by a pronenefs to defpondence, the following practical fuggeftions may not be altogether useless. * Direct your thoughts habitually and impartially to all the attributes and "the "whole counfel of God." Remember His mercy no less than his juftice; his redeeming love no less than his holy abhorrence of fin. Fix your attention no lefs ftedfaftly on the promifes than on the threatenings of Scripture: on the encouragements held forth to the penitent, no lefs earnestly than on the curfes denounced against the carelefs and the prefumptuous. Be not easily moved with apprehenfion that you pay more than proportionate regard to the confolations of the Gofpel. The inherent bias of dejection will draw you with sufficient force towards the confines of unwarranted alarm. Beware left it urge you across the boundary. In reflecting on your paft fins, let them be regarded as grounds of habitual felfabasement, of profpective watchfulness, of zealous diligence, of unwearied exertion, of grateful and fervent love towards God your Redeemer for te ftupendous falvation fet before you. But view them not as obftacles to the forgiveness and accept ance of a true and perfevering penitent; nor as affording the flighteft foundation for dread that the Holy Spirit, who has enabled you to bring forth the fruits of repentance, will withhold from you the grace and ftrength which you shall hereafter feek as needful under impending trials of your faith. If feafons of dejection fhould recur; if, at the very time when your understanding is fatisfied of the truth and the actual relevancy of the fcriptural arguments which forbid you to defpond, even in the face of conviction, defpondence fhould opprefs your foul wonder not, nor be dismayed, as though an unprecedented or extraordinary event had befallen you. The state of mind is not uncommon. Survey it in its true colours. In the midft of defpondence, remember that you are defponding against your judgement and your confcience, against reafon and the word of God. Confider whether defpondence, thus conftituted and circumftanced, is not in part to be imputed to bodily indifpofition, to the tremors of nervous inquietude. Confider whether in part it may not be deemed, whether it must not in part be deemed, a fubtle a fubtle and special temptation. The adversary of man adapts his ftratagems to the individual whom he affails. The fanguine he tempts to rafhnefs, the lukewarm to inactivity, the confident to presumption, the timid to defpair. To what method of fuperior promife could he refort for the purpofe of deterring you from perfeverance in labouring for falvation, than the fcheme of inducing you to believe that by you mercy is unattainable? From a method of fuch promife is it probable that he should refrain? Meet the danger with adequate circumfpection. Encounter the foe with appropriate arms. Let health receive due attention. Refift the devil, and he will flee from you. Take the fhield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked One. Fly for fuccour to the throne of grace. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the fpirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, plead with Him whofe foul was forrowful even unto death; with Him who knows what is the agony with which the victim of fin exclaims, My God! my God! why baft thou forfaken me! who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, having been in all all points tempted like as we are; who in that he himself bath fuffered, being tempted, is able to fuccour them that are tempted. He will fulfil his word. He will minifter ftrength for the conflict. He will not fuffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but with the temptation will also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. Why is thy foul caft down: why is it fo difquieted within thee? Hope thou in God for thou shalt yet praise Him for the help of his countenance. : Finally; be active. Be fedulous to em- . ploy an ample portion of your time, fo far as may be entirely compatible with a juft regard to health, in the modes of practical usefulness, which belong to your station: and in the vigilant discharge of the offices of domeftic life. A zealous pursuit of practical usefulness, a vigilant performance of relative duties, rank very high among the good works by which you are to evince the fincerity of your faith, and to adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour. The management of worldly concerns, when conducted in a worldly fpirit, is fin. But when kept wholly fubordinate to the great purposes of exiftence, the glory of God VOL. II. Bb and |