VII.

Divine Favour, while we fruftrate his SERM. whole Ministry, and will be prevailed upon ourselves neither by his Love nor his Commands.

That this may have its proper Weight, we may add to our own natural Conception of the Cafe, the juft Conftruction of it in the Holy Scripture; where it is not treated as meer Difobedience, but Enmity, and malicious ingrateful Enmity. So the Epiftle to the Hebrews, vi. 6. fays of fuch Men, They crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open Shame. And the xth Chapter, the 26th and following Verses, more largely; If we fin wilfully after that we have received the Knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins, but a certan fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery Indignation, which shall devour the Adverfaries. He that defpifed Mofes Law, died without Mercy, under two or three Witnesses: Of bow much forer Punishment, fuppofe ye, fhall be be thought worthy, who hath trodden under Foot the Son of God; and bath counted the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith be was fanctified, an unholy Thing ; and hath done Despite unto the Spirit of Grace?

SERM. Grace? Here then offers itself the Ufe of VII. our Manner of Praying, Let every one that nameth the Name of Chrift, depart from Iniquity. And this is continually inforced upon our Thoughts every Time we open our Lips to beg or acknowledge, the daily Gifts of Heaven; and the Extremity of the contrary Abuse preffes it with undeniable Conviction, and a Vehemence irresistible. For what does the Prayer of the impenitent, unreform'd Sinner, according to the Scriptures juft cited, but plead the Merits of that Blood which he daily profanes; and offer to propitiate God by the Mediation of his Son, whom he hath trodden under Foot?

The last Condition we are obliged to, if we would have our Prayers and the Promises made to them available, is Faith; that is, we are to depend on the Truth and on the Goodness of God, that, we performing our Parts before laid down, he will grant us, either what we directly ask, or what is yet more beneficial. This appears in the Words of our Lord, St. Matthew xxi. 21, 22. Verily I fay unto you, If you have FAITH, and doubt not,

ye

ye fhall not only do this which is done to the SERM. Fig-tree; but also, if ye shall fay unto this VII. Mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou caft into the Sea; it shall be done. And all Things whatsoever ye fhall ask in Prayer, believing, ye shall receive. To which we may add those of St. James, fince it will be plain by the former, that they are equally applicable to all Petitions.Let bim, faith he, i. 6, 7. ask in FAITH, nothing wavering. For be that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea, driven with the Wind and toffed. For let not that Man think, that he shall receive any Thing of the Lord. The Ground of this, in the Reason of the Thing, feems to be twofold. The first Part this; that all Want of Truft in the Goodness of God, and the Security of his Promises, puts Men in the Rank of great Offenders, that of Dishonourers of God; and fo renders them unworthy of his Goodness, and incapacitates them to claim any Benefit by those Promises. The fecond Part is, that the fame Diftruft is deftructive of a main End of Prayer, namely, to keep us ever fenfible of our perpetual Dependance on the So

vereign

SERM. Vereign Power and Bounty of our Creator. VII. and Preferver. This indeed is the fureft

Foundation of all Religious Worship; from which we may be convinced, how reafonably and neceffarily that which is inconfiftent with it, will render our pretended Devotions vain and unacceptable.

1

Now I fhould proceed to fhew, what Powers there are in the Method of the Text to cure this Defect; what Encouragement and enlivening must accrue to our Faith from the Name of the Great Author and Finisher of it. But fince this falls in with what I propounded for my Second Part of this Difcourfe, that is the evident Affurance of obtaining our Petitions, which springs from the gracious Appointment of making them in fo prevailing a Name; and fince the Time is near fpent, I fhall refer them both together to

the Opportunity of another Day.

こ

SERMON VIII,

SERMON VIII.

Of Praying in the Name of Chrift.

PART II.

JOHN xvi. 23.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatfoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you.

Spoke the laft Lord's- SER M. Day to the particular Oc- VIII. cafion of these Words,

which was to fupport the

L

Hearts of the Disciples rea

dy to fink under the Ap

prehenfion of their Lord's Departure; and proceeded to the general Application of them, no lefs intended, for the Benefit of

all