mies ;--doing the will of God, and promoting his honour, to the utmost of one's power;-resolving never to offend him willingly, for any temporal pleasure, profit, or loss: These are virtues highly pleasing to God.

Self-denial does not consist in fasting and other mortifications only, but in an indifference for the world, its profits, pleasures, honours, and its other idols.

It is necessary that we deny ourselves in little and indifferent things, when reason and conscience, which is the voice of God, suggests it to us, as ever we hope to get the rule over our own will.

Say not, it is a trifle, and not fit to make a sacrifice of to God. He that will not sacrifice a little affection will hardly offer a greater. It is not the thing, but the reason and manner of doing it, namely, for God's sake, and that I may accustom myself to obey his voice, that God regards, and rewards with greater degrees of grace.

The greater your self-denial, the firmer your faith, and more acceptable to God. The sincere devotion of the rich, the alms of the poor, the humility of the great, the faith of such whose condition is desperate, the contemning the world when one can command it at pleasure, continuing instant in prayer, even when we want the consolation we expected: These and such like instances of self-denial, God will greatly reward.

They who imagine that self-denial intrenches upon our liberty, do not know that it is this only that can make us free indeed, giving us the victory over ourselves, setting us free from the bondage of our corruption, enabling us to bear afflictions, which will come one time or other) to foresee them without amazement, enlightening the mind, sanctifying the will and making us to slight those baubles which others so eagerly contend for.

Mortification consists in such a sparing use of the creatures as may deaden our love for them, and make us more indifferent in the enjoyment of them. This lessens the weight of concupiscence, which carries us to evil, and so makes the grace of God more effectual to turn the balance of the will.*

*Norris's Christian Prudence, p. 300

Carnal man cannot comprehend that God loves those whom he permits to suffer; but faith teaches us that the cross is the gift of his love, the foundation of our hope, the mark of his children, and the title of an inheritance in heaven. But unless God sanctify it by his Spirit, it becomes an insupportable burden, a subject of murmuring, and an occasion of sin.

He that loveth life, (that is fond of it) for the sake of the pleasures and advantages it affords, will soon lose the love of heavenly things; the love of God, of his soul, and of the duty he owes to them: he hates it, who does not value it in comparison of eternal life, which he hopes for. A Christian gives proof of this, by morti

fying himself.

Those whom God loves, in order to a happy eternity, he weans from the pleasures of this present life. Temperance consists in a sober use of all earthly, visible things, and in confining ourselves within the compass of what is necessary.

WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

The Almighty God enable me to conquer the temptations of riches, and to get above the allurements of this present life!

Christian self-denial is, to resist and crucify in ourselves the spirit and inclinations of Adam,-the flesh, its affections, and lusts,-to die to our passions, in order to follow the motions of the Spirit.

FASTINGS,

Necessary to bring our hearts to a penitent, holy, and devout temper; and to perform the vows that are upon

us.

By fasting, by alms, and by prayers, we dedicate our bodies, goods, and souls, to God in a particular manner.

THURSDAY MEDITATIONS.

Ephes. iv. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Ephes. v. 4. Foolish talking, and jesting, are not convenient.

Preserve me, O God, from a vain conversation. Give me grace never to be ashamed or afraid to speak of thee, and of thy law.

Give me a lively sense of the value of religion, and make it the delight of my heart; that I may speak of it with judgment, seriousness, and affection, and at all seasonable times.

May that good Spirit, which appeared in the likeness of tongues of fire, warm my heart, and direct my thoughts.

Matt. xii. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. How can ye, being evil, speak good things?-By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Psalm cxli. 3. Set a guard, O Lord, upon my mouth; and keep the door of my lips.

Psalm xxxvii. 30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judg

ment.

Hearts truly touched with the love of God, will communicate light and heat to each other,-will speak honourably of God, of his perfections, his justice, goodness, wisdom and power,-the excellency of his laws, the pleasantness of his service, the instances of his love, the rewards he has promised to his friends, and the punishments he has prepared for his enemies.

--

Matt. v. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

"

1 Thess. v. 11. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.

Heb. x. 24. Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works.

tion;

And let us join a good life to our religious conversaand never contradict our tongue by our deeds. We always do good or harm to others, by the manner of our conversation; we either confirm them in sin, or awaken them to piety.

It is too true, that some evil passion or other, and to gratify our corruption, is the aim of most conversations. We love to speak of past troubles;-hatred and ill-will make us take pleasure in relating the evil actions of our enemies. We compare, with some degree of pride, the advantages we have over others. We recount, with too sensible a pleasure, the worldly happiness we enjoy. This strengthens our passions, and increases our corruption. God grant that I may watch against a weakness which has so evil consequences.

May I never hear, never repeat with pleasure, such things as may dishonour God, hurt my own character, or injure my neighbour.

James iv. 11. Speak not evil one of another.

True humility makes us see our own faults, without concerning ourselves with the faults of others.

AGAINST ANGER.

Eccles. vii. 9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

O Lord, who art a God ready to pardon, slow to anger, and of great kindness, remove far from me all occasions and effects of causeless and immoderate anger; all pride and prejudice, and too much concern for the things of this world; all intemperate speeches and indecent passions.

Give me, O God, a mild, a peaceable, a meek, and an humble spirit, that remembering my own infirmities, I may bear with those of others;-that I may think lowly of myself, and not be angry when others also think lowly of me; that I may be patient towards all men,

gentle and easy to be entreated; that God, for Christ's sake, may be so towards me. Amen.

Ephes. iv. 26. Be angry and sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Prov. xix. 11. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger.

A soft answer turneth away strife.

Prov. xvi. 32. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.

Rom. xii. 10. Be kindly affectioned one towards another.

Suppress the very beginnings of anger.

Do not use to indulge it even where there are real faults; but try the gentle way, which may probably succeed better, and, to be sure, with more ease by far.

Seldom do people vex us on purpose, and yet prejudice very often makes us think that they do

A sense of one's own integrity will make one pass by injuries more easily.

Be not too much concerned to tell the injuries you have received.

Accustom yourselves to silence, if you would learn to govern your tongue.

Deliver me, O God, from all violent and sinful passions, and give me grace to stand against them. Matt. v. 5. Blessed are the meek.

Instruct me, Lord, in this Christian virtue; thou who art the master and teacher of it.

FOR FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES.

Luke vi. 37. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven O God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men, show mercy to thy servant, in forcing my corrupt nature to be obedient to thy commands.

O God, who hast made it my everlasting interest, as well as my duty, to forgive my neighbour whatever wrong he has done me; help me to overcome all the difficulties I have to struggle with, all pride, prejudice,