When I first entered into my closet, which was a little before twelve o'clock, I reviewed my notes of the discourse, and prayed over them, and begged, I hope earnestly, of God to assist me in the great work which I intended to perform. After that, I walked to and fro in my closet, endeavouring to summon up my courage, and to conquer my fears; and then, after reading over the form of self-dedication, and Doddridge's exhortation to it, I prayed upon my knees, I hope with earnestness and importunity, that I might have every doubt removed, and that I might be enabled to give up myself unto God with sincerity and truth, and that I might not dare to mock him with the mere outward ceremony. After this I rose from my knees, and after meditating a few minutes, I took the form in my hand, and with fear and trembling knelt down again, and did at length begin to read it. O that I could say that I read it ardently, and that my whole soul was in every sentence; but I hope I can say, that I desired it might be so; and that I was grieved that I was no more affected. When I had finished reading it I signed my name, and rose up from the ground and read the 116th Psalm, 2nd part, of Dr. Watts's Psalms, and meditated for a few minutes, and then was called down to dinner.-Though I was not so earnest as I could wish, while I was reading over the form of self-dedication, yet I hope that I felt an inward satisfaction after the duty was over-a joy to think that I had devoted myself to God, to be his for ever. I am unworthy of this honour, I know, but Jesus died that I might live. It is in him alone I trust. Through him I

hope that my feeble services will be accepted, and all my sins be forgiven. I hope he will give me strength to maintain my ground against all the opposition I may meet with from earth or hell, and that he will at length receive me into those heavenly mansions where I shall be free from all these sins, and all these infirmities which will, in spite of myself, attend me here.

There shall I see his face, and never, never sin;

There, from the rivers of his grace, drink endless pleasure in.

"I am determined by divine grace to review this solemn dedication of myself to God, if it is conve→ nient, the first sabbath in every month, excepting when such seasons as this recur, which I would rather choose for that purpose. I would likewise do it, if possible, on New-year's day, and on my birth-day, and at other convenient seasons. And O! may I have grace given me to live according to it, ever remembering that I am not my own, but bought with a price.' Lord, I know that I cannot do these things of myself. I am sensible of my own weakness. But nothing is too hard for God. I hope I can appeal to him as to the uprightness of my intentions in dedicating myself to him; and I earnestly pray, that he will be my covenant God and Father, and that he will never leave me nor forsake me.' I hope I hope his spirit will teach me the way of duty and enable me to walk in it. This is the surest way to happiness. And now unto him that is able to keep me from falling, and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory, to the only wise God, my saviour, be glory and

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honour, dominion and power, for ever and ever. Amen and amen.'"

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Saturday, Jan. 16, 1768, seven o'clock, A. M.-I have now been renewing my solemn covenant engagements with God. It has been, through grace, a comfortable and delightful season to me. It took me about an hour and a half. How delightfully do such hours pass on as are spent in the service of God! I do not remember any season in which I have been more alive, and hope, that though my affections were not so much engaged as I have sometimes felt them, yet that I was serious, earnest, and sincere. I was afraid at first that it would have been otherwise; but I called upon God and he answered me. He attended to the voice of my supplication and sent down his spirit to assist

I

O what encouragement to trust in him for futurity! I have given myself up unto him. I have been much affected at the thought how little I have regarded my former covenant engagements; and I have been pretty large in my confession, and hope that I would not only confess but forsake my sin. I have resolved to go and sin no more;' but I rely entirely on the strength of Christ and his grace for the keeping of this resolution. know, and have often experienced, the treachery of my own deceitful heart. I will not, therefore, trust to it, but to him who hath said, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' I will, therefore, like the apostle, 'glory in my infirmity, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.' I hope that I shall be enabled to live so as to make an approach to the table of the Lord, comfortable. I hope that this will be

I hope my God will remove my fears, and every other obstruction; that he will gently clear

my way to it, and make

my attendance upon it re

freshing and delightful. Into his hands I again commit myself and all my concerns, for time and eternity. I am thine, save me, for I have sought thy precepts."

In these religious exercises, in which Mr. Belsham was accustomed to engage, the reader will remark much to admire and commend. The strong and ardent desire which he manifested to cultivate devotional feelings and habits; his earnest aspiration after an interest in the favour of God, and meetness for the enjoyment of it; his professions of sincerity; his ingenuous and penitent acknowledg ment of sin; his desire to be preserved from temptation, and his solemn resolutions to guard against it; his humble, but repeated and earnest prayers for divine assistance and grace; his desire and care not to rely upon his own strength and resolution; and his dependence upon the presence and blessing of God, must be considered as the means by which his character was formed, and by which he attained that steady regard to God and duty, and that habitual sense of his government and providence, which distinguished him through every period of a long and eventful life. But it will also be seen, that the foundation of his piety and devotedness to God was distinct from any peculiar doctrines which characterised his creed, and that as far as these had any influence, and certainly they had a decided influence, upon his views and feelings, they served to produce that apprehension and fear, that despondency and

dejection of mind, which greatly deprived him of the comfort of those exercises, and were one cause of that reluctance which he often felt to engage in them, and for which he frequently and severely reproached himself.-That whatever was excellent in his character and conduct was produced by the use of these means will not be questioned; but that these would have been equally laudable, and that his comfort and happiness would have been much greater, had the period of early life been guided by those principles and views which he adopted in the close of it, cannot be doubted. Juster sentiments of religion must have had a better effect. His devotion would have been more pure; his piety would have been more rational; his mental satisfaction would have been more steady and permanent; and the pleasures of his religious services would have been of a higher cast: and though his feelings might not have been so intense and vivid as those which he sometimes experienced, they would not have been less delightful because they were more equable; and he certainly would have been relieved from some of those painful sensations, which proved a sad alloy to his enjoyments, even long after the cause of them had ceased to exist.

The following documents, though long, are too important to be omitted, and as they are followed by Mr. Belsham's own reflections at a remote period, any comment of the present writer's would be superfluous. The reader will recollect, that Mr. Belsham had expressed a desire and intention to attend the ordinance of the Lord's Supper.

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Daventry, March 5th, 1768.-I have at length,