the mild government of thy Spirit: from this it is, that "to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not." From this it is that I form purposes of holiness; but, upon the trial of my strength to accomplish them, am driven back by the least difficulty. Though I know the path that leads to the summit of perfection, and clearly discern by what steps it is to be ascended, yet, laden and oppressed with the burden of my corruption, I am unable to make any progress in it. How indispensably necessary, therefore, is thy grace, O Lord! by whose power alone every good work must be begun, continued, and perfected! Without that power, I can do nothing that is acceptable to thee; but with it, I can do all things.

O grace essentially divine! thou hast all merit within thyself, and givest to the endowments of nature all their value; for what is beauty, or strength, or wit, or learning, or eloquence, in the sight of God, where grace does not dwell? The endowments of nature are common to the evil and the good; but the ornaments of grace are the peculiar marks of the elect, and all that are distinguished by them shall inherit eternal life. The chief grace is charity; without which, neither the gift of prophecy, nor the power of working miracles, nor the knowledge of the profoundest mysteries, are of any profit ; not even faith, and hope, and that zeal which bestoweth all its possessions to feed the poor, and giveth the body to be burned, are acceptable to thee, O God! without charit"

Come, then, O Lamb of God! thou who makest the poor in spirit, rich in goodness, and the rich in goodness, poor in spirit; O come, descend into my soul, and fill it with the light and comfort of thy blessed presence, lest it faint and perish in the darkness and barrenness of its fallen state!

O God of all grace and consolation! that I may find grace in thy sight is the sum of my requests; for thy grace in Jesus Christ is abundantly sufficient to supply all my wants, if I were even destitute of everything that nature loves and covets. Though I am tempted and troubled on every side; “yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death;” yet, while thy grace is with me, “I will fear no evil." She is my strength, my counsel, and my defence; mightier than all enemies, and wiser than all the wise. She is the revealer of truth, the mistress of holy discipline, the sanctifier of the heart, the comforter of affliction, the banisher of fear and sorrow, the nurse of devotion, the parent of contrition. Without her quickening power, I should soon become an unfruitful and withered branch upon the tree of life, fit only to be cast away, or thrown into the fire. Grant, therefore, O most merciful Lord, that thy grace may abide with me continually.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

The Importance of Self-denial.

CHRIST.

THE more thou forsakest thyself, my son, the nearer wilt thou approach to ine. I would have thee, therefore, without the least reluctance or murmur, make an unreserved sacrifice of thyself to my will. Follow me; "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Only by the way which I have opened, canst thou attain to Paradise. Without the truth which I teach, thou canst not know the way; and without the life which I impart, thou canst not obey the truth. I am the way thou must go, the truth thou must believe, and the life thou must desire. I am the invariable and perfect way; the supreme and infallible truth; the blessed, the uncreated, and endless life. In me "thou shalt know the truth, and the truth shall make thee free."

This I have already declared in the sacred records of my precepts; and have also told thee, that, "if thou wilt enter into life, thou must keep the commandments;" if thou wilt know the truth, thou must "continue in my word;" if thou wilt be my disciple, thou must "deny thyself;" if thou wilt

keep thyself for eternal life, thou must hate thy temporal file; if thou wouldst be exalted in heaven, thou mast humble thyself on earth; and if thou wilt reign with me, thou must take up thy cross, and suffer with me: for the path of light and glory is found only by the servants of the cross, who, through much tribulation must enter into the kingdom of God."

DISCIPLE.

Lord Jesus! thy way is narrow and painful, and despised by the world: do thou enable me to walk in it, and with meekness and patience bear contempt: "for the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord." Let me be continually exercised in the study and imitation of thy most holy life, in which all perfection and blessedness is centred. Whatever else I hear, or read, or think of, gives me neither instruction nor delight.

CHRIST.

Son," if thou knowest these things, happy art thou if thou doest them.” “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him,” and make him to sit down with me in the kingdom of my Father.

*The word hate is here used in its scriptural sense, which is not always to bear ill will. Very often it means, to love far less in comparison. Thus must we hate father and mother, yea, and our own life also in comparison with Christ. Luke xiv. 26

ED.

DISCIPLE.

Lord, I beseech thee, that this gracious promise may be accomplished in thy servant! I receive the cross from thee; and by the strength of that Almighty hand which laid it upon me, I will bear it even unto death.

The new principle begotten in thy disciples imposes continual restraint on natural appetites and passions, but without such controul they would not follow the light that leads to Paradise. O suffer me not to look back with a partial and selfish fondness for the good of this world, however specious; lest I incur the dreadful disqualification for "the inheritance of thy kingdom."

Come, my beloved brethren, let us take courage, and hand in hand pursue our journey in the path of life: Jesus will be with us! for Jesus' sake we have taken up the cross; and, for Jesus' sake, we will persist in bearing it: He, who is our captain and our guide, will be our strength and our support. Behold our King, who will fight our battles, leads the way! Let us resolutely follow, undismayed by terrors; let us choose death, rather than stain our glory by deserting the cross.