into that land, where the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick, because the people that dwell there are forgiven their iniquity.

MEDITATION XXXV.

FRAMES OF SOUL VARIABLE.

It is the greatest display of spiritual folly to build on a frame. A frame is a certain heavenly disposition of the soul. Now, to rest on any thing in ourselves, is to destroy ourselves; for the noblest attainment is to go wholly out of ourselves, and rest only on Christ. If I do otherwise, I provoke him to remove, by placing the effect of his presence in the room of himself, and then my mountain, which I thought stood so firm, is immediately removed; God hides his face, and I am troubled. Heavenly frames, and glorious manifestations, I should seek, not to rest upon, but to be refreshed with. Christ may come into a frame, but I ought to beware lest I keep the frame, and let Christ go, who is to be sought for himself, found in himself, in the promise, in his unchangeable love, and not in a frame.

To have a cold, insensible heart, is a comfortless condition; but, to have Christ, who always brings melting of heart, and a revival of graces with him, is good, and is a prelude of the happiness to come. When I prefer the attendants to their prince, and hug these when I should honour him, this is the way to make him withdraw his visits, and refuse to come again till I confess my folly. Hence am I chastened with so many changes in my soul; sometimes stand

ing on Mount Pisgah, then grovelling in the valley of Achor; sometimes walking in the light of his countenance, then going mourning without the sun; sometimes admitted with boldness to his throne of grace, where he fills my mouth with arguments, then finding a cloud spread on his throne, that my prayer cannot pass through, nor I order my speech by reason of darkness; and all this to chasten my folly, and make me adore his sovereignty, who comes and goes at pleasure. Of such a place, and such a time, one may say, It was Bethel, the house of God, and a time of love; but neither the Bethel of God, nor the time of love, is to be the confidence of the soul, whatever comfort it may afford. The God of Bethel, the God of unchangeable love, is to be the strong tower to which every believer must always resort. To live by faith, is more noble and more safe than to live by

sense.

Now, in these things, God teaches me to esteem him more than any thing from him; the enriching hand that gives, more than the gift that enriches; yea, to depend more on his permanent promise, than on his passing presence. For, though the one should be pleasant, like the voice from the excellent glory on the mount of transfiguration, yet the other is the more sure word of prophecy, of inspiration, to which at all times we should betake ourselves. And this we should remember, that the continuation of that ravishing frame of soul (a gale of which sometimes the favourites of heaven feel blow through their mind) is reserved for the happier state above: But it should occasion the extremest sorrow, if we send away our Beloved, who is willing to abide with us "till the day break, and the shadows flee away."

This I may learn, that it is good to hold him in the promise, whatever be the condition of my soul. O deplorable imperfection! When he is absent, despair begins to appear; when present, spiritual pride is ready to spring up. But while he in wisdom comes and goes, it keeps my soul in exercise, going forward and backward, to the right hand and to the left, in quest of him, restless till I find him. Thus the soul is prevented from sitting down on a sinful security, or falling asleep in the arms of downy delusion, perhaps to awake no more. Yea, this exercising of my soul keeps every grace active; his coming hinders me from falling into the low dungeon of despair, whence I might come up no more; and his going away prevents my climbing the slippery precipice of spiritual pride, whence I might fall and break all my bones.

I desire, both in temporals and spirituals, to make the dear prophet's triumph of faith mine! "Though the fig-tree should not blossom; though my graces should seem languid, and low; though darkness should sit down on my soul; though he should keep back the face of his throne; though my soul should forget her prosperity; though, when I pray and cry, he should shut out my prayers; though satan should roar at me, temptations rendezvous against me, corruption rage within me, and hell gape for me; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Yet I plead that thy presence may cheer me in the wilderness; for if thy presence go not up with me, I shall never be able to go hence. But may thy Spirit dwell within me, and seal me to the day of redemption. Then my joy in believing shall be turned into an ecstacy of beholding the God-man, in all

his amiable perfections; then frames of soul shall be sinless, holy, and screwed to the most elevated height of rapture and delight; then I shall praise without interruption, and adore without distraction.

MEDITATION XXXVI.

THE UNCONCERNED SPECTATORS.

SORROW is the continual attendant on human life. Every day, to some poor sufferer, is darkened with distress, and yet the spectators are frequently no more concerned, than if the patient were only to set out from the city to his country-seat. Were a king coming to sit in judgment on a beloved friend, and to examine strictly his actions upon life and death, could we shake ourselves free from a thousand agitating thoughts? dislodge our breasts of anxious fears, and many a fervent wish? Now, when a person is pining on a sick bed, or expiring on a death-bed, the King of kings seems to mount his judgment-throne, and order this arrested pannel into his tremendous presence, where the examination will be strict, and the trial issue in eternal life or death. And yet how trifling often is the discourse of the attendants! how jocular and sportive their talk! But, O! if the invisible world of spirits would flash full in their face, if but all the disembodied souls of their acquaintance would start up around them, how would they stare and be distracted! though they can now dance about the grave, and laugh amidst the glooms of death. To this invisible world their friend seems fast going, and they, in spite of all their stupidity, are fast fol

lowing. When I look into the bed, and see my poor fellow-creature in that humbled state, it excites my sorrow; and when I look round the company in their apparent incredulity of a future state, it so moves my compassion, that I am at a loss whether most to pity the dying, or deplore the living.

But, my soul, be not thou an idle spectator also.— Know the sentence, that all must die, reaches thee as well as others. Perhaps death has the summons in his hand already, or is filling his quiver with arrows for the decisive battle; nay, he may be placing an arrow on the bended bow, to sink the sickening shaft into thy heart-strings,

"Man that is born of a woman is of few days;" this all the nations know; " and full of trouble ;" this I daily find. "He cometh forth as a flower,” frail and fading; "he fleeth also as a shadow," quickly gone, and quite forgot. I carry death in my mortal body, which, like a fiery spark concealed within, will sooner or later lay the house to ashes.

It is but a small thing to grapple with death, to enter the lists with the King of terrors, or be inclosed in the gloom of the grave; but it is another thing to enter into a world of spirits, to launch into an unknown and endless eternity, and see God face to face. Roman fortitude may dismantle itself of clay, defy the grave and brave death; but nothing but a wellgrounded faith can carry one calmly, cheerfully, and comfortably, into a fixed, a future state.

The things of life are of small account at death.-What can riches do, but encumber with too much splendid care, and troublesome attendance ? What can a character do, but publish his decease? What can opulence and honour do, but give a pompous fù