excellent gifts; the juftnefs and propriety of this language will manifeftly appear. The coldnefs of our hearts, and deadness of our affections in worfhip, ought, on the one hand, to be imputed to ourfelves as the immediate and finful cause, and, on the other, may be confidered as a part of God's most holy providence, who withdraws his Spirit in righteous judgment. Thus the Pfalmift very beautifully fays, Pf. lxv. 4. "Bleffed is the man whom "thou chufeft, and caufeft to approach unto thee, that he

may dwell in thy courts." And thus the fpirit of fupplication is a remarkable gofpel-promife: Zech. xii. 10. "And I will pour upon the houfe of David, and upon "the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the fpirit of grace and of "fupplications, and they fhall look upon me whom they "have pierced, and they fhall mourn for him, as one "mourneth for his only fon, and fhall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firft born."

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My brethren, there is the greateft reafon for every Chritian, not only to wrestle against a flothful difpofition as a fin, but to fear its influence as a judgment; for if among fpiritual judgments it holds a chief place, when God giveth" the fpirit of flumber; eyes that they fhould "not fee, and ears that they fhould not hear;" it ought to be treated in the fame manner with all other obftructions, that is to fay, encountered by vigorous refiftance. Like all other enemies, it acquires courage by fuccefs; like all other fins, it is ftrengthened by indulgence. And yet, alas! how often is this very circumflance made ufe of as an excufe for the omiffion of prayer? When the Christian finds himfelf lifelefs and indifpofed to prayer, it makes him either neglect it altogether, or flur over the performance in a carelefs and trifling manner, faying to himself, "I am not now in a fit temper for it." Nay, fometimes he reafons himself even religioufly out of his duty, faying, "I fhall but difhonor God by fuch a heart"lefs facrifice; and therefore I had better delay it till I. "be in a frame that is fitter for it." But if the time and other circumftances call for the duty, our own indifpofi-, tion of heart is, of all others, the moft foolish and criminal excufe. How much better would it be to wrefile as Jacob

in the text, and infift upon the bleffing; which cannot be more fenfibly illuftrated with refpect to this particular branch, then by mentioning to you a refolution which an eminent Chriftian entered into for his own practice: That he would not be baffled by a treacherous fpirit; for he would never give over the work of praise, till his affections were stirred, and he was brought to a sense of gratitude for divine goodness; and that he would never give over enumerating and confeffing his fins, till his heart was melted in contrition and penitential forrow!

5. I may mention one other difficulty with which we have to ftruggle in prayer, viz. when it pleafes God to poftpone, for a seafon, his compliance with our requests. Though his ears are always open to the cry of his people, he fometimes carries in fuch a manner, as if they were fast closed against them. Though their petitions be offered up in faith, and on a subject agreeable to the will of God, they may not always be granted in the manner, in the measure, or in the season that they themselves defire, or even in their imperfect judgment may think noft proper. Many examples might be given of this. A minifter praying for the fuccefs of his labors, may be heard in mercy, though it do not happen fo foon, and though he cannot fee it fo clearly, as it is natural for him to defire. He may have many feals of his miniftry, although he meet with difappointment in fome of thofe on whom he looked with the most favorable eye. A parent may pray for the falvation of his children, and his defires may have gone up with acceptance before the throne, although the accomplishment be yet far diftant, and they feem, for the time, to incrcafe unto more ungodlinefs. An afflicted perfon may have actually obtained the fanctified improvement of his affliction, although he cannot yet perceive the ends of Divine Providence in it, the comfortable discovery of which may be a feast reserved for him at fome future feafon; or, in general, a mercy may be granted with advantage and increafe, though it be fufpended for a time.

In this interval, however, the Chriftian's eyes may be ready to fail with looking long; he may be in danger of ceafing his application, or abating his fervor, through de

fpair of fuccefs. Therefore we have many exhortations in fcripture to perfeverance and importunity in prayer. We are exhorted to pray without ceafing, and to continue inftant in prayer. Our Saviour, Luke xviii. 1. fpoke a parable on purpose to teach men, that they ought always to pray, and not to faint: Heb. x. 36, 37. "For ye have "need of patience; that after ye have done the will of "God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that fhall come will come, and will not tarry." Habakkuk ii. Habakkuk ii. 3. "For the vifion is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it fhall fpeak, and not "lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will furely "come, it will not tarry." To which paffage I fhall only add Lamentations, chap. iii. 25, 26. "The Lord is good "unto them that wait for him, to the foul that feeketh "him. It is good that a man fhould both hope and quietly wait for the falvation of the Lord."

