go out to battle against their enemy, then, if they pray towards this place, and confefs thy name, hear thou their Prayer in Heaven, thy dwelling place, deliver them from their affliction, and maintain their cause. Thus, according to Solomon, if a nation. labours under the miseries of an unfuccefsful war, Prayer is the fureft means to procure a glorious victory, and a happy peace; if the windows of Heaven be shut up, and drought and barrenness prevail in the land, this is the most effectual method to obtain the fertile fhowers, fo that the earth may bring forth her fruits, that the hills may dance and skip, and the valleys laugh and fing for joy; is the air tainted with noxious vapours, and doth Peftilence, hand in hand with Famine, ftalk in our streets, the holy breathing of an upright heart in prayer will purge purge the air, and procure for us health and plenty. In a word, whatever misfortunes we labour under, whether public or private, a due discharge of this duty is able to remove them, and obtain God's bleffing upon ourselves, and families, our friends and acquaintance, upon every thing we have, and every thing we do. To these advantages, which relate only to this life, let us also add those which naturally lead us to happiness hereafter. Let us reflect what an increase of grace, what a confirmation of faith, what a quickening of hope we may expect herefrom; and laftly, let us reflect how much Prayer must conduce to the advancement of virtue, and holiness of living. It naturally breeds in us due apprehenfions of God and ourfelves; it fets before E 2 us us the perfections of the Deity in their full glory; it fuppofes them, as to his moral attributes, the objects of our imitation, and makes them the fubjects of our contemplation; fo that a conftant performance of this duty can, fcarce fail of awakening our emulation, and as it were infenfibly conforming us to the image of God. As it is fcarce poffible for a great finner to continue conftant in this duty, fo is it as unlikely for a man who continues conftant in Prayer to adhere to any wilful fin. Prayer is the natural enemy of Sin; it cannot confift with it, but muft either conquer or be conquered by it; Prayer is the natural friend and ally of Holinefs, and cannot fubfift without it, fo as to be worthy the name of Prayer; Prayer has a natural tendency to produce holiness, and holiness is abfolutely neceffary to fanctify our Prayers. Now to God the Father, &c. SERMON SERMON III. MATHEW Vi. 9th. Our Father which art in Heaven. A FTER our Saviour had given his difciples a charge not to imitate the hypocrites, who prayed standing in the fynagogues, and at the corners of the streets, that they might be feen of men, nor to follow the example of the heathen, who ufed vain repetitions, and thought they fhould be heard for their much speaking, he proceeds to direct them in what manner they should offer up their prayers, and delivers that form which hath justly been the admiration of all ages, and the divine pattern whereby the Christian church hath modelled her devotions, If we confider the Perfon who gave this Prayer to us, it claims our highest regard upon his account; or if we duly weigh the value of the gift itself, it deferves our especial esteem upon its own. The Perfon who gave it to us, was no other than our bleffed Lord, who knew the wants and infirmities of our nature, being man, and the propereft manner in which we could petition for the redress and relief of them, being God. The Prayer itself, whether we confider the order and harmony of it, the connexion of the parts, or the beauty of the whole, is worthy of the highest admiration. It is fo plain, and perfpicuous, that the weakest capacity may understand it; fo fhort and concife, that the weakest memory |