weight is the body to a soul enlarged! The one is all over heaven, earth, and hell; and the other quite immoveable; always incapable, more or less, of executing the soul's inventions. The elephant and the greyhound, the dove and the swine, ne ́ver were more unequally matched than a body of flesh and blood, and a soul born from above. I decree many things, but they are not established unto me; I purpose, but my purposes are broken off. "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not." It is a blessing that God works in us to will, seeing he often accepts the will for the deed, as he did the will of Abraham at the offering of Isaac, and the goodwill of David respecting building the temple. But it is a grief to me that so excellent a couple should ever be absent from each other. Willing and doing are not always hand in hand. The former is generally found, but the latter is not. "To will is present," says Paul, but not the doing. Perhaps the reason may be this: the devil cannot hinder us from willing, but he often hinders us from doing. "I was coming once and again," says Paul, "but Satan hindered." Again: I can will without the body, but the body is often wanted in performing; and, like Pharaoh's wheels, draws heavily, when the soul, like the chariot of Aminadib, or like Jehu, drives furiously. O this frail tabernacle, this busy devil, and this wretched law in the members! I must conclude in this strait between two; and these two make me often waddle,

I am ready to halt, and my sorrows are continually before me.

Ever thine,

The Desert.

NOCTUA AURITA.

LETTER XXII.

To NOCTUA AURITA, in the Desert.

WE received safe your last favour; and I was sorry at the account of your indisposition. Hope it has pleased the Lord ere this to have restored you to health again. Hope you will again have your health established. With respect to myself, I find the world, and every thing in it, is against me, besides the flesh and the devil. But the worst of all calamities that ever befel me is, that God hath hid his blessed face from me. He has fenced up my ways that I cannot pass; he has set darkness in all my paths; he hideth himself with a cloud in his anger; and at times I am ready to fear he is gone for ever, and never will return more. I at present can find no book suit me better than your 'Child of Liberty in legal Bondage.' It is my companion; and sometimes I think you

book on purpose for ne 2 sink under my present dis er is a composition of ti ts, which you have brought vn experience, not only your present sensations under your truon me if I tell you I tried to

css from it. And it has encou te to hope that I may be brought ese have been my companions by at, for these five months past; believe that I am not near through path. O, my dear friend, had I but

I

e sound advice you gave me in the you wrote to me, it had been better present than it is, and that was, to the dealings of God with me, and very advance he made towards me, and void me, I should have rejoicing in myBut I have been wiser in my own eyes ye men that could render a reason. ecoten aware that self was working at the alte and I find true that saying of the A man's pride shall bring him low." a at present, and as fast in the cords wigge as ever a poor soul was. You that is my companion, Im this y dark day to be favoured with faith in one minute, enough to banter the edict a future sun rising, is a blessis has been the case with me two

or three times during the first five months, when God was pleased to shine with a ray of light on a part of his word, and give me to see something of the end for which he was thus dealing with me. But now it seems to be taken from me, and I have had nothing of that for these three months past, though I can say, with you, that I do not feel unappeased wrath or unatoned guilt work in my conscience. These ingredients are not in my cup, which were in my former bondage. But severely do I feel the cruel flames of jealousy burn with a most vehement heat. Nor did I know that it was an ingredient that worked in the heart under a spirit of bondage till I read it in the book my companion. The Tuesday evening you came to my house you seemed to come as a prophet sent of God, and did predict to me the coming of him whom my soul loveth. But the language of my heart, though I did not utter it with my mouth, was the same as the Shunamite's to Elisha, "Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid;" which was the effect of unbelief in her, and in me; and, indeed, I am so under the power of unbelief, that I cannot give credit to any thing but what seems to make against me. But certainly true it is, that since that time the darkness has gathered thicker upon me, and I am holden faster in my fetters than I was before, but no light to see where I am. And nothing but almighty power can rend the veil, and bring me forth from this captivity the second time. It

will be matter of comfort to know if God lays my case near your heart. I hope you will never cease to pray for me. for me. And do, my dear friend, make it your petition to God that he would be pleased to shine upon the work he has done upon me by his own Spirit, that I may not be deceived in this matter, and take the work of Satan for the work of the Spirit of God; for I must tell you I have not light to see the place from whence I did fall; and I know it is only God that can discover this to me. This is a confused jumble. I am almost ashamed to send it to you; but hope you bear with me and pardon me; for I am so dark, and feel my mind so confused, that I am not able to express my own!feelings. Accept my thanks for all your kind favours bestowed on one so unworthy; and, if God should give you any thing to send me, I shall be exceeding glad to receive it, and likewise to hear how your health is at present; and believe me to remain

Your very sincere and affectionate friend

and afflicted sister,

The King's Dale.

PHILOMELA.