siah, a Cyrus so the Christian liberation is by the heavenly Messiah, the Saviour of the world, who shall destroy the man of sin by the breath of his mouth, and by the brightness of his coming. As our Saviour's first coming was the fulfilment of the prophecies, and finished the Old-Testament dispensation so the second coming of our incarnate God shall be the fulfilment of the promises, and finish the New-Testament dispensation. His first coming was as a Saviour, to take away the sin of the world: but his second appearance shall be as a judge, to condemn the sinners, acquit the saints, and carry them to heaven. Hasten, then, this day of glory, when all things shall be accomplished, to the entire satisfaction of every saint, and to the bright display of every divine, every adorable perfection.

THERE

MEDITATION LXXXV.

A PLEASANT CONSIDERATION.

Leghorn, April 1, 1759.

HERE is one consideration that may make me endure affliction with fortitude, and triumph in my trouble, which is, That what I endure to-day, I shall not feel to-morrow. Every sip of affliction lessens the bitter cup that is put into my hand, which contains its given quantity, and is not always kept full; so the more frequent, or the more largely, I drink at a time, the less remains for me; and some time or other I must drink it all, and glut down the last drop in the expiring pang. I cannot weep over a parent dying twice, nor can I twice attend the funeral of a

friend. I cannot have the shocking sight of my dearest relative struggling in the jaws of death a second time. Had I a numerous offspring, I might bury all the tender little ones once, but could not dissolve at their funeral again and again. The afflictions I feel to day, I shall feel again no more for ever; that is, in their first onset, though they may follow up and repeat their stroke for many days.

Though the shower be heavy on me, yet, to my comfort, the clouds shall not return after the rain, to fall in other showers. And though clouds and darkness, tempest and storm, should fill my sky all the days of my life, yet after death my heaven shall brighten, and be obscured no more. My troubles diminish in the enduring, but my consolations are of another nature; they are a flowing spring, at which I may daily drink, and still they overflow. Affliction is like the foam of a river, that perishes as we pass over, and can be found no more; but the divine comforts are like Israel's stream in the wilderness that followed them all the way. The present loss of dearest relatives, which brings most pungent sorrow, would cease, were I assured that in a few years they were to rise again. Then, should it not cease, when I reflect on the certainty of enjoying my relations, where spiritual friendship is screwed up to sublime heights, never known below, and that to endure for ever? I look a little further, and my afflictions are no more; I look a little further, and infinite consolations are mine for evermore. Why, then, should I suffer much from any grief that passes, never to return, when pure joy, to comfort me, with mighty strides approaches, never to remove or pass away?

MEDITATION LXXXVI.

CRUCIFIXION.

Leghorn, April 8, 1759.

THERE is a reciprocal crucifixion which I should

desire and seek after; first, that the world may be crucified unto me; and, secondly, that I may be crucified unto the world. This is a noble figure representing the Christian's full and free disentanglement from the world. To break the connexion, and cut asunder the bands between two persons of the closest friendship, sameness of sentiment, and oneness of interest, it is not enough that one party be crucified, for the other may still have affections and feelings after the mangled, though once amiable companion; but when both are crucified, all bonds are broken, and all ties are eternally dissolved. When one becomes noxious to society, an enemy to the commonwealth, and a rebel against just authority, then he merits such an ignominious death as crucifixion.Well, then, the world is an enemy to the life divine, noxious to the welfare of my soul, and a rebel against the authority of heaven. Therefore I should earnestly seek to have it crucified to my affections, and my affections to it. When a person is crucified, his friends need expect no favour from him, and his foes need fear no harm at his hand. So, if the world be crucified to me, I shall neither court its smiles, nor fear its frowns. I shall expect nothing, and I shall never be disappointed; I shall dread nothing, and I shall never be in danger. He that would win heaven must crucify the world; for while the world lives in

the affections, it will always roll itself between the soul and heaven. Now, what a mighty mountain, what a steep ascent is this, the sad experience of unhappy thousands can tell, who never could climb over the terrestrial globe to the heavenly land; but, intoxicated with pleasures, choaked with cares, and crushed with the ponderous mass, sink down to endless wo! Again, as a crucified man, whose extremities are bored through, and whose body is besmeared with blood, and his countenance disfigured in death, is a very moving spectacle to every feeling beholder; so the world, crucified to the believing soul, will appear vain and empty, vile and abominable, and loathsome for the fond embraces of mental affection. And as a dead body soon becomes stinking carrion, so a crucified world, in the nostrils of a renewed soul, can send nothing up but an ill savour. All its perishing pleasures, which are rich perfumes to carnal minds, will be but like open graves to gracious souls. Finally I shall be an immense gainer by this double crucifixion; for as no man will hoard up human skulls, bones, and putrefying, carcasses, for a treasure; so the world, thus crucified, and all its vanities, shall be the object of my deepest contempt and loathing; while things spiritual, heavenly, and divine, shall share my whole esteem, and enrich my soul for eternity itself.

MEDITATION LXXXVII.

ALL GOD'S WAYS EQUAL.

Under sail, April 19, 1759.

THIS is a truth at all times, and in all circumstances, to be acknowledged, that all God's ways are equal. Yea, they must be so, seeing he is infinite in his wisdom, excellent in counsel, free in his decrees, independent in his procedure, and holy in all his works. When Adam was in a state of innocency, all God's ways were equal in his eyes, and, admiring the wisdom of the Creator, he gave names to all the beasts according to their nature; hereby showing his own wisdom, without quarrelling at the size, shape, or end of their being. But no sooner did he fall from God, and become unequal in his way, than he complains, even in the face of God, that his ways were not equal. "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."

Such, alas! is the language of my complaining at the dispensations of Providence. If adverse, I dare even go so far as to wonder how o why God deals so and so with me, so and so with his people. And because my unequal soul, that is set at war with itself by sin, cannot fathom his ways, which as far transcend my conceptions, as the heavens transcend the earth, I anon conclude them unequal. Ah! foolish, vain conceit; can any thing be crooked in the Eternal Mind? Can any action deviate from the standard of equity in the Judge of all the earth? Can he be at variance with himself, who is harmony and

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