fecret fenfations, be a living interpretation

of these words!

This was one of the best days of this year. To-day-thanks to thee, O merciful God! I have lived-all in all-true to all my principles, as much as poffible!

JANUARY the Twentieth.

1 ROSE at fix o'clock. It was cold; and I was not quite well, and tempted to lay myself down again; however, I wrapt myfelf in my pelife, lighted the fire, which employed and amufed me half an hour, but gave me head-ache and tooth-ache--I was angry with myself-yet I read the twentieth VOL. I.

and

and twenty-first chapters of St. Matthew. The fentiment I chofe for the present day was: All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive:

I reflected seriously upon these words, having little else to do, and felt an uncommon tranquillity and ferenity in my foul, at it. One fimilar paffage after the other occurred to my recollection.-I was astonished that fuch a number of plain paffages, treating on the efficacy of devout prayers, which I had fo frequently heard and read, should now, for the firft time, ftrike me fo powerfully; I rejoiced however as much at it, as if I had found a great treasure.-Yet I was very fenfible that I was still deftitute of faith, and a lively attachment to the divine truth

I fighed therefore, that that faith which is acceptable to God, might be encreased and animated within me.

In the afternoon Mr. M

came to fee

me. My whole heart was replete with the new truth which I fancied to have found out. I converfed with him upon it; he liftened attentively to me with a fmiling mien, and at laft faid: "It is very remarkable, that << you introduce this fubject to my attention; "I affure you, that in spite of what one is " used to obferve, in order to restrain these

divine promises, I am fully convinced that "we wrong the Gospel very much, if we "deny that the great reward, which has "been promised to faith and prayers, does "not extend to our times. However, I can"not but confefs, that to this hour I have "kept this conviction to myself, apprehend"ing to expose myself to idle litigations of "words and ridicule; but now I will thank "God, that he has granted you the fame perfuafion."

4 He then related to me, with an amiable fimplicity, modefty, and warmth, feveral extremely remarkable incidents of very striking and almost wonderful grants of prayers, which he himself had experienced in very important concerns, and of which he as yet had spoken to no one. He begged me to divulge to no one, even not to my wife, what he had told me; I promifed it: the tears ftarted feveral times from my eyes; I thanked God, with great emotion of heart, for this confirmation in my faith, for which I had prayed to-day. O God! how good, how unfpeakably more merciful art thou than men will believe thee to be, notwithstanding all thy pofitive promifes! They difpute thy goodness, instead of fimply trying to experience it, according to the inftruction of thy Gofpel.

O! give me the spirit of fimple filial faith,

and

and I shall certainly experience, that, although heaven and earth fhould pafs away, yet the words of Jefus Christ never will.

These reflections employed me the whole day and yet I did not pray half an hour without interruption.-O! how giddy is my heart! how much does it act in contradiction with itself! when shall it be wholly conformable to its feelings.

JANUARY the Twenty-firft and Second.

THESE two days I had the tooth-ache, though not very violent, and a fwelled face. I could neither read nor write much; and now I am not at leifure to write down feveral fituations of my mind which I have obferved.