The Christians guide to devotion: with rules and directions for the leading an holy life : as also meditations and prayers suitable to all occasions / S. Smith.

Prayer.

O Invisible and glorious Sun, that discoverest not thy beau∣ries, but to Souls purified from the vain Images of the World, cleanse my Soul by the purity of thy Beams, chase away that Darkness that blinds my Eyes; And from my Imagination banish the vain Fantoms, which hinder me from contemplating solely the pure Lights of thy Truth. I know thee, O my God, because it has pleased thee to reveal thy self unto me: But what is it that I know of thy Great∣ness, in comparison of what is really and what may be known of it? I see the obscurity; I form to my self an Idea of thy Essence and Majesty, which sinks infinitely below thy very self. I do thee this wrong, O my God, yet I am not blame-worthy, for I cannot do otherwise. I ask thee forgiveness; I am very sensible, I do not know thee as thou art: 'Tis rather the fault of my Mind than of my Heart. Purifie mine Eyes, that I may behold thee which as vigourous an Aspect as that of an Eagle, which looks upon the Sun. Let the Knowledge of thy Beauty charm me, and fill me in such sort as that I may conceive an holy distaste for all that is called in the World rare Knowledge, and great Literature.

Let me not scatter my self in the circumference: Let all my looks be toward thee, who art the Center, from whence flows all the Beauty and Truth in the World. Let me but see thee, and in seeing thee shall I see all that can be seen. Let my Soul rally and recollect it self upon this Object only that it may penetrate it, if it be possible. O God aid me in this design, make thy self visible, make me to enter in∣to the bottom of thy Mysteries and into the secrets of thy infinite Wisdome; that I may slight and despise as unwor∣thy of mee all the curious sciences, whereof the men of the Age make so great a Mystery.