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not expect to be admitted to the fight and enjoyment of him in heaven: but if you perfist in a finful courfe, and die without repentance, you fhall be caft into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. These things being fo, God knows ye have little reafon to rejoice.

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And yet, God be thanked, ye have no reafon to defpair; for he ftill waits to be. gracious unto you. He hath no pleasure in the death of a finner, but had rather that he should turn from his way, and live. Let the wicked forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for be will abundantly pardon. We who are ambaffadors for Chrift do pray you, Chrift's ftead, that ye would be reconciled unto God. Then will the apoftle's admonition in the text be fuit

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able for you. And as you will have reafon to rejoice yourselves, fo you will be an occafion of rejoicing unto others. The minifters of the gospel will rejoice at your converfion; for

this is the end of all their labours: they watch for your fouls, as they that must give account, that they may do

it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you. All good Chriftians will rejoice for the intereft of their common Lord will by this means be advanced; and they themselves will be confirmed in their holy refolutions, when they fee others engaging in the fame course, and purfuing the fame defign. The inhabitants of heaven itself will rejoice for our bleffed Saviour tells us, that there is joy in heaven in the prefence of the angels of God over one finner that repenteth, more than over over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.

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To conclude. Your repentance and converfion will terminate in your own everlafting joy. For when the fon of man fhall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, he will declare his approbation of you: faying, well done, ye good and faithful fervants; ye have been faithful over a few things, I will make you rulers over many things; enter ye into the joy of your Lord.

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SERMON IV.

Conftant prayer the chriftian's duty.

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1 Theff. V. 17. Pray without ceafing.

HAT we fhould pray, is a dictate of nature: but that we should do nothing else but pray, is contrary to reafon and common fenfe. If

men must be always praying, what time would they have to mind the bufiness of their callings? and yet this is a precept of both old teftament and

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new. Ecclef. IX. 10. Whatfoever thine band findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whi ther thou goeft. 2 Thef. III. 10-12. When we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither fhould be eat: for we hear that there are fome among you who walk diforderly, working not at all, but are bufy bodies: now them that are fuch, we command, and exhort by our Lord Jefus Chrift, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. If we must always be upon our knees, what time fhall we have for the refreshment of nature, by food and fleep? must we starve ourselves with devotion? No: devotion was intended to refine and elevate the foul, but never to waste and confume the body. 'Tis a precept of fcripture; Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart. If we must do nothing but pray; what room would there be for reading the fcriptures, for meditation, and for hearing fermons, which are duties of religion as well as prayer itself? what room would there be for the exercise of focial virtues; fuch as righte

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righteousness and fidelity, mercy and charity? Prayer is rather a means of religion than a part of it. It difpofes us to virtue and goodness, but it is not virtue and goodness itself. Religion is of an active nature; and a great part of it confifts in acts of justice and mercy, in the mortification of our lufts, and the government of our paffions. Prayer must be acknowledged to be an excellent means to difpofe us for these duties but how abfurd would it be to be always preparing for them, and never to put them in practice? Therefore, it can never be the meaning of this apoftolical precept, that we should always actually be engaged in prayer to God. For to every thing there is a feafon, and a time for every purpose under heaven. What is it then to pray without ceafing? I answer,

I. If we would fulfil this precept, we must always be in a difpofition for prayer, maintaining a firm belief of the being and providence of God, and continually depending on him for the fupply of our wants. Prayer is an acknowledgment of the divine attributes, and of the fenfe we have of our dependence on God: and therefore if we

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