*One day he writes as follows. “I was all day closely employed at study. But I fear I love my books too much. It is true my studies relate to the word of God: but I often find my mind carried out in desire after languages, arts and sciences; yet I see the vanity of every thing, when separate from God: to be sure, I prize the knowledge of Christ _crucified_ above all other knowledge. To imitate his wisdom, goodness, meekness, patience and love: alas! what are _Hebrew_, _Greek_, _Latin_, _Logic_, _Metaphysics_, every thing to this! What is any thing to the love of Jesus! O that sweet peace of conscience, and contentment of mind; which arise from redemption in his blood! O Lord, thou knowest that I desire to be great in thy grace; to be armed with thy armour. My soul longs to rise above these little, transitory things. I fain would rest in thee! I thirst for the divine life. I pray for the spirit of illumination. I cast my soul upon Jesus Christ, the God of glory, and Redeemer of the world. I desire to be conformable unto him; his friend, servant, disciple, and sacrifice! Come now my Jesus! See the longings of my soul, and finish the work there.” *From hence may be gathered both, what was the spirit of the man, and the tendency of his studies. He desired to know: but it was God, and the things of God, which he proposed to himself, as the sole matter of his knowledge. For altho’ he read occasionally both logic and metaphysics, history, and natural philosophy, yet it was all with reference to his one grand point. Whatever treasures he gathered from abroad in these, or in any other way; as the industrious bee, collecting her sweets from different flowers, deposits all in one hive; so he reduced, and made all his attainments subservient to, the word of God, and acquaintance with Jesus, as his central point. And his fear, lest in any thing he should deviate from this, had much influence on the regulation of his studies. He well knew, that to have a heart always at leisure for God, attentive to his teaching, and obedient to his dictates, is the great thing to which every design must give place; and that the heart is capable of being _overcharged_ with things, in some respects, lawful and excellent, as with surfeiting and drunkenness, or cares of this life; all of which are therefore, to be as carefully guarded against. And perhaps there are few things by which the spirit of darkness, so serves himself, among the _thinking_ world, as by this very particular; diverting the mind from proper application to the _one thing needful_, not indeed by things sensual, or immoral, which they abhor, and would perhaps be shocked at the thought of; but by things, in some respects innocent, and plausible, if not necessary: it may be by curious speculations on government, the works of nature or grace, and ideal pursuits of various kinds.