obtain one refreshing drop; and that scarcely seems to penetrate the parched ground. What can I say?Righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto me confusion of face."" The loss of sensible comforts, and of profit under divine ordinances, which here forms a part of MRS. HAWKES'S painful experience, has been felt and expressed by other persons of eminent piety; of which, examples occur not only in Church History, but also in the Scripture account of eminent saints. Mr. Newton has remarked, "A humble, dependent frame of spirit, perseverance in the appointed means, care to avoid all occasions of sin, a sincere endeavour to glorify God, and an eye to Jesus Christ as our all in all, are sure indications that the soul is thriving, whether sensible consolations abound or not." And Mr. Adam also says, "Neither high nor low frames will do for a standard of faith: self may be strong in both." Either enjoying God's presence, or mourning the want of it, seems to constitute the temper of every true Christian. They who, like MRS. HAWKES, have in their early religious experience been favoured with peculiar manifestations of joy, will perhaps feel, more sensibly than others, those intervals of deadness, which would scarcely be realized by persons less spiritually-minded. Her soul was still thirsting after God, and especially to see his power and glory in the sanctuary. There she sought and found support and instruction in the absence of sensible comforts; which appears by her record of the following sermon, and by the prayer which accompanies it. Wednesday, Aug. Acre, on Psalm xlii. 15.-" Heard Mr. C. at Long 5. Why art thou cast down 6 O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." Mr. C. remarked : Every Christian should say, like David, whatever be the state of things within or without, I will remember my Rock; and though my soul is disquieted within me, I will fight against discouragement, hoping in God. 'Whatever is the cause of depression, whether outward trouble, or inward fears, or if our joy in the Lord is withheld, we must not set it down as a proof that we have not grace: but rather look at the most eminent Christians enduring the same conflicts. 'Let the Christian keep upon his ground, and behold Him that is invisible; and though only a poor bruised reed, he stands like a rock. But let him come off that, and begin disputing God's word, and his providence, and then imaginations of all kinds rush in, and his heart is disquieted. 'A believer is not like a worldling; he cannot find satisfaction in trifles; take away the comforts and confidences of religion, and he is poor indeed. 'Faith and hope give wings to the soul. We often call for the wings of a dove to fly away, because we want to be out of our place, to be somewhere else in order to be more happy. But this arises from impatience. True faith and hope will make us happy anywhere, and enable us, like Paul and Silas, to sing in a prison. 'Every Christian should remember, whatever may be the cause of his trouble," there has no temptation taken him but such as is common to man." This is a dreary wilderness; we have not yet attained to our rest, but it remaineth for us. 'If the mourning believer should say, But I have sinned against God, and therefore am under rebuke, and how can I help being cast down? Yet let him remember, that despair is no cure; and to please Satan by doubting, is not the way to be relieved. He should recollect that every season has its particular duty; and, like David, he should reason with his soul, "Why art thou cast down?" 'As the Christian learns the use of his anchor, there is no wave or billow by which he can be tossed, but this will keep him steady: nay, he should go further, and say with David,-bad as things are at present,-"Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, for the help of his countenance." "Blessed be God for affording me opportunities of hearing his word. Amidst all my fears within, and trials without, this comforts, refreshes, and supports my soul, namely, that I still can pray for the heart-searching eye of God, and solemnly appeal to him who knows me, better than I do myself, and say, 'Thou that knowest all things, knowest that I love thee!' that I desire nothing in comparison of thee: that I would give up every thing rather than my hope in thee; and that it is my continual cry, Lord, why do I love thee so little? Make me to love thee supremely. May the seed which has been sown this day, be watered by the showers of divine grace; and may I be enabled to praise God for the light of his countenance." Thursday." How variable are the frames and feelings! How like the shining and the shadow passing over the green plain! But, blessed be God, our salvation consisteth not in frames and feelings, but in being engrafted on the living vine, and abiding in Christ: consisteth not even in our sensible hold of him, but in our simple belief of his gracious declaration, that he will never leave, nor forsake, nor suffer us to be plucked out of his hands." Sunday." Heard Mr. C. to-day from 2 Sam. v. 10. 'And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him!' "O that in all situations and circumstances, prosperous or adverse, I may have this blessed assurance, that the Lord is with me. "Thank God for a new degree of spiritual life! My Lord has graciously called me to rise above the uncomfortable state I have for sometime been in; and proclaims himself to my soul, as the Lord who forgiveth all iniquities; as the good physician who healeth all my diseases and pours oil into every wound." September 5, 1793.-" This day I received from my revered minister a large new Bible, handsomely bound: in the beginning of which, the following lines were written : 'The Lord hear thee, my daughter, in the day of trouble the name of the God of Jacob defend thee. Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion, both now, and when he who presents this book shall assist thee no more.'* "O Lord, be pleased to hearken to the petitions of thy servant; and lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon him; let his soul be like a well-watered garden; Let the good will of him that dwelt in the bush,' rest upon him, and all that he hath. Bless the wife of his bosom, and the children whom thou hast given him. Let none of them be wanting when thou comest to make up thy jewels. Bless him in his basket, and his store. Bless him in coming in, and going out. O accompany the glad tidings thou sendest by him with power, and *Below these lines there is a memorandum in pencil, written by Mrs. Hawkes some years after, as follows,— 1804. Now is the day of trouble, and the God of Jacob does defend, strengthen, and comfort his poor servant. with the Holy Ghost. Make his doctrine to drop as the rain; his speech to distil as the dew upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.' And now, O Lord, be pleased to attend unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. "With reference to the late depression of my mind, Mr. C. remarked: 'There is experience as well as doctrine to be taught in the school of Christ. We are to be brought out of nature, and taught to walk with God: and this is effected not only by the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, but also by wholesome corrections. To have a blessed evidence is not inconsistent with cloudy days; with temptations. "We do groan being burdened," says the apostle, and yet these are the men that are renewed day by day, that rejoice in tribulation. 'What is any thing without experience? Ask the philosopher-the artist, &c. if their experience cost them nothing if no hazard, no expense was endured? and it would be strange if the Christian's experience also must not be made up by a thousand secret particulars. Let us beg of God to superintend the process. 'We should mark well the peculiar duties of trying seasons. No time is more trying than when the believer feels any thing like a declining or a revolting state of mind. 'There is a point in every man's life, when, if God is speaking to the conscience, it will be said to him as it was to Peter, "Will ye also go away?" For every believer, at some time or other feels, that religion is not the undertaking of a day; but that he must hold on, and hold out. He is a soldier, and he must fight. When temptation, persecution, or affliction, come heavily upon him, then is the time when this question is especially put to him. 'God has, in his provision and proposal of salvation |