I Bless God For This Retirement: I

I Have Received My All From God. Oh, That I Could Return My All To God.

O How Much Mercy Have I Received The Year Past! How Often Has God Caused His Goodness To Pass Before Me! And How Poorly Have I Answered The Vows I Made This Time Twelve-month, To Be Wholly The Lord's, To Be Forever Devoted To His Service! The Lord Help Me To Live More To His Glory For The Time To Come. This Has Been A Sweet, A Happy Day To Me; Blessed Be God... I Hardly Ever So Longed To Live To God And To Be Altogether Devoted To Him. I Wanted To Wear Out My Life In His Service, And For His Glory.

The Whole World Appears To Me Like A Huge Vacuum, A Vast Empty Space, Whence Nothing Desirable, Or At Least Satisfactory, Can Possibly Be Derived; And I Long Daily To Die More And More To It; Even Though I Obtain Not That Comfort From Spiritual Things Which I Earnestly Desire.

Be Careful To Make A Good Improvement Of Precious Time.

I Hoped That My Weary Pilgrimage In The World Would Be Short; And That It Would Not Be Long Before I Should Be Brought To My Heavenly Home And Father's House.