useful means; and particularly, as Solomon SER M, adviseth, let us be always ready to hear, to X. receive instructions, and to have good fentiments revived in our minds, as the only na tural and rational way of exciting in us good affections, and our increafing in all virtue; and let us be always upon our guard, that divine worship doth not grow into contempt with us, and that we be not, through a cuftomary and careless manner of attending it, hardened into an irreverence for God, and there by into a difinclination to follow him as dear children, to imitate his amiable moral perfec tions, which is the effence of religion.

Thirdly, Another fault to be carefully avoided in worship, and particularly in prayer, is a laborious multiplicity of words, and vain repetitions, as if the acceptance of our fervice depended on the labour of the external action, more than the fincerity of the af fections. Solomon warneth the worshipper not to be rash with his mouth, nor hafty in uttering words before God, but rather that his words fhould be few. He faith, a fools voice is known by the multitude of words (as much in devotion as in any other affair) and in this there are divers vanities. A greater than Solomon, our Saviour himself giveth the fame instruction to his difciples, when he teacheth

them

SERM. them to pray, Mat. vi. 7. after warning them X. against the hypocritical oftentation of the pharifees, who chose to say their pretended private prayers in the streets, and places of publick concourse, that they might be seen and applauded by men; he addeth, when ye pray, ufe not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. This laft expreffion fheweth us, the true cause of that superstition which was used by heathens, but very unbecoming the fervants of the true God, namely, a multitude of words with agitations of the body, as figns of the vehement fervor and perturbation of the mind, of which there is a remarkable instance in that famous contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, concerning the true God; the manner of the idolaters upon that occafion, was frequently repeating this exclamation, O Baal, bear us, with extravagant geftures and ceremonies. Our Saviour, I fay, fheweth the true cause of that fuperftition, which is, that they think to be heard for their much speaking, and other external tokens of importunity. Now, upon what principle is this founded? It can be no other than that the fuppofed deity, the object of religious invocation, is either ignorant of the wants

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of his worshippers, and needeth to be in- SERM. formed by their much fpeaking, or that X. he is unattentive and indolent, and that his compaffions must be moved, or his attention engaged by a clamorous importunity, as the indigent and diftreffed, by prefenting their petitions to men, intend to lay before them afflicting circumftances, otherwise unknown, or by working on the tenderness of their nature, induce them to do fuch favours as could not otherwife be expected. But thefe are notions we ought not to entertain concerning the fupreme Being, to whom every circumftance in our condition is thoroughly. known, and whofe goodness is not a fudden emotion of pity, but a steady uniform benevolence, directed in its exercife by the most perfect Wisdom,

What need is there, then, of much speaking to Almighty God? The most acceptable addreffes to him, omnifcient, perfectly righteous, good, and holy, are the offerings of pure reasonable and pious defires; words are only neceffary, as in publick worship, for the inftruction and edification of men; in private prayers, they are no farther useful, than as they may have a tendency to fix the attention of our minds; they are only appendages or circumftances of the prayer, not

SERM. its effence, which confifteth in devout affec X. tions, folemnly addreffed to God. One ar

gument Solomon urgeth in the text, is taken from the transcendent excellence and glory of the divine Majefty, compared with our mean and frail condition. God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few. It is thus that the fcripture frequently expreffeth the fupremacy of God, and the dignity of his nature; he is in heaven, not as if his prefence were confined to that higher fitua tion, for he is every where; but to give us an idea of his fuperior perfections and absolute dominion: And when we fet against this, what may be justly in comparison called the baseness of our own ftate, as our foundation is in the duft, and we dwell in bouses of clay, the true inference is, that our worship. should be performed with the deepeft humility, and that we should maintain the most awful refpect for him in our minds, which naturally expreffeth itself rather by a few well chofen words, than by vain bablings and loud clamorous repetitions; for let any one judge, whether reverence appeareth more in a modeft and awful filence, or a noify profufion of words.

It were to be wished that the forms of devotion used among chriftians, were more free

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from this fault than they are. That prayer SER M. which our Saviour hath left us as a pattern, and a directory in performing this duty, is moft worthy to be frequently used, and to be imitated in our own compofures as nearly as we can. The words are few, but very fignificant, the fentiments concerning the deity it containeth, are perfectly juft and rational, tending to inspire the mind with the highest efteem and love, with a firm confidence in his paternal goodness and tender care of us; and from thefe principles to excite difpofitions, to fincere and conftant obedience and fubmiffion, as well as to fill us with a refolution of strict vigilance against temptations, and all approaches of evil; to excite in us likewife, the the most affectionate mutual fympathy and fervent charity, which the law of our nature ftrongly bindeth us to, which it is the glory of christianity to enforce by the most powerful motives, and the greatest glory of men to practife. The petitions are the most becoming, and at the fame time comprehenfive of all, that a well difpofed heart would defire; there is no idle infipid repetition of unmeaning founds, but the most proper and reasonable addreffes of men to almighty God, expreffed in a very concife, but yet very intelligible manner. How unlike it are many

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