church, sending them forth as ministering spirits, to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation; I have great reason to believe that he sent some of these kind spirits to strengthen and support me; to make my bed in my sickness; and to restrain the powers of darkness that they were not suffered to assault me with greater violence and force. My soul doth magnify the Lord, therefore, and my spirit doth rejoice in Christ, my sympathizing Saviour. He hath promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world; and in the hour of my distress he was graciously present with me. We have not an high-priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infimities, but one who once dwelt, yea, who once died, in a body like to our own; one who was tried in all points like as we are, only without sin; and who experimentally knows what sickness, tormenting pains, and the blackest horrors of death mean.'

O the boundless dimensions, and riches of the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! What thanks can I render for this his infinite grace? I will not only here in secret pour out my soul before him in the most joyful adorations and oblations of praise, but I will go into the house of God, and will there in the most solemn manner take the cup of salvation, and call upon his name. I will pay my vows to my Almighty Restorer in the congregation of his people. I will there present myself as a living monument of his power and grace; and as in the time of my distress I earnestly desired that public prayers might be made for me; so now that God has heard, and delivered me from it, in the midst of his church. will I sing praises to the Most High. The living, O Lord, the living, they shall praise thee as I do this day, and hope ever to do through every day of my future life. My soul shall make her boast

in the LORD, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me, aud delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.'

2. Some extraordinary alms or act of bounty to the poor, is a thank-offering also highly proper to be rendered on this occasion. My alms shall come up together with my vows and my praise before God for these are an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight. Nor indeed can I expect that any sacrifice of my lips, any praises or acknowledgements which I make with my tongue, will be regarded by God, if not accompanied with a sincere compassion to my brethren in distress. My goodness, or benevolence, cannot extend to him, who is infinitely and unchangeably happy in himself; but it may to his children and servants upon earth, many of whom I see in great suffering and want. Now these he hath appointed to be his deputies or representatives to receive my thank-offering and benevolence in his stead; and has expressly assured us, that whatever kindness we shew to them, he will accept and reward as if done to himself. This commandment have we from him, that he who professes to love God, must love his brother also. But whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him?

I have now richly experienced the great mercy of God to me. I not only live, but have life sweetened and enriched with a thousand comforts and blessings. These blessings therefore I will now endeavour to extend and disperse abroad, amongst those who are in want. The sick and the

diseased are peculiarly entitled to my compassionate regard. Freely I have received, freely therefore I will give: and having obtained mercy from God; I will, as he most justly and reasonably expects, shew mercy to others. My sick bed was softened with refreshments and supports of various kinds: but how many may I see around me, grappling at the same time, not with sickness and grievous pains only, but also with poverty and pinching want? Tender and sympathizing friends attended my disorders, and by a thousand kind offices swetened the bitter cup: but multitudes, perhaps, much worthier and better than myself, are now languishing under sore diseases, unpitied and unhelped,-have no medicines to relieve; no cordials to cheer them; not so much as proper food to support their sinking frame; either perishing for want of some friendly hand to succour them; or living at best but a wretched and dying life. As God has put it in my power to minister some relief to them, I will now cheerfully, liberally, and heartily do it So much-*I will now immediately consecrate and set apart as a thank-offering to God, to be laid out in acts. of charity to the sick and the poor. Father of mercies, Great Parent of mankind, be pleased to accept it, and direct me to proper objects on whom to lay it out. Of thine own, I give thee: I owe thee myself, and all that I have. I will ever henceforward behave with greater tenderness and compassion to the distressed, than I have hitherto done; will offer up my prayers for them with truer sympathy and concern: nor will I give them good words and wishes only, saying'Depart in peace, be ye warmed, and filled-but will

Here let a certain sum be laid aside, according to the person's ability and faith.

deny myself some unnecessary gratifications and expence, that I may be able to communicate the more freely to their relief.'

Though I am now raised from a sick bed, I know I must very soon lie down upon it again, lie down to rise no more till the resurrection of the dead. And how pleasant will the review of such acts of bounty and mercy be, in my then sick and dying hours! "Blessed is the man who hath thus "considered the poor; the Lord will deliver him "in the time of troubie: the Lord will strengthen "him upon his bed of languishing, and will make "all his bed in his sickness.-Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” By such alms and deeds of charity Christ hath given me grounds to hope I shall make to myself friends, which will avail me greatly in my last moments; and who, when I am thrust out of this world, will receive me into everlasting habitations in the other. Finally,

3. To the inquiry-What shall I render unto the Lord? a proper reply is-I will render him myself. I will now make an humble and unfeigned surrender of my body, soul and spirit into his hands. I will lay myself under the most sacred and inviolable obligations to be henceforward the LORD'S: to his mercy I owe it, that I am not now numbered amongst the dead: the life therefore he hath so graciously redeemed from destruction, I will in the most solemn manner possible consecrate and devote to his service and fear. I will say with the grateful Psalmist on the like occasion... 'I will love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications; therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of the grave got hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow: then called I upon the name of the LORD. O LORD, I beseech

thee deliver my soul.-Gracious was the LORD, and righteous; yea, our GoD was mercifulthou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will therefore walk before the LORD in the land of the living. O LORD, I am thy servant, truly I am the servant, thou hast loosed my bonds.

These vows, and this solemn dedication of myself, which I here make in secret, I will take the first opportunity of ratifying in public, and of making afresh at the table of the Lord. I will there enter my came amongst the followers of the Limb; and declare before the world, before angels and men, my steadfast resolution henceforwarů no more to live according to the lusts of the Hesa, but according to the will of God.

Thy love constrains me, blessed Saviour of men; for therefore thou didst die, and rise again, and recice, even that thou mightest become, and be acknowledged, the Lord and proprietor both of the dead and of the living. I am under infinite obligations to live unto thee. I confess that I am not my own: I rejoice that I am not. I am most truly and justly thine, bought with thy blood, and redeemed by thy intercessions from the deserved sentence of death. Assert, Mighty Prince, thy property and claim in me. Subdue every enemy which in any wise opposes thy government in my breast. Bring every passion and power of my soul into willing and chearful subjection at thy feet. Through thee I now unfeignedly yield myself to God; presenting my body a living sacrifice to him, to whose mercy alone I owe it, that all its organs and members are not now imprisoned and mouldering in the grave. O may I obtain grace ever henceforth to live as one who is dead indeed unto sin, but living unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."