to eternal happiness; my body, and all that belongs to it, are of much less value. I do, therefore, with as great security and satisfaction, trust all I have to thee, hoping thou wilt preserve me from all things hurtful, and lead me to all things profitable to my salvation.

I will love thee, O God; being satisfied that all things, however strange and irksome they appear, shall work together for good to those that do so.

I know in whom I have believed; I have a Saviour at thy right hand, full of kindness, full of care, full of power; he has prayed for me, that this faith fail me not; and by this faith I am persuaded, that neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, nor death which I may fear, nor life which I may hope for, nor things present which I feel, nor things to come which I may apprehend, shall ever prevail so far over me, as to make me not to resign my will entirely to thee.

In an humble, quiet, and dutiful submission, let me faithfully run the race that is set before me, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, despised the shame, endured the cross, and is now seated at the right hand of God; to whom I most humbly beseech thee to bring me in thy good time; and for whatever shall fall out in the meanwhile, Thy will be done. Amen.

LOOK UNTO JESUS.

He was despised and rejected of men;-his life was sought for by Herod ;-he was tempted by Satan;hated by the world which he came to save;-set_at naught by his own people;-called a deceiver, and a dealer with the devil;-was driven from place to place, and had not where to lay his head ;-betrayed by one disciple, and forsaken by all the rest; falsely accused, spit upon, and scourged; set at naught by Herod and his men of war; given up by Pilate to the will of his enemies; and a murderer preferred before him;—was condemned to a most cruel and shameful death;-crucified between two thieves ;-reviled in the midst of his

torments;-had gall and vinegar given him to drink ;suffered a most bitter death, submitting with patience to the will of his Father.

O Jesus, who now sittest at the right hand of God, to succour all who suffer in a righteous way, be thou my advocate for grace; that, in all my sufferings, I may follow thy example, and run with patience the race that is set before me. Amen.

Take all things that befall you as coming from God's providence, for your particular profit. And though they are evil in themselves, yet as he permits, or does not think fit to hinder them, they may be referred to him.

God no sooner discovers in your heart an ardent desire of well-doing, and of submitting to his will, but he prepares for you occasions of trying your virtue; and, therefore, confident of his love, receive cheerfully a medi cine prepared by a physician that cannot be mistaken, and cannot give you any thing but what will be for your good. See Eccles. ii.

Lord, prepare my heart, that no afflictions may ever so surprise as to overbear me.

Dispose me at all times to a readiness to suffer what thy providence shall order or permit.

It is the same cup which Jesus Christ drank of; it is he sends it. He sees it absolutely necessary that I must be first partaker of his sufferings, and then of his glory.

Matt. x. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that shall endure to the end shall be saved.

It is indeed grievous to nature to be thus treated; but when it is for thy name's sake, O Jesus, and for the sake of thy truth, and for being true to thee; how lovely is this hatred! and how advantageous when salvation is the reward!

Matt. x. 24. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

He who keeps this saying in his heart will never complain of what he suffers, nor seek for any other way to save himself but by humiliation and the cross.

SUFFERING.

O Lord, grant that whenever I suffer, it may be for being faithful to thee, and without drawing it unseasonably upon myself.

We are in God's hands; we often take ourselves out of his hands, by trusting to the help and protection of men, more than that of God.

God can render none miserable but those whom he finds sinners. Let us apply this to ourselves when in affliction, but not unto others, or to their personal faults.

Rev. iii. 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten be zealous, therefore, and repent.

Blessed be God, who vouchsafes, by salutary chastisements, to awaken us when we fall asleep through sloth and lukewarmness.

Grant, O God, that I may never murmur at thy appointments, nor be exasperated at the ministers of thy providence.

In thee, O Jesus, we find matter of consolation in every affliction that can possibly befall us.

All visitations are from God. He is not delighted with the miseries of his poor creatures; afflictions are therefore designed for our good. He will either show us the reason of his visitation, or make us reap the fruits of it.

People that may be well disposed, may yet live under the power of some evil custom, which is displeasing to God; a man may have been guilty of some great sin which he has yet never truly repented of, or been truly humble for. This was the case of the sons of Jacob; they had attempted the life of, and afterwards sold their brother, and endangered the life of their aged father; under which guilt they passed their life well enough for many years, till God visited them; and then they thought of their sins, confessed, and repented.

God, by afflictions, often fits us for greater degrees of grace, which he is going to bestow.

Though I suffer, yet I am well, because I am what God would have me to be.

Lord, do not permit my trials to be above my strength.; and do thou vouchsafe to be my strength and comfort in the time of trial.

Give me grace to take in good part whatever shall befall me, and let my heart acknowledge it to be the Lord's doing, and to come from thy providence, and not by chance.

AFFLICTIONS.

God makes use of afflictions-Sometimes by way of prevention; "lest I should be exalted," said St. Paul, (2 Cor. xii. &c.)-To reform them; "before I was afflicted, I went astray," (Ps. cxix.)—To perfect them; patience, courage, submission to the will of God, are graces not so much as understood by people who meet with no adversities; "we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God," (Acts xiv. 22.)— To prove men, and show them for examples; if a man had no enemies, how could he show his charity in forgiving them?

John xi. 5. Afflictions are no marks of God's displeasure. "Jesus loved Mary and Lazarus," yet they were both afflicted.

Punishment is due to sin. We must be punished here or hereafter; it is the cause of all afflictions, and designed by our gracious God to bring us to repentance.

Prosperity is a most dangerous state; we fancy it is owing to our merit, and it is followed with pride, neglect of duty, fearlessness.

It is happy for us when God counts us worthy to suffer for his name's sake.

Afflictions, undergone with resignation, are the great test of our love of God; when we love him, then he chastens us. May God sanctify all our afflictions

to us all.

May I receive every thing from thy hand with patience and with joy.

Remember me, O God, in the day of trouble. Secure me, by thy grace, from all excess of fear, concern, and sadness.

Let the afflictions I meet with be in soine measure serviceable towards the appeasing of thy wrath. Let them prove the happy occasion of forwarding my conversion and salvation.

TEMPTATION.

We are exposed to temptation all our days. Men are never more dangerously tempted, than when they think themselves secure from temptation. This is a proof of the power the devil has over them.

We tempt God when we expose ourselves unnecessarily to dangers, through a false confidence of his assistance.

DESPAIR. HOPE.

Grant, O God, that amidst all the discouragements, difficulties, dangers, distress, and darkness of this mortal life, I may depend upon thy mercy, and on this build my hopes, as on a sure foundation.

Let thine infinite mercy in Christ Jesus deliver me from despair, both now and at the hour of death.

RESIGNATION.

Grant that I may receive the punishment of my sins with patience and resignation.

INJURIES. PERSECUTION.

Give me, O God, a heart to consider, that man could have no power against me unless it were given from

above.

ENEMIES.

A Christian should not discover that he has enemies in any other way, than by doing more good to them than to others. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink." He will, therefore, be careful not to lose such occasions.

O Jesus! whose charity all the malice of thy bitterest enemies could not overcome, shed abroad in my heart