18th. I was at meeting at Garryroan with two Friends, and dined with them at Rihill. After dinner, they sweetly addressed a newly married couple, during which I was favoured with tenderness; and one of them had afterwards a few words of encouragement to me to persevere. Oh! may I be enabled to do so; for surely it is totally out of my own power, without continued gracious assistance from on high.

a

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for those that love him." What is here meant by loving the Lord?" If a man love me, he will keep my words and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." b

7th Mo. 17th. At our quarterly meeting, being on a committee respecting Elders, I attended under much discouragement; but soon after sitting down, my mind was arrested by the expressions: "He that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." more and more be enabled to do so!

C

May I

c Is. l. 10.

8th Mo. 4th. For some time past, weakness and want of resolution in the best things, have been sorrowfully prevalent. This day, as I rode along the road, the declaration of the Apostle was brought to my remembrance, and in the feeling thereof my mind was in degree humbled and tendered, viz. “That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; not imputing their trespasses unto them."a Surely it is and must be all his own work. himself, or in his own will, can do nothing for himself therein: it is "not by works of righteousness which we have done; but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration;" not as some falsely imagine, by an instantaneous conversion, but by the re"newing of the Holy Ghost." b

Man of

5th. "I will be as the dew unto Israel."c This day, riding over the mountain from Clonmel, all within me was humbled under a feeling sense of the unbounded love and mercy of our heavenly Father; yet when such seasons of favour are over, it often seems almost as hard to recur to the feelings which have been attendant, as it is to trace the effects of the dew when apparently evaporated by the heat of the

a 2 Cor. v. 19.

b Titus iii. 5.

c Hosea xiv. 5.

sun; yet each has undoubtedly a gracious and benign, though secret, effect.

This has been a memorable day to my soul, and one to be remembered as a day of renewed espousal; the Lord, in his mercy, again breaking in upon me, with the sweet incomes of his love and life-giving presence; so that the language was brought to my recollection: "Eat, O friends! drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved!" In the secret of my soul, I would adopt the language: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." But the caution run through my mind, to "rejoice with trembling."

a

с

The covenant Jacob made at Bethel, was brought to my remembrance; but I felt unwilling to attempt to make any terms for myself in any respect. Such was the feeling of Divine favour and consolation vouchsafed, that I could commit myself as into the hands of a faithful Creator; saying: Lord, I am in thy hands, do with me what seemeth good unto thee: feeling that his loving kindness is better than great riches. Oh may I walk worthy of such unmerited favours!

7th. A pretty peaceful day. Desires for pre

• Cant, v. 1.

b Ps. cxviii. 24.

c Ps. ii. 11,

servation have attended, and for a more close acquaintance with the Beloved of Souls; whose voice is sweet and his countenance comely.

14th. This afternoon, as I sat at my business in the office, a feeling of tenderness and contrition was almost suddenly vouchsafed. What an inestimable favour! though it continued but a short time; perhaps from my own unwatchfulness.

22d. For some time past I have been getting through Samuel Scott's Diary, by occasionally reading it, a little at a time; and think it a work well deserving serious reading and attention. Last night at bed-time, though I had been engaged in writing till a pretty late hour, and felt well disposed to go to rest. I gave way to an inclination to read a small portion of it, as I sat upon my bed-side nearly undressed. Serious feelings were produced, and a degree of tenderness covered my spirit, under the feeling whereof, I ventured to kneel as in the presence of that Great and Gracious Being who governs all things; and was enabled, I trust, in a good degree of sincerity and humility, to pour out my soul before Him; not in any direct or verbal petition for specific favours; but in strong mental, and I hope heartfelt aspirations

after his protection and preservation, from the many dangers and besetments wherewith I am surrounded. After this I was enabled to lie down peacefully, and thought I could in a precious degree, adopt the language: "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee."

Tenderness again covers my mind as I write, under a sense of the goodness of the Almighty, to his poor, weak, frail creature man. Well might the Psalmist exclaim: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained: what is man that thou art mindful of him; and the son of man that thou visitest him?"

b

9th Mo. 4th. Having unexpectedly some conversation this evening with a Calvinist, he acknowledged to me, that he believed those who were once converted and favoured with the visitation of Grace, could never fall therefrom ; that, "once in Grace, they were always in Grace;" and spoke of his own experience, or awakening as he called it, in terms of satisfaction and confidence, as though he thought all was safe; yet, from what I have heard of him,

a Ps. lxxiii. 25.

b Ps. viii. 3.

B