ing to profit by all this, and then he will behold the way of doing any good closed against him. Then will he weep and say, " Oh, fool that I have been! Oh, time for ever lost! Oh, wasted life! Oh, years that are lost in which I could have become holy, but I did not do so, and now there is no longer time to become holy." But what will these lamentations and sighs avail, when his life's scene is for ever closing, the lamp is well nigh spent, and the dying man is drawing near to that last moment upon which his eternity depends?
Affections and Prayers.
Ah, my Jesus, Thou hast given away Thy whole life to save my soul, there has been no moment of it in which Thou hast not offered Thyself to the Eternal Father, in order to obtain pardon and eternal salvation for me; and I have lived so long in the world, and until now I have never spent any time in Thy service. Alas! for everything I remember to have done fills me with remorse of conscience. My sin has been very grievous. The good that I have done has been too little and too full of imperfection, of lukewarmness, of self-love, and of distraction. Ah, my Redeemer, it has all been thus, because I was forgetful of all that Thou hast done for me. I have been forgetful of Thee, but Thou hast never been forgetful of me. Thou hast sought me whilst I was flying from Thee, and hast so often called me to Thy love. Behold me, my Jesus, I will no longer resist Thee. Shall I, indeed, wait until Thou dost give me up? I repent, O my Sovereign Good, for having separated myself from Thee through my sin. I love Thee, O Thou Infinite Good, Thou Who art indeed worthy of infinite love. Ah, do not allow me ever to waste the time which Thou in Thy mercy dost grant me. Do Thou ever remember, my beloved Saviour, the love Thou hast borne for me, and the pains Thou hast suffered for me. Make me remember all this, so that, during the life that may remain to me, I may only think of loving Thee and pleasing Thee. I love Thee, my Jesus, my love, my all. I promise Thee ever to perform acts of love when I can remember to do so. Give me holy perseverance. I trust entirely in the merits of Thy Blood.
