no longer with flesh and blood, but set to searching my Bible, my Father's last will, for my portion, made over to me in that covenant made with David's Lord; and I have found it, blessed be his holy name! It came at an acceptable time, for I had - spent my all, and got no better, but rather worse. I found it was an ancient promife-be fhall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor alfo, and him that bath no belper; he shall redeem their fouls from deceit and violence, and precious fhall their blood be in his fight. It is a free gift, it is pure gold; and fince it is gold, I hope, through grace, to be thrifty over it, and not lofe a duft. But, Sir, it has coft me the loss of all my friends; but the lofs of their favour I count my gain, fince my wealth is concealed in the cross. Within these laft twelve months I have had the foreft trials from the temptations of the devil, and from the profeffing world; my whole frame, at times, was as though it was fet on fire of hell; the enemies of my Lord, and his free grace, have befet me on every fide; but, bleffed be God that girdeth me with ftrength, and maketh my way perfect, he hath enabled me to pray with David-Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou beareft unto thy people. O! vifit me with thy falvation, that I may fee the good of thy chofen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance! Sir, fince the Lord fent you with the joyful found I never could fit any longer under any of the letter minifters; and because of this they harass me with the names of Antinomian

Antinomian and a narrow foul; but, bleffed be God, I know whom I serve in the Spirit of his Son, for he enables me, at times, to cry, Abba Father. I came to hear you at A——, on Thursday evenAing, with a good appetite, and I had as good a fupper as ever I had in my life; I was made drunk, but not with wine; my cup ran over. I had not one wink of fleep that night; I was very certain I had got Jacob's bleffing, and run away with it; and I could not help fubscribing with my hand to the Lord, and calling myself by the name of Ifrael. Before meeting I called at a house of one of Mofes' difciples, there was S- M- with fome more; I being like a speckled bird, they began to shoot at me, wondering that I could find no preacher to fuit me, asking me fome foolish questions; I answered them in Solomon's words, which feemed to make their faces red. I thought of his fool, pestle, and mortar; but forbore speaking, for fear of lofing my supper. The greatest crime was, I had left the means, and all God's people. I asked them where they thought God was worshipped; they said at M——; I brought this paffage-Thus faith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool, where is the house that ye build unto me, and where is the place of my reft? but they seemed to me neither to know Zion, nor Zion's God. You, Sir, coming foon after to describe Zion literally, and then spiritually; that God had broke up housekeeping, and dwelt in the hearts of believers; and that fhe was redeemed with judg

ment

ment and righteousness; judgment to fatisfy Divine Juftice, and righteousness to put on this comely wo man; my heart was filled with joy and gladness, and I have been feeding on it ever fince, and my foul fays, What hath the Lord wrought? After meeting, I had a great defire to speak to my father; I came to the inn; it was I that took hold of your hand before that young man with light bushy hair; but fee ing S—— M▬▬▬▬▬▬, with whom I had been disputing, my courage failed, and, you not knowing me, I could hardly speak, but set off home, for fear of company, for I wanted to go alone. I was determined to send a few lines; I hope you, Sir, will excufe my freedom, as it is the first letter I ever fent to a religious friend in all my life. May God bless you, and send you to M-- again, with fome more good news from heaven. God willing, I hope to spend one half hour with my father. I hope I fhall not shame you, Sir; my outer dress is as good as any of Mofes' difciples in M, though I count it but dung and drofs.

I am your's in the Lord, and in the bond of the everlasting covenant,

J. F.

LETTER

LETTER LIV.

To Mr. J F

DEAR BROTHER,

I REJOICED at the reception of yours. I knew that I had been pursuing, but I knew not what; for fometimes we hunt a fox, fometimes a wolf, fometimes a roe, and fometimes a fheep; the two former to the wilderness to their own covert, the latter to the King's dale and the good fold. Verily I fay unto you, that there is joy in the prefence of the angels of God: when the loft fheep is found. If thou haft loft one earthly friend, my fon, thou haft gained a thousand heavenly ones, which are more precious and valuable. Thofe that come to mount Zion are never friendless nor defolate. Love unites us with the church of the first-born, and with the fpirits of just men made perfect: we come under the ministry of an innumerable company of angels, to God the Judge of all, and to Jefus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel; and who can be friendless that is united to fuch a bleffed company, and who have their converfation in heaven among

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them?

them? O! how fenfibly have I felt and enjoyed the presence of those, when my affections have been with my treasure, and when the vifitations of God have preferved my fpirit; when the glory of God hath been fresh in me, and his fecret upon my tabernacle. These are pledges, earnefts, and foretaftes of the great reward; yea, the firstfruits of the Spirit, which enfure the whole harvest.

Seek the Lord, and thou fhalt live; feek his face evermore: and, if Jefus is not to be found among thy acquaintance, quit them; if he is not to be found in the means, leave them alfo. Many congregations are like the Saviour's fepulchre after his refurrection, nothing is to be found but the graveclothes and the napkin; I mean the external garb and the old vail; no light, no life. Seek not the living among the dead. To your closet, to your Bible, and to the fields to meditate: the foul that prays in fecret shall be rewarded openly; the fcriptures teftify of Jefus; and, while Ifaac was meditating in the field, the camels arrived; his thoughts went out to meet his God, and God met him with a choice gift, a woman that feared the Lord. Never was there more profeffion and lefs poffeffion than now; never did this island swarm with hypocrites as at this time. A name to live, and that is all. The foul that fits down contented under the miniftration of death is a quiet member; and he that opposes the power of godlinefs is a zealous man: but God will have a remnant, and there are a few names even