LETTER VI.

To the Standard Bearer. Sign of the King's arms, near the Royal Palace.

Accept of my thanks, dear and valiant standard bearer, for the honourable pardon you have bestowed on my friend, and wish it was in my power to render acknowledgments for the favour you have conferred on me in sparing my dear friend, according to my request in the postscript of my last letter; and can assure you, that that standard bearer does not breathe, whom I love and respect more than yourself.

I shall make an attempt to fulfil my promise, which I made in my first letter, to give some account of the several campaigns I have been called to march through. As the Christian's life is a warfare, 'Watch and pray,' and 'fight the good fight of faith,' saith the Captain. Grant me strength, saith the female soldier, and clothe me with thy armour, stand by me and support me, and I will.

Well, sir, after the fatigue of the long and forced march, which I have given you some account of, my

My soul

way was very pleasant for some months. I enjoyed sweet and delightful views of the loveliness and love of my dear and much beloved Captain, who was, in every respect, suited to answer all my need. was filled with admiration, wonder, and joy, and my life with praise. When faith is in lively exercise, with what pleasure do we look to the rest which yet remaineth; and how good is the Lord, to send something to pull us back and restrain us, as we might be too impatient for the skies. If we had not sometimes a little bitter, we should not know so well how to value the sweet. But our Captain is wise and gracious in all his dispensations towards his very dear and beloved people.

This word would often damp my joys and make me tremble, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat.' Knowing his advantage over me as a spirit was great, his knowledge superior to mine; that he was a very cunning and powerful foe, full of force and fraud, which I could not resist, I was often led to cry to my Captain for nothing less than the whole armour of God; for in him alone, could I stand my ground against this enemy in the day of trial. My kind hearted Captain was continually subduing my fears, and comforting my heart with these words, Neither life nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature

shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Do we not too frequently walk over such precious promises as barren ground, when a little digging into these mines by the light of the Holy Spirit, would strengthen and establish us to stand our ground in the day of battle. But nothing is more fickle, unstable, and uncertain than the human heart; sometimes on Mount Pisgah, then grovelling in the valley of Achor, mourning without the sun; not at ease, but always in motion; for its extreme weakness makes it subject to inconstancy and change from a variety of causes.

But if you remember, Sir, I dropped a hint to you the other day, that I was led to look back upon the way in which my glorious Leader had led me these many years in the wilderness, in feeding me with manna, then suffering me to hunger, to humble me, and teach me not to live by bread alone, but by the faithful word that proceedeth out of his mouth. Yes, Sir, in that long look back, I found a path to the Red Sea, where I looked to a Moses, instead of my Commander; Yes, and a Marah, where I had too often murmured. Ah! but this is not the worst.-A Sinai, where I had made a molten calf and said, This is the God that hath brought me out of the land of Egypt. But as long as those pleasant days lasted, my Captain was very familiar with me, and I with him; and as he knew all the secrets of my heart, there was one

favour which I did very much request; and would not let him have rest, until I knew his mind and will, which he readily gave me, and then left me to eat the fruit of my own ways; so that the taste became as nauseous to me, as the waters did to the people of Israel, when Moses, their leader, took the calf and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the waters, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

O, irresistible Providence! How dost thou laugh at the folly of the human mind! How foolish the heart to be fond of any thing to excess! For it is only the beginning we can see; but know not what the end will produce. Although, in this particular, I might have understood in some measure, had I had sagacity enough to understand the Captain's voice, which spoke with the most affectionate kindness, that there was a thorn that I could not discern, which would, in its own time, make me smart for my folly. However, like ancient Israel, I loathed the manna, and fell a lusting for flesh to eat. He gave me my request, but sent leanness into my soul. Being sensible my Captain had departed from me, I fell under great deadness of spirit; I lost my joy and comfort; my love to my Captain got cold and indifferent; and yet I was but little affected with my condition, although I could perform no religious exercises with any vigour or life. For I was as the soul of the slug