a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy GOD for the good land which He hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy GOD, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day: lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and has built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy GOD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; Who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy GOD for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy GOD, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your GOD.

O LORD, my Lord,
for my being, life, reason,
for nurture, protection, guidance,
for education, liberty, religion,
for Thy gifts of grace, nature, substance,
for redemption, regeneration, catechizing,
for my call, re-call, yea, many calls besides;
for Thy forbearance, longsuffering,
long long-suffering

to me-ward,

many seasons, many years, up to this time; for all good things received, successes granted me, good things done;

for the use of things present,
for Thy promise, and my hope
of the enjoyment of good things to come;
for my parents, and teachers, and benefactors,
for friends sincere,
domestics faithful,

for all who have advantaged me
by writings, homilies, converse,
prayers, patterns, rebukes, injuries;
for all these, and all others
which I know, which I know not,
open, hidden,
remembered, forgotten,

done when I wished, when I wished not,
I confess to Thee and will confess,
I bless Thee and will bless,

I give thanks to Thee and will give thanks,
all the days of my life.

Who am I, or what is my father's house,
that Thou shouldest look upon a dead dog,
the like of me?

What reward shall I give unto the LORD for all the benefits which He hath done unto me? What thanks can I recompense unto God,

for all He hath spared and borne with me until now?

Holy, Holy, Holy,
worthy art Thou,

O LORD and our GOD, the Holy One,

to receive the glory, and the honour, and the power, for Thou hast made all things,

and for Thy pleasure they are,

and were created. Amen.

Woe is me, my GoD, that I so often have sought to fly Thy Fatherly Providence, and to live after my own foolish mind; therefore shunning the Hand of Thy Divine Providence, which was leading me unto life, I have incurred perils, errors, and sins unnumbered. O folly to be deplored with tears of blood! I repent. My whole soul repenteth. Most humbly I pray for pardon. But now henceforth, O LORD, give me Thy grace ever to have Thy Providence before my eyes, to feel that whatever good or ill befalleth me is from Thee, and to receive it as an exceeding blessing. Be this my solace in adversity, confidence in terror, security in danger, boldness in difficulties, patience in distress, calmness in tumults, rest of soul in looking forward. This only is my heart's desire, to do and say and think as Thou, my GoD, judgest best for Thy glory and my salvation, so that in all things, and above all things, I may contemplate, adore, love, honour, praise, and bless Thee for ever and ever. Amen. Glory be to the FATHER, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

CHAPTER IX.-CALM OF SOUL.

Meditation.

VERY blessed is my present state. I am in a calm sea upon which the storms of the world are reflected as they pass away, and on the face of those waters I discern the outlines of the eternal hills. I am between two worlds, and am passing from one into the other. The tempests of life are behind me. I am already under the shelter of my native land. I have but to cross the breakers at the bar, and I am in port for ever.

O how sweet is this calm and stillness. Now know I that the LORD forsaketh not His anointed. Now know I the truth of the words, "Before I was troubled I went wrong." Not one pain, not one sorrow too much have I received. Not one needless disappointment have I suffered. Why did a contrary wind baffle me, but because I was not steering for Heaven? Why was it hard and painful to return to the place whence I had sailed, but because that place was not my home; because I should have sought a better country, that is, an heavenly?

The afflictions which I suffer I brought upon myself, and must bear them meekly, yea, thankfully, for bitter herbs are healing. "Before forgiveness they are the punishment of sinners, but after forgiveness they are the contests and exercises of the righteous."" My faculties are failing. Sight, and hearing, and remembrance fail; and feeble is my step, and weak my arm. Once these things were painful, even the thought of them; but, my GOD, let them be so no more; for now I feel Thy mercy in calling me to Thyself whilst memory availed to recall my sins, and I had faculties for repentance; and now also I see in the departure of my powers so many gentle and constant calls from this world to the next, from myself to Thee; nay, not

1 S. Aug. de pecc. merit. II. s. 54.

warnings only and calls, but promises. My weakness speaks to me of Thee as the strength of my heart for ever. My tottering steps preach to me of that place in which we shall approach our God not by feet, but by affections, and with the speed of love. My failing eyes shew Thee to me in faith and hope, O my GOD; Thee Whom to see is to live, and to live in Whom is endless bliss; and Who wilt give faculties to perceive Thee unto all those to whom Thou hast given the love to seek Thee, and the bliss to find Thee. The dulness of my ears tells me of "the new song," the things "which ear hath not heard ;" the "unspeakable things which it is not lawful for a man to utter." My failing memory is also a forerunner of that blessed condition in which no remembrance is required; for time is then no more, and nothing passes away, but bliss is ever present, because God Himself is.

Of old I found it hard to surrender my own will, and to accept my GoD's; nay, I would not do it. But now what is there to prevent my wishing only that which GOD shall will? For I have seen the evil of my own will, and the folly and vanity of wrestling with GOD. I am, I trust, subdued and softened and have no heart now to continue those restless longings, those impatient desires, those endless succeeding plans of self, which, like the barren driving clouds of the north, troubled my former life, and expelled the peace which my LORD would have bestowed upon me, unworthy as I was. Now I would accept God's Will perfectly; and I wish nothing more than that mine should be absorbed, and lost in It, so that I may be truly one with Thee, my life and bliss.

Away with all desires except desires of Thee, my GOD. The disputes, the strivings, the labours, the tumults of the world are no more to me. GOD "hath promised eternal life, where we can fear nothing, where we cannot be disturbed, whence we cannot remove, where we cannot die, where we mourn not for the departed, nor