setteth the solitary in a family, even in the family of heaven, and comforts him with his own children. In no place better than in the profound depth of affliction, does the heir of future glory see the love, the goodness, the mercy, and the wisdom of God; the excellency of religion, the beauty of divine things, the danger of prosperity, the deceitfulness of riches, the vanity of created things, and the happiness of the world to come.

But as to the illiterate man, who knows nothing of astronomy, or the laws of the celestial bodies, this pit would be a deplorable situation, for it is only the philosopher that can improve here; so it is only the spiritual mind, the heavenly meditant, that reaps the advantage of such a situation, for the carnal man here would be altogether miserable.

Again, as no man would pity the philosopher for being deprived a while of beauteous day, while pursuing his studies, and perfecting his knowledge; so why should the saints be accounted cast off, when plunged into affliction for a while, to pursue their studies of the wondrous way of Providence, and perfect their knowledge of the Most High?

No

MEDITATION LII.

PRAYER.

Spithead, July 28, 1758. .

O sooner is the child born, than he breathes; no sooner is Paul converted, than, behold! he prays.

O incomparable privilege! to be allowed to pour our complaints into the ear of God, cast our cares

over on him, plead the performance of the promise, and devolve the burden of our sorrows and necessities over on his sympathy and all-sufficiency! The prayer of faith has won more numerous and more noble victories than all the mighty conquerors since war was taught among the nations. Prayer is the furbishing of all the other pieces of the spiritual armour, and as it were the muster-master of all the graces. It is the key of heaven; Elijah prayed, and it was locked; again he prayed, and it was opened. It is the terror of hell, which will put up with any thing but prayer;-the ambassador of the renewed soul the trumpet of faith-the support of the weak-the employ of the expectant of glory—and the daily exercise of the Christian. It is like a pulley that draws the soul up to heaven; and, like a golden pipe, plunges into that river that proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, and conveys the blessing down into the soul below. When Job prayed, God turned his captivity; when Jacob wrestled in prayer, he obtained the blessing; when Elijah and Solomon prayed, the fire fell and consumed the sacrifice; when Paul and Barnabas prayed and sang praises, the prison was shaken, the doors opened, and every one's bands loosed; and while the church prayed for Peter, an angel set him at liberty. By all which it appears, that God will be inquired after by prayer, and will work wonders for the humble supplicants.

This is the time that God will talk with men in a special manner; the audience-hour of the great King, when the court of Heaven receives and answers the petitions of the saints. And many times have the souls of God's people been enlarged beyond measure,

while they have, Jacob-like, been wrestling for the blessing, weeping and making supplication to God. Then Heaven has been pleased to pour in his joys in the soul, so fully, that they hardly could contain; their old bottles being like to burst asunder with the new wine of God.

Flowery expressions, and a fine style; a multitude of words, and many petitions; or any thing that may seem the wisdom of man more than the power of God is not the prayer that shall be heard by Him, who regards one earnest wish, and sincere request, before all the oratory of the schools. We should search ourselves before prayer, and know what sin is least subdued, what duty is most neglected, what grace is most decayed, that we may pray with understanding. Again, we should summon our attention in the time of prayer, that we may speak as to God; and we should look to God after prayer for an an swer, and wait on him who is both able and willing to supply all our need, spiritual or temporal, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

MEDITATION LIII.

LITTLE KNOWN OF THE BLISS ABOVE.

Off Cherbourg, Aug. 11, 1758.

I VERILY believe the saints here are like a stranger come from the skirts of the kingdom to the chief city, who never saw any thing grand or noble all his life till he came thither. When he comes to the palace of the king, he is astonished to see the stately buildings, royal guards, grand attendance, delight

ful walks, fragrant arbours, the palace-garden, and the noble personages that are admitted in. While gazing with wonder at the external appearance, he is filled with surprise to think what must be within: Rooms hung with arras, furniture gilt with gold, the throne, the crown, the sceptre, and the robes of state, and all the royal inhabitants. Even so the saints, who are charmed with the beauties of the church below, which is the house of the living God, wonder what the palace of the great King must be. For if the ordinances of his grace be pleasant beyond comparison, what must the eternal overflowings of his love be in the land of his glory? If the exceeding great and precious promises, and the scriptures of truth, be better than thousands of gold and silver, what must the fulfilment of the one, and the subject of the other, be in the world above? How may we, when we see the outwalks of our God, the goings of our King in the sanctuary, wonder what the chamber of presence must be above!

Happy, ye that stand before him, and see him on his throne, even face to face, not as we do, who only get a window-glimpse, and through the dimmingglass. What must the invisible glory of the highest heaven be, when such beauty beams in the created firmament! What must that glory be that supplies the abscence of the sun! What must that beatific vision be which changes the soul at its first entrance into it! What must those pleasures be that ravish every moment! and those delights which surfeit not, even while eternally enjoyed!

Surely that divine bliss is too sublime for nature's light to know about, or see into; and revelation can tell but a little of it, because of our carnality, and

But

shallow knowledge of sacred things. Yea, should the happiness of the blessed be described in the language used before the throne, it would be too sublime to enter into a mortal ear. So that it still holds true, that ear hath not heard, eye hath not seen, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what God hath laid up for his saints. such a portion is it, that the very faith of it makes them endure hardships, patient under trouble, silent in affliction, joyful in tribulation; to trample on worldly greatness, riches, honour, and renown, and to endure all things, as seeing him who is invisible, and thus to wait for his Son from heaven.

5

How

MEDITATION LIV.

THE DIVINE LOVER.

In Harbour, Nov. 1, 1758.

many great geniuses have employed their noble talents on subjects of human love! And by their flowery expressions, screw up the imaginary bliss in these luscious scenes to such a height, as if nothing more sublime could be pursued by immortal souls! And how easy such trifling subjects gain on carnal minds, mournful experience may convince us. But where is he that dwells on the Divine Lover, and expatiates on his matchless grace, with strokes that melt the soul into astonishment and rapture? How often does the poet, in his encomium of a created fair, step beyond the truth, talk at random, yea, rove above possibility itself! But here, in the love of the Son of God, we can never exceed. It is higher than