5 8 Dtrettionsforgetting and keeping you as a child,for want ofaffurance of your own fin- cerity. Andyou may hope God is your father,when yet you may apprehend him to be a difpleafed an. gry father, and io he may be more your terror then your comfort. Are not you ready in moli of your fears, and doubts, and troubles,to go to God before all other for relief? and doth not your heart ugh and groan to him When you can fcarcely fpeak ? Toth not your troubled fpírit there find its firft vent ? and fay, Lord, kill me not : forfake me not : my life ù in thy hands : O foften this hard heart, make this carnal mindmore(piritual ! 0,6e notfuck afit-anger to myfoul! Wo to me that I amf is ignorant of thee! lo dif faff''efiledto thee ! fo baclpard and difinrlined to holy communion with thee ! PVo tome that Ican take no more pleaPure in thee ! and amfo mindlefr and difregardful ofthee ! O that thou wouldflftär tap in me m re liver de/res,andWorkings ofmyfoul towards thee! and fuffer me not to lie at fuch a diffancefrom thee. Are not fuch as thefethe breathingsof your fpirit t why thefe are child-like breathings after God I this is crying Abba, Father. This is the workof the fpirit ofAdoption, even when you fear God will cafe you off. You much mil-take(and thofe that tell you fo)ifyou think that the fpirit of Adoption liethonly in a perfwafion that you are Godschilde, or, that you may not have the fpirit ofAdoption without fuch a perfwafion of Gods Adopting you. For God may Adopt you, and give you that fpirit which he gives only to bis chil. dreg, and poffefs you. with true filial affeaions to- wards him before ever you know your felf to be Adopted ; much more, thoughyou may have fre- quent returning doubts ofyour Adoption. Having
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