and endeavour to recommend himself to his infinite goodness, left he fall under the ter→ rors of his Almighty Power. The ideas of Power are in themselves great and terrible; it naturally inspires us with awe and reverence, even when it is lodged in human hands, whence it is liable to be fnatched by innumerable accidents, and where it hangs but on the flender thread of life. What must it do then, when we confider it infinite and unbounded, placed in the hands of a Being, who is fubject to no accidents; whofe existence is not bounded by any time, but extends itself unlimited, unimpaired through all ages? What Respect, what Homage, what Adoration can be too great, when paid to fuch a Being? Where can we find an office more agreeable to our Reason, where a better employment for our Immortality.

If we confider Man as a Creature immerft in fin, corrupt in his very nature, and prone to all evil, continually tempted by the Devil and the World from without,

and

and betrayed by his own violent and headftrong paffions from within, upon fuch a difmal review, fure nothing can be more reasonable, than to have recourfe to his Almighty Father, to acknowledge his original weakness and infirmities, his actual fins and tranfgreffions, to express his averfion to, and resolution against them, unto him who is the perfection of Purity and Holiness; to beg Pardon and Forgiveness of him who delighteth in mercy, and defireth not the death of a Sinner; and to pray for the affiftance of Grace from him, who giveth to them which ask, who hath promised to send us the comfort of his holy fpirit, who delighteth to dwell in the heart of the fincere and contrite.

If we confider Man as fubject to all kinds of mifery, furrounded with difficulties and troubles which he can neither prevent nor remedy, with dangers which he can neither guard against nor repel, and with wants which he can neither foresee nor relieve, we shall surely fee abundant reason for him

to

to apply to God, to lay himself open, to make his diftreffes known, and pray to God that he will deliver him out of all his troubles, defend him in all his dangers, and relieve him in all his wants. When men are under any preffure or calamity, they naturally apply to fuch of their fellow creatures as they think are inclined by the goodness of their disposition, and enabled by their power or wealth to be of service to them: if this is reasonable and prudent, it is certainly much more fo to make our addreffes to God, whofe goodness as much furpaffes human goodness, as his power is beyond human power, who hath fuch an abfolute command over trouble, ficknefs, and any other adverfity, that he faith unto them Go, and they go; who is of fuch perfect Goodness, that he fuftaineth the Brutes, and feedeth the young Ravens which call upon him, that he openeth his hand, and filleth all things living with plenteousness.

To turn our eyes from these melancholy fcenes of fin and mifery, if we reflect

upon

upon the fituation of Man, how impoffible it was for him to avoid finning, and how impoffible to avoid the punishment due to it; if we confider him delivered from that terrible dilemma, and if not fecured from finning, directed, which is almost equivalent, how to escape the confeqences of it; if we confider God the Father as ordaining the means of our Redemption, God the Son as performing them, and God the Holy Ghost as refiding in, and fanctifying us, how can we abstain from breaking out in the lively eloquence of the Pfalmift, Praise the Lord O my Soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name, Praise the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his benefits. Such an unexpected, fuch an undeferved change in our affairs, fo great a deliverance, fuch a mighty falvation as it muft neceffarily excite our joy, fo fhould it quicken our gratitude, and incline us to return thee thanks, O God, as for our Creation, Preservation, and all the Bleffings of this life, fo above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by

1

our Lord Jefus Chrift, for the means of Grace, and for the hope of Glory.

If we confider, that the whole race of men are mutually related to each other, that their concerns are too closely connected to bear a separation, that they came out of the hands of the fame Creator, are fuftained by the Providence of the fame Preferver, and purchased by the blood of the fame Redeemer, we cannot but acknowledge the reasonableness of the Duty which the Scriptures lay upon every man, of praying for his neighbour as well as for himself; of offering up his petitions to Almighty God, and interceding for them, that he will turn from them whatever do them harm, and be pleafed to give unto them what he fees needful either for their bodies, or their fouls.

may

On the whole, if it is reasonable that the Creature should acknowledge his dependance on the Creator, that those who have done amifs fhould confefs it, and afk

for