all of them and innumerable more of God's faints, were true Benonies, fons of forrow and affliction.

Lord, with how much fervor, and alacrity of foul, did these thy bleffed ones pursue thy heavenly joys? what fharp combats had they to overcome themfelves? And if fuch chofen and felect veffels as thefe, have had fuch great ftrivings, fuch powerful conflicts with their finful bodies, what will become of me? that have obeyed fin in the lufts thereof, that can find no pleasure but in folly, no laughter but in madnefs..

Confider therefore, O my foul, whilst thou haft yet time, that there is no truer character of a gracelefs heart, than prophane mirth; thou art too ready to believe, that God is merciful, that all thy fins may be forgiven thee in a moment; that the good thief was faved at the laft hour, and that therefore thou mayft ftill go on in wickedness. God indeed is always ready to fhew mercy, but it is only unto thofe that are ready to ready to repent: and how knoweft thou whether God will accept thee in that hour? Whether he may not, whether he will not, then withdraw his faving grace from that finful foul, which hath fo long withdrawn itself from his fervice: this is that which thy bleffed Saviour 'telleth thee, "Not every one which crieth, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that

doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven," Matt. 7. 21.

And left perhaps that one example of the dying penitent may flatter thee, confider of the time, the place, the manner of his ftrange converfion: "This was affuredly (faith St.. Augustine) to manifeft the power and Godhead of a dying Saviour, and that upon rare confeffion of an Infidel, and that at such a time, when all the world forfook him, and even his own difciples either doubted, or denied his Godhead."

Alas, how little comfort canft thou now reap from this example? how fhould it rather affright thee, to fee but one foul amongst so many millions, to obtain mercy at the last hour, and that upon fuch. weighty circumftances? on what a weak foundation doft thou build thy hopes of happiness? how cafily. will that devouring ftorm of thine accufing conscience ruin it? and then how great the fall will be, the fearful horror of thy loft eftate will woefully exprefs.

Lord, let this teach me to redeem thofe precious hours which I have loft: O let each wanton thought, each idle word, be monitors to tell me how my.au dit ftands with heaven, I can speak nothing, I can do nothing, which I can recal; each circumftance af fin is charged in mine account, and muft be

reckoned for: how careful fhould this make me of the expense of that time that is recorded for eternity. Thou, O Lord, art holinefs itself, thy faints and angels are holy, and thy children must be holy; nothing but holiness can inherit heaven, no unclean pleasure, no impure joy fhall enter there; how can I ever hope to be an inhabitant of that holy city, whose heavenly language I cannot speak?

And now, Lord, seeing these things are thus, by thine affifting grace, I seriously refolve to allow myfelf no pleasure in this life, but what is fanctified with moderation; because I clearly fee these outward pleasures to be only so far useful unto me, as by them I am made more ferviceable unto thee: moderate my honeft repaft, fet an edge upon my foul, and make it more earnest, more active in devotion, when I take up pleafure as a trade, I become a traitor to my body, a tyrant to

my foul.

Lord, I am now heartily in love with heaven, and grudge at that hour's liberty in outward merriment, that maketh not the next more eager of mine inward comfort: there is no fweetness but in.. goodness, and there is no goodness in that mirthwhich is not fubordinate to this fweetness: christian liberty may be easily mistaken, and become licentious wickedness, there is often-times moft danger in thofe things which feem moft neceffary, if not ufed with moderation,

And now Lord, having ferioufly confidered what time is, and wherefore, I admire the folly, and lament the mifery of all thofe whofe only aim is to mispend it: my days are few, and full of evil, O let my greatest care be to husband my time well; I have much business, and great, to dispatch, and I know not whether this day's light may be my laft; mine eternity of joy or forrow, hath its dependance on this short moment: if I think upon it feriously, I fhall grudge to spend one minute vainly: Lord, there is no diftinction of time with thee; one day with thee, is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day; O let me feriously confider, that with me there is, that I must work while it is called to day, that mine hours are swift and fhort, that the night of death cometh, when I cannot work; that the end of all things cometh, when time shall be no more: By thy grace therefore I will piously devote the remnant of my life to holy duties, so fhall mine age of fin be nothing in thy fight; and one day well spent (in thy rememberance) is as a thoufand years.

Blessed Lord,

WILT thou accept of such a finful creature as I am to appear before thee, to approach unto thee, to fue to thee for mercy? How bold am I to look up. unto thee with these adulterous eyes, that have fo long been gazing on thefe earthly joys? how much

prefuming on thy mercy, to implore thee with that tongue, that hath so much provoked thy displeafure? how impudent to offer that disloyal heart unto thee, that hath fo faft been wedded to this finful world?

Lord, when mine own wretchedness had brought thy gracious vifitation on me, when thy hand preffed me fore, when thine arrows stuck fast in me, and the venom of them drank up my spirits; when my heart was in heavinefs, and my foul in bitterness, when my life was drawing near unto the grave, when mine own confcience pleaded powerfully against me, and the terrors of a fecond death were ready to devour me; I then earneftly implored thee for mercy, thou freely forgaveft me; I thenbegged my life of thee, that I might thankfully devote the remnant of my life unto thee.

Ah Lord, how wretchedly hath mine own heart deceived me; what serious vows, and faithful promifes did I then make unto thee? and yet, how carelessly, how foolishly am I departed from thee; how vainly have I trifled out that precious time which thou haft given me ? how juftly mayeft thou now deprive me of this wretched life, by which I. have fo much difhonored thee..

And now, Lord, when I have even wearied out myfelf in wickednefs, when my foul is overcharged