mands, and the strictest rules of thy great profession, then bring all those glories back again to thy contemplation, and renew thy meditations on this great and endless reward, that will at last requite thy care, and crown thy victory for neither all the approaches and censures of the careless world, nor all the seeming irksomeness of a perpetual devotion, nor the utmost self-denial in the voluntary loss of all worldly pleasure, will be able to deter thee from a vigorous exercise of piety and holiness, if thou hast a due respect to this glorious recompence of reward.

THE PRAYER.

O adorable and ever blessed Trinity! whose presence fills the kingdom of heaven with ineffable joy and everlasting happiness, make me so sensible, I beseech thee, of the vanity of all things here below, and the greatness of the joys above, that I may freely yield to exchange all the transitory comforts of this frail life, for the great enjoyments of that which is eternal: So help me in this my pilgrimage, that I may not miss the way to life, though it be narrow, nor at least be denied an entrance into thy kingdom, though the gate be strait and since the deepest sufferings of this life are not to be com

pared to the glories that shall he revealed, give me grace to rejoice, and be thankful for all my afflictions, and triumph in my sorrows here. Grant, O my God! that the certainty of another life, and a due respect to those joys into which but few do enter, may encourage me to lead such a life here as too few do live: Let me be ever ready for the coming of my Lord, the Bridegroom of my soul; and have my oil in my lamp; that when he comes, I may enter with him, and be a joyful partaker of his glories: That there I may join my hallelujahs with the rest of the sacred choir and hierarchy of blessed spirits, in celebrating the praises, and admiring the perfections of God the Father, Son, and Holy

Ghost, and sing eternal songs of thanksgiving to thee, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE CONTEMPT OF THE WORLD.

I CANNOT but contragulate thee, O my soul! and exceedingly rejoice for the happy change thou hast made, in parting with the foolish pleasures, and despising the riches of the perplexed world, to have thy whole conversation in heaven, and with the greater freedom enjoy thy God; and, by a life of virtue here, to prepare for a life of endless glory hereafter. And I now find that delight and satisfaction in the heavenly course I have

begun, that I am resolved to be no more entangled with these affairs below, so as to neglect the sure and most lasting joys above. No; millions of wealth, and full ages of mirth and sensual pleasures joined together, shall never allure or draw me back to the busy world again: For what didst thou ever find, O my soul! in all thy converse in it, that could either satisfy thy desires, or defend thee from the just anger of thy offended God? or from the temptations of thy spiritual and most bitter enemy? I have indeed been earnest in the pursuit of whatever the world calls great or pleasant; I have sought for it in mirth and jollity, amongst the celebrated companions of humour and briskness, but I quickly found myself