God, [under great afflictions which he suffers to befall you,] that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”—1 Peter v. 6, 7.

Thy will be done."-Matthew vi. 10.

It is just, great God, it should be so; for who should govern the world but He that made it? And yet we poor creatures repine when any thing crosses our hopes or designs. What strange unthoughtfulness! what presumption is this! And it is Thy great mercy that any of us are sensible of this folly, and become willing to be governed by Thee.

With all my heart and soul, O God, I thank Thee, that in all the changes and chances of this mortal life, I can look up to Thee, and cheerfully resign my will to Thine.

It is the desire of my soul, and my humble petition, that I may always be ready and willing to submit to Thy providence, that Thou mayest order what Thou judgest to be most convenient for me.

I have trusted Thee, O Father, with myself; my soul is in Thy hand, which I verily believe Thou wilt preserve to eternal happiness: my body, and all that belongs to it, are of much less value. I do, therefore, with as great security and satisfaction, trust all I have to Thee, hoping Thou wilt preserve me from all things hurtful, and lead me to all things profitable to my salvation.

I will love Thee, O God; being satisfied that all things, however strange and irksome they appear, shall work together for good to those that do so.

I know in whom I have believed; I have a Saviour at Thy right hand, full of kindness, full of care, full of power; He has prayed for me, that this faith fail me not; and by this faith I am persuaded, that neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, nor death which I may fear, nor life which I may hope for, nor things present which I feel, nor things to come which I may apprehend, shall ever prevail so far over me, as to make me not to resign my will entirely to Thee.

In an humble, quiet, and dutiful submission, let me faithfully run the race that is set before me, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before Him, despised the shame, endured the cross, and is now seated at the right hand of God; to whom I most humbly beseech Thee to bring me in Thy good time; and for whatever shall fall out in the mean while, THY WILL BE DONE. Amen.

LOOK UNTO JESUS.

He was despised and rejected of men; His life was sought for by Herod; He was tempted by Satan ; hated by that world which he came to save; set at nought by His own people; called a deceiver and a dealer with the devil; was driven from place to place, and had not where to lay His head; betrayed by one disciple, and forsaken by all the rest; falsely accused, spit upon, and scourged; set at nought by Herod and

his men of war; given up by Pilate to the will of His enemies; had a murderer preferred before Him; was condemned to a most cruel and shameful death; crucified between two thieves; reviled in the midst of His torments; had gall and vinegar given Him to drink; suffered a most bitter death, submitting with patience to the will of His Father.

O Jesu, who now sittest at the right hand of God, to succour all who suffer in a righteous way; be Thou my advocate for grace, that in all my sufferings, I may follow Thy example, and run with patience the race that is set before me. Amen.

Take all things that befall you as coming from God's providence, for your particular profit. And though they are evil in themselves, yet as He permits, or does not think fit to hinder them, they may be referred to Him.

God no sooner discovers in your heart an ardent desire of well-doing, and of submitting to His will, but he prepares for you occasions of trying your virtue; and therefore, confident of His love, receive cheerfully a medicine prepared by a physician that cannot be mistaken, and cannot give you any thing but what will be for your good.

See Ecclus. chap. ii. The whole chapter.*

Lord, prepare my heart, that no afflictions may ever so surprise, as to overbear me.

* This chapter (says the author) was the lesson for the day, March 25th, 1727, at a time when I was much perplexed about the attempts made upon the Episcopal jurisdiction; and this I cannot but remark, since to my exceeding great comfort and direction, it has often so happened, I am persuaded, by a special providence of God.

Dispose me at all times to a readiness to suffer what Thy providence shall order or permit.

It is the same cup which Jesus Christ drank of; it is He sends it. He sees it absolutely necessary that I must be first partaker of His sufferings, and then of His glory.

"And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake; but he that shall endure to the end shall be saved."-Matthew x. 22.

It is indeed grievous to nature to be thus treated; but when it is for Thy name's sake, O Jesus, and for the sake of Thy truth, and for being true to Thee; how lovely is this hatred; and how advantageous when salvation is the reward!

"The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord."-Matthew x. 24.

He who keeps this saying in his heart, will never complain of what he suffers, nor seek for any other way to save himself, but by humiliation and the Cross.

SUFFERING.

it may

O Lord, grant that whenever I suffer, be for being faithful to Thee, and without drawing it unseasonably upon myself.

We are in God's hands; we often take ourselves out of His hands, by trusting to the help and protection of men, more than that of God.

God can render none miserable but those whom He finds sinners. Let us apply this to ourselves

when in affliction, but not unto others, or to their personal faults.

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent."-Rev. iii. 19.

Blessed be God, who vouchsafes, by salutary chastisements, to awaken us when we fall asleep through sloth and lukewarmness. Grant that I may, with a true zeal, and timely repentance, make good use of all Thy rebukes.

Grant, O God, that I may never murmur at Thy appointments, nor be exasperated against the ministers of Thy providence.

In Thee, O Jesus, we find matter of consolation, in every affliction that can possibly befall us.

All visitations are from God. He is not delighted with the miseries of His poor creatures; afflictions are therefore designed for our good. He will either show us the reason of this visitation, or make us reap the fruits of it.

People that may be well disposed, may yet live under the power of some evil custom, which is displeasing to God; a man may have been guilty of some great sin which he has yet never truly repented of, or been truly humbled for. This was the case with the sons of Jacob; they had attempted the life of, and afterwards sold, their brother, and endangered the life of their aged father; under which guilt they passed their life well enough for many years, till God visited them; and then they thought of their sin, confessed, and repented.