vanity of this world; in the wicked, our own frailty. When we see good men rewarded, it confirms our hope; and, when evil men are punished, it excites our fear.

He, that would be devout, must beware of indulging a habit of wandering in prayer. It is a crime, that will grow upon us, and will deprive us of the blessings we pray for.

Avoid as much, as may be, multiplicity of business. Neither the innocency, nor the goodness of the employment, will excuse us, if it possess our hearts, when we are praying to God. When our Lord bids us to take no thought for the morrow, he intended to hinder those cares and fears, which are apt to distract our devotions; which are the more unreasonable, because they never can change the state of things.

Never be curious to know, what passes in the world, any farther than duty obliges you; it will only distract the mind, when it should be better employed.

Never intermit devotion, if you can help it; you will return to your duty, like Samson, when his locks were cut, weak and in

different, as other people of the world. The oftener we renew our intercourse with God, the greater will be our devotion. Frequent prayer, as it is an exercise of holy thoughts, is a most natural remedy against the power sin. Importunity makes no change in God, but it creates in us such dispositions, as God thinks fit to reward.

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Make it a law to yourself to meditate, before you pray; also to make certain pauses, to see whether your heart go along with your lips. They, whose hearts desire nothing, pray for nothing.

Give me, O God, the spirit of true devotion; such, as may give life to all my prayers, so that they may find acceptance in thy sight, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Amen.

Matth. vi. 6. Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

How good is God, who will not only give us, what we pray for; but reward us for going to him, and laying our wants before him!

May I always present myself before God with firm faith and hope in his promises and mercy; with great reverence of his infinite majesty; with the humility of an offender; and with full purpose of keeping all his commandments !

May the thoughts of eternity quicken my devotions; my wants make me earnest; my backslidings make me persevere; and may I never wilfully give way to any distracting thoughts.

May I wait with patience, and leave it to Thee, my God and Father, how and when to grant my petitions.

He, that has learned to pray, as he ought, possesses the secret of a holy life.

It is of greater advantage to us, than we imagine, that God does not grant our petitions immediately. We learn by this, that, whereunto we have already attained, it was the gift of God.

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The best way to prevent wandering in prayer is, not to let the mind wander too much at other times; but to have God always in our minds in the whole course of our lives. The end of prayer is not to inform God, but to give man a sight of his own misery; to raise his soul toward Heaven, and to put him in mind, that there is his Father and his inheritance.

Matth. vii. 7. Ask, and it shall be given you. Grant me, Lord, that faith, which shall make me know my wants, that I may ask with earnestness and humility, and depend upon thy gracious promise.

THE DUTIES OF A CHRISTIAN.

That man leads a sincere christian life, 1st. Who endeavours to serve and obey God to the best of his understanding and power. 2d. Who strives to please his neighbour to edification.

3d. Who endeavours to do his duty in that state of life, unto which it has pleased God to call him.

Whoever would continue in the practice of these things unto his life's end, it is necessary that he call himself often to account, whether he do so or not; constantly pray for grace to know, and to do his duty; and preserve himself in such a temper, as to be always ready to receive the truth, when it is fairly proposed to him. It is rudeness among men to ask a favor, and

not stay for an answer; and do we count it no fault to pray for blessings, and never to think of them afterward, never to wait for them, never to give God thanks for them?

Let us make prayer familiar to us; for without the help of God we are every hour in danger. The devil knows that, when we have a relish for prayer, and apply ourselves in good earnest to it, we are in the way of life ; he therefore strives by all ways possible to divert

us.

Let us not run over our prayers with an in-sensible and distracted mind. Let our prayers be as particular, as may be, against the sins of our particular state, and for the graces, which in particular we most need. This is the best preservative against sin; makes us best acquainted with our condition; puts us continually in mind of mending, what is amiss; lets us see, what particular graces we most want, what are most needful for the cure of our own particular corruption and disorder; and is the best trial of our hearts. For example; if I pray for charity, and for every instance, which is necessary to render me truly charitable, I pray for grace, to avoid evilspeaking, to pray for my enemies, to do them good, &c. and so of all other sins. and graces.

God grant that I may never seek his face in vain !!

Luke xi. 1. Lord, teach us to pray. Pour upon us the spirit of supplication and prayer.