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the donation, when dead, or perpetuate the conveyBut his favours, who lives for ever to see them bestowed, are crowns and kingdoms, a crown that fadeth not away, and a kingdom that cannot be moved. Yea, his gifts enrich the soul, and measure with their existence.

Monarchs may cause their favourites' names to be registered in the list of their privy counsellors, and other honourary rolls, but cannot prevent their being buried in oblivion; but the names of all the saints are written in the Lamb's book of life, and shall be confessed before an assembled world. It is more to know God than to be acquainted with kings;-to be known of God, than to be commended to the ends of the earth.

Now, what thinkest thou, O poor despised saint of God! that dwellest in a cottage which the great men would not stoop to step into, to be so high in the favour of heaven, that a divine guard of heavenly angels are set about thy house, that no ill can come near thy dwelling? Yea, the sacred retinue, though unseen, attends the saint wherever he goes, who walks unobserved through the world. Did the royal life-guards of the young princes, the rising heirs of heaven, appear in the shining livery of him who is the Father of lights, they would terrify the inhabitants of the earth; but there is a greater wonder, that even the Sovereign of eternity should condescend to be the watchman of his people, and keep their going out, and preserve their coming in, so that neither the moon by night, nor the sun by day, shall smite them! And what comfort and security is this, that the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath the everlasting arms! Such, O saint! is thy

renowned state, thine excellent glory, who perhaps art kept at short allowance of food and raiment both, with a young and needy family sitting heavy on thy mind; but God careth both for thee and them.What then, though thou hast crosses of every kind to meet with, bitter draughts of every composition to drink, since it is well with thy better part? Yea, afflictions capacitate thee for felicity, and enlarge thy soul for bliss. But I dare appeal to thine own breast, O Child of God! under all thy troubles, falsifying friends, loss of relations, or any other grief, if thou wouldst change thy calamity with the flourishing condition of the wicked?

Now thou art great (for the saints, since they live near God, are the greatest men in the world) and perhaps knowest it not; but, let thy greatness kindle thy gratitude, not increase thy pride. To keep the saints humble, divers afflictions are allotted them in this life; as a royal father, fearing lest his son, the young prince, under his present grandeur, and prospect of the crown, may swell beyond himself, deals so hardly with him, that oft he fears the king intends to disinherit him; yet so many bright displays of paternal affection assure him it shall not be so; and the truth is, it is out of love, that he may not mount the throne with unsubdued passions, or sway the sceptre in thoughtless folly. So it fares with the saints, who should know, in the celestial promotion, that it comes neither from the east, nor from the west, not from works of righteousness which we have done, but it is God alone that exalteth. My life, then, is a paradox; I am mean, but great; miserable, yet happy; poor, but possessing all things; a beggar, and a prince; but eternity shall unriddle it, taking away the one part, and illustrating the other,

MEDITATION XLVI.

WE SHOULD SLEEP NO LONGER THAN TO REFRESH THE BODY.

Cancalle Bay, June 20, 1758.

LONG sleep in any man is blame-worthy, but in a

candidate for glory it is a sin. I may indeed rise in time to manage my temporal affairs, as I am seldom behind hand with the world; but what improvement make I for eternity?" He that loveth sleep," though in worldly things, he may sustain no loss, yet in spiritual things" shall be a poor man." When I have a long journey to go, I can get up early in the morning, and take the day before me. Now, I am on a more momentous, and immensely longer journey, even to eternity, which cannot be delayed a day; therefore, I have need to take the day of time betimes, the day of health and life beforehand, ere the shadows of darkness overspread me, wherein no man can walk, or the night of death overtake me, wherein no man can work.

Alas! allowing that I shall number three-score suns, how far am I already advanced towards noon! how little of the half do I want! a year or two. The past time is lost, the future uncertain; but eternity is, certain and approaching. When I look back, how many healthy hours lost in sleep, superfluous sleep, stare in my face! And now that I am convinced of the preciousness of time, shall I squander it away in sleep? Too late at the bottle, and too long in bed, are sins of a deeper dye than either the tippler or sleeper will allow. What will I think, if sickness render me unfit for any thing, if infirm old age confine me to

my crazy bed? How will I look back with sorrow on vigorous youthful hours lost in sleep! hours which might have been improven for eternity, and spent in communion with God. Did a friend, whom I dearly love, come early in the morning to visit me, would I not rise to entertain him, not knowing how soon he might go away? shall I then give the Beloved of my soul worse entertainment than my friend? Sleep is a kind of death; therefore, when asleep, how can I have communion with God, for God is not the God of the dead, but of the living? He, out of sovereignty, may speak to man in a dream, in a vision of the night; and sometimes the dreams of his people have been divine, so that, when they awoke, their sleep has been sweet; but the duty of saints is, to seek him with all the activity of their soul, in the full exercise of all her powers; with the psalmist, to awake themselves early, that they may praise him; to prevent the dawning, that they may pray to him. How am I to blame, that indulge long sleep! See the labourer go early to the field, the hireling to his work; and shall I lie in bed, like one that has less to do than they? Did my dearest Lord continue on a mount alone, all night in prayer to God for me, and the like of me; and shall I not praise him early? The royal Psalmist could shake himself from his midnight-slumbers, to join in the work of heaven; and shall not I rise in the morning?

Thus, indeed, I think I am punished, that the more I indulge myself in sleep, the more I would sleep. The hosts above rest not day nor night; and I should rest only to refresh my body, not to ruin my soul. Alas! I have not only long sleep to lament, but that I slumber my time away, when awake, without lifting my eye to God. Pity, in all respects, O Fountain of mercy one that in all respects deplores himself.

MEDITATION XLVII.

OUR ONLY JOY IN VIEW OF THE WORLD TO COME.

Under sail, June 22, 1758.

VERILY, O worldlings! I pity you. Now you'

seem to be great, and full of glory; but, though you shine without, there is an awful blank within. If in this life only I have hope, I should of all men be most miserable; for the greatest thing I could either hope for, or desire below, are trifling in comparison of the great and glorious things of eternity that I aspire after. What good would my life do me, did I not live to die, that I may live for ever? What would my time be, but a rotation of toils and troubles, did it not afford me an opportunity to prepare and improve for eternity? How would every forethought about this present life trouble me, did not the solid hope of a future world sustain me!

As for my part, I would not wish a worse hell, than that my habitation among the wicked in Mesech, with my unsubdued corruptions and carnal affections, were perpetuated. But I know in whom I have believed, and that he will not delay to gather his scattered sheep together, that there may be one Shepherd, and one flock, in the fields above. Eternity is already begun in my soul, and my inward part is refreshed with foretastes of fruition; hence my thoughts take wing beyond the bounds of time, and dwell (though, alas! too short) amidst the glories of the better world. Hence I am contented with my present state, and would not change with kings; hence the early beamings of that blessed day, when my

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