How haft thou fhewn me a way to escape? How strangely haft thou wheel'd things about for my deliverance? How haft thou allur'd me by the various tokens of thy love, to love thee bet ter than the World? How great hath been thy care of my temporal concerns, but how far greater thy care of the concerns of my Soul? How strong have been the convictions thou haft vouchfafed me? How great the light thou haft imparted to me? How bright that knowledge thou haft revealed to me? How numerous the checks of my own Confcience which thou haft fent me? How frequent the motions of thy Spirit, thou haft (hed into my Soul? How often haft thou reafon'd the cafe, and expoftulated with me, and, as the Angel did to Balaam, stood in a narrow way, where there was no turning, peither to the right nor to the left; and all because thou would'ft not have me stand out any longer against thy most gracious offers of Salvation? How haft thou adjured me by the bowels of Jefus, by the wounds and agonies of the Son of God, to die unto fin, and to live unto righteonfnefs? How strange hath been thy condefcenfion, and doth not all this deferve my love? Is not here enough to warm my affections towards thee? Falfe, ftubborn heart! What canft thou plead for thy averfenefs from God, after fuch a profpect of his favours? Notwithstanding my long contempt of these loving kindneffes of the Lord, I am yet alive, and on this fide Hell! How may I ftand Z 3

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amazed at this prodigious long fuffering of my God! Had any man fhewn me but the ten thousandth part of that love, which God hath manifested to me, how fhould I love him! how fhould I adore his name? how should I study to please him! what pains should I take to manifeft my gratitude/ how fhould I revere his memory! how should I fpeak of his favours! how should I praise his munificence! How fhould I employ my Rhetorick, and ranfack my Poetry, ftudy Eloquence, fpeak by my Eyes, my posture, my geftures, to make him understand my affection! Can man's kindneffes be fo valent, and shall not the goodness of God fire my Soul into a practical love to his Name? Can I do less than love him, to whom I owe all I have? Tolove him is my happiness, my interest, my greatest felicity: O my God, fhall I love a little fhining clay, a little duft, a little earth, and not love thee, who art worth more than ten thousand Worlds? Shall I love Father and Mother, and not love thee, who haft been better to me than my Parents, and when my Father and Mother have forfaken me, hast taken me up, and with everlasting kindness vifited me? Shall I love my Friend, and shall not I love thee my Joy, my Treafure, my hidingplace? But how can I love thee, except I keep thy Commandments ? How can I be thy Friend, except I do whatfoever thou commandeft me? Shall I love thee in words only, who haft loved me in deeds? Shall I flatter thee

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with my lips, and hate thee in my heart? Shall I (Judas-like) kifs thee, and betray thee? love thee, and love my fins, which are thy greatest enemies? Did I but love thee as I do a dear Friend, how eafie would all thy Precepts feem? How little reafon fhould I have to complain of the tediousness of thy yoke? What great, what noble, what generous actions would thy love put me upon? Should I pretend to love my Prince, and affront his Law how foon would my love be accused of a lie? How can I be faid to love thee, while I hate to conform my felf to thy will and pleasure? How vain will my love appear in the last day, if it hath been a stranger to obedience here? The Angels love thee, and they have no other way to demonstrate their love, but by running at thy commands? The holy fire burns in their breaft, and makes them fly to execute thy orders. Do I hope to be like unto the Angels of God hereafter, and shall not I take pattern by their obediential love, while I fojourn here! O my God, thou art the proper object of my love; I rob thee of thy Honour, and commit Sacrilege, if I love any thing here below better than thee. I am married to thee,and I must love nothing above thee. When no eye pitied me, to have compassion upon me, when I was caft into the open field, to the loathing of my perfon, Ezek. 16. 5,6,7,8. thou didst pass by me, and Jaweft me polluted in my Blood, and faidft unto me when I was in my Blood, live; thou didst Z 4

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cause me to multiply as the bud of the field, and when it was the time of Love, thou didst Spread thy skirt over me, and coveredft my nakedness, and fwareft unto me, and entredft into a Covenant with me,and I became thine; and, Shall my Soul be married to fo great a Prince, and play the Harlot? O my Lord, Haft thou united me so close unto thee, and, Shall I defile my self, by setting my love on trifles? It hath gone aftray too long, it hath wandred up and down and found no reft, and shall it lose it self for ever, and like a Mole run blindly from one bury to another? What Man, What Devil can hurt me, while I love thee, without whofe command no creature dares ftir or move? What fhould discourage me from loving thee, when I have all the Promises of the Bible to prompt me to it? If I lose any thing in this World by loving thee, Haft not thou Treasures enough to recompence my loffes? If Men defpife me for loving thee, haft not thou Honour and Glory enough to crown me withal? IfI do not thrive in outward Riches,by loving thee,haft not thou who art rich in Mercy, a pearl of price to bestow upon me, when this life is ended? I'll truft thee, O my God, and when my Lufts invite me to act like a Beast,I'll obey thee,and strive to be perfect as thou art perfect when Men entice me to fin, I'll bearken to thee, and venture the disgrace or injury they can inflict upon me; when the World tempts me to be careless of my Salvation, I'll follow thee, and work out my Salva

tion, with fear and with trembling. Thus I'll manifeft to the World, that thou art dearer to me, than all that's great, or rich, or glorious in the World. O that I were drunk with love! O that all my faculties were filled with love! O that I could love thee, till I fainted away for love! O that my mind were fo intent upon thee, that I could relish nothing but thy love! O that my Soul did overflow with love! O that this stream might rise above it's banks! O that it might know no bounds! O that I were fo swallow'd up of divine love, that I could not tell, whether I were in the body or out of the body! O that the contemplation of Gods love were so sweet to me, that all other objects might be gall, and bitterness to me! O that I were able to go out of my felf into the vast light of the love of God! O that I had more of this fich Wine! O that the King would lead me into his Wine-Cellar! O that my Soul did thirst more after him! O that this dew of Heaven might fall on my fleece, day and night! O that the love of God might totally conquer me! O that every thought of mine might breathe nothing but love! O that it were my meat and drink to love thee! This is perfect Angels food. Meat's for the belly, and the belly for meats; God Shall destroy both it, and them, but this food bafts for ever.

Delight in God, is a Duty as neceffary as the former,but how is it poffible I should ever arrive

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