PRAYER IV.

Lord, the Fountain of all Good; whose Bleffings are derived in feveral Channels to us, especially to our Souls: Unto which all things minifter, and help to promote their Eternal Wel fare. I fee the large and abundant Provifion, which thou haft made for them in Chrift Fefus. Thou haft opened the Heavens, and let down Eter nal Life unto us. Thou haft fet before us the Glory of another World; and called us to thy Kingdom, and promifed to make us Heirs with thy only Begotten Son, and to give us an Everlafting Inheritance. I thank thee, that thou haft brought the Word of thy Gospel fo nigh me, and put it even into my Mouth, and into my Heart; and that I have felt thy Holy Spirit in my Soul, So often difpofing my Mind and Affections to seek that Bleed Immortality. Every good Thing in this World bids me love thee, and rejoice in thee, who art the Giver of it: And all the Croffes likewife and Afflictions of this Life tend to make me happy, by teaching me Moderation and Sobriety, Humility and Heavenly mindedness, Faith in thee, and abfalute Refignation to thee, with fervent De votion, and paffionate Defires after a better Life,

O God, how excellent is thy Loving-kindness! therefore the Children of Men put their Truft under the Shadow of thy Wings. How inexcufable

Shall I be, if I fhould farve in the midst of Such Abundance; and perish, when thou haft fent me Such great Salvation? How shall I efcape, if after thou haft done so much without my Thought or Labour, I fhould take no Pains to attain the End of thy extraordinary Grace towards me? Excite in me, I beseech thee, a greater Senfe of thy Love's and endue me with a greater Care to improve every thing, to the enriching of my Soul with Spiritual Wifdom, and all Divine Virtues. That fo I may be the better able to bear all the Troubles. of this Life; and neither the Infirmities and Pains of this Body, nor the Poverty and Meannefs of my outward Eftate, nor the Lofs or Unkindness of Friends, nor any other fad Accident, may throw me into Difcontent and Impatience of Spirit: But I may ftill remember, that as I fuffer nothing but what I deferve; fo my Soul may be a Gainer by all my Sufferings. Help me therefore, inftead of murmuring and repining at my prefent Condition, to apply my felf to make the best Use of it, whatfoever it be, to my everlasting Advantage. Purify and refine my Spirit more perfectly from all unreasonable Opinions, and purge out of my Heart all inordinate Affections. Settle my Will in an unmoveable Submiffion to thine. And confidering both that I am thy Creature, and that I am an Offender, enable me always to reft fatisfied with thy Proceedings, and acknowledge that I am lefs than the leaft of thy Mercies.

Pardon, good Lord, all my Ingratitude and undecent Complaints; pity my Infirmities; accept my Holy Defires; confirm all my good Purposes;

Strengthen

Strengtheu and impower my Endeavours; that I may mortify every bad Difpofition in me, faithfully difcharge my Duty, rightly use thy various Bleffings, patiently bear the heaviest Afflictions, and make for my Soul moft certain Provifion; by all the Means of Grace, by the good Counfels of others, the Infpirations of the Holy Ghoft, thy many remarkable Providences about me, and whatfoever Courfes thou takeft with me, to bring me Safe through this Life to an happy Eternity. Amen.

SER

And having Food and Raiment, let us be therewith content.

HERE is a great Fulness of Thoughts, I told you, which our own Minds and the Gospel also prefent us withal; for the quieting of our Hearts in all Cafes, and the giving us full Satisfaction, into whatsoever Condition, by the Providence of God, we shall at any time fall.

Some of them, which may be drawn from the Confideration of our felves, have been already handled; and left fome Sense, I hope, of this Truth upon you, that we are not fo miferable as we make our felves; but may find Means, in the various Changes of Life, to be happy

Men.

II. I come now, according to the Method propounded, to lead you to the Confideration of others :

others: From whofe Condition many Reasons likewise may be fetch'd, to the making us better pleased than commonly we are, if we will not deny our Minds the Contemplation of them. > As first of all,

f

I. It is very plain, that there are many in the World who have less than you have; innumerable Perfons, whofe Condition is far worse than that which you are difcontented withal. We cannot say this, I confefs, to all Men in the World; but as to every one here present, it carries a great Truth in it: That there are thofe who are placed in harder Circumstances, and have more Miseries to contend withal, than any one of us have. Let me convince you of this, and then you shall see what Advantage I fhall make of it to my present Purpose. Which of you would exchange your Condition with a Turkish Slave Who is there among the most discontented Multitude, that wou'd take his Place who lies upon a Rack? Wou'd not he that rows upon the Water think his Lot more miserable, if he was chained to his Oars? And he that digs in his Garden, or ploughs his Field, wou'd he not think himself condemned to a more calamitous State, if he were forced to dig Night and Day in the Mines? Wou'd not he that hath but an Acre of Land, think his Fortune harder, if he was banished from his own Country? Nay, wou'd not he that hath nothing but the Air and the Light of the Sun, think it a more dismal Condition, if he was thrust into a Dungeon,

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