pardon for all thy past treasons against him.

III. Implore, with fervour and humility, his light and grace, that the great truths of the gospel may make a deep impression on thy soul, that thou mayest effectually learn to fear and love him.

IV. Read the chapter for the day leisurely, and with serious attention, giving thy soul time to digest what thou art reading; and pause more particularly on those points which affect thee most.

V. That thy reading may partake the more of the nature of mental pray. er, endeavour to draw from thy con siderations such affections as are suita ble to the subject, by exciting for example in thy soul the fear and love of God; a confidence in his goodness; a sense of gratitude for his benefits; a horror of sin; a sincere repentance for thy past sins, &c. &c. open thy heart as much as possible to these affec tions, that so these great and necessary virtues may take the deeper root in thy soul.

VI. Conclude thy considerations

with firm resolutions of amendment of life, insisting in particular on those failings to which thou art most subject; and firmly determining within thyself to put these resolutions in execution, upon such occasions as may occur that very day.

VIII. Reflect frequently in the course of the day on the chief points of the subject of thy consideration; lest the enemy rob thy soul of this divine seed, by making thee quickly for get what thou hast been reading and considering.

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On the Necessity of Consideration.

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Onsider, first, those words of the prophet Jeremias, With desølation is the whole earth laid desolate because there is no one who thinks in his heart, Jerem. xit 11.: and reflect how true it is, that the want of con sideration on the great truths of christianity, is the chief source of all our evils Alas the greatest part of mankind seldom or never think, either of their first beginning, or last end: they neither consider who brought them into this world, nor for what end; nor reflect on that eternity into which they are just about to step. Hence all their pursuits are earthly and temporal as if they were only made for this life, or were always to dwelki here. DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN! and HELL, make but little impression upon them, because they do not give them leisure to sink deep into their souls by the means of serious consi deration. They run on with their eyes

shut

shut to the precipice of a miserable eternity, and then only begin to think, when they find themselves lodged in that place of wo, where their worm shall never die, and their fire shall never be quenched. Ah! my poor soul, be thou careful that this be not thy case!

Consider, secondly, that we cannot be saved without knowing God, and loving him above all things. Now we can neither know, nor love him, as we ought, without the help of consideration. It is this which discovers to us the infinite perfections of this Sovereign Being: his charming beauty; his eternal love, and all the benefits which he has bestowed upon us his most undeserving and ungrateful crea. tures. All which, alas! make no impression on us without serious consideration. All things about us the heavens, the earth, and every creature therein, cease not to preach God' unto us, and invite us to love him: but without consideration we are deaf to the voice of the whole creation; we are like those that have eyes, and see not; ears, and hear not, An! the

great