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and fo offer up our Prayers a reasonable and acceptable facrifice.

Another qualification of an acceptable Prayer, is Attention; this is not to be acquired fo eafily as fome may imagine; our thoughts are in a perpetual flux, and of fo volatile a nature, that it is no easy matter to keep them fixt and steady, even when we are retired from the world, and all outward objects are taken away. The mind is ever roving, and fo diftracted with the fucceffion of fresh ideas which arise involuntarily in her, that it is no contemptible task, after she has made choice of any one, to shut out the reft, and keep herself attentive to that alone. Befides, the cares of this world are apt to intrude, and interrupt us, the enticing allurements of pleasures are ever ready to infinuate themselves, and the Devil is always at hand to fecond every inftrument,

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ftrument, and improve every opportunity of diverting our thoughts from the service of God. As our tempers and circumstances are well known to him, he is particularly diligent in the time of our devotions to unhinge our thoughts, by fupplying us with fuch objects and ideas as he thinks will best serve his wicked purpofes. It is evident therefore, that our utmost care and refolution is neceffary to acquire this virtue of Attention; and in order the better to effect it, we should rightly weigh the Majefty of him whom we pray to, and the importance of the things which we pray for. The man who petitions an earthly King for fuch things as are necef fary to fupport his life, or for the pardon of fome crime which forfeits it, muft naturally be supposed to have his attention wholly engroft with a confideration of the Majefty before whom he ftands, and of

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the vast consequences of those things which are the fubjects of his petition; and the fame degree of Attention may we hope to obtain, if we will convince ourselves, that in our Prayers we come before the King of Kings, and that what we petition, for is of the laft confequence to us, no less than the supply of all our wants, no less than the forgiveness of all our fins.

If we thus ufe every method to settle ourfelves into an habit of Attention, if we endeavour to reprefs every wandering thought in the birth, and are heartily forry when they force themselves into our minds, if we fincerely pray that God will enable us, by his grace, to overcome them, and give us this virtue to a greater degree, than our na tural infirmities will permit us to acquire of ourselves, we have then all the reason in the world to conclude, that God will crown

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our endeavours with fuccefs, or otherwise accept of the fincere endeavour, instead of the perfect performance; nor will the author of our nature require more of us, than our nature will enable us to perform, but will look upon our infirmities with an eye of pity and compaffion, and extend his grace and pardon to them.

To Attention we must add Fervency: it is not a cold and unmeaning repetition of Prayers which calls down bleffings from above; it is not a mere form of words, but the effectual fervent Prayer, which availeth much. This qualification greatly depends upon Temper and Conftitution. Thofe therefore fhould not be caft down who feel not these holy raptures in fuch a degree as others may feem to do, nor fhould thofe of a more fanguine complexion be over and above measure elated, when they feel these tranfports,

transports, and blafphemously fancy that they are, in the language of a modern Enthufiaft, fenfibly actuated by the Holy Ghost. Fervency, no doubt, is a very neceffary and happy qualification of Prayer; it introduces us to a more intimate familiarity with God, and at the fame time it procures us bleffings on earth, in fome measure gives us a foretafte of Heaven. But great caution is requifite, that this fervency be fuch as is required by God; it fhould be a gentle, pleafing, heavenly flame, and not an headstrong and outrageous fire, which hurries men into Enthusiasm; it fhould, like the Sun, not only afford a barren warmth to the foul, but fuch an heat, as may promote fruitfulness in well doing.

To the forgoing qualifications we must add Perfeverance.

We must not imagine,

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