The Heathens themselves, as they were fully perfuaded of thefe perfections in God, and of the great need in which they stood of having them exerted in their behalf, were alfo convinced that it was their duty to pray to him; and this duty was heartily acknowledged, earnestly recommended, and strictly practifed by the wifeft and fobereft among them. The Scriptures, as they every where abound with earnest and pathetic exhortations to the religious performance hereof, so they afford us many strong motives which the Heathens could not have; they fupply us with the names of many great and good men who were exemplary in the performance of it, amongst whom, as in all other works of Righteoufnefs, our bleffed Lord fhines with diftinguished luftre; they fully inftruct us both as to the Object to, and the manner in which they ought to be offered; they apply themselves to our fears by the most fevere threats, to our hopes by the most delightful promises, supplying us with an encouragement to, and laying a foundation for, the performance of this duty, which the Heathens could not have, in the ve racity racity of God himself; who hath said, and cannot lie; who hath declared, and cannot deny himself, that they who ask fhall receive. The reasonablenefs of this duty in general appears from the flightest attention to the particular branches of which it confifts. If we confider man merely as a creature, as just come out of the hands of his Maker, as raised into being from the dust of the earth, and, befides many other, endued with those distinguishing privileges, Reafon and Immortality, fure nothing can be more reasonable than for him to pay his moft fubmiffive and reverential homage to that Being, who employs Omnipotence in conferring benefits upon him; to exert his reafon in the praise of him who gave it, and endeavour to recommend himself to his infinite goodness, left he fall under the terrors of his Almighty Power. The ideas of power are in themselves great and terrible; it naturally infpires us with awe and reverence, even when it is lodged in human hands, whence. it is liable to be snatched by innumerable accidents, and where it hangs but on the lender thread of life. What muft it do then, when we confider it infinite and unbounded, placed in the hands of a Being, who is fubje& to no accidents; whofe exiftence is not bounded by any time, but extends itfelf unlimited, unimpaired, through all ages? What Refpect, what Homage, what Adoration can be too great, when paid to fuch a Being? Where can we find an office more agreeable to our Reason, where a better employment for our Immortality? If we confider Man as a creature immerst in fin, corrupt in his very nature, and prone to all evil, continually tempted by the Devil and the World from without, and betrayed by his own violent and headftrong paffions from within, upon fuch a dismal review, fure nothing can be more reasonable, than to have recourfe to his Almighty Father, to acknowledge his original weakness and infirmities, his actual fins and tranfgreffions, to exprefs his averfion to, and refolution against them, unto him who is the Perfection of Purity and Holinefs; to beg pardon and forgiveness of him who delighteth in mercy, and defireth not the death of a Sinner; and to pray for the affift ance ance of grace from him, who giveth to them which afk, who hath promised to send us the comfort of his holy fpirit, who delighteth to dwell in the heart of the fincere and contrite. If we confider Man as fubject to all kinds of mifery, furrounded with difficulties and troubles, which he can neither prevent nor remedy, with dangers which he can neither guard against nor repel, and with wants which he can neither forefee nor relieve, we shall furely fee abundant reafon for him to apply to God, to lay himself open, to make his diftreffes known, and pray to God that he will deliver him out of all his troubles, defend him in all his dangers, and relieve him in all his wants. When men are under any preffure or calamity, they naturally apply to fuch of their fellow creatures as they think are inclined by the goodness of their difpofition, and enabled by their power or wealth to be of service to them: If this is reasonable and prudent, it is certainly much more so to make our addresses to God, whofe goodness as much furpaffes human goodness, as his power is beyond human power, who hath fuch an abfolute command over over trouble, sickness, and any other adverfity, that he faith unto them, Go, and they go; who is of fuch perfect goodness, that he fuftaineth the Brutes, and feedeth the young Ravens which call upon him, that he openeth his hand, and filleth all things living with plenteousness. To turn our eyes from these melancholy fcenes of fin and mifery, if we reflect upon the fituation of Man, how impoffible it was for him to avoid finning, and how impoffible to avoid the punishment due to it; if we confider him delivered from that terrible dilemma, and if not fecured from finning, directed, which is almoft equivalent, how to escape the confequences of it; if we confider God the Father as ordaining the means of our redemption, God the Son as performing them, and God the Holy Ghost as refiding in, and fan&tifying us, how can we abstain from breaking out in the lively eloquence of the Pfalmift, Praise the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name; Praise the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his benefits. Such an unexpected, fuch an undeserved change in our affairs, |
