Word you read; and that all the while you are reading, God is fpeaking to you; and therefore read with Attention and Humility, and endeavour, as much as you can, to fuit your Affections to the Subject you read,

For inftance, if you read any of God's Commands, they fhould excite in you a Zeal to keep them.

If you read any of God's Threatnings againft Sinners, or his Judgments on them, they fhould excite in you a Fear to provoke him. When you read any of his gracious Promifes, they fhould encourage and quicken your Obedience. When you read any of God's Mercies, they fhould excite you to Thanksgiving.

When you read any great Mystery recorded in Holy Writ, you are to proftrate your Reafon to divine Re

velation.

And to this purpose, in the midft of your reading fay,

Lord,

Lord, give me Grace to obey this Command. Or,

Lord deliver me from this Sin; or, this Judgment: Or,

Lord, I rely on this good Promife.

Or,

Glory be to thee, O Lord, for this Mercy. Or,

Lord, I believe and adore this Myftery.

Say any of thefe, according as beft agrees with the Subject you read; and when you have read as much as conveniently you can, conclude with one of thefe Ejaculations.

Ejaculations after reading..

Leffed be thou, O Lord, O

BLeffe teach me thy Statutes. Pfal.

cxix.

Lord, make thy Word a Lanthorn unto my Feet, and a Light unto any Paths.

Lord, make thy Word

and my Counsellor.

my Delight

Directions for the Day-time.

PHILOTHEUS, you cannot enough thank God for the Order of the Place you live in, where there is fo much Care taken to make you a good Chriftian, as well as a good Scholar; where you go fo frequently to Prayers every Day in the Chapel, and in the School and fing Hymns and Pfalms to God fo frequently in your Chamber, and in the Chapel, and in the Hall; fo that you are in a manner brought up in a Perpetuity of Prayer.

Be fure, Philotheus, that you are accountable to God for all thefe Opportunities he gives you of ferving him; and think how many Bleffings for your felf, and for the College you might obtain, if you prayed to, and praised God rather out of a devout Affection, than merely to comply with the Cuftom of the Place.

Prayer, good Philotheus, is the very

Life

Life of a Chriftian; and therefore we are fo frequently commanded to pray without ceafing: Not that we can be always on our Knees, but that we would accuftom our felves to frequent Thoughts of God, that wherefoever we are, he fees us. And when we think on God, we fhould have always an Ejaculation ready to offer up to him and by this means we may pray, not only feven Times a Day with David, but all the Day long, Pf.cxix.

In your reading Holy Scripture, efpecially in the Pfalms, you may eafily gather thofe fhort Sentences which moft affect you, for they are moft proper for this Ufe; and when you have learn'd them without Book, fay one of them now and then, as they occur to your Mind, or Occafion requires, or as your Devotion prompts you.

But be not troubled, if being otherwife lawfully employ'd, or if being indifpos'd, you pass a whole Day without faying any; for to omit them is no Sin: Nor be you fcrupuB 3

Lous

lous in what Pofture you fay them; for they being fhort Breathings of the Soul to God, require not that Solemnity, as fet Prayers do.

Now to give you fome Inftances of Ejaculatory Prayer, take these following:

At going out.

ORD, blefs my Going-out, and my Coming-in, from this Time forth for evermore, Pf. cxxi. 8,

L

After a Sin committed.

ORD, be merciful to me, miferable Sinner; and for the Merits of my Saviour, lay not this Sin to my Charge.

After any Bleffing, or Deliverance. Lory be to Thee, O Lord, for this Bleffing, or, this Delive

G1

rance.

Praife the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, praise his Holy Name, Pfal. ciii. 1.

At