yet, and all to magnifie thy Mercy, Every morning thy Mercies are renewed upon me, and with the Natural, there rifes upon me the Sun of Righteoufnefs, with healing under his Wings. Thou profpereft my Endeavours, givest fuccefs to all my lawful Undertakings, thou preferveft me from those Difafters which befall other Men. How wifely doft thou order my Affairs? How often doft thou bring Light out of Darkness, and turneft my Affliction into the greatest Joy? How wonderful are thy Providences to me and mine? How often have I feared fuch an accident would be my ruine, and God hath turned it into the greatest good? How wifely haft thou many times denied me temporal Mercies, because thou hadst a mind to enrich me with fpiritual Bleffings in Heavenly Places? What Friends, what Benefa&tors haft thou raifed me? How miraculously haft thou turned the hearts of Men fometimes into Mercy and Compaffion for my good? How often haft thou heard my Prayer, and granted me the request of my Lips? When I have been in the greatest ftraits, how thou haft fhewn me a way to escape? How ftrangely haft thou wheeled things about for my deliverance? How haft thou allured me by the various tokens of thy Love, to love thee better than the World? How great hath been thy care of my temporal concerns, but how far greater thy care of the concerns of my Soul? How strong have been the convictions thou haft vouchfafed me? How great the light thou haft imparted to me? How bright that knowledge thou haft revealed

to

;

to me? How numerous the checks of my own Conscience which thou haft fent me? How frequent the motions of thy Spirit thou haft fhed into my Soul? How often haft thou reasoned the cafe, and expoftulated with me, and, as the Angel did to Balaam, Rood in a narrow way, where there was no turning, neither to the right, nor to the left; and all, because thou would't not have me ftand out any longer against thy moft gracious offers of Salvation? How haft thou adjured me by the Bowels of Jefus, by the Wounds and Agonies of the Son of God, to die unto Sin, and to live unto Righteousness? How ftrange hath been thy condefcenfion, and doth not all this deferve my Love? Is not here enough to warm my Affections towards thee Falfe, ftubborn heart! What canft thou plead for thy averfness from God, after fuch a prospect of his Favours? Notwithstanding my long contempt of these loving kindneffes of the Lord, I am yet alive, and on this fide Hell! How may I ftand amazed at this prodigious long-fuffering of my God! Had any Man fhewn me but the ten thousandth part of that love, which God hath manifested to me, how fhould I love him! How fhould I adore his Name! How should I ftudy to please him! What pains should I take to manifeft my gratitude? How fhould I revere his Memory! How fhould I speak of his Favours! How fhould I praife his Munificence! How fhould I emply my Rhetorick, and ranfack my Poetry, fudy Eloquence, fpeak by my Eyes, my Posture, my Gestures, to make him understand

my

my

Affection! Can Man's kindneffes be fo prevalent, and shall not the goodness of God fire my Soul into a Practical Love to his Name? Can I do less than love him, to whom I owe all I have? To love him is my happiness, my intereft, my greateft felicity: Ó my God! Shall I love a little fhining Clay, a little duft, a little earth, and not love thee, who art worth more than ten thousand Worlds? Shall I love Father and Mother, and not love thee, who hast been better to me than my Parents, and when my Father and Mother have forfaken me, haft taken me up, and with everlasting kindness vifited me? Shall I love my Friend, and fhall I not love thee, my Joy, my Treasure, my Hiding.place? But how can I love thee, except I keep thy Commandments? How can I be thy Friend, except I do whatsoever thou commandeft me? Shall I love thee in Words only, who haft loved me in Deeds? Shall I flatter thee with my Lips, and hate thee in my Heart? Shall I (Judas-like) kifs thee, and betray thee? Love thee, and love my Sins, which are thy greatest Enemies? Did I but love thee as I do a dear Friend, how eafie would all thy Precepts feem? How little reafon fhould I have to complain of the tediousness of thy Yoak? What great, what noble, what generous Actions would thy Love put me upon? Should I pretend to love my Prince, and affront his Law, how foon would my Love be accused of a Lie? How can I be laid to love thee, while I hate to conform my felf to thy Will and Pleasure? How vain will my Love appear in the Laft Day, if it hath

been

been a stranger to Obedience here? The Angels love thee, and they have no other way to demonftrate their Love, but by running at thy Commands. Thy holy Fire burns in their breaft, and makes them fly to execute thy Orders. Do I hope to be like unto the Angels of God hereafter, and shall not I take Pattern by their Obe diential Love, while I fojourn here? O my God! thou art the proper Object of my Love; I rob thee of thy Honour, and commit Sacrilege, if I love any thing here below better than thee. I am married to thee, and I must love nothing above thee. When no eye pitied me to have campaffon upon me,when I was caft into the open field to the loathing of my perfon; thou didst pass by me, and Saweft me polluted with my Blood, and faideft unto me when I was in my Blood, live; thou didst caufe me to multiply as the bud of the field, and when it was the time of Love, thou didst Spread thy skirt over me and coveredft my nakedness, and fwareft unto me, and enteredft into a Covenant with me, and I became thine: Ezek. 16. 5, 6, 7, 8. And, fhall my Soul be married to fo great a Prince, and play the Harlot? O my Lord! haft thou united me so close unto thee, and fhall I defile my self, by fetting my Love on Trifles? It hath gone aftray too long, it hath wandred up and down, and found no reft; and fhall it lose it self for ever, and, like a Mole, run blindly from one Bury to another? What Man, what Devil can hurt me, while I love thee, without whofe Com. mand no Creature dares ftir, or move? What fhould discourage me from loving thee, when

I have all the Promises of the Bible to prompt me to it? If I lofe any thing in this World by loving thee, haft not thou Treasures enough to recompence my Loffes? If Men despise me for loving thee, haft not thou Honour and Glory enough to crown me withal? If I do not thrive in outward Riches, by loving thee, haft not thou, who art rich in Mercy, a Pearl of price to bestow upon me, when this Life is ended? I'll trust thee, O my God, and when my Lufts invite me to act like a Beaft, I'll obey thee, and strive to be perfect, as thou art perfect: When Men intice me to fin, I'll hearken to thee, and venture the disgrace or injury they can inflict upon me; when the World tempts me to be careless of my Salvation, I'll follow thee, and work out my Salvation with fear, and with trembling. Thus I'll manifeft to the World, that thou art dearer to me, than all that's great,or rich, or glorious in the World. O that I were drunk with Love! that all my faculties were filled with love! O that I could love thee, till I fainted away for love! O that my Mind were so intent upon thee, that I could relish nothing but thy Love! O that my Soul did overflow with Love! O that this Stream might rise above its Banks! O that it might know no Bounds! O that I were fo fwallowed up of Divine Love, that I could not tell, whether I were in the Body, or out of the Body! O that the Contemplation of God's Love were so sweet to me, that all other Objects might be Gall and Bitterness to me! O that I were able to go out of my self into the vast Light of the Love of God! O that I had more of this