Monday, May 21.-I got up at five, and had great liberty in prayer. I perceive the Lord is showing me more and more of my own vile heart, and strengthening my trust and confidence in him. I find the besetting sin of my heart is the love of praise and esteem. I am full of pride, self-conceit, and a slothful spirit; still ashamed of the gospel of Christ; apt to judge rashly of others, and overvalue myself. I feel averse to many known duties, viz. reproving sin; admonishing others; praying with my friends; instructing my servants. I am addicted to vain wandering thoughts in prayer. I see a great deal of corruption in my heart, and feel utterly unable to remove any part of it. I havetherefore spread it before the Lord, and put my case into his hands. I am persuaded he is able and willing to cleanse and purify me. I look to him for faith to conquer the fear of man, and to bring peace and health to my soul. He is exalted a Prince and Saviour, to give faith and repentance to a guilty world. I have asked them, and he will not deny them; therefore will I look for an answer of peace, and wait the accomplishment of his promise. I have also seen the danger I now am in, of being assaulted by those temptations I have formerly felt at coming from the Lord's table. Nothing but cleaving to, and continually looking to the Lord, can keep me from them. I have sought power to do this; and hitherto he hath helped me.

Saturday, May 26.—I determined this day to set out anew, and to struggle to get loose from this vain world. But, instead of this, my whole morning was taken up with visitors, and I had no power to speak faithfully to them. They were professors, but dead ones, and I could find nothing to say them. At night I went

He spoke to

to the chapel, and heard Mr Tmy heart; I was convinced of my unfaithfulness, and was ashamed before the Lord. At my return home I met with a great trial, which sent me to prayer; and there I found again somewhat of that confidence and hope that was like to perish through my negligence. I find trials are needful: when all things go smoothly, I sink into insensibility. O, how good is the Lord thus to chastise my folly, and bring me back to himself, the centre of all happiness.

I was

Sunday, May 27.-I got up early, and went out at seven to the chapel, and was somewhat revived by the sermon. At ten went to church, where I heard two excellent sermons from Mr Sth, accompanied with more life and power than any I have yet heard in the church. I was led to pray much for a blessing on them, both while there and since I came home. Surely the Lord was present, and I trust the word was the savour of life to those who heard it. filled with joy at the precious truths he so clearly explained, and with horror and grief when I thought of those who might reject the free offer made them of life and salvation in Jesus Christ. My desires for a blessing to the people were fervent. I do not remember having ever been so deeply engaged in hearing in this church. I look back with shame and grief on the loss I suffered last week, which may be attributed to mixing with a company where God was not in all their thoughts. What a dreadful enemy is the world to religion! Its maxims and customs are altogether opposite to true Christianity. I see no safety but in coming out from among them, and being separate; yet my situation does not allow of this-it would bring reproach on the Christian name. Surely the Lord knows my

case, and can direct me; he can save me in the world, or deliver me from it: he has taken my heart in some measure out of it. Its pleasures, honours, and riches, are become a burden to me; they are the greatest load I have and I can truly say, I would gladly part with them all for the knowledge of Christ Jesus, and my interest in his salvation.

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Sunday, June 3.-Last week I passed through a variety of trials, temptations, fears, hopes, and businesses. I had not time to write the state of my soul, yet I can see that the Lord is carrying on his work; through waves, clouds, and storms, he gently clears the way." He is every day showing me more of my own vile heart. A self-righteous spirit is ever present with me, prompting me to rest in duties performed, and expect rewards. As long as this is my state, how can I expect to be justified by the blood of Jesus? It is those who see themselves wholly undone without him, that are fit objects of his compassion. I see also that it is my own evil temper that renders my present situation disagreeable; for it is not in the is not in the power of man to give real uneasiness to a soul that seeks its happiness only in God. I see I am unfaithful to the grace and light given me; how then can I expect to receive more? I am called to a high calling, the Lord would have me stand forth as a witness for him; yet, instead of obeying, I shun the cross, and am ashamed to speak for him. This morning I got a view of the sin of neglecting any opportunity of speaking seriously to those I meet, and was convinced of the great importance, not only of making my own peace with God, but pressing others to do so. All things appeared as dross and dung, when compared to the love of God shed abroad in the heart. I felt then able and

willing to speak to every body; but this frame is now

gone.

The purchase of the estate of Barnton, as we have seen, was to Lady Glenorchy an object of considerable interest, as she conceived she obtained it in answer to prayer. Lord Glenorchy had by this time got possession of it, and a great number of workmen were employed in its improvement, and in preparing it for the reception of the family. Had Lady Glenorchy foreseen, what in truth soon happened, that this spot was destined to be the place where the most expeditious and best aid, temporal and spiritual, was to be procured for her lord in his last moments, and in which she was to find an asylum for her widowed state, she could hardly have felt or acted otherwise than she did upon her first going there. In company with her friend Lady Maxwell, she solemnly implored the divine blessing upon it, and the works carrying on there, and she dedicated them to the service of God. Following up this principle, she employed persons from time to time to preach to the workmen. A chapel accordingly was afterwards built, attached to the house, in which, while she was resident there, divine service was performed generally every Lord's day, after the service in the parish church was closed, and sometimes of a week-day evening; and even during her absence this duty was occasionally performed. This practice was continued till she sold the property, a little before her death.

The providence of God seems to have remarkably blessed this effort of Lady Glenorchy to promote the interest of religion; for many persons were known to have dated their first serious impressions from attending divine worship in the family and the chapel.

The service of the chapel was usually conducted by her domestic chaplains, among whom are numbered men who were afterwards destined to attain no small degree of eminence in the church, as Mr De Courcy, late Vicar of St. Alkmond's, Shrewsbury, the late Dr Balfour of Glasgow, the late Mr John Russel of Stirling, Dr John Campbell, at present one of the ministers of the Tolbooth Church, Edinburgh, and the late Mr David Black of Lady Yester's Church, Edinburgh,

and others.

Amidst all these attentions to spiritual matters, and this deep concern for the glory of God and the good of others, Lady Glenorchy seems to have been much cast down and greatly harassed by the power of temptation. Accordingly she says

Monday, June 4.-I was much oppressed in spirit this morning, with a view of my own dead soul, and the state of my family, who seem to decline of late. I got up, and prayed for them, and spoke to two servants closely, and with some degree of life. In the evening I went to Barnton with Lady M-, Mr T, and Mr H; had a word of exhortation in the great room to the workmen, and then one of the ministers prayed and solemnly dedicated that house and all that belonged to it to the Lord. O bless the Lord, my soul, for this and all his benefits! I heard to-day that Mr Wesley has found a religious schoolmaster for me;-this is also the Lord's doing, and the answer of prayer. O what am I that thou shouldst thus care for me?

Friday, June 8.-I was all this morning in my room, reading Alleine's Alarm, and praying over it.— I remember a friend of mine forbade me, three years

L