day, and work, and life as this, with such low and feeble joys! But my future enjoyments will be more lively. $ 16. "How delightful is it to me to behold and study these inferior works of creation! What a beautiful fabric do we here dwell in! the floor so dressed with herbs, and flowers, and trees, and watered with springs and rivers! the roof so widely expanded, so admirably adorned! What wonders do sun, moon, and stars, seas, and winds, contain! And hath God prepared such a house for corruptible flesh, for a soul imprisoned? and doth he bestow so many millions of wonders upon his enemies? O what a dwelling must that be, which he prepares for his dearly beloved children; and how will the glory of the New Jerusalem exceed all the present glory of the creatures! Arise, then, O my soul, in thy contemplation; and let thy thoughts of that glory as far exceed in sweetness thy thoughts of the excellencies below. Fear not to go out of this body, and this world, when thou must make so happy a change; but say, as one did when he was dying, "I am glad, and even leap for joy, that the time is come in which that mighty Jehovah, whose majesty in my search of nature I have admired, whose goodness I have adored, whom by faith I have desired and panted after, will now show himself to me face to face."

17. "How wonderful also are the works of Providence! How delightful to see the great God interest himself in the safety and advancement of a few humble, praying, but despised, persons; and to review those special mercies with which my own life hath been adorned and sweetened! How often have my prayers been heard, my tears regarded, my troubled soul relieved! How often hath my Lord bid me be of good cheer! What a support are these experiences, these clear testimonies of my Father's love, to my fearful unbelieving heart! O then what a blessed day will that be, when I shall have all mercy, perfection of mercy, and fully enjoy the Lord of mercy; when I shall stand on the shore, and look back on the raging seas I have safely passed; when I shall review my pains

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and sorrows, my fears and tears, and possess the glory which was the end of all! If one drop of lively faith was mixed with these considerations, what a heavenravishing heart should I carry within me! Fain would I believe: Lord, help my unbelief.

§ 18. "How sweet, O my soul, have ordinances been to thee! What delight hast thou had in prayer, and thanksgiving, under heavenly sermons, and in the society of saints, and to see the Lord adding to the Church such as should be saved! How then can my heart conceive the joy, which I shall have to see the perfected church in heaven, and to be admitted into the celestial temple, and with the heavenly host praise the Lord for ever? If the word of God was sweeter to Job than his necessary food; and to David, than honey and the honey-comb; and was the joy and rejoicing of Jeremiah's heart; now blessed a day will that be, when we shall fully enjoy the Lord of this word, and shall no more need these written precepts and promises, nor read any book but the face of the glorious God! If they that heard Christ speak on earth were astonished at his wisdom and answers, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth; how shall I then be affected to behold him in his majesty!

§ 19. "Can the prospect of this glory make others welcome the cross, and even refuse deliverance; and cannot it make thee cheerful under lesser sufferings? Can it sweeten the flames of martyrdom; and not sweeten thy life, or thy sickness, or thy natural death? Is it not the same heaven which they and I must live in? Is not their God, their Christ, their crown, and mine, the same? And shall I look upon it with an eye so dim, a heart so dull, a countenance so dejected? Some small foretastes of it have I myself had; and how much more delightful have they been, than any earthly things ever were; and what then will the full enjoyment be.

§ 20. "What a beauty is there here in the imperfect graces of the Spirit! Alas, how small are these, to what we shall enjoy in our perfect state! What a happy life should I here live, could I but love God as much as I

would; could I be all love, and always loving! Omy soul! what wouldest thou give for such a life? Had I such apprehensions of God, such knowledge of his word as I desire; could I fully trust him in all my straits; could I be as lively as I would in every duty; could I make God my constant desire and delight; I would not envy the world their honours or pleasures. What a blessed state, O my soul! wilt thou shortly be in, when thou shalt have far more of these than thou canst now desire, and shalt exercise thy perfected graces in the immediate vision of God, and not in the dark, and at a distance, as now.

§ 21. "Is the sinning, afflicted, persecuted church of Christ, so much more excellent than any particular gracious soul? What then will the church be, when it is fully gathered and glorified; when it is ascended from the valley of tears to mount Sion; when it shall sin and suffer no more! The glory of the old Jerusalem will be darkness and deformity to the glory of the new. What cause shall we have then to shout for joy, when we shall see how glorious the heavenly temple is, and remember the meanness of the church on earth!

