In pity bow Thy gracious ear,
  Incline the sinner’s heart to prayer,
    And draw him to Thy Son,
  Through whom, though vile he is, Thou wilt
  Remove the blackness of his guilt;
    Oh! let it now be done.

  Thou Friend of sinners, if I may
  Approach, O give a heart to pray,
    And let Thy Spirit plead. 
  But few the hours he has to live,
  O give repentance and forgive,
    Forgive the bloody deed.

At intervals have found it good, yea very good, while upon my knees; indeed I must say my happiest moments have been there.  Why am I ever remiss in this duty, which brings me more solid peace than anything beside?  There, I converse with God; there, behold His glory; there, forget self; there, get love to cover faults; there, assimilate to the image of God.  This week has been marked by the affliction of my two youngest children.  How painful to a mother to see them suffer! yet Lord, Thou knowest, I would rather see them droop and even die, than that they should live to rebel against Thee, and shut themselves out of Thy kingdom.  O my God, on my knees, I present them all to Thee.  Bless them with grace and understanding, and save them for ever.—­I have had to grapple with rheumatism.  It is painful, but what in duration, when compared with eternity?  Nothing.  May my soul, evermore fly upward.  What need in health to prepare for sickness!  There is then plenty to do to hold fast whereunto we have attained.—­Cousin John Stables has exchanged life for immortality.  His last words were, ’I am going to heaven, I know I am.’  Blest knowledge in the hour of death! but more exalted, they who daily live with the assurance ‘I am Thine’, centering in God their hope and wish,—­My dear little Hannah died, aged twenty weeks.  A sweet smile rested upon her countenance.  O Death! how art thou robbed of thy terrors, when infancy smiles in thy presence!  Have not been at my class for a long time in consequence of ill-health:  to-day I might have gone, but with shame confess, I forgot the time.  O Lord lay not this sin to my charge.  My heart would not displease Thee; my soul delights in Thee, and derives its happiness and peace from God my Saviour:  no merit in myself, but Christ is all in all.—­I would this evening offer Thee my heart; give me sincerity O God, and let me know the sacrifice is accepted.  I am under deep obligation to Thee for having so far removed the pain from which I suffered May ease be gratefully acknowledged by me, and let my life show forth Thy praise.  I bless the Lord for all the good I possess, and am constrained to say, it is all divine.  Have begun to read Locke on the Understanding.  Lord enlarge my capacity.—­Enjoy better health than for several months; for this may my soul be truly thankful.  It is good for me that I have been afflicted; I have learned to value my mercies as the gift of heaven.  My anchor is in Jesus; from him my peace perpetually springs.  I now feel he is my God.  Yet the