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every where abound with earnest and pathetick exhortations to the religious performance hereof, fo they afford us many ftrong motives which the Heathens could not have; they supply us with the names of many great and good men who were exemplary in the performance of it, amongst whom, as in all other works of Righteoufnefs, our bleffed Lord fhines with diftinguifhed luftre; they fully inftruct us both as to the Object to, and the manner in which they ought to be offered; they apply themselves to our fears by the most fevere threats, to our hopes by the most delightful promifes, fupplying us with an encouragement to, and laying a foundation for the performance of this duty, which the Heathens could not have, in the vera city of God himfelf; who hath faid and cannot lie; who hath declared and cannot

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deny himself, that they who ask shall re

ceive.

The reasonableness of this duty in general appears from the flightest attention to the particular branches of which it confifts. If we confider Man merely as a Creature, as just come out of the hands of his Maker, as raised, into being from the duft of the earth, and, befides many other, endued with those diftinguishing privileges, Reafon and Immortality, fure nothing can be more reasonable than for him to pay his moft fubmiffive and reverential homage to that Being who employs Omnipotence in conferring Benefits upon him; to exert his reafon in the praife of him who gave it, and endeavour to recommend himfelf to his infinite goodness, left he fall under the terrors of his Almighty Power. The ideas of

Power

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 exiftence is not bounded by any time, but extends itself unlimited, unimpaired through all ages? What Refpect, 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 im

merft in fin, corrupt in his

very nature, and prone to all evil, continually tempted by

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the

the Devil and the World from without,

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 recourse to his Almighty Father, to acknowledge his original weakness and infirmities, his actual fins and tranfgreffions, to exprefs his averfion to, and refolution against them, unto him who is the perfection of Purity and Holiness; to beg Pardon and Forgiveness of him who delighteth in mercy, and desireth not the death of a Sinner; and to pray for the affiftance of Grace from him, who giveth to them which afk, who hath promifed to fend 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

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 forefee nor relieve, we shall furely fee abundant reafon for him 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 fervice to them: if this is reasonable and prudent, it is certainly much more fo to make our addreffes to God, whofe goodnefs as much furpaffts human goodness, as his power is beyond human power, who hath fuch an abfolute command over trouble, fick nefs, and any

other

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