water-spout at sea, threaten the earthen vessel with a deluge of wrath, which would soon drown it in destruction and perdition. These waves of real, and some imaginary, displeasure (no less terrible than real) rolling over the poor creature, are ready to send the bark to the bottom. This is the terrible way in which some fallen and backsliding souls are purged and reclaimed; and especially such as have brought public scandal upon the gospel and church of Christ, as the incestuous Corinthian, &c. Others are revived and restored by more gentle means "A soft tongue shall break their bones," Prov. xxv. 15. Divine kindness shall melt them, humble and soften them. But even this unexpected kindness, which is coyly received, and in much self-abhorrence often put from them, as they are utterly unworthy of the least notice of God, and is mixed with some resentment, which keeps the soul at a distance, mixing his fear with trembling; and when any child of God is raised up and restored in this way, as the poor prodigal was, when the kiss, the robe, and the ring, quite killed him;

and as a propitious look from the Lord Jesus Christ killed Peter to sin, self, and the world, when he went out, and, with a flood of the tears of penitence and love, discharged the guilt with which he had been drenched while in the sieve of Satan. Such are forgiven; but it is long before they can forgive themselves. They are acquitted by God; but they will not suffer conscience to acquit them. "What carefulness it works in them! yea, what clearing of themselves! yea, what indignation! yea, what fear! yea, what vehement desire! yea, what zeal! yea, what revenge! 2 Cor. vii. 11.

Thus, my dearly-beloved brother, does the Holy Spirit help the infirmities of the saints of God, through the mediation of Jesus Christ; and continually communicates grace from his fulness to help us in every time of need: whose inexhaustible fulness of grace is sufficient to change the heart of the stoutest rebel, to raise up the fearfully fallen, and to restore the most awful backslider. "Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffer

ing, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen," 1 Tim. i. 16, 17. And so says Your affectionate servant,

friend and brother,

W. HUNTINGton.

LETTER IX.

TO THE REV. J. JENKINS, AT THE NEW VICARAGE, LEWES, SUSSEX.

The Coalheaver to the Welsh Ambassador sendeth greeting, with words of peace and love.

BELOVED, the perishing soul, parched with the heat of a fiery law, who is led to the fountain of living water to drink, is to have a well of living water in his heart which is to spring up into everlasting life. I know that Christ has rent the heavens and come down; that there

is a new and living way opened into the holy of holies; and that he has admitted our hearts and hopes, our faith and our affections, already to the right hand of God, where he sitteth and where our heart is, there is our treasure. And there is nothing that men delight in more than in their treasure of this, they boast, and on this they set their mind, and this generally employs their thoughts; and therefore you must not wonder if I come again and again, for we have heavenly treasure even in earthen vessels. The next thing that I shall treat of is,

12. The assistance of the Spirit against Satan. "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion," Isa. lix. 19, 20. Every time that a new-born soul gets under the hiding of God's countenance, or into the furnace of affliction, or is exercised with legal bondage or spiritual desertions, the

adversary is sure to be upon him, to raise doubts and fears in him, by calling the whole work of God upon his soul into question; and, by raising scruples in his mind, he rouses up the unbelief of his heart; and when he deals with the poor soul just as a highwayman does with the unwary traveller; he comes upon him unexpectedly, and flurries him, and fills him with confusion, so that he is robbed before he can recollect himself. So the believer, when his comforts are gone, is suddenly surprised by the various assaults of Satan-" As a bird that is caught in a snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it cometh suddenly upon them," Eccl. ix. 12. The devil labours to dispute him out of the truth of the work of God in his heart, by setting before him such as the foolish virgins, and how far they went on; the gifts and abilities of Judas, and what became of him; and of many in the present day, who made a great shew and deceived many. Moreover, Satan suggests to the young believer that the real children of God receive a Comforter that abides with