the sun, crowned with honour and glory. And when my absolution is read, and sentence passed upon the world, then must I be taken up to dwell with thee.

Let not my Lord be angry, that thy dust and ashes speaketh thus unto thee. Thou, Lord, hast raised my expectations; and hast made me to look for all these great things from thee. In vain hast thou written all these great things unto me, if I should not believe them; and a distrustful diffidence would put a high dishonour upon thy truth.

O Lord, it repenteth me, it repenteth me of my jealousies and my doubtful thoughts. about thee. I know thou lovest a humble confidence, and delightest in nothing more than to see thy children trust thee. I know the building of my hopes lies not a hair's breadth over the foundation of thy promises; yea, it is sure, my expectations are infinitely short of what I shall find.

O my God, my heart trusteth safely in thee; and I here set to my seal, that thou art true. Christ is my vessel in which I venture, and the corner stone on which I build; and therefore my freight* is insured, and my building shall challenge the winds and floods.

And now, O Lord, what wait I for? My

a John iii, 33. b Eph. ii, 20. c Mat. vii, 25. *A cargo or lading.

hope is in thee. O my blessedness, let me enjoy thee: O my life, let me possess thee: O desire of mine eyes, let me see thy face and hear thy voice; for thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely.b I ask but what thou hast promised: for thou hast told me, that I shall see God, and thou wilt speak to me mouth to mouth; even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of God shall I behold.

So shall my knowledge be perfected; d and I shall see the inaccessible light, and my tender eye shall not water, nor my sight dazzle: but I shall, with open face, look steadfastly on the Sun of righteousness, and behold his glory. Then shall faith be turned into fruition, and hope into possession, and love shall arise like the full moon in her brightness, and never wax nor wane

more.

O thou God of my hopes, I do look for a new body and a new soul, for new heavens and for a new earth, according to thy promise: when my whole soul shall be wholly taken up with thee, and all my affections strained to the highest pitch; and all the wheels of my raised powers set in most vigorous and perpetual motion towards thee; still letting in, and still laying out; and thus there shall be an everlasting communication

a Psalm xxxix, 7. bCant, ii, 14. Mat. v, 8. d 1 Cor. xiii, 9, 10.

of joy and glory from thee, and of love and praise from me.

O my soul, thou art rich indeed, and increased in goods. Thou hast no reason to envy the glory, nor grandeur, of the mightiest on earth; for their glory shall not descend after them: like sheep shall they be laid in their graves, and death shall feed upon them, and there is an eternal end of all their pomp and excellency. But my kingdom is an everlasting kingdom: my robes shall never wear, my crown shall never totter, my throne shall never be vacant, my bread shali never mould, my garland shall never wither, my house shall never moulder, my wine shall never sour; but everlasting joy shall be upon my head, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away.

O my God, how happy hast thou made me! It is better than I could have wished; thou hast done all things well: thou hast settled them for ever. The whole earth cannot shew any such heritage or tenure. The world can stake out her possessions but for years; nor can she make a good title for that, neither: but mine inheritance is for ever, and none can put me out of possession. The thing is established in heaven, and in the volume of the book it is written of me. My evidence cannot be lost; it is recorded in the court above, and enrolled in the sacred

a Psalm xlix, 14.

leaves of the word, and entered upon the book of my conscience; and herein I do and will rejoice.

Now, my soul, wipe up thine eyes; and go away, with Hannah, and be no more sad. What! though mine house be not so with God, so happy, so prosperous, as I could wish? What! though they be increased that trouble me, and my temptations and afflictions be like the roaring billows, riding on one another's backs for haste? Yet shall my soul be as a rock unmoved, and sit down satisfied in the security and amplitude of my portion: for God hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure; and herein is all my salvation, and all my desire.

And now what remaineth, O Lord, but that I should spend the remainder of my days in loving, praising, and admiring thee? But wherewith shall I come before the Lord, or bow myself to the most high God? What shall I give thee to express my thankfulness, though not to requite thy bounty? Alas, my poor little soul! Alas, that thou art so little! How narrow are thy capacities! How disproportionate are thy powers! Alas, that my voice can reach to no higher a note! But shall I do nothing, because i cannot do all?

Lord, I resign to thee. With the poor widow, I cast my two mites (my soul and

body) into thy treasury. All my powers shall love and serve thee; all my members shall be weapons of righteousness for thee. Here is my good will. Behold, my substance is thy stock; mine interest is for thy service: I lay all at thy feet. There thou hast them; they are thine. My children I enter as thy servants; my possessions I resign as thy right. I will call nothing mine but thee. All mine are thine. I can say, "My Lord, and my God," and that is enough; I thankfully quit my claim to all things else. I will no more say, "My house is mine," or "My estate mine;" I myself am not mine own: Yet it is infinitely better for me to be thine, than if I were mine own. This is my happiness, that I can say, "My own God, my own Father." And O what a blessed exchange hast thou made with me! -to give me thyself, who art an infinite sum, for myself, who am but an insignificant cypher!

And now, Lord, do thou accept and own my claim. I am not worthy of any thing of thine, much less of thee. But since I have a deed to shew, I bring thy word in my hand, and am bold to take possession. Dost thou not know this hand? Wilt thou not own this name? Wilt thou not confirm thine own grant? It were infidelity to doubt it. I will not disparage the faithfulness of my Lord, nor be affraid to aver, and stand to