Church here, and in his paradise above,) with my whole heart, and with my whole soul."

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And what cause have you to fear that you are not his own adopted child, when he has so unceasingly taught you,-gently weaned you from the world by his providence and grace, and manifested himself as your "Shepherd," by again and again restoring your soul" when wandering from him? How often when a gloom has been gathering on your spirit, through temptation, unwatchfulness, or the entrance of discontented thoughts, has a beam of light and love been darted from the throne of grace into your disconsolate heart! Oh, wonderful change, wrought by your compassionate God! The storm is hushed, the billows of corruption again seem sleeping,-and the tears of sorrow are brightened with the soothing ray of

hope! Could you have effected such a change as this? The thought is presumptuous! The Lord himself restored your soul: and is not this an evidence that he is with you? and will you repay his goodness, by doubting his adopting love?

No, my loved friend, believe that he is now "guiding you with his counsel," that he may hereafter "receive you to glory." You should ever remember, that the natural tendency of your heart is from God, and that by nature you have no desire whatever for his love. Yet is the language of your soul now, "Thou, oh Lord God art the thing that I long for." And you can also add, "There is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee;" and you know that your touching complaint has again and again been, “Oh, when wilt thou come unto me?"

And do you think that God has put these desires into your heart to disappoint them? What is this but a thirst for the waters of salvation? And has he not abundantly declared that all who thirst, may freely drink of the river of life? May at once take the full cup of salvation, containing all those glorious consolations which are in Christ.

Did the Saviour even say to the woman of Samaria, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water;" and is he not willing that your soul should be strengthened and refreshed by those waters of comfort, which he has prompted you to seek? Oh! believe that he himself desires that you should be happy in him; that he earnestly wishes the prosperity of your soul; and that you will ere long find, as ten thousand thou

sand others have found, by blest experience, that he truly "satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."

Follow his advice, and often recall the state from which he has already delivered you;* a state of dead impenetrable gloom, without one avenue to light. Wrapt in the darkness of sin, and shrouded in the mists of unbelief, you were sleeping the death-like sleep of ignorance and indifference; though the sword of Almighty justice was suspended and the curse of God's broken law

over you,

was upon you; and you were daily drawing nearer that unfathomable abyss, on the very brink of which you were hovering, when awakened. Yet regardless of your danger, you continued sleeping on the edge of this awful precipice, with all

Look to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged."

the insensibility of a corpse,* around which the midnight thunders are rolling, and the death charged lightning flashes.

Numbers while you were in this fearful state, and many much younger than yourself,-passed the brink on which you trembled,—and were lost for ever in the fiery surge of eternal wrath, bottomless despair, and unutterable woe! But you were snatched as a brand from the burning: you were awakened from your sleep of death your eyes were. unclosed to see the sword above your head, and the dreadful abyss beneath your feet: you were made to feel the curse which abode upon your soul! You looked around you, and beheld "trouble and darkness;" before you,-" dimness of anguish." But you were not "driven to darkness." A gentle ray pierced the gloom and rested

The idea is Payson's.