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be fure, if you cannot reckon them, you are far lefs able to reckon for them. Do you wash your hands? think on the neceffity of "wafhing your hands in innocency, that fo ye may compafs the altar of God:" For thefe that would" afcend the hill of God, and ftand in his hely place, muft have clean hands and pure hearts." Holinefs both in heart and life is abfolutely needful, in order to our enjoying communion with God in ordi

nances.

V. A foon as poffibly you can, retire this morning for the duties of fecret prayer, praife, reading the word, meditation, and felf examination. Much of the Sab bath, and efpecialy the morning of it, fhould be spent in praifing and thanksgiving, upon account of God's goodnefs both common and fpecial, manifested in the works of creation and redemption. It is a moft neceffary and proper duty, to " fhew forth God's loving kindness on the Sabbath morning," Pfal. xcii. 2. Thankfgiving is the great end of the day, and of the mercies of it; the redeemed of the Lord" ought this day to fing, His mercy endureth for ever," Pfal. cvii. 2. for God fent his Son to redeem us for this very end, that he might have from us "the praife of the glory of his grace," Eph. i 6. 12. 14. And if you deny him praife, you do what you can to disappoint him of the defign of this wonderful work: Many ferious fouls think the Sabbath fhould be spent only in prayer, mourning, mortification, &c. and almoft wholly neglect the duty of praife, which ought to be the principal, and wherewith God is beft pleafed. Remember, that praife is not only the end of the day, but the end of your lives; yea, the defign of all God's works: God made man the tongue of the creation, to trumpet forth aloud what the reft of the creation do but filently whifper.

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Directions in performing the forefaid duties.

BEFORE I proceed further, I shall give some special advices concerning the duties of fecret reading, prayer, and felf fearching.

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I.

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I. Of reading the Word.

1. As to the reading of God's word, if you would do it with profit, then, 1. Look up to God for his bleffing upon it: When you begin, pray that he may open your eyes to see the wonders of it," and that he may open your ears and hearts to hear and comply with it as the voice of God.

2. In reading the word, quicken yourfelves to all poffible attention. As children will rouze up themfelves at the reading of their father's will, out of expectation of fome portion or legacy bequeathed them therein by their father; fo ought you to rouze up yourselves in reading of the word, in regard of the many rich and precious legacies which our Saviour hath bequeathed to you, in that laft will and teftament of his, fealed by his own blood,

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13. Read the word with holy reverence, as if Jehovah himself flood by, and fpake thefe words unto you; for reading is a kind of holy conference with God, and therefore ought to be gone about with a holy awe and concern. I do not mean that this reverence is to be fhown to the paper and print, but the matter contained therein; though even thefe, as the dead bodies of faints, ought not to be ufed difhonourably, as I have heard fome graceless merchants do, by rolling up their fmall wares in leaves of the bible. Is this like the practice of the ancient martyrs, who made more account of a leaf of the bible than of a treafure? And indeed the leaves of the bible, in fome fenfe, are the field where the treafure is hid, and the pearl of price may be found; they are the fwadling clothes of the holy Jefus, And therefore, in the next place,

4. Have an eye to Chrift in every thing ye read, for he is the end, fcope, and fubftance of the whole bible, and every thing in it is reducible to him.

5. Read it with application to yourfelves, as if God fpoke to you by name and firname in every line of it. Read it as if it were a letter fent ftraight from heaven to you, to warn you against fin, and to perfuade you to faith and olinefs. Let us accept of its reproofs and admonitions with thankfulness, and

fay,

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fay, What a mercy is it that we may read our Father's with in our mother-tongue, and that God fpeaks his mind fo plainly to us in his word?

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6. Mark the fpecial paffages of the word, either these that are most important in themselves, or most applicable to you. Mark the duties injoined, and fins forbid2den, with the promises to the one, and threatenings against the other: Faften thefe upon your memories, and hide them in your hearts; meditate on them, and pray that God may keep them in your minds, ready for ufe against the time of need.

DEATHE NOW Bon" Me ad Mpx' S II. Of Secret, Prayer, Setitor lim strUR. As for fecret prayer, take these directions, if you would fpeed in it.

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-I. See that you be new creatures, and born again, if you would pray aright. A child, while in the womb, cannot cry; fo no more can you cry; Abba, Father, while in the womb of a natural state. An unconverted man's prayers are not accounted prayers before God; The long prayers which Paul had, while sa Pharifee, were not reckoned prayer at all; but, when he is a converted man, we are told then, with a Behold, that he prayed, Acts ix. II.

