So

-as this hour is the evening to this day, fo this day (for ought I know) may be the evening to my whole life; I cannot challenge to myself one minute more, how vain am I to promise days and years! Lord, in the whole current of thy facred ftory, I find but only one, that durft prefume upon so large a reckoning, and him thou brandest with the name of fool: let his folly Lord, be my instruction; so fhall I account each day my last, and neither care to live, nor fear to die.

How many have been fnatched out of this life, how fuddenly, and to man's eye how fearfully? how unspeakable is thy mercy unto me, to fpare me from repentance? how often and how earnestly hast thou invited me to mercy? how coldly, and how carelessly have I refufed these thy gracious offers ? ftill I fin, and ftill thou forgiveft, and (which is the height of my impiety) I therefore am more and more evil against thee, because thou art more and more gracious unto me; and it were now most just with thee, even this very moment, to put a period. to my finful life.

Lord, let this teach me to improve the short remnant of my days to thy service, and that I may endeavour fo to do, I will prefcribe myfelf thefe following rules:

Each evening fhall take a true account of that day's

traffic for my foul, and where I find myself a lofer,

I will labour for fupply. When I awake, my firft thoughts fhall begin with thee, from whom I have my firft being: nothing will more truly represent me to myfelf, than the first view of mine affections; if my first thoughts be feafoned with grace, my follow ing actions will favour of goodness. My care fhall be more to drefs my foul, than to trim my body; I will think no pains too great, no ornaments too rich to make her beautiful. One devout figh from a contrite heart, is of more worth (in thy fight) than an hour's task of lip-devotion. My affections are the foul of my words, without which, I fpeak only, but pray not: when my prayers are cold, my hopes may well be comfortless. My fet hours for devotion fhall be conftant; no pretence of nature fhall. debar me of this happiness: the lover's eyes are often glancing on the pleasing object that delights him; if affections be fincere, my looks will be amorous; I fhall often steal a fweet ejaculation to fatisfy the longing of my love-fick foul. When I can thus bring the day to an end, my life will be comfortable, my death happy, and I may then say with holy Da vid, that I may lay me down in peace, and take my reft; for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in fafety.

my

Bleffed Lord, in the morning of my creation thou gaveft me unto myfelf; in the evening of my re demption thou gavest thyself unto me: my creation was wonderful, my redemption aftonishing. As this

Gal.

rve in the Gross of But God forbid that

day's light is obfcured for the rest of my body, fo wert thou the blessed and eternal light for the rest of my foul. Thou, O bleffed Saviour, art my light to direct me, my heat to comfort me, my fweet and fafe repose eternally to refresh me.

Gracious God, & Savions.

WITH humble and dejected heart I ask forgivenefs of the many failings of my finful life paft, recal my finful thoughts to my remembrance: Lord, as the burthen of them is intolerable, fo let my grief for them be unutterable.

Lord, open mine eyes, that I may fee the foulnefs, and the filthinefs of fin, and apprehend the greatness of thy wrath against it.

Forgive thofe actual fins which this day's light hath witnessed; Lord, give me a godly forrow for them, a perfect hatred against them, a fixed and a conftant refolution to forsake them.

Lord, cleanse me from my fecret and unknown fins, and keep me, for thy mercy fake, that daring and presumptuous fins may never have dominion

over me.

Make me a careful Steward of that precious time which thou haft given me; withdraw my affections from the vain pleasures of this finful life, and grant that all the days of my appointed time, I may wait readily and chearfully until my change fhall come..

CHAP. V.

UPON OUR APPROACHING UNTO GOD'S HOUSE.

LORD,

THERE is no mortal man worthy to stand at thy door, much lefs to appear in thy prefence; and yet, how often have I prefumed to approach unto thee, without that preparedness of heart, without that dejection of foul, without that true and holy reverence that becometh thy child.

I am now going out of Egypt, into Canaan, out of bondage into freedom: the finful troubles of this life, are my foul's tafk-mafters, to load it with a burthen insupportable, and this is that place of facrifice, that mount of God, to ease and solace it.

Confider therefore, O my foul, in what relation thou now ftandest to thy God. If thou art a true Ifraelite, thou wilt look back upon thy drudgery, and despise it, and offer up thyfelf a living facrifice with cheerfulness, with thankfulness of heart. If thou art God's child, thou wilt love to be in God's house; long for God's prefence, thirst for his favor, delight in his word, and rejoice to be often at his table. Thou wilt make it thy chiefeft joy to be often in that place, from whence thou mayft expect thy chiefeft good.

Lord, (by thy grace affifting) I will now uncloath myself of all earthly affections, I will call to mind unto whose prefence I approach, and wherefore; that I am going from this church militant, to that triumphant; that thou, Lord, art as truly prefent here in grace, as there in glory (unless therefore I am in love with mifery) I will leave behind me all earthly mindednefs, and carry with me a pure heart, and heavenly thoughts, a lowly mind, and reverend gesture. Lord, if I go not cheerfully to thy throne of grace, I may well fear I fhall never go joyfully to that of glory.

The lowest room in thy houfe fhall content me, divine worship admitteth not of desparity of perfons; we are all finners, and (as we are in nature) most impure in thy fight, the worst room in thy house is too good even for the best of us, yet decency of place may be taken with modefty, if not 'fought with emulation.

During the time of this holy difpenfation, I will call my thoughts unto a strict attendance, and make it part of my precedent prayer, that I may. Satan is ever moft buf, when our intentions are most holy; which when he cannot deliver, he labours to corrupt, and by this means when I defire to grow better, I become worse. How careful ought I to be to avoid his cunning, who can conzen me in my best actions?