in ufing this Form of Words, but also renounce all Hopes or Claim of Pardon from God, if what we then profefs, we do not indecd intend.

All the Benefits of God which we implore by Prayer, proceed from his own Beneficence, and are undeferved by Men. If he vouchfafes to grant them, he may well be allowed to affix what Conditions himself pleaseth to them. He might have commanded fome very difficult Preparation, fome extraordinary return of Thanks; but when he hath refolved all into a Condition fo eafy, fo agreeable to our Nature, so much conducing to the Happiness of Mankind, as the mutual Remiffion of Injuries; he hath left Men without Excufe, and manifefted that all the Duties exacted by him are defigned rather for their Benefit, than the increase of his own Glory.

If it seems a hard Condition to forgive those many Provocations and Injuries, which one Man may receive from another, without any Compenfation or Satisfaction; we ought to confider, how much greater Provocations, and more numerous Injuries the best of Men have offered to God, and how much more they ftand in need of his Pardon. We are injured by others, who are our Equals, who poffibly have no Dependance on us, have received no Obligations from us, and may have been provoked by us; but we by our Sins offer Violence to

Our

our Creator, by whom we fubfift, on whom we depend, who hath conferred on us already eminent Benefits, and intends yet greater. We may have been injured once or twice; but whoever calls to mind the wandring Thoughts, the impure Defires, the vain Imaginations, and perhaps the more flagrant Sins of any one Day, will find, that he hath more grievoufly offended God in that little time, than by all the Injuries of other Men he can have been provoked in his whole Life. If then it be neceffary to deprecate the Anger of God for the Sins of any one Day, and much more for the Sins of a whole Life; and Pardon be offered by God upon no other Condition than Freedom from Wrath and Hatred, it will be no lefs our Intereft than our Duty, to lift up holy hands in Prayer, without wrath.

III. To this Condition the Apostle adds in the last place, that Prayer ought to be offered without doubting. The Word in the Original fignificth a Difputation and Reafoning in the Mind concerning an Opinion, and in this Place concerning that Opinion, which all true Believers ought to entertain of the Efficacy of Prayer. This Doubting may relate either to the whole System of Religion, or to the peculiar Promises concerning Prayer, or

to

to the particular Worthiness of the Sup plicant.

In the first Case it is evident, That doubting overthrows the Succefs of Prayer. He that cometh to God, must first believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him: That is, he must be fully perfuaded of it. If he doubts, he difhonoureth God, and cannot perform the Ef fential parts of Prayer. For fhall he be faid to commit himself entirely to God, who questions his Existence? Or can he rely upon God, who is not fatisfied that he is Infinite or Almighty? The leaft mixture of Doubt herein taketh off fo much from that Submiffion, Reliance, Subjection, and Devotion, which ought to intervene in every Act of Worship, and more particularly in Prayer; which thereby ceaseth to be perfect and fincere.

So alfo in the Articles of Chriftian Religion, upon which the Efficacy of Chriftian Prayers are chiefly placed; in vain doth he plead in the Name of Chrift, who is not well affured of the Dignity and the Merits of Christ. Audience of Prayer is promised as a Reward of Faith, which cannot confift with doubting. It is the Confidence and Affurance which we have in God and Christ, which procureth Acceptance to our Prayers; if we firmly believe it, because he hath faid it, if for the fake of his Authority we esteem things future as present to us, which

is the Condition laid down by our Lord, Mark xi. 24. What foever things ye defire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye Jhall have them. This made the Prayers of the ancient Saints and Patriarchs fo fuccefsful, as is at large defcribed, Hebr. xi. That having feen the Promises afar off, they were perfuaded of them, and embraced them; and, as a fure Teftimony of their Perfuafion, quitted their prefent Pleasures and Poffeffions in exchange for future Rewards.

It is faid of our Lord while converfant on Earth, that he could not do many mighty works among the Galileans, because of their unbelief: and himself required it as the previous Condition of his miraculous Cures; believe, and thou shalt be made whole. Not that it was impoffible to his Almighty Power to have wrought Miracles without the concurrent Belief of Men; but that he wrought not upon them, as upon fo many Machines, but dealt with them as with rational Beings, and therefore diftributed his Favours in proportion to their Faith. And herein an imperfect Faith, or a cold Perfuafion, will not fuffice, St. Peter demonftrated much more, when he adventured himself upon the Water at the Command of Chrift; yet because he ftill retained fome Doubt and Fear, our Lord permitted him to fink, that fo he might reprove the Imperfection of his Faith: 0

thou

thou of little Faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

A fecond fort of Doubting, is a Diffidence concerning the peculiar Promises of Success and Advantage consequent to Prayer; when the Exiftence or the Power of God is not called in queftion, but his Will difputed; and it feems incredible that fuch an Almighty and most perfect Being, having no need, and receiving no Benefit from the Service or Prayers of Men, fhould condefcend fo far as to beftow fuch eminent Favours, and so readily, at the Petition of mean and unworthy Creatures.

To overcome this Doubt, it is fufficient to manifeft, that God hath indeed promised such favourable Audience to the Prayers of Men; and for the Truth of this, (because I speak to those convinced of the Authority of Scripture) to remit you to those many Promifes contained in the Gofpel. The Places are numerous and evident. I will now infift but on one of them, namely, the Parable of the unjuft Judge, Luke xviii. delivered as the Evangelift faith for this end, that Men ought always to pray, and not to faint, not to doubt of Succefs. There the unjuft Judge is reprefented as granting that to the Importunity of a poor Widow, which neither the Juftice of her Caufe, nor the Fear of God, nor the Regard of

Men