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. Iv. 17. "Evening, morn ing, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud." And, if that be not enough, he fays, Pfal cxix. 164. "Seven times a-day will I praife thee, because of thy righteous judgments."

III. Affect privacy and retirement in it. Strive to let no ear hear but God's; for his ears are open to the moft whispering prayers that can be put up: Not that we fhould be ashamed 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 circumftanced, that you cannot pray without being obferved, you cannot help it; for it is better to hazard the cenfure 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 fift 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 miniftering to him; or, as if you faw death and the grave on the one hand, and heaven 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 them?

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

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

man

man would and fhould do. Remember how fervent you have seen some dying perfons in prayer, and labour for the fame frame and fervency. You should 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 fome folace and joy in Ged, the Author and Fountain of all our happiness. Let your affections correfpond with your expreffions, and continue inflant 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 Dagon's temple, and the ftrong holds of fin in your souls.

Lift up your hearts with your hands to God in the heavens, and ftir up yourselves 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."

*

VII. Ufe arguments with God in prayer, either ta ken from God's power and mercy, or from your mi. fery 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;" q. d. Lord, thou mayeft do as thou wilt; but this I know, though thou fhould 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 rebel comes in upon the proclamation, to accept of the King of Heaven's indemnity lay myfelf at thy feet, content to accept of

mercy

mercy upon any terms: "Haft thou not one bleffing 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 praife thee, they that go down to the pit cannot celebrate thy goodnefs." Is it not better to make me a friend, than let me be an enemy? Is it not better that I fhould 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 distressed finner? Is there no city of refuge for a purfued criminal? Lord, I am come like a starving beggar to the last door for relief, if thou help me not I muft perifh at thy threshold, I can go no further Could we believingly make ufe of fuch arguments as thefe, Chrift's pitiful heart would burst out in midft thereof, and fay to us as to the woman of Canaan, Mat. xv. " 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; fo alfo with fpecial 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 alongst 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 muft 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

A

first creation the Spirit moved on the waters, and then the living creatures were formed; fo the Spirit must 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 affift you in hearing; and, particularly, that he may give you attention to hearken, understanding to conceive, wifdom to apply, 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." C O pray fervently, that it may not be your condemnation to go to the fanctuary every new Sabbath to get new bands laid upon you, to get your hearts more hardened, 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 conviction of fin, and your converfion to God in Jefus Chrift 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 ordinances of God, without the God of ordinances? What are the affemblies of faints, without the Master of affemblies? 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 importunate 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 wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow at thy prefence.",

1.

2. Pray for him that difpenfeth 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 speak fomething that may be suitable 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 speak 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 shalt be dumb, and fhalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious houfe." O pray against this fad judgment, 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?

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 horse of the gospel, gird his fword on his thigh, and ride in triumph among them; that the arrows of his word may be sharp, 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. cxix. 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 cause its point prick their hearts and favingly wound their confciences, and make its edge fetch blood from their lufts, 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 stubble 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 shut many hearts on this day; a key to open hearts, fo as they may never more be shut upon Chrift when he ftands and knocks at them; and a key to shut hearts, so that they may never open to fin and VOL. IV. fatan

A a