III. Set apart fome Day peculiarly for fpiritual Exercifes. If we obferve Friday, the Weekly Faft of the Church, no Day can be more proper to enlarge our Devotions upon than that; because the Memory of our Sa viour's Crucifixion fupplies us with many Arguments to make us ferious and devout: At fuch Times it will be very fit to examine the Actions of the Week past, and to compare them with the Rule of our Duty; that where we find we have tranfgreffed, we may repair those Breaches by Repentance, and beg God's Grace to preferve us for the future. Moft ferious Chriftians fet fome Time apart for Prayer before their Approach to the holy Sacrament; which has this Advantage, that it ftrengthens their Refolutions, and inflames their Affections, and raises their Minds above the trifling Concerns of Life: It is very proper thus to trim our Lamp, when we go to meet the Beloved of our Souls. But still we muft not impofe any Method of that Kind fo -neceffarily upon ourselves, as to neglect any Opportunity of Communicating when we are prevented in going through with it. Times of Affliction are beft fpent in our Clofets; it is the Apoftle's Rule, that if any be afflicted, let him Pray: Such fervent Intercourfes with God, will procure us that Comfort which the World cannot give: When any violent Temptation continues to perfecute us, how can we fo effectually find Strength to refift it, as by praying

praying earneftly to God that it may not prevail againft us? This Advice of fetting apart fometimes a Day for Devotion, cannot be obferved equally by all: Thofe that have the Command of Time cannot better employ it: Thofe that are confined to Shops and Trades, muft make themfelves amends by frequent Ejaculations in the Midft of their Butinets, and by being conftant to their Morning and Evening Devotions in their Clofets, and in their Families.

Our

IV. Attention and Fercour. Thoughts must be fo intent upon our Prayers, as to engage our Hearts, as well as our Lips, in God's Service: We muft afk with fo much Importunity and Fervour of Affection, as to fhew we are defirous of the Bleffings we beg, and that we value and efteem what we ask for. You must avoid, as much as poffible, all wandering Thoughts, and recall your Mind as foon as you find it run aftray; never be dif couraged if you cannot entirely overcome them; but ftill thrive against them, and bewail your own Weaknefs, and this in Time will make you more compofed: We muft never willingly entertain them, nor indulge ourfelves in thinking upon other Objects without Reftraint; we must keep our Paffions, as much as we can, under Government, that none of them may prevail fo far as to diftraft us; and, above all, you must fix in your Minds an awful Senfe of God's Prefence,

which will compofe your tumultuous Affections, ftir up your flat and cold Defires, and engage all the Powers and Faculties of your Souls in his Service.

V. Refpect and Reverence. The modeft Behaviour and Deportment of the Body, contributes very much to the Defire and Attention of the Mind. The Greatnefs and Majefty of God, to whom you fpeak, and the Quality of a Supplicant, which belongs to you when you pray, ought to infpire you with great Reverence and profound Respect, and ought to oblige you to make use of fuch an humble Pofture, as may be proper not only to excite Devotion in ourfelves, but to have the fame Influence on those that behold you. And if you pray upon your Knees, with your Eyes fixed down, and your Hands joined together, it is much more likely to have this Effect, than if you ftand up, and give yourfelf the Liberty of gazing about; which does but diftract and diftipate your own Mind, and difpofe your Neighbour to the fame Careleffncfs and Negligence

Whenever your Prayers are vocal, never pronounce your Words with Hafie and Precipitation: What Reafon is there you fhould be in fuch Hafte? Are you tired with the great Honour you have of addreffing yourfelf to God, and therefore endeavour to get out of his Prefence as foon as you can? Or do you run over your Prayers in fuck a Hurry,

Hurry, that you may the fooner have Leifure for your worldly Employment? Alas! Can any Employment be of greater Importance to us than our Addreffes to God? And hould any Thing animate us, and revive us more, than the Liberty of approaching the Throne of Grace? Befides, when we fpeak fo faft in our Prayers, and hurry ourselves after that Rate, we cannot have Leisure to think of what we fay: This makes our Devotion look more like a Taík, which we are obliged to go over, than a Piece of Worship to God, in which we should be always ferious and compofed. It is no Wonder that we return from fuch Prayers with as little Relish of Piety and Devotion, as when we firft fet about them; because neither our Hearts no our Heads are much affected by them.

VI. Union with God. It is this Union of Thought and Affection with God, that the devout Chriftian ought to afpire after. You ought to be fo difengaged from the Love of the Creatures, that the great Bent and Inclination of your Soul may be towards God. If you make any Progrefs in this Union, it will certainly have this Effect; it will make you think lefs of the Creatures, that you may have more Leisure to fix your Thoughts on God; the happy or unhappy Accidents of Life will have but little Influence upon you, because you put your whole Truft and Confidence in God, and make Him the

Center

Center of your Happiness. The Hours of Prayer will become pleafant and delightful, * because your chief Satisfaction will confift in Communion with God. Your mind will be then more intent upon God in your Prayers, and in your Actions; and during the Business of the Day, you will find your Soul attracted to Him, and inflamed with divine Love: In fhort, you will have a particular Joy and Pleasure, whenever any Occasion offers itself of doing or fuffering any Thing for the Sake of Him to whom you have given your Heart, and with whom you defire to be moft intimately united. You muft unavoidably be fenfible of the Happiness of fuch a State and Condition, which ought to excite you carneftly to contend for it: I fhall content myself at prefent to hint at thofe Things which tend to hinder this happy Union, that you may lay them afide, and get rid of them.

1. Too great an Engagement in worldly Affairs, and being overwhelmed by a Multitude of Employments.

2. Too great a Paffion and Concern for any Thing whatfoever; an Object that we love or hate extremely, will frequently prefent itself to us, and interrupt our Attention.

S. Too great an exerting ourfelves in reference to outward Things, over-much speaking, too great Curiosity in seeing and hearing every Thing that paffes.

4. Want