THE way of Thinking, whose Productions begin to be known by the name of Occasional Meditations, is, if rightly practis’d, so advantageous, and so delightful, that ‘tis Pity, the greatest part, ev’n of serious and devout Persons, should be so unacquainted with it: And therefore, Dear Sister, your Desire to bring this way of Meditation into Request, with some of our Friends, is that which I cannot disapprove. But I am so far from having the Vanity to think, that the Trifles of this kind, your Commands make me trouble you with, would recommend Occasional Reflections to those, whose Eyes they were not meant for, that I think my self oblig’d to premise something touching the Usefulness of this way of Meditating, lest the careless and unpolish’d Instances you will I fear meet with, among those I now present you, should disparage and bring a Prejudice upon Composures of this kind in general; Wherefore, judging it requisite, to premise something touching this way of thinking, I shall forth-with apply my self to that Task: And I should judge it a very natural Distribution to divide the following Discourse into two parts, the first of which should contain some Invitations to the Cultivating this sort of Meditations, and the latter should offer something by way of Method, towards the better framing of them. But lest I should at this time be hinder’d from treating of each of them distinctly, I will at present omit that Division, and indeavour in recompence so to deliver the Motives I am to propose, that the first part of the Discourse may not appear maim’d, though it be unattended by the second, and yet the Particulars that might compose the second, may (if it prove convenient to mention them at this time) be commodiously enough inserted in opportune places of the first.
Of Inducements to this Exercise, I might perhaps name many, but for order’s sake, I shall comprize them in the ensuing five; the first whereof will take up the present Section, and the remaining four, as many others.
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