belov'd by all Men, or more fucceffful in your Studies! And befides that Peace of Confcience, and the Pleafure of Well-doing, you will at prefent feel, think, if you can, how inconceivable a Joy it will be to you, when, in your elder Years, you can reflect on your well-fpent Time, and the Innocence of your Youth? how great a Confolation it will be to you on your Death-Bed? how eafy it will render your Accompts at the great Day of Judgment? and how much a whole Life fpent in God's Service, will increase your Glory in Heaven? God of his great Mercy, Philotheus, make thefe and the like Confiderations effectual to create holy Refolutions in you, and give your Grace to make good use of these following Directions, which are defign'd to teach you to fear the Lord from your Youth, and are fuited to your particular Age and Condition, in hopes they may the more affect you. God grant they may, Amen. 1 Kings xviii. 12, Directions Directions in General. Sfoon as ever you awake in the Morning, good Philotheus, ftrive as much as you can, to keep all worldly Thoughts out of your Mind, till you have prefented the first Fruits of the Day to God, which will be an excellent Preparative to make you spend the Reft of it the better; and therefore be fure to fing the Morning and Evening Hymn in your Chamber des voutly, remembring that the Pfalmift, upon happy Experience, affures you, That it is a good Thing to tell of the Loving-kindness of the Lord early in the Morning, and of his Truth in the Night Seafon, Pfal. xcii! I, 2. When you are ready, look on your Soul as ftill undrefs'd, till you have faid your Prayers. Remember that God, under the Law, ordained a Lamb to be offered: up up to him every Morning and Evening. A Lamb! which is a fit Emblem of Youth and Innocence ! Think then that you are to resemble this Lamb, and be fure every Day to offer up your felf a Morning and Evening Sacrifice to God, Exod. xxix. 38, 39. If you are a Commoner, you may fay your Prayers in your own Chamber; but if you are a Child, or a Chorifter, then, to avoid the Interruptions of the common Chambers, go into the Chapel, between first and fecond Peal in the Morning, to fay your Morning Prayers, and fay your Evening Prayers when go Circum. you Now that every one may have this Duty proportion'd to his Capacity, the beft Way is to diftinguish two Degrees of young Chriftians in this College, namely, thofe that are of an Age capable of receiving the Holy Sacrament, and thofe that are not and in one of these two Degrees you are to rank your felf. Directions Directions for the Youngest. fetting out, I fhall advise you to no more than your Infant Devotion will bear, and that is, to take care to learn your Catechifm without Book, and to learn to underftand it; for 'tis impoffible you can ever perform your Duty, unless you firft know what it is; 'tis impoffible you can ever go to Heaven, unlefs you learn the Way thither: And that you may beg God's daily Bleffing, and his Grace to affift you, learn these two fhort Prayers by heart, and fay them every Day. G1 Morning Prayer. Lory be to thee, O Lord God, I for all the Bleffings I daily receive from thee, and for thy particular Prefervation and Refreshment of me this Night paft O Lord, have Mercy upon me, and forgive whatsoever thou haft feen amifs in me this Night; and for the Time to come give me Grace to fly all youthful Lufts, and to remember thee, my Creator, in the Days of my Youth. Shower down thy Graces, and Bleffings on me, and on all my Relations, on my Fe and Mother, on my Brethren and Sifter] on all my Friends, on all my Governore-in thie Place, and on all my FellowScholars, and give thy Angels charge over us, to protect us all from Sin and Danger. Lord, blefs me in my Learning this Day, that I may every Day grow more fit for thy Service: Ŏ pardon my Failings, and do more for me than I can ask or think, for the Merits of Jefus, my Saviour, in whofe holy Words I fum up all my Wants. Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. Evening |