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THE PRA Y E R.

MY God! give me fo much of the world's good, as thou knoweft to be for my good. "And make me truly godly: and then shall I not "be uneafy, whether thou fend profperity or ad

verfity. O let my foul be rich in thy grace, and "profper with the increase of God, and then fhall "all things turn and fucceed to me for good: and "thou wilt make even my enemies at peace with "me; or prevent their enmity for undoing me,

and make the world to favour me, or blefs me "with a favour, that is infinitely better; even "thy own gracious favour, (O my God) in Jefus " Chrift our Lord. Amen."

MEDITATION V.

On the fight of a wicked man's noble Seat.

MY foul! how fair and great is yonder man

fion! how rich and pompous all within it! how neat and sweet all about it! the house looks like a royal court: the out-buildings reprefent a beautiful town, and had an ordinary man but the very ftable, he would count it a palace. The folds and ftalls, the gardens and orchards, the walks and houfes of pleafure, the groves and ponds, the park and warren, the fruitful fields and fat paftures, altogether, what a delightful profpect do they yield to the beholder? What a plentiful provifion to the poffeffor? in which he has all that this world can give, and wants nothing for the prefent life. At home he

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lies

lies foft, goes fine, fares high, and enjoys a fovereign command, all waiting upon him, and studying to please him. And abroad, he moves in eafe and ftate; the chariot and train of attendants, ready to receive him and the fpectators, (as he paffes along) ftanding to admire him. My foul, how much is this condition envied and applauded in the world, as if no greater happiness to be found! But yet, to me, the profpect gives a horror, together with the pleafure, when I cannot get Dives out of my mind; nor muft I caft God's word behind my back, which declares the doleful iffue of the wicked's profperity. All this while, I find fomething, and that the main thing, lacking; God's holy fear, and his heavenly grace in the heart, to cure the deadly disease of the foul, and to make the great man, yet a better man; rich towards God, and as well provided for another world.

For (nemo malus fœlix,) even the heathens, (with good reafon) could pronounce: no wicked man can be a happy man. When even the wickedness harboured in his bofom, is his very worst enemy; to which he gives all the fair opportunity. And his allowed lufts and rampant paffions, are thofe hounds and vultures, that are even continually preying upon him; and like to eat up and devour him. And when his houfe is a house known more for riot and diforders; than for any care of religion and prayers, and is not fo much at God's fervice, as the devil's; a feminary of all vice and debauchery: but no harbour of any true goodness and piety, he has then confulted, not only fhame, but ruin to his house. For the infection of his wickednefs is run into the very building; the flying roll, Zech. v. 1, 4. enters into the house, and the curfe there remains in the midst to consume it, with the timber and the ftones of it. Thus all the finery is tarnished, and his bleffings accurfed. Yea, the fair edifice becomes even a habitation

habitation of dragons: when there lie the feed of the ferpent, hiffing and spitting their venom at God himself, and at that holiness which is his darling, and his foul's delight. Nay, there they do keep garrifon, for God's everlafting enemy; and make one of the ftrong holds of Satan; from whence to let fly at heaven; and to defend themselves in all their infolent outrage, at the glorious Majefty, that there inhabits. And all his kindness and bounty is thus turned into a magazine; to maintain and corroborate the hoftility. And this is their school of good breeding; where he, whom they all ftill live upon, is even played upon: and the bleffed Founder, that gives them all the abundance, nothing but blafphemed, and fet at defiance.

Doft thou then, my foul, look invidiously upon the fplendor and gallantry? does their height ftrike thee down; and their jollity make thee heavy? I muft confess I am heavy: not to see the blaze they make; but to think, in what a doleful manner, all will fhortly be extinct. That they have their good things, in their life time, troubles not my head, but that they should provoke God, to caft them out thence, to be tormented in the eternal flames, pierces my heart. I read, Luke xvi. of a certain rich man, that fo quickly changed his dwelling, from the place, where he went in gay clothing, and was pampered with high feeding, to lie in that fire; where he, that would not part with his crumbs, to stop the beggar's mouth, cried out in vain, for a drop to cool his own tongue. And the Lord knows, how little may be between him, and that doom; who now fwims in all the fulness, and flourishes in all the pomp of this world. O how foon does an accident ftop his breath, or a disease come, and throw him down into the vaults of death, and then is the scene fo extremely changed; that he who had all, is for ever out of all. And nothing goes after him: nothing about him, but what ferves to torment him.

I do

I do not disturb myfelf at the grandeur, the fplen dor, or curiofity, about fuch houfes, as want not that beft ornament, of the owner's virtue, and charity, grace, and piety: the houses where God is pleafed to dwell: and where his holy fear, and his ferious worship have ftill the preference, above all ftructures, goods and entertainments; where pride and profanenefs do not devour God's part; nor luxury or avarice rob the poor of their's. Nothing do I count too much, or too great; nothing too rich, or too neat, for fuch as know how to ufe the coft, and delicacy, and bravery; as helps and encouragements in their journey, to a better country; and to a far more furpaffing glory. Upon fuch a fweet place, (the religious houfe,) I look with more than ordinary delight; even, as a little map of heaven: and cannot but pronounce, Peace to that house, and pray for the continuance and increase of all God's bleffings upon it. But the great houfe, that is thought too great, to be a house of prayer; and fo full of fomewhat elfe; that God's religion or his poor, can find there no room nor welcome; fuch a houfe, as ferves but to cover God's fcornful foe, and to fhelter an ungodly rebel, it is not fo much my eye-fore, but it is like to be a worfe ftumbling-block to the owner.

O my foul, never envy the biggest man upon earth, that is no better provided. But if the Lord will fuffer even fome of his worst enemies, fo to flourish here with his bounty: think then, (to the utmoft height, that ever thou art able to think;) what incomparably better things, (worthy of God,) he has prepared, for the entertainment of his dear children, in the most glorious house, and everlasting kingdom of their Father. O O may I but have the building of God, the houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and a bleffed manfion there above: and then take who will, the de

taying piles upon earth, and all the ftatelieft houfes

in the world.

THE

PRAYER.

D

ELIVER my foul, O Lord, from men of the world, who have their portion in this "life and let me not fall a prey to them, nor have "my lot with them, nor fret and repine at them. "But let me dwell in the fecret place of the Most "High, and abide under the fhadow of the Almigh

ty; and be of one of the household of God. Yea, "may I be a door-keeper in the house of my God,

rather than dwell in the tents of wickedness. O "let me not look with a languishing eye upon any "the great things of this vain world, that paffeth "away but admire the glorious manfions of thy "kingdom; and at laft, find a room in thofe ever"lafting habitations; through the merits of the blef "fed Purchaser, my only Redeemer. Amen."

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MEDITATION VI.

Of the World's infufficiency to make one Happy.

OW apt are we, my foul, to look with admiration upon the rich, and great ones of this world; as if, who but they, for happy men; that have the fulness of all things which earth affords, to give them content and pleasure? when we fee the mighty fabricks, the fumptuous piles of building, and all the wealthy ftores, within and without, the fweet parterres, and rank olitories; the laden trees, mural and standard; the woods and waters; the flourishing