thee to have mercy upon all men." Christ prayed not for the world, but for them that his Father had given him out of it. I believe the earth was never without the sin unto death upon it; and the Spirit of God never gave us leave to pray for that.

David seems to be caught in this web again at the time the withered arm of free-will was by Uzza stretched out to the assistance of Omnipotence. God, in the fire of jealousy, for his own glory, struck him dead for his pains. If he is cursed of God who makes flesh his own arm, what can he be but doubly cursed who puts forth an arm of flesh to prop up the ark of God's strength? "God smote him for his error," because he had kindled his anger. Universal Charity steps into the heart of David, and takes up the cause of Uzza; “ And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza," and refused to take the ark home to him, 2 Sam. vi. 8-10. We have too many in our days who are making fleshly confidence both their basis and their bulwark; however, the fire of God's anger will make a breach in them, even if they set up a thousand.

The ark was by David refused, and consequently his God also, while this universal charity for Uzza kept the throne of his heart. David, it seems, carried the ark aside, into the house of Obed Edom the Gittite, and there it must rest three months because it would not allow of co-partnership. However, God's blessing attended his own ark, though not the fleshy arm of Uzza: And God blessed Obed Edom

for the ark's sake, and all his household. These tidings coming to David, provoked him to jealousy; and a little spiritual jealousy cures the breach which Universal Charity had made between his Lord and him, and brings him to own, they had not sought God after the due order.

I am much mistaken if this Universal Charity was not the door by which the whole troop of hypocrites crept into the primitive church: "Thou seest, brother, [Paul] how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law." Thou must shave thy head, and say, four men with thee have a vow on them (thou must say so); then purify thyself with them. This ́is establishing what Christ came to abolish. And be thou at charges with them; this is reconciling the world and the elect together. But their counsel for peace God turned into a war, and Paul paid dear enough for it; and so will all those who go on with it, Acts xxi. God soon cured the apostles of this disease, by shewing them what monsters they had' embraced. Some advanced dreadful errors; some divided and scattered; others persecuted and raged; so they were obliged to purge out this old leaven, shut up the door of Universal Charity, discharge a whole shower of artillery from the quiver of God at them, and give a command to all the elect, not to receive them into their houses, nor bid them God's speed.

God shews us in his word the unalterable doctrines of his covenant delivered by his servants, for

our establishment in free grace. He likewise shews us the noble feats of their faith, and their holy walk for our example; and he shews us their failings also, and the advantage Satan took of them, for our admonition. And, among all the temptations with which they seem to be tried, this to Universal Charity was none of the least: but God delivered his servants out of them all.

I had an experience of this temptation myself; being at times sorely tempted, for five-and-twenty years at least; and, for near two years before salvation reached my heart, I seldom was free a minute. I was tempted to believe that Satan made the world; and this was strengthened by my long seeking, working, striving, crying, confessing, and praying, and yet not being rewarded with grace for all this lip-service. I was grievously tempted also to pray to Satan to deal propitious with me in hell, when I came there, because I had long fled from his service. I cried also to God to deliver me from Satan; but I could find no God, therefore I was tempted to believe there was none.

What kept me from praying to Satan was, that of my being tempted perpetually to blaspheme the Almighty. If there is no God, why am I tempted thus to abuse him? Having been long tempted with such things as those, to drown myself in the Thames, and many more, too base to mention, and being at last chased from all confidence in myself; finding my rationality hang long at a balance, and my life in doubt, I was obliged to throw away my Whole

Duty of Man, and my Common Prayer Book also, and betake myself to calling on Christ alone. And, though my prayer was with the words of one desperate, yet, in answer to that prayer, Christ delivered me. My sin, guilt, despair, hardness of heart, envy at God, cavilling at election, fear of death, darkness, ignorance, and unbelief, took their flight at once, and Satan with them. Christ, with all his salvation, beauty, grace, and glory, came into my soul in a minute; for which I hope and trust I shall bless his name for evermore.

At this time I had never heard the gospel, nor did I for some months after. I now saw my calling was clear, and my eternal election sure; and for many months my soul enjoyed it. Satan now could not invade me as an assailant, but he came as a visitor, to endeavour to spoil this bright work by turning me into an Arminian. He first set me to look at the whole troop of Pharisees who attended the church, and especially the communicants; and, to move me the more to pity them, he put my wife among them. Had it stopped here, it had been well; but, alas! it was accompanied with malice against God. I conversed with several of them, and found them all blind. And here I looked up in anger, and impiously asked God what was to become of all these? And he as powerfully answered me, Except they are born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God.' Having shed some thousands of tears over them, I was tempted to view the profane, the heathens, and blacks; and then it was

suggested to me, What do you think of election now? Here I began to wage war against the sovereignty of my Maker, and wept for those which I never saw. This is taking part with the potsherds, and striving against our Maker, Isaiah xlv. 9.

After this, the hard state of beasts was represented to me; how hard they fared, and yet they were never to be saved. Many tears of pity I shed over them also. These tender feelings I nursed, and thought I had more mercy than even God himself. Here I felt a heart rising with malice against God, Christ, his sovereign grace, his elect, and all that held · election. Long did I carry on this dreadful rebellion against God, and yet mourned and wept over beasts, creeping things, and insects; but no feeling for a suffering Saviour. God left me for a while, to shew me my folly; and folly it is, or I am sadly mistaken.

The next step I took in this wonderful progress, was to consider fallen angels, who I knew were excluded from all hope in God, and that for ever. Soon my bowels began to yearn over them; feeling this, the very heavens began, I thought, to lower over my head; my blood ran cold, my hair stood an end, my loins shook, my hope sunk, and the pains of hell gat hold on my soul. Here God brought afresh to my mind the long siege and many snares. Satan had laid in my way, in order to drag me to his infernal regions. And I was now pitying the cursed adversary of God and man, and fighting against my God and Saviour, who died to save me