love, for he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, for God is love."

In a Journal replete with sentiments of most ardent piety, we meet with the following reflections, recorded in the interval, between the latter end of the year 1802, the time when he first resolved to serve Christ as a Missionary, and the autumn of the year 1803, when he was admitted into Holy Orders.

But let us hear his reasons for keeping such a record of the state of his mind: "I am convinced that Christian experience is not a delusion-whether mine is so or not will be seen at the last day-my object in making this Journal, is to accustom myself to self-examination, and to give my experience a visible form, so as to leave a stronger impression on the memory, and thus to improve my soul in holiness-for the review of such a lasting testimony will serve the double purpose of conviction and consolation."

Divided as Christians are in judgment respecting the general utility of a religious diary, there can be but one opinion amongst them respecting the uncommon excellence of the following observations.

"Since I have endeavored to divest myself of every consideration independent of religion, I see the difficulty of maintaining a liveliness in devotion for any considerable time together; nevertheless as I shall have to pass the greater part of my future life, after leaving England, with no other source of

happiness than reading, meditation, and prayer, I think it right to be gradually mortifying myself to every species of worldly pleasure."—"In all my life I have fixed on some desirable ends, at different distances, the attainment of which was to furnish me with happiness. But now in seasons of unbelief, nothing seems to lie before me but one vast uninteresting wilderness, and heaven appearing but dimly at the end. Oh! how does this shew the necessity of living by faith! What a shame that I cannot make the doing of God's will my ever delightful object, and the prize of my high calling, the mark after which I press!"

"I was under disquiet at the prospect of my future work, encompassed with difficulties; but I trusted I was under the guidance of infinite wisdom, and on that I could rest." ***. who had returned from a mission, observed that the crosses to be endured were far greater than can be conceived: but 'none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto me, so that I might finish my course with joy." "Had some disheartening thoughts at night, at the prospect of being stripped of every earthly comfort; but who is it that maketh my comforts to be a source of enjoyment? Cannot the same make cold and hunger and nakedness and peril to be a train of ministering angels, conducting me to glory?"-"O my soul, compare thyself with St. Paul, and with the example and precepts of the Lord Jesus Christ. Was it not his meat and drink to do the will of his heavenly Father?"

"Finished the account of Dr. Vanderkemp, and longed to be sent to China. But I may reasonably doubt the reality of every gracious affection, they are so like the morning cloud, and transient as the early dew. If I had the true love of souls, I should long and labor for those around me, and afterwards for the conversion of the Heathen.”

"I had distressing thoughts about the little prospect of happiness in my future life. Though God has not designed man to be a solitary being, yet surely the child of God would delight to pour out his soul for whole days together before God. Stir up my soul to lay hold on thee, and remove from me the cloud of ignorance and sin that hides from me the glory of Jehovah, the excellency of my God." "I found Butler's Analogy useful in encouraging me to self-denial, by the representation he gives of this life, as a state of discipline for a better.""Since adopting the Gospel as the ground of my hope and rule of my life, I feel the force of the argument drawn from its exalted morality. In so large a work as the Bible, by so many writers, in such different ages, never to meet with any thing puerile or inconsistent with their own views of the Deity, is a circumstance unparalleled in any other book."-Respecting what is called the experience of Christians, it is certain we have no reason from the mere contemplation of the operations of our own minds, to ascribe them to an extrinsic agent, because they arise from their

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proper causes, and are directed to their proper ends. The truth or falsehood of pretences to the experience of divine agency, must depend on the truth or falsehood of Scripture: that warrants us sufficiently-for it informs us, that it is 'God that worketh in us both to will and to do, of his good pleasure;' which passage, while it asserts the reality of God's influence, points out also the manner of his acting, for he works in us to will before he works in us to do. This effectually guards against fanaticism, for no one will pretend he ever put his finger on those mysterious springs that move the will, or knows what they be; and therefore he cannot say, now God is exerting his influence. He may reasonably indeed and ought to ascribe every good thought to God, but still every good thing in him is but the effect of something preceding his first perception, therefore is posterior to the moving cause, which must hence be forever concealed from the immediate knowledge of man.' * ** came, and we resumed our exercises of reading and prayer: though it be true that the more strict our obedience is, the more evidently does the imperfection of it appear, yet I think it reasonable to be thankful that I have received grace, to stir one single step this day towards the kingdom of heaven."-"After my prayers, my mind seems touched with humility and love, but the impression decays so soon! Resolved for the future to use more watchfulness in reading and prayer."-"My

prayers have been frequent of late, but I cannot realize the presence of the Almighty God. I have not enjoyed communion with him, or else there would not be such strangeness in my heart towards the world to come."-"In my walk out, and during the remainder of the day, the sense of my own weakness and worthlessness called me to watchfulness and dependence on the grace of Christ."— "My soul rather benumbed than humble and contrite, tired with watchfulness, though so short and so feeble."-"Sudden flashes of faint affection to-day, which raised self-satisfaction, but no abiding humiliation."-"Talked with much contemptuous severity about conformity to the world; alas! all that is done in this way, had better be left undone.” "This was a day when I could only by transient glimpses perceive that all things were loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my

Lord.'

"I am not conscious of any particular backsliding from God; I think my prayers have been more earnest; yet the views of my own heart have produced, not humility, but discontent, because I suppose they are grating to pride."-"What is the state of my own soul before God? I believe that it is right in principle: I desire no other portion but God: but I pass so many hours as if there were no God at all. I live far below the hope, comfort, and holiness of the Gospel: but be not slothful, O my soul, look unto Jesus the author and finisher of thy