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titude away, he went up into a moun tain apart to pray, and when evening was come be was there alone. Mark I. 35. And in the morning rifing up a great while before day, he departed into a folitary place, and there prayed. Luke V. 16. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. Luke VI. 12. And it came to pass in thofe days that be went out into a mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. Some perfons indeed tranflate the latter part of this verfe differently; and what our tranflators have rendered, he continued all night in prayer to God, they render he continued all night in a profeucha of God, i. e. in a house of prayer, dedicated to the fervice of God. Perhaps this may be the truer rendering; and fuppofing it is, it will not prejudice my argument; for if our Saviour was all night in a house of prayer, 'tis reasonable to fuppofe that he employ'd a great part of that time in prayer. Therefore, fince our bleffed Lord exercised himself so much in this duty, let us go and do likewife. He hath left us an example that we should follow bis fteps. We cannot pretend that we have lefs reason to pray than he. Our

neceffities perhaps may not equal those of our bleffed Saviour; for he having an extraordinary work to go through, needed an extraordinary affiftance. Yet I cannot but take notice, that there is one thing which he never wanted and we always want; and that is pardon of fin: However, whether our neceffities are greater or lefs than those of our bleffed Lord were; this I am fure of, that our power to relieve them is vaftly inferior, Therefore if the Son of God pray'd, much more fhould we. But we must not reft here. If prophefying in Chrift's name, and cafting out devils in his name, will not bring men to heaven; much less will the mere praying in his name. We must watch as well as pray, that we enter not into temptation. And if we do both thefe, we need not fear obtaining the victory over our fpiritual enemies; and at laft we shall receive the reward of our labours in a glorious immortality.

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In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Chrift Jefus concerning you.

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O reasonable man will deny that it is his duty to give

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thanks; for this is a law of nature but that he should give thanks in every thing, may perhaps feem ftrange and unaccountable. Nature itself dictates to us

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to be thankful for bleffings and favours; but to be thankful for afflictions and calamities, feems to contradict our natural notions of things. 'Tis natural to thank God for a found and healthful conftitution of body, and for any happy endowments of mind; for a plentiful fortune and a fair character and reputation; for comfortable relations, and kind and faithful friends: but it seems contrary to nature to thank him for fickness of body, and meanness of parts, for poverty and reproach, and for the death of relations and friends. Thefe things are matter of deprecation rather than of thanksgiving. We are by nature so strongly averfe from them, that 'tis impoffible we should give thanks for them. The apostle Paul himself did not thank God for afflictions. When there was given unto him a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, he did not thank God for it on the contrary, he befought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from him; 2 Cor. XII. 8. What then can be the meaning of this precept: In every thing give thanks? I anfwer:

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1. That there is no neceffity of reading the words as they are in our tranflation: for the word thing is not in the original; that is fupplied by the tranflators. And, I think, we may fupply another word as well; viz. the word time or feafon. In every time give thanks, will be as juft a tranflation as, in every thing give thanks. And if this is admited, then there is no great difficulty in the precept: for moft certainly it is our duty to give thanks at all times and seasons, not only in profperity, but even in adverfity; for there is no man fo wretched and miferable, but he hath ftill fome mercies to blefs God for. If we receive evil at the hand of God, we also receive good: and we may, and ought to thank him for the good, tho we cannot for the evil.

But, 2. If we take the words as they are in our tranflation, yet still they will bear a very good meaning. In every thing give thanks: that is, for every mercy both temporal and fpiritual; and tho not for affliction itself, yet for the benefit and advantage that accrues to you from it. It would be abfurd for me to thank God because I am fick, and because I am poor ;

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