XVIII.

hath clearly made known all that he requires SERMON of us in order to be accepted in his sight; and that not only he has revealed the rule of duty, but also hath pointed out to us in the gospel, the direct method of reconciliation with him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Providence hath condescended to become our instructor in this great article; hath taught us in what way our sins may be forgiven, our imperfect services be accepted, and an interest in the Divine grace be attained by means of our Redeemer. Inexcusable we must be, if all this offered grace we shall wantonly throw at our feet. In a world so full of vicissitudes and uncertainty, let us take pains to secure to ourselves one resting place; one habitation that cannot be moved. By piety and prayer, by faith, repentance, and a good life, let us seek the friendship of the Most High; so shall he who directeth the steps of man now, conduct our path in such a course as shall bring us in the end to himself.

SERMON XIX.

ON PRAYER.

SERMON

XIX.

PSALM 1XV. 2.

O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come!

THE Supreme Being is represented un

der many amiable characters in the sacred writings; as the Father of mercies, the God of love, the Author of every good and perfect gift. But there is no character which carries more comfort, or which renders God so properly the object of confidence and trust, as this, of his being the Hearer of Prayer. This view of the Almighty accommodates his perfections to our necessities and wants, and in our present frail and distressed state affords a con

Unto SERMON

stant refuge to which we can fly.
Thee shall all flesh come. To thee, shall an
indigent world look up for the supply of
their wants; to Thee, shall the proudest
sinner, at some time or other, be compelled
to bow; to Thee, shall the distressed and
afflicted have recourse, as to their last relief
and hope.

Prayer is a duty essential to natural re-
ligion. Wherever the light of nature taught
men to acknowledge the being of a God,
to that God also it directed them to pray.
In the Christian revelation great stress is
laid upon this duty, and great encourage-
ment given to it, Our blessed Saviour not
only set the example himself, and enjoined
the practice to his followers, but thought it
worthy his express instruction to teach them
in what manner to pray, and even to put
words in their mouth. We are assured
that prayers are not in vain ; but that as
the
eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
so his ears are open to their cry; that if we
ask aright, we shall receive; if we seek, we
shall find; if we knock, it shall be opened to
us. It is, indeed, hard to say, whether
prayer is to be most properly considered

as

XIX,

SERMON as a duty incumbent on all, or as a privilege
XIX. allowed to them. But a blessed circum-

stance it is, that our duty and our privilege
thus concur in one; that we are com-
manded to do what our wants naturally
dictate to be done; even to ask what is
good from God, who giveth to all men li-
berally and upbraideth not. In treating of
this subject, it will be proper to consider
first, the nature and the subjects of prayer;
next, its
proper qualifications; and lastly,
the advantages and blessings which at-
tend it.

I. THE Nature of Prayer supposes, in the first place, that we have a just sense of our own wants and miseries, and of our dependence on God for relief. To be suitably impressed with this sense, we need only think what our present situation is. We live in a world, where every thing around us is dark and uncertain. When we look back on the past, we must remember that there we have met with much disappointment and vanity. When we look forward to the future, all is unknown. We are liable there to many dangers

XIX.

dangers which we cannot foresee; and to SERMON many which we foresee approaching, yet know not how to defend ourselves against them. We are often ignorant what course we can steer with safety; nay, so imperfect is our own wisdom, and so great the darkness which covers futurity, that while we imagine that we are in the road to pros perity, we are often rushing blindly into the most fatal evils.- Besides these contingencies of life, which make us feel so deeply the necessity of looking up to some more powerful Guide and Protector, there are other circumstances in our state which lead to reflections still more alarming We know that we are the subjects of a supreme righteous Governor, to whom we are accountable for our conduct. We were sent into this world by his appointment, and we are removed from it at his decree. How soon the call for our removal may be given, none of us know; but this we profess to believe, that upon our going hence we are to be brought into new and unknown habitations, suitable to our beha viour here. Who amongst us can say that he is perfectly ready to appear before his Creator

VOL. V.

D D