been pecking at the king in Jeshurun a good while, and have at last appointed a captain over them, having for some time, in heart, returned into the land of Ham. These, for a few weeks, have reigned as kings without us, for we were quite a dead weight upon their aspiring excellency; but better is a young and wise child, than one of these old and foolish kings, who know not to be admonished; but these crowned locusts are gone, and since the Lord hath scattered these kings in it, it hath been as white as the snow in Salmon. "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour:" God hath in mercy purged us from some of these; and, indeed, we have too long lain among these pots; but when this old furniture is purged out, we shall be as the wings of a dove, covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold, having more of the heavenly Dove, and his grace, descending upon us. Since the departure of these smoking firebrands, the live coals from the altar have revived and glowed, and brought the children of light a little more together. Many confess they can feel a difference in the climate, and are struggling hard for the torrid zone. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee, and lift the light of his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, is the prayer of thine to serve,

W. H. S. S.

P. S. I am told, by a person who had lately the curiosity to count them, that the audience of a certain preacher amounted to twenty-three ladies, and eleven gentlemen.

LETTER XXXV.

To the Rev. Mr. HUNTINGTON.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

HAVE been much indisposed through a cold, almost ever since you left L. and am now indeed very ill with it, but this is not the worst; I am very much distressed in soul. Such darkness and bondage have gathered over me, as I think never did before. I have much wondered why it should be thus, especially as I have had lately the sweetest frame, and the most comfortable prospect, I ever experienced. Under your preaching I know I felt the power; I found it suitable, sweet, and comfortable; but now all is gone, and I am in a worse state than ever. I have presumed in believing that any good that I have ever heard belongs to me. I have always been forward and bold from my youth up, and this will be my destruction. You have endeavoured to bring me on by encouragements, and I have taken them at times, but they could not belong to me; nor do I know what can do me good, since the truth can

not; but, notwithstanding all, I know your labour will not be in vain, you will receive the reward, though I may not be the fruit; and your ministry has been blessed at L. though some speak evil of it, many have been revived, and begin to look out of obscurity; this I can plainly see: but the worst of it is, that I envy them, and I think hate them. This is awful; and I believe this has brought me into this bondage. I thought, shall I serve as a drudge to hunt them from their false coverts, and drive them out of their refuges of lies; and will they come out before me at last? I determined, in my heart, to strip them of every morsel they had received, and make them as black as the devil, and as miserable as myself. I was angry with you for comforting them, and with them for receiving it when they had no business with it. And now all the corruptions of my heart boil like a pot, and there is not a sin that can be named but what is alive in me, and sure I am to fall by some of them. This is the miserable state I am in, pray I cannot, neither can I think or meditate, and my heart is as hard as a stone; filled with darkness, confusion, evil thoughts, hard thoughts of God, envy, hatred, obstinacy, and as rebellious as the devil himself; and it appears to me as if it would be perpetual. I know not where to go. I wish, in my soul, I could run from this work. If I had but the opportunity of hearing you, I would not mention these things even to you, but would watch and wait what the Lord should say to me,

without troubling you with such stuff; but this seems to be the only remedy left, therefore I hope you will forgive me, and pray for me; and God Almighty bless you, is the earnest desire of, Your affectionate friend,

J. JENKINS.

LETTER XXXVI.

To the Rev. Mr. JENKINS.

WAS just going to say, that I have received the last dying speech and confession of my dearly beloved son in the faith. He dies daily, and yet believes that he shall never die at all; he is chastened, but not killed; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed: for I shall see him again, bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. Christ was once a bond servant, so were we; he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, so must we; he was despised by the world and deserted by friends, so shall we; he died under the curse of the law, the commandment comes, sin revives, and we die also; he was nailed to the cross, and our old man must be crucified with him. The sword of justice was drawn against him, and the sword of the Spirit must pierce us; an horrible dread overwhelms him, and we must meditate terror; he

drinks the bitter cup of divine wrath, and we must taste the cup of fatherly anger, for in a little wrath he smites us; he is deserted of his Father, and for a small moment have I forsaken thee, saith the Lord; he was bruised for our iniquities, and he will set at liberty them that are bruised; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and all the Lord loves he chastens. They that are planted together in the likeness of his death, shall be planted together in the likeness of his resurrection; they that partake of the sufferings of Christ, shall partake also of the consolations; for as he. was, so are we in this world; the world knows us not, because it knew him not.

Those sweet frames and comfortable prospects, my son, are all earnest pennies of the rich grace that shall follow; every cordial is a forerunner of a fainting fit, and every fit a prelude to the cup of consolation. This is the day of adversity, in which thou must consider; the day of prosperity will succeed it, in which thou shalt be joyful. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy; they that mourn shall be comforted; they that weep shall laugh; and they that hunger shall be filled. If you felt power under my ministry; if it was suitable, sweet, and comfortable, the Spirit must apply it, the excellency of the power is of God; if suitable, it was as nails fastened by the Master of assemblies; if sweet, it came from him whose mouth is most sweet; if comfortable, it

M