PREFACE.

141

THE truly Reverend Doctor THOMAS WILSON, fifty eight years Bishop of Sodor and Man, was blessed with the spirit of prayer in a very uncommon measure; of which his Sacra Privata, or Private Meditations and Prayers, are an eminent instance.

They have hitherto been locked up from the world in an expensive book; and are mixed throughout with so much meditation and prayer, that can come properly from the clergy only, (to whom they are an invaluable treasure) as to unfit them for general use.

They are now presented to the public in a separate volume; so that pious christians may, at a reasonable expense, distribute them among such people, as either will not, or cannot buy them ; and the petitions, peculiar to the clergy, are thrown out.

The pious reader will find these Meditations and Prayers too long, according to the present division of them, to which there is no occasion of adhering. He may take them up, and lay them down, at his own discretion and convenience. It is recommended to him to go through

them regularly, and to continue the use of them his whole life, selecting such parts for more frequent meditation, as are best adapted to his necessity and disposition.

As prayer is one of the most important works, in which a man can be engaged, and few find themselves able to discharge it in the manner, they wish to do; it is humbly hoped, that this book, if attended to, as it deserves, may with God's assistance teach them to pray; may lead their thoughts to meditate on religious subjects; and habituate them to clothe their meditations in the language of decent, pious, and fervent prayer. That this valuable book may have this effect, is the earnest prayer of

THE EDITOR.

ON DEVOTION AND PRAYER,

TRUE devotion consists in having our hearts always devoted to God, as the fountain of all happiness; who is ready to hear and help his otherwise helpless, miserable creatures. It is to be attained,

1st. By earnest prayer.

HE, THAT HUNGERS AFTER

RIGHTEOUSNESS, WILL CERTAINLY BE FILLED.

2dly. By possessing our hearts with a deep sense of our own misery, wants, and danger; this is the grace of humility.

3dly. By considering God's goodness, power, and readiness, to help us; this is called faith in God.

Lastly. By convincing our hearts of the insufficiency of every thing else to afford us any real help or comfort; this is to be effected by self denial.

Dying persons are generally more devout than others, because they then see their own misery, that nothing in this world can help them, and that God is their only refuge. We must change our lives, if we desire to change our hearts. God will have no regard to the prayers of those, who have none to his commands. The Spirit of God will not dwell in a divided heart. We cannot feel the pleasure of devotion, while the world is our delight. Not that all pleasures are criminal; but the closer union we have with the world, the less is our union with God. A Christian therefore, who strives after devotion, should taste sensual pleas

ures very sparingly, should make necessity, not bodily delight, his rule.

In order to dispose our hearts to devotion, an active life is to be preferred to a contemplative. Doing good to mankind disposes the soul most powerfully to devotion. Indeed we are surrounded by motives to piety and devotion, if we would mind them. The poor are designed to excite our liberality; the miserable, our pity; the sick, our assistance; the ignorant, our instruction; those, that are fallen, our helping hand. In the vain we see the vanity of this world; in the wicked, our own frailty. When we see good men rewarded, it confirms our hope; and, when evil men are punished, it excites our fear.

He, that would be devout, must beware of indulging a habit of wandering in prayer. It is a crime, that will grow upon us, and will deprive us of the blessings we pray for.

Avoid as much, as may be, multiplicity of business. Neither the innocency, nor the goodness of the employment, will excuse us, if it possess our hearts, when we are praying to God. When our Lord bids us to take no thought for the morrow, he intended to hinder those cares and fears, which are apt to distract our devotions; which are the more unreasonable, because they never can change the state of things.

Never be curious to know, what passes in the world, any farther than duty obliges you; it will only distract the mind, when it should be better employed.

Never intermit devotion, if you can help it; you will return to your duty, like Samson, when his locks