my beloved spoke good and heart-melting words to me. I thought the shadow of Christ was delightful. The elements were desirable not for themselves, but the marrow and mystery represented by them. Did Christ give his flesh for the life of the world, and dost thou not find, O my soul, vivifying virtue therein? Did Christ shed his blood for justification, and canst thou doubt of the remission of thy sins? Hast thou experienced the great design of the ordinance in thy heart? Didst thou find it the means of effectual conveyance of rich communications, and comfortable evidence of thy regeneration affording thee assurance of salvation? Didst thou find it as bread to nourish and wine to refresh thy soul? Though I had not such a transporting vision of a resplendent Mediator as the three privileged ones on the mount; yet my soul did enjoy some discoveries of a transfigured Saviour in the sacramental elements. O that they may abide on my heart for many days and weeks! O my soul, be not faithless but believing; send all thy unbelieving doubts to this Captain of thy salvation. Be ashamed, O thou hard, impenitent heart, and blush to think that thy dear Saviour should suffer thus for thy sins, and yet thou be so little broken and affected therewith. Cast thy eye upon the bleeding Jesus, and see what relenting sorrows it produces. Look on him whom thou hast pierced, and weep bitterly as for an only child. If thou shouldst ever begin to faint in thy spiritual race or warfare, a crumb of this delicious bread of life may revive thee and make thee run with alacrity. If thou shouldest fall into a spiritual lethargy, one drop of this aqua vitæ, this soul-cheering and cleansing cordial, may bring thee to life again and make thee as the chariots of Amminadib.

XXVII.

Yesterday I went prepared to preach a lecture at my own place, and had provided an assistant, who came and brought with him another dear friend of mine; so they were both employed and my pains spared. I cannot but take notice of this as a special providence, considering the circumstances attending the business. I had a subject which I much desired to preach at that lecture: Psal. cxii. 7, "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings." My mind had run very much on this text, and I had taken extraordinary pains with it; had read the sermon twice over, which I seldom have the mind or the leisure to do. I had pleased myself with the thought how likely it was to be acceptable and profitable to the auditory, which was composed of most Christians in the neighbourhood. After all this, I was disappointed in the delivery, and upon the review, am persuaned it

was a mercy to me. O my soul, hadst thou a right end in view in making choice of the subject? Was it not to display thy own spirit rather than the truth of God? Lay thy hand upon thy heart and make a strict enquiry. Didst thou not study to make it fine with history, and rhetorical flourishes? Consider, souls are precious and the work is weighty, requiring thy best and utmost provision for every sermon. Seek not credit from men, but study to deliver the wholesome truths of God, in homely, plain, though well becoming language. Seek not to set off the glorious gospel with any device of thy own. How often hast thou found by sad experience that when thou hast most sought thyself thou hast most lost thyself? Thou art bound to search out for acceptable words, and avoid a barbarous phraseology; yet take heed thou dost not please Satan by gratifying thy own and others' luxuriant fancies, in the things of God. Learn of Paul to preach not with enticing words, but in demonstration of the Spirit. Get thy proud thoughts humbled before thou goest to preach, and tremble to think of preaching thyself when thou shouldst preach Christ; pray more over thy heart and labours. Particularly examine this discourse, and mourn over what might have been offensive to others or dangerous to thyself.

XXVIII.

After twenty-two years and upwards, wherein I have been studying, preaching, praying, and waiting on God, since I first began to write my soul-soliloquies, I am now pressed in spirit again to return to my own soul and enquire, what progress I have made in sanctification, communion with God, and preparation for heaven? Come then, O my soul, how are things with thee? Deal faithfully with God and thyself; do not dissemble; dodge not about spiritual matters, for the heart-searching God knows how things are; self-flattery would be thy soul's ruin. True it is my soul hath contracted a heavy burden of guilt during this time. I have had many temptations, corruptions, fears, doubts, and discouragements, which have put my soul on perplexing exercises. But yet, for all that, to the praise of the glory of God's grace, I hope I can say, I have made some progress in the ways of God. I will not conceal but reckon up what testimonies I can find thereof, partly to raise my spirits in praise to God, and partly to evidence my sincerity. I hope I do not lie therein but say the truth in Christ, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. 1. My soul hath been drawn out more frequently to renew my covenant with the Lord my God than formerly, and that too in a more solemn manner, writing it down and subscribing it as in the presence of God. Such days have

