10. The first thing you are to do, when you are upon your knees, is, with a short _silence_, let your soul place itself in the presence of God; use this, or some other method, to separate yourself from all common thoughts, and make your heart as sensible as you can of the divine presence. Now, if this recollection of spirit is necessary, as who can say it is not? How poorly must they perform their devotions, who are always in a _hurry_; who begin them in haste, and hardly allow themselves time to repeat their very _form_, with attention? Theirs is properly _saying_ prayers, instead of _praying_. If you was to use yourself, as far as you can, to pray always in the same place; if you was to reserve that place for devotion, and not allow yourself to do any thing common in it; if you was never to be there yourself, but in times of devotion; if any _little room_, or, if that cannot be, if any particular _part_ of a room was thus used, this kind of consecration of it, as a place _holy_ unto God, would much assist your devotion. 11. It may be of use to you to observe this farther rule: when at any time, either in reading the _scripture_, or any book of _piety_, you meet with a passage, that more than ordinarily affects your mind, turn it into the _form_ of a petition, and give it a place in your prayers. At all the _stated hours_ of prayer, it may be of benefit to you, to have something _fixed_, and something at _liberty_, in your devotions. You may have some _fixed_ subject to be the chief matter of your prayer at that particular time; and yet have liberty to add such _other petitions_, as your condition may then require. For instance; as the _morning_ is to you the beginning of a new life; as God has then given you a new enjoyment of yourself, and a fresh entrance into the world, it is highly proper that your _first_ devotions should be _praise_ and thanksgiving to God, as for a new creation; and that you should devote _body_ and _soul_, all you _are_, and all you _have_, to his service and glory. Receive therefore every day, as a _resurrection_ from death, as a new enjoyment of life; meet every _rising sun_ with such sentiments of God’s goodness, as if you had seen it, and all things, _new created_ upon your account; and under the sense of so great a blessing, let your heart praise and magnify so good and glorious a Creator. Therefore _praise_ and _thanksgiving_, and _oblation_ of yourself to God, may be the _fixed_ subject of your _first_ prayers in the morning; and then take the liberty of adding such other devotions, as the _accidental_ difference of your state, or the accidental difference of your heart, shall direct. 12. *One of the greatest benefits of _private_ devotion, consists in adapting our prayers to the difference of our _state_, and the difference of our hearts.