thew that this is a principal duty of Christianity.

He whofe mind is filled with worldly defires, is continually poor. We all have enough, if we are but contented in our condition, wherein God places us. St. Paul fays, He is a rich man that doth not poffefs much, and hath need of little. Whatever we have more than is fufficient for the fatisfying nature is needless to us, who must fhortly pass out of this life into another. And we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. If we do not make a proper provifion for our change, we fhall be poor and miserable indeed. It behoves us therefore to make a prudent ufe of the few years that God allows for our repentance and preparation and this preparation cannot be made while men are full of trouble, imagining themselves in a hazardous and low condition: it must be a mind fortified against misfortune, and refolutely willing to acquiefce in the most afflictive and mortifying fituation we can fall in.

A mistake it undoubtedly is to build our hopes upon the fleeting things of the prefent life, whofe continuance is but for a feafon; but it is wisdom to fecure a poffeffion of those things which are eternal.

That alone is true wealth which will be of service to us in another life. Why should we wish for greater riches than will ferve for our paffage? For more than competency is fo far from bringing happiness, that it is often an inftrument of fin; and confequently the caufe of forrow. When men have struggled and toiled to acquire a fortune, what is the confequence? Are they nearer content, or farther from the grave. It is true they can enjoy this world's goods to a greater degree than others; and are more enabled to wallow in the pleasures of fenfe. But this is a poor felicity; for although they have a little good chear, and a merry life, yet as they live in oppofition to God's will, they are likely to pay exceedingly dear. They that want fuch abundance may be as happy, and, if they have their health, have more content. derate eftate is freeft from temptations. Therefore it is beft to be contented with neceffaries and there is nothing befides food and raiment that is abfolutely neceffary. It is not abundance, but a contented heart, that will be profitable to our future welfare. Let a little fuffice then, if God is not pleafed to give more. For our principal aim fhould be to ferve God and to feek the falvation of our fouls. If we are anxious about the affairs of the world, we shall be

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discontented,

difcontented, which is totally inconfiftent with a Chriftian; whofe duty it is to be happy in all the difpenfations of providence; because he knows what is beft for us, and what we have need of, before we ask him. He can fuftain and raife us up to a comfortable station, when to our thinking all hopes of fupply are vanished. Let us learn, with St. Paul, to be contented in whatsoever ftate we are in; and have our minds raifed above the low gratifications of this world, and free from it's pollutions; and let our principal aim be to please God, and to fecure an eternal reft in heaven, where there are pleafures for evermore. Let us, then, not defpair or murmur at the providence of God, but be zealous in our duty to him, and we are fure to be provided for. For the Lord is our fhepherd, therefore we can Jack nothing.

BY

CHAPTER VIII.

Of Confideration..

Y confideration here is meant an examination of the confcience and fpiritual ftate. To this end God has endued us with reafon and reflection, whereby we

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may form and regulate our conduct ac
cording to his precepts, call our ways to
remembrance, and confider how we have
acquitted ourselves in the discharge of the
duties God requires of us. And, in the
gracious overture of the gofpel, we are
diftinctly taught what thofe duties are, and
affured of the final event of our conduct.
But fince in the midst of busy life, and
of the various scenes which are perpetually
foliciting our attention, we are liable to
neglect this neceffary duty; it behoves us
often, if we would maintain our inte-
grity and preferve our happiness, to review
our paft conduct, to commune with our
own hearts, and confider our ways. The
holy fcriptures abound with texts that en-
join and advise this duty-Pfalm 4th, verse
5th-Stand in awe and fin not; commune
with your own heart, and in your own
chamber, and be still. And in 76th Pfalm,
I have confidered the days of old, and the
years that are paft, I call to remembrance
my fong; and in the night I commune with
my own heart, and fearch out my fpirits.
The prophet Haggai alfo directs us thus, in
ft chapter, verfe 5th, Confider your ways.

This duty of confideration, of examining our confciences, and meditating upon our fpiritual ftate, is performed with the greateft pleasure and advantage in privacy and fo

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litude. In our fecluded walks, free from the company of crafty and bufy worldlings, we may then call ourselves to an account of those things which reason and religion direct, as neceffary to our wellbeing here and hereafter: we may then revolve in our minds the pleasurable scenes that will follow, as a reward of our good actions; and reflect upon the miseries and horrors threatened to wickednefs. If the engagements of life will permit us to spend a part of the day in reviewing our fpiritual concerns, either in our private walks or in our closets, we fhall find it attended with the advantage of creating in us a pleasing tranquillity of mind. But if our fecular affairs will not allow us this leifure, and we are fo circumstanced as not to spare a short space of the day for this practice, then let us, as St. Chryfoftom exhorts, not neglect it when we retire to reft. After we have offered our evening's facrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, and are laid in our beds, then ought we, if we reasonably wish to preferve peace and complacency, to fum up the tranfactions of the paft day; to call to remembrance the fins we have committed either in deed, word, or thought; to repent of them; and alfo to root out of the mind every wanton thought, and every wicked imagination. Never fhould we fuffer fleep to steal

upon

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