to pieces their
broken cisterns, that thou mayest lead them back to the fountain of
living waters.

"It is good, O Lord, all good; I lay hold upon it: be thou the
provider of me and mine; feed us with food convenient for us. Thine
own word testifies that 'every creature of God is good, and nothing is
to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is
sanctified by the word of God and prayer.' I and the children for whom
I pray, possess many, yea, and abundance of temporal good things. O
Lord, give suitable grace, grace for grace. Spirit of grace, keep us
thankful, humble, dependent, spiritual; enable us to receive all
through a covenant channel, as the provision of our Father by the way,
through this wilderness. O may all be sanctified by thy word and
prayer, and we be enabled 'to eat and drink to thy glory.' Amen.

"Read the 138th Psalm: 'Though the Lord be high, yet hath he
respect unto the lowly; though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou
wilt revive me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; thy
mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of thine
own hands.'

"Redeeming work is thy work; regenerating work is thy work;
sanctifying work is also thine.

"The first is finished, the second begun, to be perfected in the
third. O Lord, I hang on thy promises, which with Christ are all mine,
though I have not at all times the savor of them; this is mine
infirmity, and often my sin. O keep me looking unto Jesus."

"MARCH 25, 1803.

"Communion Sabbath, Dr. M---- preached from Romans 6:17: 'But God
be thanked that ye were'--were in the past time, not now--'the
servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of
doctrine which was delivered you.'

"O Lord, I believe the doctrines of thy gospel; I know that I am
delivered from sin as a master; it hath not dominion over my will, nor
entire dominion over my affections; I would be thine, thy servant, thy
child, thine in all obedience. I feel this new principle in the
desires of my soul. I would do all things to thee, in act and in
principle. But O, Lord, the old man is still here, harassing and
hindering my new will, which I have received from thee, from acting
with freedom and energy. Unhallowed motives steal in, by-ends present
themselves; and when outward duty is attained to, there is more of sin
than of righteousness. Though entered upon with s