Religion & morality > Christian, the student, and pastor, exemplified

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MEMOIRS of
tlie Lord gives them up to their own lufls, i Kings-
xxi. (12•) CaEkfiflef&in prayer, meditation, and
other private duties of religion, hath a fearful
tendency to promote fpiritual decays-, Exod. xvit*.
It. Matth. xxvi. 41. Pfal. Ivi. 9.
Beikg, now about eighteen years of age, I.pur*
pofed to partake of theLord’sfupper, which was to
be difpenfed the next Sabbath.—I knew that I was
fliil uncoaverted, and that I would ride the-molt
dreadful wickednefc and danger, if I were not con#-
vetted before next Lord’s day. I therefore refob
ved, by the Lord’s afliftance, to ufc every pcflibla-
meansof pi omoting my converfionbefore that time.
After I went home,. 1 laboured in prayer,, reading,,
and meditation, and found fuch fweetnefs in
them, as I had never known- before. Finding,
by fel[-examination, on Wednefday-night, that I.
was fliil unregenexate, I, amidfl no fmall anguifh;
and perplexjiy, refolved to fetapart the next day
for folemn fading, and fupplication to God in fe-
cret.—After 1 had, fora time, poured forth my
eomplaints before him, he, by his word, fo repre-
fented to my mind jefus Chrift, as the only Me¬
diator, Friend, Saviour, and helper of poor fm-
ners, the Way, the Truth, and the L>f", who
died for them,—as enlightenedand conquered my
heart, and made me chearfully. content to give up
with all thingrras mere vanity or vilenefs, and re¬
ceive him, in all his offices, as my ali in all, and
to be wholly his, henceforth and for ever. O the.
liberty I had in pouring out my heart in prayer !
—ioi a quarter cf an hour my fbul was ab-folure-
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