lieth every where." What is my life, but a "field of blood deftruction and mifery are in all my ways."What, but a field of blood, is my whole attendance on religious duties? what have I done, but murdered the Son of God, and trampled his blood under my feet? What terrors feize my heart !—Can fuch crimson crimes be forgiven? "The tender "lamb is ftretched for the flaughter; yet opens not "his mouth." With what thoughtless unconcern doth my foul lie bound with cords of wickedness, ready for the killing ftroke of divine wrath!

Without gainfaying, Jefus, the Lamb of God, fubmitted to all the bands of guilt, all the stabs of infi nite indignation: "he was led as a lamb to the flaughter" to fave me! and yet, more than any, have I defpifed and rejected him he was "defpifed and re: jected of men, and I efteemed him not," "Hark

"how yonder flaughtered bullock roars!" Smitten with the ftroke, pierced to the heart with the fword of his Father's juftice, how did Jefus, the fatted calf pour forth strong cries and tears to him that was a ble to fave from death!" My God, my God; why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou fo far from the words of my ROARING?" If I die without him, how must I for ever roar in hell?-Lord, give me Clirift, or elfe I die.

"Now the butcher fhaves the neck of yonder "fow, that he may give her the killing ftab." So Satan tickles and flatters my foul, that he may mur der her; and hurry me into the fecond death; into endless damnation.

"HERE enters one, I fufpect, with ftolen or fmuggled goods." Still the eye of the adulterer, and of the thief waits for the twilight; they are in the ter rors of death, if morning overtake, or men know

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them but doth not the Lord know? doth not the God of Jacob confider? What avails it, that my fins are mostly hid from men? the Lord is entirely acquainted with all my ways: what am I before him, fø much am I, and no more.

"YONDER ftands, a whited, a painted fepulchre, outwardly beautiful, but inwardly filled with rot"tennefs and dead mens bones." Ah whited wall, painted hypocrite, that I am! with fome outward fhadows of early piety, but inwardly fwarming with devils and filthy lufts. Was ever heart fo vile! fo dead! fo rotten, as mine!" Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."

"How crooked is this path!" And, how have I gadded about to change the way of my life! and whether do all the turns of my practice lead me, but to the lake which burns with fire and brimftone !-"Them that turn afide to crooked ways, fhall the Lord lead forth with the workers of iniquity."

"YONDER burns the old, the withered, moory "heath, that fresh pasture may spring for the flocks." To make way for the new heavens and the new earth, at Jefus' fecond coming, fhall the "elements melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works therein be burnt up." Thrice awful conflagration for me! When I with multitudes, who, like old "heath in the defart, know not when good cometh ; who have been unprofitable, and unto every good work reprobate," fhall flee from the kindled world; and the flaming pit fhall receive us; "there fhall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth."-But was not the bleffed Jefus burnt with his Father's wrath, that fweet nourishment might spring up in

him for his chofen flock?-Cannot he give me the fpirit of judgment, and the spirit of burning," to confume my old lufts, that a new growth of grace may fpring up in their ftead? But why fhould I thus ftill flatter God, and lie unto him with my falle tongue? An awakened confcience, and raised affections, indite good words; but my heart is not right with him my tafting of his good word, and of the powers of the world to come; my being enlightened, and receiving the word with joy; my delight in approaching to God; my requests for the deftruction of fin, are attended with the fuperlative love of it t. Self-love is the fource of all with me. I fupplicate for grace, just because I cannot be faved without it; I beg deliverance from sin, just because it difquiets my confcience, and condemns me to eternal fire. Woes me! If I reftrain prayer, my conscience rageth, and affures me of damnation; if I perform it, I "compafs God about with lies and deceit." My religious exercife, if THUS continued in, will break out into a viper; fhould I NOW fall away from it, it will be impoffible to renew me again to repentance. Lord, to what a fearful crifis is my foul brought? Oh! make hafte to help me! O God, make no tarrying? "Probably fome compaffionate moor-fowl fits amidft the fire, protecting her young, till herfelf be confumed." So my heart cleaveth to my lufts, her aecurfed brood, that though the fiery law, entering my confcience, threatens me with certain ruin on their account, yet I cannot, I will not leave them, nor forfake them.Mine end is therefore to be burned;-with them to fuffer the vengeance of eternal fire-But did not Jefus, like her, for the protection and safety of his chosen feed, fuffer the flames of his Father's wrath ?-O were I the meaneft of their number, to wash the feet ↑ Ifa, Iviii, 2. Matth. xiii. 20, 22. Heb. vi. 4, 5.

