For Contentment and Patience.

RIGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord, and just are thy Judgments; but thy Judgments are like the great Deep, not to be fathomed by human Understanding. The Events of this Life, I know are ordained by thy unerring Providence. I most humbly entreat thee, therefore, to give me Wisdom from above, that I may with the most entire Resignation submit to thy heavenly Will. If Troubles shall be sent me, they will fall, I must sorrowfully own, on the Head of a wretched Sinner; O grant they may be in Mercy to thy poor Servant. Lord, increase my Patience in Proportion to my Sufferings, that I may with unwearied Diligence go on doing my Duty, and at last obtain the Crown prepared for humble, patient Sufferers, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

For Pardon after a Relapse into Sin.

O JUST and holy God, how shall I presume to appear before thee, against whom I have so greatly, and so daringly sinned! Wretch that I am! I have not only resisted the clearest Light and Conviction, but trampled on the richest Grace and Love. And now I have no Reason

to expect the Pardon I sue for. Yet, O merciful Father, thou hast promised to forgive and abundantly pardon, even the greatest Offender, who sincerely turns to thee. Merciful Saviour! who camest into the World to save lost Souls, shew thy Power and thy Pity upon me in this woeful Condition. To thy Mercy it is owing that I am hitherto spared: but I humbly beg thy Forbearance this once more.

be favourable to thy penitent Servant, who turns to thee, bewailing his Offences with as great Bitterness as ever he committed them with Delight. Here I lie prostrate before thee, and once more renew my Vows of Obedience to honour, love, and serve thee, my gracious God, as long as my Life shall last: That thy Grace may strengthen these Resolutions of my Soul, I humbly beg, not for any Merit in me, bot for the Worthiness of thy Son, and for the Sake of thy own tender Mercies in Jesus Christ. Amen.

MEDI

ON THE

FOUR LAST THINGS;

NAMELY,

DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN, HELL

First Meditation. On Death.

DEATH! The very Thought strikes me with Horror and Amazement! but, alas! the first temporal Death is nothing, if compared with the second eternal one, which must be the sad State of all who die in their Sins.

Did Death, which is the End, of all Things here, put a Period to our Beings, it would be so far from being dreadful,to the Impenitent, that they would rejoice at it, as being that which would rescue them from what they dreadfully fear, the suffering eternal Punishment for their grievous Sins and Provocations in this Life; but this is the tormenting Thought, that Death presently brings us into a State, which will never, never have an End: Oh! how terrible must this be to a Person unprepared for this surprising Change!

Change Why then do I strive to add House to House, and Field to Field, as if I were to dwell here for ever? No, no, Death will soon close my Eyes, and deprive me' of every earthly Satisfaction. Happy they who send their Riches and Goods before-hand into the other World, in Acts of Piety and Charity; for they shall receive the Rewards of them in a better Life. Have you never seen, a Neighbour die? Do you not remember how sad and mournful was the Scene? Depend upon it, that in a little Time his Case will be your own; and you are not sure, but that it may be in a Year, a Month, nay this very Hour. Was you ever visited with a Fit of Illness? Remember the Thoughts you had upon a sick Bed. What Resolutions, what Vows of better Obedience did you then make? How earnestly did you pray that God would be pleased to grant you a longer Continuance upon Earth: How fully did you propose to correct your Passions, and strive against the Sins to which you were strongly inclined; and which therefore particularly endangered your Salvation. O Death, how bitter is the Remembrance of thee to an impenitent Sinner! The bitter Agonies of the guilty

Sinner's

Sinner's Mind, give him more exquisite Torments, than the severest Pains of his Disease: and he feels some Tortures of Hell even here on Earth: but with the godly Person it is not so: Death may, at first, look somewhat frightful, it being a violent Separation of old Friends, Soul and Body; but the good Man having lived piously in Expectation of Death, has a delightful Prospect beyond the Grave, even of immortal Life and Glory: he looks back with Pleasure on the Dangers he has happily escaped, and finds himself on a sudden surrounded with new unknown Pleasures and Delights. On this Moment, for aught I know, depends a happy Eternity; O then may I so number my Days as to apply my Heart unto Wisdom! My House, my Farm, my Plantations, have hitherto took off my Mind, from providing for Death. But all these Possessions must be left; then shall I wring my Hands and say, that O I could live my Life over again; then would I count Godliness the greatest Gain, and love God's Commandments more than Gold, yea, than much fine Gold. I resolve therefore, God being my Helper, frequently to meditate on Death, and to act now, as I shall wish I had acted, when