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and deſerted of friends. What was I and my father's houſe? A poor inſufficient creature, taken up with nothing but vanities of all ſorts. O what moved a holy God ever to condeſcend to look upon me, and paſs by ſo many much more worthy than poor undeſerving me? O praiſes be unto thee, O Moſt High! O that were my tongue employed thro' time in magnifying the holy name of ſo merciful a God! I May not I ſay that his mercies are over all his other works to me! May not I sit and admire his free love, firſt in inclining my heart to love him and his people, and in caſting my lot amorgſt the godly, and in beſtowing a godly and kind huſband unto me (when left destitute of father or mother); and that he did to care for me, as not to ſuffer me to enjoy the desires of my heart, but was at pains to hedge in my way with thorns; and his infinite love ſuffered me to sit at my eaſe, enjoying my pleaſure in the day of Zion's calamity.
And preparing the way by ſmaller trials for greater, thou didſt, in thine infinite love and wiſdom, and at firſt caſt me into the hotteſt ſlames of the furnace, left I ſould not have been able to ſtand, but in fright fainted and turned back: but, O praiſe, praiſe be to him that inhabits eternity! that condeſcended ſo far to me a worm, as ſweetly to
