the devil when tempted by him and that day come upon me unawares. h There be two sorts of sins especially, against which my blessed Redeemer hath commanded me to watch, that the day of the Lord-surprise me not: first, "surfeiting and drunkenness "," or the pleasures of the flesh; secondly, "the cares of the world," or ambition and covetousness against these grand enemies, which continually war against my soul, it concerns me continually also to watch and pray. Blessed Lord, let not, I humbly beseech Thee, any importunate cravings of this corruptible flesh seduce me, nor the flattering false felicities of worldly wealth and dignity deceive me; but grant, that I being free from all pollutions both from the one and the other, may await Thy coming, in all holy but humble confidence, to be ranked not amongst the cursed goats on Thy left hand, but amongst Thy blessed sheep on the right hand, and hear that joyful sentence, saying, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you, from the beginning of the world." Grant this, O heavenly Father, &c. Our Father, which art in Heaven, &c. The XXVIth Psalm paraphrased. 1. "Be Thou my Judge, O Lord;" not to condemn me for my sins, but to accept of my services, though imperfect and weak: "for I have walked innocently:" not according to the innocency of Thy saints in Heaven, but according to that of frail man upon earth. Neither do I herein presume to justify myself, but "my trust hath been also in the Lord" it is not my in Mat. xxvi. 41. |nocency, but the Lord's mercy I rely upon, and "therefore shall I not fall" in the day of judgment. 2. "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me :" now is the time, assisted by Thy allpiercing Spirit, to examine myself, in order to my grand examination in that day: 66 try out my reins and my heart; as the silver is tried when the dross is purged out, and this even in the h Luke xxi. 84. furnace of affliction if it so seemeth good unto Thee that my reins and my heart may be cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit; and yet even so I dare not undergo Thy strict and severe examination of me, but with reflections upon Thine immense goodness. 3. "For Thy loving kindness is ever before mine eyes:" it is my constant meditation, my hope and my refuge : "and I will walk in Thy truth" inwardly delighting and outwardly performing the commands thereof and that I may do this, ungodly," so as to continue and be delighted with the errors of their ways. 6. "I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord:" with the tears of true repentance I will wash the sinful works of my hands, and keep them clean and innocent for the future: "and so," not in my sins unrepented," will I go to Thine altar," to offer up vows and prayers with the precious Body and Blood of my Saviour. 7. "That I may shew the voice of thanksgiving:" publicly declare the great thanks and praise which is due to Thy Divine Majesty: "and tell of all Thy wondrous works;" joining with the ministers of Thy temple in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, wherein Thy great works both of mercy and judgment are celebrated. 4. "I have not dwelt with vain persons," made my abode with such as follow the pomps and vanities of this wicked world: "neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful:" I have not so delighted in the society, as to be tainted by the evil 8. To this end, "Lord, I examples of such as through have loved the habitation of their deceivable lusts keep | Thy house," the place where not the covenant they have Thou inhabitest more espemade with their God: nor cially than any other houses: is it enough to avoid the and it is my delight to society, but come to this house, because it is "the place where Thine honour dwelleth;" where the honour of Thy name is continually celebrated: for ' in His temple doth every man speak of His honour." 5. "I have hated the congregation of the wicked:" not their persons, but their wickedness and all their consultations to do evil: "and will not sit among the 9. And since it is the joy lution of my soul: “O deof my heart to join with liver me," through the preThy people in the praise of cious blood of my Redeemer, Thy name, O shut not up which was shed for my demy soul with the sinners liverance; defend me from though in this world I can- all my ghostly enemies that not altogether escape their would destroy mine innotemptation and trouble, yet cence: "and be merciful unto rank me not amongst them me;" let Thy mercy both in the world to come: 66 pardon my by-past transmy life with the blood-gressions, and support me thirsty;" let me not perish through all the perils of with the cruel, uncharitable this mortal life. and covetous of the world. nor 10. "In whose hands is wickedness;" the works of whose hands are unjust and destructive: "and their right hand is full of gifts;" even their righteous actions are for bribes, and sinister ends transacted and such are all they who make a gain of godliness. 