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"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 fal "vation of the Lord."

I fhall conclude this head by observing, that all thefe obftructions 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 oppofition 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 said. 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 most pressing importunity, and even, to fpeak fo, to offer 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 praise. Well may we fay with Job, chap. vii. 17. 18. "What is man, that thou shouldst mag. "nify him? and that thou fhouldft fet thine "heart upon him? and that thou fhouldst visit "him every morning, and try him every mo "ment?" 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

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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, dif, believe and defpife it.

2. Let us learn from what hath been faid, to defend the exercises of piety, and particularly this honourable privilege of the faints, from the fcorn and reproach of the enemies of vital religion. I am abundantly sensible, that there are fome, and some amongst ourselves, who treat this subject 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 service, as the raving and incoherent effufions of weaknefs and enthufiafm. This is not only an evidence of their being themselves ftrangers to true religion, but is indeed directly contrary to found judgement and reafon. I have laid down to you the meaning and fubject of this wrestling 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 illu. ftrate it in the intercourfe of man with man? If

you had a favour 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 di. ftance? would it not make you, as the com mon faying is, afraid to look him in the face? If he had carried himfelf as your enemy, and feemed, in many inftances, to fet himself in VOL. I. oppofition

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oppofition to you; would not this give you even more than fufpicion and uncertainty as to the iffue 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 corre fpondence? If your own heart were naturally too proud to intreat, or too careless to give attendance, would not the fuit be neglected? Or if you had prefented your petition, and for a long tract of time no answer 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 neceffity at all, it must often have the above difficulties to overcome, and, on that account, be juftly confidered as a fpecies of wrestling 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 feafons when you fay, your mind lies to your book, your work, or even your play, and then it goes on fweetly and pleasantly? Are there not others, when it is against the grain, and then every trifle is a difficulty, and even the air is a burden. If you confider these things, you must be sensible, that all to whom eternity is the highest concern, and therefore religion their chief care, must be attentive to the state

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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 take the liberty to despise and ridicule the concern of ferious perfons about communion with God, muft excufe me for laying, because it is my deliberate judgement, ein ther that they are enemies to religion in their hearts, or that they are wholly ignorant of the important fubject.

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3. As we would defend the duty above explained from the fcoffs of infidels, let us alf guard it from abuse, and distinguish it from any corruption that may pretend, or may be thought to resemble 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 wrestling with God arifes from a deep impreffion of the infinite and unspeakable importance of the bles fings in profpect, and their abfolute neceffity to the petitioner. This will make him ftill infift, and urge his request, and, as it were, refuse to let go his hold. But it is also constantly attend. ed with a sense of the holiness of God's nature, and the greatness of his power; which, when set home upon the wounded confcience, is often the principal cause of the diftrefs. Is there not then the jufteft reafon for earneftness and concern? But is it not alfo plain, that this must preferve the believer from impropriety; and that it cannot lead to any foolish or indecent famili, arity,,

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alty, which is often mistaken for it, and often reproached in its room?

What bath been faid upon the fubject, I hope, will point out to you the juft middle between every vicious extreme. Such real concern, fuch fervour of firit, will not indeed lead any to ftudy in their prayers a nice, vain, or ornamented ftyle. This is the language of a mind at eafe. It is but of little value at any rate: but O how misplaced! O how unfuitable in prayer to God! This is beft carried on by plain and ardent expreffions of the very temper of the foul, when the fulness of the heart gives a ready utterance to the tongue. But neither will the views which the wreftling believer hath of the glory and majefty of God, of the ftrictness of his law, and the terror of his wrath, fuffer him to give way to any trifling, flovenly, or ridiculous manner of addreffing himself to the throne of grace. It must be obferved indeed, that there will be a difference, according to the different circumstances, ftation, and capacity of the perfons concerned. There may be many a serious Chriftian, who knows what it is to pour out his heart before God, and fpread his fins and forrows at his feet, who would not be fit for leading the devotion of a public or promiscuous affembly; yet he may be the perfon who, as a prince, hath power with God, and prevails. The prayers of fuch a wreftler, with all the ble mishes that attend them, are probably far more effectual, than thofe of fuch over-nice perfons, as defpife the weakness of his understanding, or

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