Part. II. that we went unfeignedly thither to give Him poffeffiion of ours, and here again we confirm the gift. Let Him com. mand what He pleafes, and we will obey it; let Him bring his Crofs along with Him, we will submit unto it. Come poverty, come reproaches, come imprisonment, come pains and torments, come death it self, rather than be so miferable as to Depart from the living God, Every one of us will fay, Bather depart from me, ye evil doers; for I will keep the commandments of my God. Pfal. 119. 115. I will walk with in my house with a perfect heart. I will fet no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that tum afide, it shall not cleave to me. Pf. 101. 2. 3. All my delight is upon the faints that are in the earth: and upon fuch as excel invirtue. And that we may preferve these good purposes, our hearts shall be often there where they were conceived and made, though our bodies cannot; and we will look often back upon the Table of the Lord, and fay with the fame holy Pfalmift, when shall we come and appear again before God? Pf.42.2. God, Thou art my God, early will I feek Thee, my foul thir fteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, in adry and thirsty land, where no water is. To fee thy power and thy glory,fo as I have feen Thee in the Sanctuary. Because thy loving kindness is better than life,my lips shall praife Thee.Thus will I blefs Thee wile I live: I will lift up my hands in thy Name. My foul shall be fatisfied as with marrow and fat. nels; and my mouth shall praife Thee with joyful lips. P. 63: 15.

AND to furnish our Souls with greater plenty of good thoughts, we may often reflect upon th' example which Chrift has fet us in his death, as well as in his life: and particularly refolve to spend this month in Meditating every day upon his great CHARITY, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jelus Chrift, that though He was rich. yet for your fakes He became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 Cor. 8. 9. God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were re yet finners, Cbrift died forus. Rom.5.8. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. S. John 15. 13. When we were enemiet, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: much more being reconciled, we shall be faved by his life Rom. 5. Io. Let us excite in our felves hereby a great and compaffionate Love to Mankind :efpecially to our Brethren,with whom we are knit in one Body: that we may be strongly inclin'dito do good, as occafion is offered; to refresh the bowels of the

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poor and needy; to comfort and fupport the feeble minded; to live with all in Unity & Peace; till our Chriftian friendship be perfected in endless love in th' other world We must remember that God is the God of peace, and Chrift is the Lord of peace; and often meditate on the words of our Lord, that it is more blessed to give than to receive: acts 20. 35. and upon these words of a good man, that HE is the best Merchant who lays out his time upon Gods and his money uponthe poor.

§. 4. MARCH.

NOW we may fay as the people did when they beheld the fick man, at our Savior's word, take up his bed and walk, S. Luke 5. 26. We have feen ftrange things to day, We have feen the marvellous love of Heaven to us finful duft and ashes. We have feen how the Son of God died for the love of us; how the Bleffed Jefus was hanged, and ́bled upon a Crofs for our Salvation. We have beheld Him prefenting Himself unto us; and offering to make us partakers of all his benefits. With what affections did we meet and receive his ftrange Love? Did not our hearts burn within us when he opened the counfels of his heart to us? did they not melt and diffolve into love, when He showed us how paffionately He loved us? Did we not offer our felves both Soul and Body to Him, and promise to be his faithful Servants? Did we not remember that we were his already, and renew our Vows to cleave unto Him in loyal obedience? O what a transforming fight was it to See jefus, Who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the Juffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. Heb. 2. 9. and promifing by putient continuance in well doing to lift us up allo at laft unto glory? LORO, what is man that Thou takeft knowledge of him? or the fon of man that Thou makest account of him Ps, 144. 3. How is it poffible to forget this Love, or our own ingagements? For what pleasures fhall we leave these of communion with God, and our gracious Mafter Chrift Jefus? You offer too little, all ye flartering Temptations upon earth, that would draw our affections from fo great a Happiness. There can be nothing comparable to being beloved of th' undoubted Lord of heaven and earth. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I feek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD al thee days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and

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Part II. ro inquire in his Temple Pfal. 27. 4. This is fufficient to indear an holy Life unto us, that we may be alwaies fit to be his Guefts, to feast with Him at his Table, to be filled with his comforts, and to live in hope to live with Him in endless joys. And could we but fee what things He has prepared for them that love Him, the height of his glory, th' attendance of bis Minifters, the pleasures that are at his righthand, there would be no more fpirit in us. This little that we have feen' makes us fay, appp are these thy fervants, which ftand continually befere Thee, 1 Kings 10. 8. lefed is the man whom Thou choofeft, anil caufeft to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in thy house. Pf. 65. 5. Blessed are they that dwell in thy houfe: they will be ftill praising Thee Pf. 84.4 We will never forger the beginning of his Blifs, For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand [elsewhere: ] I had rather be a door. keeper in the houfe of my God, than to dwell in the tents ef wickednefs. For the LORD God is a fun and a shield: the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing willHe with-hold from them that walk uprightly. OLORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trufteth in Thee, Pf.84. 10, 11, 12. And here it will be fit to remember how every deliberate fin after fuch freth experiences of God's goodness, new obligations from Him, and new Refolutions and vows to Him, will be of a more crim. fon die, and a bloudy nature and therefore we must be sober and watch unto prayer, 1S. Pet. 4.7. and remember withal, on th' other fide, that every good action will be the more acceptable, when it proceeds out of meer love to our Master Jefus, who has loved us fo much; and always indeavor to quicken th' one by reflecting on th' other.

