I own, and lament, my unmeetnefs for the heavenly kingdom; and find I need a power above my own, to purge out the corruption that hath overfpread my foul, to change and turn me into the way of holiness, and keep me in it. But I can turn to the place where he hath proclaimed, "I will sprinkle water upon you, and I will "cleanse you a new heart alfo will I give you, "and a new spirit will I put within you, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26. And when omnipotency undertakes the work, who would doubt the accomplishment? In the multitude of my thoughts within me, as to weakness and unworthiness, what comfort may it yield to delight my foul? The Lord will give grace and glory.

9. This informs us that God is the proper rest, the fuitable portion, of an immortal foul.

His perfections can only fuit our spiritual natures, fill up our capacities, fatisfy our defires, and run parallel with our very being.

Here, we move in a circle of vanity and vexation, placing our affections on that which is not; are mock'd and disappointed with a thousand shadows, and always fhall, whilft we purfue a happinefs which bears no proportion to that fpiritual fubftance which we carry about us.

Arife then, O my foul," Return unto thy "reft." Wherefore do I spend money for that which is not bread? and my labour for that which can never fatisfy? Why fhould I feed on hufks any longer, when in my father's house there is bread enough and to fpare, and he has promised to replenish the weary and forrowful foul with the fruits of his love. The Lord will

give grace and glory. How fully do these words anfwer the neceffity of my

cafe?

Say then, O my foul, I will arife and go to my God and Father, in whom my true and adequate happinefs lies. Pfalm iv. 6. Whilft others purfue the enquiry in a world of vanity, Who will Sher us any good? Let this be my request, Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. This will create more gladnefs in my heart than earth can give the fore-taste of what is to be more fully enjoyed above.

10. Will God give grace and glory? Hence learn the method of falvation, and how much of the divine wisdom appears in it. How vain are the hopes of glory hereafter, without grace and holinefs here?

Laftly, Will God give grace and glory to certain of the finful race of mankind? How great an honour is it to be employed by him in the converting and faving of fouls? With what vigour and delight fhould they hold on their work, ferying the kind designs of love, and never faint or grow weary, having this ground to go upon, The Lord will give grace and glory?

But let me apply myself a little further, to fuch as have not been made partakers of divine grace, and fo not brought into the way to eternal glory. And that this may be managed with profit, 'tis neceffary we should know the state of our cafe.

Here, therefore, a previous enquiry should be made, viz. Am I deftitute of the faving grace of God, or in the number of those who are made

partakers of it? Am I an heir of the promised glory, or without a good hope of it?

Is it not time, O my foul, to come to a refolution in fo weighty an affair? Can I live at an uncertainty, to whom I belong? Whither I am going? Where my everlafting abode is like to be? Shall I put off the fearch to an indifferent hereafter, when this night my foul may be called away?

Is not the question, Have I grace or not? of the fame import as that, fuppofing I should prefently die, Whether I fhould be faved or loft? Be received to heaven, or bid lie down in hell ? Be eternally happy, or everlaftingly miserable? And should not the thoughts of this awaken me presently to look into my ftate, and make me ferious and faithful in it? Should I decline the trial when I have the ftrongest encouragement to it? If it should appear that I am yet in an unrenewed state, I am not paft hope: I am under the Gospel; and this is the joyful found, the blesfed propofal it makes, The Lord will give grace. If the divine Spirit has been at work within, and I can discover his footsteps, how ravishing will it be to hear, the Lord will give glory too?

Come then, O my foul, into the light. Are the marks and characters that defcribe the children of God to be found in me.

A little to affift you in the fearch:

In general,

Are all old things done away, and all things made new? 2 Cor. v. 17. Is it otherwife with you than once it was? They that fay, they never knew a time wherein they were not regene

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rate,

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rate, may do well to question whether they were ever brought in to it, unless an even thread of holiness has run through their whole courfe from the first, as a proof of their early, thorough renovation. And fo great is the change made by the grace of God where it has been bestowed in elder years; fo fignal the difference in heart and life from what we were, and what others are, as may be difcerned by fcripture light, by fuch as are willing to know their cafe.

Suppofing therefore I was conceived and born in fin, and fometime remained under the power of it, in the gall of bitternefs and bond of iniquity, is it otherwife with me now? What change have I experienced within? How does it appear without? Have I other thoughts and apprehenfions of things, being freed from my former darkness, and made light in the Lord? Have I another mind and judgment? a different frame and workings of heart and affection, discourse, and converfation fuitable to thefe? Is the old man put off, as to his dominion and rule, and the new man put on, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. iv. 24. Is there a new heart evidencing itself in newness of life, the end for which it is given, Ezek. xxxvi. 27 ?

But to be more particular :

1. Were you ever fenfible of your finful corrupt condition, fo as to be humbled under it, and made to loath and abhor yourselves upon the account of it?

2. How are you affected as to indwelling fin, and the remains of corruption? This is that that

Ser. II. makes believers groan, and of all things renders their ftay upon earth moft grievous.

O my foul, how is it as to this? While others pour out their grief for outward croffes, do I feel my inward malady, and mourn over it? Do I pray as heartily to be freed from fin as others from outward forrow and affliction ?

3. What is your esteem of holiness, and how

is it evidenced in your endeavours after greater conformity to your pattern and rule?

4. How are you affected towards such as are yet in a finful unrenewed ftate? Do your hearts melt over them? Do you pity and pray for them, and earneftly endeavour the converfion and falvation of all about you? Do you bear your children and relatives on your heart to the throne of grace, crying as Abraham, O that fuch may live in thy fight. Gen. xvii. 18?

Grace is of a communicative nature; inspires the breaft, in which it is, with the moft tender compaffion and trueft affection, which will be expreffed in defires and endeavours to promote the eternal happiness of others, and in order to it, that here they may be truly holy in heart and life. This is the apoftle's requeft, in which he breathes the fpirit of a faint: "The very God "of peace fanctify you wholly," Theff. v. 23.

5. Are you willing to come in to the light; to be tried by the impartial rule, or do you decline and hate it, from confcioufnefs of guilt, and fear to be stop'd and disturb'd in the state and courfe you are in? This is a mark laid down by our bleffed Lord, John iii. 21. Every one that doth "evil hateth the light."