[SERM. difproportioned their Strength was to fo difficult a Task. And therefore it was neceffary, before he concluded that excellent Difcourfe of Chriftian Duties, to put them in a Way how they might be enabled to perform them; and that was by directing them to the Exercise of Prayer, that Key which opens up all the Treafures of Grace, whereby they might be enabled to yield a fuitable Obedience to the many excellent Precepts he had given them. And herein efpecially confifts the Advantage of the Christian Morals, beyond the Morals of the Heathen. They had all the great Tasks of Duty to undergo, only by their own Strength, Care, and Endeavours, which was a very difcouraging, comfortless Business; but we Chriftians are taught where there is fupply enough of Grace to be had; and that it is in the Hands of a gracious, merciful Father, who, by virtue of the Mediation of his Son Jefus Chrift, will grant it to us upon our diligent and fervent afking for it by prayer. This is the great Secret, how Chriftians may come to be Men of much better Lives than any of the Heathen were. It is not that they are naturally of better Parts, or more induftrious; but that they are affifted in an extraordinary Manner, by the Spirit of God, with all Grace neceffary to enable them to do what he requires of them; and not only to do it, but to do it with abundance of Pleafure and Satisfaction. So much for the Occafion of this Difcourfe of Prayer.

2. I go on next to I am to confider the the Duty of Prayer.

the Duty it felf, where Nature and Exercises of As to the Nature of it,

731 it is an intent Application of the Mind to God; and comprehends the whole Commerce which our Souls have with him; whether to pay our Homage and Adorations to him; or to thank him for all his Mercies and Favours; or to addrefs to him for any Mercies and Favours to our felves or others. But that Part of it, which is chiefly aimed at in this Place, is the begging of Grace, whereby we may be enabled and affifted to discharge the great Duties which he requires of us. Now to speak of Prayer with this View, we are to confider thefe Two Things.

1. The Neceffity of Grace, to enable us to do our Duty.

2. The Fitness of Prayer towards the obtain ing of Grace.

1. As to the First, The Neceffity of the Grace of God, to enable us to do our Duty This Neceffity rifes partly from the great Corruption of our Natures, which are now exceedingly unfitted and indisposed of themselves to do any Good; and partly from the Excellency of the Duties, which do very much furpass our Strength, in this State of corrupt Nature, and require the divine Aid and Affiftance, to put us in a right Frame and Difpofition for them. When I speak of the Corruption of our Natures, I mean, not only their original Corruption, which in this degenerate State we bring into the World with us; but the actual Corruption, which by fo many repeated Acts of Sin, and evil Habits confequent thereon, does very much encrease the original One, fo that we are now become fevenfold more the Children of Satan than we were before. It is impoffible to tell you, befides the K 2 Guilt

Guilt of Sin, what an Incapacity and Impotency as to the favoury Senfe and Understanding of all Good, and what an Averfion from it, this has brought into our Natures, that it requires a great Effort of divine Affiftance to make us apprehend and relish, and put in Practice, thofe noble Duties which are enjoined us. For remedy whereof, there is a fweet and powerful Operation of the Holy Spirit, which excites our own Endeavours, and co-operates with them in the Use of the proper Means, and qualifies and enables us to do our Duty. I fay in the Ufe of proper Means; for tho', no doubt, God can work Miracles in Grace, as well as in Nature, yet it is much more probable that he rarely works in either by the Way of Miracle; at least he does not encourage us to expect that Way of Working, but ties us up to the Ufe of Means, and in the Use of them, and not otherwise, allows us to expect his divine Aid and Affiftance. But that I may not digrefs from the Subject we have in Hand, I shall not now confider any other Means of Grace, but only Prayer; and therefore proceed,

2. To fhew the Fitness of Prayer towards the obtaining of Grace. If we confider either where Grace is to be had; or what are the right Difpofitions for asking and receiving it; or what is the Nature of God, and his Love toward poor Sinners; on all these Accounts, we fhall find Prayer a moft proper Means for obtaining this great Gift of Grace, or the holy Spirit, whereby we may be enabled to do God's Will.

(1.) First, If we confider where Grace is to be had; it is a Treasure in the Hands of God himself. It is not like Silver or Gold, to be

dug

dug with hard Labour out of the Bowels of the Earth. If you ask all the Creatures, they will all tell you, it is not in me. Now if it be only in the Hands of God, what fo proper Way have we to come at it, as by addreffing to him for it, through the Mediation and Interceffion of Jefus Chrift ?

rate.

Ye will fay perhaps, why might not God give us at once a fufficient Stock of Grace, enough to enable us to ftand upon our own Legs, and to trade upon our own Account, that we may not have Occafion to trouble him continually with new Prayers for what we need? It is natural enough for foolish Men to argue at this But if we confider our own Unfitnefs to manage fuch a Stock, tho' it were put into our Hands; or God's delight in the frequency of our Addreffes; or the continual Benefits derived to us, by this our continual waiting on God in Prayer, we shall be of another Opinion. As to our Unfitness, we are like young Children that cannot go alone without Help; or at beft, like foolish young Men, eafily feduced with idle Company, if we had not both the Authority and good Counsel of a wife Father to keep us right. With all our Stock of Grace, we should quickly prove like the Prodigal in the Parable; if we had our Portion put into our own Hands, it would not be long before we fquandered it away, and left our Father's House, and reduced our felves to the greateft Degree of Want and Mifery. It is therefore much better Conduct, that this precious Gift of Grace be in our Father's Keeping; and that he difpenfe it to us, as we have Occafion; and that in order thereto,

we make frequent Applications to him. For we are much mistaken if we think the frequency of our Addreffes to God is any way troublesome or difpleafing to him. It is fo far from it, that the most loving Father or Mother upon Earth is not fo well pleased with the Company and Conversation of the most dutiful Child, as God is with the Prayers of his Children, and their Applications to him for a Supply of all their Wants. But the chief Reafon of all for this Conduct, is taken from the great Benefits to our own Souls, by our frequent drawing near to God in Prayer. For as we are apt to imbibe a ftrong Tincture from the Humour and Principles of the Perfons with whom we converfe much; fo it is in our frequent Prayers and Addreffes to Almighty God, that we wear off our earthly, and acquire an heavenly Temper of Mind; we learn to delight our felves in God, and advance in his Love; we tafte and fee that God is good; worldly Things grow more unfavoury, and Devotion more and more sweet and pleasant; by Degrees we are acquainted upon Earth with the Joys of Heaven, and long to be there; we grow afraid of every Thing that may unfit and indifpofe us for that bleffed State of Devotion here, or the more perfect Enjoyment of God hereafter. Whenever our Hearts and Minds are any way dull or out of Temper, we learn to run to God, and to give them a new Edge and Whet at Prayer; fo that by that Means our Life upon Earth becomes a right Apprenticeship for Heaven, and we accustom our felves to the fame Exercifes and Employments here, in which we fhall be taken up to all Eternity.