a privacy as excludes every body from knowing it, but fuch a privacy as does not feek to be known abroad.

Cornelius the devout centurion, of whom the fcripture faith, that he gave much, and prayed to God alway, faith unto St. Peter, Four days ago I was fafting until this hour. A&ts x. 2.

Now that this fafting was fufficiently private and acceptable to God, appears from the vifion of an Angel, with which the holy man was bless'd at that time.

Bur that it was not so private, as to be entirely unknown to others, appears, as from the relation of it here, fo from what is faid in another place, that he call'd two of his boufbold fervants, and a devout foldier of them that waited upon him continually. So that Cornelius his fafting was fo far from being unknown to his family, that the foldiers and they of his houfhold were made devout themselves, by continually waiting upon him, that is, by feeing and partaking of his good works.

As therefore the privacy or excellency of fasting is not destroy'd by being known to fome particular perfons, neither would the privacy or excellency of your devotions be hurt, though by chanting a Pfalm you should be heard by fome of your family.

THE whole of the matter is this. Great part of the world can be as private as they please, therefore let them use this excellent devotion between God and themfelves.

ANOTHER great part of the world muft and ought to have witneffes of feveral of their devotions; let them therefore not neglect the ufe of a Pfalm at fuch times as it ought to be known to thofe with whom they live, that they do not neglect their Prayers. For furely, there can be no harm in being known to be finging a Pfalm, at fuch times as it ought to be known that you are at your Prayers.

AND if at other times, you defire to be in such fecrecy at your devotions, as to have no body fufpect it and

for

for that reafon forbear your Pfalm; I have nothing to object against it; provided, that at the known hours of Prayer, you never omit this practice.

FOR Who would not be often doing that in the day, which St. Paul and Silas would not neglect in the middle of the night? And if when you are thus finging, it fhould come into your head, how the prison fbak'd, and the doors open'd, when St. Paul fang, it would do your devotion no harm.

Laftly, Seeing our imaginations have great power over our hearts, and can mightily affect us with their reprefentations, it would be of great use to you, if at the beginning of your devotions, you was to imagine to your felf fome fuch reprefentations, as might heat and warm your heart into a temper fuitable to thofe prayers that you are then about to offer unto God.

As thus; before you begin your Pfalm of praise and rejoycing in God, make this ufe of your imagina

tion.

BE ftill, and imagine to yourself, that you faw the heavens open, and the glorious choirs of Cherubims and Seraphims about the throne of God. Imagine that you hear the mufick of thofe angelick voices that ceafe not day and night to fing the glories of him that is, and was, and is to come.

HELP your imaginations with fuch paffages of fcripture as these. Revel. vii. 9. I beheld, and lo in beaven a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, ftanding before the throne, and before the lamb, cloath'd with white robes, and palms in their hands. And they cried with a loud voice, Salvation to our God which fitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb.

And all the angels flood round about the throne, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, faying, Amen: Bleffing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and ftrength, be unto God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THINK upon this till your imagination has carried

you

you above the clouds, till it has plac'd you amongst thofe heavenly beings, and made you long to bear a part in their eternal mufick.

IF you will but ufe your felf to this method, and let your imagination dwell upon fuch reprefentations as thefe, you will foon find it to be an excellent means of raifing the fpirit of devotion within you.

ALWAYS therefore begin your Pfalm, or Song of praife, with thefe imaginations; and at every verse of it, imagine your felf amongst thofe heavenly companions, that your voice is added to theirs, and that Angels join with you, and you with them; and that you with a poor and low voice are finging that on earth, which they are finging in heaven.

AGAIN, Sometimes imagine that you had been one of those that joined with our blessed Saviour when he fung an Hymn. Strive to imagine to your. felf, with what majefty he look'd; fancy that you had stood close by him furrounded with his glory. Think how your heartwould have been inflamed, what ecftafies of joy you would have then felt, when finging with the Son of God. Think again and again, with what joy and devotion you would then have fung, had this been really your happy itate, and what a punishment you should have thought it, to have been then filent; and let this teach you how to be affected with Pfalms and Hymns of thankfgiving.

AGAIN, Sometimes imagine to your felf, that you faw holy David with his hands upon his harp, and his eyes fix'd upon heaven, calling in transport upon all the Creation, Sun and Moon, light and darkness, day and night, men and angels, to join with his rapturous foul in praifing the Lord of Heaven.

DWELL upon this imagination, till you think you are finging with this divine mufician, and let fuch a companion teach you to exalt your heart unto God in the following Pfalm; which you may use constantly first in the morning.

PSALM CXlV. I will magnify thee, O God my king: and I will praife thy name for ever and ever, &c.

THESE following Pfalms, as the 34th, 96th, 103d, 111th, 146th, 147th, are fuch as wonderfully fet forth the glory of God; and therefore you may keep to any one of them at any particular hour, as you like: Or you may take the fineft parts of any Pfalms, and fo adding them together, may make them fitter for your own devotion.

CHAP. XVI.

Recommending devotions at nine o'clock in the morning, called in fcripture, the third hour of the day. The fubject of thefe prayers, is humility.

Aм now come to another hour of prayer, which in

cording to our way of numbering the hours, it is called the ninth hour of the morning.

THE devout Chriftian muft at this time look upon himself as called upon by God to renew his acts of prayer, and address himself again to the throne of grace.

THERE is indeed no express command in Scripture to repeat our devotions at this hour. But then it is to be confider'd also, that neither is there any exprefs command to begin and end the day with prayer. So that if that be looked upon as a reafon for neglecting devotion at this hour, it may as well be urged as a reason, for neglecting devotion both at the beginning and end of the day.

BUT if the practice of the faints in all ages of the world, if the cuftoms of the pious Jews and primitive Chriftians be of any force with us, we have authority enough to perfwade us, to make this hour a conftant feafon of devotion.

THE

THE Scriptures fhew us how this hour was confecrated to devotion both by Jews and Chriftians; fo that if we defire to number our felves amongst those whose hearts were devoted unto God, we muft not let this hour pafs, without prefenting us to him in fome folemnities of devotion. And befides this authority for this practice, the reasonableness of it is fufficient to invite us to the obfervance of it.

FOR if you was up at a good time in the morning, your first devotions will have been at a proper distance from this hour; you will have been long enough at other business, to make it proper for you to return to this greatest of all business, the raising your foul and affections unto God.

BUT if you have rifen fo late, as to be hardly able to begin your firft devotions at this hour, which is proper for your fecond, you may thence learn, that the indulging yourself in the morning fleep is no small matter; fince it fets you so far back in your devotions, and robs you of thofe graces and bleffings, which are obtained by frequent prayers.

FOR if prayer has power with God, if it loofes the bands of fin, if it purifies the foul, reforms our hearts, and draws down the aids of divine grace; how can that be reckon'd a small matter, which robs us of an hour of prayer?

IMAGINE yourself fome-where placed in the air, as a fpectator of all that paffes in the world; and that you faw in one view, the devotions which all Christian people offer unto God every day. Imagine, that you faw fome piously dividing the day and night, as the primitive Chriftians did, and conftant at all hours of devotion, finging Pfalms, and calling upon God, at all thofe times, that Saints and Martyrs received their gifts and graces from God.

IMAGINE that you faw others living without any rules, as to times and frequency of prayer, and only at their devotions fooner or later, as fleep and laziness hap pens to permit them.

T 2.

Now