efficacy to each other. Happy for ourfelves! happy for the world! were but this qualifying circumftance of a charitable difpofition, in order to pray with fuccefs, religioufly attended to and observed. How would the worst engines of our spiritual Adversary be rendered ineffectual; and the ancient prophecies of peace under the kingdom of the Messias be in a manner literally accomplished ! How would the ears of the Lord be open to the prayers of the children of men, and his bleffing be upon his people!

Thus much for the qualifications more immediately refpecting the frame and temper of our fpirits, whenever we put up our prayers to God in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift: Which are a lively faith in the divine attributes of knowledge, power, and goodness; an humble confeffion of, and forrow for, our past fins, with refolution of amend

ment

ment of life; and good-will towards all mankind.

There remains yet one thing to be confidered, of great moment in regard to asking effectually; and that is the fubftance of our petitions themselves. With fome observations on which I shall close this discourse,

5.

༞,་་

That each one is inclined to pray for what he conceives would be for his good, will admit of no doubt. But then, in a world fo full of vanity, where riches and honours and power are fo generally esteemed as neceffary ingredients to human happiness, and purfued accordingly; it is much to be feared that some breathings of the foul after fuch acquifitions do too commonly intrude upon and corFor though they rupt our devotion. may not proceed fo far as to utter in exprefs words what they fecretly and

earnestly

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earnestly defire of this fort; yet accordingly as we are inwardly affected will our oblations of every kind be accepted or refused by Him who trieth the reins and fearcheth the heart. An humble, thankful, and contented fpirit, wholly refigned to the will of God, who knows what is good for us better than we do ourfelves, is of great estimation in his fight. But covetoufnefs, or too great folicitude after, and confidence in, mere worldly advantages, is defcribed by the Apostle to be a fpecies of Idolatry: Than which nothing can alienate us more from the favour of God. How much better are we instructed in this point both from the example and precepts of our divine Mafter? who in all things fubmitted himself to the will of his heavenly Father, though poor, deftitute, afflicted : And whofe difcourfes were in a special manner directed to fupprefs every covetous imagination in the minds of his followers.

lowers. It is too an obfervation particularly applicable to our present subject, that in that most excellent form of prayer, which He was pleased to dictate to the world as an exemplar of all prayer, there is only one petition for the neceffaries of this prefent life: And that too comprized in terms of the utmoft modefty and humility-Give us this day our daily bread. The rest are all of a spiritual nature; either refpecting the glory of God, or the forgivenefs of our fins, with deliverance from temptation, and the power of the evil one:

It is then an inviolable rule, that what we ask be agreeable to the holy will of God; otherwise it is vain to expect that we shall in any sense be the better for our prayers. And to the neglect of this rule is perhaps in great measure owing that difregard for religion which we every where meet with. Some are uneafy and diffatisfied

diffatisfied that their requests are not granted; they find themfelves neither the richer nor the happier for their devotions. Whilft others for the fame reafon think it better trufting to their own fagacity for the good things they luft after, than to the wifdom of Provi dence; which appears to them to have no respect to perfons, whether they be juft or unjust, in the diftribution of such favours; or haply, as they may conjecture, hath no hand at all in the diftribution of them. Whereas the truth of the cafe is, what St. James long fince declared "Men afk and receive not, because they ask amifs, that they may consume it upon their lufts." Whilft, like fervile flatterers, they have nothing but their own worldly advancement in view, when they pay their court to the divine Prefence, no wonder if they are difappointed. Such perfons indeed can have none of that real fatisfaction, that heart-felt joy,