“MAY 5.

“’Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.’  Rom. 5:1.

“Blessed, blessed, blessed doctrine; by no other doctrine can I be justified and saved.  Christ the gift of God, and faith the gift of God.  All, all is of grace.

“I have shut my door, desiring to commune with God, but feeling dull and lifeless, ask what shall I read?  My Bible lies just at hand; where shall I read? every part is good.  I open and find it marked:  ’My prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.’  Psalm 69:13.  In an acceptable time—­when?  ’To-day if ye will hear his voice.’  Nevertheless, I am continually with thee; thou holdest me by my right hand, and ever upholdest me, in the time of need especially.

“’In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.’  What is the truth of God’s salvation?  To be the property of Christ by purchase, to have Christ made our property by the Father’s gift; to have the Holy Spirit sent into our hearts, to enlighten our understandings, to govern our wills, to regulate our affections and tempers, and to be in us ’a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ours by gift and by power; this.  Oh, this contains all my asking for myself, for my children and children’s children, for nay friends and all dear to me.  Take us, O Lord, and in ‘the truth of thy salvation’ give thyself to us; do all the needful for us, and glorify thy name.”

“SABBATH.

“’A certain man made a great supper, and bade many, and sent his servants at supper-time to say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are ready.  And they all, with one consent, began to make excuse.’  Luke 14:16.

“Alas, such are our hearts, that we make idols even of the blessings and bounties of providence; no room is left for Christ, though without him every temporal good is under a curse, and our own persons also.

“O Lord, bless the gracious invitations given to perishing sinners this day; the pathetic and tender remonstrances of thy faithful servant.  O, may many of the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind, from the streets and lanes of the city, and may many from the highways and hedges, be compelled to come, that thy house may be filled.  And Oh, my gracious Father, let these careless ones, who are my flesh and blood, be among the number.  Hear, O hear the prayers offered this day for poor, self-deluded, self-destroying sinners; awaken them, O Lord, and sweep away all lying refuges, and, gracious God, settle and establish these halters.  O bring to the birth, and give life and love and zeal to make a full profession to the glory of thy powerful grace, and to the joy and comfort of fellow-members.  Let thy kingdom come.”

“GREENWICH, June 11, 1813.