but at Noon-day, to pray to God, thou mayst then use the Prayer for Particular Graces, Page 81. or those Alts of Refolution and Oblation, Pages 73, 74, or on Sundays and Holidays, the Form of General Thanksgiving; or on Fafting-days, the Form of General Interceffion; as may best fuit with the Season, and with your own Affections.

Directions concerning Infirmities.

F, after all the Care and Pains

IF

you can take, and your Petitions alfo for God's Grace, you find, in the Performance of thy Duty in your daily Prayers, Examinations, receiving the Holy Eucharift, or the like, great Coldness and Wandrings, and Incompofedness and Wearinefs of Spirit, and that your Heart is little affected with it, and that you fall very much fhort of the Rules here laid down, and therefore are ready to conclude, that all you have done is in vain, and displeasing to God; be not

difheartened at this, Philotheus, 'tis a good Sign to be fo much grieved for your Failings in your Duty; 'tis an Argument of a filial Tenderness, and Defire to serve God better; that that your Spirit is willing, though your Flesh is weak; and if you ftill continue your Endeavours and Prayers, patiently relying on God's infinite Goodnefs, and on his gracious Promife of hearing you, he will affuredly hear you in his good Time.

Know, good Philotheus, that this is the Cafe of Thoufands as well as of yourself: The very beft of Chriftians fign under the Perverfenefs and Impotence of their corrupt Nature; and even the just Man falls feven Times a Day, through Sins of Ignorance, or Infirmity, or fudden Surreption, or Inadvertency, or the like; though it is true, he rifeth again by an habitual Repentance; and therefore be not difcouraged, but daily beg Pardon for your daily Failings.

To eafe you in fuch Indifpofitions, or when you are alfo ftreighten'd in Time, or diverted by any unavoidable Avocations, I advife you to F 3 fhorten

Heaven, and have Mercy upon me, wretched Sinner: O fave me, O help me; for without thee I can do nothing as I ought.

Miferable Man that I am! my very Prayers and Repentance are accompanied with fo many Failings, that I am fometimes afraid, that thou, Lord, wilt not hear fuch Prayers, nor regard fuch Repentance.

But, O bleffed Saviour, my Lord, and my God, 'tis thy Promife, not to difcourage the leaft Measure of Grace. Thou wilt not quench the fmoaking Flax, or break the bruifed Reed, Matt. xii. 20.

'Tis thy Practice, Lord, to comply with the Weakness of thy Servants: Thou art the good Shepherd, who carrieft the tender Lambs in thy very Bofom, and gently leadeft thofe that be with young, Ifa. xl. 11.

Nay, Lord, 'tis the very Nature so to do; for thou thyself haft felt human Infirmities, and canft not but commiferate those that sigh under them, Heb. ii. 15. iv. 17, 18.

Why art thou then fo heavy, O my Soul, and why art thou fo difquieted

quieted within me! O put thy Truft in thy Saviour, who is the Help of my Countenance, and my God, Pfal. xliii. 5.

O gracious Lord, do thou pity me, and accept my weak and imperfect Performances, and supply, by thy boundless Mercy, all the Defects in my Duty; and if it be thy Pleasure I fhould ferve thee better, O Lord God, increase thy Succours of Grace, and I fhall then increase my Obedience.

O thou Lover of Souls, for the Sake of that infinite Compaffion of thine, which moved thee to die for me, hear me, and help me. Amen, Lord Jefus, Amen, Amen.

F

Directions in Time of Sickness.

AR be it from you, good Philotheus, to counterfeit yourself fick at any Time, to avoid the School, or the like, left God send you' Sickness indeed, to punish your Idlenefs and Diffimulation.

But if it please God to vifit you with a real Difeafe, let it be your first Care to make your Peace with Heaven; for God, by taking you off from your ufual Studies, does give you a Call to Repentance; and the Examination of yourself in the Beginning of your Sickness is as feafonable and neceffary as before your Communicating: Befides, if your Sicknefs proves dangerous, you will then, I doubt not, defire to communicate; fo that to fit you both for the Holy Sacrament, and for Heaven, Examination and Repentance ought to be first in your Thoughts.

Beware, Philotheus, of deferring this Duty, because you are young, and think you may have Time enough. to repent hereafter; for you fee, that Perfons younger than yourself die, and you are not fure to outlive this Distemper; and if you fhould put it off, till your Sicknefs grows more on you, it may perhaps take away your Senfes; or if it does not, be fure it will much more indifpofe you to Prayer and Recollection..