of the divine assistance, may do more good than many minutes spent in mere reasonings; and though indeed this should not be neglected, since the light of reason is a kind of divine illumination, yet still it ought to be pursued in a due sense of our dependence on the Father of lights; or, where we think ourselves wisest, we may "become vain in our imaginations." (Rom. i. 21, 22.) Let us therefore always call upon God, and say, for instance, when we are going to pray, "Lord, fix my attention! awaken my holy affections, and pour out upon me the spirit of grace and supplication!" (Zec. xii. 10.) When taking up a Bible, or any other good book,-"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law!" (Ps. cxix. 18.) Enlighten my understanding! Warm my heart! May my good resolutions be confirmed, and all the course of my life be in a proper manner regulated!" When addressing ourselves to any worldly business,-"Lord, prosper thou the work of mine hands upon me, (Ps. xc. 17,) and give thy blessing to my honest endeavors!" When going to any kind of recreation, "Lord, bless my refreshments! Let me not forget thee in them, but still keep thy glory in view!" When coming into company, "Lord, may I do and get good! Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy - mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers!" (Eph. iv. 29.) When entering upon difficulties,-"Lord, give me that wis dom which is profitable to direct!" (Eccl; x. 10.) "Teach me thy way, and lead me in a plain path!" (Ps. xxvii. 11.) When encountering with temptation,-"Let thy strength, O gracious Redeemer, be made perfect in my weakness!" (2 Cor. xii. 9.) These instances may illustrate the design of this direction, though they may be far from a complete enumeration of all the circumstances in which it is to be regarded. For the government of our thoughts in solitude: let us accustom ourselves, on all occasions, to exercise a due command over our thoughts. Let us take care of those entanglements of passion, and those attachments to any present interest in view, which would deprive us of our power over them. Let us set before us some profitable subject of thought; such as the perfections of the blessed God, the love of Christ, the value of time, the certainty and importance of death and judgment, and the eternity of happiness or misery which is to follow. Let us also, at such intervals, reflect on what we have observed as to the state of our own souls, with regard to the advance or decline of religion; or on the last sermon we have heard, or the last portion of Scripture we have read. You may perhaps, in this connection, sir, recollect what I have, if I remember right, proposed to you in conversation, that it might be very useful to select some one verse of Scripture which we had met with in the morning, and to treasure it up in our mind, resolving to think of that at any time when we are at a loss for matter of pious reflection, in any intervals of leisure for entering upon it. This will often be as a spring from whence many profitable and delightful thoughts may rise, which perhaps we did not before see in that connection and force. Or, if it should not be so, yet I am persuaded it will be much better to repeat the same scripture in our minds a hundred times in a day, with some pious ejaculation formed upon it, than to leave our thoughts at the mercy of all those various trifles which may otherwise intrude upon us; the variety of which will be far from making amends for their vanity. Lastly, for the government of our discourse in company. We should take great care, that nothing may escape us which can expose us, or our Christian profession, to censure and reproach; nothing injurious to those that are absent, or those that are present; nothing malignant, nothing insincere, nothing which may corrupt, nothing which may provoke, nothing which may mislead those about us. Nor should we, by any means, be content that what we say is innocent; it should be our desire that it may be edifying to ourselves and others. In this view, we should endeavor to have some subject of useful discourse always ready, in which we may be assisted by the hints given about furniture for thought, under the former head. We should watch for decent opportunities of introducing useful reflections; and if a pious friend attempt to do it, we should endeavor to second it immediately. When the conversation does not turn directly on religious subjects, we should endeavor to make it improving some other way: we should reflect on the character and capacities of our company, that we may lead them to talk of what they understand best; for their discourses on those subjects will probably be most pleasant to themselves, as well as most useful to us. And, in pauses of discourse, it may not be improper to lift up a holy ejaculation to God, that his grace may assist us and our friends in our endeavors to do good to each other; that all we say and do may be worthy the character of reasonable creatures and of Christians. The directions for a religious closing of the day, which I shall here mention, are only two: Let us see to it, that the secret duties of the evening be well performed; and let us lie down in our beds in a pious frame. For the secret devotion in the evening, I would propose a method something different from that in the morning; but still, as then, with due allowances for circumstances, which may make unthought-of alterations proper. I should advise to read a portion of Scripture in the first place, with suitable reflections and prayer, as above; then to read a hymn, or psalm; after this, to enter on self-examination, to be followed by a longer prayer than that which followed reading, to be formed on this review of the day. In this address to the throne of grace, it will be highly proper to entreat that God would pardon the omissions and offences of the day; to praise him for mercies temporal and spiritual; to recommend ourselves to his protection for the ensuing night; with proper petitions for others, whom we ought to bear on our hearts before him; and particularly for those friends with whom we have conversed or corresponded in the preceding day. Many other concerns will occur, both in morning and evening prayer, which I have not here hinted at; but I did not apprehend that a full enumeration of these things belonged, by any means, to our present purpose. Doddridge's Rise and Prog ress. |