“Great things were said of Washington, and they were due.

“The Lord himself called him by name, girded him, subdued great armies before him, with handfuls, like Gideon.  He gave him wisdom in counsel, and prudence in executing justice.  A nation blessed him while he lived, and with all the power of language lamented his death.  Ah, human depravity, how striking.  Bursting with gratitude to a creature—­with enmity to a Saviour God; to God, who ’so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life; and to as many as receive him gives power to become the sons of God,’ by putting his Spirit within them, and causing them to love and walk in his statutes.  But alas, the carnal unrenewed mind is enmity against God and his Christ.  O that men were wise, and could see their disease, and the remedy.

“What misery is in the world at this day.  It is only equalled by the wickedness.  How does potsherd dash against potsherd, mutually destroying each other.  How consoling to the Christian ’that the Lord reigns.  The Lord sits King among the nations,’ even our own Jesus, ’Head over all principalities and powers, and dominions, and every name that is named in heaven and in earth;’ all these shakings, turnings, and overturnings, shall prove subservient to the real prosperity of his church.”

“1800.

“I have entered into my closet; I have shut my door; I would pray to my Father who is in secret; I would be shut up with my indwelling God; but see the crowds that follow; see my treacherous heart that gives them admission; see my unsanctified imagination going off with them, leaving nothing before thee but a lifeless lump of clay.  Help, Lord.  Hast thou not redeemed me from vain imaginations?  Lord, fill all thy temple; cast out the buyers and sellers; thyself prepare room for close, undisturbed, holy conference.  Grant that, according to the riches of thy glory, I may be strengthened with might by thy Spirit in the inner man:  dwell in my heart by faith, that ’rooted and grounded in love, I may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, and be filled with all the fulness of God.’  Give unto thy redeemed servant the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.  Reveal thyself more and more in my soul; enlighten the eyes of my understanding.  Lord, improve, enlarge the powers of the new man.  Spirit of the Father and of the Son, do thine office; take of the things of Christ and show them unto me; that I may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the ’riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at the Father’s right hand, in the heavenly