in his flight to paradife. And no wonder, when the new wine of the kingdom goes down fo fweetly as to cause "the lips of those that are asleep to speak;" for persons that talk in their fleep are not always confiftent. Glad am I to find that my fifter continues in the fellowship of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Chrift. She holds fellowship with the Father by a participation of his everlasting love; she has fellowship with Jefus, and walks with him in peace and equity; and has fellowship with the Spirit by the witnefs he bears with her fpirit, and by the cry of Abba, Father; and by the comfort that he communicates, by the promises he applies, and by his kind help against her infirmities at the throne of grace. O happy, happy fouls, who rule with God, and are faithful with the faints! How great the condefcenfion of the Moft High, who humbleth himself to vifit fuch poor mortals, and to enwrap them in the rays and flames of infinite divinity; and with favour to compass them as with a shield; and to exalt them fenfibly into the enjoyment of his omniprefence; where we "fee the King in his beauty, and the land that is very far off!" In whofe reconciling face the Father of all mercies for ever fhines, as well pleased; and fhines with approbation, complacency, and delight, as propitious, and as the fountain of all grace, mercy, and peace; "while we look as through a glass darkly, and are changed into the

fame

fame image ;" renewed in knowledge, and blessed with righteousnefs and true holiness; in which image the mind goes from glory to glory; from the glory of one perfection to the glorious difcovery of another, till we fee all his divine attributes meet, centre, and harmonize together, in Chrift Jefus our Lord, to the glory of God in the falvation of fouls. This, this is the religion of Jefus, and God's mystery among the Gentiles. Enthroned in our affections, he reigns unrivalled; and there he fways his righteous fceptre, and. spreads the beams of immortal light. "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath fhined." All the poor finner's thoughts are brought into fweet captivity; tranquillity and peace are the bleffed fruits and effects of his glorious and undisturbed reign; while the poor from the duft, and the beggar from the dunghill, inherit the bleffings of his throne, and the flourishing felicity of his mild government, and admire the order of it, the juftice and equity of it, the execution of his laws, and the regard that he pays to truth in every branch of his adminiftration. This, my fifter, is the kingdom of God, and the empire of all-conquering grace, which banishes the infernal ufurper from the heart, and divefts him of his dark panoply, in which he trufted, and by which the objects of Heaven's choice are long kept in flavery: "Other lords have had dominion over us; but now, by thy power, will we make mention of thy

name."

name." In righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, stands the glorious reign of the King of kings, which rescues helpless fouls from the triple reign of Satan, fin, and death. But how little is this religion known in our day! How few that preach the kingdom of God! and how few that are acquainted with that power in which this kingdom ftands! And why should the Ancient of Days reveal and make these things known to us, who are as fheep that no man taketh up; as the off-fcouring of the earth, whom none fought after or cared for? Shut up in the dark regions, and laid in irons; hated, as we thought, by both worlds, and condemned to perpetual drudgery; reprobated, as I once believed, from eternity; curfed from the womb, and doomed to deftruction! But our thoughts were not God's thoughts. We were not to die till we had feen the Lord's Chrift. The vifion was to speak in us; and we were appointed to look at him whom we have pierced, and mourn, and melt in the foul-diffolving vifion, till the divine potter thought fit to mould and form us into another veffel, which fhall contain the heavenly treafure, without bursting with pride, fo as to break the bottle, and caufe the wine to run out, and the bottle to perish. The bee, my fifter, with wax on her wings, and honey in her bag, was thine own epiftle. Perpetual heats and colds much impair my poor, frail tabernacle, and I feel it daily, cfpecially in the winter feafon; and therefore

therefore I know it cannot ftand long. The whole bulk of profeffors in general hate the power of godlinefs, and are taught to guard themselves against it, and all convictions from it; and I know that God will vifit for these things. Our country hath long been the " valley of vifion." But the fun is going down, and the fhadows of the evening are stretching out; the light is much hated, and stumbling upon the dark mountains must be expected. But may we, "who are of the day, watch and be fober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of falvation! For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain the salvation that is in Chrift Jefus, with eternal glory." Now to the King eternal, immortal, invifible, the most high and eternal God, be ascribed, as is most justly due, all honour and glory, power and praise, might, majefty, and dominion, both now and for ever and ever, amen and amen, fays

LETTER XII.

To NOCTUA AURITA, in the Defert.

I HAVE been expecting to hear

from you every poft for fome time. I therefore have taken the liberty of fending you this, " to ftir up your pure mind by way of remembrance." I hope this will find you well in body and foul. I know it is always well with the body when the foul profpers; and nothing can make the foul profper but the presence of the dear Redeemer, the friend of finners, and a fenfe of his love known, felt, and enjoyed, in the heart, by the operation of the bleffed Spirit. This makes a heaven upon earth. The Lord has bleffed me with the enjoyment of this ever fince I came from Gaffon's Bower, more or lefs. And truly he hath made my cup to run over. O what love to the poor prodigal, who had spent all his substance, and was brought to a famine, yea, brought to want a morfel of bread, and a drop of water, and could not feed upon hufks! Never did I, till of late, feel fuch meltings of heart under a fenfe of this love manifested to my foul. Like Ezekiel, I have been brought through this river of pleasure four