fin, in the suffering of punishment for fin, in the feverity of that punishment, in the fearful apprehenfion of God's wrath in this severity; but affure thyfelf, (O my foul) thou fhalt never be forsaken in the final execution of this wrath, in the eternal duration of this final execution.

Lord, if my hopes of heaven were grounded on the weak foundation of mine own abilities, if mine election was but temporary, I might justly fear this differtion would prove eternal; but now my comfort is, that Chrift is my strong rock, on whom I am fafely built; that nothing can feperate me from his love; that his decree of mine election is particular, fweet, fure, aud eternal; that the happy means appointed to this bleffed end, is faith, holinefs, righteousness and fanctification; holinefs to obey the precepts, faith to embrace thy promises, righteousness to enjoy thy faints, and fanctification to poffess myself: thy bleffed decree (O Lord) is fo far from giving me liberty to commit fin, that it moft undoubtedly restrains me from it; if I cannot make my calling and election fure, by thy decreed means of fan&tification, I fhall never make my comfort fure by my vain hopes of glorification.

If I look upon Noah, Lot, David, Jacob, Jonah, Chrift himself, I fhall there fee the feveral and the forrowful degrees of this defertion: Noah and

N

Lot fearfully finning, David a long time refting in fin, and wholly deprived of God's gracious prefence for fin; Jonah even doubting of God's favor, in the fuddeness and the sharpness of his punishment; and thou O my bleffed Saviour, affrighted with the fierceness of thy Father's wrath for fin, and for a time (as thou wert man) defpairing of his gracious prefence.

Be not afraid therefore, O my foul; for as thou art deserted for thy fins fake, fo thou art beloved for thy Saviour's fake; though he hide himself behind the wall, (of thy corruption) yet he will graciously look through the lattice (of thine humiliation) Cant. 2. 9 Even this thy present sadness will afford thee fome refreshings, fome gracious glimpses of his holy spirit; and though thy heart be now difquieted within thee, thou fhalt again afsuredly receive the voice of joy and gladness. Lord let this teach me to abhor those fins that have deprived me of thy presence; to feek earnestly to enjoy thee; to rise early to find thee, whom my foul loveth; to fettle mine affections upon thy beauty, mine actions upon thy fervice, that I may he guided by thy grace in this life, and encompassed with thy glory in that to come.

FOR thou, O my bleffed Saviour, art infinitely dearer to me than the choiceft of those earth

ly vanities; their love is falfe and uncertain, but thine true and eternal; abundantly fufficient to rejoice me here, to enrich me hereafter.

O Lord my God, my foul lengoth for thee: I am weary of the fins and miferies of this life, and nothing can relieve me but thy bleffed prefence: 'O make thy face to fhine upon me, and fave me for thy mercy fake.

My God, my God, look upon me, why haft thou forfaken me, and art so far from the words of my complaint? O fatisfy my longings, for thou knoweft, Lord, that I love thee.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hide not thy face from my fupplications, O hide not thyfelf from me, nor cast thy fervant away in displeasure.

Thou hast been my fuccour, therefore leave me not, nor forsake me, O God of my falvation; make thy face to fhine upon thy fervant, and fave me for thy mercies fake.

O lead me from the bondage of fin, into the bleffed liberty of thy children, that I may be comforted in the sweetness of thy promises, and thou mayst be delighted in the zeal of my performances.

Give me the comfort of thy help again, and establish me with thy free spirit; O hide not thy face from thy fervant, for I am in trouble, make hafte and hear me.

Lord, I am defiled with fin, and difquieted with forrow, I am daily vexed with temptations, and hourly overcome with vanity; I am wretchedly infolded in the miseries of mine own corruptions, and woefully beguiled by the devils fubtilties; O wretched man that I am who fhall deliver me?

Lord, I bewail my mifery, and implore thy merO that I was this hour at union with thee, that I might hereafter joyfully adhere unto thee, be graciously accepted of thee, and for ever glori. oufly exalted by thee.-AMEN.

CHAP. XXVIII.

UPON THE APPREHENSION OF SUDDEN

DANGER..

BLESSED God, I know that nothing can befal me without thy holy providence, even this prefent danger is by thine appointment, and what thou haft defigned it unto, I know not, I enquire not: Lord give me a sweet and safe affurance that I am thine, and then do with me what thou. wilt: O let me live, and I fhall praise thee, and. thy judgments fhall help me; pointed me this hour to home unto thee, and be fweeter union with thee.

but if thou haft apdie, O let me then go united in a fafer, in a Lord hear me, and have

mercy on me, for my dear Saviour's fake, who hath given his precious 1.fe a ransom for me..

PRESERVE me, O God, for in thee have I put my trust; forfake me not, O Lord my God,, be not thou far from me..

Lord, ftrengthen and fupport my wavering faith, forgive me all my fins, and fuffer not my foul to be furprited in my laft extremity..