to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

All my desire is, that I may be enabled to fight the good fight, to eep the faith, and to finish my course with joy and triumph."

The soul which could have uttered such things as the foregoing, must have held frequent intercourse with heaven. To be holy, seems to have been its strongest desire; a proof, of all the most decided, of a renewed state; the distinguishing mark of true conversion. There is no true religion but were there is a nature or a principle, which hates sin, longs for a deliverance from it, and feels it as an annoyance, as a burden, as a grievous burden,-a principle which loves God, pants after communion with him, and earnestly longs for the full enjoyment of his glorious presence. These feelings may be weak; but they invariably exist in every child of God. The more like God we are, the stronger they become. It is this holy nature that causes the Christian to be wearied with a sinful world, and anxious for a better, for that country wherein dwelleth righteous

ness.

SECT. II.-Diary and Letters during 1779.

We enter now on a new year. The Diary contains the following appropriate reflections on its commence

ment.

66 Jan. 1, 1779. Another year is forever gone, to be seen no more! but not so all its actions. A day is coming when they must all be reviewed.-Another year have I been kept by the power of God. He hath not left me. His grace has been at all times sufficient for

me.

I have hitherto obtained mercy and found grace to help in time of need. Why then should I suspect God's faithfulness, and the sufficiency of his grace for the future? Is he not forever the same God? Many have been my offences the last year against a being of infinite compassion and love: but his boundless mercy has pardoned them all. Praise the Lord, O my soul. May I ever walk humbly with God in the bitterness of my soul. I most cheerfully and sincerely surrender myself and all thou hast bestowed upon me, (for I have nothing else that is good) to thee and thy service this new year and forevermore. Behold, I am thy servant: help me to serve and glorify thee. I am thine; keep me. I am thine; never leave me. May I never be permitted to dishonour thy dear name. Amen."

The following extracts present us with a variety of subjects. A heading shall be prefixed to them.

The life of faith difficult.

"Jan. 29. How difficult do I find it practically to believe those doctrines, of which I have a notion in my head. I want "to be cast into the mould of the Gospel" and to breathe pure Gospel air, having put on the Lord Jesus Christ, being dismantled of all legality and self-righteousness. To live upon Christ, as a guilty, polluted sinner, for righteousness and grace, is the most difficult thing in the world.

A review of God's goodness to him at College.

"March 14. I have just returned from Oxford, where I have been to take my degree of A. B. I am no longer a member of the University. God's goodness and mercy to me while there, were very great indeed! May my heart be ever duly humbled and filled with praise when I reflect on the mercies I received. I was sup

ported there by ways and means of God's finding out, and by such as clearly manifested his invisible hand in ordering and disposing of them. The temptations of various sorts I encountered there were strong and numerous but the Lord kept me in the "fiery furnace ;' ' and I hope, with my "hair unsinged and coat unchanged." These mercies were bestowed in answer to prayer; which doubles the blessing. May this be a further encouragement to me to ask in faith, nothing doubting, in all distresses and difficulties. "Ask and

ye

shall have," is thy command and promise, graciously joined together. All the dispensations of God's providence towards me, though dark and mysterious at first, and through my unbelief, the cause of much uneasiness, yet when in due time unfolded, were full of wisdom, grace and love. Help me to see continually the invisible hand that wisely orders all things, and to put at all times my whole trust in thee.

Human dependance, vain;-grieving for iniquity.

"20. I have lately removed (to Queen-Camel) to live near my curacy. May my light so shine before men, that they seeing my good works may glorify my Father, who is in heaven. The godly are scarce. My soul dwells in the habitation of Dragons. May my conversation be such as may administer grace to all around me. -I find that the Lord is graciously determined to bring me from every thing to live only upon him. I depended on a broken reed and it hath pierced me to the heart. At present I have no friend but the Lord Almighty. And is he not enough? Yes; my soul desires none besides him. He is my strength and portion.

"April 4. How long must I dwell in Mesech? My soul is sore vexed at their iniquity, who are enemies

to God. Surely the fear of God is not in this place. How welcome will heaven be? where all discord forever ceases, and all is union and harmony; where there is perpetual rest without any trouble; and into which no unholy thing shall ever enter. There are no ungodly sinners there.-May the Lord bless my poor labours in this ungodly neighbourhood. Who knows but that the Lord may have much people here.-The Lord's promise to Jacob, when he went down to Egypt, is a great support to me- "Fear not to go down to Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation." In Egypt, in hondage and captivity, they grew exceedingly. The God of Jacob will thus, I hope, deal graciously and bountifully with me. I am now in Egypt, among God's enemies; yet I trust that the Lord is with me and that he will bless me and enlarge my coast, and that his hand will be with me to keep me from evil that it grieve me not. 1 Chron. iv. 10.

Trials. Sin lamented.

April 19. Lately the enemy has been permitted to attack me in every quarter-Good name, worldly honour, worldly interest-all at stake. But, blessed be the Lord, I cheerfully and willingly part with them all, and choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. -Welcome reproaches, if my faith be but strong in God's promise, and if the sky be clear to see the promised inheritance. Eternal weight of glory is enough to outweigh all sufferings here below.

"May 7. In me, that is, in my flesh dwells no good thing, My heart is a fountain of corruption. Lord, cleanse it. There is not a day but I have reason sorely

to lament an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God. Create in me a clean heart.

On the 12th of this month, Mr. C. sent a letter to Mr. G in which he declines the offer of a curacy preferable to his own for reasons which have little weight with the world in general. It contains also some excellent thoughts on other subjects.

"I could never want motives to leave my present situation, while I have the prospect of living near you : yet, as the servant of another great and good master, I should divest myself of all selfish interest and have his glory alone in view in all my actions. When a person is once settled in a place, and as he thinks, by an allwise Providence, he should, in my opinion, be very cautious in exchanging that for another, though more. agreeable to flesh and blood and much more lucrative. My present situation is indeed at present by no means desirable. I have no Christian friend to speak to within fifteen miles. Mr. N.'s unexpected behaviour has produced a coolness between us. All these circumstances, together with the fair prospects your kind proposals hold out to me, strongly incline me to accept your offer. But would this be taking up the cross? Is this a proof of that undaunted fortitude which a Gospel-minister especially should be possessed of? Or is it not rather shaking off the cross impatiently which God in consummate wisdom has laid upon me? When Providences appear dark and mysterious, we are not to be dejected and murmur; but wait patiently on the Lord, who knows best what weather is most suitable to our constitutions. I am persuaded that few rough storms are much wanted to rouse me: though the Lord