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love to, and concern for the flock to whom he miniftred, which he laboured above all things to preserve upon his mind. But he often reviews these fervices with great * fatisfaction and pleasure, expreffing much joy in the exercise of the best affections and confidence of divine acceptance. In one part of the diary he concludes his reflections with these words: "The great difference I "find in my mind, as to clearness and con

fufion of thought, fometimes seized with "fuch languor and indifpofition, such stupidity and barrennefs, I can have no diftinct perceptions, I cannot think with any relish; at other times I find fuch furprising vigour and freedom of fpirit, fuch strongly affecting views of those "things, which before were covered with "thick darkness, and this attended with "the greatest pleasure, that I feem to my"felf quite another perfon; this difference, "I fay, I cannot account for. I know not "the dependance the foul has upon the "body, and how far the temper of the "one may be affected by the state of the "other; but for the mind itself, furely "fuch changes do not depend upon choice, b

or

or an act of the will, here another caufe "must be acknowledged."

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BESIDES the daily fervices of the closet, it appears from his diary, that he frequently fhut himself up the whole day, which he fpent in prayer, reading the fcriptures, and religious meditation. Thefe days he often marks, as very entertaining and useful to him; and the exercises of his mind, with refpect to the state of his own foul, that of his family, his congregation, and the public intereft, are all fet down, in which fuch a fpirit of piety and charity breathes, as is rarely to be met with.

THE reader will, I believe, be pleased with an account of the reasons of his spend ing fo much time in the fecret exercises of devotion, in his own words, which are as follow: I have refolved to fet apart this day for the folemn exercises of devotion;>

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not that I place religion in fuch things, "for certainly it confifts in a conformity of the habitual difpofition of the mind to the will of God, and an uniform tenor "of converfation. When I was a child in religion (that is, beginning to be ferious).

many

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many a danger I was expofed to, particularly that of being impofed upon by a warm imagination, laying too great stress what I accounted divine impreffions,

upon

upon fervours and raptures in religion: "This, I believe, fome young and unex"perienced christians are apt to fall into; "but true chriftianity confifts in love to "God, and charity to men, which is the "bond of perfectness: It confifts in doing “justly, and loving mercy; in m ekness

patience, and contentment. O! my foul! "endeavour to grow in these virtues, that "is the fure way of pleafing God; and it "is effentially neceffary to real religion, that

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a defign of pleafing God, be conftantly "and uniformly pursued; whenever that is

neglected, fincerity is loft. But I apply σε myself to thefe exercises, first, because "they are a noble employment of the mind, "moft worthy of its rational powers, tending to their highest perfection, and af

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fording moft folid joy: Secondly, in fo"lemn tranfactions with God, I may hope "for fuch a confirmation in virtuous fenti"ments and difpofitions; and fuch advan

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tages over worldly lufts, as may be of

great use to me in future life; and this "hope

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hope is juftified by experience. Thirdly, "I would lay stricter obligations upon my"felf to greater watchfulnefs and caution against the springs of error, and perplexi

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ty, and guilt, into which I have been formerly mifled, and life rendered unmy

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To all which it may be added, that to his converfing fo much with himself, and these extraordinary labours in the closet, were, no doubt, in a great meafure owing, not only the uncommon goodness of his fpirit, and the exact regularity and usefulness of his life; but that intimate acquaintance with the human heart, and thofe amazing ftrains of reafoning, which appear in his fermons, which could be the effect of nothing but the closet, application to thinking, and the most careful attention to his own . mind.

BESIDES all this, he gives an account, in his diary, of feveral alterations of opinion in religious matters, and has been very particular in the reasons of them; and ùpòn what principles he embraced fome opinions, contrary to what he had formerly received;

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and in feveral places fets down his reafonings upon the importance of various articles of faith, as they affect the chriftian life. One of these paffages concludes thus:

My mind has been often disturbed about "fome particular points of orthodoxy; but I

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am perfuaded, with that measure of know"ledge God has given me (little, when "compared with the attainments of others) <l no mistake about the christian truth will deprive me of acceptance, unlefs, which "I hope is not my cafe, it arifes from fel"fish irregular defires, oppofing the design "of chriftianity itfelf: And the most fub“stantial enjoyment, conformable to the

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fcope of the gofpel, is that fincere fatisfaction, which refults from a true difpofition, to fall in with it univerfally."

IT has been already obferved, that his diary contains an account of all the important events that befel him, with his reflections upon them; his own refolutions and the principles upon which he founded them. In these things he has defcended very minutely, and made many obfervations upon his own schemes in life, and the many dif appointments he met with, which tended

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