MORE particularly we may Refolve to Meditate all the Month following upon the great MEEKNESS of the Lord Jefus. t was oppreffed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the flaught er, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, fo He opened not his mouth. Ifai. 53.7. Who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He fuffered, He threatened not; but committed Himfelf to Him that judgeth righteously. 1 S. Pet. 2. 23. and fo labour to tread in his steps, and to imitate Him in this love ly grace. To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. For we our felves alfo were fomtimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, ferving divers lufts, and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and bating

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one another. Tit.3. 2, 3. This vertue th' Apostles, there and in other places, require us to exercise, especially towards Rulers and Governors. And S. Peter recommends this to wives as the most handsome and becoming attire; even the ornament of a.meek and quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of God ofgreat price. 18. Pet. 3. 4.

S. 5. EASTER-DAY.

THE ftone which the builders refufed is become the bead ftone in the corner. This is the LORD's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoyce and be glad in it. Pf. 118. 22. to24. The God of our fathers raifed up Jefus, whom ye flew and hanged on a Tree. Him bath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Ifrael, and forgiveness offens. Act. 5. 30, 31. God is the LORD, which hath showed us light, bind the facrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praife Thee, Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee. O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good for his mercy indureth for ever. Pf. 118. 27 to 29. Could we ever ceafe to rejoyce if we heard for certain that a dead friend, the dearest in the world, was alive again; and not only alive, but preferred to the higheft dignity and honor? O our dulnefs! that we rejoyce no more in God our Savior! for that Jefus, whom we have now feen crucified before our eyes, is alive from the dead. That Jefus, who was fuch a friend that He died and hung on a Gibbet for us, is revived again, and fits on the Throne of Glory. Without all doubt He lives, and reigns for us alfo : and Bod commendetb his love towards us, in that, while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us. Much more then, being now Juftified by his bloud, we shall be faved from wrath through Him. Rom. 5. 8,9. For Got having raised up his Son Jefus fent Him to blefs us, in turning every of us from his iniquities. Acts 3.26. To ferve she living and true God, And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom Heraifedfrom the dead even Jefus which delivered us from the wrath to come, 1 Thef. 1. 9, 10. Who is the first begotten of the dead, faving unto us, Fear not; I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev, 1.5, 18, 19. Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to fubdue all things unto Himself. Phil. 3.

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21. For if we believe thae Jcfus died, add rofe again, even so them alfo which fleep in Jefus will God bring with Him. 1 Thef. 4. 14. Lord what a bleffed hope is this? Seeing we look for Such things, what manner of perfons ought we to be in all holy converfation and godliness?how diligent fhould we be that we may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 S. Pet. 3. 11,14. What can be more disagreeing than a crucified Chrift, and a carnal Christian? What more contrary than a Savior defpifing the world, and one that profeffes friendship to Him, loving it above God Himself? A liberal Savior, and a Covetous Difciple? A Savior that indureth pain, and anguish, and forrow, and a fervant that will live in nothing but eafe and pleasure? A Savior weeping and bleeding, and a man acquainted with grief, and a worid that nothing but laughs, and fports, and makes mercy? A Savior that fuffered all things; and a world that will fuffer nothing, no not the mortifying of unreasonable lufts and defires? A humble and lowly Savior, and a proud, vain glorions,!self conceit ed people that profefs Him? A meek aud patient Savior, and a paffionate. angry and revengeful generation that pretend to be his followers? A Savior that was ever thinking of our good, and Men that call themselves his Lovers, who nev er to any purpose remember his love? A gracious Lord that did us the most real conrtefies and benefits, and fervants that only compliment with Him, and call Him, Lord, Lord, but do not the things which He faith? A Mafter that never quarrelled with any of God's Commands, no, tho' it were to dy, and fuch Scholars that count all his Commendments grievous, murmur at all his Leffons, and fay that it is impoffible to obey 'em? O! how unlike is a diffident, distrustfyl Chriftian, to a Savior that laid down his very life in hope? How ill-favorably do thefe two found together, a Conquering Christ,and a Christian that is a flave? Jefus that has conquered Death, and a Chriftian that can't conquer himself An Head that is in Heaven, and a Member of his that only looks at things on Earth? God for bid that having profeffed our felves fo often to be dead to fin, we fhould live any longer therein. Be are buried with Him by Baptifm into death: that like as Chrift was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even fo we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, by partaking of his broken Body, and his Bloud that was fhed; we shall be

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