ber thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals." Dare I, then, despise the day of small things, or forget what God may be pleased to remember? And if I look but a little further to the end of my life, which is perhaps nearer than I think of, what a flood of glory waits to replenish my enlarged soul, when sin and imperfection shall be put off, and perfection put on? Should not such a happy change, secured to me by the faithfulness of him who cannot lie, but who rests in his love, cause a continual joy in my soul? I daily see sinners, whose life is one scene of jovialty, one round of mirth, and yet they know not on what account they are so cheerful; and why should I be sad, who have the truest cause of purest joy?Neither should the outward troubles of time disquiet me, more than a king riding in his coach of state, attended with his guards, should take it ill that dust should fly round him, or a gentle shower fall on him, when screened from both; so I am safe in the promise; yea, I ride in the chariot of my Beloved with greater security, and statelier port, than crowned heads could ever boast of.

Hasten your flight, ye envious days, that I may see him whom I love, for whom I long, on whom I have fixed my affection, and with whom my soul dwells by faith. Now will I joy in thee with a joy superior to theirs that divide the spoil; and wait for the day when I shall be allowed to bring to the throne of thy glory, the tribute of praise for all thy mercies to me, and among the rest for this true substantial joy.

M

MEDITATION L.

ONE FRUIT OF AFFLICTION.

Spithead, July 14, 1758.

THE world complains of affliction as the worst thing that can befal a man, but for my part I never shall. Were it as bad as we apprehend, how is it that from Adam to this very day, the saints have had so large a share of it? Now, among the many precious fruits of affliction, I shall only name one, and that is, earnestness and importunity with God in prayer. A gracious soul may walk with God in close communion, as Enoch, captivated with the glory of his countenance, and lifted above the world by the outlettings of his love; but as this is not the ordinary attainment of the saints in general, it is their mercy to be driven near the throne, and made earnest in their prayers. A good man may walk in the course of religious duties, but affliction gives edge to his devotions, importunity to his petitions, makes him draw nearer to the throne, stay longer, and cry louder.

Of this we have examples in the practice of scripSee how Lot, when Sodom is in flames ture-saints. behind him; his wailing wife and weeping daughters hanging round him; desolate mountains before him, whither he is commanded to escape; terror without, and trembling within: see, I say, how he doubles his request, "It is a little one, O let me escape thither! is it not a little one?" See another example in the case of Jacob, who was not long escaped out of Laban's hand, till he is informed of another and more furious foe come out against him to cut him wholly

off. Immediately he pleads the promise which God had made to him, of doing him good, and also bidding him return unto his native land, yet confessing he was less than the least of all his mercies: Then he makes the most prudent disposition for melancholy consequences that he can think on, and sets them all over the brook; but he lodges alone that night, and when alone, expresses all his grief, pours out his soul to God: Didst not thou promise that in my seed all nations should be blessed, and from my loins the promised Messiah spring? and that my seed should be numerous as the stars, innumerable as the sand? But where is the accomplishment of the promise, the veracity of the promiser, if I and all my seed are slain?' This, no doubt, was the subject of his prayer, and the theme he insisted on in the wrestling-night; and, lo! the very Saviour, about whose kingdom in the world he was so concerned, appears to him in the very same likeness which he should afterwards assume, and allows himself to be wrestled with, in weeping, prayers, and supplication, and to be overcome by the all-prevalent strugglings of omnipotent faith, till this surprising language drops between them, "Let me go," "I will not let thee go except thou bless me ;" which was granted, and confirmed by a change of his name from Jacob to Israel. Sure, then, never was a sweeter night on earth; and can it be doubted but that was a singular fruit of a singular affliction! Here we must also admire the earnestness of Moses in prayer with God, in the time of Israel's calamity, through sin: "And now, O Lord, let the power of my Lord be great; pardon, I beseech thee, the sin of this people."-Of Joshua, when Israel was smitten before their enemies: "What

wilt thou do to thy great name?"-Of David, under his various persecutions-and of Hezekiah, when he received the railing letter from the Assyrian monarch.

Not to mention any more in the Old Testament, I shall name one in the New: Peter is apprehended by Herod, put in prison, and the day set that he should suffer; this was a great affliction to the church, one of her prime pillars, one of her apostles, so near a shameful, cruel death; but prayer is made of the church unto God without ceasing, and the issue is Peter's deliverance in a miraculous manner. O! how, when pressed upon by affliction, do we press upon the promise, plead for the performance, and are importunate with God! As an affectionate parent keeps back from his child what he knows to be needful for him, that he may be delighted with its little pretty arguments to obtain it, so deals God with his people.

Then, rather than that I should grow remiss in my supplications at the throne of grace, through the languor of my love, may the weight of my afflictions add fervour to my devotions, and eagerness to my requests.

MEDITATION LI.

FROM THE DEPTHS OF AFFLICTIONS WE SEE STUPENDOUS THINGS.

Spithead, July 17, 1758.

WILL any man think the philosopher mad for go

ing into a profound pit, that there he may see to more advantage the furniture of the higher heavens, the

glory of the sparkling stars? Seeing that meaner objects being hindered to strike his eye, nothing but what is high, luminous, and bright, beam into the bottom of the dark abode. Even so the saints, when shut up in the deeps of afflictions, "when set in dark places as the dead, when hedged about that they cannot get out," have their eyes on God alone, who can bring them out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay. Then their thoughts ascend to heaven, and heaven shines down into their souls; while the world, in all its glittering vanities that strike the carnal eye, is cut off on every side. A communication is opened between God and the soul: "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit," a spirit broken with affliction; yea, with such he will dwell, to revive the hearts of the contrite ones.

Again, in the dark night of adversity, there are beauties seen, that were never seen in the broad day of prosperity. Manasseh, all the time he reigned in Judah, though it was a land of light, never knew God till he was taken among the thorns, bound in fetters, and carried to Babylon, where he prayed, was heard, pardoned, and liberated; and " then Manasseh knew that the Lord, he was God." Thus, in the depths of affliction, he learned maxims more sublime, and of higher moment, then he could attain to when seated on a throne. O desirable distress! that discloses and magnifies heavenly excellencies, and diminishes. earthly vanities!

When much of the world gets into the mind, then little of God is there; for " if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him;" but when little of the world, then much of God. Affliction is also a time of solitude, for the man sitteth alone; but God