Early piety, exemplified in the life and death of Mr. Nathanael Mather, who ...…

The Elegant and Excellent Meditations of Sir William Waller, had particularly ⟨p. 40⟩affected him unto a commendable Emulation of them; and hence he did attempt to make even the more common and more trivial occurrents of humane Life, the occasions of Great Thoughts within him. He would with the Chemistry of Occasional Reflections, Distil sublime Spirits from earthly Bodies; and from the view of mean things, fill his nobly employed Mind with Lessons and Prayers, which only the Father of Spirits was a Witness to.

The Elegant and Excellent Meditations of Sir William Waller, had particularly ⟨p. 40⟩affected him unto a commendable Emulation of them; and hence he did attempt to make even the more common and more trivial occurrents of humane Life, the occasions of Great Thoughts within him. He would with the Chymistry of Occasional Reflections, Distill sublime Spirits from earthly Bodies; and from the view of mean things, fill his nobly imployed Mind with Lessons and Prayers, which only the Father of Spirits was a Witness to.

Some of these his Occasional Reflections I find in his private Papers; and one or two, for a taste, I will bespeak the Reader's acceptance of.

Jan. 8. A. M. Being about to rise, I felt the cold in a manner extraordinary; which inclined me to seek more warmth in my Bed before I rose; but so extreme was the cold, that this was not feasible: Wherefore I resolved to dress my self without any more ado; and so going to the Fire in my Clothes, I soon became warm enough. Turn this, O my Soul, into an useful Meditation. There is a necessity of my ⟨p. 41⟩