6

that time heard something respecting you, sir and mentioned your name to him, who knew you very well, and told me something concerning you, but what I have forgot; for you must understand my memory is very treacherous, being much impaired by a nervous complaint which I have had many years. But, what was then said made me desirous of seeing some of your works; and I believe it is near a year ago since I read your Tidings from Wallingford,' which I must confess I did not like, thinking you too censorious: but I then inquired more about you, and some said one thing, and some another. Some months after this, I took to reading some more of your works; and, the more I read, the more I liked.

But in

reading one of them, where you are speaking of a child of God, you intimate, that he will be sure of the spirit of prayer, as I took it; which made me tremble. And, in another place, you tell some person, that he cannot be perfect, because he says he has wicked thoughts: which I knew to be my case, for they are a great trouble to me. And, as I had lately been reading a book, written by one Fletcher, which treated on perfection, the which caused me much trouble and distress, though, through mercy, I had got over that temptation. But this coming so soon after, it caused me greater trouble than ever; insomuch, that I was tempted to believe, for two or three days, that all my former experience was nothing but a delusion: and,

as a proof thereof, I had not the power of the Spirit; if I had, I should have more enlargement

in

my extempore prayers. But in the same night I awaked; and such a ray of light darted into my soul, as caused me to give thanks, and to pray with such fervency and liberty as I never experienced before. And, the day following, on taking up one of your books, for the whole set lay before me, and I cannot tell which it was, but I know it was the latter part of it, I laid it down, upon experiencing such a flood of godly sorrow, and shedding such a profusion of joyful tears, as I never had felt before. My soul being again set at liberty from those distressing thoughts, caused me to sing, pray, and rejoice, with joy unspeakable, the remainder of the day, without ceasing; and to long for the evening, because I knew there was then to be a social meeting at a private house in the town, at which I intended to be present.

I must conclude, wishing you every temporal blessing you may stand in need of: but, above all, that the Lord may continue to pour down his Holy Spirit upon you, and make you, as an instrument in his hand, the means of bringing thousands of poor souls from the error of their ways, and to stir up the Lord's people to be more diligent in making their calling and election sure. For my own part, I heartily thank you; because you have been the means of quickening me, and making me more diligent in the use of the means

than ever I was before. I am, sir, with great respect,

Your humble Servant, though unknown:

And, O that I could with assurance say,

Your Brother in the Lord Jesus Christ,

LETTER VII.

A. B. Sen.

To Mr. A. B. Sen.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace, be with thee, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

My answer, like Sisera's chariot, has been long

in coming; but I am neither master of my time, nor of my talent. I often find a spring for an epistle, when I have no time for it; and frequently time upon my hands, but no spring for an epistle: when both meet together, it is delightful.

I am persuaded that all believers in Christ

under heaven, who are of the household of faith and citizens of Zion, are happy partakers of the spirit of grace and supplication; for this is promised to them all, and they are all fellow-heirs of this promise. The Spirit by which they are regenerated, renewed, or born again, is a spirit of supplication; and is to help their infirmities, and to make intercession for them, that they may pray with the spirit, and with the understanding also; and worship God in Spirit and in truth, for God seeketh such to worship him. But then the preparation of man's heart is one thing, and the answer of the tongue is another. With the heart man believes, with the tongue confession is made. God circumcises the heart, and he creates the fruit of the lip. The spirit of prayer may be where a gift of utterance is not; and a gift of prayer may be where the spirit of prayer never was. The fruits of the Spirit and the fruits of the lip are two things. There are supplications in the Spirit as well as drawing near to God with the mouth. There is mental, as well as vocal prayer, and the former discovers itself by a hunger and thirst after righteousness; by panting after the living God; by a holy longing; by earnest desires; by deep sighs for deliverance; by bitter weeping; by sorrowing after a godly sort; by looking at him whom we have pierced, and mourning for him. Thus the Spirit makes intercession for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered: and these prayers shall prevail with God

sooner than all the pompous eloquence, empty oratory, and human compositions, in the world. The heart shall prevail without the mouth, but the mouth shall never prevail without the heart. If the Spirit of grace and supplication comes upon a man, and gives him a gift of utterance at the same time, it is a great blessing, because it is a great easement to a burdened mind. Such an one speaks that he may be eased, for he cannot pour out his soul before the Lord but by weepings or expressions: and, where such a gift of utterance is given, it should be used, in order to brighten it. Timothy must stir up the gift that is in him; for, if this gift be not stirred up, and constantly used, it will, in time, dwindle. David's tongue was his glory, and he bids his glory awake to praise his God. God calls for the fruit of the lip, as well as the bent of the heart. With the tongue we are to bless God. Ephraim promised, when his backslidings were healed, to render the calves of his lips, Hos. xiv. 2. Our mouth is to shew forth his praise. Hannah spake in her heart; David spake with his mouth; and both, as well as the apostles, spake as the Spirit gave them utterance. This gift of utterance is often buried by a fondness of, or an habitual custom to, a human form; and sometimes it is damped by not relying on the Holy Ghost for assistance in prayer. Fervour, earnestness, a sense of want, a knowledge of what is freely given us of God, an understanding of the mind and will of God, as