derness! Oh spare them, spare them, my God! listen to the prayers of thy humble servant!

31. Yet thou art all good and merciful! I bow myself in utter humiliation before thee; I confess my unworthiness, I implore thy pardon for my weakness-thou knowest all things-Lord, in all thy will be done. AMEN!

CHAPTER IX,

The Fruits and Marks of the Spirit; or Evidences that the means of Grace have proved successful.

1. Still thou repliest, O man! that thy heart is not at all at ease; fain wouldst thou know whether thou art in the right way, whether the means have proved successful, and the spirit applied his comforts to thy soul.

2. Laudable is thy desire, and it shall be gratified: who but would wish and long to know that he is travelling in the straight path to the eternal mansions of his father's house?

3. But mark, that very desire is itself one sure token that all is well, and that thou art in the way to bliss: the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

4. Art thou not changed? are not thy hopes and fears, thy desires and pursuits, thy inclinations and temper, thy expectations and joys, thy good and evil, altered and reversed? art not thou, in the whole disposition of thy mind converted from thy former self?

5. But a little while, and thou never hadst one serious earnest reflection on these great things which now take up thy whole heart:

6. But a little while and the pleasures of the world and the flesh utterly possessed thee, and in full self-confidence thou sailedst along, thoughtless, and unadvised of any danger.

7. Enough hadst thou in thyself, because thy eyes were never turned inward, to see the absolute nakedness and poverty of thy nature.

8. But now nothing upon this frail earth can satisfy the longing desires of thy immortal soul.

9. The pleasures of the world, and the delights of sense, become matter of mortification to thee; thou canst not away with the loose melody of the viol, and the mad riot of the sons of luxury and lasciviousness:

10. Nor can thyself, and all thy once admired wisdom and sufficiency, all thy acquirements, how high or how valued soever, give to thy thirsty heart that water of refreshment and comfort, which alone can allay the heat of the natural man.

11. No longer dost thou see and boast of thy integrity and uprightness; no longer dost thou seek to justify thyself before God-proudly standing upon thy digrity, thy.excellence and merits, fallen son of fallen Adam.

12. But far distant are thy new apprehensions: thou abhorrest thyself, and repentest in dust and ashes; thou seest and considerest thyself as a worm, thy saving Lord as the God of all glory, the fountain of all merit and perfection!

13. Lay thine hand to thy heart: humbled penitent, ask thy conscience if it doth not thus bear

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witness to the truth.-Yet stop not here: seek, and thou shalt find-go on, and speedily shalt thou attain that peace which shall seal thy faith, and give thee a testimony true and unfailing.

14. Thou knowest and art well convinced of thy fallen, miserable estate; and so believing, receivest and dost confess Jesus the only redeemer and saviour, the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the whole world.

15. Other foundations can no man lay. Settle well in thy heart this important truth; seek for the grace and spirit of the most high; so shall his power overshadow thee, and the son of God be formed by faith in thy soul.

16. Thou repliest, that thou hast well indeed examined thy heart; there, there firm faith and full filial confidence on thy all gracious and all powerful redeemer reigneth. Oh increase it, God of love! take the whole empire: be thou alone my love, my king and my father!

17: And dost thou indeed prize him above all things? countest thou the world and all its pomps as dross, and dung, and vanity, in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of this master, this dear and crucified Lord?

18. Art thou enslaved and engrossed by the love of the world and worldly things! consider and tremble, for it is the voice of truth" He that loveth the world, the love of God abideth not in him."

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19. Man cannot reconcile contrarieties; what agreement hath light with darkness !

20. If then thy affections are not weaned from things below, and placed on things above; if thou art wedded to the world, thou canst not be the spouse of Christ; if thou lovest the world, thou art not the Lord's, for God and Mammon are irreconcileable.

21. But it is not so: thou art ready to sell all that thou hast; and would rather part with life and all things, than ever forsake and deny thy only Lord and Saviour.

22. Happy for thee his friendship is constant. and can never fail thee: rely on him, for he careth for thee; rely on him with all thy soul, so shall he never forsake thee; for he is thy husband, thy father, thy brother, thy God, and thy friend!

23. But husband, father, brother, friend, thy nearest and dearest relatives, will forsake, hate and persecute thee; yea, they will prove treacherous, bitter and sharp as gall and vinegar to thy soul.

24. Need then wilt thou have in that day of trial, need wilt thou have of all thy master's love: oh, then, settle it well in thine heart: love the Lord with all thy strength: cleave to him, and esteem him thy only prop and support.

25. Having food and raiment, be therewith content; crowns and sceptres, yea all the enticements of satan, trample beneath thy feet; conquer the world; and thou, O christian, art the son of the most high!