what it is by a consideration of the means employed by him to convey to us all these advantages. He hath considered it necessary to give us his Son, his dear Son, " the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his per- son.” He hath considered it necessary, too, that he should descend from heaven to earth. He hath considered it necessary that this august and holy person should unite himself with our miserable nature, with all its innocent infirmities and imperfections. He hath considered it necessary that this great Saviour should clothe himself with shame and reproach; that he should endure the most acute and lively pain; and in one word, that he should expire on the cross between two malefactors. See to what the love of God for us was capable to lead him. I inquire not now whether it is possible to add any thing to it; I ask only whether it would not require an extraordinary effort of faith to believe it? Still we see not all, while even we contemplate this.

The idea which we shall have of the goodness of God will be imperfect and defective if we do not add to it the unworthiness of the objects upon whom it is bestowed with so little apparent discrimination. For whom is it that God hath done all that I have just described ? It is not for those faithful angels, who have kept without spot the

purity of their primitive innocence: it is not for those immortal spirits who for ever stand before his throne, and who are ever ready to execute the commands with which he will honor them. It is for men; for vile, abject, miserable creatures; and what deserves singular consideration, for ungrateful, rebellious, and criminal creatures, worthy of his hatred and of his vengeance, and fallen by their own fault into the abyss of final misery. It is upon these men, it is upon these vile creatures, it is upon these sinners that God has bestowed all the benefits of which I have spoken: it is for them that Christ hath 'come into the world, and hath suffered the cruel deatli of the cross. Can we imagine'any thing that will compare with such a prodigy of love? And what heart should we have if, in the consideration of all this, we are not transported with admiration; if we do not adore a love like this; or kindle into a flame of lively gratitude ? These reflections are powerful, but they are general; and what is common and general affects us not by any means as much as that which is personal and particular. I would, therefore, desire that the dying should add to all these considerations which are drawn from what God does for all believers, without exception, reflections upon the particular favors which they have received from him ; upon the

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care he has taken of them on various occasions ; upon the dangers from which he has preserved them; upon the aids he has granted them; upon the manner in which they have responded to them; and upon other similar subjects, which it

impossible to notice more minutely, but which will readily occur to those who will undertake their due consideration.

Above all, we must not forget the favors which he grants, even at this moment, namely, the temporal and spiritual helps we enjoy, and which are denied to so many others, but chiefly the inestimable advantage of having the free use of reason, without which we would be deprived of the means of doing any thing for our salvation.

It is then desirable that believers, who are sensible of the approach of death, should apply their attention to all these things, and should consider what they would feel for a man in respect to'whom they sustained, I will not say the same, obligations; this is impossible: I will not say obligations approaching these; even this is more than can be here said: but obligations a little greater than those which we generally sustain toward our greatest creditors. Would they not love him truly and sincerely? and would they not esteem themselves happy to have the means and the opportunity of expressing the gratitude they

would feel? How, then, can they fail to have at least the same feelings in respect to God, who has done for them such “ marvellous things?”

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PRAYER. Freely would I confess, O my God, that I am under infinite obligations to thee. In what point of view can I consider the favors thou hast granted me, without acknowledging that they infinitely exceed all that I could either expect or hope? and without finding in the love which has led thee to shed them upon me with such profusion, a subject of admiration and of astonishment which confounds all my thoughts? Freely would I confess that I owe thee an eternal gratitude, and that amid all that I can do in the acknowledgment of it, there is nothing I have a right to refuse thee. I acknowledge, in particular, that the love which I owe thee, and to which such goodness engages me, should occupy all the capacities of my heart, and should prevent me from ever thinking but of this one object, and acting only by this one principle. Yet, LORD, I acknowledge with confusion that this love is far from what it ought to be. It is feeble and languid. It is not even so great as I have often felt for created objects, which are utterly unworthy to be compared with thee. I

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have indispensable need, therefore, of thy indulgence, and it will require a great extension of this not to punish me for a fault so inexcusable and so criminal. But, Lord, after all that thou hast done for me, have I not some ground to promise myself this indulgence; and may I not hope that thou wilt not refuse to grant my humble petition? I beseech thee so to do, O my God, in the name and by the merit of thy dear Son. Yet at the same time I pray thee to grant me thy help for the correction of so shameful an imperfection. Thy spirit, LORD, is a spirit of love and of grace; a fire which can kindle the coldest hearts, and fill them with ardor and with zeal.

Grant me this grace, most loving Father. Grant me not only to love thee, but to love thee powerfully, and with all my heart. Thiș, of all thy favors, is that which now is most needful for me. Refuse it not to me, Q my God; thou who hast so expressly promised thy Spirit, and consequently all his gifts to those who ask thee. I ask it of thee, O my God, in the name of thy Son, who not only died to procure me this great blessing, but who is ascended into heaven to intercede with thee for all thy children, and give prevalence to all their prayers.