But, O my God, I have much more hope in speaking to thee, than to my self. Long may I plead with this dark and dull, yet fearful Soul, before I can plead it into joyful hope and heavenly desires, unless thou shine on it with the light of thy Countenance, and Thou whom my Soul must Trust and Love, wilt give me Faith and Love themselves. I thank Thee for convincing Arguments: But had this been all the strength ⟨p. 299⟩of my Faith and Hope, the tempter might have proved too subtle for me in dispute. I thank thee that some experience tells me, that a holy Appetite to heavenly Work, and a love to the heavenly Company and State, doth more to make me willing to die, and think with Pleasure of my change, than ever bare Arguments would have done. O send down the streams of thy love into my Soul, and that will powerfully draw it up by longings for the near and full fruition. O give me more of the divine and heavenly Nature, and it will be natural and easy to me to desire to be with Thee! Send more of the heavenly Joys into this Soul, and it will long for Heaven, the place of Joy. I must not hope on Earth for any such acquaintance with the World above, as is proper to the enjoying state. But if the Sun can send its illuminating, warming Rays, to such a World as this, according to the various disposition of Recipients; doubtless Thou hast thy effectual, though unsearchable, ways, of illuminating, sanctifying, and attractive influence on Souls. And one such Beam of thy pleased Face, one Taste of thy complacencial Love, will kindle my love and draw up my desires, and make my pains and sickness tolerable; I shall then put off this clothing with the less reluctancy, and willingly leave my Flesh to the Dust, and sing my Nunc dimittis, when I have thus seen and tasted thy Salvation. O my God, Let not thy strengthening comforting grace now forsake me, lest it should overwhelm me with the fears of being finally forsaken. Dwell in me as the God of Love and Joy, that I may long to dwell in Love and Joy with Thee for ever. As Grace abounded where sin abounded, let thy strengthening and comforting Mercy abound, when weakness increaseth, and my necessities abound. My Flesh and my ⟨p. 300⟩Heart• faileth, but Thou art the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever. This short life is almost at an end: But thy loving kindness is better than life:
But, O my God, I have much more hope in speaking to thee, than to my self. Long may I plead with this dark and dull, yet fearful Soul, before I can plead it into joyful hope and heavenly desires, unless thou shine on it with the light of thy Countenance, and Thou whom my Soul must Trust and Love, wilt give me Faith and Love themselves. I thank Thee for convincing Arguments: But had this been all the strength ⟨p. 299⟩of my Faith and Hope, the tempter might have proved too subtile for me in dispute. I thank thee that some experience tells me, that a holy Appetite to heavenly Work, and a love to the heavenly Company and State, doth more to make me willing to die, and think with Pleasure of my change, than ever bare Arguments would have done. O send down the streams of thy love into my Soul, and that will powerfully draw it up by longings for the near and full fruition. O give me more of the divine and heavenly Nature, and it will be natural and easie to me to desire to be with Thee! Send more of the heavenly Joys into this Soul, and it will long for Heaven, the place of Joy. I must not hope on Earth for any such acquaintance with the World above, as is proper to the enjoying state. But if the Sun can send its illuminating, warming Rays, to such a World as this, according to the various disposition of Recipients; doubtless Thou hast thy effectual, though unsearchable, waies, of illuminating, sanctifying, and attractive influence on Souls. And one such Beam of thy pleased Face, one Taste of thy complacencial Love, will kindle my love and draw up my desires, and make my pains and sickness tolerable; I shall then put off this cloathing with the less reluctancy, and willingly leave my Flesh to the Dust, and sing my Nunc dimittis, when I have thus seen and tasted thy Salvation. O my God, Let not thy strengthning comforting grace now forsake me, lest it should overwhelm me with the fears of being finally forsaken. Dwell in me as the God of Love and Joy, that I may long to dwell in Love and Joy with Thee for ever. As Grace abounded where sin abounded, let thy strengthning and comforting Mercy abound, when weakness increaseth, and my necessities abound. My Flesh and my ⟨p. 300⟩Heart• faileth, but Thou art the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever. This short life is almost at an end: But thy loving kindness is better than life:
