The time of the singing of birds is come. Cant. 12.

The beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons

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CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN

NOCTUA AURITA,

OF THE DESERT,

AND

PHILOMELA,

OF THE KING'S DALE.

PUBLISHED BY

WILLIAM HUNTINGTON, S. S.

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL

AT PROVIDENCE CHAPEL, LITTLE TITCHFIELD-STREET, AND AT MONKWELL-STREET MEETING,

The time of the finging of birds is come. CANT. ii. 12.

The beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls. Isa. iv. 30.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY T. BENSLEY.

Sold at Providence Chapel on Monday and Wednesday Evenings, and at Monkwell-Street Meeting on Tuesday Evenings; by W. Baynes, No. 54, Paternofter-Row; T. Green, No. 93, and J. Baker, No. 226, Oxford-Street; J. Cobbin, No. 14, Hertford-street, Fitzroy-square; at the Chapel in the Cliff, Lewes, Sussex; by T. Barston, Caftlegate, Grantham, Lincolnshire; and by A. Batten, fen. Wellwyn, Herts.

1799.

PREFACE.

BELOVED FRIEND,

HAVING seen and read most, if not all, the letters which have paffed between you and my dear fister, it is my opinion that they would be of great use to many if they were made public. When I confider and reflect upon the light, support, and help, which I received when in my trouble from many of the Epistles of Faith, as well as from your other writings; and the many accounts I have fince had of the usefulness of the Living Testimonies to many fouls that were in distress, darkness, and bondage; it is my request, should it meet with your approbation, that you would publish them. I am fully perfuaded that the matter they contain leads to the true and living way. The bulk of profeffors, in our day, as far as I am able

to

to judge, are entire strangers to the path of regeneration. There are but a few who walk in the

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narrow path of life, and who experience the love of God therein; and fewer still who can caft up this way before others, and whose ministry is that of the Spirit, and not of the letter. And, as I believe there are some, in many dark corners of the country, ready to perish for lack of knowledge, who are secking the truth, but, for want of fome one to guide them, they are kept in ignorance of it, who knows but that Providence may fend these letters (as I am certain, from my own knowledge, he has many of your other writings) into their hands; which, under God, may give thein light on their state. I think there are in these letters fome things new and fingular. I feel

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!

a defire to fee them in print. I have been ac

T

quainted with my friend now for fome years. When I first knew her she stood very high in her

confidence, fuch as it was; but, when the Almighty wounded me, and made me fpeak out of the

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:

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abundance of my own heart, her confidence was

foon fapped; and I believe the found her 'confidence had ever been in her own tabernacle;

and, when it was rooted up, the king of terrors