forth thy faving hand to receive and redeem our fouls. O that we could fay in the affurance of faith, Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Betroth us unto thee for ever, yea, betroth us unto thee in righteoufnefs, and in judgment, and in loving-kindnefs, and in. mercies. Bring us within the bond of thy covenant, and unite us to Chrift, who is given to be a covenant of the people. Let us experience the efficacy of thy grace, and the powerful operations of thy Spirit, in converfion, fanctification, and preparation for thy coming. Let us be juftified by the blood and righteousness of the immaculate Redeemer. On this foundation, O Lord, do we defire to build our hopes, on this rock to reft our wearied fouls. This fhall be our anchor, this our, mooring-place, amidst all the storms of wrath, all the terrors of death, and the awful folemnity of the judgment-day. The fpotlefs righteoufnefs of Chrift fhall be our only plea for thy favour, our paffport for heaven and glory, and the fubject-matter of our eternal fong. We defire to exult in the freedom of thy grace, and boaft in the mercy of an incarnate God. We triumph in thy love, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Let thy love be fhed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit; and let us be ravifhed with the rich manifeftations thereof to our fouls, Kindle a fire of love in us to the lovely Jefus, and blow it up into a high and towering flame. O the love of God in Chrift! let us fwim in this river, and feaft on the fweetness of these waters of life, through the endless ages of eternity. Lord, give us hearts to praise thee for thy love and grace, to bafk our fouls in the tranfporting rays thereof, and long to be in the eternal and uninterrupted poffeffion of the love of Chrift, which paffeth knowledge, and whofe breadth, length, height, and depth can not be fathomed by the clearest and most enlightened intellects of angels, or fpirits of juft men made perfect. O'to be swallowed up in this love of God our Saviour, and to feed on his lovedainties for ever! O that we knew where we might find God, that we might come even to his feat, and fee him face to face! He is feated on a throne of grace, whofe glorious bafis is justice fatisfied and judgment executed on the Surety, who, as God's righteous fervant, justifieth many; whofe canopy difplays the glory of mercy and juftice, thofe feemingly difcordant attributes of divinity, happily reconciled in the death of the adorable Mediator; whofe pillars are truth and faithfulness; and the middle seat thereof love itfelf, and paved with love for the black and deformed prodigals of mankind, who, by grace, become king's daughters, all glorious within, and have their raiment of wrought gold. O Lord, be thou our God, and our guide even unto death; and we need defire no more. Extend thy mercy to my two dear friends and companions. Thou wilt foon call me to thy kingdom; but they must for a while live in this world, to fight with devil's, wicked men, and the corruptions of their own hearts. Lord, enable them to ftrive lawfully, and fight courageoufly, under the banner of the glorious Captain of falvation, that in thy time they may be crowned. Give them fresh fupplies of thy grace every day; and as their day is, fo let their ftrength be. Grant them, according to the riches of thy glory, to be strengthened with might in the inn er man; that Chrift may dwell in their hearts by faith; that they may be rooted and grounded in love, and may be filled with the fulness of God. O my gracious God, preserve them from temptations to fin and folly, to apostasy and backfliding. Keep them as the ap ple ple of thine eye; and rejoice over them to do them good. Requite their labour of love to me, the meaneft of thy fervants, and the chief of fin ners. "O Lord, extend thy mercy to all men, and gather thy elect from all countries. Let the gathering of the people be unto Shiloh; even unto him who is the mighty Ruler; that sprung from Bethlehem Ephratah, a little city among the thoufands of Ifrael, and whofe goings forth were of old, from the days of eternity. Enlighten the dark places of the earth, that are full of the habitations of cruelty; do thou enlighten them, O God, who workeft falvation in the midft of the earth. Let the light of thy gofpel fhine through all the earth, and extend thy kingdom to the uttermoft parts of the habitable globe. Let the defcendents of Abraham the friend of God, and of Jacob who as a prince prevailed with God, be induced to acknowledge Jefus of Nazareth, the Meffiah promifed to their fathers. Deftroy Mahomet and Antichrift, and all the fupporters and abettors of delufion and idolatry. Dwell in all the reformed churches; purge them from all errors, herefies, and corruptions; make them fair as the moon, clear as the fun, and terrible as an army with banners. O Lord, remember the Britifh ifles with thy falvation, and maintain the gofpel in them till time fhall be no more. Blefs the preaching of the gofpel for the converfion of finners, and the edification of every one that believeth in Jefus. Be prefent in all the worfhipping affemblies of thy people this day, and blefs them with an outpouring of thy Spirit. Let the fhout of the King of Zion be heard among them. Make all places where thy name is recorded a bleffing, and pour down a fhower of bleffings on every dwelling place of mount Zion. O Phyfician Physician of foul and body, vifit in great mercy every fon and daughter under thy afflicting hand; make their bed in their ficknefs, refine them in the furnace, that they may come forth as pure gold. Prepare for the awful change those destined to death, and me among the reft, that we may die in the Lord, and not spend an endless duration in weeping, lamentation, and wo. Be gracious to all our dear friends and connections, beftow thy best bleflings upon them, fupport them under all trials and troubles, and crown them with loving-kindness and tender mercies. O Lord, we recommend ourselves unto thee, a gracious God, reconciled in Chrift., Enable us to fet thee always before us, and to fanctify a Sabbath unto thee, till we be removed to thy heavenly reft. Lord, hear, be gracious, and incline thine ear to our petitions, for the fake of the Son of thy love, whom thou heareft always. Amen!" Our worthy friend was not troubled with the cough during the whole time of this prayer; and though he spoke with a lower voice than usual, except during that part of it relating to the love of God, we heard him very diftinctly, and were greatly refreshed with the pleasant duty. After he had done, his cough returned with double fury; but abated a little on taking fome of Mr M's medicine; when he faid, "O my friends, ftrive to enter in by the ftrait gate, and walk in the narrow way which leadeth unto life. If the righteous fcarcely be faved, where fhall the finner and the ungodly appear? Nevertheless, be affured, that if ye feek the Lord with your whole heart, ye fhall find him. As ye have fairly embarked in the caufe of Chriftianity, perfevere in your courfe, and the God of peace be with you. Amen!" The young gentleman then went out tu to dress for the church, and my friend app'e l himself to meditation and prayer, amidst the fes vere fits of his fatal cough. About one o'clock that day, my valuable friend faid, "I die, but God will furely vifit you and Mr M. You both will live to see more of the vanity, fin, and folly of the world, than I have done; and you will, I hope, live to be witneffes for God and his caufe against all that deluge of error and abominations which has overfpread the land. I think, were I to enter upon the stage of the world again, I fhould not be a filent and unconcerned, though I hope not an im prudent fpectator of and witnefs against the vices. of mankind. I would not only be grieved on beholding tranfgreffors, but I would prudently te ftify against their wicked practices. I mention this to you, my dear friend, to excite you to a holy deteftation against fin and wickednefs, and to ftir you up to check and reprove it. In this regulate your conduct according to the rules of God's word, without cafting your pearls before fwine. Employ yourfelf in teaching the ignorant, reclaiming the profane, advising the foolish, and comforting the mourners in Zion. Let the confideration of what God has done for you, in re fcuing you from the bondage of fin and death, and bringing you into the glorious liberty of the fons of God, engage you to contribute your utmoft endeavours for the propagation of your Lord's kingdom, and promoting the best interests of his fubjects. Grace be with you; for this attendant of death will give me no reft till I encounter with the king of terrors.' About four afternoon, Mr M- -m returned to us; and informed us he had heard an excellent lecture on the two first verses of Rom. v. which I had read in the morning; a no less ex cellent |