IF Mundanus fees a book of devotion, he paffes it by, as he does a spelling-book, because he remembers that he learn'd to pray fo many years ago under his mother, when he learnt to spell.

Now how poor and pitiable is the conduct of this man of fenfe, who has fo much judgment and underftanding in every thing, but that which is the whole wifdom of man ?

AND how miferably do many people, more or lefs imitate this conduct?

ALL which feems to be owing to a strange infatuated ftate of negligence, which keeps people from confidering what devotion is. For if they did but once pro. ceed fo far, as to reflect about it, or ask themselves any questions concerning it, they would foon fee, that the fpirit of devotion was like any other fenfe or underftanding, that is only to be improv'd by study, care, application, and the ufe of fuch means and helps, as are neceffary to make a man a proficient in any art, or fcience.

Clafficus is a man of learning, and well vers'd in all the best authors of antiquity. He has read them fo much, that he has enter'd into their fpirit, and can very ingenioufly imitate the manner of any of them. All their thoughts are his thoughts, and he can exprefs himself in their language. He is fo great a friend to this improvement of the mind, that if he lights of a young scholar he never fails to advife him concerning his ftudies.

Clafficus tells his young man, he must not think that he has done enough, when he has only learnt languages; but that he must be daily converfant with the beft authors, read them again and again, catch their fpirit by living with them, and that there is no other way of becoming like them, or of making himself a man of tafte and judgment.

How wife might Clafficus have been, and how much good might he have done in the world, if he had but thought as justly of devotion, as he does of learning?

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He never, indeed, fays any thing shocking or offenfive about devotion, because he never thinks, or talks about it. It fuffers nothing from him, but neglect and difregard.

THE two teftaments would not have had fo much as a place amongst his books, but that they are both to be had in Greek.

Clafficus thinks that he fufficiently fhews his regard for the holy fcripture, when he tells you, that he has no other books of piety befides them.

Ir is very well, Clafficus, that you prefer the bible to all other books of piety; he has no judgment, that is not thus far of your opinion.

Bur if you will have no other book of piety befides the Bible, because it is the best, How comes it, Clafficus, that you don't content your felf with one of the best books amongst the Greeks and Romans? How comes it that you are fo greedy and eager after all of them? How comes it that you think the knowledge of one is a neceffary help to the knowledge of the other? How comes it that you are fo earneft, fo laborious, fo expenfive of your time and money to reftore broken periods, and fcraps of the ancients?

your

How comes it that you read fo many Commentators upon Cicero, Horace, and Homer, and not one upon the gospel? How comes it that love of Cicero, and Ovid, makes you love to read an author that writes like them; and yet your esteem for the gospel give you no defire, nay, prevents your reading fuch books, as breathe the very spirit of the gospel?

How comes it that you tell your young Scholar, he must not content himself with barely understanding his authors, but must be continually reading them all, as the only means of entering into their spirit, and forming his own judgment according to them?

WHY then must the Bible lie alone in your study? Is not the fpirit of the faints, the piety of the holy followers of Jefus Chrift, as good and neceffary a means of entering into the fpirit and taste of the gol

pel,

pel, as the reading of the ancients is of entering into the fpirit of antiquity?

Is the spirit of poetry only to be got by much reading of poets and orators? And is not the fpirit of devotion to be got in the fame way, by frequent reading the holy thoughts, and pious ftrains of devout men ?

Is your young poet to fearch after every line, that may give new wings to his fancy, or direct his imagination? And is it not as reasonable for him, who. defires to improve in the divine life, that is, in the love of heavenly things, to fearch after every ftrain of devotion, that may move, kindle, and inflame the holy ardour of his foul?

Do you advise your Orator to tranflate the best orations, to commit much of them to memory, to be frequently exercifing his talent in this manner, that habits of thinking and speaking juftly may be formed in his mind? And is there not the fame benefit and advantage to be made by books of devotion? Should not a man use them in the fame way, that habits of devotion, and afpiring to God in holy thoughts, may. be well form'd in his foul?

Now the reafon why Clafficus does not think and judge thus reafonably of devotion, is owing to his never thinking of it in any other manner, than as the repeating a form of words. It never in his life enter'd into his head, to think of devotion as a state of the heart, as an improveable talent of the mind, as a temper that is to grow and increase like our reafon and judgment, and to be form'd in us by fuch a regular diligent ufe of proper means, as are neceffary to form any other wife habit of mind.

AND it is for want of this, that he has been content all his life with the bare letter of prayer, and eagerly bent upon entering into the spirit of heathen: poets and orators.

AND it is much to be lamented, that numbers of Scholars are more or less chargeable with this exceffiye folly; fo negligent of improving their devotion,

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and fo defirous of other poor accomplishments, as if they thought it a nobler talent, to be able to write an epigram in the turn of Martial, than to live, and think, and pray to God, in the spirit of St. Austin.

AND yet, to correct this temper, and fill a man with a quite contrary spirit, there seems to be no more requir'd, than the bare belief of the truth of Christianity.

AND if you was to ask Mundanus and Clafficus, or any man of bufinefs or learning, whether piety is not the highest perfection of man, or devotion the greatest attainment in the world, they must both be forc'd to anfwer in the affirmative, or else give up the truth of the gospel.

FOR to fet any accomplishment against devotion, or to think any thing, or all things in the world, bears any proportion to its excellency; is the fame abfurdity in a Chriftian, as it would be in a philofopher to prefer a meal's meat, to the greatest improvement in knowledge.

FOR as philofophy profeffes purely the fearch and enquiry after knowledge; fo Chriftianity fuppofes, intends, defires and aims at nothing elfe, but the raifing fallen man to a divine life, to fuch habits of holinefs, fuch degrees of devotion, as may fit him to enter amongst the holy inhabitants of the kingdom. of heaven.

HE that does not believe this of Christianity, may be reckon'd an infidel; and he that believes thus much, has faith enough to give him a right judgment of the value of things, to fupport him in a found mind, and enable him to conquer all the temptations. which the world fhall lay in his way.

To conclude this chapter. Devotion is nothing else but right apprehenfions, and right affections towards God. ALL practices therefore that heighten and improve. our true apprehenfions of God, all ways of life that.

tend

tend to nourish, raife, and fix our affections upon him, are to be reckon'd fo many helps and means to fill us with devotion.

As prayer is the proper fuel of this holy flame, fo we must use all our care and contrivance to give prayer its full power; as by alms, felf-denial, frequent retirements, and holy readings, compofing forms for our felves, or ufing the best we can get, adding length of time, and obferving hours of prayer; changing, improving, and fuiting our devotions to the condition of our lives, and the state of our hearts.

THOSE who have moft leifure, feem more efpecially called to a more eminent obfervance of thefe holy rules of a devout life. And they, who by the neceffi ty of their state, and not through their own choice, have but little time to employ thus, muft make the beft ufe of that little they have.

FOR this is the certain way of making devotion produce a devout life.

CHA P. XV..

Of chanting, or finging of pfalms in our private devotions. Of the excellency and benefit of this kind of devotion. Of the great effects it hath up our hearts. Of the means of performing it in the best manner..

YOU

YOU have feen in the foregoing chapter what means and methods you are to use, to raise and improve your devotion. How early you are to begin your prayers, and what is to be the fubject of your firft devotions in the morning.

THERE is one thing ftill remaining, that you must be requir'd to obferve, not only as fit and proper to be done, but as fuch as cannot be neglected, without great prejudice to your devotions. And that is, to begin all your prayers with a pfalm.

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