servings? Where should I be, if I had my deservings? God forgive me! I see mine error. I am humbled for it, and I repent with shame and sorrow. I hope my past misconduct will prove a blessing to me. For it has certainly taught me to trust less to myself, and more to the word of God; to depend less upon my own doings, and more upon free grace promises. To the word which cannot be broken, I would trust in the time of need. Whoever trusts in it shall never be confounded. This I know to be true by happy experience. I will therefore read, and hear, and study it night and day. By means of it the Lord wrought a great deliverance for me. My feet were almost gone, my treadings had well nigh slipt; but he sent out his word and saved me. I read and believed, that the Father was not reconciled to me for the goodness of my walk; but that reconciliation was planned in the great covenant before all worlds, and was carried into execution by the life and death of Immanuel; it was his peculiar, his glorious, his incommunicable work; it was his sole prerogative

to make peace by the blood of his cross. Ò that I may be enabled to maintain it the next time my faith is tried, and to put honour and glory upon the divine record concerning it. I read and believed, that the Father does not love me upon account of my walk, but for his mercies' sake. His mercy was towards me from everlasting. He loved me in his Son-chose me-accepted me in the beloved --and all his dealings with me, since he called me by his grace, have come from the tender mercies of a covenant God and Father. I would not henceforth have one doubt of his being reconciled to me, and of his loving me perfectly in Jesus. My faith herein has been confirmed by my late trials. I have learned by experience to rely upon what God has spoken, for preserving his peace in my conscience, and his love in my heart. Depending on his faithful word, and mighty arm, I would walk with him this day for the strengthening and increasing of those graces. This is the desire and prayer of my

soul:

O Father of mercies, hear me for Jesu's

sake. I acknowledge my sinfulness and unworthiness, even in my closest walk with thee. I am less than the least of thy mercies; yea, deserving the heaviest of thy vengeance. It is of the Lord's mercy, that it has not fallen upon me long ago, and I trust in his word, that it will never fall upon me. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of thine heritage? Thou retainest not thine anger against them for ever: because thou delightest in mercy. Glory be to thee for thine unspeakable mercies: for thou hast given me faith in the atonement of Jesus, by whom I have peace with thee, my reconciled God, and by whom I have experienced thy great love to me. On thee, O my God, is still my hope. I look up to thee, the giver of those graces, for strength to maintain them in my daily walk. I do believe in the sacrifice and righteousness of Immanuel; Lord, help mine unbelief. I find it hard to preserve in my practice, what I believe to be true in doctrine: And therefore on thy present help I must continually de

pend. Lord, strengthen me mightily by thy Spirit in the inner man against temptations. I am daily and hourly called upon to exercise my faith, and when thy grace does not hold me up, I fall. The fiery darts of satan easily inflame me, when they are thrown at my legal hopes, false dependencies, or self-righteous tempers. My shield, which should quench them, is ready to drop out of mine hand. I should fall a prey to the enemy, and the fire would consume me, if thy mercy was not over me for good. O my God and Father, strengthen my faith against the wiles and assaults of satan, and against the workings of nine own unbelief. When these trials come, keep me sensible of my weakness and dependence on thy promised strength, that I may meet them strong in the Lord, and in the power of thy might. O let every trial teach me more of thy peace in my conscience, and more of thy love in my heart, that I may keep on in a steady course, walking humbly with my God. God. This is the work of thy good Spirit. I cannot preserve nor improve his graces, unless he be every mo

ment present with me. He is the giver, the continuer, the increaser of them all. O God the Holy Ghost! I therefore beseech thee to water thy graces every moment. Lest any

hurt them, keep them night and day. Never leave me nor forsake me; but what thou hast graciously begun, that mightily carry on, in my soul. Temptations are strong, and I am weak: stand by me in the hour of need. And if my faith be tried with fiery temptations, let it come out of them, like gold out of the fire. O thou Almighty Spirit, confirm by trials, improve by experience, my trust in thy promised help. Let me go on from faith to faith. Keep up the confidence of my rejoicing in my reconciled God and loving Father, that I may walk humbly with him in sweet communion, and holy fellowship in the way everlasting. Grant me these mercies, gracious Father, for thy dear Son's sake, by the influence of the eternal Spirit, three persons in one Jehovah, to whom be equal praise for ever and ever. Amen.