On Infant Heads behold his Bounty flows,
Preferv'd from Guilt, and fure attending Woes:
Their Manners form'd aright with early Care,
Ere blafted yet their Bloom with tainted Air.
'Tis This muft ftop th' Infection of our Crimes,
And firm Foundation lay for brighter Times ;
For This, to GOD are folemn Praises giv❜n,
And Crowds of Orphans fend their Songs to Heav'n;
O Glorious Alms! O Goodness beft defign'd!
To feed the Body and to fave the Mind.

Our SAVIOUR, Gracious, gave his Hearers Bread,
His Sermons teaching whom his Wonders fed.

How far diffus'd his Charity difcreet!
How vaft th' Advantage to be Good and Great!
How Godlike may the Rich the Bleffings show'r,
Whene'er their Will is equal to their Pow'r!
How wide their Pow'r to benefit Mankind;
"Who Mercy fhew, only fhall Mercy find."
What various Good the Theme of NELSON's Thought,
Who living practis'd what the dying taught!
What Heat divine his latest Counsel breathes!
He leaves his Art, as he his Soul bequeaths.
Let this, ye Mighty, your Ambition be,
'T' improve his friendly, noble Legacy.
The Benefactor-Saint is now no more:

Be griev'd, ye Virtuous; and lament, ye Poor!
Since not 'till we another NELSON find,
His lofs will be repair'd to all Mankind.

LET Friendship's facred Name at least excufe

This laft Effort of a retiring Muse.
For NELSON oft fhe ftrung her humble Lyre,
And to this Tomb may decently expire.

S. N.

THE

NATURE AND WISDOM

OF'

TRUE DEVOTION.

THE INTRODUCTION.

Treating of Devotion in General.

THERE are too many, God knows, in all Communions, who place all their Devotion in the Means of Religion; provided they pray cuftomarily, hear many Sermons, and fometimes receive the Holy Communion, they conclude the Man of God made perfect; they think nothing more neceffary to eutitle them to the Favour of the Almighty; or if they are fenfible they fall fhort of their Duty in other Particulars, yet they flatter B them

themselves, that their exactnefs in the external Parts of Religion will make Amends for all fuca Defects. Whereas, in Truth, the Design of all thofe Means of Grace God has established in Chriftianity, was to conduct us to folid and fubftantial Piety, to plant in our Minds the Love and Fear of God's holy Name, and an utter Abhorrence of every Thing that is Evil; to make us juft and upright in all our Dealings with our Neighbour, temperate in all our Enjoyments, charitable towards the Needy and Afflicted, and zealous for the Salvation of our Brethren; and farther fo to fpiritualize our Affections, that they might be raised above the trifling Concerns of this perifhing Life, and fixed upon a Good that is everlasting and immutable. So that if we do not use them to this End and Purpose, they will no Ways be acceptable in God's Sight, but rather provoke his Wrath and Indignation against us, and increase our Condemnation, in that we pervert the very Means of our Recovery.

To Pray frequently, to Read and Hear the holy Word of GOD, to Receive the bleffed Sacrament, to Faft, to Examine ourselves, to Meditate upon divine Subjects, are all holy and Chriftian Actions, what God requires from us; and therefore, without Doubt, the Performance of them, as they are fit to promote our Salvation, fo they tend to his Honour and Glory: But yet, if this were the

only

only Path that leadeth to eternal Life, there would not be fo few that find it. God expects that we should become New Creatures; that the prevailing Temper and Bent of our Souls fhould be, to bring forth all the Fruits of Righteousness; that we should facrifice to him our darling Paffions and Inclinations, and whatsoever oppofeth his divine Will. The Victim we fhould offer, fhould be the Idol of our Heart, that which corrupt Nature moft inclines us to, that which bad Custom confirms and nourishes in us. The Covetous are easily prevailed upon to renounce that Luxury of Life, that is maintained by the Extravagance of Expences. And Vanity may perfuade others to relieve the Neceffities of the Poor, from that public Applause that is paid to Charity: but ftill thefe Sacrifices are very imperfect, because the darling Paffion is ftill retained. In thefe Cafes, the vain Man muft become Modest and Humble, and glory only in the Lord; and the covetous Man must abound in Alms-deeds, and fix his Mind upon durable Riches: The Choleric and Revengeful, may prefervé themfelves from the ill Effects of the tender Paffions; and the Soft and Effeminate may find no great Difficulty to fupprefs their Refentments: But if the Revengeful could be perfuaded to turn his Anger against himself, and the Man of Pleasure to place his Delight in God, both might be numbered amongst the truly devout.

B 2

There

Therefore, we must use the Means of Grace, in order to overcome the irregular Motions of our own Hearts; in order to give up that to God, which Nature would referve for herself: This is the fhortest and fureft Way.

And as we must ufe the Means of Religion, in order to the afore-mentioned End and Purpofe, fo we must not be partial in the Ufe of thofe Means, pick out fome, and leave out others. For we must look upon ourselves in the Hands of God, as fick Men in the Hands of an able Phyfician, who requires an exact Compliance with all his Prefcriptions; that fome Medicines fhould be taken at one Time, fome at another, and that none be omitted; the Patient's Recovery depending not fo much upon one Medicine, as upon the punctual Ufe of all he has directed: For want of this Observation, I am afraid, many fall short in working out their Salvation; for God, who knows our Frame, and remembers that we are but Duft, has fuited the Means of our Recovery to the complicated Maladies of our Souls; fo that if we neglect any of them, we may juftly fear being disappointed in attaining folid and fubftantial Piety, which is the true Health of our Minds.

Thus fome lay the great Strefs upon hearing of Sermons, as if the Knowledge of their Duty were the one Thing neceffary. Others are fo entirely devoted to the Prayers of the Church, that they have but a mean Opinion

of