mentality of a minister of Satan; that was the longeft and forest trial that I had met with fince my releafe from Sinai. I was then a young father in Christ, and too fond of my children, and therefore violence and cruelty were used, both by the falfe and true brethren; the former influenced the latter: but this was appointed, that my affections might be beat off by violence, and foon after I was ordered to London. But if that cruel ufage had not come upon me, I should have come to London like a filly dove without a heart; but the children I had fwaddled the enemy carried away; fo that I was ready to fondle any that the Lord fhould give me elsewhere.

At Richmond I had a little more fishing in these troubled waters; but we must arise and depart, for this is not our reft, it is polluted. I was in hopes that the greatest part of the burden and heat of the day was over; but evil days and wearifome nights are the lot of them who labour in the word and doctrine. Let me lay a little of this weight upon thy fhoulders, and fail not to bring me forth in thy petitions; for God knows it is for the hope of Ifrael that I am entangled in thefe briars. my bonds.

Remember

Church-ftreet, Paddington.

W. HUNTINGTON.

D 2

LETTER

LETTER VIII.

To the Rev. Mr. HUNTINGTON.

MY EVER DEAR AND MUCH HONOURED FRIEND,

I HAVE received and read your laft favour, and am not a little aftonished at what you tell me. Indeed I can fee where you are, and do fympathize too with you from my heart; and though I am not able to give you any help, yet my poor prayers are in your prefent calamity; and I believe the Lord has of late fet you much on my heart, nor have I the least doubt but that he will bring you through all this with a high hand.

I have a great defire to turn comforter: however this I will venture to fay, that your late journey was contrived by Infinite Wifdom; and whatever they are who have their hands in it, it will be found to be one of the all things that fhall work, not only for your own good, but for the good of hundreds befides; and I can fee, with half an eye, that Satan will be the greateft lofer by it at the long run; for I know that his wiles will be further difcovered, and that himself will be clofer purfued; and at every

step of ground he lofes my foul will rejoice, for I hate him with a perfect hatred.

I cannot

37

I cannot read this letter without being filled with indignation. Lord, how long wilt thou fuffer hypocrites, liars, impoftors, and devils, to profper! and the juft to fee iniquity and look at grievance, and fuffer fpoiling and violence to remain before them! What shall we fay to all these things? This I will fay, that I do not now wonder that the Lord's dealings puzzle fuch a poor creature of the night as I am, when they try thofe whom he fo dearly loves, those who have had fo much of his fecrets, and fuch as he has inftructed with fo ftrong a hand. Many times has my heart heaved against him for favouring those whom I know at the fame time he hates, and continuing to frown upon them whom he knows love his truth, his caufe, his people, and his name. Now it staggers me when I think how that arrogant and prefumptuous hypocrite could write fuch a book against you. It is a teftimony against his own foul; the infernal hatred of his heart recorded by his own hand: fure I am he is gone beyond the bounds of fear. And here I am tumbling and ftumbling in the dark, and cannot get the ufe of any of my faculties; I cannot, if I was to die, commit to paper what I fee, and what I conceive in my thoughts. But the devil helps his own children; and I am as fure, as there is a God in heaven, that he will damn that hypocrite, if he lives and dies in his present state.

I do earnestly pray the Almighty (if I am to live longer in the world than you, that, when your head

is laid in the grave, I may never afterwards go to London; but that he would hide me in fome country place near a wood, give me food and raiment, and make me useful in my little sphere to fome poor and simple people. This is my wish and defire, and never to be stationed where Satan's feat is.

When will it be convenient for me to spend a few days with you? I hope you will favour me with a line in the course of next week; and if your mind and circumstances are at liberty, tell me when I may come; if not, I will wait till they are.

The Lord be with you, blefs and ftrengthen you for the work he has cut out for you. He surely will; himself has promifed it, and he has done it, and will do it to the end. This is the prayer of him who fincerely loves you, and who owes himself to

you.

Lewes,
June 3, 1796.

J. J.

LETTER

LETTER IX.

To the Rev. Mr. HUNTINGTON.

MY DEARLY BELOVED FRIEND, AND KIND

INSTRUCTOR,

MAY the best of bleffings attend you, and may our good Lord crown you continually with lovingkindness and tender mercies, and may he hold you up against the host of foes that you are furrounded with and must cut through, by the fword of his Spirit, to the honour of his great and holy name, and to the comfort and establishment of his little, little flock, in this kingdom; and to the confufion now, and one day to the utter confufion of thefe his enemies.

It may be truly faid of them, Behold! ye defpifers! and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your day which ye will in no wife believe, though a man declare it unto you! But, bleffed be God, not all; for fome can thank God, from the heart, that ever he was pleased to raise you up amongst us, according to his word, to confound the wifdom of the (worldly) wife, and to bring to nothing the (pre