heareth. In the second Place, having thoroughly understood your Duty, and the Manner of performing it; that upon fuch an Occafion Patience ought to be exercised; that we ought not to fix our Eyes upon fuch an Object; and that we ought always to pray with Reverence and Attention, &c. Upon fuch Convictions, we ought immediately to refolve to practife what appears to us moft acceptable to God: And then, in the third Place, we muft, without Delay, put in Execution what we have resolved. O! how important is this Advice! Do not reft in the bare Knowledge of your Duty; do not fatisfy yourself with fome faint Refolutions of practifing it; but without lofing any farther Time, perform what you have promised, and practife what you have refolved.

If it is an Opportunity of doing any Good, this Opportunity will quickly pass through your Hands; and if you do not take Care you will let it flip, and be apt to fay, as many other negligent Christians do, I will do this Good upon another Occafion. But alas! we ought not after this Manner to abuse the Grace of God, and to fquander away those Opportunities He gives us for our Improvement. The Proverb fays, IVe must strike the Iron while it is hot, and take Time by the Forclock.

You are very well acquainted with your Duty in this Particular, and you are engaged

to

to perform it; why then, alas! do you defer it? This Opportunity will never come again, and Time flides away; your good Inclinations may decrease, and your Zeal may abate; nay, the Grace of God may be withdrawn, if you do not make a prefent Use of it.

If the Occafion relates to any Sin, it is ftill more dangerous, after knowing it, and refolving to avoid it, to ftand still and do nothing. In fuch Circumftances let no Time be loft; you have, it may be, entered upon a Difcourfe that reflects upon your Neighbour; break it off immediately. You have refolved not to look upon fuch an Object, do not amuse yourself in thinking of it, and difpute no longer with yourself, whether you fhall look upon it or no. And in the fame Manner put in Execution the other Refolves. you have made. The longer you defer in fuch Cafes, the greater Danger and Hazard you run For the Refolution being not at firft put in Practice, by Degrees the Strength of it declines; the Charms of the Object appear more tempting, the Pleafure of it begins to creep into your Heart; fo that the Temptation grows ftronger, your Appetites rebel, and your Purpofes ftagger, and you are furprifed to find yourfelf in fo little Time upon the Brink of Ruin. Now whence does all this proceed? Why purely from deferring to practife your good Refolutions, from delay

ing immediately to refift the Temptation that attacks you.

III. Religious Meditation. It is found true in Experience, that they who apply themselves to this Method are moft zealous and fervent in the Difcharge of their Duty, most faithful to God in the Day of Trial and Temptation, and moft ready to embrace all Opportunities of doing Good. Now whence does this proceed? The Truth is, their Minds being fo frequently employed in meditating upon divine Subjects, in confidering the Importance of everlafting Salvation, the Advantages of Chriftian Perfection, the Folly of Sin, and the Wisdom of being Religious; thefe Thoughts, which they have entertained themselves with, eafily return into their Minds; and they find their Hearts more warmed with the fame Fervours they experimented during their Exercifes of Devotion. They then call to Mind thofe great Truths which formerly have made fo deep an Impreffion in their Souls, which ferve them as a Bridle to reftrain them from Evil, and as Motives to animate them to every Thing that is Good, and as a fovereign Prefervative against all the Attacks of their fpiritual Enemies; which ought to make you fenfible of the great Advantage of religious Meditation, in order to make you zealous in the Service of God, and to keep your Minds firmly bent to please Him to the utmoft of your Power.

H

Farther;

Farther; If you would keep a lively Senfe of God upon your Minds, frequent the Prayers of the Church, and never neglect the Performance of them upon all Occafions in your Family; accuftom yourfelf to divine Ejaculations, or Breathings towards Heaven. All these Inftances of Devotion are fo many Helps to keep the holy Flame bright in your Minds, which otherwife might decay, and by Degrees go out: For you may aflure yourfelf, that it is very difficult, amidft that Variety of Business and Diverfion which happens during the Day, to preferve that Fervour and Zeal which our Morning Meditations kindle in our Souls. Some forbidden Pleasure will be apt to steal into our Hearts; a Fit of Anger, or any other Paffion, it is poffible, may ruffle us; and the Variety of Objects may diffipate and diftract our Minds, and impair the Vigour of those Resolutions we made in the Morning. We must therefore feed this Flame, and fortify it against thofe Storms of the World it is always expofed to; which cannot be better effected, than by embracing all Opportunities of Converfing with God by Prayer.

It is with this Profpect we fhould enter into the Courts of the Lord; and our Prayers fhould partake of the Nature of Fire, which fhould warm and kindle Devotion in our Minds, and make us willing and zealous to ferve God to the utmost of our Power. And

then,

then, when we go out of God's Prefence, it will be with lower Thoughts of all the Enjoyments of this Life, and with a greater Relish of Piety and Holinefs, and with more eager Defires of being made fuch as he may love and approve of. We fhall then find our Courage and Refolution increase, and defire nothing more than to be made perfect in Love."

IV. Make frequent Acts of Mortification, of Patience, of Humility, or of any other Virtue. It is poffible that you may not be aware how this Direction can tend to the preferving that Fervour of Mind which is recommended; but let me advise you only to practise it, and then Experience will thoroughly convince you of the Truth of it. The great Advantage of it is, that by thus correfponding to the Grace of God, you engage Him to increase his Favours towards you, whereby you will become still more difpofed to obey Him in every Thing. Befides, thefe Acts of Virtue, frequently repeated from Time to Time, quicken and awaken our benumbed Minds, and animate them with freth Vigour and Strength. The Pains you take in practifing thefe Virtues, and the Victory you get over yourfelf upon thefe Occafions, put you in Mind of that good God, whofe Grace has enabled you; and one Victory gives you new Courage to undertake another, and thereby proceeds Matter for frefh Triumph.