Hereunto all the things before-mentioned, are necessary; know not how any of them can be abated, yea, more is required than is expressed in them. If you burn this roll, another must be written, and many like things must be added unto it. And the objection from the expense of time in the observance of them, is of no force. For a man may do as much work whilst he is spiritually minded, as whilst he is carnal. Spiritual thoughts will no more hinder you in your callings than those that are vain and earthly, which all sorts of men can find leisure for in the midst of their employments. If you have filled a vessel with chaff, yet you may pour into it a great deal of water, which will be contained in the same space and vessel. And if it be necessary that you should take in much of the chaff of the world into your minds, yet are they capable of such measures of grace as shall preserve them sincere unto God.

Fifthly, This frame will never be preserved, nor the duties mentioned be ever performed in a due manner, unless we dedicate some part of our time peculiarly unto them. I speak unto them only concerning whom I suppose that they do daily set apart some portion of time unto holy duties, as prayer and reading of the word, and they find by experience that it succeeds well with them. For the most part, if they lose their seasons, they lose their duties. For some have complained, that the urgency of business, and multiplicity of occasions driving them at first from the fixed time of their duties, hath brought them into a course of neglecting duty itself. Wherefore it is our wisdom to set apart constantly some part of our time, unto the exercise of our thoughts about spiritual things in the way of meditation. And I shall close this discourse with some directions in this particular, unto them who complain of their disability for the discharge of this duty.

1. Choose and separate a fit time or season, a time of freedom from other occasions and diversions. And because it is our duty to redeem time with respect unto holy duties, such a season may be the more useful, the more the purchase of it stands us in. We are not at any time to serve God with what costs us nought, nor with any time that comes within the same rule. If we will allow only the refuse of our time unto this duty, when we have nothing else to do, and

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it may be, through weariness of occasions are fit for nothing else, we are not to expect any great success in it. This is one pregnant reason why men are so cold and formal, so lifeless in spiritual duties, namely, the times and seasons which they allot unto them. When the body is wearied with the labour and occasions of the day, and, it may be, the mind in its natural faculties indisposed, even by the means of necessary refreshment, men think themselves meet to treat with God about the great concernments of his glory, and their own souls. This is that which God condemneth by his prophet, Mal. i. 8. And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person?' Both the law of nature, and all the laws of holy institutions, do require that we should serve God with the best that we have, as all the fat of the inwards was to be offered in sacrifice. think to offer that time unto God, wherein we are unmeet to appear before an earthly ruler? Yet such in my account are the seasons, especially the evening seasons, that most men choose for the duties of their holy worship. And you may do well to consider that beyond the day and time which he hath taken unto himself by an everlasting law, how little of the choice of your time you have offered unto God as a free-will offering, that you may be excited to future diligence. If therefore you seriously intend this duty, choose the seasons for it wherein you are most fit, when even the natural vigour of your spirits is most free and active. Possibly some will say, this may be such a time as when the occasions of the world do call most earnestly for your attendance unto them. I say that is the season I would recommend. And if you can conquer your minds to redeem it for God at any rate, your endeavours in it will be prosperous. However, trust not to times that will offer themselves. Take them not up at hazard. Let the time itself be a free-will offering to God, taken from the top of the heap, or the choicest part of your useful time.

2. Preparation of mind unto a due reverence of God and spiritual things, is required previously hereunto. When we go about this duty, if we rush into thoughts of heavenly things without a due reverential preparation, we shall

quickly find ourselves at a loss. See the rule, Eccles. v. 1, 2. 'Grace to serve God with reverence and godly fear,' is required in all things wherein we have to do with him, as in this duty we have in an immediate and especial manner. Endeavour therefore, in the first place, to get your hearts deeply affected with an awful reverence of God, and a holy regard unto the heavenly nature of the things you would meditate upon. Hereby your minds will be composed, and the roots of other thoughts, be they vain or earthly, which are apt to arise and divert you from this duty, will be cast The principles of these contrary thoughts are like Jacob and Esau, they struggle in the same womb, and oftentimes Esau will come first forth, and for awhile seem to carry the birthright. If various thoughts do conflict in our minds, some for this world, and some for another, those for this world may carry it for a season. But where a due reverence of God hath cast out the bond-woman and her children,' the workings of the flesh in its vain thoughts and imaginations, the mind will be at liberty to exercise itself on spiritual things.

