For, as moft Mens Conftitutions are, that is the ready way to spoil the Habit of our Bo dies, and by that means to render our Minds perfectly unfit for Thinking at all, to any good Purposes.

Thus have I laid before you the Main Things wherein, as I do believe, the right Governing our Thoughts doth confift. And I doubt not they are fo fafe, and fo effectual, that whofoever will fincerely practise them, as far as he can, will fo keep his Heart, that the Iffues from thence in his Life and Conver fation will be Happy and Profperous. I conclude all with the Collect of this Day.

Almighty God, who feest that we have no power of our felves to help our felves Keep us both outwardly in our Bodies, and inwardly in our Souls; that we may be defended from all Adverfities which may happen to the Body, and from all EVIL THOUGHTS which may affault and burt the Soul, through Jefus Christ our Lord,

SER

And he spake a Parable unto them, to
this end, That men ought always to
pray, and not to faint,

T

HE Parable which our Saviour fpake unto them to this end was this; There was in a City a Judge, who feared not God nor regarded Men, and there was a Widow in that City, and she came to him faying, Avenge me of my Adversary. And be would

487

would not for a while: But afterwards he faid within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard Man; Yet because this Widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming fhe weary me.'

The Application of this Parable is easie and natural. If a Man that neither fears God, nor regards Men; hath neither Senfe of Religion nor Hu may be supposed to be fo far prevail'd upon by the earnest Prayer of a miferable neceffitous Perfon, as to grant the Request made to him, and to adminifter Relief to the Supplicant, merely upon account of the Continuance, and Importunity of the Petitions that are put up: Then how much more ought we to think that God,who is Infinite Goodness it felf; who is always kind and bountiful to his Creatures; who delights to do good to them, even without their feeking and defiring it; and who is fo far from being at any Pains or Trouble for the supplying their Wants, that it is altogether as eafie to him to do, what is requested of him, as not to do it: I fay, How much more ought we to think that this God, upon our earnest and hearty Prayer to him for any thing we ftand in need of, will return us a kind Anfwer, and grant us fuch Supplies as are proper for us. But then we are to remember, that we Pray always, and faint not. We must be diligent, and importunate, and

perfevering

perfevering in our Devotions,otherwise we are not to expect any more favourable return of them, than the Judge in the Farable made to the Widow upon her once or twice putting up her Petitions to him.

This is the Effect of the Parable. I mean not now farther to infift on it, but to stick to that point for the fake of which our Savi our framed it. Jefus fpake a Parable unto them to this end, That men ought always to pray, and not to faint.

But what is meant by praying always, and not fainting which our Lord here obliges us to? Is it to be always on our knees, and to mind no other business but Devotion? So indeed (they fay) fome of ancient tines expoun ded it; but we meet with them no where, but in the Catalogues of the Hereticks. No cer tainly, to pray always, and not to faint, doth imply a quite different thing, of which I fhall give an account in the following partiticulars.

First, Thefe words import, that we should be always in a praying Temper, in fuch a Difpo fition of mind, that we always carry about us, and have within us the neceffary Requi fites of hearty Prayer; that is to fay, a firm Belief of God and his Providence, a lively Senfe of our own Sinfullness, and Weakness, and manifold Neceffities; and an entire, hum ble, conftant Dependence upon the Divine Goodness for the Supply of them. In fuch a

Frame

Frame of Soul as this, I take, That Spirit of Prayer and Supplication, mentioned in the Scriptures, to confift.

Secondly, To pray always, likewife imports, that upon every folemn Occafion we should actually addrefs our felves to God: feeking help from him in all the straits and difficulties we happen into; rendring our acknowledgments for every Good that arrives to us in our lives; and imploring his Protection, his Guidance, his Bleffing upon us, in every Work of Moment that we go about.

Thirdly, It imports farther that we should at least twice every day, either in publick, or in private, offer up the Sacrifice of Prayer and Praife in a folemn manner unto God. Lefs than this (I think) this Phrase of Praying always, as likewife that other Expreffion of St. 1 Theff. v. Paul, that we fhould pray without ceafing: less

17.

than this, I fay, they cannot fignifie; but how much more I now enquire not. It is indeed very probable, as Interpreters have noted, that thefe Expreffions are borrowed from, and have refpect to the daily Sacrifices among the Jews. Every day twice (that is to fay, in the Morning, and in the Evening) by the Appointment of God, was offer'd up a Sacrifice in the Temple; to which the Devout People reforted: Which Sacrifice is in Scripture called by the Name of the continual Sacrifice, the daily Sacrifice; the neverceafing Sacrifice; and this in Contra-diftincti

on