tion of pleasure and bleffing to themselves. Whereas God hath adopted us, not for his own, but for our fake; not that he may be a Father, but that we may be children; the love is all his, the advantage all our

own.

Having thus feen in what refpects we call God Father, I proceed, Secondly, to fhew, Why we are taught in our prayers to make use of the name of Father, rather than any other.

If we confider with what affections of the mind our prayers ought always to be accompanied, with what humility and reverence, with what love and confidence, with what refolution of fubmiffion and obedience, we fhall find that no other name could fo naturally inspire us with them, as this of Father. The idea of Omnipo

VOL. IV.

F

Omnipotence is great and terrible, and, abstractedly confidered, will indeed fufficiently excite our humility and reverence, but by no means our love. The idea of infinite Goodness is truly amiable and lovely, but, confidered in itself, not at all calculated to raife in us humility and fear. The idea of perfect Juftice will breed defpair, and the confideration of infinite Mercy create prefumption rather than confidence. Eternity and Immenfity ftrike us with admiration, but are above our comprehenfion; and perfect Holiness and Purity, though exceeding lovely in themselves, are too bright and dazzling for the eyes of finners. But in the name of Father all thefe perfections of the Deity are collectively understood, as centered in the fame perfon, as moving in the most perfect harmony, as being in fact the fame fimple effence difplaying itfelf feveral

feveral ways, and demanding of us feveral affections.

Humility and reverence are expreffions of respect, which all good children pay to their earthly parents, and which, if they are fincere when they call God Father, they must in a much greater degree pay to him. His adorable Majefty, his incomprehenfible Greatnefs, and Almighty Power, demand this of us. There is nothing which more powerfully works upon us to love any person, than his having conferred favours on us, and given us expreffions of his good will and affection; and the greater his good will appears to be, the greater the favours are which we receive, the greater in proportion fhould our love be to him. Now, as there is no perfon who hath conferred upon us, in any comparison, fo great benefits as God, fo there is no

name so proper to remind us of them, as this of Father, which prefents him to our thoughts at once as our Creator, Preferver, and Redeemer, as regenerating us by his holy Spirit, and adopting us in his bleffed Son; and confequently no name is so proper to excite in us that ardent love and affection which God requires.

Upon coming into the prefence of a God, who declares himself of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, finners fhould naturally tremble and despair; but the name of Father conveys to us fo tender an idea, as calms our terrors, and infpires hope and confidence, teaching us, that if our Fathers, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto their children, how much more shall our Father which is in Heaven, give to those who call upon him? But notwithstanding the name of Father gives us fo favourable

an

an idea, yet there is in it fufficient awe and

dignity to excite and claim our obedience.

Parents after the flesh love their children, listen to their petitions, forgive their faults, and relieve their wants; but parents after the flesh expect alfo to be obeyed; and fo does God; we have no title to his mercy till we endeavour, by a fincere, though imperfect, obdience, to fatisfy his Justice.

When we ask any favours of our acquaintance, and meet with a denial, we are apt to harbour a refentment against them, and to impute their refufal to indifference, pride, ill-nature, or fuch like motives; but when our parents deny our requests we feel no fuch refentments, we are well fatisfied of their love, and repute even their denial an argument of it. Thus, when we offer up our prayers to God, we are, by making ufe of the name of Father,