Book III. of J E S U S C H R I s T. 179

with thy Favour; and dwell in, and converfe famili- arly with my Soul, by thy Spirit and gracious Pre- fence.
ChriB,'] Behold me here, my Son, always atten- tive to thy Prayers, always ready to extend the Com- fort and Relief thou fo zealoufly implorelt. Thy Tears and fervent Defires, the Sorows of thy perplex- ed Heart, and the ftrong Cries of a Wounded Con- fcience have pierced the Skies, and brought me down to thy fpeedy Succour and Comfort ,• for I am ever nigh to fuch as be of an humble and contrite Spirit, and my Ears are always open to the Prayers of my Suffering Servants.
Difciple.'] I did indeed prefume, in the Anguifh of my Soul, to beg what I am fenfible I cannot deferve, and flee to thee, my God, for Help. And lo ! I am fincerely difpofed to forfake all and follow thee. Nor will I afcribe to my felf the Glory of fo zealous, fo refign'd a Temper : For Thou, Lord, didft work this good Thing in me, and, by thy own preventing Grace^ kindle and excite my very firft Defires. I prayed, but thou preparedft my Heart ; I fought thee, but it was by thy Impulfe and Diredion. And for this firft Difpofition, I return thee my moft humble and unfeigned Thanks ,• acknowledging it thy beft, thy fole Gift, that I have been able fo much as to think or intend any good Thing. Since then the whole of what I do or defire well is Thine , my part ihall be to cherifli every holy Motion, to improve the early and happy AffiitanCes of thy Grace, to fubmit my felf without any Referve to thy Holy Guidance, and, in the midft of the very beft Performances thou quali- fieft me for, conftantly and humbly to remember my own Vilenefs and Impotence. For who, O Lord, is like unto thee.*^ Or what in Heaven or Earth, which hath, or boatts of any Excellence, can be compared unto my God and Saviour ? Thy Works are juil and
true.
i^o 0f tt>e gjmttatton Book iir
true. Thy Precepts right and equitable. Thy Provi- dence great and glorious, and all things are governed by it, after a moft wife, and holy, and good, and woncierful manner. All Honour and Glory and Praife, be therefore afcribed to Thee, Eternal Wifdom of thy Eternal Father: May Heaven, and Earth, and all the Creatures, fee forth thy Excellencies, and in this ge* neral Confort 1 will join ; My Mouth fhall fing thy aftonifliing Works, thy great Glories ,* and I will ne- ver ceafe to praife and adore my God, while t have any Being.
Chap. XXV.
A Thankfgiving for God's Mercies,
Difciple.] /^ Ten thou the Eyes of my UnderfiandiT^g^ V>/ O Lord, that I may fee and obey the wondrous7hhigs of thy Law, Give me the PJal cxix. ^ pgj,^^^ Knowledge of thy Will, and pof- fefs me with a reverent and thankful Senfe of all thy Goodnefs andLoving-Kindnefs to me and to all Men,- that I may fhew forth thy Praife, and pubiifh thy Mer- cies. I know thefe are fo numerous and great, that I can never magnify them worthily : The leafl: of them exceeds my Power to exprefs , and when I confider them, I am fo far from any vain pretence of Merit, that all my Thoughts are over-power'd, and loft in Wonder. For all our Advantages of Mind and Body, of Perfon and Fortune, thofe which are Endowments and Ornaments of Nature, and thofe which exalt and fupply theDefecSis of Nature, all are theEffeds of thy Jam. i 1 7. Bounty and Beneficence , from whom every good and "perfect Gift cometh. Thou art the Common Source, the Univerfal Re- pofitory, from whence our Benefits are drawn down* Not to Allia equal Proportions, 'tis true^ but, be
the