will be even with the wife virgins when the midnight cry comes. An alarm will go forth; then they will arife and examine themselves, and there will be a little purging work go on upon them; fome fharp reproofs, fome melting and humbling trials; and then a reftoring of them to the joys of the Lord's falvation. Trimming of lamps confifts in wiping them out, cutting off the burnt fnuffs, pouring in fresh oil, and lighting them up, that the light of the righteous may rejoice when the lamp of the wicked is put out. But the creature, the new creature, the whole myftical body of Chrift, fhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and be brought into the glorious liberty of the fons of God; for this is the earneft expectation of every new creature in Chrift Jefus. For this crcature was made subject to vanity, or death (Gen. iii. 19. Eccl. iii, 19, 20); not willingly, for death is not defirable in itfelf; but God hath fubjected us to it in hope,