from the inclemency of the weather, and from the winds of destructive error; "All that came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them:" in these porches they are secured from the floods of temptation, from the rain, hail, and winds of desolating judgments; from all the storms and tempests of mount Sinai; and from the destruction of sin, the sentence of damnation, and the wrath to come.

In these porches lay a great many sick and impotent folk, even to this day, which want a cure, and wait for the angel of the covenant to come down and move the waters. By waters is meant not the love of God, for that is a river, not a pool, a river that makes glad the city of our God; nor doth it mean the Spirit or grace of God, for these are called springs of living water, not pools; much less can it mean God, who is a fountain of living waters; nor Christ, who is a well of salvation, for who can trouble these? The church, indeed, is called a pool; "The parched ground shall become a pool," Isaiah xxxv. 7. "I will make the wilderness a pool of water," &c. Isa. xli. 18. The church often wants stirring up, especially when, like the pool, she settles too much on her old earthly sediment; a little stirring troubles the people, which are often in scripture called waters, and then fresh life and vigour, zeal and fervour, are felt; prayer goes up, and life and light come down, and the power, which at such a time attends the word, often heals the soul of

whatever disease it hath: three poor invalids have been healed since the last descent of the angel; and how many more have experienced the same efficacy I cannot tell, for they are not found to return to give glory to God, save these strangers; these are sent away in peace, and certain I am that their faith has made them whole. I hear the noisy and predominant clamours of unbelief, in this thine epistle, which is loud enough to drown every other voice. Unbelief is, I know, an eternal bar, even in the mind of Satan himself, which confines every thought of that wicked spirit which may at any time break loose in vain search after a door of hope; and, at certain seasons, when he is allowed to have access to my soul (strange as it may seem), I can even feel my own spirit influenced, confined, and shut up at times in unbelief, and attended with every rebellious, desperate, envious, and malignant thought, that rankles in the very devil himself.

Dated from Mizpeh, the watch-tower, near to Galeed, bound to Mahanaim; where I hope to meet with the Lord's host, and to reject all the assistance of Esau, and all his company. Ever thine.

W. H. S. S.

LETTER XIII.

To the Rev. Mr. HUNTINGTON.

Ir hath long been on my mind to tell you the dealings of God with my soul, which I beg you to peruse.

I was born of poor, but hard working parents in the town of Tewksbury, in Gloucestershire; my father died when I was very young, and my mo. ther strove hard for a living for us. When I was about seven or eight years old I was put to what we call in the country a Free School, to read and write, and was there till I was about thirteen; we used to be kept close to church, and at particular times, after the service was over, we used to stand up on forms, or stools to be asked our catechism by the parson. I only relate this to make room for a dream I had at this time: as Elihu says to Job, "For God speaketh once, yea twice, but man perceiveth it not; in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbering upon the bed." I dreamt all us schoolboys were standing in a row as aforetime, and God Almighty came and took one from here, and another from there, and I trembled very much with fear lest he should not take me; but at last he came, took me by the hand, and put me amongst

the rest of his choice. I have thought on that dream in a state of nature many times, though I had no knowledge of God's choice, or his electing love. But to proceed. When I was about thirteen years of age I was put apprentice to a wheelwright; but being of a roving mind, and not used very well, I ran away, and came up to London; where I worked at several employments, such as sawing, gardening, footman, brewer's servant, and at last went to sea; and, as God the Spirit shall bring it to my remembrance, I will tell a little of my sea voyage, for now begin my troubles.

At the beginning of the American war I entered on board the Carysfort frigate, in his Majesty's service, commanded by Captain Fanshaw; we sailed from Chatham to Quebec, where, having staid some time, we sailed for New York, and, arriving there at the time our fleet were about to besiege the town, the admiral sent our ship, with two more, to pass the town up the river to land troops; in passing, we had to receive the constant fire of five or six forts, during which I was under great fear in my mind, not having seen any thing of the kind before, though I harboured such a thought as this, that if I was killed in battle I should go to heaven; but vain was that thought: but here the Lord saved me from the stroke, while others fell. Our captain being a very severe man, having flogged six men for a trifling fault, I thought I would run away the very first opportunity, and accordingly did, with two others, a few months

after the town of New York was taken; but with great difficulty we reached the town, being stopt several times to give an account of ourselves, being upwards of thirty miles up the country when we set off; however we arrived safe, and went on board merchant vessels. The ship I went on board of was bound for London; there I altered my name to Hodges, that being my mother's maiden. name, for fear of being discovered, as the men of war searched all the merchant ships that went out for deserters. I got safe from hence, and was bound for London; but in a heavy gale of wind, we sprung a leak, and were obliged to make the best of our way to the West Indies, toiling night and day at the pumps to keep the ship above water; we at last reached St. John's, in Antigua.

Now begin my troubles. Our captain would not fulfil his promise of paying us our wages; in consequence I, among some others, left him; but it being a very dead time of the year, the shipping were not come out, so that we were obliged to enter on board a man of war again; but I went, with great reluctance, some time after the others; nor would I have gone then, could I have got any thing else to do. At last, through necessity, I went on board the Portland, Admiral Young; we sailed on a cruise, and put into Prince Rupert's bay, in the island of Dominica, to get wood and water for the cruise. I and two more agreed to run away the day before the ship sailed and contrived to get our things on shore, ready to start. On