§ 22. "But, alas! what a loss am I at in the midst of my contemplations! I thought my heart had all the while attended, but I see it doth not. What life is there in empty thoughts and words, without affections? Neither God, nor I, find pleasure in them. Where hast thou been, unworthy heart, while I was opening to thee the everlasting treasures? Art thou not ashamed to complain so much of an uncomfortable life, and to murmur at God for filling thee with sorrows; when he in vain offers thee the delights of angels? Hadst thou now but followed me close, it would have made thee revive and leap for joy, and forget thy pains and sorrows.-Did I think my heart had been so backward to rejoice!

§ 23. "Lord, thou hast reserved my perfect joys for heaven, therefore help me to desire till I may possess, and let me long, when I cannot (as I would) rejoice. O my soul, thou knowest, to thy sorrow, that thou art not yet at thy rest. When shall I arrive at that safe

and quiet harbour where there are none of these storms, waves, and dangers, when I shall never more have a weary restless night or day? Then my life will not be such a mixture of hope and fear, of joy and sorrow; nor shall flesh and spirit be combating within me; nor faith and unbelief, humility and pride, maintain a continual conflict. O when shall I be past these soultormenting fears, and cares, and griefs? When shall I be out of this soul-contradicting, insnaring, deceitful flesh; this corruptible body, this vain vexatious world? Alas, that I must stand and see the church and cause of Christ tossed about in contention, and inade subservient to private interests, or deluded fancies! There is none of this disorder in the heavenly Jerusalem; there I shall find an harmonious concert of perfected spirits, in obeying and praising their everlasting King. O how much better to be a door-keeper there, than the commander of this tumultuous world! Why am I no more weary of this weariness? Why do I so forget my resting place? Up then, O my soul, in thy most raised and fervent desires! Stay not till this flesh can desire with thee; expect not that sense should apprehend thy blessed object, and tell thee when and what to desire. Doth not the dulness of thy desires after rest, accuse thee of most detestable ingratitude and folly? Must thy Lord procure thee a rest at so dear a rate, and dost thou no more value it? Must be go before to prepare so glorious a mansion for such a wretch, and art thou loth to go and possess it? Shall the Lord of glory be desirous of thy company, and thou not desirous of his? Must earth become a very hell to thee, before thou art willing to be with God? Behold the most lovely creature, or the most desirable state, and tell me, where wouldest thou be, if not with God? Poverty is a burden; riches a snare; sickness unpleasing; health unsafe; the frowning world bruises thy heel; the smiling world stings thee to the heart: so much as the world is loved and delighted in, it hurts and endangers the lover; and if it may not be loved, why should it be desired? If thou art applauded, it proves the most contagious breath; if thou art vilified,

or unkindly used, methinks this should not entice thy love. If thy successful labours, and thy godly friends, seem better to thee than a life with God, it is time for God to take them from thee. If thy studies have been sweet, have they not also been bitter? And at best, what are they to the everlasting views of the God of truth? Thy friends here have been thy delight; and have they not also been thy vexation and grief? They are gracious; and are they not also sinful? They are kind; are they not soon displeased? They are humble; but, alas! how proud also! Their graces are sweet, and their gifts helpful; but are not their corruptions bitter, and their imperfections hurtful? And art thou so loth to go from them to thy God?

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24. "O my soul, look above this world of sorrows! Hast thou so long felt the smarting rod of affliction, and no better understood its meaning? Is not every stroke to drive thee hence? Is not its voice like that to Elijah, What dost thou here? Dost thou forget thy Lord's prediction, In the world ye shall have tribulation; in me ye may have peace? Ah! my dear Lord, I feel thy meaning; it is written in my flesh, engraved my bones. My heart thou aimest at; thy rod drives, thy silken cord of love draws; and all to bring it to thyself. Lord, can such a heart be worth thy having? Make it worthy, and then it is thine; take it to thyself, and then take me.-This clod hath life to stir, but not to rise. As the feeble child to the tender mother, it looketh up to thee, and stretcheth out the hands, and fain would have thee take it up. Though I cannot say, my soul longeth after thee; yet I can say, I long for such a longing heart. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. My spirit cries, Let thy kingdom come, or let me come to thy kingdom; but the flesh is afraid thou shouldest hear my prayer, and take me at my word. O blessed be thy grace, which makes use of my corruptions to kill themselves; for I fear my fears, and sorrow for my sorrows, and long for greater longings; and thus the painful means of attaining my desires increase my weariness, and that makes me groan to be at rest.