Humility of our Souls and Bodies: We fhould be careful of our Thoughts when we speak to him, that they did not wander from him, and spend themselves vainly and unprofitably when they should be fixed upon him. We should be careful of our Words, that they were never rude and unfeemly, but fuch as became fuch poor Creatures to fo great a King. In a word, we should take care to perform all our Offices of Worship to him, with the greatest Fear and Reverence, with Seriousness and Attention, with Modesty and Zeal, with the least straying of Thought, or difcompofedness of Mind, that the Infirmities of our Nature will allow of.

But, Secondly, Among all the reft of God's Excellencies and Perfections, we ought more particularly, in order to the Praying as we should do, to get our Hearts poffeffed with a Senfe of his Goodness. This is that, which above all other Things, will put Life and Vigour into our Prayers, will both ftir us up to this Duty, and fupport us in the Performance of it. He that cometh to God (faith St. Paul) muft believe that he is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Whoever is fully perfuaded of this, will affectionately feek God, and will find the greatest Comfort in the World in fo doing; but he that is without this Senfe of the Love and Kindnefs of God, will but move heavily in his Devotions, all his Services will be coldly and languidly performed,

becaufe

because they are in a manner forced, they fprang not from Love and Hope, but from Fear and Awe.

Let us therefore take care to reprefent God to our felves, the most kind, and loving, and benign Being that is conceivable. Let us be perfuaded heartily that he loves us, and takes care of us; that he pities our Infirmities, and hath a Sense of our Wants, and is as ready to relieve us, and to give us whatsoever we ftand in need of, as we can be to ask him. Certainly we have all the Reafon in the World to believe this: The Notions we have of his Nature, do lay the Grounds for fuch a Belief, the Revelations he hath made of himself in his Word do confirm it; and all his Dealings with Mankind, from the Beginning of the World to this Day, are but fo many Experiences that we have of the Truth of it. Can he that made us at first, and that ftill preferves us, renewing his Mercies and Compaffion upon us every Moment; (nay, there is not a Minute of our Lives wherein we are not indebted to him for a Thousand Benefits) can fuch a Being be harfh, or severe, or penurious to his Creatures? Can he be forgetful of them, or want Bowels of Pity, when they cry to him? He that fent his own Son to die for us, fhall he not with him freely give us all Things? He that gave us the greatest Bleffings, fhall he not give us lefs ones? as the Apoftle argues. No, let us affure our felves, No Father doth in that

Degree pity his Children, as the Lord is merciful to them that fear him; fo the Pfalmift tells us: Nay, a Heathen Poet could fay, That Man is more dear to God than he is to himfelf: And if we do not feel more Effects of his Love, (tho' those that we do feel are not to be named) it is because we will not open our Hearts or our Hands to receive them. The Communications of God are as ready at hand as the Air we breathe in, and they prefs into all rightly-difpofed Souls: But thofe Souls that are narrow and fenfual, that grovel upon the Earth, and will not caft up their Eyes tho' it were to make a Purchase of the Stars, it is no Wonder that thofe Men continue in Darkness, and partake but little of the Light of God's Countenance; fince they Love Darkness better than Light, they value the Gratification of a fenfual brutifh Appetite before the Poffeffion of the greatest Good in the World.

Thus have I given you an Account of thofe general Qualifications or Difpofitions, that are requifite in a Man to make him fit for Prayer And this I believe, I may fay, that whofoever will take care to get his Mind into fuch a Frame as I have been now reprefenting, it will be very eafy to him to perform all fuch other particular Conditions. required in the Scriptures to make his Prayers acceptable, and which yet remain to be spoken to: That is to fay, he will hereby be the better enabled to pray fervently and

conftantly,

2

conftantly, he will be in a better Difpofition to ask in Faith; he will the more easily fee the Neceffity of putting up Prayers in the Name, and for the Merits of our Lord Jefus. He will be the more inclined to be in Charity with all the World, when he comes to beg Mercies for himfelf; And Laftly, He will hereby be convinced how necessary it is, that to his Prayers for good Things, he fhould also add his own Endeavours for the obtaining of them: But another Time must be taken for that.

SERMON

SERMON IV.

71

MATTH. VII. 7.

Ask, and it shall be given you; feek, and ye fhall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

T

HE laft Time I preached upon
this Text, my Design was to
give an Account of the Requi-
fites or Conditions, which we

are to obferve in our Prayers, if we expect to have this Promise of our Lord's in the Text made good to us; that is to fay, how we are to ask, and feek, and knock, in order to the receiving what we ask, finding what we feek, and obtaining Admittance upon our knocking.

Now these Conditions or Requifites of Prayer, are either fuch as concern the Matter of our Prayers, or the Things we are to pray for: Or, Secondly, Such as concern the

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