any more. afraid, and afhamed to appear before his Father The Cafe between our heavenly Father and us is much stronger. His Laws being more righteous, they are better fitted to create Shame in wilful Offenders; be knows, more particularly, all the aggravating Circumftances of our Guilt; his Holiness must give him a ftronger Detestation of it; his Power enables him to punish with more Severity; his Immutability leaves no room to hope for Pardon without a Change A Man, therefore, who daily confesses his Sins must be fo far fincere as to refolve upon a Reformation, and a strong Refolution, aided by God's Grace, (which he will certainly have if he humbly and importunately afks for it) will enable him so far to put his good Refolutions in Practice, as not wilfully to continue in the Habit in us. of any known Sin, or frequently to fall into occafinal Acts of very grofs Sins. I apprehend This to be fo very clear a Cafe that it needs no farther Inlargement; and with every fincere Reader it needs no farther Inforcement: But, for a farther Encouragement to practife this Duty of Prayer, I fhall fhew how acceptable it is to God, and how effectual we may expect it to be to ourselves, from Declarations, and Examples recorded in Holy Scripture. I have already fhewn what a natural Tendency there is in Prayer to make us religious and virtuous, in Concurrence with the Grace of God affifting us; this next Chapter will encourage us to expect God's Grace and Favour in Confequence of our fincere and hearty Prayers. 7 CHAP. CHA P. VI. Upon this Head there are three Things proper to be obferved: "T HAT God, in his holy Word, hath made the most exprefs Promises that he will hear the Prayers of good Chriftians. II. That he hath most remarkably made good these Promises, as appears by Variety of Inftances. III. That he hath declared that our Prayers are fo neceffary towards the Attainment of the good Things which we want, that without praying for them we shall not have them. I. God hath given the most exprefs Declarations of his Readiness to answer our Prayers. The Pfalmift faith, "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him in Truth; he will "fulfil the Defires of thofe that fear him; he "alfo will hear their Cry and help them." Again, "The Eyes of the Lord are over the "Righteous, and his Ears are open to their "Prayers." Again, he is ftiled, "A God that These heareth Prayers." Again, he invites us to call upon him, promifing Deliverance upon our Application to him; "Call upon me in the Time "of Trouble, and I will deliver thee." and many other Paffages, to the like purpose, we find in the Old Teftament, and the New is as full of Them. Our Saviour fays to his Apoftles, "Whatfoever ye fhall afk in my Name "that G 4 43 "that will I do." Repeating it, "If ye fhall it," "afk any thing in my Name I will do it." Again, "Afk and it fhall be given you, &c. " for every one that afketh receiveth, &c." There are many other Declarations to the fame Purpose, but these are fufficient to prove the Acceptableness and Efficacy of Prayer; and they are confirmed by many Examples and Inftances of it. Among others we have the following very remarkable ones; The Prayer of Mofes quenched a devouring Fire. The Prayer of Elias brought down Fire from Heaven. The Prayer of Elisha reftored a dead Man to Life. The Prayer of King Hezekiah flew 185000 of the Affyrians in one Night. The Prayer of David stopped the destroying Angel when his Hand was lifted up to destroy Jerufalem. The Prayer of Jonah delivered him out of the Fish's Belly. What a mighty Force the Scriptures attribute to Prayer, we may read in the History of the Battle between the Ifraelites, and the Amalekites; how the former prevailed as long as Mofes's Hands were lifted up in Prayer, and the latter when he let Them fall; another we have in the Story of Jacob wrestling with the Angel, and prevailing by the Force of his praying for a Bleffing. By the fame Means Mofes prevented the Deftruction of the Ifraelites, when God was going to blot out their Name from under Heaven, for making the golden Calf. If it be faid that thefe Examples fignify nothing to us, who live at a Time when no Miracles can be expected, it may juftly be answered, that they fignify a good deal, because, from fuch miraculous Inftances of the Effects of Prayer, we may draw a good Argument of its great Efficacy, at all Times, to the End of the World: For, if in thofe Ages Prayer was fo prevalent as to move God to leave the ufual Methods of his Providence, and to do Violence to the ftated Order of Things, Have we not Reafon to believe that he will answer thofe Prayers which require no fuch extraordinary Interpofal, but fall within the Reach of the common Course of his Government? 3dly, For the farther Proof of the Efficacy of Prayer, it ought to be confidered, that the Scriptures have declared it to be fo neceffary towards the Attainment of fuch Things as we want, that if we do not pray for them we shall not have them. This is evident from St. James, who fays, "Ye luft and have not, ye kill and defire to "have, and cannot obtain, because ye afk not." ask What can be plainer ? And now, Reader, whatever you be; whether Learned, or Unlearned; whether Rich, or Poor; in the Ebb of Adverfity, or the Flood of Profperity; whether in a low, or in the moft exalted Station; let me crave your Patience while I briefly recapitulate what has this important, folemn Subject, natural Tendency to make us been faid upon Virtuous; it is recommended by the concurrent Opinion and Practice of all Ages, and Nations, of the most eminent and improved Persons, recorded in Scripture; Prophets, Apoftles, and even our bleffed Saviour himself, that great Exemplar after which all CHRISTIANS are obliged to copy. It has the Sanction of the moft pofitive Precepts from God, with an Affurance that our Prayers are a moft acceptable Service: There are Variety of Inftances and Examples of this in Scripture; it not only has a Tendency to improve us in Religion and Virtue, but it is fo neceffary towards our Improvement, that it is impoffible to be truly Religious and Virtuous without it, or long to continue in a State of habitual Wickedness, or often to commit grofs Sins, while we babituate ourselves to the Practice of it It is an Exercise, in its Nature, the most delightful, the most comfortable, and the most honourable; nothing is fo well fitted to make us eafy and happy in all Circumftances of Life, by regulating all our disorderly Paffions, and creating a perpetual Tranquillity and Serenity of Mind: It is, moreover, abfolutely neceffary towards qualifying ourselves for the Society, and Employment of the Inhabitants of Heaven, where all Chriftians expect to live for ever. I make no declamatory Addrefs to your Paffions, but a cool Appeal to fober Reafon, and common Senfe. If these things be fo (and that they are, is most certainly true) what can we think of the trifling. Indifferency with which a great Part of Mankind treat this Duty? If this Book fhould happen to fall |