the former, God has promised to the Faithful that discharge their Duty, without any Condition; the latter, He has promised (especially fuch Things as are necessary for the Support of Life) only in general Terms, and not as our chief Good, but as an Addition to it: From hence it is plain, that Spiritual Bleffings are, in the first Place, to be defired, and that fuch may be prayed for abfolutely; and we may likewife petition for temporal good Things; but then, as I said before, that must be done with Submission to the Will of God, whofe Wisdom, we are fure, knows what State and Condition of Life is better for us, than we do for ourselves.

Thirdly, We must confider the manner of our Prayers.

1. They must be offered up with Humility and Lowlinefs. We muft endeavour to poffefs our Minds with a juft Sense of our own Unworthinefs, and how undeferving we are of the Mercies we pray for. And fince by Prayer we fpeak to God, the Confideration of his divine Majesty, and of our own Sins, which have placed us at fuch a Distance from him, ought to humble our Souls in his Sight; and fince Man is compofed of Body as well as Soul, we ought,

when

when it may be, to worship God with both, and therein to use fuch Postures of Body, as may best excite Humility in ourselves and others; in Publick, the Posture of kneeling is moft fit and decent; in Private we may ufe a greater Liberty; and if we find Proftration, or any other Pofture, more apt to excite Devotion, we ought to use it.

And though many People's Condition may be fuch, that they cannot often have an Opportunity of Privacy and Retirement to fall upon their Knees, except at their Morning and Evening Prayers, yet a good Christian, that truly loves and honours God, and is fenfible of his entire Dependence upon him for Grace to refift Temp. tations, and to do his Duty, and to defend him against the Evils and Calamities of this Life, will never make that a Pretence for not frequently praying to Him; fuch an one, even in the midst of Bufinefs and Company, will be sometimes lifting up his Heart to God in devout and pious Ejaculations; and when alone (though walking or standing) will many Times offer up a fhort and comprehenfive Prayer to Him, fuch as that our Saviour has taught us, or some short Collect of the Church, or the like. No Condition of Life can hinder a devout Mind

from

from this; and, therefore, nothing should be made a Pretence for not doing it; and this will be accepted by God when we have not an Opportunity to fall upon our Knees, and offer up a more folemn Prayer.

I hope, that no one will mistake me, as if I thought Ejaculatory Prayer proper only for People of Business; it is what I would recommend to all, even those of the greatest Leifure and Retirement, as being not only very pleafing in the Sight of God, but an excellent Means of keeping the Soul in a fit Difpofition to pray to him in a more folemn Manner.

2. Our Prayers must be offered up with Fervency and Devotion, which requires, that what we utter fhould come from the Heart; and, therefore, we must not pray in a cold, formal, and careless Manner, but with fuch Zeal and Earneftnefs, as is in fome Measure fuitable to the Importance of the Things we pray for; fome of which are of that infinite Moment and Concern, that if we should not be heard, we are of all Creatures the most miserable: And though wandering Thoughts will be apt to intrude themfelves into the Minds of the beft Chriftians, yet these must be laboured against and lanted, and pardon for them afked of God.

3. The laft Qualification refpecting the Manner of our Prayers, is Conftancy. We must not pray by Fits and Starts, our Devotion fhould be conftant and uniform. We

Should pray always and not faint*, as our Saviour has taught us in the Parable of the unjuft Judge, and never fuffer the Fervour of our Minds to abate towards God, nor the Flame of our Devotion to languish or burn dim, but continuing conftant in Prayer †, (as the Apoftle exhorts) fhould watch there unto with all Perfeverance.

These, I think, are the chief Qualifications neceffary to make our Prayers a Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. And he that has thefe Difpofitions, and prays for fuch Things, and in fuch Manner as has been mentioned, may at all Times come boldly to the Throne of Grace§ (as the Apof tle speaks) not doubting but he fhall obtain Mercy, and find Grace to help in Time of Need. But let him always remember, that it is through Chrift that he must come ; He is our Addvocate with the Father||, and appears in the Prefence of God for us. And therefore in his Name, and through his Merits, all our Prayers must be offered up to

*Luke xviii. 1.
§ Heb, iv. 16.

+ Rom. xii. 12.
1 John ii. 1.

Eph. vi. 18.

+ Heb. ix. 24.

God:

God: For as there is no other Name under Heaven whereby we can be faved, fo neither is there any otherName, not that of the greateft Saint or Angel, wherein we must pray, but in the Name of Chrift Jefus only; who is the Mediator of the New Covenant * and able to fave to the uttermoft them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for us.

I have only this Caution to add to what I have faid touching the Duty and Qualifications of Prayer; that though Prayer is an excellent Means of Grace, and a great Inftrument of Holiness,yet we are to confider, that it is but the means ftill; and therefore we must not rest in it, nor in any other means of Religion, fuch as Reading, Meditation, receiving the Sacrament, &c. (as too many, I doubt, do, who think, when they have faid their Prayers, or been at the Sacrament, all is well, and they have no. thing more to do) but we muft, to Prayer, join our own Endeavours, and not imagine, that Prayers operate like a Charm, and will make a Man good whether he will or no. Prayer indeed has a natural Tendency to promote a holy Life, but Prayer alone will not do it; there is a great deal more re+ Heb. vii. 25.

*Heb. xii. 24.