Soul's joy, when Thou art gone,
And I alone-

Which, yet can't be,
Because Thou dost abide with me,

And I depend on Thee:
Yet when Thou dost suppress
The cheerfulness

Of thy abode,

And leave me to my load:
Oh, what a damp and shade
Doth me invade!

No stormy night

Can so afflict, or so affright
As thy eclipsed Light!

To have creatures and means without God, who is their end, is so far from being our happiness, that it is an aggravation of our misery: even as to have food without strength, and to starve in the midst of plenty. What the better, are we if we have the best minister on earth, the best society, the purest church, and therewithal the most plentiful estate, but nothing of God? If God should say, Take my creatures, my word, my servants, my ordinances, but not Myself: would you take this for happiness? If you had the word of God, and not the Word which is God-or the bread of the Lord, and not the Lord which is the true bread.-Baxter.

O Domine Deus, qui omnia providè ac justè disponis in Cœlo et in terrâ, cum Angelis et hominibus, et omnibus creaturis tuis; Converte mihi omne malum in bonum et bonum semper in melius, pro gloriâ nominis tui, et æternâ salute Animæ meæ. Tu scis omnem Infirmitatem meam, et magnam ignorantiam meam, necnon quotidianam instabilitatem quâ cito vagor huc illuc; sæpissimé longius a Te. Parce mihi Domine, secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, et me reduc citius ad Te. Conserva Cor meum apud Te, in devotâ oratione et sacrâ meditatione, die ac nocte; quantum mihi est possibile in hoc fragile corpore. Non cesso nec cessabo a laude tuâ in vitâ meâ: sed laudabo et magnificabo te, donec ad te perveniat, O Deus, Anima mea. Nam, Te semper laudare et super omnia amare, summa Felicitas est, angelorum et beatorum in patriâ !

When the soul is not affected with good, though the understanding do never so clearly apprehend the Truth, it is easy for Satan to entice that soul. Mere speculations (be they ever so true) which sink not into the affections, are poor preservatives against temptation. He that loves most, and not he that only knows most, will most effectually resist the motions of sin.

Lætari in Deo res est omnium summa in Terris.' Who knoweth not how readily our thoughts and tongues do follow our delight? Be it house or land, or books, or friends, or actions which are our delight-we need no force to bring our thoughts to them. The worldling thinks and tasteth of his wealth and business, the proud man of his dignities, the voluptuous of his pleasures: and so must the Christian of his God and holy business, as being his delight. It is because they have not this delight in God, that so many neglect both public and private worship. God through Christ is our Comforter. If we grieve our Comforter he will grieve us, or leave us to grieve ourselves. In that measure that any known sin is cherished, delight in God will certainly decay.

The men of grace have found
Glory begun, below;

Celestial fruits on earthly ground
From Faith and Hope do grow.

The hill of Zion yields

A thousand sacred sweets,

Before we reach the heavenly fields,

Or walk the golden streets.

Rom. v. 5. Cum Apostolus dixisset, 'Charitas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris' ne putaret quisque a se sibi esse quod diligit Deum, continuò addit, 'per Spiritum Sanctum qui datus est nobis.' Ut ergo ames Deum, habitet in te Deus, et ad amorem suum moveat te, accendat te, illuminet te, excitet te. Luctandum est enim in isto Corpore. Quamdiu vivimus pugnamus, quamdiu pugnamus periclitamur: sed in his omnibus superamus per Eum qui dilexit nos.-Augustin.

O, may redeeming love excite

Our souls to fervent praise,
And make all duty our delight

Through life's remaining days!

I discover a fallacy whereby I have long deceived myself, which is this: I have desired to begin my amendment from some noted time, that so it might bear a remarkable date. But, when the day was come, I have put off my amendment to some other time. Thus whilst I could not agree with myself when to start, I have almost lost the running of the race.

I am resolved not to be thus deceiving myself any longer the instant time is always the fittest time.

In Nebuchadnezzar's image, the lower the members, the coarser the metal: the further off the time, the more unfit. To-day is the golden opportunity, to-morrow will be the silver sea