Without me, ye can do nothing; therefore, abide in me. John xv. 4, 5.

I CAN no more do without thee, O my dear Saviour, than the branch can without the vine! Keep me therefore always in thee, else I shall have recourse to my old fancied stock of grace, though I have been a thousand times convinced of my insufficiency. May I never be left in the least thing to my own strength, but be directed, assisted, and blessed by thee in all my doings; for as far as I trust to myself, I am distrustful of thee, and consequently weak; and, on the other hand, the more I distrust myself, the more I trust to thee, and shall be strengthened and blessed.

Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Whoso offereth praise, glorifies me: and to himi that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God. Psalm 1. 14, 15, 23. See also Isa. xxv. 9.

NOTHING moves God more to hear us than the glorifying him by faith with thanksgiving, and the keeping up a child-like confidence in him, as our reconciled Father in Christ; and nothing quickeneth faith more, than süre promises of answering our prayers. Thus God will certainly hear and deliver us, since all his ways are only designed to strengthen us in faith, and to save our souls. What need we then to be afraid in times of trouble? ought we not rather to draw near to God in prayer and thanksgiving, and glorify him even beforehand, — confidently believing, that we shall certainly meet with new deliverances and quickenings of faith?

To what a stubborn frame
Has sin reduc'd our mind!

What strange ungrateful wretches we!
And God as strangely kind!

Turn, turn us, mighty God,
And mould our souls afresh;

Break, sov'reign grace, these hearts of

stone,

And give us hearts of flesh !

Let old ingratitude

Provoke our weeping eyes,
And hourly as new mercies fall,
Let hourly thanks arise!

Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Isa, iii. 10. Therefore, mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace. Psal. xxxvii. 37.

MANY are for having that first, which is not to be expected till the end; they would be glad of the triumph, but will not fight; the waiting for the Lord seems to them too long:- but for the most glorious promises we must often wait the longest. Jacob was obliged to wait longer than Esau, though he had greater promises than he: and how long was it before the promise of Christ, the greatest of all, was accomplished? It ought therefore well to be observed, that it is said at last "It shall be well with the righteous, and the end of the upright is peace;" when his faith, love, and patience are tried enough in the fur nace of afflictions, then the acceptable year shall come, and the blessed days of joy will appear.`

As sparks break out of burning coals,
And still are upward borne ;
So grief is rooted in our souls,

And man grows up to mourn.

Yet with my God I leave my cause,
And trust his promis'd grace;

He rules me by his well-known laws

Of love and righteouness.

Not all the pains that e'er I bore

Shall spoil my future peace,
For Death and Hell can do no more
Than what my Father please.

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. Ps. xxvi. 2. Search me, O God, and know my heart, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psal. cxxxix. 23, 24.

WOULD David, the man after God's own heart, not trust himself, but present his heart to the Lord to be tried? much less can or ought we to trust our hearts; "for he that trusts in his own heart," says the wise man, "is a fool." Prov. xxviii. 26. We have more reason to be afraid of our own hearts than of all other enemies. It is not necessary for us to know when or by what means the Lord searches our hearts; but every one that is really in a state of grace, and walking in the fear of the Lord, will pray to him to search the heart, and to deliver him from every wicked way. The Holy Spirit hath various ways of searching the hearts of his people, and makes use of different means with the same person. We are not to limit the mode nor the extent of his operations; but it is our duty to pray, that he will in every thing guide us in the way that leadeth to everlasting life. Some may be worked upon very differently from what we have been; but the whole is under the direction of Infinite Wisdom, and tends to manifest the glory of Divine Grace in our salvation.

Lord, search my soul, try ev'ry thought;
Though my own heart accuse me not

Of walking in a false disguise,
I beg the trial of thine eyes.

Lord, all my desire is before thee. Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name. Psal. xxxviii. 9, and lxxxvi. 11. ENCOURAGED by thy blessed word of promise, O Lord, that before

men call, thou wilt answer, and whilst they are yet speaking, thou wilt hear (Isaiah lxv. 24) I now draw nigh to thee, and present my supplication before thee. Teach me, by thy word and Spirit, the things of my everlasting peace; let my soul be cast into the mould of the gospel, and let me be obedient to thy will in all things. Manifest thyself unto me, as thou dost not to the world; show me my inward corruptions, and let me see into the depth of iniquity that is in my heart; grant me that "fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom; incline my heart unto thy testimonies; lead me into all truth; help me to learn, that he that believeth will not make haste;" restrain the impetuosity of my natural temper, that I may do all things deliberately, as becometh one that feareth alway, that is ever looking unto thee for direction. Lord, preserve me calm in my spirit, gentle in my commands, and watchful that I speak not unadvisedly with my lips; moderate in my purposes, yielding in my temper, where the honour of my God is not immediately concerned; and ever stedfast where needful. Lord, grant me thy protection, and may thy blessing be upon me, that I may not bring an evil report upon that good land I was permitted to spy out; but walk honourably through the wil derness, and pass triumphantly over Jordan into Canaan. Amen.

Be with me, Lord, where'er I go;

Teach me what thou would'st have me do;

Suggest whate'er I think or say;
Direct me in the narrow way!