without minding what we are about, is mere Lip Labour, and looks as if we thought God. were to be reconciled to us by the Number of our Prayers, more than by the Difpofitions of thofe that offer them: Befides, fuch Sorts of Devotion have as little Effect upon ourfelves, as they have upon God; it not being likely that we fhould take much Pains to become what we ask to be made, when we never attend to what we afk. Exercife therefore the Means of Grace with great Seriousness, as in the Prefence of the great God of Heaven and Earth; and that he may be willing to grant thy Petitions, attend to them thyfelf; let them be offered with thy Heart, as well as thy Mouth; and then, as God will be ready to beftow what thou defireft, fo thou thyfelf wilt be zealous in all thy Actions to obtain it. When we

IV. Ufe the Means with Faith. have performed thofe Conditions upon which God is pleased to difpenfe his Favours, we ought to reft affured that He will not fail to bestow them upon us; which is ufing the Means of Religion with Faith. It is through the Defect of this Truft and Confidence in God, that fometimes our Prayers become ineffectual: the Addreffes that we make to any one are but languid and faint, when we have no Affurance of his Power and Readinefs to affift us. Provided we fincerely perform our Part, what may we not expect from the Power and Goodness of God, who is al

ways ready and willing to communicate himfelt to fuch who are qualified to receive the Effects of his Goodneis? What can He deny us, who has given his only begotten Son to die for our Redemption? What may we not hope for from the inexpreffible Love of the bleffed Jefus, who condefcended to take our 'frail Nature upon Him, that we might be Partakers of the divine Nature? What Strength and Affiftance may we not receive from the holy Spirit, who bestowed fuch miraculous Gifts and Graces upon the Apofiles to fit them to convert the World; and who has in all Ages fupplied the Wants of faithful and fincere Chriftians? The Experience of the admirable Effects that have attended a ferious and devout Application to the holy Trinity, both in Life and in the Hour of Death, should ftir us up to put our Truft and Confidence in the Mercy and Goodnefs of God.

V. Conftancy and Perfeverance. Never grow faint and weary of what conduces fo much to your eternal Happiness. Some fet out with great Zeal and Fervour in the Practice of the Means of Grace; they begin with Chearfulness, and are fometimes fupported with the Novelty of fuch Perform. ances: But when the fame Prayers, and the fame Devotions frequently occur, by Degrees they grow carelefs and negligent, and are perfectly tired with the frequent Repetition of them. Now we must always remember, thạt

the

the Pains and Labours we take in the Service of God, that the Care we take in discharging the Exercife of Piety, will not lofe its Reward in the next World, and is of great Ufe and Advantage to us in our Pilgrimage here upon Earth. The more Difficulties we contend with at prefent, if we overcome them, the greater is our Virtue, and the brighter will be our Crown. Never difpenfe with the Neglect of your ftated Hours of Devotion, with the Omiffion of the appointed Seafons of Public Worship, and of approaching the holy Table, except in Cafes of abfolute Neceffity: Let no Reluctance or Weariness difcourage you; let not the Raillery and Contempt of bad Men laugh you out of your Duty: but let all fuch Opportunities be chearfully embraced, as the best Helps to strengthen us in our Chriftian Warfare, and to make the Man of God perfect.

CHAP. XIV.

FOR SUNDAY.

Prayer.

ONE of the great Inftruments of Religion is Prayer, whereby we addrefs ourselves to God for the Relief of all our Wants and Neceffities, both Temporal and Spiritual: We are commanded to afk, in order to receive: and a Man must have but little Sense of those good Things which God daily beftows upon him, that refuses to give him the Tribute of a thankful Heart; he must have but flight Notions of his own Weaknefs, and Impotency, that does not feck for Help from above. Now Prayer is of admirable Efficacy,

1. When we are cold and languid. It is by this Means that our Understandings are filled with heavenly Light, that our Wills are difpofed to choose and embrace that which is Good, that our Affections are inflamed with the Love of God, and that our Hearts are taken off from the Creatures, and fixed upon the Creator. Prayer is as Fire, to which we muft approach when we find we begin to wax cold, and then we fhall perceive a gentle Warmth infenfibly overfpread us, and by Degrees it will rife into a Flame, which will confume

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confume every Thing that oppofes our true Intereft, and animate us to give up ourselves entirely to the Conduct and Guidance of God's Holy Spirit. While I was thus mufing the Fire kindled, faith David.

2. When we run aftray. It is very difficult among thofe various Actions in which we are daily engaged, among thofe Multitudes of Affairs which continually furround us, and thofe Temptations which perpetually folicit us, not fometimes to tranfgrefs our Duty; and at beft not to have our Minds wander from their true Center. Now what fo proper to recover us from any wrong Step we have made, as the Senfe of the Greatnefs and Majefty of God, whom we have offended? What more likely to restore Peace and Quiet to our Minds, than a Senfe of his infinite Goodnefs through Jefus Chrift? What can fo foon and fo eafily récollect our diffipated Minds, as fixing them upon a Being of infinite Perfection, the true Center of all our Happiness? If bad Men are fo monftroufly wicked, and good Men fo imperfectly righ teous, whence can it proceed, but from the Neglect of frequent Application to God byPrayer? Sin and Vice get daily Ground upon Men, when God is not in all their Thoughts,

If

3. When we are under any Neceffity. you are preffed with any Temporal or Spiritual Want, let Prayer be your Refuge; for

it