son for it for His pure love being all the merit by which man can pretend to the effects of His bounty, it is but just that the degree of His love should proportion those favours which it is our only title to, and that God's liberality should as well afford measures as motives to itself.

Two

THE COUNTESS OF WARWICK,

years older than Mr Boyle was his sister Mary, Countess of Warwick, who was born Nov. 11, 1624, and died April 12, 1678.

With much of the talent of her wonderfully gifted family, and more than the usual share of lady-like accomplishments, she had all the piety of her younger brother, and of her more celebrated sister, Lady Ranelagh. Her "Diary" has lately been published, and it may interest the reader to see something of the hidden life of one who moved in the highest circle of the seventeenth century.

Diary.

Sept. 3, 1666, Monday.-I went into the wilderness,* as soon as I was up, to meditate; my meditation of Him was sweet. Then went into my closet to pray; the desires of my heart went out after God there in a short prayer. After dinner much company came in. Towards evening came the news of London being on fire, which much amazed and troubled me, and made me pray heartily for that distressed place and people. The fire began the 2d of September.

Sept. 5, Fast-day.—I got up betimes, and when ready went to meditate. News came that Holborn was all on fire, and Warwick House burned. I thank God I found my heart

* A grove near the mansion of the Earl of Warwick, at Lees or Leigh, in Essex.

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more affected for the common calamity and sufferings of others than for that, and was not at all disordered with the news, but bore it patiently. Then I went to the chapel to hear Mr Glascock preach: his text was Isa. xxvi. 9, “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." I found my heart much moved at that sermon; and the desires of my heart went much out after God in prayer, and God gave tears of contrition. In the evening, after public duty, I went into the wilderness, and there, with many tears, begged again for mercy for that poor distressed people, and did endeavour to wrestle mightily with God for this poor nation, desiring that as my sins had brought fagots to that fire, so I might bring buckets of tears to quench those flames. After family prayer, wherein my heart was much affected, I committed my soul to God in my closet.

Sept. 6, Thursday.—In the morning, I went out into the wilderness to meditate, and to endeavour by meditation to put my soul into their souls' stead that were spoiled of all, and had not a house to lie in. I found, blessed be God, my heart much carried out to pity them, and to pray for them, and to admire at God's goodness that I had mercies which many others that were better than myself wanted. Then, when I came in, heard that Warwick House was not burned; for which I blessed God. In the afternoon, went out to hear the news; came not home till evening; then prayed again.

Sept. 10.-In the morning, went into the wilderness to meditate; God was pleased to bring the sermons into my mind which I had heard the day before, and to enable me to pray earnestly for strength to put them into practice; especially one direction, which was, to secure my interest in heaven. I did then strive to take the kingdom of God by a holy violence, and to storm heaven by my importunate prayer. God was then pleased, blessed be His name, to carry me up as it were unto Mount Nebo, and from thence to let me have a view of

the Holy Land, and by seeing that, to make me say, "I would not live always," because I was convinced it was better for me to die than to live. And I did then heartily desire that, as Elias was, I also might be carried up to heaven, without ever so much as returning first to bid those farewell that were in my house, or ever seeing the face of relations more; for prayer and meditation had so associated my spirit to such company, that I thought I had rather a body too much, than found the want of any. God gave me in this morning meditation, plenty of tears, and many earnest desires of being made meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. God sent me home much refreshed and comforted; then I went into my closet and prayed. After dinner, was hindered by company from being retired; but after evening prayer in the chapel and supper were over, I went into my closet and committed myself to God for that night.

Sept. 22. In the morning, before the sacrament-day, I rose betimes, and, as soon as dressed, went into my closet and read the chapters of the institution of the Lord's Supper and of the sufferings of Christ, and then did meditate on them, and considered what a heinous thing sin was, that made Him suffer so much. In the afternoon, I read two hours.

Sept. 23, Sunday morning.-I rose very early and went into my closet, and upon reading that passage in Scripture of Christ's asking Peter whether he loved Him, and Peter's answering that He knew he loved Him, God was pleased to melt my heart exceedingly, and to make me, with abundance of tears, to say, as he did, that He knew I loved Him above all things in heaven and earth. I felt the love of God made great work in my breast; then I went and meditated upon the passion of Christ, in order thoroughly to melt my heart; and God was pleased to encourage me to come to His table by bringing most sweet promises to my mind. I had great encouragement to come, by finding some inward persuasion that God,

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through Christ, would accept me; He was pleased then to give me sweet communion with Him. When I had prayed earnestly to God, and blessed Him heartily for giving me leave to come, I went to the chapel. In the prayer, the desires of my heart went out exceedingly after God. When the sacrament was brought me, my heart did pant and breathe after it, and God was pleased to give a great deal of comfort in that ordinance, and much assurance of His love; I had then a lively sense of His love in my heart, and could steadfastly believe that I was my Beloved's, and He was mine. After the sacrament was over, I instantly went up from thence, while my heart was warm, to bless God, and to beg strength to keep the promises I had made of new obedience. God was pleased there to give me sweet communion with Him, and much soulsatisfaction. After the public duties of the day were over, in which my heart continued still to breathe after God, I did alone, in the evening, meditate upon the privileges of God's children, and upon His unchangeable love to them, which made the meditation of Him to be very sweet to me: then, after supper, I committed myself to God in a short prayer before bed-time. Lord, I bless Thee for this day; oh, that I might have many more such!

Nov. 20, Tuesday.—In the morning, as soon as ready, prayed to God to go along with me in my journey to London, and then took coach to go, and by the mercy of God got safe thither without any misfortune. As soon as I entered into the burned city, my eyes did affect my heart; and the dismal prospect of that once famous city, being now nothing but rubbish, did draw many tears from me, and made me pity and pray for those who had their habitations burned, and beseech God to make up all their losses to them, and give them patience to bear them. I did endeavour to consider the operations of God's hand, and to lay to heart what desolations He had made on the earth, and would fain have imitated Jeremiah

in his grief for the destruction of Jerusalem. When I came to Warwick House to my lord, I found him, blessed be God, pretty well. . . . .

Nov. 25, Sunday.-I meditated and prayed to God to fit me for the duties of the day, then went to St Andrew's Church to hear Mr Stillingfleet preach; his text was, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power." It was an excellent sermon, and God was pleased by it much to melt my heart, and to give me many tears, and enabled me in prayer to send up strong cries. After dinner, had good discourse with my lady Manchester, my mother-in-law.

Nov. 28.-In the morning, as soon as dressed, went to prayer, then went in a chair to visit my sister Ranelagh. As I went, had very serious meditations of the vanity of the world, and did there make a short reflection upon what I had seen since my coming to London; how vain and unsatisfactory all was, and how much more real and solid content there was in a retired life. I did then pray to God to sanctify this conviction to me, and to wean me more and more from all creature contentment. Then came to my sister's, where she and I alone had discourse of that which was serious and profitable. dinner, was visited, and at night committed my soul to God by prayer.

After

Nov. 29. In the morning, as soon as dressed, went to prayer; and after that went to dinner to my lord Berkley's; and after dinner, was visited by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with whom I had very good discourse. After supper, committed myself to God.

Dec. 1.-In the morning, as soon as dressed, went to prayer, then went to my brother Burlington's to dinner.

Dec. 2.

Then went to my sister Ranelagh's, where my brother Robin, and she and I, had holy discourse.

*

April 23, 1667.-In the morning, as soon as dressed, in a

*The Honourable Robert Boyle.