exempt in our days, for such aspersions are intended for no other purpofe but to blacken those whom God condefcends to keep clean.

Thou art come forth at a bufy time; it is the beginning of wheat harveft; and thy mind, thoughts, and affections, will be fo entertained above, that thou wilt be as awkward and inexpert at the feythe and fickle, as I was at the hoe and the rake; but the harvest must be got in, and thou art at work for them who are in the fame fecret, and who know the difference between jubilee and common years, and who can make allowances on fuch occafions. God has fhewed thee the way of life, and has fet before thee an open door, and none can fhut it. Chrift Jefus is the new and living way, and faith and love are living feet, thefe will move on at every transforming view of a dear Redeemer. Be grateful, be thankful; ftand faft, and cleave close, and the God of peace fhall be with thee.

I thank Mary for thefe welcome tidings, and blefs my God, who does not fuffer the antinomian to labour in vain. My kind love to Mr. M. and all that love our Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity; while I ever remain, in the bond of the everlafting covenant,

Your most affectionate Friend and Servant,

THE COALHEAVER.

THE REV. W. HUNTINGTON.

DEARLY BELOVED AND Rev. sir,

In love to you, I write to inform you a little of

God's dealings with me.

About five or fix years

ago the dear Lord was pleased to give me a fight of my loft and undone ftaté; I faw and felt that if I died in the state that I was then in, I was as fure to be damned as I was born; I was afraid to go to fleep for fear I fhould lift up my eyes in hell, as the rich man did, for I had him always before my eyes, and in the morning I used to cry out, O! what a mercy to be out of hell!

I was brought up to the church of England, but I was obliged to lay by all my forms of prayer, and cry, God be merciful to me a finner. I was convinced that you and Mr. Jenkins were God's fervants, and when I got a little better (for I had been very ill in body) I went to hear Mr. J; his text was, "Come out from amongst them, and be ye separate," &c. and so I did, for my heart was cleaving to a new family, which I believed to be the children of God.

I had twelve miles to walk to hear Mr. J—, and, as I was going one Sunday, I called on a man that used also to hear the word at Lewes, and there fat a young man reading one of your books. I heard him till I found I was condemned on

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every hand; I thought there was no way left for me to escape; all my righteoufnefs was as filthy rags, therefore I was brought to hunger and thirst after fomething better. I had, however, a little comfort at times from thefe words, "Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteoufnefs, for they fhall be filled;" and, "As many as I love I rebuke and chaften, and fcourge every fon that I receive; and they that are without chastisements are baftards and not fons." But carnal reafon and unbelief faid it could not be love that exercifed me fo. If I had ten thousand worlds, I could have left them all for a part or lot in Chrift Jefus, for I faw him a complete Saviour, fo fuitable to my cafe; but, O! that fin of unbelief, which is the greateft of all my plagues! Yet my prayer was, for God to fearch me, and try me, and know my heart and thoughts, and fee if there was any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And fo it is to this day, for I am afraid of my own heart, it being deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. But God did not fuffer me to fhun the light, but to come to it, for I longed to know the worst of myself. I found God to be in Mr. J. of a truth, and I was fearched and tried to, and fometimes comforted, until I was brought down to the feet of Chrift. Come what may; come life, come death, come heaven or come hell; here I am, O Lord! do with me what feemeth good in thy fight; not my

will, but thine be done. I knew God would be just in fending me to my own place, for finning against him; but instead of that I felt humbleness, meekness, contrition of heart, godly forrow, repentance, and felf-abafement; and foon after this I went to Bolney to hear you, which I never had done before. I do not remember your text, but this I do remember, that you preached Chrift Jefus, and he was to me the chiefeft among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely. I was much humbled under a fenfe of God's goodnefs, and my own vilenefs; O! the love that I felt to you, and to your God! I walked very humbly for fome time, and delighted myfelf in the ways of God, particularly in private prayer, for I found nearnefs of access to God; but I could not bear the thoughts of your leaving Suffex, for when you came to Lewes I heard you again; and when you went away I ufed to long to go with you to London, and would have been glad to be your fervant, or any thing elfe; for I think, when I have been in thefe frames, that I could have laid down my life for you.

After this I had a dream; I dreamed that I was in a furnace, and that I went down as though it was nearly into hell itfelf, and up I came again; and there was one fitting by which I conceived to be the Son of God; every time I had a view of him hope fprung up, and a confidence that I fhould not be loft; and I was not, for he brought

ne out fafe, I awoke, and behold it was a dream; and when I awoke I felt very humble, and willing to go through the fiery trial, for I did believe that dream to be from God, though i have had many dreams, from the devil. Soon after this love began to wax cold again, and my affections were going after idols; and i went fo far, that I thought I would have my own way, if I was damned for it. I found my corruptions get lively and strong, and I found unbelief, carnal reason, hardness of heart, rebellion, enmity, and hard thoughts of God, and the luft of the flesh, work like the fire of hell; "O wretched man that I am!" I thought these things would work my deftruction, when these words were fent home to me, "If we fin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more facrifice for fins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indiguation;" and, "There is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked." Here I expected to be cut off: but God changeth not, therefore it is that I am not confumed. "The backslider in heart," the scripture faith, "shall be filled with his own ways;" and fo was Ì, for the dear Lord made me fick of idols, and fick of felf; and the more I prayed against my corruptions and luft the worse I was, and the devil told me I had better give up prayer, for it was of no use, feeing I was not a child of God; for God fays, Afk and you shall have, seek and you shall find,