At 10 o'clock, went to church: Mr. O read prayers and preached; my foul was lifted up indeed to join in divine worship; Mr. O's text was John iv. 23. from whence he excellently treated of inward piety, and purity of heart wrought by the Holy Ghoft, and of the fpirituality of the chriftian life and worship of God. Grant O Lord, that thy word may run and be glorified in this place. O make its minifters as flames of fire, its officers peace, and its exactors righteoufnefs; let thy glory arife here and fhine, even as the noon day! 27th. Over-flept my felf this morning, and lost our tide. Bleffed be God who awoke me from my fleep in fin to a divine life in himself, and did not fuffer me to let flip the day of my fal· vation. In the afternoon the wind fprung up, and we fail'd over the Sound against tide. 28th. Awoke before day; arofe to prayer; the Lord breath'd upon my heart, and my defires were centered in him; I pleaded his paft goodnefs to me, and the glory of his holy name, as an argument for greater communications of his grace to be revealed in me; for the fuccefs of the gospel in the hearts of thofe about me, and for my dear yoke-fellow, to partake with me in my joys, and be ftrengthen'd and confirm'd to fpread the favour of his name with me in our family. Never were my defires more fervent in prayer, nor my confidence in his favour more ftrong. In the afternoon arrived at Bt; was kindly invited by Mr. S S to his house; spent fpent the evening in religious conversation; had an opportunity of fpeaking freely of the experience of my own heart in my converfion to a poor cripple, with a view to into the state of his foul. at Mr. S- -S. excite him to enquire Lodg'd that night 24th. About three o'clock awoke, my God being graciously prefent with me; I arose to prayer, and my foul did cleave to him with all its powers. I efteem'd not only all that I poffeffed, but my very life, as not to be accounted of in affection when compar'd with the interest or honour of his name. I panted for higher degrees of heavenly wisdom and fanctification of heart to spread the favour of his grace; my heart was enlarged, for divine goodness poffefs'd all its powers, and I long'd for the accomplishment of my work on earth to finish my course, that I might obtain the end of my faith, the glory of my longing panting foul, my dearest Jefus. My dear bofom partner lay near my heart, and with strong fervour of foul I befought the Lord to manifeft his glory in her heart, and fill her with the joys of his acceptance and love. My poor Negroes I prefented as ufual to the Lord, as a part of my charge for his acceptance and bleffing. I did not forget his poor perfecuted faints, and the fuccefs of the gofpel. I lay down again and flept; awoke at day, arofe to prayer ; was filled with the fulness of my God; the interefts of Zion lay near my heart, and the prof perity of her children; I prefented the cafe of my bofom-partner again to the Lord, and he gave me an answer of acceptance; my negroes alfo I again recommended to his b'effing. My foul never more delighted in him, nor long'd more. to quit this earthly tabernacle, to be fixed with him in the perfection of holiness. December 1ft. At Col. IV-s before day, awoke and rofe to prayer; lay down again; spoke to my bofom-partner of the common falvation; the Lord filled me then with his presence, and affifted me in converfation. Truly he is gracious, and his mercy is ever towards thofe that fear him, and delight themselves in his favour and the light of his precepts. 3d. Lord's Day, Mr. 7- A- preached; my heart was lifted up to God to grant him affistance and a bleffing on his inftruction; and the Lord refreshed my foul with his gracious prefence. 4th. Arofe before day to prayer, and the Lord vifited me with the foul-ravifhing joys of his favour. Blefs his holy name, O my foul; let his goodness and mercy ever engage thy love and obedience. O fhew forth a favour of his most worthy name, and difplay the glories of his grace all around thee! 17th. Lord's Day, God graciously vifited my foul in the morning at home, and in his fanctuary, my foul greatly delighted in him, his prefence overflow'd all my powers, and my heart breath'd forth thankfulness and praifes to him. But un. ftable ftable as water is my treacherous heart; for fermon being ended, I faw a certain gentleman come, and went to compliment him; worldly converfation presently enfued and filled up the interval betwixt fermons ; I was fhock'd foon after, upon reflection, at fo prefumptuous a violation of both law and grace; my God juftly offended departed from me, and my foul was filled with bitter remorfe. O curfed folly to ftoop to a creature, and abuse the folly of my Creator! The joy and glory of my life neglected, and his laws violated thro' a fordid fear of man. Great God, let thy pardoning mercy cover this my prefumptuous. fin, and fo imprefs a fenfe of it on my heart, that I may with my latest breath review it with fhame! Surely thy mercy is infinite, and therefore I am not confumed. 24th. Lord's Day, the Lord vifited my foul in his fanctuary. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hofts, when dignify'd with the prefence of thy glory, and thy fpirit diffufes its odours thro' the hearts of thy people. How precious unto me is the glory of my heart, my God: my fong fhall ever be of thy goodness, for thy mercy endureth for ever. This day my brother infant was baptized by the Rev. WH-; my foul was importunate with my God, that he would receive it as his, and feal it with the baptism of the Holy Ghoft; and he graciously fill'd my heart with joy, in believing that his bleffing will rest upon the child: glory to God in the 's highest, highest for the privileges of his grace in Chrift Jefus. 1753, Jan. 4th. I fpread my outward difficulties before the Lord, and committed to him the diftreffes of my foul, pleading his power to help; I confefs'd my folly, and he humbled my heart before him, and fill'd it with a confidence of his favour and bleffing. O my deareft God, what friend is like thee, or what fuccour like thine? O help me to tell the world thy love, and to diffuse a favour of thy goodness to the furviving generation! Let me no more doubt of thy fatherly care of me; make me ftrong in faith to reft on thy faithfulness, and to fee my felicity compleatly fecur'd in thine all-fufficiency. To thy name I will give glory and praife for ever, Amen. 7th. Lord's Day. The Lord ftrengthen❜d me for the duties of the fabbath in my family, and graciously manifested his acceptance of my facrifice, by filling my heart with a delightful fenfe of his favour. They that wait on the Lord fhall renew their ftrength; he is near to all that feek him in fincerity, his mercy to them that fear him endureth for ever. Nor children's children e'er fhall find Watts 8th. I read Mrs. Rowe's devout exercifes of the heart; and bleffed be God who has put them into my hand, and by them often refreshed my heart, and quickned my drowsy spirit to wait up. on |