the Sins of your whole Life, and begged Pardon, there is not the fame abfolute Neceffity of fuch laborious Examination, at your next Communicating, especially if you examine your felf carefully every Night, and daily repent of the Evil of the Day paft, and are not confcious to your felf of any great and notorious Sins fince your laft Confeffion; for if you are not, the Examination and Confeffion only of what paft fince your laft Communicating, together with a general Confeffion of your former Sins, and a folemn Renewing of your former Acts of Repentance, may ferve the Turn. But if your Confcience accufes you of any culpable Neglect in your laft Examination, or of any great Relapfes, or of any wilful Violations of your laft Vows and Refolutions, in thofe, and the like Cafes, 'tis the fureft Way to begin all your Repentance again. Remember, Philotheus, that tho' 'tis God that works in you to Will and to Do of his good Pleasure, yet God alfo alfo commands you to work out your own Salvation your felf; and therefore you are to labour for thofe Bleffings, and to practise those Graces you pray for, fo that you are to read your Duty in your Prayers. If you find any particular Sin you are guilty of, or any particular Grace which you want, or any particular Bleffing which you are to give Thanks for, which is not here mentioned, 'tis eafy for you to add it to your Prayers as Occafion requires. In like manner, if you meet with any Paffage in any Prayer, which does not either fo directly, or fo fully exprefs the Senfe of your Soul, as you could wish, leave it out. If Opportunity, Leifure, and Devotion, altogether, do at any Time when you go home, or at Times of Liberty, incline you to make fome 1 prefent Addition to your daily Prayers; or like Daniel and Holy David, not only at Morning and at Evening, but at Noon-Day, to pray to God, thou mayeft then ufe the Prayer for Dan. vi. 10. Par Particular Graces, Pag. 75. or those Acts of Refolution and Oblation, Pag. 67, 68. or on Sunday and Holidays the Form of General Thankf giving, or on Fafting Days the Form of General Interceffion; as may best fuit with the Seafon, and with your own Affections. Directions concerning m F after all the Care and I Pains you can take, and your Petitions alfo for God's Grace, you find in the Performarce of any Duty in your daily Prayers, Examinations, Receiving the Holy Eucharift, or the like, great Coldnefs and Wandrings, and Incompofednefs and Wearinefs of Spirit, and that your Heart is little affected with it, and that you fall very much fhort of the Rules here laid down, and therefore are ready to conclude, that all you have done is in vain, and difpleafing to God; be be not difheartned at this, Philotheus; 'tis a good Sign to be fo much grieved for your Failings in your Duty; 'tis an Argument of a filial Tenderness, and Defire to ferve God better, that your Spirit is willing though your Flesh is weak; and if you ftill continue your Endeavours and Prayers, patiently relying on God's infinite Goodnefs, and on his gracious Promife of hearing you, he will affuredly hear you in his good Time. Know, good Philotheus, that this is the Cafe of Thousands as well as of your felf: The very beft of Chriftians figh under the Perverfenefs and Impotence of their corrupt Nature, and even the juft Man falls feven Times a Day, through Sins of Ignorance, or Infirmity, or fudden Surreption, or Inadvertency, or the like, though it is true, he rifeth again by an habitual Repentance; and therefore be not difcouraged, but daily beg Pardon for your daily Failings. To eafe you in fuch Indifpofitions, or when you are alfo ftraiten'd in in Time, or diverted by any unavoidable Avocations, I advife you to fhorten your Prayers, and for the longer Morning and Evening Prayer, fay the fhorter: And as for the other Parts of Devotion, throughout this whole Manual, they are cut into fo many Breaks and Divifions on purpose, that you may lengthen or fhorten your Prayers, as may beft comply with your Occafions and Infirmities; only let me warn you feriously, that under colour of indulging your Infirmities, you do not indulge your Sloth. Be not then afflicted, good Philo theus, if you cannot come up exactly to the Rules here given you: Believe me, it was never imagin'd you would; it was only hoped that you would endeavour it: And know, that it is a great Error of many devout Souls to think all they do fignifies nothing, because they fall fhort of the Rules laid down in their Books of Devotion, little confidering that 'tis Sincerity God requires of us, and not Perfections; for if there be a willing Mind, |