like Children in their very Birth, yet they are liable to fo many accidents, that they quickly wither and decay, and all their Guft is gone: The pain in one Tooth, the Cramp in one Joynt, the Gout in one Toe, the Megrim in the Head, the Collick in the Guts, the Feaver in the Blood, the Sciatica in the Thigh, the Fistula or Hemorrhoids in the nether parts, or any one of these, takes away the relish of our Pleasures, and imbitters all the Voluptuous Perfons Enjoyments; turning his Singing into Sighing, his Mufick into Mourning, and his Riot into Rage. And who wou'd mourn the lofs of things fo Subject to a Thousand Accidents, which have fo little real Good in the Enjoyment?

A

The Soul's Expoftulation.

ND now, O my Soul, confider with thy felf, how vain and how pernicious the Pleafures of the World are! For tho' Mankind do generally give up themselves to the Purfuit thereof, yet. D 2 how

how full of Pain do they find thefe Pleafures! Confider, O my Soul, that fenfual Pleasures are the Pleafures of Beafts which relish them with more delight than Men, and use 'em according to the Di&tates of Nature, and for the Satisfying of their Wants; and that with more Moderation; for they only drink for the quenching of their Thirst, and Eat for the fatisfying of their Hunger: Whilft Men, endow'd with Reafon,and born to a higher End, even to Glorifie and Enjoy their Maker, do immerse themselves in the filthy Puddles of Drunkennefs and Gluttony, and other bafe Carnal Delights, and thereby degenerate below the Beafts that Perish. Raise up thy Affections therefore, O my Soul, and place them upon Things above; there are Pleasures and Delights that are worthy of thee, even fuch as are adequate to thy Wants, and capable of Satisfying the Defires of an Immortal Soul. And tho' thy outward Circumftances and late Loffes, have render'd thee uncapable of Pursuing the Pleafures of this World, thou art thereby the

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more fitted to afpire to thofe Pleasures that the World cann't take from thee, and which alone are Worth the Enjoying: If thou hearkenest to the Enchanting Syrens of Worldly Pleasure, they do but intice thee with their Pleasant Songs (as they would have doue Vlyffes) till they bring thee to caft thy felf into the Sea of Deftruction, and over-whelm'd thee with Eternal Ruine. But if, O my Soul, thou waiteft at the Gates of Wisdom, and hearkeneft to her Voice, thou foon fhalt find, not only that her Ways are Ways of Pleafantnefs, but also, that all her Paths are Peace.

M

A PRAYER.

OST Gracious and Merciful Father, who art the God of all Confolation and Comfort, in whofe Prefence there is fullness of foy, and at whose right hand there are Pleasures for evermore; be pleafed to look down in mercy upon me a wretched and miferable Sinner, who have been fo long Seeking that Pleasure and Satisfaction in the D3 Creature,

Creature, which is alone to be found in thy Self; and grant that my Mind and Affections being taken off from all Carnal Delights, and fix'd upon thy Self, I may henceforth lay afide every weight, and the Sin that doth fo eafily befet me, and may run with Patience the Race that thou haft set before me. And fince I find in thy Word, that that it is the Character of fome in the laft Day, That they shall be Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God; make me, I humbly beseech thee, in the Number of thofe that have rather chofe to fuffer affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a feafon: Like Mofes efteeming the Reproaches of Chrift, to be far more Eligible than the Pleasures of Egypt. Grant this, O Lord, for Jefus Chrift his fake, thy Beloved Son, and my alone Saviour; who has further taught me to Pray, faying, Our Father, &c.

Medi

Meditation IV.

Of the Nature and Causes of Afflictions.

N

Otwithstanding what has been faid in the three former Meditations of the Uncertainty and Emptiness of Honours, Riches, and Pleasures, and what little Caufe we have to be troubled at the lofs of them; yet fince the best of Men are apt to look upon the lofs of those things as Afflictions; and are more forward to bemoan themselves under them, than to Enquire into their Causes; and fince the finding out of their Causes, is the best way to remove their Effects; I will now Enquire into the Nature and Causes of Afflictions, and therein what were the Sins that procvr'd thofe Ca lamities under which our Royal Master and his Family has so long fuffer'd.

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AFFLICTIONS are always Evils in themselves, and in their own Nature; tho' through the Over-ruling Providence