mercy upon any terms: "Haft thou not one blessing for me, even for poor me, O my Father?" If there be not enough of merit in Chrift to fave me, I do not feek falvation, but in him I know there is a fulness of redundancy, a treasure that cannot be emptied. And, Lord, art thou not willing as well as able? Haft thou not opened thy fide, that I might look in and fee the yearning of thy bowels? yea, I have heard them many times founding towards loft finners: Why then should I go dwell with everlasting burnings? "What profit, Lord, is there in my blood? The dead cannot praise thee, they that go down to the pit cannot celebrate thy goodness." Is it not better to make me a friend, than let me be an enemy? Is it not better that I should eternally fing thy praife, than live for ever blafpheming thy name?"Lord, what fhall I do to be faved? Is there no balm in Gilead for a wounded foul?” Is there no hope for a diftreffed finner? Is there no city of refuge for a pursued criminal? Lord, I am come like a starving beggar to the last door for relief, if thou help me not I must perish at thy threshold, I can go no further Could we believingly make use of fuch arguments as thefe, Chrift's pitiful heart would burst out in midst thereof, and fay to us as to the woman of Canaan, Mat. xv. "O woman, great is thy faith, be it to thee even as thou wilt."

VIII. As on Sabbath morning we should address God with more folemnity and intenfenefs, and with greater length than ordinary; so also with special petitions for the day. 1. Pray for yourselves that God may give you hearts and frames to fanctify a Sabbath to the Lord; that he may prepare your hearts for hearing, strengthen and fanctify your memories, go alongit with you to the fanctuary, and allow his prefence there. Before you enter upon the public work of this day, labour to get your hearts poffeffed effectually with thefe truths: That God must work his own work in you and for you, or it will never be done; and without him you can do nothing: That there is no healing virtue in the waters of the fanctuary, unless the Angel of his prefence defcend and move them: That as in the

first creation the Spirit moved on the waters, and then the living creatures were formed; fo the Spirit muft move upon the waters of ordinances, before they can produce or increase spiritual life; and as he must move. upon the ordinances, and give virtue to them, fo he muft -move upon your fouls in attending on them. Pray earneftly then, that God may give you his Spirit to prepare you for hearing of his word, and to aflift you in hear ing; and, particularly, that he may give you attention to hearken, underftanding to conceive, wifdom to ap ply, judgment to difcern, faith to believe, memory to retain, and grace to practise what you fhall hear; that fo the word may prove unto you "the favour of life unto life," and not "the favour of death, unto death." O pray fervently, that it may not be your condemna tion to go to the fanctuary every new Sabbath to get new bands laid upon you, to get your hearts more har dened, your affections more deadened, and your fouls flain by the words of God's mouth; but that the word. may be attended with faving power, for your convic tion of fin, and your converfion to God in Jefus Christ the Mediator. Be fo intent for Chrift's prefence this day, that no Lord's day may fatisfy you without the Lord of the day. O what is the best day that ever was without the Ancient of days? What are the ordinan ces of God, without the God of ordinances? What are the affemblies of faints, without the Mafter of asfemblies? What is a fermon, without a Saviour? What is a communion table, without a communion with God? What is a Sabbath day, without the Lord of the Sabbath? Proteft therefore in a humble but an importu nate manner, that you will be fatisfied with nothing this day, without his prefence; fay with Mofes, Exod. xxxiii. 5. "If thy prefence go not with me, carry us not up hence." And cry to him with the church, Ifa. Ixiv. "O that thou wouldst this day rend the heavens! O that thou wouidft come down, that the mountains might flow at thy prefence."

2. Pray for him that dispenseth the word, that God may open to him both a door of utterance, and a door of entrance; and particularly, that God may

direct him to fpeak fomething that may be fuitable to your cafe. It is a great lofs to yourselves, as well as to minifters, that you pray fo little for them: What is the reason that many times minifters are straitened in delivery, do not reach your hearts, nor fpeak closely to your cafe? it is because you pray not for them. Mind that fad threatening, Ezek. iii. 26. where the Spirit faith to the prophet," I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou fhalt be dumb, and fhalt not be to them a reprover for they are a rebellious houfe." O pray against this fad julgment, and beg that God may loofe the minifter's tongue, and put a word in his mouth for you. Can you expect a bleffing on. your food, when you will not fo much as feek it from God, by praying for him that is to break the bread of life to you? 221

