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

Thus was his Prayer as it were his Breath, and thus he was always fetching of it, until at last it expired in Praise, Praise for evermore.

Thus vvas his Prayer as it vvere his Breath, and thus he vvas always fetching of it, untll at last it expir'd in Praise, Praise for evermore.

Thirdly, He was one that Thought much of his GOD, and his END. There was a sort of Heaven formed in the just Soul of this Young-man, by the Thoughts that were continually sparkling there. He had an unpacifiable Dissatisfaction at himself until good Thoughts were lodged in him, and vain ones were forced to gnash their teeth, and melt away: Nothing would content him, but the bringing of his Thoughts into a Subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore he chewed much on the excellent Sermon of Mr. Charnock, about Thoughts; which he wrote out not only with his hand, but in his heart, and made it the very Mould of his gracious Mind. There are none, but very Renewed Souls, that are at great pains in a course of Meditation on the things of God. Yet this Young-man, like another Isaac, was grown very expert at it, and frequent in it. It was his manner in the Morning to meditate very seriously and fixedly upon some Truth, or some Text, for a good part of an hour together. He had collected a good variety of Subjects and Scriptures to handle in thus communing with himself, and went over more than a little Divinity in this transcendent Exercise. Sometimes, when ⟨p. 35⟩thus he separated himself to intermeddle with all wisdom, I find him committing his Thoughts, or some breviate of them, unto the durable custody of his Papers; from which Memoirs I vvill produce but an Instance or two of many.

Thirdly, He was one that Thought much of his GOD, and his END. There was a sort of Heaven formed in the just Soul of this Young-man, by the Thoughts that were continually sparkling there. He had an unpacifiable Dissatisfaction at himself until good Thoughts were lodg'd in him, and vain ones were forced to gnash their teeth, and melt away: Nothing would content him, but the bringing of his Thoughts into a Subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore he chew'd much on the excellent Sermon of Mr. Charnock, about Thoughts; which he wrote out not only with his hand, but in his heart, and made it the very Mould of his gracious Mind. There are none, but very Renew'd Souls, that are at great pains in a course of Meditation on the things of God. Yet this Young-man, like another Isaac, vvas grovvn very expert at it, and frequent in it. It was his manner in the Morning to meditate very seriously and fixedly upon some Truth, or some Text, for a good part of an hour together. He had collected a good variety of Subjects and Scriptures to handle in thus communing with himself, and went over more than a little Divinity in this transcendent Exercise. Sometimes, when