r, the builder, and maker is God,
and it is his peculiar treasure. Christ is the foundation and chief
corner-stone, and his house are we, built upon him, cemented
together, a spiritual building; the foundation cannot fail, the
corner-stone can never give way; neither can we fall to pieces, or
be separated from him.

"The house of God; 'Jerusalem, Zion, the rest of God, where he
delights to dwell,' where he will for ever stay; the house of God, the
church, yea, the body of Christ: Christ the head, his people the
church, his members whose life is in him, and derived from him; and
because he lives we shall live also. Lord, enlarge my understanding to
comprehend more and more of the height and depth, length and breadth
of the love of Christ, which passeth all understanding. Open my eyes
to behold wondrous things in thy law and gospel. I am as yet but a
babe; glory to God that I am what I am, a babe in Christ. I shall be
nourished with life and strength from my divine Head; educated and
nurtured by the blessings of the new covenant. I shall arrive at the
perfection of stature appointed, and stand in my lot at the latter
day. Amen."

"AUGUST 4, 1796.

"A day to be remembered. Rose at four, not to mourn--no, but to
repeat my grateful thanks to my covenant God for the work he finished
this day last year, in delivering my weak, feeble, tossed, and tried
Jessie from a body of sin and death, and giving her 'the victory
through Jesus Christ, who loved her and gave himself for her.' To thee
she was dedicated ere she saw the light; to thee a thousand times I
repeated the dedication, begging that thou mightest bring her within
the bond of thy covenant; this was the sum and substance of all my
askings for her. I witnessed the time of her second birth, saw the
tears of conviction and remorse. I witnessed thy loosing her bonds,
and tuning her heart and tongue to praise redeeming love. I witnessed
the teaching of thy Spirit, and the enlightening of her eyes, and the
taste thou gavest her of thy salvation; I thought her mountain stood
strong, and she would not be easily moved; but who can tell the
deceitfulness of the human heart? Too soon did we all turn aside like
a deceitful bow, forsook the fountain of living waters, and hewed out
broken cisterns that could hold no water. Glory to God for the
discipline of the covenant, that he did not cast us off, but chastened
and corre