ful tribunal; but may lead my life in this world fo watchfully, piously, righteoufly, foberly, and circumfpectly, that death may waft me over to the joys of a better life; and when I leave this world I may go to thee, the fountain of goodness, and rest of holy fouls! Amen, Amen, bleffed Jefus.

VIII. Upon occafion of just having taken my Degree of Batchelor of Arts

W tience, does every one wait for the leaft ho

WITH how great defire, and even impa

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nour or advantage in this world! How earneftly does our foul pant after the leaft accommodation which it fancies will pleafe, trim, and adorn it and make it look a little confiderable in the eyes of the reft of mankind? with what heat, paffion, and ardour of affection, are honours, dignities, and promotions, fought after; as if they were an effential ingredient in beatitude; and, as if they would make a mighty acceffion to the heap of those goods, the accumulation of which is fuppofed to contain that which nature does incline us all to, plenary and perfect happiness. This is the cafe of mankind when they are in the pursuit of honour and advantage. But when the defire is accomplished, the dignity arrived at, instead of proving a tree of life (the emblem of compleat beatitude, and perfect contentment) as the fatisfaction of reafonable defires is to the wife and moderate; it not seldom becomes a vexatious burthen; and we have more reason to wish it off our gall'd shoulders, than before we had to pursue it fo furiously. But here what do men generally do in this cafe? Do they renounce and defpife the gaudy happiness with which they are adorned?

Do

Do they quietly return to their former condition? No fuch matter: the gilded, and varnished troubles pleases awhile, and though they feel themfelves no better, perhaps worse at eafe within, yet to be look'd at, and cring'd to, makes full amends for all other things. And fuch a one doubts not the next degree, the next step of preferment, the next apartment in the temple of honour, will fully fatisfy, and recompenfe his late disappointment, and fo with as fwift a wing he fpeeds on to the next stage of dignity, as he did to that which he is now poffeffed of; which, when arrived at, in the fame manner pleases and takes with him awhile, till at laft he is fated and cloy'd with what he fo ambitiously courted: yet he will not leave his beloved evil, his tickling torture; but infenfible of his redoubled experience, vainly promises to himself peace, comfort, and full fatisfaction, if he may be allowed to climb one degree higher; till at last, when he has this his ultimate with, he grows giddy with the height, and falls lower than ever he was before, the example of the prudent, and laughter of fools. All this while I may feem to fhoot very wide off the mark, and not to confider on what occafion I am meditating. But if it be confidered that small and great honour differ but in degree; and that a tradefman will be as earneft for the mayoralty of a small town, as a duke for a kingdom proportionably; it will appear I have not wholly deviated from my propofed fubject. For at Cambridge I will maintain fome will look as big, and be as proud and conceited upon the change of a year, or the obtaining the degree of batchelor, as Alexander on the conquefts of India; or Cæfar on his victory over Pompey his rival for the empire of the world. Nay, you fhall fee a Soph, who never yet faw eighteen, as high and lordly, as hectoring and imperious, as if he was newly

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made emperor in Utopia. So much does the defire of honour, and the fancy of being above others, prevail in all mankind. But to come close to the point. When I seriously confider my degree, and the duties belonging to it, or that are like to be fubfequent of it, fuch as being at liberty, and at one's own difpofe; and more from under the care of tutors and overfeers; being thereby obliged to greater gravity, ferioufnefs, and to carry one's felf like men and fcholars; the being fhortly to be employ'd, if God fpare life and health, in the facred, and vaftly important office of the miniftry; and fuch like. These confiderations, I fay, rather induce me to follicitude, and fervent prayer to God Almighty, that he would be pleased to take care of me, and enable me to discharge faithfully the feveral duties I am, or may hereafter be called to. I have very great caufe I confefs of adoring, bleffing, and celebrating the name of my good God, who has kept me hitherto through all the dangers of infancy, childhood, and youth, and preferved me untainted from any of thofe notorious vices which abound. every where, and especially who has been my guide, helper, and father, at Cambridge, where I have been far from my dear mother, and kind relations, and fo more immediately committed to the Almighty's providence; and here, indeed, I have had various, and great inftances of the tender care, and bleffing of God, in preferving my foul free from thofe infectious vices which the university too much abounds withal; though I must acknowledge, with fhame and regret, that I have often been chill'd and cool'd in my religion, with the conftant worldly difcourfe, and converfe; and the rare examples, among my equals, of a lively fenfe of God and religion; and with the too formal, though frequent and re-iterated exercife of

public devotion: though I fay, from these things, and my own backwardness, and want of ferious improvement of facraments, fabbaths, and those many excellent fermons I have heard here, I cannot brag of much improvement as to my fpiritual concerns; yet God has by no means been wanting with his grace, both preventing and affifting to me, and has continued his mercy alfo to me to this very moment: and, in particular, has fo far preferved my health, under a weak frame of body, that I have never been fo ill for any time as not to be able to help myfelf, and fo commit myself to fome who oft prove murderers, if reports be true, instead of nurfes. This I efteem a very great favour, for methinks I could be content, if it pleafed God, to endure much more fickness under the care of my mother and friends, than at Cambridge, where I cannot have those comforts and fupports both for foul and body, as in the country I may reasonably expect, from thofe who have as well a nearer relation, as a greater affection for me. To my great and chief benefactor therefore

do I addrefs myself.

O thou Father of mercies, through whom I was born; who hast exercised a particular care and providence over me in foul and body all my life long; who haft led me fafely through the various stages of infancy, childhood, and youth; and haft efpecially manifefted the care of my eternal intereft, Ŏ thou lover of fouls, in giving me pious parents, and inclining my heart to thee early, in keeping me out of temptation, and in preventing my going aftray from thee, efpecially at Cambridge, where fo many temptations on every fide did furround me; accept of this unfeigned facrifice of praife and thanksgiving, which I offer to thy Majefty, for all these, and all other thy innumerable and undeferved benefits to me; who am lefs than

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than the leaft of all thy mercies; and a miferable offender against thy divine Majefty, and holy laws. To thee I defire to offer all laud, love, adoration, and bleffing, for all these thy infinite favours. What am I, O Lord, that thou shouldst fo regard me, and be fo loth that I should perifh? what am I but duft and afhes, that the Lord of Glory fhould lead me by the hand to this comfortable time, and not fuffer my enemies to triumph over me? I thank thee for my life, health, food, cloathing, preservation, protection, kind relations, and friends, and all other the mercies thou haft heaped upon me as to this world; but above all, for what concerns another, the constant affiftance of thy grace, checks of my confcience, happy providences, and every thing elfe that thou haft done in order to my falvation. To thee do I

dedicate and devote myself foul and body, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively facrifice, to be always employed in religion, or innocence, to do thy will, and obey all thy commandments. Do thou therefore pardon all my past fins, and grant me thy grace, that hereafter I may always be dying to fin, and rifing again to righteoufnefs, continually mortifying all my evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godlinefs of living. That I may perform every truft and duty incumbent on me faithfully, and with an upright heart, do thou direct me as to my choice of my condition of life, and in all things in which I may ftand in need of, that wifdom which only flows from thee its fource and fountain: and in whatsoever employment or place thy providence fhall call me to, that I may obtain mercy to be faithful; and may always endeavour to have a confcience void of offence towards thee, and towards all men; that when thou fhalt call me out of this world, I may be willing to depart, and to be