law; and when he put a new treafure into my heart, he convinced me that I wanted a new tongue to bring that treasure forth; and when the cloven tongue of fire came, I fpake a new language, and it was this language which fo much puzzled thee at thy first hearing me, and fo it has thoufands more as well as you; but certain I am that it is the language of Canaan—the language of the better covenant, which was spoken by Melchifedec and by Abraham in that country, and by all the prophets afterwards, and by Chrift and his apoftles, and is peculiar to the promifed land, and to the Ifrael of God, and to none elfe; for though other people may have learnt a fmatch of it, yet (by them) it is always adulterated with the dialect of Afbdod: a mingled feed will speak an impure language, mixing it with the native brogue of their own country. And I was (and fo was another perfon in company with me) much furprised at reading your epiftle, and were not a little ftruck with aftonifhment at the pureness of the language, the clearness and cleanness of the ftyle, and especially at the weight of the emphafes, the determination of the points, and the eloquent punctuation of the accents, knowing that it is a language hard to learn, and the pronunciation of it difficult to obtain. But is there any thing too hard for the Lord? No, there is not; for then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon my name, and ferve me with one confent; and what divine veracity hath promised, omnipotence

hath performed, and thou art a living witnefs of this truth. We may call it the holy tongue, and sure I

am that the fame will be spoken in heaven; for, although it be faid, if there be tongues, tongues fhall ceafe; that is, the jargon and confusion of tongues shall cease at the destruction of Babel and Babelbuilders, yet the pure language, the holy tongue, and the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, fhall never ceafe; this language fhall be spoken in Paradife, or elfe how fhall we fing hallelujahs and falvation to God and the Lamb for ever and ever? Or how fhall we awake in the great day? And how fhall our tongue awake which is our glory (Pfal. lvii. 7, 8), and of which we glory above all the creatures that God hath made in this world. When we receive the end of our faith we fhall admire the end of our converfation alfo; and, with Paul in the third heavens, not only hear things which are not poffible for a man to utter (2 Cor. xii. 4), but be able to utter them; for it will be both poffible and lawful to utter them when we get into that country; for although their purity greatly exceeds ours, yet ours is the only dialect of that mother tongue.

He that begetteth a wife child shall have joy of him, and a wife fon maketh a glad father, and I hope I fhall have joy of thee. But there are fuch things as falfe conceptions and false brethren, and fure I am that the father of a fool hath no joy; for a fool is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. But neither a faithful ambaffador,

nor the incorruptible feed of divine truth, nor Zion's prolific womb, can ever be the origin or fountain of fuch monftrous productions; witness Judas, who sprung up under the ministry of the everlasting Father himself, and who got upon the knees of gofpel Zion, even among her firft offspring, and had part of the inheritance among the brethren, and part of the double honour due to her moft renowned fons. He was an apoftle and purfe-bearer to the King of kings; he had gifts of prayer, preaching, working miracles, and cafting out devils, but no grace: he took part of this miniftry with us, faith Peter, but from this he by tranfgreffion fell, as all will whofe hearts are not established with grace. For ftrong men fhall utterly fall; but he that hath life and a gift shall have more abundance; but he that hath not life, but a gift, it fhall be taken away from him, even that which he hath. If the Prince [of Peace] give a gift to a [bond] fervant, it fhall be his to the year of jubilee, or as long as the fleshly joy of his natural affections lafts; but when he gets under the legal lafhes of law and confcience, curfing him for his hypocrify, it fhall then return to the Prince, as the talent of Judas did to Chrift, and from Chrift to Matthias; but if the Prince of Peace give a gift to one of his fons, it fhall be his fons for them, for them to enjoy, and it shall be their inheritance for evermore, for fuch fhall have more abundance (Ezek. xlvii. 16, 17); inore abundant life, more grace, more ftrength, more light, and

the abundance of peace, fo long as the moon endures.

I thanked God, with all my heart, that another brand is plucked from the fire; one more oliveberry left upon the uppermoft bough; one more élufter with a bleffing in it; one more ear of corn in the valley of Raphaim, as the firft fruits of God's Creatures, even firft-fruits unto God and the Lamb. Blefs God thou art among the children that God hath given to our Zion fince we loft the others (I mean the mixt multitude that fell a lufting, Numb. xi. 4); these feem to be whispering in our ears, the place is too ftrait for us, make room for us that we may dwell; and my anfwer is, Come in, thou bleffed of the Lord, why ftandeft thou without? the oxen and the fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come ye to the marriage. Wifdom cries, and Understanding puts forth her voice; the hath furnished her table, and bid her guefts, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled: and may the Lord of lords fatisfy thy foul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and that thou mayeft be as a watered garden, and as fprings of water whose waters fail not, is the hearty prayer and earneft defire of,

Dear Son,

Thine affectionate father in the faith

and love of the gofpel of Chrift Jefus,

W. H. S. S.

LETTER XXVII.

To the Rev. Mr. HUNTINGTON,

My dear friend, where fhall I find you? and where am I to look for you? I have been now a whole month or more feeking you, and my thoughts Joving from fhore to fhore in purfuit of you; often faying, O! that I had the wings of a dove, I would find him out wherever he is, even if he is gone over the Atlantic ocean! I do believe I muft foon go out in fearch of you; not left peradventure you have been cast upon fome mountain, or into fome valley, for I am perfuaded the everlafting Arm will never let you drop down, nor will the good Shepherd ever let you flip out of his hand; but what I fear is, left you fhould get into the fiery chariot before I fee you. The Lord knows how much I have longed for you, my heart has been with you wherever you have been; and feldom or ever do I go on my knees but you come in my mind: I know not why; for I cannot think you want my poor prayers, though I fo much need yours. I am at prefent poor enough, and seem

contented