Jesus? he died for my sins, and became food and 'covering to my soul; his flesh is meat indeed, his blood is drink indeed. I likewise observed, that some of those brutes were put into very rich pastures, whilst others, of the same species, fared hard; But those cattle in green and flourishing pastures, were feeding for the slaughter. From hence I turned my thoughts to the different circumstances of mankind; though all of one species, some are poor, some are rich, some clothed in purple, and fare sumptuously every day. Yet, I fear, many of them are preparing for the woeful slaughter of the last judgment; whilst the merciful Jehovah in Jesus Christ is selecting out from amongst the poor of mankind, a peculiar seed, a certain number who are redeemed by the blood of a precious Jesus, to be with him for ever in eternal glory. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever. Psalm xcii. 7. .

My way lay through a church-yard. The church stood at some considerable distance from any dwelling. I stopped and reviewed it a little. Its situation bore an awful aspect, surrounded with dead bodies of men and women, who once stood up to worship God,

and must hereafter, by the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, be called up from their dormitory, to take their doom, before that tremendous Judge of quick and dead, who will give to every man according to his deeds. As I viewed the church, I was astonished to think of the ignorance of mankind under the character of christians, who, like the Jews of old, cry the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we; so people point at such a pile of building as this, which is no more than mortar, stone, and wood, and very strenuously cry the church, the church! It appeared to me like a house uninhabited, very lonely indeed; but glory be to God, I was led to see that the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands, Acts vii. 48. The Apostle says to every believer, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you, 1 Cor. iii. 16, and your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, chap. vi. 19, and again, Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them: will be their God,

and they shall be my people, 2 Cor. vi. 16. And the Apostle Peter tells us of what materials the church of Christ is built, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, 1 Pet. ii. 5.

And when Paul and Barnabas were going from Antioch to Jerusalem, they were brought on their way by the church, Acts xv. 3. Then I blessed God that He taught me that Christ's true church was founded and built on himself, the rock, Matt, xvi. 18. And all Christ's true worshippers worship God, (whether in this house, or any other,) in spirit and in truth.

Having written my minutes, I set out again on my journey as fast as I could, it being winter, very dirty, wet, and cold; my thoughts were directed to meditate a little on the season. I was led to see that winter (though not so comfortable and pleasing to the flesh,) was as useful and profitable as the summer; for in the womb of the earth the corruption of the old seed is the begetting, or production of the new; and as it springs up, the blade is prevented from displaying that gaiety, splendour, and vigour, which otherwise it might have done, by reason of the frost, snow, and cold: yet, although it doth not grow tall above the earth, its root spreads under the earth, and shoots forth more blades for a larger increase in harvest. In the progress and efforts of nature, I saw the works of divine grace in my own experience; for when the seed of grace was first sown in my heart, it soon made a pro

mising appearance; but, alas! winter quickly came, and frowned upon me. I then cut a very mean figure in the church, and less in the world. Still, blessed be God, I found it was rooted in my heart, and spread in divine knowledge, under the teachings of the divine Spirit and I grew strong in the Lord; in hearing the word, digesting it, secret ejaculations, and meditation; so the production of that blessed seed sown of God in me, sprung up in many blades, and ears, and I trust will end in a plentiful harvest.

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In meditation also I was soon led to see that winter destroys poisonous vermin; this also I experienced, that when it was a trying dark season, and storms of affliction, hard winds of temptation, cold nipping frost, and the hidings of God's face-the soul so benumbed, it could do little else but groan; then self-righteousness and pride roll on their backs; they have not strength to crawl; the adder of self-confidence, and the odious serpent unbelief, the most venemous of all, though he never totally dies till the seasons are no more, yet at those seasons, faith is obliged to muster all its force. Thus I saw to my great satisfaction, that these severe seasons, though not comfortable, were exceeding beneficial to the soul;

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whilst in summer seasons, which, to our corrupt unsanctified depraved nature, appear very delightful, yet then it is these vermin breed. Lord what is man!

My thoughts turned a few moments on the unsettled weather during the day; sometimes the wind blew strong, then heavy rains, and at times sunshine; this resembled my experience through this dreary howling wilderness, to the heavenly Canaan, where my soul longs to be; the winds of temptations of various sorts, sometimes would blow so strong, that it would kindle a fire from the embers that seemed almost extinguished, so that what with the wind, and the fire, I have oft-times found it hard to keep footing. The hard rains of afflictions and trials, have sometimes fallen so heavy, that I have been almost beaten to the earth, and been obliged to run to the rock for an hiding place and covert from the storm, which, through mercy, I have always found nigh in such distressing seasons. When the sun of prosperity hath shone bright and warm, with every good thing, I have been careless whether I ran or walked, but my indolent, carnal self, would rather sit down; though, at such faint -seasons, I have been better provided for than I deserved, and have often been drawn under