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I fhall conclude this head by obferving, that all these obstructions are at the direction and difpofal of Providence, for the trial of the faith and patience of believers; and therefore their perfeverance under, and conftancy in op. pofition to them, is, with great propriety, confidered as an imitation of the patriarch Jacob in his wrestling with God.

Before proceeding to the remaining part of this fubject, fuffer me to make a practical improvement of what hath been already faid. And,

1. Let us hence learn the infinite grace and condefcenfion of God, who not only admits his people to communion with him, but invites and encourages them to the moft preffing importunity, and even, to speak fo, to of fer a holy violence to him. The reafons of this will be more fully opened in the next difcourfe. In the mean time, let us make it the fubject of wonder and praife. Well may we fay with Job, chap. vii. 17, 18. “What is man, "that thou fhouldft magnify him? and that thou fhouldfi "fet thine heart upon him? and that thou fhouldst visit "him every morning, and try him every moment?" This is the dignity of human nature indeed, not from

what he is in himself, but what he may be by union with God through Chrift; for through him we have all accefs by one Spirit unto the Father. And if nearness to God is fo great a privilege, who would not covet it? who would not cultivate it? Surely all but those who, to their final condemnation, disbelieve and despise it.

2. Let us learn from what hath been faid, to defend the exercises of piety, and particularly this honorable privilege of the faints, from the fcorn and reproach of the enemies of vital religion. I am abundantly fenfible, that there are some, and fome amongft ourfelves, who treat this fubject with contempt and difdain, and look upon a believer's wrestling with God in prayer, his being fometimes in, and fometimes not in a frame for his fervice, as the raving and incoherent effufions of weakness and enthufiafim. This is not only an evidence of their being themfelves ftrangers to true religion, but is indeed directly contrary to found judgment and reafon. I have laid down to you the meaning and fubject of this wreftling and importunity in prayer; and is there any thing more clearly founded upon truth, nature, and experience? Hear, ye unbelievers; might I not transfer every particular, and illuftrate it in the intercourfe of man with man? If you had a favor to afk of another, and were fenfible that you had done him a great, recent, and unprovoked injury, would not this fill you with jealoufy? would it not keep you at a distance? would it not make you, as the common faying is, afraid to look him in the face? If he had carried himself as your enemy, and feemed in many inftances, to fet himself in oppofition to you; would not this give you even more than fufpicion and uncertainty as to the issue of your application? If by the fuggeftion of his enemies, you were made to believe him refentful and implacable; would not this extinguish your hope, and break up all correfpondence? If your own heart were naturally too proud to intreat, or too carelefs to give attendance, would not the fuit be neglected? Or if you had prefented your petition, and for a long tract of time no anfwer was returned; would you not give up all hopes of it as forgotten or rejected? Is not this an image of the ftate of the Chriftian in many inftances? And therefore,

if prayer is a part of natural religion, if it is a matter of duty or neceflity at all, it must often have the above difficulties to overcome, and, on that account, be justly confidered as a species of wrefiling with God. And why fhould the Chriftian's being in or out of frame for his duty to God, be made the fubject of derifion? Is there not fomething fimilar to it as to every object of study or application? Are there not fome feasons when you fay, your mind lies to your book, your work, or even your play, and then it goes on fweetly and pleafantly? Are there not others, when it is against the grain, and then every trifle is a difficuity, and even the air is a burden. If you confider these things, you must be fenfible, that all to whom eternity is the highest concern, and therefore religion their chief care, muft be attentive to the ftate of their hearts towards God. And if this is the cafe, every thing, whether inward or outward, that promotes or hinders their acquaintance with him, will appear to them of the utmost moment. The truth is, whoever takes the liberty to defpife and ridicule the concern of ferious perfons about communion with God, muft excufe me for faying, because it is my deliberate judgment, either that they are enemies to religion in their hearts, or that they are wholly ignorant of the important fubject.

3. As we would defend the duty above explained from the fcoffs of infidels, let us alfo guard it from abuse, and diftinguish it from any corruption that may pretend, or may be thought to refemble it. Particularly, let us beware of allowing in ourselves, or approving in others, any grofs indecent familiarity, either of fpeech or carriage. You fee, my brethren, that wrefiling with God arifes from a deep impreffion of the infinite and unfpeakable importance of the bleffings in profpect, and their abfolute neceffity to the petitioner. This will make him ftill infift, and urge his request, and, as it were, refufe to let go his hold. But it is alfo confiantly attended with a fenfe of the holiness of God's nature, and the greatnefs of his power; which, when fet home upon the wounded confcience, is often the principal caufe of the diftrefs. Is there not then the jufteft reason for earneftnefs and concern? But is it