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Meditations.

seed. Let me stand a monument of thy grace on earth, and bring me, as a trophy of thy victory, to heaven.

MEDITATION II.

PSALM iv. 6.

And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

WHAT a wearisome world is this! sin and sorrow compass me about; though some sweet drops of heavenly consolation at times revive my soul, yet how often hangs my harp on the willows, and how often is my head bowed down as ears of corn with drops of dew? Lord, thou hast told me of a blessed rest which remaineth for the people of God; thou hast drawn me to look up to it, to pant after it; had my soul wings to fly to thy bosom, how swiftly would I pierce the skies! No timorous dove, darting from the rapacious vulture, seeks so eagerly its covert, as my poor heart should fly from these sublunary evils, to that shadow of thy wings, where is everlasting rest. When shall it yet be, dear Lord, that my weary soul shall find in thee repose? Hide me in the cleft of the rock; in thy bleeding side may my sinful soul now find a safe retreat; give me the wings of faith, that I may fly to this relief from the pursuit of divine justice and a consuming law; and when this clog of earth that weighed down my soul, shall be shook off in the

Meditations.

dust, and my imprisoned spirit disentangled from the clay, then let the wings of love direct my flight to the heaven where thou art: and, close sheltered by thy once bleeding side, let me bid an eternal adieu to sin and sorrow. Be patient, my soul, yet a little while, and hope unto the end; he, that is faithful and true, saith, I will give thee rest.

MEDITATION III.

PSALM CXIX. 94.

I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.

YES, Lord, I am thine by every tie: thine by creation, thine by providence, thine by redemp→ tion, thine by grace, thine by every obligation of love, thine by repeated and solemn surrenders of myself unto thee-wholly thine am I for ever bound to be: yet how sacrilegiously have I alienated from thee what was thine! how often have I faithlessly dishonoured thee, and broken the vows which were upon me! how, like a broken bow, have I started aside! and still, Lord, my vile heart, how prone it is to wander from thee! How shall I render to thee thine own! How shall I approve myself to thee! Save me-it must be thy own work; without thee I can do nothing to please thee: save me from myself, from my sins, from my corruptions, from my weakness; visit me with thy salvation. If thou set my heart at liberty, then shall I run in the paths of thy commandments: Lord, they are

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Meditations.

righteous, just, and good; I delight in them after the inner man. Oh that my ways were made so direct, that I might walk in them for ever! Oh that I could do thy will on earth, as it is done in heaven! Prepare me for the blessed service above, by daily power communicated from thee, to walk in thy ways here below.

MEDITATION IV.

PSALM 1xxiii. 25.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.

LORD, what is heaven but thy favour and reviving presence? what is hell but thy absence and displeasure? The glory of thy sanctuary is thy blessed self; without thee, those shining mansions would be desolate: thou art there, and there to bless thy people with the enjoyment of thyself. When shall I see thee face to face? when shall my heaven come, to awake up in thy likeness, to behold the transforming glory of thy countenance ? O Lord, for thee my soul longeth, to be where thou art, and as thou art. O heaven! heaven! my God is there; he that is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever! If thou art mine, (and that thou art, thy promises have given me most reviving assurance,) if thou art mine, what can I ask for more, or wish beside? Lord, thou art all-sufficient. Whilst here I linger out the mo

Meditations.

ment allotted me, though distant, too distant from thee, thou shalt be still my joy and my hope. What rival would steal away my affections from thee? what earthly object would intrude, and rob thee of my love? Lord, there is nothing upon earth I desire in comparison of thee; wealth, honour, and pleasure tempt me away, but what can they give me in exchange for thee? Are they not dross and dung? are they not on the balances lighter than vanity itself? Think, my foolish heart, when thou inclinest to listen to the syren's song, which on earth ensnares poor souls in perdition and destruction, think of thy better portion; live on him who is alone able to supply the void within, and from the never-failing streams which flow from the fountain of all consolation, will replenish thee day by day, till from the streams thou comest to the fountain-head, receivest the fulness of thy desires, and dwellest in God, and God in thee.

MEDITATION V.

CANT. viii. 14.

Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart, upon the mountains of spices.

REMEMBERING here thy death till thy coming again, I wait for thy appearance. Lord, I know thou wilt come, and wilt not tarry. Oh that my soul may meet thee, as a bride adorned for the bridegroom. I call thee my beloved, and art thou

Meditations.

not such to me? Thy love to me constraineth my soul, thou chief of ten thousand, thou altogether lovely! Why are thy chariot wheels so long a coming? I look upwards, and start at my own desires; how shall I appear before him, how shall I be regarded of him? Black as the tents of Kedar, defiled my garments, and false to my Lord as I have been, can I wish for his arrival? He hateth putting away; he is compassionate and kind; he pities, he pardons; he saith, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you." Lord, I come to thee; array me in thy comeliness, remove my filthy garments, call me thine own, and take thy spotless robes of righteousness, and adorn my soul, and then hasten thy coming, my beloved! Sweet are the mountains of spices, where in thy ordinances thou hast left a savour of thy blessed self; sweet is the repast which here thou hast provided for my soul, but sweeter far will be the feast, when thou shalt favour the table with thy real presence: and, like the bounding hart that rushes from the mountain's steep, come down to me, and catch me up to meet thee in the clouds; there better spices breathe their fragrance, for thou art there; and where thou art, all blessings must abound. Haste then, and bring me to the holy hills, where thou, my Lord, dwellest, and fill me with the joy of thy everlasting love.

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