mercy grant us to grow up in his fear and love, to his heavenly kingdom."

Here, from his advice to one of his friends, we may learn his own practice; and from the information of those, who had the best opportunities of knowing the secrets of his heart, I can affirm, that the fervency and humility of his devotions were answerable to their constancy. His posture was the most lowly he could contrive; he not only kneeled, but frequently lay prostrate upon the floor, and had such strong emotions in his soul, as often expressed themselves in a flood of tears and as to his posture, he not only chose that which was most expressive of humility and reverence; but that which came nearest to our Saviour's example in his prayer before his passion; or as he does in one place very well express it: "I put myself into that posture, O my most gracious Saviour, in which thou didst endure thy dreadful agony, of which I cannot think without horror, because thou wert the Son of God who sufferedst it; and because it was my sins that occasioned it."

In his family he had constant prayers He had constant prayers every night, and in the morning too, when in his family. he was not hindered by business, which called him early abroad, or brought company unseasonably to him; a misfortune which he very much regretted, whenever it befel him. And he not only prayed with his family, but read the Scriptures to them; and a good portion of them at a time, as his health and time allowed. This is the more to be taken notice of, because it is a most neglected, though most necessary part of religious worship; particularly

among our gentry, who, either through want of religion, or evil shame, have turned the worship of God quite out of their families; which is attended with this fatal consequence, that their servants, and too often their children, are trained up in such a seandalous neglect of God and religion, as very often ends in their eternal ruin.

Was very

constant at

of the

the prayers

church.

But he did not think it enough to serve God in private, and pray with his family he considered besides all this the too; duty and benefits of attending the public service of the church; which, during the greater part of his life, he did twice every day; and from which seldom any thing kept him but want of health. And when the hurry of his business hindered him from keeping constantly to one church, and hour of public prayer, he would use all his art to get prayers at some church or other, though not exactly at the time when he most desired them; such different notions had he of his duty, from the generality of the world; who will allege, not only business, but trifles, as an excuse for their absence from the house of God!

His behaviour at our public prayers was so devout and grave, so intent and composed, as could not but stir up the affections of all who observed it. Talking or sleeping in the house of God was a great offence to him; and when once prayers began, he took no notice of any about him; and was always troubled at those unseasonable salutes, wherein too many allow themselves in time of divine service; condemning that practice, as one of the greatest indecencies of our church.

It has been already observed, that when he came early to church, and was so happy as to get a retired place, he continued at his private devotions until the public service began, or a very little before: and how he employed those happy moments of privacy and devotion in the house of God, the following prayer, mentioned as used by him in the church, before morning prayer began, will shew.

Behold, O Lord, this portion of thy family, whom in this place thou hast so often graciously visited and favoured; and who have addicted and given up themselves to thy service; are here met together, in behalf of ourselves, and of the rest of our happy number; and of all our Christian brethren, even thy whole church. We beseech thee to unite our hearts more and more in thyself; that we may have but one heart, and one mind, as we have but one design, one aim, and hope. Let us now welcome each other (with hearts full of love and joy) into thy presence, as we hope one day to welcome each other into thy presence in glory. Let our civil respects (before thy service begins) be such hearty and holy salutations as the blessed Elizabeth gave to the mother of our Lord: and may we have leave to say to each other, Hail, thou that art favoured of God, the Lord is with thee.' Behold we come with united hearts, to beg of thee the confirming of thy grace and favour to us; we come to present ourselves before thee, with most thankful acknowledgments for thy mercies received ; and to adore thee, who hast so graciously visited us. We come humbly to implore of thee strength against our respective temptations and difficulties in life; to

beseech thee to supply all our weaknesses, to make us happily victorious against all our corruptions; and more than conquerors, through thee who hast loved us. But, O our bountiful Lord God! if it be such joy to meet those whom we love, now in thy presence; what will it be to meet ten thousand glorified spirits, each of which we shall love infinitely more in thy kingdom of glory, than we can do any creature here! Glory be to thee, O Lord of glory and of love, who hast given us such present pleasure in thy service, and such comfortable hopes of those eternal good things which thou hast prepared for them that love thee. Amen."

His esteem for

He had the justest value, and highest veneration for that great repository of the Liturgy of true devotion, the Liturgy of our Church;

the Church..

for which his regard was not in the least abated by the great fervour of his private prayers. For though his devotion was very intense, and full of life and warmth; yet it was calm and governable, and confined within the strictest bounds of sobriety and reason. And such awful apprehensions had he, of the presence of God; so cautious was he of uttering any thing rash with his mouth, before his adorable Majesty; that even his private prayers were a well-digested form from which he sometimes varied, according to the particular wants and desires of his soul; though even these variations he usually put in writing; and to that purpose, had his prayers reduced to heads, in several columns, with blanks for his additions and variations; frequently reviewing and correcting the whole. But for all public occasions,

for congregations gathered in churches; he esteemed forms of prayer not only expedient, but necessary. And such right notions had he of the usefulness of them, and of that popular, but mistaken phrase, "of praying by the Spirit ;" that I shall here give the reader his thoughts of both, in his own words.

"Perhaps some of us have been too zealous in crying down this phrase of 'praying by the Spirit :' it is certain that all good men have the Spirit of Christ inspiring them with the temper of Christianity. This temper breeds in them good desires; and nature furnishes these desires with fit and suitable expressions. It is the inspiring us with these holy desires, flowing from the temper of Christianity, which is the peculiar work of the Spirit of God. Thus the Spirit of God speaks in us, and makes intercession for us, with these holy desires, with which it inspires us; and, therefore, the expression may be very well allowed, that holy men so inspired do pray by the Spirit. But as upon an extraordinary occasion, I should not refuse to join with a holy man in such an extemporary prayer; (God forbid I should!) so for ordinary occasions, since the Spirit comes and goes, and the most holy man has not always such immediate influences from it; I should think, that prayers composed by holy men, set apart for that work, and desiring the assistance of God's Spirit to it, should have a greater portion of his Spirit in them, than any other constant extemporary prayer. And for a man's private use, the occasions of his soul do seldom so much vary, but that by degrees, and the constant exercise of this duty, he must come up to a kind of form, or way of ex