dom and sweet familiarity, to communion and fellowship. And here our mountain feems to ftand ftrong, and we are ready to think that we shall never be moved. I know of but one ftage higher than this that ever I arrived at. This ftage brings Chrift nigh, as evidently fet forth crucified among us; and we look at, admire, and wonder at him. This is the Lord manifefting himfelf to us, and dwelling in us. But after this he leads our thoughts higher; for, after we have looked at him, mourned over his fufferings, and been ftung with hatred to felf and fin on the account of them, he raifes us up with another appearance of himself, and that is as rifen from the dead, crying out, "All hail!" This raifes us up to his glorification, and we rife to a lively hope of his refurrection from the dead. This comforts our fouls, that his fufferings are over, and that "death hath no more dominion over him." And now our hope is admitted within the veil, we rife to newness of life under the influence of the Spirit of love and joy; and not only are our affections admitted to God's right hand, where he fitteth, but we are "made to fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus." This is the higheft fiage in the divine life. The higheft receptacle in the temple from the ground-floor was the galleries. Ezek. xli. 15, and xlii. 3. Into thefe (if I miflake not) the Jewish women were admitted. This is dwelling on high, and feeing the King in his beauty;

whereas,

whereas, when he is exhibited to us upon the cross, he looks in his fufferings like a facrifice, or as one made fin for us, and as numbered with the tranfgreffors, but by no means as a king. It was as glorified, enthroned, and crowned with glory and honour, that he appeared to Ezekiel, Daniel, and John. And in this appearance the holy spouse faw him; "The hair of thy head is like purple : the King is held in the galleries." Song vii. 5. Purple is a royal colour, and in his royalty fhe faw him; and, though fhe had often had a glimpse of him as leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills, ftanding behind the wall, looking in at the window, and fhewing himfelf through the lattice, and oftentimes had felt the finger of his power making her bowels to move, and had felt his name as an ointment poured forth, and at times caught hold of him, yet she could not retain him, as the owns, " My beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone; my foul failed when he fpake," &c. &c. But at laft he tells her to turn away her eyes from him, for The had overcome him: then fhe fays, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." And he certainly is held or bound in the galleries; for by heavenlyminded fouls, who have enjoyed him, and who never can reft without him, nor find any fatisfaction in any thing fhort of him, he is held, and to fuch he is bound, in the bond of everlasting love, and that by his own promife, and by his

Own

own act and deed: "I will betroth thee unto me in judgment; I will betroth thee unto me in righteoufnefs, in loving-kindness, in faithfulness, and for ever; and thou fhalt know the Lord." And, as he is thus bound to a wife, he will never feek to be loofed. John, in his Revelation, faw him in his priefly garments among the candlefticks, and as king upon his white horse; but as glorified in both. This wonderful appearance fo aftonished John that he fell to the ground; but it was intended to raife John's conceptions higher than before; for, though he had known Chrift after the flesh, yet from that time forward he knew him fo no more..

I have been much of late meditating on what Paul calls the new man in us. Jeremiah fays,

Thy word was found, and I ate it, and it was the joy and rejoicing of my heart." John and Ezekiel ate the roll and the little book, and declared that they were fweet as honey; but what that mouth is which feeds fo fweetly on the promifes and on the paffover lamb, is hard to defcribe. "A feaft of fat things, of marrow and fatnefs, and of wines on the lees well refined," it certainly is. We have an altar to eat at, and certain it is that the new man has got his mouth which feeds upon fpiritual provifion, digefts it, and receives nourishment and fatisfaction from it; but this mouth remains a myftery to me. The new man has got his nose, but I cannot tell what it is. All Chrift's garments finell

R

fmell of myrrh, aloes, and caffia, out o the ivory palaces; and God doth make manifeft the favour of the knowledge of Chrift among his people. This we know; and, on the other hand, if one come into our company whofe fcent remains in him, whofe fcent is not changed, who is fettled on his old lees, what a ftinking favour do fuch little foxes fend forth! But who can defcribe that nofe that fo fenfibly diftinguishes between the odour of Chrift's garments, and the ftench of the foxes, and the flinking favour of dead flies? Nor is the new man without his ears. What is spoken to the outward cars hath no effect if it goes no farther: I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and fpeak friendly to her heart." Hofca ii. 14. Hence it is faid of Chrift that "he fhall not cry, nor lift up, nor caufe his voice to be heard in the street." Ifa. xlii. 2. And yet many will fay in the laft day, "We have eaten in thy prefence, and thou haft taught in our firects." They heard the voice of the man; but it is only the dead, or felf-condemned, that hear the voice of the Son of God and live: Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." John xviii. 37. And all his fheep hear his voice, and follow and diftinguish his voice from all others; and Chrift hath dropped his benediction both upon fuch ears and eyes: "Bleffed are your eyes, for they fee, and your ears, for they hear." And I know that he hath often spoke to my inmost soul,

and I heard the voice, felt it, and understood it; but my outward cars had nothing to do with it. But what thofe ears are that hear fo plainly when he speaks friendly to the heart, I cannot defcribe. The eyes of the new man are as wonderful: "The world fees me no more," fays Chrift, "but ye fee me; and because I live ye fhall live alfo." And again: "I will fend the Comforter to you, whom the world cannot receive, because it feeth him not, nor knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you." Mofes faw him that is invifible; the patriarchs faw the promise at a distance; "A wife man foresees the evil, and hides himself;" and the faint, in his first love, fees " the King in his beauty, and the land which is very far off." And I have feen my dear Mafter in open vifion for many months together. But what these eyes are is a mystery. Paul fays these things are spiritually difcerned; and he tells us that the eyes of our understanding are opened; but he doth not explain what those eyes are. I know that faith difcovers wonders. But the foul hath more eyes than one. What are the eyes of the underftanding? The new man hath got his affections alfo, which are peculiar to him, the objects of which are, firft, God, and his word, and his faints. Thefe affections, love, or charity, are the principal parts of the new man; and, when in exercise, they fill the foul with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

R 2