a sufficient cordial to keep any soul from fainting and sinking under any distress whatsoever; therefore I hope, and trust, and believe, that the good God, who hath been so bountiful, so merciful, and so kind to me, to extend so many favours to me, will also take pity of my fatherless babes. With him the fatherless find mercy: Lord, I therefore commit them into thy hands, as unto a faithful Creator and Redeemer, and beg that thou wouldst here guide them with thy counsel, and afterwards receive them to glory.

Sometimes, when my children have been taken very ill, so that there was no room for hope of life, to outward appearance, yet even then hath my good God supported me by some comfortable portion of his Holy Word. Once, one of my children being given over, I was in great perplexity of mind; that place came to my thoughts, Call on me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. I was extremely revived at the consideration of that place, for that was then a time of trouble to me: and then being

encouraged, that if I called upon God, he would deliver me, I did then, with firm hopes and confidence, rely upon my merciful God and Father, whom I have found ready to help and deliver me out of many distresses. Blessed, and for ever blessed be his name, who was pleased to hear the cries and groans of his poor, unworthy, undeserving, ill-deserving, and hell-deserving

creature.

And seeing God was pleased to deliver me from my great fears, my next inquiry should be, how I may glorify this good God : Lord, help me to make it the care, and business, and study of my life, how I may please thee, and honour thee, and serve thy blessed

part of my days.

Majesty the remaining
Amen. Amen.

PAPER VII.

WHAT a cordial to the godly is the first of Peter, the first chapter, the second verse, and so on? Where we find that God intends heaven for them, and is graciously pleased to reserve and preserve them for it.

It being a reviving consideration to me, sometimes, to see how God deals with his poor children, and what steps he takes to bring them to glory; I will, for the benefit of my too often desponding soul, ruminate on this place of scripture, where I find these words of Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, who writes to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia; elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. In this verse I observe how the whole Trinity are employed in the salvation

of sinners: God the Father, he elects, he foreknoweth whom he will bring to himself: then the Spirit sanctifieth those whom God hath elected, and makes them obedient to their heavenly Father; and they are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, their sins for his sake are all done away; therefore the apostle may well say, Grace unto you and peace be multiplied: for who can want grace or peace, whom God the Father, Son, and Spirit are contriving how to bring them to glory?

We may well go on with the apostle, blessing God for his unspeakable mercies, saying, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you; who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.

O blessed, blessed, blessed be the God

and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here

in this life we want time and hearts to bless the Lord for his abundant mercy towards us. Eternity will be little enough to sing forth the praises of the King of kings; for giving us a lively hope, that one day we shall be so happy to be admitted into the heavenly society, that are continually viewing the face of the Lamb, and contemplating his glory. This inestimable privilege is only procured and purchased by the sufferings, death, and resurrection of our alone Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath provided an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. O the emphasis of these words, an inheritance! What, a poor mortal to be an heir of heaven! And this inheritance is incorruptible, not subject to corruption, alteration, or change; and it is undefiled. The things of this world are defiled with sin, they are vile, contemptible and vain, (nay vanity itself) but this heavenly inheritance we see is incorruptible and undefiled. And to complete our fruition, it fadeth not away,