witnefs is still left, though the joys of it are much abated, and the light of it much obfcured.

For you must know that I dropped into the old way of Jewish worship again; and as I could find. no man that understood the vifion, but that all condemned it, I foon got cold, until a late fit of ficknefs fell to my lot, to which I reluctantly fubmitted: but before I recovered, I found fomething of that facred and delightful fire (which is fo defpifed) glow again in my heart; and fince I have been able to go abroad, I have spent the chief of my time in private, and enjoyed my comforts alone; and this is the farthest journey that I have taken fince my recovery. This is the reafon that you fee me look fo poorly; and I think that God sent you to me to caft a fresh light on this good work upon my foul, and I hope I shall ever blefs God for thee, and for this happy season with thee.

Cubi. Indeed, my brother, it is my delightful element, to be of use to the fouls of my poor fellowfinners; and I do believe that God has fuffered me to meet with hard treatment, both from the world and from his own people alfo, that I might, as an instrument in his hand, drop a word in season to others who may meet with the fame. And I would advise thee to aim chiefly at a private communion with the great Meffiah; there is no fellowship (but with him) that will enable thee to die happy; and I hope thou wilt never find happiness fhort of that, whilft thou liveft.

Abimaaz.

Abimaaz. Indeed, if a Christian has no access to his God, let him cut what figure he may in the world, his own foul is barren, nor does joy and peace in believing operate upon him. Thofe that called me a Pythagorean, because I talked of a change wrought on my foul, feemed to be as far from enjoying God's prefence as those who made no profeffion at all.

Cufbi. Let men make what stir they may about religion, if they have not the love of God in their hearts, they are dead. The Spirit fays, If a man bath all knowledge, and understand all myfteries, and Speak with the tongue of men and of angels, and bath not charity, it profiteth him nothing. 1 Cor. xiii. 2, 3.

And if ever a man be brought to love God, it will be becaufe God hath pardoned his fin: This woman's fins were many, and they are forgiven her, and she loveth much; but where little is forgiven the Jame loveth little. Luke vii. 47. Love is therefore the bleffed effect of pardon, or the confequence of it.

Abimaaz. O how wonderful is the enlarging, enflaming, and attracting power of divine love on the foul! it fwallows up all, and God is all in all to fuch an happy foul. But, alas, this love is little infifted on in our days; indeed it is rather oppofed.

Cufbi. He that labours only at the letter, is not a minifter of the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. 6; nor does he exalt the kingdom of God, for that ftands not in word, but in power. 1 Cor. iv. 20.

Abimaaz.

Abimaaz. Pray what do you think of David's ftrong affection for Abfalom? David knew that he was not a good man; nay, he was a rebel against his father, and against God, who anointed him; and he that opposed David's kingdom, opposed the kingdom of the Meffiah, for that was included in it, and prefigured by it. Abfalom could be no type of the Meffiah, who is called the fruit of David's body.

Cufbi. The great Meffiah is the father of all flesh by creation, as David was of his own family, which confifted of bad and good. Have we not all one father? bath not one God created us? Mal. ii. 10. But in an especial manner he is the everlasting father of all his spiritual children. Ifa. ix. 6. Abfalom was David's fon after the flesh, though not a partaker of his father's grace; but Solomon, the beloved of the Lord, 2 Sam. xii. 24, was a partaker of his father's grace, as well as a partaker of his nature. And David's weeping over Abfalom, and crying out, O my fon Abfalom, my fon, my fon, 2 Sam. xviii. 33, may prefigure the sympathetic feelings of the Meffiah's humanity for Ifrael after the flesh, when he wept over Jerufalem, and said, O Jerufalem, Jerufalem. Matt. xxiii. 37.-Luke xix. 41.

Abimaaz. Poor David was much perplexed with hypocritical profeffors in his days; Joab was a bitter plague to him through all his reign, as well as Ahithophel.

Cufkin I believe Joab prefigured every false leader

of the Lord's faints; and Ahithophel represented Judas; one you know hung himself as Judas did, and the other was killed at the foot of the altar, as many are, by the fword of justice in a falfe profeffion.

Abimaaz. I have often wondered that Joab should fly for refuge to the horns of the altar.

Cufbi. The altar typified the Saviour, who is a refuge for the diftreffed; and Joab might falfely conftrue the privileges that God granted to the manflayer; but Joab's crime was not manslaughter, for he killed Amafa with his fword while he was kiffing of him, 2 Sam. xx. 9, 10; and fo fhed the blood of war in peace. 1 Kings ii. 5. A wilful murderer has no benefit from the laws granted to the manflayer. God fays of fuch, from my altar. Exod. xxi. 14. Pray, my brother, have you ever heard of a man that goes by the name of Prodigality?

Thou shalt take him

Abimaaz. Yes, I think I have; he is one of a fingular character, if he be the person that I mean.

Cufbi. Yes, he is; and it is a name that he has affumed, because its wretched fignification is fo applicable to himself; for, as he says, he has been a prodigal from his childhood, and a desperate rebel againft Chrift under it.

Abimaaz. Why he has acted as Naomi did, who in a fit of unbelief fled from Bethlehem to Moab, in order to fecure her property, a famine then reigning in Ifrael; but, inftead of faving all, fhe

loft

loft all; for fhe came home childlefs, in widowhood and beggary; fhe had loft both her fons, her hufband, and her property; and then the calls herself Mara, and defires them to call her Naomi no more; hinting thereby, that what fhe had took pleasure in was gone, and bitterness had fucceeded: For the Almighty bath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty; why then call ye me Naomi, Jeeing the Lord bath teftified against me? Ruth i. 20, 21.

Cufbi. She could see that the hand of the Lord was gone out against her, but she could not fee that her feet went out against him. If there were no protection for her in Ifrael, she could not expect it in Moab. Thus the foolishness of man perverteth his way, and bis heart fretteth against the Lord. Prov. xix. 3.

Abimaaz. Pray what countryman is this Prodigalis? I think I have heard that the Lord has called him by grace, if he be the man that I have heard of.

Cufbi. I believe he was born within the walls of falvation, and is, as you have heard, called to the knowledge of the truth; he came of religious parents, but he was a moft wretched defpifer of religion; indeed, he is a fingular monument of mercy; he had a strong memory to contain what he heard, was a man of good understanding in the Scriptures, and he had pious parents to copy after. But all these will not produce grace. Repentance unto