ftretch themselves far beyond all prefent Enjoyments, and can be filled, and reft contented, with nothing lefs than Thee..

O my beloved Lord, King of the Univerfe, knit me to thee with the Bands of an entire and holy Affection. Set me at liberty from this Clog of Earth, and give me Wings of ardent Zeal and pure Devotion, that I may foar aloft, and take my flight higher than Heaven it felf; and find my Reft in thee. Oh! when will that happy time come, when I fhall be fet at liberty from Sin and Corruption, from the Body and the World, and without Interruption, without Allay, tafte and feaft upon the fweetnefs of my God? When will the neceffary Cares of this Life cease to diftract me, and leave me Power and Leisure to indulge thofe Longings and Pleasures, which refined and unbodied Spirits feel, when fwallowed up in the Contemplation of thy Divine Excellencies: and even raised above themselves, they know and love, and retire wholly into Thee? At prefent I am oppreffed with a Load of Infirmities and Corruptions, and often groan under the Senfe of my heavy Burden. The inward Joys, with which thy Grace fupports me, are mingled and embafed with Pains and Tears; which cloud, and darken, and deject my Mind; diftract my Thoughts, obftruct my eagereft Wishes and Endeavours, and faften me down to Earth and Mifery, when I would fly to thy Embraces. I cannot in this Vale of Sorrow, enjoy my Lord, my Love; but wait with hope, and long fore for that happy Change, which fhall tranflate me to the Spirits of Juft men made perfect, and render me partaker of their Blifs. But let not, Lord, my Sufferings, and Tears be loft; Remember and compaffionate my prefent wretchednefs, and grant my fighs an eafie and effectual Accefs into thy bleffed Prefence.

Thou,

Thou Lord, art the Brightness of thy Father's Glory; dart thy reviving Beams into my Soul; enlighten its dark Places, and Scatter its Difcomforts : To thee the very Thoughts and inmoft Defires of every Heart are known; By Thee the moft fecret and filent Wishes are throughly understood. O hear me, when I fpeak in this Language, and pour out my Supplications in Sighs and Griefs which Words cannot utter. Even when my Tongue lies ftill, my Thoughts are in motion; and my Heart within my Breaft burns with inarticulate Ejaculations. "How " long (fay I to my felf) how long will my Lord, my Bridegroom delay his coming: Oh! that he

would vouchsafe to enter under the Roof of his "unworthy and afflicted Servant! O that he would "ftretch forth his Almighty Hand, and deliver this "Wretch, just ready to fink, out of all the Mifery "and Trouble, which furround, opprefs, and are

r

ready to devour him! Come, Lord Jefus, come "quickly. For without Thee, no Day, no Hour is eafie or comfortable; for thou art my Hope, my Joy, and all my Worldly Plenty; but without thee "is the very Extremity of Poverty and Want.

See how I lie in this Prison of the Flesh, Fettered and Bound up with the Chain of my Sin, till the Pitifulness of thy great Mercy loofe me, and the light of thy Countenance, breaking into this darkfome Dungeon, affure me of thy Favour and Friendship. "Let

others covet and fet their Affections upon fuch "wretched Objects, as deluded Senfe thinks valuable; but, as for Me, I will love and long for Nothing, "but Thee, my God, alone; for Thou, my God,

alone, art my Hope and Happiness; the only Stay "of my prefent, and the only blifs of my future "and eternal State." Such is, and fuch fhall ever be my Addrefs and fervent Prayer. Nor will I let thee go, until thou blefs me; till thou infpire new Life

with thy Favour; and dwell in, and converse familiarly with my Soul, by thy Spirit and Gracious Prefence.

Chrift.] Behold me here, my Son, always attentive to thy Prayers, always ready to extend the Comfort and Relief thou fo zealously imploreft. Thy Tears and fervent Defires, the Sorrows of thy perplexed Heart, and the ftrong Cries of a wounded Confcience have pierced the Skies, and brought me down to thy speedy Succour and Comfort; for I am ever nigh to fuch as be of an humble and contrite Spirit, and my Ears are always open to the Prayers of my Suffering Servants.

