moft convenient for him, how reafonable is it for every man to will that which God has already will'd for him? And by a pious faith and truft in the divine Goodness, thankfully adore and magnify that wife Providence, which he is fure has made the best choice for him of those things, which he could not chufe for himself.

EVERY uneafinefs at our own ftate, is founded upon comparing it with that of other people. Which is fullas unreasonable, as if a man in a dropsy fhould be angry at thofe that prescribe different things to him, from thofe which are preferib'd to people in health. For all the different ftates of life are like the different ftates of difeafes, what is a remedy to one man in his state, may be poifon to another.

So that to murmur because you are not as fome others are, is as if a man in one disease should murmur that he is not treated like him that is in another. Whereas if he was to have his will, he would be kill'd by that, which will prove the cure of another.

Ir is juft thus in the various conditions of life; if you give your felf up to uneafinefs, or complain at any thing in your ftate, you may, for ought you know, be fo ungrateful to God, as to murmur at that very thing, which is to prove the cause of your falvation.

HAD you it in your power to get that which you think it fo grievous to want, it might perhaps be that very thing, which of all others would moft expofe you to eternal damnation.

So that whether we confider the infinite goodness of God, that cannot chufe amifs for us, or our own great ignorance of what is most advantageous to us, there can be nothing fo reasonable and pious, as to have no will but that of God's, and defire nothing for our felves, in our perfons, our ftate, and condition, but that which the good providence of God appoints us.

FARTHER, as the good providence of God thus introduces us into the world, into fuch ftates and conditions of life, as are most convenient for us, o the fame unerring wisdom orders all events and changes in the

whole

1

whole courfe of our lives, in fuch a manner, as to render them the fittest means to exercise and improve our virtue.

NOTHING hurts us, nothing deftroys us, but the ill use of that liberty, with which God has entrusted

us.

WE are as fure that nothing happens to us by chance, as that the world it self was not made by chance; we are as certain that all things happen, and work together for our good, as that God is goodness it felf. So that a man has as much reafon to will every thing that happens to him, because God wills it, as to think that is wifeft, which is directed by infinite wisdom.

THIS is not cheating or foothing our felves into any falfe content, or imaginary happiness; but is a fatisfaction grounded upon as great a certainty, as the being and attributes of God.

FOR if we are right in believing God to act over us with infinite wisdom and goodness, we cannot carry our notions of conformity and refignation to the divine will too high; nor can we ever be deceiv'd, by thinking that to be best for us, which God has brought up

on us.

FOR the providence of God is not more concern'd in the government of night and day, and the variety of feafons, than in the common course of events, that seem moft to depend upon the mere wills of men. So that it is as strictly right, to look upon all worldly accidents and changes, all the various turns and alterations in your own life, to be as truly the effects of Divine Providence, as the rifing and fetting of the Sun, or the alterations of the feasons of the year. As you are therefore always to adore the wisdom of God in the direction of these things; fo it is the fame reasonable duty, always to magnify God, as an equal Director of every thing that happens to you in the courfe of your own life.

THIS holy refignation and conformity of your will to the will of God, being fo much the true ftate of

piety,

piety, I hope you will think it proper to make this hour of prayer, a conftant feafon of applying to God for fo great a gift. That by thus conftantly praying for it, your heart may be habitually difpos'd towards it, and always in a state of readiness to look at every thing as God's, and to confider him in every thing; that fo every thing that befals you, may be receiv'd in the spirit of piety, and made a means of exercising fome virtue.

THERE is nothing that fo powerfully governs the heart, that so strongly excites us to wife and reasonable actions, as a true fenfe of God's prefence. But as we cannot fee, or apprehend the effence of God, so nothing will fo conftantly keep us under a lively sense of the prefence of God, as this holy refignation, which attributes every thing to him, and receives every thing as from him.

COULD we fee a miracle from God, how would our thoughts be affected with an holy awe and veneration of his prefence! But if we confider every thing as God's doing, either by order or permiffion, we shall then be affected with common things, as they would be who faw a miracle.

FOR as there is nothing to affect you in a miracle, but as it is the action of God, and befpeaks his prefence; fo when you confider God, as acting in all things, and all events, then all things will become venerable to you, like miracles, and fill you with the fame awful fentiments of the divine presence.

Now you must not referve the exercise of this pious temper, to any particular times or occafions, or fancy how refign'd you will be to God, if fuch or fuch trials fhould happen. For this is amufing your felf with the notion or idea of refignation instead of the virtue it felf.

DON'T therefore please your felf with thinking, how piously you would act and fubmit to God in a plague, a famine, or perfecution; but be intent upon the perfection of the prefent day; and be affur'd, that the

F f

beft

best way of fhewing a true zeal, is to make little things the occafions of great piety.

BEGIN therefore in the smallest matters, and most ordinary occafions, and accuitom your mind to the daily exercife of this pious temper, in the lowest occurrences of life. And when a contempt, an affront, a little injury, lofs, or disappointment, or the smallest events of every day, continually raise your mind to God in proper acts of refignation, then you may juftly hope, that you fhall be number'd amongst thofe that are refign'd and thankful to God in the greatest trials and afflictions.

Of Evening prayer. Of the nature and neceffity of examination. How we are to be particular in the confeffion of all our fins. How we are to fill our minds with a juft horror and dread of all fin.

Aм now come to fix o'clock in the evening, which,

twelfth, or laft bour of the day. This is a time fo proper for Devotion, that I fuppofe nothing need be faid to recommend it as a feafon of prayer, to all people that profess any regard to piety.

As the labour and action of every state of life is generally over at this hour, fo this is the proper time for every one to call himself to account, and review all his behaviour, from the first action of the day. The neceffity of this examination, is founded upon the neceffity of repentance. For if it be neceffary to repent of all our fins, if the guilt of unrepented fins still continue upon us, then it is neceffary, not only that all our fins, but the particular circumftances and aggravations of them, be known and recollected, and brought to repentance.

THE

THE Scripture faith, If we confess our fins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteoufnels, 1 John i. 9. Which is as

much as to fay, that then only our fins are forgiven, and we cleans'd from the guilt and unrighteoufnefs of them, when they are thus confefs'd, and repented of.

THERE feems therefore to be the greatest neceffity, that all our daily actions be conftantly obferv'd, and brought to account, left by a negligence we load our felves with the guilt of unrepented fins.

of

THIS examination therefore of ourselves every evening, is not only to be confider'd as a commendable rule, and fit for a wife man to obferve; but as fomething that is as neceffary as a daily confeffion and repentance of our fins; because this daily repentance is very little fignificancy, and lofes all its chief benefit, unless it be a particular confeffion and repentance of the fins of that day. This examination is neceffary to repentance in the fame manner as time is neceffary; you cannot repent or exprefs your forrow, unless you allow fome time for it; nor can you repent, but fo far as you know what it is that you are repenting of. So that when it is faid, that it is neceffary to examine and call your actions to account; it is only faying, that it is neceffary to know what, and how many things you are to repent of.

You perhaps have hitherto only used your felf to confefs yourself a finner in general, and ask forgivenefs in the grofs, without any particular remembrance, or contrition for the particular fins of that day. And by this practice you are brought to believe, that the fame fhort, general form of confeffion of fin in general, is a fufficient repentance for every day.

SUPPOSE another perfon fhould hold, that a confeffion of our fins in general once at the end of every week was fufficient; and that it was as well to confefs the fins of feven days all together, as to have a particular repentance at the end of every day.

I know you fufficiently fee the unreasonableness Ff2

and