on this day to endeavor to serve the Lord better, and
renewed my covenant with the Lord, which I formerly made, and have
again and again sought or attempted to renew. May the Lord aid me
in the future.

And thus, from these few specimens of his constantly self-convicted
weakness and appeals for more spiritual strength, we get a look at
the inner life of a practical Christian worker which it is rare to
find among us in these days. He could not stand alone; his last
self-examination always found him short, though it consisted of but
a few questions put by the spirit to the flesh at the end of every
devotional service incidental to the life and work of each day,
thus:

Did I this morn devoutly pray
For God's assistance through the day?
And did I read His sacred Word,
To make my life therewith accord?
Did I for any purpose try
To hide the truth and tell a lie?
Did I my time and thoughts engage
As fits my duty, station, age?
Did I with care my temper guide,
Checking ill-humor, anger, pride?
Did I my lips from aught refrain
That might my fellow-creature pain?
Did I with cheerful patience bear
The little ills that all must share?
For all God's mercies through this day
Did I my grateful tribute pay?
And did I, when the day was o'er,
God's watchful aid again implore?

CHAPTER III.

SCRIPTURE TEXTS.

1858.

"I want a meek, a gentle, quiet frame,
A heart that glows with love to Jesus' name;
I want a living sacrifice to be
For Him who died a sacrifice for me."

The following extracts from his diary reveal to us his carefulness in
noting the texts of Scripture and the analysis of sermons he heard
preached on the Sabbaths and week days from 1858 up to the time of his
death.

_Thursday_ (_fast-day_), _September 16, 1858._--Heard a sermon
preached by Dr. Crawford from the 57th chapter of Isaiah and the
15th verse: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place,
with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the
spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

_Saturday, September 18th._--Preached by Mr. Sanderson, from the
15th chapter of St. Luke and the 2d verse: "