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II. Be frequent in this duty, for your needs are many. God hath erected the "throne of grace for the time of need," Heb. iv. 16. And he hath left the more needs upon us, that he may the oftener hear from us; he loves to hear his people's voice, and great need have we to let him oft hear it ; for we have many lufts to be fubdued, many graces to be ftrengthened, many doubts to be refolved, and many grievances to be redreffed : Therefore be frequent in your addreffes to God. Frequency begets familiarity, and familiarity confidence ; we go boldly to his houfe, we often vifit. Eufebius tells us of the apostle James, firnamed the Juft, that he kneeled fo oft and fo long in fecret prayer, that his knees became as callous and infenfible as a camel's. And he tells us of the firft Chriftian emperor, Conftan. tine the Great, that he kneeled very much in fecret prayer: And, for an example to others, that he had his

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image in his coins, pictures, and ftatues, reprefented in the fame praying pofture, with his hands fpread abroad, and his eyes lift up to heaven. King David was frequently in this exercife, Pfal v. 17. Evening, morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud." And, if that be not enough, he fays, Pfal cxix. 164276Seven times a day will I praife thee, because of thy righteous judgments A fres KILAffect privacy and retirement in it. Strive to let no ear hear but God's; for his ears are open to the most whispering prayers that can be put up: Not that we should be afhamed of our duty, but that we may evite misconstruction, and hide pride from our eyes; for, when there is a defire that men fhould take notice of our prayers, God takes no notice of them, unless it be to abhor and reject them. But if you be fo circumstanced, that you cannot pray without being obferved, you cannot help it for it is better to hazard the cen◄ fure of others, than the neglect of prayer: Only take care there be no oftentation in the doing of it.,

IV. Pray with holy awe and reverence of God, before whom you fit yourselves. Labour for as much devotion and seriousness in prayer, as if you were taken up and presented before God on his royal throne, with millions of glorious angels rainistering to him; or, as sif you faw death and the grave on the one hand, and sheaven and hell on the other or, as if you heard the faints finging in heaven, or the damned roaring in hell. Do you not believe these things as well as if you faw them and why are you not as ferious as if you did fee themen he

Va Study to pray in faith, eying the power, mercy, and promise of God, and relying upon the mediation and righteousness of Jefus Christ; for these who pray thus, fhall not feek God in vain. This kind of prayer is like Jonathan's bow, 2 Sam. i." that never returns empty."

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VI. Pray with fervency and importunity: Why? for ought you know, this may be the laft Sabbath you may fee, the laft fermon you may hear, and the laft prayer you may put up. Pray theicfore as a dying

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man would and fhould do. Remember how fervent you have feen fome dying perfons in prayer, and labour for the fame frame and fervency. You thould feek this day, to have fuch a feeling of fpiritual wants, and to have your bowels fo pinched with a fenfe thereof, that, like the hungry and almoft ftarved beggars, you may cry aloud for the bread of life. Let your prayers be the travail of your fouls, and not the labour of your lips. Let your hearts be fuitably affected in all the parts of prayer; never leave confeffion without fome forrow for fin, nor petition without fome fenfe of the worth of mercies, nor thanksgiving without some folace and joy in God, the Author and Fountain of all our happiness, Let your affections correfpond with your expreffions, and continue inftant in prayer. You ought this day, like Sampfon, Judg. xvi. to" bow yourselves with all your might" in prayer, to pull down the pillars of Dágon's temple, and the ftrong holds of fin in your fouls. "Lift up your hearts with your hands to God in the heavens, and ftir up yourfelves to take hold of him:" Caft yourselves down at his feet, and fay, as once a great man did to his prince, < I am refolved never to rife till I obtain mercy.”

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VII. Ufe arguments with God in prayer, either taken from God's power and mercy, or from your mifery and neceffity. Doft thou doubt, O man, if thou be converted? then lie fobbing before God, like that leper, Mat. viii. "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean;" 9. d. Lord, thou mayeft do as thou wilt; but this I know, though thou should never help me, that thou can do it. Thou haft power enough, yea, it is eafy for thee, and will be no manner of trouble to thee, to change my heart, and give me an alms of mercy. Thou haft mercy as well as power; I have heard a good report of thy mercy, that "the King of Ifrael is a merciful King, and delights not in the death of a finner," and that "his mercy endures for ever." Lord, here a poor condemned rebet comes in upon the proclamation, to accept of the King of Heaven's indemnity: I lay myfelf at thy feet, content to accept of

mercy

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