and for my children's children; for the church of God throughout the
world, in particular for this country, for Britain and Ireland, France
and Germany, where his name was once known, and his gospel flourished.
That the Lord would 'build the waste places and repair the breaches;'
that he would 'purify the sons of Levi,' fill all pulpits with able,
faithful ministers of the new testament, who shall 'declare the whole
counsel of God;' and that wherever his name is recorded, the Holy
Ghost might fill the place, and convince the hearts of preachers and
hearers, of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; might take of the
things of Christ and show unto them; and that the great Head of the
church might regulate and overrule all these breaches, differences,
and shakings in his churches.

"O Lord, I am ignorant; I know not the mind of the Spirit of
promise as thou knowest it. The promise of the fruit of the tree, and
the increase of the earth, of the corn, the wine, and the oil is
thine, as are all others. I am ignorant how far this refers to
spiritual prosperity, how far to temporal. I ask, O Lord, covenant
provision, the fruit of the seed sown in the hearts of men by thine
own Spirit; and that thou mayest build the ruined cities of thy
churches, and fill them 'with men like a flock, as the flock of
Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled
with flocks of men, and they shall know that thou art the Lord.' Thy
fair, thy rich, thy beautiful creation is also the fruit of grace. The
wicked possess it, but they enjoy it not. Thy people are the heirs,
but thou, as a wise and merciful Father, givest them to possess
according as thy wisdom sees safe and good for them. When with the
things of this world they imbibe the spirit of the men of the world;
when they nestle in thy gifts and forget the Giver; when they enjoy
with a carnal spirit, and not with thankfulness and a due sense of
their dependence on thee as the God of providence as well as of grace;
thou, in mercy as in sovereignty, blastest their pleasant things,
mixest their cup of prosperity with wormwood and gall, or sweepest all
away with a turn of thy hand, that thou mayest teach them that man
doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of God; that thou mayest withdraw them from sinful purposes,
and hide pride from them; that thou mayest open their ears to
instruction, and seal it on their hearts: thou dashest