1.

" and mercy to them that love him, MED. " and to them that keep his command"ments: we have sinned, and have "committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even "by departing from thy precepts and "thy judgements. O Lord! righteous

ness belongeth unto Thee, but unto 66 us confusion of faces, as at this "day *"

When we see good and great men prostrate before the throne of grace, and acknowledging their guilt, we cannot expect less from the penitent and the prisoner. The mere man of reason perhaps may reject the conclusion; but it is a clouded reason which he possesses; otherwise his sounder judgement would sometimes remind him of infirmity. The man of a formal profession of religion will, on the other hand, perhaps, assent to the position; but his heart is not influenced

* Dan. ix. 4, &c.

MED. by it. He is ready to appease his con

I.

science by a mis-interpretation of scripture-" the spirit is willing, but the "flesh is weak." Alas! the spirit is too willing to submit to sin, and the flesh too weak to attain to glory. Let each recur to the first principle of Christianity couched in the important words, all have SINNED, and he will look for a recovery from sin, which nature could not dictate, and which reason could not accomplish, but which, when accomplished by the blessed means of revelation, both nature and reason will confirm.

Make me, O Lord, sensible of sin, that my first effort may be to implore thy Holy Spirit to remove this heavy burthen. Let me feel my infirmity, that I may apply for my relief. Subdue in me the obstinacy of my own heart, that it may be open to all the refreshings which shall flow from thy pre"O! give me the comfort of thy help again, and stablish me with

sence.

"thy free Spirit. Then shall I teach MED. thy ways unto the wicked, and sin

66

I.

MEDITATION II.

MED.

II.

EZEK. Xviii. 20.

The Soul that sinneth, it shall die.

IF

an inscription on a tablet were suspended on the walls of a prison, I know not any that would excite in the mind of the reader more awful emotions than this-"THE SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE." Personal feeling will make an impression, where general observation is without effect." I have "been brought hither, says the pri

soner, by my sins. Alas! that word " is new to my tongue, though it is no "stranger to my heart. I have been "told, but have long slighted the infor"mation that, all disobedience to the "law of God is sin. I begin now to "be sensible that this is true. And as

the MED.

". all human laws are founded upon
"law of God, and must be conform-
"able to it, the act of transgression
“which occasioned my imprisonment,
« was a transgression of the law of God;
" and therefore it necessarily follows
"that I am punishable both here and
"hereafter. This is to me a very serious
"consideration indeed. What does it
"not involve, of my private happiness

or misery?-feelings, that belong "wholly to myself, and not to others. “I may rejoice that my friend may be "happy, or fear that he may be mise"rable; and, as a friend, I may en"deavour to promote the one, and to "prevent the other. But in my own ❝ case, the object of my attention is

still closer. If I feel for others, I must " much more feel for myself; and my

principal endeavour must be to make "myself happy by increasing my own "comforts. Let me reflect. How have " I succeeded in this plan? How have "I attempted to accomplish it?—Not

II.