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SERMON I.

BY

CHARLES CHURCHILL.

SERMON I.

JAMES, V. 16th.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous

'man availeth much.

F

OR the particular occafion on which these words were fpoken, and the relation they bear to what preceded,

I shall refer you to the chapter from whence they are taken, and at prefent confider them as they stand independently, and affure us, that the duty of prayer, when practifed by a righteous man, and offered up in a proper manner, is

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of great efficacy to avert misfortunes, and procure bleffings; premising only, that, by a righteous man we are not to understand one.who is perfectly pure, and free from fin, but one who performs his duty to the utmost of his power, and makes up for any infirmity in his Obedience, by the ftrength of his Faith, and the fincerity of his Repentance.

The duty of prayer is in the present age by many entirely neglected, or imperfectly obferved, and by fome openly decried. There are many who difallow any other application to God than that of the mind, and not a few who, however conftant in the outward forms of prayer, do yet by their lives but too plainly fhew that their minds are unaffected. Some too there are who run into the contrary extreme, who are so unwarrantably attentive to the performance of this duty, as to neglect obligations which are of much greater import, which are more immediately neceffary for their own good, and the benefit of society, and which of confequence must be more agreeable to the will, and conducive to the glory, of

God.

Whilft

Whilft mistakes like thefe prevail, a confideration of the duty of prayer cannot be out of feafon; it cannot prejudice thofe who beft understand it, and may be serviceable to thofe who do not.

Prayer is a folemn act of worshipping the Supreme Being; wherein we, on the one hand, acknowledge our weaknefs and indigence, on the other, his power and ability to afford us relief; it naturally implies fome defect in him who offers it up, and fome autho rty in him to whom it is offered, to pardon and amend it; it fuppofes God to be the Maker and Governor of all things, and fo gracious and condescending, fo potent and abfolute in his nature, as always to be ready to hear, and able to redrefs the grievances of his creatures; fo that this duty is founded on the infinite goodness and power of God; he is infinitely good, and therefore willing, infinitely powerful, and therefore able to relieve us; and for these reasons he is, and he alone can be, the proper object of our prayers.

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