11. "But as for me," though others pursue their worldly interests through injustice and bribery, yet "I will walk innocently;" that is the desire and reso 12. My foot standeth right" fixed in my affections to cleave unto Thee, and "I will praise the Lord in the congregations:" in the assemblies of the Lord's people, in the house where His honour dwelleth and so shall I hope to be hereafter admitted into the blissful company of Angels and Saints to praise the Lord for ever; saying, Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. The XLIIIrd Psalm Paraphrased. 1. "Give sentence with me, O God:" when I stand before Thee to be judged according to my works done in the body, whether good or evil, O then "defend my cause against the ungodly me people :" plead for against all the accusations of men, women, devils, in whose company, or by whose temptations, I have done any evil: "O deliver me from the deceitful and wick ed man," that I be not ranked amongst such upon the left hand of unrighteousness and infelicity. 2. "For Thou art the God of my strength;" by whom I am enabled to resist all my ghostly enemies: "why hast Thou put me from Thee,” leaving me to mine own weak, frail, and sinful self? And this is the reason, "why go I so heavily," in the ways of Thy service, and of mine own salvation, "whilst the enemy oppresseth me:" being destitute of Thy help, the grand enemy of God and man overpowers me with his temptations and assaults; but that I may manfully resist and overcome, 66 3. O send out Thy light and Thy truth," the light of Thy grace, and the truth of Thy righteousness, which discerns the cause of the righteous from the ungodly, "that they may lead me' out of all the errors of this sinful life; that, being separated from all the allurements and society of the ungodly, they "may bring me to Thy holy hill," where Thy temple is situate, "and to Thy dwelling," the place where Thine honour dwelleth. 4. "And that I may go to the altar of God," both sacramental and mystical: upon the altar of my heart to offer up my whole self, to be a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, "even the God of my joy and gladness," Who makes glad my heart by the consolations of His Holy Spirit when I арproach His altar: “and upon the harp," which is an instrument of a triangular figure, and represents the heart of man; wherewithal "I will give thanks unto Thee," O Holy and everblessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God over all, blessed for ever, and my God, even the God of my joy and worship, my glory and my crown! O then, 5. "Why art thou heavy, O my soul?" There is no sorrow but for sin, because this alone separateth the soul from the God of all consolation: "and why art thou so disquieted within me?" It is thy unquiet passions, and unruly lusts, which disturb thy reason, and withdraw thee thus disquieted from a sincere dependance upon thy God; but return, return unto thy rest, O my soul. 6. "O put thy trust in God:" all thy sorrows and and well-being, even the God of all that I am, and distempers are from thyself, "He is the help of my countenance," the lightsome gladness of my heart; "and my God," both of my being have, and all that I hope to be; which is to enjoy the beatifical vision of His Divine Majesty, for ever to sing, Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. THE THIRD GENERAL MEDITATION UPON THE PAINS OF HELL. indignation which resteth upon sinners, is a fierce wrath, and a terrible, it is not in the power of frail man to sustain the fury of it. Many are the opinions | Thee; for Thy wrath and and disputes, and too curious also the disquisitions, touching the place, and nature, matter, manner, and duration of the pains of hell; but it would be more Christian prudence strictly to search and find out those crooked, deceitful and polluted paths which lead to that dismal place of torments, that we may decline and avoid them. It is surely better by much not to feel by woeful experience the miseries of the damned, than exactly to know, and accurately to discourse of them. And may this be ever my study, blessed Lord, my continual care, and fear, and constant endeavour, not in the least particular to sin against MEDITATION I. Of the Pain of Loss. As there are two general parts of every sin in this life committed: 1. An aversion from the Creator; 2. A conversion to the creature: so there are two general kinds of punishment for sin in the life to come : 1. The punishment of loss; 2. The pain of sense. The first, and it is esteemed by many holy Fathers the greatest of hell torments, is that which is called by divines the pain of |