MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 403 may begin to make a happy use of them in their household, and worship God by these helps, when they want them, without the least restraint laid either upon the just freedom of their own spirits, or the hopes of divine influences. And I, for my part, saith Formistes, return you my sincere thanks, good Boliemus, that you have marked out so happy a medium between an utter rejection of all forms of prayer, and an absolute confinement of ourselves to them. I cannotbut acknow- ledge I have sometimes found inward motions of repentance for particular sins, of humble desires towards God, and wishes for assistance against particular temptations and snares, while I have been reading my written devotions; and yet I was unwilling to express them with my tongue, lest I should utter any thing rashly before God. But upon what you have said, I now give myself leave to think, that the sincere workings of a man's heart . towards virtue and religion, and things of the upper world, are best known to himself, and may be expressed by himself, when they arise in his heart, in such language as a gracious God will accept. I shall never more therefore suppress these good de- sires for want of courage to utter them ; but while I make use of forms of worship composed by pious and learned men, I shall remember that they were designed only as assistances to my de- votion, and not impose them on my conscience as restraints upon all the good motions of the blessed Spirit, which our church teaches us humbly to pray for, and to expect according to the divine promise. And since the holy _. ;cripture often requires us to pray to God, but never prescribes to us whether we should use our own words, or the words of other men, I will learn for the future to look upon that as a matter of greater indifference than I once thought it, and not make that a duty for myself; which God has not made so, nor charge my neighbour Libero with sin, for praying in such a free manner as God has never forbid. LITI. --An Elegy on Sophronia, who died of the Small- Pox, 1711. Sophron is introduced Speaking. I FORBEAR, my friends, forbear, and ask no more,' . 'Where all my cheerful airs are fled? Why will ye make me talk my tor- ments o'er, My life, my joy, my comfort's dead; 2 Deep from my soul, mark how the sobs arise, Hear the long groans that waste my breath, And read the mighty sorrows in my eyes, Lovely Sophronia sleeps in death. 3 Unkind disease, to veil that rosy face With tumours of a mortal pale, While mortal purples with with their dismal race And double horror spot the veil. 4 Uncomely veil, and most unkind dis- ease? Is this Sophronia, once the fair ? Are these the features that were horn to please ? And beauty spread her ensigns there ?
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