Contemplations

MORAL

AND

DIVINE

The Second Part.

LONDON:

Printed for-W. Shrewsbury at the Bible in Duck-Lane, and Tho. Leigh and D. Midwinter, at the Rofe and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard. 1699.

THE

PREFACE.

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Art of these things now published, were intended to have been Printed and Published in the former Volume; but not being fo well Transcribed as I thought was necessary for the Prefs, being not in place to fee it corrected my felf, and the Term being fo near, that they could not be made ready and Printed before that time, at the request of the Bookfellers, who were loth to lose the opportunity of that Term for the Publication of that Volume was content to let them Publish that alone, as it is, without any more but notwithstanding, afterward intended this other Volume, adding thereunto fome other small things, more than at first were intended, to make it a juft Volume, near the proportion of the former, provided it could be fo timely finished, as that it might appear to be but a part of the former Trefpafs, though with a continuando, and not a new prefumption against the worthy Author: But when part of it had been fo long detained in the hands of the Licenfers, that by reafon thereof, and of fome other interventions, that could not be, I was willing to appear to the World to be guilty of a fecond Trespass against fo excellent a Perfon, efpecially having both craved and obtained his pardon for the former and therefore wrote to the Bookfellers to defift from proceeding any farther therein, till fome fair occafion might offer it felf to do it, either with the Author's exprefs confent, or at least without offence to him.

But

But it was not long before I was much importuned by fome Special friends of the Author's, to let them proceed, and among the reft by a Perfon of Quality, who hath a very high respect and esteem both for him and his Writings, and to whom I am very much obliged; and befides, I perceive that the Author himself was very much importuned by some friends and perfons of Quality for more of his Writings of this nature; that which I did before forefee would be one confequence of the publication of the former Volume; for although he bath written much of this nature, it having been long the employment of his Hora Sacræ; yet hath scarce any, even of his most intimate friends and acquaintance, except my felf, and fome of his own Family, known fo much. But by the advantage of these importunities of other friends, I did the more easily prevail with him to give leave that the Bookfellers might go on with what they were about. And thus the Reader comes to enjoy the benefit of this fecond Volume.

Pious

For the Treatifes contained in it, there is one upon the fame Subject with one of thofe in the former Volume, that is, Of Afflictions, but fuch (to say no more) as doubtlefs will not feem tedious to any perfon, who hath already read the former. For his Meditations upon the Lord's Prayer, they are fo excellent, and fo far beyond what I am able to fay in commendation of them, that I fball leave it to the fenfe of the Reader, who, if he have any relish of fincere Religion, Piety, and Devotion, cannot but be highly affected with them. For those shorter Meditations, I must acquaint the Reader, that they were written when the Author was not only in his Journeys, but in fuch Journeys wherein he had less freedom by reafon of the Company which was then with him,

than

than he did ordinarily take when he had nonë but his own Attendants about him; for I find in divers of them noted when and where they were written. And thefe I was the more willing should be published in this Volume with the others, because, if the importunities of friends, which have not, nor will be wanting, can poffibly prevail with the Author to publish any more of this kind himself, I fuppofed he would rather make choice of fome of his larger and more compleat Writings, than of thefe (whereof fome were never finished) which yet I doubt not, but will be very acceptable and profitable to the Pious Reader; but poffibly otherwife might not have been published at all. And even from thefe fhorter Meditations the Reader may receive a double benefit; the matter of them may be fuch to him of it felf; but befides they exhibit an excellint Example in their Author, as of the conftant pious and virtuous Difpofitions of his mind in general, fo in particular of his conftant care to employ thofe precious portions of time, as he calls them, his Hora Sacræ, in fuitable and profitable Meditations, from which he would not fuffer bimfelf to be wholly diverted, either by his Company, or any other of thofe occurrences by which we are often too apt to excufe our felves from the Duties and Exercifes of Religion and Piety.

Let the Pious Reader pray for the prolongation of his Life, and the Reftitution of a competent measure of Health and Strength unto him; which if it please God to grant, doubtless his Studies in Private will be no lefs beneficial to Pofterity, than his Actions in Publick have been to the prefent age, though the Confequence of thefe will reach to Pofterity also.

Being far diftant from the Prefs, I must again crave the Reader's favour to pardon and correct the mistakes of the Printer.

The