unworthy by reafon of our Sins to prefent ourfelves before him; and that we are incapable, without his Affiftance, to think any thing that is good; and therefore adoring his infinite Majesty with profound 'Reverence, we fhould humbly beg his Aid and Help, fo to enlighten our Understandings, and to influence our Wills, that the prefent Action may tend to his Glory, and the Good of our own Souls.

Q. How is the Understanding exercised in Meditation?

A. In fetting the Subject of our Meditation in fuch a Light, as may excite the Will and Affections to pursue and embrace it. If it concerns our Saviour's Life or Death, it confiders the Dignity of his Perfon; upon whofe Account the Action was performed; the End for which it was done; the Place and Circumstances; the .Fruits and Effects of it. If the Subject relates to any Virtue of a Chriftian Life, it confiders the Nature of the Duty, and wherein it confists; who are properly the Objects of it; the Obligations there are from Reafon and Revelation to practise it; the Temptations that chiefly feduce from it, and thofe particular Inftances whereby the Virtue may be exercifed; and the great Advantages that accrue to us, both in this Life and the next, by the diligent Performance of it.

Q. How are the Will and Affections exercised in this Duty?

A. In chufing and pursuing what by the Underftanding is reprefented as good and advantageous to us; and in funning and avoiding what is represented as evil and deftructive to our Happinefs. In order hereunto, firm Purposes are formed of governing our Lives with fuch a Profpect

for

for the time to come; the use of the best Means is refolved upon, and we determine when, and upon what occafions we will put fuch Virtue in Practice, or imitate fuch an Action; in what Places and in what Company we will stand upon our Guard, left we be furprised by such a Vice. From hence we procced to exercise ourselves in holy Affections; as in Love and Defire of what is good; in Hatred and Deteftation of what is evil; in Sorrow, Shame, and Self-abhorrence for having tranfgreffed in any Particular; in Praise and Thanksgiving, for having been enabled in any tolerable Measure to have done our Duty; in Adoration and Imitation, in Faith, in Hope and Charity, and in Refignation of ourselves to God.

Q. What are the blessed Fruits of holy Medita

tion?

A. It hath an univerfal Influence upon the whole Life of a Christian, and is an admirable Inftrument to quicken our Progress in all the Graces of God's holy Spirit. It illuminates our Understandings with the Knowledge of our Duty, and ftores our Memories with all fuch Arguments as are proper to excite us to the Performance of it. The Voice of Confcience is by this means attended to, and we can never make any confiderable Breaches upon it, without being alarmed with fevere Reproaches. It wings our Prayers with Reverence and Devotion, and increases our Importunity by impreffing a lively Senfe of the Neceffity and Importance of thofe Things we beg of God. It habituates our Minds to fpiritual Objects, and raises them above the perithing Things of this Life. It strengthens our holy Purposes, arms us against Temptations, Gg 2

and

For For

and inflames all the Faculties of our Souls with earneft Defires of attaining and enjoying our chiefeft Good.

Q. How ought we to conclude our Meditation? A. By begging God to affect our Minds with a conftant Senfe of our Duty in all the Particulars of it; chiefly that he would enable us to perform thofe Refolutions we have made of advancing in Piety and Virtue; that he would not leave us to ourselves, but fo affift us with his Grace, that what we perceive and know to be our Duty, we may faithfully fulfil all the Days of our Life.

The PRAYERS.

I.

Riveness Amighty and everlasting God, who art al

of our

Sins.

For the

Comforts of Grace.

ways more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we defire or deferve; pour down upon me the Abundance of thy Mercy, forgiving me thofe Things whereof my Confcience is afraid, and giving me thofe good Things which I am not worthy to afk, but through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

II.

Rant, I beseech thee, Almighty God, that I, who for my evil Deeds do worthily deferve to be punished, by the Comfort of thy Grace may mercifully be relieved, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

III. AL

III.

Almighty God, give me grace to ufe fuch For Anti

Α

nence and

Abftinence during this Seafon dedicated to Mortificathe Exercife of Repentance, that my Flefh maytion. be fubdued to the Spirit, and my Mind left free to approach thee with Ardour and Fervency of Affection. Inure me by Self denial to bring my Body into Subjection, and to punish all those Exceffes I have been guilty of, in the Ufe of thy Creatures. Let my Retirement from the World make me fee the Vanity and Emptiness of it, and teach me to relish the Pleasures of fpiritual Enjoyments. Let me fpend thofe folitary Hours in the improving my Chriftian Knowledge, and do thou open my Eyes that I may see the wondrous Things of thy Law. Make me heartily to bewail my Sins, and do thou work in me that godly Sorrow not to be repented of. Grant that I may fincerely examine the State of my own Mind, and do thou fearch and try me, and lead me into the Way everlafting: That perceiving how bitter a Thing it is to depart from the living God, I may no longer continue at a Distance from the Fountain of all Joy and Happinefs; but that by confeffing and forfaking my Sins, I may be entirely converted unto thee, and that they may be blotted out, when the Times of refreshing fhall come from the Prefence of the Lord, through Jefus Chrift my only Saviour. Amen.

A L

IV.

Lmighty God, who art the fupreme Hap- For the pinefs of a rational Creature, whom to Meditatiknow is eternal Life; fix my Thoughts, my venly

Gg3

on of heaHopesThings.

Hopes and my Defires upon Heaven and heavenly Things; let me remember thee upon my Bed, and meditate on thee in the Night-watches. Grant that I may fo confider thy Precepts, that I may understand the Measures of my Duty, and govern all my Actions by thofe Rules thou haft prescribed me; may fo apply thy Promises, that

may adore that infinite Goodness, that hath prepared fuch glorious Rewards for thofe that love thee, and never forfeit my Title to them by confenting to any known Iniquity; may fo recollect my Infirmities, that I may watch against them; my own Follies, that I may amend them; may fo call to Mind thy wonderful Deliverances, both in respect of my Body and of my Soul, that I may be convinced that I am preferved not by my own Strength, but by thy Almighty Power, that thy Name may have the Glory. Make my Heart the Seat of Prayer and holy Meditation; that my Mind being-inured to fpiritual Objects, I may defpife and contemn this World, and be prepared in the Difpofition of my Soul to pafs Eternity in contemplating thy glorious Excellencies, through Jefus Chrift our Lord; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghoft, be all Honour and Glory, World without end. Amen.

CHAP.