been days of heart-breaking and heart-quickening; blessed be my God. 2. God hath helped me more constantly to maintain the duty of secret prayer, and he doth more melt my heart by his blessed Spirit. There are but few days, when I am at home, but God and my soul meet in secret. 3. The Lord helps me to spend my time better than formerly. Through grace I cannot say that I am idle any one day, but can give some tolerable account of the expenditure of time for earth or heaven, in my general or particular calling. 4. As my employment has been increased, so I feel a renewing of strength in my heart. In my studies I have fresh and more profitable matter suggested to my thoughts; so that, comparing my notes now and formerly, I find that the Lord doth assist me. 5. I find my heart more zealously carried out for the good of souls, both in preaching and praying, in public, private, and secret; I could lay myself under the feet of sinners to do them good. The yearnings of my bowels for sinners my God knoweth. 6. My heart is more endeared to saints as saints, without a factious respect to parties, so that I can take delight in the poorest, and most cross-natured and conceited child of God, wherein I can see any thing of Christ and goodness. 7. I find more power in regulating my passions, though I feel them oft working; yet upon pleading with God in prayer they are calmed; through grace I can say, anger rests not in my bosom. 8. I find, by the grace of God, I can put up with injuries and affronts better than formerly, and not study revenge; yea, my heart is more enabled not only to forgive, but to pray to God for the repentance and forgiveness of those who have done me the greatest wrongs; they cost me many a tear. 9. My heart is grieved if God be dishonoured, his Spirit offended, and his gospel reproached by the sins of the wicked, or professors, or myself; and my heart is carried out many times in renewing my repentance on more pure and evangelical principles. 10. If I know I have offended any person, especially believers, it is a burden to my spirit, and I cannot be satisfied till I have humbled myself before them, with self-abasing testimonies of sincere grief, and solicited forgiveness from them. 11. When I have seen professors at a distance from each other it hath been the grief of my soul, and I have often interposed to make up breaches. Sometimes God hath granted me the desired success, and when it hath been otherwise God hath continued my pity and prayers for them. 12. The great concerns of the church and nation have been more upon my heart than formerly. O what pleadings hath God helped me to urge for kings, nobles, ministers, and the interests of Christ. 13. I can rejoice more

in the gifts, graces, and success of God's servants that are more useful than I am; and can say, through grace, that if God will make use of others more than of me, I am not only satisfied but thankful. 14. God hath helped my soul to obtain the victory over the corruptions of my heart. Some lusts, that God knows have cost me many groans, tears, and conflicts, he hath either mortified or removed the occasions from me, so that sin hath not broken out so much as formerly. 15. My heart hath been more helped to undervalue the world and the things thereof, and to account its profits, pleasures, and honours poor and pitiable things of vanity; so that I can say, through grace, the world dwindles and shrinks in comparison with divine things, and is more under my feet than it hath been. 16. My soul is more mercifully assisted in the heavenly life of faith to commit all my concerns to the Lord, and to trust him for provision. Though my occasions of expence have increased, especially in training up my two sons, hitherto God hath given supplies, though I could not tell whence they would proceed. 17. My affections are sometimes more weaned from, yet endeared to, my relations by being more spiritualized; so that I can now say, through grace, I love God in them, and them for God's sake, and enjoy more of God in conversing with them. 18. My soul, I hope, enjoys more fellowship with God, since my heart more closely adheres to him in duties and worship than formerly, and I find larger seasonable supplies, and more meltings of heart in public, private and secret, God giving me more frequent visits, and dealing more familiarly with my soul: blessed be 19. My heart is more taken up with God's mercies, and more exalted in his praises, so that my soul is more melted and expanded in the duties of thanksgiving, both in ordinary duties and on special occasions. Methinks, it is a little emblem of heaven to be employed in God's praises. 20. The Lord hath graciously sealed my soul unto the day of redemption, by giving me assurance of his love in Christ, and in vouchsafing to seal the remission of my sins, so that sometimes I call God my Father, rejoice in him as my portion, and delight my soul in the Lord, and in believing anticipations of the beatific vision.

his name.

To these things I hope my heart echoes; and though I dare not boast that I love Christ more than others, yet I can, through grace, appeal to my God that my soul doth love him in sincerity. I know not how soon my God may possibly leave me to temptation, darkness, deadness, or the commission of some scandalous and conscience-wasting sin; for when I am highest in my own conceit, I am nearest a fall. I have found by experience that God loves to shake my carnal confidence, yet for

this I will not deny nor underrate the grace of God, nor obstruct his praises; for by the grace of God I am what I am. Though I am vile yet my dear Lord hath been an indulgent God to me, and hath made good his covenant and promises to my soul; and if the Lord should henceforth leave me to myself, and at last cast me into hell, I will justify him. O my soul, who, what art thou, that ever free grace should display itself before thee! What hast thou but what thou hast received? Grace was at the foundation, grace has been in the progress, and grace will be celebrated when the top-stone is brought forth. All this goodness that God hath manifested, O my soul, makes thy sins the more aggravated. Thou art still the greatest of sinners and the least of saints. Give God all the glory, and take thou all the shame to thyself. As God hath dealt bountifully with thee, be more dutiful to him; the more he hath given to thee, the more let thy expenditure be for him, and be prepared for his laying on thee a heavier hand than ever.

EPISTLE

TO THE READER OF
"ADVICE TO AN ONLY CHILD."

CHRISTIAN READER,

THIS precious pearl of seasonable advice providentially put first into my hand, and now into thine, is of great worth, and the rate thereof is enhanced not only by the worthiness of the Author, but by the importance of the subject matter, the manner of handling it, and its great end and design. The Author was a master in Israel, a star of the first magnitude, first placed in

This Address was prefixed to a posthumous publication, entitled, “ Advice to an only Child," composed by the Rev. James Creswick, a Nonconformist minister ejected from FRESHWATER, in Hampshire. Mr. C. was a native of Sheffield and, we are told, a man of great abilities, well skilled in the learned languages, and an accurate preacher. He was distinguished for his piety and exemplary patience under a tormenting affliction. He used frequently to say: “Lord, I am thine, and thou canst do me no wrong; I would rather have health of soul in a body full of pain, than health and ease of body in a distempered soul." He died Feb. 1692, aged 75, at Beal, in Yorkshire. The Treatise above mentioned was published by Mr. Heywood.-Noncon. Mem. vol. ii. p. 266.