ges of fin and Satan? am I careful to guard and keep out of it every dishonouring thought of God and his law? every inclination to fin? every high thought of myself with respect to my own spiritual abilities? every revengeful wish against any that may have offended me; and in short, every thing that is contrary to the will of God.

Now, if I can call God to witness, that I have had, or have all, or any of these evidences in reality, it is a sign the good feed hath been fown in my heart: and to prove that it hath not fallen upon ftony ground, neither among thorns, with respect to me, let me persevere to the end, and root out every worldly care that may in the least mar the growth of the feed, not in my own strength, but in that of the great Husbandman, who hath faid,

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My grace is fufficient for thee: for my "strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor. xii. 9.

CONTEMPLATION VIII.

ON.

AWOO D.

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T

HIS wood forms

an agreeable prof

pect; all the trees and shrubs whereof begin to be attired in native green, budding forth with a pleasant scent, while almost every spray is made vocal with muficians of gay plumage, and the cuckoo just arrived, repeats her name from bough to bough; fwains at a distance catch the gladsome founds, listen again, and tell their neighbours they have heard the voice of the welcome visitant; all which invite my be more pleasant than to have the fight, fmelling, and hearing all regaled at one and the fame time, while the mind finds ample scope for contemplation.

While I walk through the glades, I behold trees and shrubs of various kinds, divers growths, and of different uses. Here I have a picture of the world, and may fee with the blind man in the gospel, when partly enlightened, men as trees, Mark viii. 24. though all of one kind by nature, of very different difpofitions; poffeffing various talents useful for different purposes.

Some of these trees, for stature and majesticness look like kings over the rest, being as so many Sauls among the woody people. In like manner, some mens education, excellent talents and good behaviour, give them a fuperior dignity to the reft of their brethren.

Here I perceive several beautiful trees growing as it were out of one root, like fo many brothers linking their branches together, supporting one another as they

grow, fo that hardly any wind, though blowing never fo tempestuously shall be able to overturn them. A beautiful emblem this of what man ought to do: being all sprung from one root by nature, ought not they to live as brethren, linking their concerns together, supporting and strengthening one another: if this was the cafe, how stable and flourishing would kingdoms, nations, and families be! then the storms of anarchy, fedition, and inteftine broils should be unable to overthrow them. Thus the church would flourish like Lebanon, Hof. xiv. 5. and the world be rendered a para

dife.

The royal Pfalmist beautifully expresses the high delight he had of fuch a state as this through the whole of Pfal. cxxxiii. and that this may more and more take place, may I cast in my mite in cultivating a brotherly difpofition towards all men, especially the household of faith, accounting them my nearest and dearest brethren; for have we not all one Father, one Saviour, one Sanctifier, one hope, one faith, and one inheritance, at last to be conferred on us all. If we love not one another, it is a proof steps through its recesses: And what can we love not God, and therefore have no title to the inheritance of the faints in light : for if we love not our brother whom we have feen, how can we love God whom we

have not seen? I John iv. 20.

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Neither ought this love to be confined to those saints only who are rich in this world, but extend also to those who. are poor; for if we love the former only, it is the image of the world in them which attracts our love; but if also the latter, it is a fign it is the image of God in both which engages our esteem. Neither • ought the personal injuries of either committed against us, if we hope they are faints, to cool our love to them as fuch, but rather to draw forth our compaffion to bewail those sad flips of theirs, while we pray for their recovery. If Stephen prayed for the forgiveness of his enemies, when they were in the very act of stoning him; and Chrift for his bloody murderers on the cross, Acts vii. 60. Luke xxiii. 34. ought not we for those who are real friends in Christ, tho' at times they be guilty of the actions of our enemies ?

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