The weather has been uncommonly tempestuous; 1 read of many disasters in consequence. How it has fared, or does fare, with my children, He who loves them knows. Their Saviour and their God sitteth on the clouds, and directeth the storm: they are his servants, shall accomplish his purposes, which all terminate in salvation to his people. My children are his; the blessings of the everlasting Gospel shall preserve their souls in peace. Their God shall conduct them to their destined port, but that port may be heaven: and if it should, my soul, wilt thou grieve? darest thou grieve? No, my God; if Grace be in exercise when the news reaches me, I will say, as in former times, all is well, 'He hath done all things well.' I renew my blank, noted in my exercise of January 1, 1796.

July 14, 1801. I HAVE received letters from my children. What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercies, mercies temporal, mercies spiritual, mercies eternal, multiplied mercy! God himself is become my salvation; how unspeakable the blessing! though chastisement and afflic tion were the means of my correction, and sanctifica tion, or the very vengeance taken on my inventions : for my character and name is the same with treacherous Judah, and backsliding Israel. His name changeth not. The Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.' O how has he magnified this name to me a backslider in heart and life; how has he multiplied pardons, healed my backslidings, restored my soul, and filled me with joy and peace in believing! Not only so, but in this vale of tears; this land of drought, this waste howling wilderness where man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.' My cup runs over with temporal blessings and enjoyments, all his creatures minister to my comfort, his daily providence adds.

It is fifteen weeks since my children launched into God's ocean: many anxious hours of suspense have agitated my breast. The Lord knows I did try to wait the manifestation of his will, with patience and resignation,

and to his praise I record it, even in the view of parting, I was not without comfort.

Surely, surely, God is enough for me, and while he is my portion, and the portion of my children, I cannot be comfortless; goodness and mercy shall follow us ;' whatever aspect providences may wear, the end shall be goodness and mercy.

July 28, 1801.

My dear Pastor, Mr. M. sailed for Britain. I thank thee, good and kind Shepherd of Israel, for all those providences, which seemed small things at the time, that hedged me into that congregation; for all the benefits and comforts I enjoyed under the ministry of thy aged servant, now before thy throne, and that thou preparedst thy young servant to fill his place, when the time of his departure came.

I thank thee for all the endowments of our young pastor, of nature and of grace. I thank thee, that thou hast kept him faithful to Him who has called him, and for the precious treasure thou hast put in that earthen vessel.

Now, Lord, that thou hast called him to leave his family, and his flock, to travel to a foreign land, in the service which thou requirest; go with him, prosper him, overrule all his concerns, for thy glory, the good of his soul, of the church in general, and his own little flock in particular. Amen. Glorify thy name.

November 22, 1801. Isabella S is very ill, she appears to be in a stupor. Two physicians are attending, but my eyes are to the Lord. She is his own, dedicated to him in baptism, in which we took hold of his covenant, a God in Christ for her, in particular, for ourselves and our children.

I desire not to draw back, but the Lord strengthening me, to give up at his call. If it be his will to spare her, she is still his own to be done by, with, and for, as his infinite wisdom may see fit, for his own glory, and her eter nal interest. If he is about to remove her out of the world, she is his own; out of the mouth of this babe will he perfect praise; with that company of little chil

dren of whom is the kingdom of heaven, she shall join in the song of Moses and the Lamb, "to him that redeemed us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, to him be glory, honour, dominion, and power."

O Lord, one petition I prefer-if it be thy will to take her out of the world, take her in thine arms, and carry her through the dark valley; grant to her a gentle and easy passage, and an abundant entrance into thy kingdom, and tune our hearts to sing The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.' Amen.

November 23, 1801.

This day, the dear Isabella joined the church triumphant, took her place among that company of little children which Christ has pronounced blessed, and " of the kingdom of Heaven." I yesterday asked of the Lord,. that he would take her in his arms, and carry her through the dark valley, that he would give her a gentle and easy passage, and an abundant entrance into his kingdom. O, he heard my prayer; it was indeed soft and gentle; not a struggle, not a groan-and the affliction which brought down the frame was moderate throughout. I was enabled to resign the Lord's own into his own hand, in the faith that he did receive, and would keep that which I committed to him.

My soul is satisfied; more than satisfied: I rejoice, and congratulate the lovely babe on her early escape from a world of sin and sorrow, to the arms of her dear Redeemer, and to perfect blessedness with him.

November 24, 1801.

It

The beautiful clay of our Isabella is now consigned to the tomb. Never but once did I behold such a lovely object. It seemed to say, weep not for Bella, she is happy." Weep we did, though grieve we did not. was a strange delightful melting of heart over a sweet child, gone home to our own Father and God, to be consummately happy.

In the morning the Rev. Mr. P. and Mr. A. came in. Mr. P. prayed. The parents and I spent much time

musing over and feasting our eyes with the lovely relic, which seemed to brighten in beauty as it lay, waiting the company to convey it to its parent earth.

It is done-finished-the soul with God, the body in the tomb. It is all well-yes, our Covenant God, thou dost all things well. I firmly believe thy mercy is over all thy works. Goodness, mercy, yea, loving kindness has marked thy every step. I believe it now. I shall see it soon

Now, our God, follow this bereavement with thy purifying, sanctifying grace. O, enable us all to search and try our ways. Lead our souls into a knowledge of the secret corruptions of our hearts, that we may confess and mourn over them, wash in the blood of Christ, be pardoned, restored, and get a great victory. O enable, through life, to abide in Christ; to keep close to thee, transacting all our affairs with thee, before they come into the view of the world. Let thy wisdom and thy Spirit, in connexion with thy providences, be our counsellors. O keep us in a dependant frame of mind, humble and watchful. Strip us of all self-confidence. May we at the same time be strong in the Lord, and the power of thy might; rejoicing in thee, the God of our salvation, the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever.' Glory, glory, glory to Father, Son, and blessed Spirit. Amen, and Amen.

December 21, 1801.

It is my earnest desire to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' It is my desire to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and with all my mind, and to love my neighbour as myself,' so as to do to him whatever I could expect from Christian principles in him, on an exchange of circumstances.

It is my desire to give all diligence to add to my faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, to patience godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness charity, that these things being in me and abounding, I may be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.'

I desire to grow in grace day by day, to profit by ordinance of God's appointing, and by every every providence; and I pray, Lord, I pray, that thou wouldst grant me my desire, so as that I may become more spiritual, more discerning in the Scriptures, more fruitful in good works that thou mayest increase also my humili. ty. Open to my view more of the extent and spirituality of thy divine law; the majesty, purity, holiness, of thy nature; the exceeding sinfulness of sin; the hidden corruptions of my own heart, and my inability to search them out, and to crucify them; give me also more just views of my past life, that I may ever be convinced that I am, what I really am, 'the very chief of sinners, and the least of all saints' and that it is entirely of Grace, that I am what I am. O make out this promise to me; I will table it in thine own words: Ezekiel xvi. 62. ‹ Í will establish my Covenant with thee: and thou shalt 'know that I am the Lord.' I confess myself the character described in the two foregoing chapters; and though thou hast chastened me ten thousand times less than my iniquities deserve, even by the constitution of the New Covenant, thou hast chastened me. Now, O Lord, most merciful, and gracious, who 'pardonest iniquity, transgression, and sin,' for thy name's sake, do to and for me as thou hast said-'I will establish my Covenant with thee: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.' Amen.

August, 1802.

EZEKIEL, XX. 32. 'And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that you say, we will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.' Verse 35, ' And I will bring you into the wilderness, and there will I plead with you, face to face: 36, 'like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God; and I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant."