than part with him; rather part with life itself, than part with his love; rather endure the greatest sufferings, and meet death in its most terrible forms, than to incur his displeasure, lose his favour, and all my pleasing hopes of an everlasting enjoyment of him? Will neither health nor friends, peace nor plenty, satisfy me, if I am in the dark with regard to my interest in him? If he hides himself, and stands afar off, though I am in the midst of every other comfort, do I mourn and sigh after him whom my soul loveth, nor can I rest till I find him, and am favoured with some token of his gracious presence, some discovery of his love? Is one smile of Jesus, one discovery of his love to my soul, infinitely more to me than all the honours and smiles of the world, and does it create a joy in my heart, which a smiling world cannot give, nor a frowning world take away?

§ 4. Do I love to obey him in every thing? Is there not one of his commandments, which I count grievous? Is there not any part of my duty that I owe him, which I desire to be excused from? Do I esteem all his precepts in all things to be right, all reasonable in themselves, all conducive to my truest happiness? Do I perform what he requires of me, not by constraint, but willingly and of a ready mind, from a principle of love to him, and a conviction of

the goodness of all his commands? Is it my meat to do his will? And do I only long to do it better, to do it perfectly, as it is done by the angels in heaven? Is it my sincere desire, my daily prayer, that every thought and every temper, every word and every action, may be brought into an entire subjection unto Christ? Is it in some good measure so, and wherein it is not, do I lament it as my infelicity, and groan under it as my burden?

§ 5. Do I give up my whole self, all I am, and all I have, to his service? Sensible I am ran

* Too many who profess to be Christians seem to think their temper scarcely more under the controul of religion than their stature or complexion. "It is my natural temper," they say," and I cannot help it." But Dr. Owen justly asks, "what has our religion done for us if it has not mended our temper?" Some have, indeed, far more trouble from this quarter than others feel. And where it is evident that any one mourns over rugged tempers, daily striving and praying against them, he demands the sympathy and forbearance of fellow Christians. This man may know for his encouragement, and those who indulge in evil tempers amidst the profession of religion, may reflect to their shame, that there are many who were naturally of the worst tempers and are now by grace blessed with

the best.

y Here it is necessary to distinguish between the sincere intention, and the actual execution. He that devotes not his whole existence unfeignedly to the divine glory, can have no scriptural assurance of being in a state of salvation. But where is the Christian who can look back and say he has done all that he infended, unless he pretends to sinless perfection. Let

somed by his death, and saved by his merits, that all I enjoy, and all I hope for is the purchase of his blood, and the free gift of his grace, do I dedicate all to him, and his glory; my soul with all its powers, my body with all its members, my time, my worldly possessions, and all the influence and authority I have over others? Can I say from my heart, "For me to live is Christ ?" Do I know no higher end in life, than to live to his glory, and do I feel no pleasure equal to promoting it? Is it the greatest pleasure I have in the possession of my talent, to use and employ it for Christ? And ha I much rather spend

not, therefore, the professor of religion cease from examining whether he considers himself as not his own but Christ's, bought with his blood and bound to glorify him with his body and soul, time and talents. Nor, on the other hand, let the humble Christian, who truly aims at this, condemn himself because he falls short of it; for the omniscient gracious Lord says, "it is well that it was in thine heart."

z Self-examination concerning the use of property is of the last importance; for here true Christians are too often guilty, and many pretenders to religion do open violence to the authority of the scriptures. That the covetous shall no more enter the kingdom of heaven than the lewd or profane, is solemnly declared. Yet those who would be astonished that any should pretend to religion while living in whoredom, can them-selves live in covetousness and expect heaven. None of the children of God, however, are charged in scripture with falling into this sin: it is the crime of Judas and of Demas. But the difficulty is to ascertain who are covetous; and many have adopted such reasonings as will always keep them from detecting this sin in

and lay out for him, in relieving his people's wants, or in supporting and furthering his gospel, than to lay up for myself? Do I think I can never do too much, never do enough, in promoting the cause, and serving the interest of such a friend? Is life itself, with all its various blessings, desirable on no other view, than affording an opportunity of glorifying Christ? Am I often thinking, often with pleasure devising, how I may bring glory to my Saviour, and advance the honour of him, who, though he "was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God," for me and my salvation, "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross? Is it my principal concern, my labour and my prayers, as well as my highest ambition, that in every thing, both in life and in death, in time and to all eternity, Christ, who loved me and died for me on earth, and now lives for me in heaven, may be magnified by me?

themselves. Yet on this subject we should be slow to judge others, and jealous over ourselves. It is the design of these marks not to open to us our brother's heart, but our own: it may be meet for us to think well of our neighbour and to admit him to our communion, while the Judge who knows his circumstances and sees his covetousness may pronounce the sentence "Tekel, thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting."

§ 6. Do I feel ardent desires after the nearest and fullest enjoyment of him in the heavenly world? Could I be contented in no condition, though the happiest this earth could yield, to live always at this distance from him? Will no enjoyment of him here, though ever so sweet, and though it be infinitely better than any other enjoyment whatever, fully satisfy me? Rather doth every visit which he has condescended to make me in his ordinances below, every glimpse I have been indulged with of him in the sacraments, when I have seen him through those external signs, as standing behind the wall, looking forth at the windows, and shewing himself through the lattice, only set my heart more on fire, and create more ardent desires for those brighter visions of his face, those fuller discoveries of his love, that intimate, uninterrupted, and everlasting enjoyment of him, which is to be had within the vail? Does the pleasing prospect of a happiness so great raise my heart above all the tempting scenes of this world, exercise my frequent and most delightful meditations, and create a joy in my breast, which is often unspeakable and full of glorya?

a That true religion produces joy is the doctrine of the scriptures; but the same infallible word has warned us against supposing, that our religion must be genuine merely because we have been highly delighted with it.