and Pilgrims only haftening towards our Heavenly Jerufalem; and confequently shall spiritualize every Affection, shake off every Incumbrance of Carnal and Earthly Objects, and with Patience, with Joy run the Race that is fet before us. Senfuality preffes down the Soul, and renders it incapable both of enjoying and afpiring after the Blessedness of Eternity: But the Liveliness of a pure Faith, raises our Views, and invigorates our Endeavours: It pierces even into Heaven itself, and where the Groffness of our fleshly Organs fail us, thither will the Strength of our enflamed Affections carry us: No Difficulty of Duty, no Violence of Temptation will now difcourage us, fince the Brightness of a glorious Afcenfion is our promised Portion: This will enflame our Devotion, and quicken our Obedience : We fhall do every thing, we shall fuffer every thing for the Sake of Chrift, upon this comfortable Affurance, that we fhall hereafter reign with Him: For to bim that overcometh, faith our Bleffed Saviour, will I grant to fit with Me on my Throne; even as I have overcome

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and am fate down with my Father on his Throne. And that we may thus overcome, the fecond Article here fet forth, viz. that of Chrift's Interceffion on our Behalf, may greatly ferve to convince us; for what Grace and Divine Affiftance may we hope, what may we not hope from fo Great and Powerful an Interceffor ? Our Heavenly Mediator is too sensible of the Tortures He bore for our Sakes, to fuffer their Efficacy at laft to fail: And if, in the Meannefs of his Humiliation, He was found fo mighty to redeem, how much more mighty to fave muft He now be, in the Majefty of his Exaltation? If, by being lifted up upon the Cross, He could draw all Men after Him, how much more powerful muft He now be, by being lifted up into Heaven? With Triumph does the Apoftle cry out, Who then shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect? It is God that juftified, who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died; yea rather, that is rifen again, who is even at the Right-Hand of God, who alfo maketh Interceffion for us: Would we therefore become the Partak

ers

ers of Chrift's Interceffion: We must make ourselves the proper Subjects of it; and how the proper Objects of it? The Sincerity of our Defires and Endeavours after Holiness, must make us meet to be the Partakers of Divine Grace; and the Fervency of our Prayers, muft recommend fuch our Sincerity to the Divine Acceptance. Chrift's Interceffion is not abfolute, but conditional; He will not follicit Pardon of Sin for them, who will not repent; He will not beg the Influences of God's Holy Spirit for them, who trample upon the Riches of his Grace; He will not apply the Merits of his Sufferings to them, who crucify Him afresh by their daily Sins; nor become the Author of eternal Happiness to them, which despise the Glories and reject the Offer of fo great Salvation. However powerful and effectual Chrift's Mediation may be in itself, its Power and Efficacy is quite loft to them who will not obey the Gospel. To believe that the Holy Jefus is our Advocate, and not to render ourselves worthy of fuch his Advocation, is to deftroy the bleffed Effects of his Office,

Office, and to turn them to our own Reproach and Condemnation. Again, we muft recommend ourselves to the Divine Notice, by frequent and fervent Prayer: It is the Prieft's Bufinefs not to pray for them, who neglect to pray for themselves, but only to offer up the Prayers of those that ask, and by fuch Oblation, to render them more effectual: Having indeed fo great an High Prieft, we may with Boldness and Freedom, come unto the Throne of Grace, and be affured, that whatever we ask in Chrifts Name, we shall receive; but come we muft, before we can obtain Mercy, and find Grace to help in Time of Need. We muft ask in Chrift's Name, difclaiming all Worthiness of our own, putting our whole Truft in his Merits, depending entirely upon his Mediation Accordingly we fee, how wifely and piously our excellent Mother offers up every Collect of the Liturgy in Chrift's Name, by inferting at the End of each her firm Confidence in her fole Reliance upon his powerful Interceffion : And what the perverse Ignorance of our Diffenters call the difturbing of our

Prayers,

Prayers, and the breaking in upon our Devotions, is in Reality, the most accepttable Way of offering them up to God, it is praying according to God's Will; according to his exprefs Command. But having jo great an High Priest, do we want, fhall we defire, fhall we accept any other Interceffors? The Saints and Angels are not, cannot be our Mediators, and confequently not the proper Objects of our Invocation; and to pray to them as fuch, is facrilegiously to rob Chrift of his Mediatorial Power: Lord, we difclaim every other Advocate but Thee, Lord, do Thou hear our Prayers; Thou that takeft the Sins of the World, have Mercy upon us; Thou that fitteft at the Right-Hand of God, have Mercy upon us; Thou that makest Interceffiori for us, receive our Prayers: For Thou only art Holy; Thou only art the Lord; Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, are most high in the Glory of God the Father.

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