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do not think it worth their while to wrestle for the bleffing. The profane are not the only perfons juftly chargeable with a failure in this part of their duty. Many real Chriftians are apt to flacken their diligence in this important exercife, and many often read their fin in their punishment. But is it not very wonderful, my brethren, that those who have once tafted that the Lord is gracious, who have known the sweetness of communion with God, fhould ever lofe it by their own indifference and backwardness to maintain it? Yet here we muft, of neceflity, lay the blame. We muft ftill fay, in juftification of his procedure, If. lix. I, 2. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not fhortened, that it cannot fave: neither his ear heavy, that it "cannot hear. But your iniquities have feparated be"tween you and your God, and your fins have hid his "face from you, that he will not hear." It seems to appear from the experience of Chriftians, that God is jealous of their treatment of his love, and deeply resents the alienation of their affections; and therefore, to have fenfible joy in him, and to walk in the comfort of the holy Ghost, which is fo great a privilege, cannot be preferved without the greatest watchfulness on their part, and the greatest conftancy in prayer.

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3. Suffer me now, in a few words, to exhort every perfon in this affembly, and in particular thofe who have fo lately renewed their engagement to God, over the fymbols of the broken body and shed blood of Chrift, to give themselves unto prayer. Of what use is your being admitted to this facred table, if it do not incline you to live nearer to God in the habitual tenor of your life? This is the very privilege which we obtain by the blood of Chrift, that we have accefs with boldnefs and confidence through the faith of him. This is the very advantage that we obtain by his continual interceffion before the throne, Heb. iv. 14, 16. "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, "that is paffed into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God, "let us hold faft our profeffion. Let us therefore come "boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain "mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Again, have you not devoted your lives to the fervice of God? VOL. I. 30

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have you not promised to keep his commandments? How do you expect to fulfil your promife? Are you not ready to fay, Not unless he be pleased himself to preserve and keep me; not unless he put his Spirit within me, and 'write his laws in my heart? And do you not know, that he hath faid, "Yet for all these things will I be en"quired of by the house of Ifrael to do it for them?" I will ask you one queftion more. Do you not know that you are yet in an evil world? Do you not know what variety of temptations and fufferings you may yet be exposed to? How fhall you bear up under trials; how fhall you glorify God in the day of vifitation," if you live habitually at a distance from him? Chriftians, it is to him you muft look when trouble cometh upon you. All other refuge will foon fail: and vanity, vanity, be feen written upon the creature. But with what confufion muft you then lift up your eyes to him, if you forget him in profperity! Therefore let me befeech you, in the most earnest manner, to renew your diligence in the exercise of pray

er.

In a particular manner, I muft recommend this exercife to young perfons. You, my dear brethren, are exposed to many dangers, your ftrength fmall, your experience little, your knowledge imperfect. Live a life of prayer, and dependance upon God. Daniel and his companions were young perfons, yet mighty in prayer : therefore learn it early, practise it diligently, and wait upon it habitually and conftantly. Hear what the prophet fays in commendation of it, Ifa. xl. 29, 30, 31. “He "giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no

might, he increaseth ftrength. Even the youths fhall "faint and be weary, and the young men fhall utterly "fall. But they that wait upon the Lord fhall renew "their ftrength they fhall mount up with wings as ea gles, they fhall run and not be weary, and they fhall "walk and not faint."

4. I fhall conclude the fubject, by giving you two or three directions for the prefervation and improvement of the spiritual life; and particularly for enabling you to perfevere with uniformity and comfort in the exercise of prayer,

1. Be watchful and circumfpect in the whole of your converfation. Let it be your great aim, to keep con. fciences void of offence towards God and towards man. Prayer and watchfulness have a reciprocal influence upon one another. Neglect of prayer will make you yield to temptation, and the indulgence of fin will make you afraid to pray. But habitual watchfulness will carry you with comfort to God, at the hour of prayer, both in thankfulness for past mercies, and reliance on him for future ftrength.

2. Obferve with attention the courfe of his providence towards you. Enumerate his mercies to you in profperity, adore his righteous will in adverfity. Let this be the work, not only of particular seasons, but of every day. This will at once fhew you the neceflity, and abundantly fupply the matter of prayer. If you do otherwise, you will go to prayer without any clear and determinate views of what you are to pray for, and then it is no wonder that it degenerate into a lifelefs form. Once more,

3. Be much employed in interceffion for others. This noble teftimony of Chriftian love, has the most powerful influence in warming the heart, and enlivening the affections in prayer. It happens frequently, that those who have hardly a word to fay for themfelves, and whofe defires are quite heavy and languid as to what regards their own interest, no fooner come to fupplicate for others, than they are enabled to pour out their whole fouls before God with the greatest fulness of expreffion, and enlargement of affection; as if it were the purpose of God, to invite us to this exercise, by honoring it with a particular mark of his acceptance and approbation. Oh that it would please God to revive among profeffing Chriftians a fpirit of prayer, that when they cannot unite in fentiment, they may unite in prayer; that when impiety and immorality are bold and infolent, they may oppofe them by prayer; and that when they are flandered, infulted, or abufed by their enemies, they may find unfpeakable comfort in imitating their dying Saviour, loving them that hate them, bleffing them that curfe them, and praying for them who despite

fully use them and perfecute them. I conclude with the words of the apoftle Jude, ver. 24, 25, "Now unto him "that is able to keep you from falling, and to prefent you "faultlefs before the prefence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wife God, our Saviour, be glory and majefty, dominion and power, both now and ever. "Amen."

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Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of

rams.

THA

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HAT obedience is due to God from all his intelligent creatures, I fuppofe none here present will deny. It is the original unchangeable law of creation, which every after difcovery ferved not to undetermine, but to fupport and confirm. It was the religion of man in his primitive ftate of innocence; and it fhall be the religion of heaven, when we shall fee our Maker as he is. The very excellence of truth itfelf lies in its influence on holiness, and the very purpose of every facred inftitution is to form our minds to a habit of obedience and fubjecti on to the will of God.

In the mean time it is of the utmoft moment, that we have clear and juft conceptions of the nature and principles of obedience, and that we guard against the errors that are often committed on this fubject. Some, from a partial or exceffive attachment to one branch of duty, are apt to difparage another; and fome are apt to make a merit of their zeal and diligence in one duty, as if it would procure indulgence for them in the wilful neglect of another. From the language in the remarkable paffage of fcripture which I have chofen for my text, it is plain, that

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