136 CHAP. XXXIE REMALT - VINE MEDITATION you here on earth, O my zum vermered with the cares and nifer a careless of the joys uage him likely to m. Ives pot to tinnis, of it? thou res of grace, by thy de 17 : Joughts be not often, and. wen ms Jubject, thou haft dest tay" :aving it to fear thy enwicke: by fresture is, there will thy nemure, thou art fo how much thou cester: for action, thou sppies, is reason is bemuch farther off, as grace is appefe of heavenly mediJuve · zmy, as heaven is zove nature, as glory engers winch lead me bove the reach of Tze under all the heavy preffures of fin, under all the grievous burdens of forrow, under all the sharp assaults of satan; that can make me merry in life, and triumphant in death. : Nothing can more truly represent me to myself, and inform me that I am all earthly, than the dulnefs and backwardness of my thoughts to be heavenly who can ever hope to be an inhabitant of that city whofe language he cannot fpeak? Lord, when my thoughts are more zealously affected with thy heavenly joys, I fhall then hope to be more frequently acquainted with thy heavenly vifits; by my careless neglect of the one, I am now justly deprived of the fweet enjoyments of the other; while I am wedded to this wretched world, my thoughts must needs favor of my corruption; but if thou, Lord, wilt once open mine eyes to be the glorious beauty of my heavenly home, I fhall then know, and joyfully confefs, that one hour thus spent, will add more comfort to my foul, more true content to my defires, than all thefe outward bleffings, and I shall then account, and joyfully confefs with thy Apoftle, that all things are but lofs and dung, in comparifon of the richness of thy love in Chrift Jefus. FOR thou, O bleffed Saviour, art the bleffed fountain of eternal happiness, the joy of my heart, the triumph of my joy, the comfort of my life, the his wisdom to inftru&t thee, his power to fustain thee, his gifts to encourage thee, his threatenings to admonish thee, his mercies to allure thee, his judgments to deter thee, his holy fpirit to comfort thee: there is antiquity, ftrangeness, truth, in history, wonder in miracles, amazement in prophesy, foundness in precepts, sweetness in promises; each fyllable contained in this book, is matter of eternal moment. Take heed therefore, that thou passest by no portion of this facred volume lightly, nor pryeft into any prefumtuously: holy diligence is øften bleft with heavenly knowledge, and humble ignorance with heavenly grace. Lord, feeing that thy word is in itself so excellently rich, and in its use so absolutely good, with what earnestness of foul ought I to embrace it? with what holy diligence perufe it? with what devout cheerfulness and conftancy of heart, apply myself unto it? these high perfections shall reli-, gioufly oblige me to repair my former neglects, by my present promifes of my future performances. No day fhall henceforth pafs me, without fome time allotted for this holy exercife, custom will make it easy; profit, fweet; if the troublesome affairs of this life do fometimes (to my foul's grief) difturb me in it (by thy grace affifting) they fhall never divert me from it; what is borrowed from this bleffed task, by enforced neceffity, fhall be repayed with advantage by the next happy opportunity. Lord, all is but vanity and mere nothing, in comparison of thee, and thy service; if I cannot be willingly holy, I shall never be joyfully happy. Blessed Lord, So fanctify my finful foul, that I may joyfully perform those promifes I make unto thee, that I may daily dedicate fome part and portion of my finful hours, to read fome portion of thy facred fcriptures: O let them ever be the joy of my joy, the life of my life, the light of mine eyes, and comfort of my heart. Lord, turn away mine eyes (from these outward enjoyments) left they behold vanity, and quicken me in thy way. Give me an humble foul, that I may read thy bleffed lines with holy fear, and awful reverence; that I may be piously delighted with them, and happily inftructed by them. Give me a discerning foul, that I may fee the wonderful things of thy law, that I may truly love it and delight in it; that my heart may be enflamed by it, and my tongue to be ever talking of it. Olet thy ftatutes be my fong in the houfe of my pilgrimage, that I may walk in thy ways with conftancy, that I may run in thy race with fervency. AMEN... CHAP. XXXII. UPON THE. NEGLECT OF DIVINE MEDITATION. WHAT doeft thou here on earth, O my foul? why art thou so perplexed with the cares and forrows of this finful life? fo careless of the joys in that to come? who can judge him likely to inherit heaven, that loves not to think of it? thou mayest measure thy degrees of grace, by thy defires of glory if thy thoughts be not. often, and. earneftly taken up with this fubject, thou hast juft caufe to fufpect thy loving it, to fear thy enjoying it; for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be alfo. If thou liveft the life of pleasure, thou art so much worse than a beast, by how much thou. oughteft by reason to be better; if of action, thou art so much nearer to happiness, as reason is beyond fenfe, and yet so much farther off, as grace is beyond nature; if the happy life of heavenly meditation, thou art so far above vanity, as heaven is above earth, as immortality above nature, as glory: above corruption. O how fweet are thofe thoughts which lead me to eternity, which raife my foul above the reach of human mifery, that can fupport me under all the |