hast been from the morning of creation. O God, who is like unto Thee? Is there a God beside thee? Yea, there is no God *. Who can comprehend thee? Thy greatness is unsearchable: thy ways are past finding out t. Thou art exalted above all blessing and praise. What thought can reach thy glory? what language worthily express it? Clouds and darkness are round about thee. What art Thou?-where thy limits? what is thine eternity? how dost thou exist? what is the amount of thy blessedness? what is thy omnipotence? Lord, thou hast given one answer: I AM, THAT I AM. It is enough. But though thy glory is an unfathomable depth, and an untrodden height,

Js.xliv. 8; xlvi. 9.

+ Ps. cxlv. 3; Rom. xi. 3. Exod. iii. 14.

this we know of thee, Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host; the earth, and all things that are therein; the sea, and all things that is therein and thou preservest them all, upholding all things by the word of thy power. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing †. In thee we live, and move, and have our being. Of thee, and through thee, and to thee, are all things. Thou hast created all things; and for thy pleasure they are, and were created ‡. The time will come when Thou wilt be all in And while I am still a sinful creature

all §.

+ Ps. cxlv. 16. + Acts xvii. 28; § 1 Cor. xv. 28.

*Neh. ix. 6; Heb. i. 3.
Rom. xi. 36; Rev. iv. 11.

upon earth, it is very sweet to think of Thee. My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches *. To know thee, through thy Son Jesus Christ, is, even in this imperfect state, the means of eternal life: what will it be to see thy face in righteousness, and wake up in thine immediate presence? Teach me, and teach all thy children, to praise thee. Let thy people praise thee, O God; yea, let all thy people praise thee. And blessed be thy glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with thy glory. Amen! and Amen!

The Love of God.

Thou hidden love of God, whose height,
Whose depth unfathomed, no man knows ;
How beauteous seems thy distant light,
In which admiring saints repose!
Onwards I strive; nor can I be
At rest, until I rest in Thee.

Is there a thing beneath the sun

That strives with Thee my heart to share?
Lord, tear it thence, and reign alone,
Sovereign of every motion there :
Grant me, from earthly idols free,
To find my chief delight in Thee.

Each moment draw from earth away
My heart, that lowly waits thy call;
Speak to my inmost soul, and say,
I am thy life, thy God, thy all:

To know Thee, love Thee, feel Thee nigh,
Be this my everlasting joy!

142

XXI.

PREPARATION FOR DEATH.

Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live. ISAIAH Xxxviii. 1.

It is a solemn thing to die; but I like to think of it. I do not wish to be taken by surprise; and, thanks be to God, death is a conquered enemy. I can imagine myself cold and stiff, wrapped in my shroud, laid in my coffin, and lowered into my grave, without much repugnance. For, indeed, this will will noti happen unto me. I shall be far away with my Saviour; absent from he body, and present