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of his fervants! Lord Jefus, hide me under the fhadow of thy wings: cover me with the feathers of thy almighty love: let thy faithful promise be my shield and buckler; Spread the skirt of thy bleeding righteousnefs over me, for thou art a near kinfman.-Was it not for finful men alone, thy blood was fhed? Is it not inful men alone, whom thy falvation, thy gofpel, fuits? is it not to their eternal life, that grace muft for ever reign through righteousness? Is it not finful men alone, whom the Father fent thee to fave? Is it not finful men alone, whofe falvation is thy meat and drink ? -Why then not fave me? Am not I finful to a wonder? am I not the chief of finners? Can ever any have a fuller, a clearer warrant to claim the falvation, -the goodnefs prepared for finful men? -Thrice marvellous! that the greatnefs of my fin fhould prove my full right to apply the Saviour!What if I am appointed to wrath? what if my inability to be lieve proceed hence? No; it proceeds from my own wickednefs.

"HERE the potter makes out of the fame lump veels to bonour, and others to difhonour." Never fret, my accurfed heart, at the predefining purpose of God hath not God power to make of the fame human nature, fome vellels prepared to glory, and others fitted for deftruction? The deepest ruin in hell is my due reward: if I receive it, God can do me no wrong: if he bestow undeferved happinefs on others, do I well to be angry! Is mine eye evil, becaufe his is good? may not a fovereign God diftribute his favours as he please th!-But decrees apart ; fecret things belong unto the Lord.-Oh! Jefus, cannot thy mercy. make an uncommon ftretch to fave me? If I am the greateft finner that ever breathed, O let not mercy' flip the opportunity of erecting an unparelleled monument of her power in ME? Mercy, Lord, is all

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I want: mercy is all that I crave: What profit is in my blood, though I should go down to the pit?

"DOUBTLESS the fun is rifen, though unseen by me." And if the gospel of Christ, the Sun of Righteoufnefs, "be hid, it is hid to them that are loft; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not, left the light of the glorious gospel should shine into their hearts."-Alas! am I still one of these who believe not? a mad refufer of the great falvation! a wicked rejecter of the divine Saviour? a faithlefs difcreditor of the gofpel report concerning Jefus, that in him there is eternal life for finful men, and even for ME, the worst? a vile blaf phemer, who have, times without number, made the God of truth a liar? an outrageous and malicious enemy of the God of love? a murderous trampler on, and crucifier of the Son of God; a defpiteful quencher, and refifter of the Spirit of grace.-Be astonished, you heavens !. Were ever fins like mine?

"Now at laft the fan appears how beautiful "and charming his afpect! how enlightening, quick"ening, refreshful, and fructifying his influence !" Thrice more glorious Sun of Righteoufnefs; now I fee thee clearly in the promife of the gofpal!" It pleased God to reveal his Son in me." O what a fight! a Saviour dreffed in divinity and blood! a fight; enough to melt a rock, and make an heart of iron move! Bleed Jefus, how tranfcendently fweet to behold thee! affume my guilt, and take my chains to fee thee, "who knew no fin, made, fin" for me, that 'T, who knew nothing but fin, "might be made the righteoufness of God in” thee! to behold thee, "God bleffed for ever, made a curfe" for me, "that the bleffing of Abraham 66 might come" on eurfed me to fee thee rifing again

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