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3. Earnest desires after a renewed sense and relish of spiritual things are required hereunto. If we engage into this duty merely on a conviction of the necessity of it, or set ourselves about it because we think we ought to do so, and it will not be well done utterly to neglect it, we may not expect to be successful in it. But when the soul hath at any time tasted that the Lord is gracious, when its meditations on him have been sweet, when spiritual things have had a savour and relish in the mind and affections, and hereon it comes unto this duty with earnest desires to have the like tastes, the like experience, yea, to have them increased; then is it in the way of a hopeful progress. And this also will make us persevere in our endeavours to go through with what we undertake; namely, when we do know by former experience what is to be attained by it, if we dig and search for it as a treasure.

If you shall think that the right discharge of this duty may be otherwise attained; if you suppose that it deserves not all this cost and charge about it; judge by what is past, whether it be not advisable to give it over and let it alone. As good lie quietly on the ground, as continually attempt

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to rise, and never once effect it. Remember how many successless attempts you have made upon it, and all have come to nothing, or that which is as bad as nothing. I cannot say that in this way you shall always succeed; but I fear you will never have success in this duty, without such things as are of the same nature and use with it.

When after this preparation, you find yourselves yet perplexed and entangled, not able comfortably to persist in spiritual thoughts, unto your refreshment, take these two directions for your relief.

1. Cry and sigh to God for help and relief. Bewail the darkness, weakness, and instability of your minds, so as to groan within yourselves for deliverance. And if your designed meditations do issue only in a renewed gracious sense of your own weakness and insufficiency, with application unto God for supplies of strength, they are by no means lost as unto a spiritual account. The thoughts of Hezekiah in his meditations did not seem to have any great order or consistency, when he so expressed them: Like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter; I did mourn as a dove mine eyes failed with looking upwards: O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me;' Isa. xxxviii. 14. When the soul labours sincerely for communion with God, but sinks into broken, confused thoughts under the weight of its own weakness, yet if he looks to God for relief, his chattering and mourning will be accepted with God, and profitable unto himself.

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2. Supply the brokenness of your thoughts with ejaculatory prayers, according as either the matter of them, or your defect in the management of them, doth require. So was it with Hezekiah in the instance before-mentioned: where his own meditations were weak and broken, he cries out in the midst of them, O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.' And meditation is properly a mixture of spiritual apprehension of God and heavenly things, in the thoughts and conceptions of the mind, with desires and supplications thereon.

It is good and profitable to have some special designed subject of meditation in our thoughts. I have at large declared before what things are the proper objects of the thoughts of them that are spiritually minded. But they may be more peculiarly considered as the matter of designed

meditation. And they may be taken out of some especial spiritual experience that we have lately had, or some warnings we have received of God, or something wherewith we have been peculiarly affected in the reading or preaching of the word, or what we find the present posture and frame of our minds and souls to require; or that which supplies all most frequently, the person and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. If any thing of this nature be peculiarly designed, antecedently unto this duty, and a season be sought for it with respect thereunto, the mind will be fixed and kept from wandering after variety of subjects, wherein it is apt to lose itself, and brings nothing to perfection.

Lastly, Be not discouraged with an apprehension, that all you can attain unto in the discharge of this duty is so little, so contemptible, as that it is to no purpose to persist in it: nor be wearied with the difficulties you meet withal in its performance. You have to do with him only in this matter, who will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax ;' whose will it is, that none should despise the day of small things. And if there be in this duty a ready mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not. He that can bring into this treasure only the mites of broken desires and ejaculatory prayers, so they be his best, shall not come behind them who cast into it out of their greater abundance in ability and skill. To faint and give out because we cannot arise unto such a height as we aim at, is a fruit of pride and unbelief. He who finds himself to gain nothing by continual endeavours after holy fixed meditations, but only a living active sense of his own vileness and unworthiness, is a sufficient gainer by all his pains, cost, and charge. ordinarily it shall not be so; constancy in the duty will give ability for it. Those who conscientiously abide in its performance, shall increase in light, wisdom, and experience, until they are able to manage it with great success. These few plain directions may possibly be of some use unto the weaker sort of Christians, when they find a disability in themselves unto the discharge of this duty, wherein those who are spiritually minded ought to be peculiarly exercised.

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