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3. Pray for the whole congregation, that the Sabbath may be a day of the Son of man, and a day of God's power unto them: Pray that Chrift may mount the white horfe of the gospel, gird his fword on his thigh, and ride in triumph among them; that the arrows of his word may be fharp, and pierce hearts. Beg that fome may be convinced, others ftrengthened, and others comforted: Pray that God's word preached, may not only be as a living fong to the hearers, as Ezek. xxxiii. but as a lively fong to them, that many may have it to fay as David, Pfal. exix. 50. " Thy word hath quickened me." Pray that God may this day make his word as a fharp two-edged fword," to divide betwixt finners and their fins; that he may caufe its point prick. their hearts and favingly wound their confciences, and make its edge fetch blood from their lusts, yea hew them in pieces like Agag, before the Lord. Pray that God may make his word both as a fire and a hammer to the congregation; a fire to burn up the ftubble of their corruptions, and a hammer to break the rocks of their hearts into pieces. Pray that it may be as the key of David, both to open and thut many hearts on this day; a key to open hearts, to as they may never more be thut upon Chrift when he ftands and knocks at them; and a key to fhut hearts, so that they may never open to fin and VOL. IV. fatan

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when they knock for entrance. Pray that the whole congregation may get grace to hear fermons, and put up prayers this day, as if they were the laft that ever they were to hear or put up in this world: And that Zion's King may take to himself his glorious conquer. ing power, and in his majefty ride profperously; and that he may make the arrows of his word "tharp in the hearts of his enemies, fo that the people may fall under him

IX. You must take care, that your fecret prayers on Sabbath morning he early and seasonable, that they interfere not with family-worship, which ought this morning to be timeously performed before the public wor fhip begin; for one duty muft not justle with another, every duty is beautiful in its feafon. And in familyprayer you must be more folemn and particular than at other occafions; our facrifices this day ought to be doubled. O it were happy, if fecret and family duties were our fouls delight on this day; and if we had such fpiritual skill to perform them, that they might be helps, not hindrances to public ordinances.

Lafly, Having this morning put up your fervent prayers to God, you ought to look and wait for a return of them through the day. A wife merchant, that sends a fhip to the fea, will enquire after her Prayer brings your food from afar, look what becomes of it. If you prefent a petition to a prince, you wait what anfwer will be returned; and are ye not much more concern, ed in this case to do it? If you look not after your pray. ers, it is a fign you have little fenfe of your needs; little fenfe of the burden and yoke of fin; little sense of the preciousness of Christ, or the excellency of these mercies you have been fecking. You ought this day to be able to fay, as Pfal. xxv. 5. "On thee do I wait all the day." Your fouls fhould be still panting after God and the light of his countenance, faying, "O that I may this day behold the beauty of the Lord! O that I may fee his power and glory! O that I may taste that he is good? O that I may hear his voice, may bear his i mage, may be brought into the chamber of prefence, and fee him through the lattess of ordinances.

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If ye would have a gracious return this day, you must be looking above ordinances and duties to him, who is "the dew of Ifrael," and expect the heavenly rain from himself; otherwise your fleece will remain dry, for all that men or angels can do. Therefore plead with God that he will blefs and concur with the means, and "breathe upon your dry bones," without which the breath of men can never make them alive.

III. Of Self fearching.

As to the duty of felf-fearching, it is very neceffary on the Sabbath morning, in order to prepare your fouls for the work of the day.

I Enquire into your own itate; try whether you be in nature or grace, that, when you hear the word, you may know what belongs to you: For, if you be ignorant of your condition, you may apply pro nifes for threatenings; conclude for heaven, when you are heirs of wrath; perfuade yourselves of the love of God, when you are in a state of enmity.

II. Enquire into your particular neceffities, what are these wants you would have fupplied by the word, these fins and lufts you would have flain by it, what are these weak graces you would have ftrengthened by it, what are thefe doubts you would have refolved by it, and thefe heart-plagues you would have cured.

III. Enquire into the frames of your hearts, and fee if they be duly qualified and difpofed for attending the public ordinances.

Queft. What fort of hearts ought we to bring with us? Anf. 1. Bring humble hearts. Confider that you are pieces of mean and vile duft venturing into the prefence of an infinitely glorious God, to hear the "voice of the Lord, that is full of majesty," and folemnly to converfe with him, before whom the "angels vail their faces."

2. Bring foft hearts, that the word may make fome impreffion on them; for an arrow fhot against a flone fticks not, but falls to the ground. Labour to get the "fallow ground of your hearts plowed up, and broken,”

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