or elfe, thou may'ft reflect upon the night it felf, which, coming now upon thee as the fhadow of death, will fuggeft to thee many useful thoughts. Now likewife I would advise thee, as in the morning, to reflect upon what thou haft read, and the duties thou hast been juft performing.

At any other time of the day alfo, when thou art at leifure, I would advise thee to enter into thy closet, and employ thy felf in this holy exercise. Fix thy thoughts ftedfaftly, at fuch a time, on fome religious fubject, especially upon fuch as will moft immediately influence thy practice; fuch are death, judgment, heaven and hell, which if men seriously thought on oftner than they do, they would lead much better lives than they now do. And that no man may be to feek for matter on any of these useful fubjects, I have taken care at the end of this chapter to fubjoin some fhort meditations on each of them, which I am fure thou may'ft ufe without any trouble, but I hope not without great advantage.

There are likewise many other fubjects proper for thy meditation, fuch as the birth, passion, refurrection and afcenfion of our Saviour, When therefore any of thofe

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thofe days approach, which are purpofely fet apart by the church to keep up in our minds a conftant fense and remembrance of these great mercies of God towards us, I would advise thee to reflect serioufly every day for a whole week before, upon that mercy which thou art fuddenly to bless and praise God for in publick. And so likewise on any other holy-day or faints-day, I would have thee employ thy thoughts in meditations fuitable to the defign of the day, that fo thou may'st be fitted for the duties of the day, and be well prepared for that holy exercife of prayer and praise, which thou art then to perform in the great congregation. And that you may not excuse your felf, by faying that you are unable to gather your thoughts together and fix them on any of thefe fubjects, I will fave you this trouble, by telling you that you may find meditations ready framed for these purposes, in a book, called Reformed Devotions.

In a word, any religious fubject is proper for thy meditation; but thofe most of all, which will with greateft ftrength and vehemency stir thee up, and provoke thee, to piety and virtue. If men employ their thoughts

thoughts in holy meditations, only to entertain their minds with fine fpeculative notions of God and religion, they will be but little the better for them; but if they think in order to practife, and therefore chufe practical fubjects to think upon, they will most certainly reap very great benefits from their conftant meditations. For,

First, This will mightily tend to fettle a firm fenfe of religion in our minds. When we fhall every day fpend fome of our thoughts upon religious fubjects, we may with reafon hope that religion will never be quite out of our minds. Such an habitual entertainment of her in our thoughts, will make us familiarly acquainted with her, and tie us faft to her. It will make so deep an impreffion upon our minds, as will not with eafe be rafed out. Nay, farther,

Secondly, This will most certainly make us deeply in love with religion. The only reafon, why men do not admire her, and value her as they ought, is, because they never fufficiently contemplate her beauties. Would we but often view her in a true light, we fhould find her charms irresistible,

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irresistible, and be proud of being admitted into her service.

Thirdly, An habitual practice of this duty will teach us to delight in our own company, and make us love to be alone, Men are very often forced to go into company purely for this reason, because they know not how to employ their time, when they are alone. But if they would fet themselves conftantly to ferious thinking, and accuftom themselves at least to daily meditation, they would foon learn how to spend their time alone, and be fo far from being uneafy in their own company, that they would delight in it more than in any other. And how much this would retrench the wickedness of the age, I dare leave to any impartial judge to determine.

Fourthly and lastly, A conftant performance of this duty would work in us a mean and poor opinion of the things of this world. While men employ all their thoughts upon this lower world, it is no wonder if they love nothing elfe; for while they know nothing better, they can love nothing more. But alas! if they

would

would fuffer themselves to leave this world a little, and by the help of their thoughts to look forward to the other, they would foon fee the difference between them, and blame themselves for not thinking fooner. They would look with fcorn and contempt upon this lower world, which has nothing in it that can fatisfy a reasonable nature, and for the future would learn to feaft their fouls with more agreeable banquets, with the delightful pleafures of religious meditations, which alone carry a grateful relish with them, and truly please and fatisfy a reasonable

mind.

You therefore that have tried the pleafures of religious meditation, I am fure can need no encouragement to be frequent in them. And as for you that have not tried, I only beg of you to taste, and then leave off if you can.