February 4, 1813.

My dear grand children, J. and I. B. waited on their beloved Pastor Dr. R-, and professed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners, and their Saviour: their desire to give themselves to the Lord, and to his church, and to be in all things go. verned by it. To receive the seal of the Covenant of Grace, commemorate the dying love of their Redeemer the next opportunity, and swear allegiance to him over the symbols of his body and blood.

Glory to God for this fresh manifestation of his mercy and grace to sinners. Not unto us, O Lord God, but to thy name be the glory. Thou hast made a Covenant with thy chosen, and with believers in him; and thou hast, by thy Holy Spirit, drawn them to take hold of this thy own Covenant, and to give themselves to thee to be made the subjects of it. And now, O Lord, remember thy own Covenant, and do as thou hast said. Put thy laws in their minds, and write them in their hearts, and be unto them a God, and they shall be unto thee a people, be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities remember no more. them understanding to know and believe thy laws, memories to retain them, hearts to love them, consciences to recognise them, courage to profess, and power to put in practice. O grant that the whole habit and frame of their souls may be a table and transcript of thy law. Blessed Redeemer! gather these lambs in thy arms, and carry them in thy bosom. O seal them with the Holy Spirit of promise. Spirit of promise. They look forward

Give

to that feast of love which thou didst institute in that same night in which thou wast betrayed into the hands of sinners. If it may please thee, manifest thyself to them as thou dost not unto the world. Blessed Shepherd,

call these lambs by name; may they know thy voice, rejoice to hear it, and follow thee. In all the preparatory exercises speak to their hearts, and commune with them in secret. O give them some love tokens, which they may never forget; and make thyself known to them in the breaking of bread. Exercise their parents with thankfulness and gratitude, and thine aged servant, to whom, in an especial manner, belong shame and confusion of face, while she stands amazed at the stately steps of thy free sovereign mercy and grace to her, and to her seed, according to the flesh. Husband of the widow! Father of the fatherless! Shield of the stranger! Glorify thy name, magnify thy Grace: all this thou hast been to me. Exercise these parents with deep humility: if they have received Grace to be more faithful than I; yet thy holy eye has seen much short coming in them also. Glory to thy name for the grace in which they stand, and that thou hast enabled them to keep these lambs out of the world. Oh! let this be a heart-searching time with us all; humble us, and exalt thy name, and magnify thy Grace.

O Lord, my Covenant God, all my desire is before thee; is it not that thou magnify thy grace in me and in my family? There are others, Lord, and the residue of the Spirit is with thee. Put forth thy power in the heart of I. G. S. and compel him to come in. And, O my dear J. S. and her family; thou biddest me open my mouth wide. Lord, see, there is much for thee to do. I praise thy name for what thou hast done, and lay me at thy feet waiting for further manifestations of thy mercy, thy sovereign mercy; I have no other plea.

Work with us for thy name's sake, and with J. M for whom my worthless prayers have been presented to thee, as also a member of this family. O Lord, he is now gone out into the world; he is no longer under the control of man; bring him under thy gracious control; call him into thy kingdom of Grace, and make him a willing subject in the day of thy power.

Father, glorify thy name!

Greenwich, June 11, 1813. IN my large light closet, within my airy, comfortable room; the prospect from my windows, such as I have ever delighted in: woods and water, flower garden, and fruit trees, and beautiful shrubs of various kinds, all as much mine, as if my own individual property, by the laws of the land in which I live: surrounded with books, and my children's rich library, at my command; enjoying rich Gospel ordinances, under a godly gifted pastor, with pious, loving, sensible church members; a carriage to convey me, Sabbath and week days, to places of worship; children whose desire is that I may enjoy all these, to the full, without care or trouble, they caring for me: with all these a large measure of health, my eyes see my teachers, my ears hear their voice. Why then these tears? Are they all for sin? Lord, search and see. Does no wounded pride, no selfish hurt, mix? Ah! Lord, thou knowest. I have detected much, and mourn and weep on that account; but, I fear there is yet much lurking and working that I know not. I have set apart the remainder of this day, for fasting and humiliation on account of past sins, which I already know, and for yet further search

into what I know not of at present. Lord, give me heart-searching exercises. Glory, glory, glory, to Father, Son, and blessed Comforter, that I am forgiven ; thy Spirit witnesseth with my spirit that I am forgiven. Thou hast given me faith in the truth of thy testimony, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin-that this is thy own provision for sinners-that Christ died for the ungodly-that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us-that Christ hath loved us, and given himself for us-that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. These last words came from thy own lips of flesh. Thou Gift of God to a perishing world, and to me, one of the most guilty in it! Thou also saidst, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. Thy Spirit witnesseth with my spirit, that to me it is given on the behalf of Christ to believe in him. Phillipians i. 29. Therefore I have everlasting life. That he who was slain and hanged on a tree, Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance and remission of sins and from this exalted Prince I have repentance and forgiveness of sin, and therefore I dare look at my sins: I look with grief, but not with terror. Though forgiven, and provision made for forgiveness, it is still an evil and a bitter thing.

This day is set apart for mourning. I desire to search, to know more of my vileness, that I may mourn yet more: that while my heart is wrung for my ingratitude, the Lord may make it the means of crucifying my sins, especially that which so easily besets me: and for the prayer of faith, that they may be forgiven, and also that I may be delivered from their power in my heart: that I may be clothed with hu

mility, so humble that nothing can hurt me, wearing my Redeemer's yoke, leaning upon him who was meek and lowly, that I may find rest to my soul. Now Lord, exercise me for the rest of the day, and let to-morrow be the beginning of days.

Ten o'clock at night.

THE day is spent, and I look for the blessing. It has not been spent so much in usual way my usual of retracing, confessing, and bewailing, but with Owen on the subject of Pollution and Depravity; of purification and the means appointed by God. The blood of Christ is the only effectual mean, not only as atonement for sin, setting us free from condemnation; but also for cleansing; as sprinkled on the conscience by the Holy Ghost, and purging it from dead works. There are means in which we are to exercise ourselves, depending on the Spirit for benefit. We are to work in the faith that God works in us. Mortification is one mean, and though the mortification of the body is, perhaps, one of the lowest, I think it is of divine appointment, therefore not to be neglected. I have been also studying the death of Christ, and his previous sufferings, as a mean: the unbelief, the opposition, contradiction, contempt and cruel mocking which he endured; and his meekness, patience, and submission under them; healing Malchus's ear, praying for his murderers: that, as the children of Israel were healed by looking to the brazen serpent, I may be healed by looking unto the uplifted Jesus; the Spirit producing the effect. And as the woman with the bloody issue was healed by a touch, exercising faith in the power of Christ: so I may be healed by a look, exercising the