.

' *as this hour is the evening to this day, so 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 story, I find but only one, that durst presume upon so large a reckoning, and him thou brandest with the name of fool: let his folly Lord, be my instruction; so shall I açcount each day my last, and neither case to live, nor fear to die.

How many have been snatched out of this life,
how suddenly, and to man's eye how. 'fearfully?
how unspeakable is thy mercy unto me, to spare me
from repentance ? how often and how earnestly hast
thou invited me to mercy ? how coldly, and how
carelessly have I refused these thy gracious offers ?
fill I sin, and still thou forgivest, 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 sinful life. .

Lord, let this teach me to improve the short rem-
nant of my days to thy service, and that I may en-
deavour so to do, I will prescribe myself these fol-
lowing rules :
• Each evening fhall take a true account of that day's
traffic for my soul, and where I find myself a loser,

I will labour for fupply. When I awake, my first
thoughts shall begin with thee, from whom I have
my first being : nothing will more truly represent me a
to myself, than the first view of mine affections; if a
my first thoughts be seasoned with grace, mý follow-n v
ing actions will favour of goodness. My care shall
be more to dress my soul, than to trim my body; I
will think no pains too great, no ornaments too richt
to make her beautiful. One devout figh from a con-
trite heart, is of more worth (in thy fight) than an
hour's talk 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 set hours for devo-
tion shall be constant ; no pretence of nature shall.
debár me of this happiness: the lover's eyes are often
glancing on the pleasing object that delights him ; if
my affections be fincere, my looks will be amorous;
I shall often steal a fweet ejaculation to satisfy the
longing of my love-lick soul. When I can thus
bring the day to an end, my life will be comfortable,
my death happy, and I may then fay with holy Dan
vid, that I may lay me down in peace, and take my mi
rest; for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell
in safety.

Blessed Lord, in the morning of my creation thou gavest me unto myself; in the evening of my rea demption thou gavest thyself unto me: my creation was wonderful, my redemption astonishing. As this

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day's light is obscured for the rest of my body, so wert thou the blessed and eternal light for the rest of my soul. Thou, O blessed Saviour, art my light to direct me, my heat to comfort me, my sweet and safe repose eternally to refresh me. Gracious God, & Carzoner

WITH humble and dejected heart I ask forgiveness of the many failings of my sinful life past, recal my sinful thoughts to my remembrance: Lord, as the burthen of them is intolerable, so let my grief for them be unutterable.

Lord, open mine eyes, that I may see the foulness, and the filthiness of fin, and apprehend the "greatness of thy wrath against it.

Forgive those actual fins which this day's light hath witnessed; Lord, give me a godly sorrow for them, a perfect hatred against them, a fixed and a constant resolution to forsake them.'

Lord, cleanse me from my secret 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 hast given me ; withdraw my affections from the vain pleasures of this sinful life, and grant that all the days of my appointed time, I may wait readily and chearfully until my change shall come.

CHAP. V.

UPON OUR APPROACHING UNTO GOD'S HOUSE.

LORD,

THERE is no mortal man worthy to stand at thy door, much less to appear in thy presence; and yet, how often have I presumed to approach unto thee, without that preparedness of heart, without that dejection of soul, 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 soul's task-masters, to load it with a burthen insupportable, and this is that place of facrifice, that mount of God, to ease and solace it.

Consider therefore, O my soul, in what relation thou now standeít to thy God. If thou art a true Ifraelit e, thou wilt look back upon thy drudgery, and despise it, and offer up thyself a living sacrifice 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 presence, thirst for his favor, delight in his word, and rejoice to be often at his table. Thou wilt make it thy chiefest joy to be often in that place, from whence thou mayst expect thy chiefest good.

Lord, (by thy grace assisting) I will now uncloath mylelf 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 misery) I will leave behind me all earthly mindedness, 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 shall never go joyfully to that of glory.

The lowest room in thy house shall 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 modesty, if not 'sought with emulation. .

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