and glory of thy Attributes, may unfeignedly admire and adore thee; and express their Veneration and Praises of thee, in Ways most fuitable to the Condition of their Nature and the Discoveries of thy Will.

10. Grant that all Mankind may come to the knowledge and belief of thy true Religion: That the Kingdom of Christ, may be extended over all the Earth; and the eternal Laws of Godliness, Righteousness, Charity, and Sobriety, be established through the whole World. Grant that all who profess this thy true Religion, may live in perfect Obedience to the Laws thereof; and that Men, as the infirmity of their Nature will permit, may obey thee with proportionable Sincerity and Constancy, as do the Spirits of the bleffed in Heaven.

II. Bestow upon us every day, through the remaining part of our Lives, as many of the things of this present World, as may be fufficient for our neceffary Subsistence, and for the useful and innocent Conveniencies of Life.

12. Forgive us our Sins, and withhold thy Punishments which we have thereby deserved : In like manner as we freely and heartily forgive all those Injuries and Offences, which have by others been done to us.

13. Take from us the Causes and Occasions of Temptations, or else deliver us from the power of them: That we may not be moved, either with the Enticements of Riches, Honours, or Pleasure; or with the Fear of Want, Disgrace, or Pain; to do any thing knowingly contrary to thy Will. And deliver us from all the Evils and Calamities,

lamities, which either the Malice of the Devil, or the Wickedness or Misfortunes of the World might bring upon

us.

These Petitions we offer up unto thee, O God: knowing that thou canft, and trusting in thy Mercy that thou wilt do for us more than we can defire or deserve; who art infinite in Power, Glory, and Majesty, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.

14. After this manner ought ye to pray unto God. And in this Prayer which I have now prescribed to you, ye are more especially to observe, that I have taught you to expect and pray for Forgiveness of your Sins at the Hands of God, only in like manner as ye forgive one another your Offences and Trefpaffes. For if ye readily forgive your Trespasses against each other, God indeed will likewise upon this Condition forgive you your Sins.

15. But if ye will not forgive one another; be affured, that neither will God be moved by any Prayers or Entreaties to forgive you.

16. Again, when ye Fast, be not like the hypocritical Pharisees, who put on fad and mournful Looks, going about in mean and fordid Garments, and with unwashed Faces, that they may appear to Men to be wonderfully Devout, and may be applauded for the strictness and severity of their Faft. I tell you afsuredly this shall be their only Reward, and they must expect no other from God.

17. But when you faft, appear to Men as at other times; put on no Mournful Looks, and make no Oftentation of Strictness and Severity.

18. Make no affected show of Fasting and Sadness, but humble your felves

14 For, if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will

your Father forgive your trefpaffes.

16 Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a fad countenance; their faces, that they

they disfigure

may appear unto men Verily, I say unto you, they

have their reward.

17 But thou when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face:

18 That thou appear not unto men

men to faft, but un to thy Father which is in fecret: and thy

Father which feeth in secret, shall reward thee openly, 19 Lay not up for your selves treafures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

20 But lay up for your selves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.

21

For where your treasure is, there will your heart

be alfo.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be fingle, thy whole body shall be full of light.

secretly in your Devotions before God; and God, who seeth the secret Humiliations of your Souls, will reward you openly before Men and Angels.

19. In fumm, whatever you do, regard not so much the appearances of this present World; but in all your Actions have principally a respect to that which is to come. Be not over-follicitous to lay up a Treasure of Riches upon Earth, which a thousand Accidents may eafily rob you of.

20. But be careful by good Works, proceeding from true Faith and Love, to lay up a Treasure of Rewards in Heaven, which no Power upon Earth, nor any Accident can possibly deprive you of.

21. For if your chief Designs be to lay up a Treasure here upon Earth, your Heart and Affections will be fixed upon these things; and you will never be able to preserve that pious, resigned, and heavenly Temper of Mind, which the Christian Religion indispensably requires. But if the principal Aim of your Life, be to secure a Treafure of Happiness in Heaven; then will your Heart also and Affections be fettled there.

22. Above all things therefore be fure to preserve this true Judgment of the Difference of Things; viz. that the Happiness of Heaven is the Treafure upon which your Hearts are to be fixed; and that the things of this World ought not to be too eagerly desired, but to be fought with Moderation, and used with Simplicity and Liberality. For as the Eye, is to the Direction of the Body; so is this True Judgment of Things, to the State of the Soul. If the Eye be clear and pure, the whole Body will be enlightened and well guided: In like manner, if this True Judgment of Things be kept pure and uncorrupted, the State of the Soul will be good and well ordered. 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into

23. But as, on the contrary, if the Eye be dim and cloudy, the whole Body will be in the dark and without guidance: even so, if in this Matter your Judgment be vitiated and corrupted, the whole bent of the Soul will be erroneous and without direction. And how great is the Errour and Misery of fuch a State!

24. The Judgment and Affections of the Heart and Soul, cannot at once be fix'd and fettled upon things of a different and contrary Nature. No Man can at the fame time serve two Masters of contrary Difpofitions, but he must obey the one and neglect the other. Ye cannot be truly Religious, and fincere Servants of God; while your Hearts and Affections are too intent upon the things of this present World.

25. Since therefore ye cannot attend wholly to two contrary things at once; let your main and principal Intentions be always fix'd upon your chief, which is your future Happiness. And after you have used a reasonable Industry to attain the Neceffaries of this present Life, fuch as Meat and Drink, and Cloathing; * be not any further follicitous about them; but rely upon the

Providence of God for a continual

* This Precept to the Apostles, who were to spend their Lives in travelling and propagating the Gospel, may be understood in its most strict and literal Sense; But to other Christians it must be applied in a larger Sense, as I have paraphrased it.

barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature ?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Confider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.

29 And yet I say unto you, that

Supply of them. For he that first gave
you Life and Being, without your ca-
ring or giving any Assistance towards
it; will much more bestow upon you
things necessary for the support and
preservation of that Life.

26. Confider the other Creatures of
God, which are of a lower Rank than
you; the Birds, Beasts, and Plants.
Confider how God, without their fore
feeing their own Wants, or being able
to make any Provision for themselves,
preferves and nourishes, and furnishes
them with all things necessary. And
will not his Providence much more pro-
vide for you?

27. But however that be, your caring and follicitude cannot be of any advantage to you. 'Tis God, that without any Care of yours, gave you Bodies; and 'tis God, that without your Knowledge, nourishes them and causes them to increase and grow, by secret ways and imperceptible degrees. Ye cannot by any Care whatever, fo much as add one Inch to the growth of your Bodies, or one Moment to your * Age. Rely then upon the Providence * The of God, (who will bless your ordinary word ήλι Industry, but is displeased at your an- κια fignixious Sollicitude,) to supply you with fies indifthings neceffary for the nourishment of ferently, your Body, and the prefervation of your Age."

Life.

Stature or