examine its favourite tendencies and propenfities, may be no pleafing talk, but certainly, is a very necessary and profitable one. It will teach us, where the first affault of temptation is likely to be made, and therefore, where we ought most to be on our guard. It will fhew us the variety of our own imperfections, and therefore teach us to be humble and forgiving to others. It will point out to us the uncertainty of every earthly advantage, and there'fore will incline us to extend that charity to the diftreffed, of which we ourselves may one day stand in need. And lastly, it will teach us the just value of our life itself, which alone carries with it more instructive leffons of morality than all the eloquence of antient fages and learned philofophers,

But the greatest advantage of meditation is, that it will bring us acquainted with God. Acquaint now thyfelf with him, and be at

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peace," is the language of holy writ; and certain it is, that till we are acquainted with him, there can be no true peace. It is therefore an ineftimable advantage of meditation, that it is the means of bringing about this acquaintance. It gives us the opportunity of confidering

confidering his glorious being and perfections; which will imprint an awful reverence of his. majefty on our minds.-It acquaints us with his all-feeing care and univerfal prefence ; which will confirm our reliance on his providence. It teaches us, that he is the Father of the friendless and diftreffed; which will embolden us to approach his throne, pour out our griefs before him, and make known our wants. It informs us, that nothing happens in heaven or in earth without his direction or permiffion; and therefore will instruct us to look up with comfort to him, on all occafions; as knowing that both we and our's are fafe under the shadow of his wings, fo long as we endeavour to deferve his favour and protection. And can there be a greater confolation than this, to a frail and helpless being like man;-to know that he is always under the care of an Almighty Governor, who fees all his wants, and whofe perfections are hourly employed for his welfare and fupport? Surely, therefore, it is every man's intereft, as well as his duty, to make himself acquainted with this glorious being, and to meditate day and night on all his wonderous works; that when all the vain friendships of

the

the world fhall fail, and the world itself be

"anchor of the

These are some of the advantages of meditation. Many others, I dare fay, your own understanding, and, I hope, your own experience, will suggest to you. Give me leave however to mention two or three cautions, which may be of use to thofe, who wish to these or any other advantages from reli

reap
gious meditation,

The firft is, that this meditation must not be fuperficial or irregular. Many are apt to fancy that they practise this duty, if they now and then make a few reflections, at fome hour of seriousness or mortification, when they are out of humour with the world, or incapable of relishing its pleasures. I would not willingly difcourage even the smallest dawnings of piety. But, I am afraid, these irregular and temporary starts of meditation are of little use. They are only what the Apostle calls "looking in a glafs, and ftraitway forgetting "what manner of men we are. But the truth is, it is the duty of a Christian to meditate

and

and confider at all times: every night should account to God and his confcience for the follies of the day; fince none of us can tell, whether we may live to do it to-morrow.

Secondly, this confideration or meditation. must be univerfal: it must extend to all our fins and follies, to all parts of our duty to God and man, and to all the branches of our holy Religion. It is the fault, I fear, of too many, to fatisfy themselves with repenting of fome fins, though they ftill retain one favourite. vice or darling luft. Others again endeavour to improve the fervour of their faith and devotion by frequently meditating on what Christ has done for them, but do not care to remember what they are to do for themselves. And I think I may, without any violation of Christian candour, fay, that this fpecies of delufion has been too much encouraged by thofe ignorant teachers, who, by laying an undue stress upon the efficacy of faith, have led many of their followers to fuppose that Chrift has done fo much for them, that they need do nothing for themfelves. But the true religion of Christ will teach us, to extend our thoughts and practice to all thofe great

great moral duties, which neceffarily fpring out of a true faith; and whilst we gratefully acknowledge and meditate upon the great things which Christ has done for us, to remember that there are alfo great things, which we are to do for ourselves.

Thirdly, as our meditations, on the one hand, ought not to be cold and languid, fo they ought to be carefully guarded against vifionary flights and enthusiastic fervours on the other. Meditation, when it is the child of genuine devotion, and under the guidance of a fober mind, is one of the nobleft employments of human nature. But if it be fuffered to run out into all the extravagancies of a heated imagination, if it blow men up with an idea of their own fingular importance, if it fill their minds with ungrounded notions of fecret illapfes and particular illuminations of the divine Spirit, if it lead them to despise human ordinances as unprofitable or unneceffary, if it tend to withdraw men from the world, or from a discharge of the proper duties of life,-it then becomes dangerous and ridiculous, and rather deferves our contempt than our admiration.

For