V.

as they can have of the Divinity, from SERM. whence their trueft Glory and Felicity refult. And as the Holiness of God is a most glorious Part of that Image of him, which we may bear, we should with the utmost Zeal and Diligence endeavour to resemble and imitate him in this Property; by cultivating and improving our natural Relish of Virtue, and strengthening and increasing our Averfion to Vice; by rendering our Senfe of moral Good and Evil, fo acute, quick, and vigorous, that it may easily direct and govern our Converfation; putting us upon the earnest Pursuit of all Things worthy and becoming, which tend to purify, ennoble, and exalt our Nature, and reftraining us effectually from whatever is corrupt and low, which would debase, vilify, and deprefs us; and making us highly to reverence and love eminent Virtue in whatever Character and Station it is found, and to countenance, favour, and support all good Men, as far as we can, according to their Worth, and to exprefs a noble Refentment and Deteftation of flagrant and incorrigible Wickedness, even though it should be attended with the greatest outward Pomp, and to discourage, oppose, and punish all the Bad, with a Severity proportioned to the Depravity

I

SERM. Depravity and Iniquity of their Conduct. V. Thus muft we endeavour to attain, according to our Measure and Capacity, to some Similitude of the perfect Purity and Righteoufnefs of the Deity, if we would be thought to have real Greatnefs of Mind in us;

24.

any

or, if we would answer the Intention of

Christianity, which, defigns to bring all its 2 Pet. i. 4. Profeffors to a Participation of a Divine Eph. iv. Nature, to make them put on the New Man, which, after God, is created in Righteoufnefs and true Holiness; to render them Matt. v. Perfect, even as their Father who is in Heaven is Perfect, and Holy, in all manner of Converfation, as he who hath called them is Holy.

48.

1 Pet. i.

SER

SERMON VI.

The Nature, rational Grounds, and neceffary Qualifications of Prayer.

PSALM LXV. 2.

O thou that heareft Prayer, unto thee fhall all Flesh come.

A

S the common Light of Nature, SER M. agreeably to this Intimation of the VI. Pfalmift, has taught Mankind very generally to look upon Prayer, as a neceffary and important Duty; as in all the Revelations which God has given to the World, it is frequently and earnestly recommended; as our Saviour has required it, both by his Precepts, and Example; as at the fame Time, it is a Thing, concerning which, Men have been apt to run into great Errors and Extremes, many having quite over-rated it, and laid by far too mighty a Stress on it, while fome others, by much the fmaller

L

SERM. fmaller Number indeed, have utterly con VI. temned it, and been altogether indifferent

and negligent about it; it muft, certainly,

be
very useful to us, to fix a true Notion of
this Duty in our Minds, to have a clear
View of the rational Grounds of it, and of
the Methods which may be neceffary to
make our Performance of it, effectually an-
fwer its End. I propose, therefore, in the
following Difcourfe, Firft, To explain a
little this Duty of Prayer. Secondly, To
inquire into the Reasons, for which it is
to be attended to, and performed by us.
Thirdly, To confider what Qualifications
may be requifite on our part, for rendering
our Prayers acceptable and fuccefsful. After
which, I fhall conclude with a few gene-
ral Reflections upon this whole Subject.

I. I fhall briefly explain this Duty of Prayer. Prayer, according to the strict Sense of the Word, and the original Notion of the Thing, is in General no more than the offering our Defires, or Petitions to God. Some other Things, indeed, have for a long time, by Cuftom, been comprehended under the Word; fuch as Confeffion of our Sins, Adoration of the Majefty of God, and Praife and Thanksgiving for

6.

his Mercies: And as these feveral Acts ofS ERM. Devotion may, in the Nature of Things, VI. very properly accompany the Petitions or Requests which we address to our Maker, and should indeed generally go along with them, they, together with thefe Petitions, fitly enough furnish us with a large and complex Notion of Prayer. But for treating the Subject more diftinctly, I fhall confine myself at prefent, to the strict and original Notion of Prayer, as it fignifies the laying our Defires before God, or, in the Apostle's Phrase, the making our Requests Phil. vi. known unto him. For opening up which Duty more clearly, it must be observed, 1. That God is the Object to whom we are to addrefs our Defires, or Requests. He, having all Power, Knowledge, Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, and Goodness, originally, independently, and immutably in himself, and being alone the Creator and Governor of the World, is most perfectly qualified, both to hear our Prayers, and to grant us any reasonable Requests which we offer to him, and according to the most obvious Dictates of Nature, muft ever be the ultimate Object of all the Dependance and Hope of Mankind. As for praying to other Beings, whom we do not certainly L 2

know