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who would perfuade us and teach us how to ease our selves, and tune our Hearts to Joy and Gladness: And all Inftructions will do no good without this, to do vertuoufly, and fo with Hearts full of Love to God, and of delightful Reflections upon his Love to us, and our pious Gratiude to him, and of most delicious Hope in him for his everlafting Love and Favour, we may fit Spectators of his Works here below, till he tranflate us to an higher Place, where we may take a better View of his magnificent Greatness, and moft bounteous Goodness to all his Creatures.

PRAYER XIII.

Proftrate my felf, O Almighty Lord, and Ruler of all Things, in the moft bumble Acknowledgment of my Obligations to Thee, and the most hearty Submiffion of all that I can have, unto thy Divine Wisdom, of whofe Care and good Providence I have fuch rational Belief, and have had Such long Experience: I owe all the Comforts of this prefent Life to thy Bounty, and whatsoever Hopes I have, either here or in the future State, they depend upon the fame Goodness, and upon thy gracious Promises, thy Power, Faithfulness and Truth. I thank Thee, O Lord, that Thou haft manifefted thy Will, and declared thy most merciful Intentions of Grace towards us, in fuch precious Promifes, which as they excite my Love

to

to Thee, fo they move me to truft intirely in Thee, to commit my felf abfolutely to Thee, and heartily to ferve and obey Thee.

Accordingly here I renew that Dedication which I have frequently made of my whole felf to Thee, and chufe to be governed and ordered by thy Will, rather than mine own, hoping in thine infinite Mercies, relying on Thee for what thou judgeft to be convenient for me, and conducing to my Welfare, refolving my Defires into thy better Will, and fedfafly purposing to rest contented and fatisfied with whatsoever Thou art pleased to appoint for my Portion, and believing that Thou difpofeft all things for our Good and Happiness.

Bestow upon me, O blessed Lord, fuch a MeaJure of thy boly Spirit, as is needful for me, that may preferve in my Mind thefe good Thoughts and holy Inclinations, and excite in me ftill more pious Affections, and affift all my Endeavours to be fo wife and fo good, as Thou wouldst have me. Help me rightly to employ my precious Time, prudently to chufe my Society, to do all Things with good Advice, to be conftant to well-fettled Refolutions; to provide and arm my felf for all Changes; and foreseeing what may come, to difpofe my felf to receive it, with an humble, equal, quiet and undisturbed Spirit, and that I may never be furprised nor difordered, help me in the Day of Profperity to remember Affliction, and in the Day of Adverfity to folace my felf with the Remembrance of thy paft Favours, and with the Hopes of thy future Mercies.

Purge

I

Purge my Mind and Heart from all false Opinions, and naughty Affections, and enable me to preferve my Heart fo pure, fincere and undefiled, that from a Confcience of well doing I may feel a perpetual Satisfaction Springing up to refresh me in all Conditions of Life. Indue me, good Lord, with fuch a prudent, fober, sweet, condescending and gracious Temper, and disposition of Mind, that may be acceptable to thee, inoffenfive to others, and comfortably enjoy my felf; free me from the Trouble of a contentious or envious Spirit; help me to bridle my Tongue, and to keep it from Evil, and my Lips from Speaking Guile; and whatsoever the Opinions or Cenfures of others be concerning me, bless me with the Comforts of an innocent Mind and an upright Heart; and enable me to rejoice always in the Teftimony of a good Confcience, to mind my own proper Bufinefs, and in all Simplicity and Plainnefs of Heart to order my self by a found and unprejudiced Reason, and not by the customs and uncertain Fashions of this prefent World.

Blessed be thy infinite Goodness, that I fee the Way to be happy, and am acquainted with the Paths of Pleasantness and Peace; blessed be thy Goodness that I have such constant good Admonitions, wife Counfels, and faithful Advices, and enjoy fo many Affiftances of my Friends, Lovers and Acquaintance, to guide, refresh, and folace me in my Pallage thro' all the Dangers and Troubles of this Life: Good Lord affect my Heart with thy wondrous Love, and make me truly thankful for all thefe Bleffings; enable me alfo to make the best Use and Advantage of them, and fetting before me the Examples of all those who thro' Faith and PaCc

tience

tience have inherited thy Promife, to follow them chearfully und courageously till I become my felf an Example of true Piety and generous Virtue.

Fix and establish in my Mind all good Principles and religious Reasons, root them fo deeply in my Heart by ferious and conftant Meditation on them, that I may find their friendly Power and Strength to affift, Support and comfort me on all Occafions; and especially fix my Mind in an immoveable Refolution to cleave to thee, and unite it felf with thee; never fuffer my Will to incline to divide it felf from thine, but enable me always rea dily and heartily to say, whatsoever comes, it is the Lord let him do what feemeth good in his Sight, that maintaining an uninterrupted Friendfhip with thee, in this World, and never contraditing or oppofing thy wife Appointments, I may have the Confolations of thy holy Spirit filling my Heart at all Times, and may live in a delightful Hope, to fee all the Troubles of this World, end in everlasting Repofe and Joys, thro' thy Son our Saviour Chrift Jefus; by whom all Honour, Glory, Praife and Thanksgiving, be rendered by me, and by all Mankind, and by all the Host of Heaven, to thee, O Father Almighty, both now and eternally.

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SERMON XIV.

HEB. XIII. 5. ----Be content with fuch Things as ye have :-

AVING difpatched those things which I propounded in the Beginning of these Difcourfes, there is nothing now remaining to be done, but only to make fome Improvement of what hath been faid, which I cannot neglect, because this is a Doctrine of fo great Importance.

And there are but three Things that I fhall recommend to your Confideration at this Time.

I.

The First is, that there is no Man, but may have him enough, if he pleafe to use it, to attend the Affairs of his immortal Soul. I make the Inference clear to you thus; if our Souls be not our chief Care, and the informing them with the Knowledge of God and of his Son do not imploy our beft Thoughts, the Reafon must be, if it be worth any thing, because fomething else is more excellent, and deferves Cc 2

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