EXTRACTS FROM "A SCRIPTURE PLACE BOOK, FOR DAILY USE." "I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love."-SOL. SONG, ii. 3, 4. [THE "Scripture Place Book" appears to have been a record of Miss Martin's exercises of mind, in respect to the work of grace in her own heart, and her labours for the good of others. It is arranged under heads, as "Self-denial;" "The Worthlessness of an empty Profession;"" The Glories of the Mediatorial Person of Christ ;" "Anticipations of Heaven;" "Sin of flattering the Wicked;" "Mental Affliction and Sorrow,' etc. In this way 469 subjects are considered. They are evidently the unpremeditated effusions of her heart, possibly recorded hastily in the few leisure moments of her active life. Her plan was to select a few parallel texts of Scripture, on which she made some brief comments. The manuscript consists of a thick quarto volume, legibly written, with few or no corrections, and the whole punctuated with tolerable accuracy. From this interesting volume, though doubtless never designed for the public eye, a few passages will be selected.] July 30, 1836. "Commit thy way unto the Lord,” Psa. xxxvii. 5. What an infinite supply of help and comfort for my soul is implied in this exhortation! Lord, I have already, by thy grace, committed my way unto thee. Thou hast bidden me to follow thee, but it is on the waves. Assure my poor weak heart that the arms of everlasting love are round about me. I hear thy voice, distinctly hear and acknowledge it. But there are other voices which would seem to speak to me for thee, and they distress and perplex me. Elevate my inward man more above all else, that having no eye but for thy glory, no ear but for thy counsel, and no fear but that of sinning against thee, I may be free. "Trust also in him," v. 5. Happy direction ! welcome commandment ! Satan is employing every stratagem to obstruct my way. He is seducing the people of God to place impediments before me. With the pretence of doing good, fetters are prepared, that I may not "walk at liberty" in thy commandments. "But in the name of the Lord will I destroy them." Shackles were made, yea, they are now intended to enslave my conscience, and lead me according to the will of man, by human vanity and domineering pride, but thou hast made me free. That voice which 66 I said, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my pro- "He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day." Thy love and goodness are infinite as thy wisdom and thy power. Here I see an end of this business as it relates to myself. It shall be openly seen that my heart was made upright before thee, and that my judgment was according to thy word. August 1. "The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish," Prov. x. 3. My soul needs much for the support of its peace, and for strength to do his will, and to wait upon him ; but this gracious promise includes a supply as varied as my needs, and as infinite as their extent. By thy light, the majesty of thy holiness, thy truth, and thy justice has been shown to me thy law pronounced my just condemnation. "Sin revived" when the commandment was brought to my heart, and to all hope from it "I died." And then did thy blessed Spirit "testify of Jesus." In him I have found an everlasting salvation. He undertook to perform the conditions of the new covenant, and his work was "finished." I love to contemplate that work, for it "is honourable and glorious." It has satisfied the justice of God, and is brought nigh unto me, to my conscience. I feel the burden of a sinful nature, "a body of sin and death." But my soul is comforted in looking unto Jesus, for he took my nature upon himself, pure and sinless, and then, as my sin-bearer, he sustained my burden, my guilt. In his person the wrath of God met my sin. His meritorious sufferings made an atonement to God, and I am free my nature was cleansed by him, my sin was removed, and annihilated by him and now, with the riches of his grace for the supply of his people, "I shall not want." "He will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish." At this moment I am in a great strait, thy way is greatly hid. I feel ready to say with Job, "I cannot perceive him on the left hand, where he doth work; he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." August 2. "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." -Eccl. vii. 8. Blessed Lord, in this season of excitement and perplexity, when fear exceedingly prevailed, I have clung and still cling to thee. I beseech thee, compose my spirit, and enable me to take the comfort of thy word, to receive the words of thy lips. Thou speakest to my soul even now, saying, "Fear not, I am with thee." Thou art a jealous God, thou hast trodden the winepress of sorrow alone for me, and thou assumest thine own most just prerogative to speak comfort to my soul. Thou wilt not have a rival. When I would seek human comfort, every door is shut against me, and I can find "no rest for the sole of my foot," but in thee. Sanctify to my heart this most applicable text to my present experience, I beseech thee, and take all care away. If there were not a deep "root of bitterness" in my heart, I should not feel troubled as I do. Lord, thou knowest me altogether, spare it not, yet have pity on me! Let "fair weather come out of the north;" and the end of this matter, which is in thy hands, be "better than the beginning thereof." "The Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following."-Mark xvi. 20. Help me, blessed Redeemer, whilst I labour in thy name and in thy cause, to feel much assurance in the wonderful fact that thou art working with me, in me, and by me. Surely I have suffered |