heareth gracioufly, and will answer in due feason, the pious fupplications of his people, who apply to him in faith, with a truly penitent heart, and (which is the last requifite I shall mention) with a charitable difpofition toward their fellow creatures.

4. For that this too is an indifpenfable condition of our acceptance with the God of mercy, fufficiently appears, both from the article itself in our Lord's fummary of asking forgiveness, as we forgive others; and moreover from the particular ftrefs which he feems to have laid upon it, by enlarging on this fingle article: For (faid He immediately after having delivered the whole prayer) if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your Father forgive your trefpaffes. Where we see that in the most important peti

vocations of Angels or Saints departed: Which are at best not only idle and vain, but unlawful and impious; derogatory from the honour of God, and the merits of his Chrift; who as our only Redeemer is in confequence our fole Interceffor. Without enlarging then on a point fo clear, and of which I truft we are all fully perfuaded, I proceed to confider the qualifications required on our parts, when we put up our prayers to God, through the mediation of our Lord Jefus Chrift, both God and Man.

2. Now the ground-work of devotion is faith; faith in God, that He is every where present to hear, and all-powerful to answer, the requests of his fervants who call upon Him. Without this, as the Apostle speaks, it is impoffible for us to please Him, or confequently to profit ourselves: For he that cometh to God, must believe that He is, and that He

is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek Him. Indeed one of the great ends

of prayer is to prove and exercise this virtue in us. We cannot furely think to inform God, who knoweth all our neceffities before we ask; nor to prevail on Him as on a fond and partial Being: But it is for our fakes that He has en joined this reasonable, this improving fervice. The more frequently we pray, thereby acknowledging our constant de pendance on the fupreme Governor of the Universe, the stronger fhall we grow in faith, and the better fatisfied shall we be under all the difpenfations of his Providence. Upon which account we may prefume it is, that our best petitions are not always immediately granted; viz. that by perfeverance, and adding to our faith, patience, we may be come fitter objects of the divine favour, The parables in the gospel of the importunate Friend, and of the unjust Judge,

tion we can put up to Heaven, we fhall not be heard unless we are at the fame time in charity with our neighbours." And, if we cannot prevail for that earnest of all future favour, the pardon of our fins, what other bleffing fhall we prefume to expect at the hand of God? Nor will any perfon think this a hard faying, who confiders that the greatest debt which a fellow fervant can owe to one of us is but as an hundred pence ; whilft the leaft which the very poorest amongst us owes to our heavenly Master is as ten thousand talents. A confideration more than fufficient to vindicate the Christian doctrine (unreasonably objected to by fome) not barely of forgiving injuries, but even of loving our enemies; i. e. as our Saviour himself hath best explained this duty, of bleffing them, doing them good, and praying for them. For what lefs can we do in return, feeing our Lord not only freely dischargeth

us

us from that great debt, because we defire Him; but by the very act of such discharge gives us alfo a title to an everlafting inheritance? And if it be the perfection of a Chriftian to imitate the Supreme Being in whatever He is imitable by us, how glorious the imitation of Him in that adorable inftance of univerfal benevolence!

It is then to be regarded as an excellent advantage of prayer, and should be one great motive to the regular performance of it, that as it ought to be offered up at least every day, fo does it neceffarily lead us, at least every day, to purify our hearts from hatred and revenge, and all uncharitablenefs. Whilft we duly maintain this fpiritual commerce with Heaven, it will be impoffible for us to let the fun go down upon our wrath; Our devotion and charity will go hand in hand, and give a mutual grace and efficacy

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