neglect them; offer up your prayers and praises every night and morning to God Almighty, and endeavour to lead a good life. Do your duty in the station you are placed in, and the blessing of the Most High will attend and reward you. I am very desirous to know the nature of your employment, and how it is that you fill up all your time. Your friend Mr. D. R~, has been very poorly lately, he desires to be remembered. We all join in wishing you a happy voyage, and safe return, and send you our kindest love. My dear William, I am, My dear William, Your affectionate Mother, S. TRIMMER. Brentford, April, 6, 1784. I thought the time long till I heard from you, but made myself easy with the persuasion, that` if you had been unhappy you would have written yourself, and if ill, that Mr. Rex would have done us the favour to let us know it. We are sorry to hear, that your ship is not to go to sea for so long a time, but hope you will endeavour to keep yourself employed in such a way, as may be of service to you when you shall go. I have a great deal of news to tell you, but of a very melancholy kind; therefore, to prevent your fears, I must inform you, that your grandfather, father, brothers and sisters are all well. is also de Your friend Mr. David Rparted. I am sure the regard you had for this amiable young man, will make you feel great concern for his loss, but I hope you will be comforted when I tell you that his sufferings were great for some time before his death, and that he was extremely resigned. You see my dear William, how uncertain human life is, no stage of it is secure from the dart of death. How careful, therefore, should every one be to live in a state of preparation for it? This may be done without any interruption to rational cheerfulness, nothing more is required than to regulate our lives by the rules which our blessed Saviour has laid down for us in the New Testament, and to use our endeavours to imitate his example as far as the infirmities of human nature will permit. I wish you could have been an eye-witness of the consolation which dear. David derived from religion in his last agonies, because I am sure it would have made a lasting impression on your mind. He died full of hopes of everlasting happiness, and yielded his soul without even a groan, into the hands of his heavenly Father, in whose glorious presence, I trust, he is now rejoicing that he has escaped from a painful state. ་ As soon as you let me know you want the books, &c. I will send them. I hope you are much better; do not forget to write particulars respecting you health. I can only add our united love and subscribe myself, Your affectionate Mother, S. TRIMMER. CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNAL FOR THE YEAR 1795. O divine Saviour, I have a most fervent desire to be instrumental to the propagation of thy Gospel on earth, but I am sore let and hindered. Now that my health is equal to the delightful task, my eye sight fails. Son of David, have mercy upon me! thou, who hast so often given sight to the blind, preserve to me, I beseech thee, the use of my eyes! let me not be condemned to darkness! Lord, in thy service I wish to employ all my faculties, both mental and bodily. O that they may be graciously spared to me, so that while I live upon earth I may be useful to my fellow-creatures, and able to honour thee, my divine Lord and Master. O divine Saviour, I most earnestly desire to follow thy blessed example in all things possible, and to obey all the precepts of thy Gospel. Have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me, O God of my salvation. O most adorable and divine Trinity! heavenly Father! divine Son! Holy Ghost! my soul is devoted to thee. Incomprehensible Deity, I feel more than human language can express! O read my heart! accept my feeble attempts to soar above mortality! most gracious God, how transporting the thought that when this frail life is ended, I shall enter upon an eternal existence with improved powers and enlarged faculties, capable of comprehending more of thy wonderful perfections, and of paying thee higher adoration! what wonders are exhibited even in this world! I view the works of creation with astonishment and delight, though I can sce but the surfaces of things. O Lord, so manifold are thy glorious works, that I doubt not they wil furnish contemplation for eternal ages! O God! I cannot praise thee in a manner equal even to my sense of thy perfection, and what is the highest sense which a worm like me can form of an infinite and all-perfect Being? yet, O my God, vouchsafe, I beseech thee, to accept the best tribute which I can in this low state offer to thee! O that every intelligent being would each in his respective sphere offer thee praise! that thy praises might resound from every part of thy boundless creation. Adorable and divine Saviour, Son of God, Redeemer of the world, I honour thee even as I honour the Father! I love thee with gratitude inexpressible! what should I have been without thee! blessed Lord, thou knowest that I love thee! O that I could pass my whole time while on earth in thy peculiar service, in doing the will of my Father, in following thy blessed example, in endeavouring to |