Difciple.] I did indeed prefume, in the Anguish of my Soul, to beg what I am fenfible I cannot deferve, and flee to thee, my God, for help. And lo! I am fincerely difpofed to forfake all and follow thee. Nor will I afcribe to my felf the Glory of fo zealous, fo refign'd a Temper; for Thou, Lord, didft work this good Thing in me, and, by thy own preventing Grace, kindle and excite my very firft Defires. I prayed, but thou preparedft my Heart; I fought thee, but it was by thy Impulfe and Direction. And for this firft Difpofition, I return thee my moft humble and unfeigned Thanks; acknowledging it thy beft, thy fole Gift, that I have been able fo much as to think or intend any good Thing. Since then the whole of what I do or defire well is Thine, my part fhall be to cherish every holy Motion, to improve the early and happy Affiftances of thy Grace, to fubmit my felf without any Referve to thy Holy Guidance, and, in the midst of the very beft Performances thou qualifieft me for, conftantly and humbly to remember my own Vileness and Impotence. For who, O Lord, is like unto thee? Or what in Heaven or Earth, which hath, or boasts of any Excellence, can be compared unto my God and Saviour? Thy Works are juft and

true,

true, Thy Precepts right and equitable, Thy Providence great and glorious, and all things are governed by it, after a moft wife, and holy, and good, and wonderful manner. All Honour and Glory and Praife, be therefore ascribed to Thee, Eternal Wisdom of thy Eternal Father: May Heaven, and Earth, and all the Creatures, fet forth thy Excellencies, and in this general Confort I will joyn; My mouth fhall fing thy aftonishing Works, thy great Glories; and I will never ceafe to praise and Adore my God, while I have any Being.

A

Disciple.]

CHA P. XXIV.
Thanksgiving for God's Mercies.

O

I

Lord, that I may fee and obey the Pen thou the Eyes of my Understanding, Pfalm cxix. wondrous Things of thy Law: Give me the perfect Knowledge of thy Will, and poffefs me with a reverent and thankful Senfe of all thy Goodness and Loving-Kindness to me and to all Men; that I may fhew forth thy Praife, and publish thy Mercies. know these are so numerous and great, that I can never magnify them worthily: The leaft of them exceeds my Power to exprefs; and when I confider them, I am fo far from any vain pretence of Merit, that all my Thoughts are over-powered, and loft in Wonder. For all our Advantages of Mind and Body, of Perfon and Fortune, thofe which are Endowments and Ornaments of Nature, and thofe which exalt and, fupply the Defects of Nature, all are the Effects of

thy Bounty and Beneficence; from whom Jam. 1. 17. every good and perfect Gift cometh.

hou art the common Source, the Univerfal Repofitory, from whence our Benefits are drawn down. Not to All in equal Proportions, 'tis true; but, be

the

the Measure lefs or more, 'tis ftill thy Diftribution. He who receives moft is indebted for the whole to thy Liberality; and he who hath leaft, could not have had that little but from Thee. He to whom thou haft dealt thy Bleffings moft plentifully, is not from that Difpenfation to take an Eftimate of himself; his Plenty will not justifie any Confidence or Boaft of his own Merit, nor may he infult over his Brethren, or behave himself uncomely, and difefteem or defpife thofe, from whom thy Mercies have diftinguished him. For the Greatness of Mens Deferts is moft eminently discovered by a Modeft and Mcan Opinion of themselves, Courtefie and Condefcention to others, Gratitude and Devotion towards God. And the more they are fenfible of their own Wants and Unworthiness, the better they qualifie themfelves for fresh and greater Demonftrations of thy Love and Liberality. Again, the Man to whom thou haft diftributed more fparingly, muft not repine and be difcouraged, nor fret and grudge the larger Portion of his wealthier Neighbour; but keep his Eyes and Mind wholly intent upon thee, and admire the Freedom of thy Grace, which, as it cannot be obliged to any, fo gives to all largely, and without partial Refpect of Perfons.

For thou art to be praised in all thy Gifts by every Man, because all comes from thee: And thou art Mafter of thy own Favours; thou giveft without Upbraiding, and withholdeft without Injuftice: Thy Wisdom knows what Meafures are proper and expedient for each Perfon; and the Reafons why one Man differs from another, lie not within the compafs of our Knowledge, but must be left entirely to thy Judgment, to determine the Fitness of them.

In this Perfwafion, Lord, I readily acknowledge and adore thy Mercy, in fuffering me to want many of those Advantages, which the generality of Mankind set a mighty Value upon. Nay, I am fatisfied, that N

Men