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other judges told him it belonged to his office, and the refusing it would be a prejudice to his successors, so he was persuaded to take it, but he sent word to the marshal, that instead of plate he should bring him the value of it in money; and when he received it, he immediately sent it to the prisons for the relief and discharge of the poor there. He usually invited his poor neighbours to dine with him, and made them sit at table with himself; and if any of them were sick, so that they could not come, he would send meat warm to them from his table; and he did not only relieve the poor in his own parish, but sent supplies to the neighbouring parishes, as there was occasion for it; and he treated them all with the tenderness and familiarity that became one who considered they were of the same nature with himself, and were reduced to no other necessities but such as he himself might be brought to. But for common beggars, if any of these came to him as he was in his walks, when he lived in the country, he would ask such as were capable of working, 'why they went about so idly ?' if they answered, 'it was because they could find no work,' he often sent them to some field, to gather all the stones in it, and lay them on an heap, and then would pay them liberally for their pains: this being done, he used to send his carts, and caused them to be carried to such places of the highway as needed mending.

"But when he was in town, he dealt his charities very liberally, even among the street beggars; and when some told him, 'that he thereby encouraged idleness, and that most of these were notorious cheats,' he used to answer, 'that he believed most of them

were such; but among them there were some that were great objects of charity, and pressed with grievous necessities; and that he had rather give his alms to twenty who might be perhaps rogues, than that one of the other sort should perish for want of that small relief which he gave them."

Second Monday in Lent.

WANDERING IN PRAYER.

PASSAGE FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE AGAINST WANDERING IN

PRAYER.

"AND they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He saith to His disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

"And He taketh with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be sore amazed, and very heavy; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

"And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him; and He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt.

"And He cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not

thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation: the spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak.

"And again He went away, and prayed, and spake the same words."

RULES AGAINST WANDERING IN PRAYER.

"1. Use prayer to be assisted in prayer. Pray for the spirit of supplication, for a sober, fixed, and recollected spirit; and when to this you add a moral industry to be steady in your thoughts, whatsoever wanderings after this do return immediately, are a misery of nature, and an imperfection, but no sin while it is not cherished and indulged to.

"2. In private, it is not amiss to attempt the cure by reducing your prayers into collects and short forms of prayer, making voluntary interruptions, and beginning again, that the want of spirit and breath may be supplied by the short stages and periods.

"3. When you have observed any considerable wanderings of your thoughts, bind yourself to repeat that prayer again with actual attention, or else revolve the full sense of it in your spirit, and repeat it in all the effect and desires of it; and, possibly, the tempter may be driven away by his own art, and may cease to interpose his trifles, when he perceives they do but vex the person into carefulness and piety; and yet he loses nothing of his devotion, but doubles the earnestness of his care.

to

“4. If this be not seasonable, or opportune, or apt man's circumstances, yet be sure with actual

any

attention to say a hearty amen to the whole prayer, with one united desire, earnestly begging the graces mentioned in that prayer; for that desire does the great work of the prayer, and secures the blessing, if the wandering thoughts were against our will, and disclaimed by contending against them.

“5. Avoid multiplicity of businesses of the world; and in those that are unavoidable, labour for an evenness and tranquillity of spirit, that you may be untroubled and smooth in all tempests of fortune for we shall better tend religion, when we are not torn in pieces with the cares of the world, and seized upon with low affections, passions, and interest.

"6. It helps much to attention and actual adver. tisement in our prayers, if we say our prayers silently, without the voice, only by the spirit. For, in mental prayer, if our thoughts wander, we only stand still; when our minds return, we go on again; then is none of the prayer lost, as it is if our mouths speak and our hearts wander.

"7. To incite you to the use of these or any other counsels you shall meet with, remember that it is a great indecency to desire of God to hear our prayers, a great part whereof we do not hear ourselves. they be not worthy of our attention, they are far more unworthy of God's."

SIGNS OF TEDIOUSNESS OF SPIRIT IN OUR PRAYERS, &c.

If

"The second temptation in our prayer is a tediousness of spirit, or a weariness of the employment; like that of the Jews, who complained that they were weary of the new moons, and their souls loathed the frequent returns of their Sabbath: so do very many Christians,

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thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation: the spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak.

"And again He went away, and prayed, and spake the same words."

RULES AGAINST WANDERING IN PRAYER.

"1. Use prayer to be assisted in prayer. Pray for the spirit of supplication, for a sober, fixed, and recollected spirit; and when to this you add a moral industry to be steady in your thoughts, whatsoever wanderings after this do return immediately, are a misery of nature, and an imperfection, but no sin while it is not cherished and indulged to.

“2. In private, it is not amiss to attempt the cure by reducing your prayers into collects and short forms of prayer, making voluntary interruptions, and beginning again, that the want of spirit and breath may be supplied by the short stages and periods.

"3. When you have observed any considerable wanderings of your thoughts, bind yourself to repeat that prayer again with actual attention, or else revolve the full sense of it in your spirit, and repeat it in all the effect and desires of it; and, possibly, the tempter may be driven away by his own art, and may cease to interpose his trifles, when he perceives they do but vex the person into carefulness and piety; and yet he loses nothing of his devotion, but doubles the earnestness of his care.

4. If this be not seasonable, or opportune, or apt to any man's circumstances, yet be sure with actual

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