fuch Conduits and Channels as God hath ordered they should be conveyed thro', but he will have a Way of his own, which God hath no where promised that he will blefs; but, on the contrary, has given us great Reafon to believe that he will not blefs.

V. The fifth and last Obfervation that I make from this Hiftory is, that which the Text itself fuggefteth to us; viz. the wonderful Efficacy of Prayers and Alms to recommend us to the Favour of God. Cornelius, as I have before faid, was, without doubt, as to all the Inftances of his Conver fation, an honest and a good Man, as far as he knew. But that which God principally takes notice of in him, and rewards him for, was his conftant praying, and his great Bounty and Charity. Certain it is, the Angel who was fent to him mentions no other of his Virtues but thefe two. Cornelius, fays he, thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a Memorial before God. Come up for a Memorial before God,-- what is that? Why it is a Phrafe juft of the fame Importance as if he had faid, Thy Prayers and thine Alms are an Offering of a fweet-fmelling Savour unto God. Both the Phrafes are frequently used in the Scripture, and they. both mean the fame Thing. And indeed St. Peter in the very Beginning of his Sermon feems to take notice of thefe two Vir VOL. VI.

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tues in Cornelius, (viz. Devotion and Charity) as well as the Angel, nay, and from V. 34, 35.hence draws a general Conclufion; I perceive, says he, that God is no Refpetter of Perfons; but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him: That is to fay, in every Nation he that is heartily devout towards God, and charitable towards Men, (for to work Righteousness is generally the Scripture Phrase to exprefs the exercifing of Mercy and Charity) every fuch Perfon is accepted of God. Oh that we would all feriously think of this, and practise it; if we did, we should certainly take the best Course in the World to draw down the Bleffings of God upon us, both those of this World, and of the other. Frequent, and conftant, and devout Prayer hath fo many Promifes made to it, both in the Old Testament and in the New, that no Man who reads and believes the Scriptures can poffibly doubt, but that he who ufeth it fhall certainly be heard in what he prays for; or if God do not grant his Prayers in the particular Inftances that the Man defires, yet he will fo far grant them as to give him fuch Things as are much better for him. And as for Alms and Charity, they are always defcribed in Scripture as the most acceptable Sacrifice we can offer to God, and the moft effectual Means we can make ufe of for the averting the Punish'ment of our Sins, and the procuring to us

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the Mercies and Bleffings that we ftand in need of. To do good and to communicate, Heb. 13. fays St. Paul, forget not, for with fuch Sa- 16. crifices God is well pleased: And above all 1 Pet.4.8. things, fays St. Peter, put on Charity, for Charity fhall cover a multitude of Sins. And the fame Advice doth the Prophet Daniel give to Nebuchadnezzar for the covering the multitude of his Sins; Let my Counsel, fays Dan.4.27. he, O King, be acceptable to thee, Break off thy Sins by Righteousness, (that is, by giving Alms, as I faid before) and thine Iniquities by fhewing Mercy to the Poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy Tranquillity. In fhort, fuch is the Efficacy of conftant Prayer and Charity, fuch a Regard hath God to thefe two Things, that whofoever doth feriously and confcientioufly practise them, he will be accepted of God. If he be now a bad Man, it will be impoffible for him to continue fo long; for God will fo affift him, fo ftrengthen him, fo enlighten him, that he fhall at laft become a Convert to true Virtue and Religion. And if he be a good Man already, he takes the most effectual Courfe in the World every Day to grow better and better, fo that he will go from Strength to Strength, till at last he will ap pear before God in the Heavenly Sion.

SERMON III.

The Prodigal Son. The true and miferable State of Sinners. Confideration ufually the first Step to Repentance.

Preached before Queen MARY, 1692.

LUKE XV. 17, 18.

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired Servants of my Father have Bread enough and to spare, and I perish with Hunger! I will arife and go to my Father.

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HESE Words are a Part of our Saviour's famous Parable of the prodigal Son, in which many excellent Things are delivered for the Inftruction, and Direction, and Encouragement of all penitent Sinners.

Two Things may be obferved in these Words. First, The miferable Condition which the Prodigal had brought himself

into by his evil Courses. How many hired Servants, fays he, of my Father have Bread enough and to Spare, and I perish with Hunger!

Secondly, His Refolution to return to his Father, which followed upon the Sense and Confideration of this. When he came to himself, and confider'd this, he said, I will arife and go to my Father, &c.

Under the first of these Heads I fhall make it my Business to lay before you the true State of Sinners and wicked Men, who are the Perfons fignified by the Prodigal ; and that both as to the Steps by which they proceed in Sin, and as to the wretched Circumstances they bring themselves into thereby.

Under the fecond Head I fhall treat of the Method by which Sinners are brought to Repentance: The firft Step of which is a coming to themfelves, as it is here exprefsed; that is, entring into a deep and serious Confideration of their own State and Concernments.

I. I begin with the Prodigal's evil Courses and Misery.

Now that you may the better go along with me in this, it is fit I read to you the Beginning of the Parable, wherein a more particular Account is given of the Prodigal, both

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