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Laftly, As Prayer is the most neceffary, fo is it the most natural and proper means of obtaining this Grace for it betokens that Humility and Dependence upon God, which highly tends to the Succefs of our Petitions; it fhews a Senle of our own Inability, for no Man will feek to another for that which he knows or thinks he can do for himself. Morcover, 'tis an Acknowledgment of the infinite Power, Fulnefs, and Sufficiency of God to help us, and likewife of his Readiness to do it; which will powerfully engage him to do that for us, which we cannot do for ourselves.

Indeed, Prayer is the ordinary way and means of obtaining all that at God's hand, which may be neceffary or convenient for us: hence fome have ftyl'd it, The Key that opens to us the Gates of Heaven; others, the Wing upon which the Soul mounts up thither, and returns loaden with all neceffary Bleffings. 'Tis the means which God himself has appointed to that end, and therefore he will not fail to bleis it: Call upon me, faith he, in the time of Trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt praise me; Pfal. 50. Open thy Mouth wide and I will fill it.

He has made Prayer the Condition of all his Bleffings; and therefore we find him declaring to the Ifraelites, That tho he had promis'd to bestow upon them many Mercys and Bleffings, yet he expecteded to be fought unto, and to be call'd upon for them; Ezek. 36. 27, 37:

For this reafon it is that our Church directs all that are by Baptifm admitted into it, to pray to God, as for all other Bleffings, fo efpecially for Grace to continue in his Ways to their Lives end: If any of you lack Wisdom (faith St. James) that is, Grace or Wifdom to persevere, for fo Wifdom must be underflood in that place; let him ask it of God, who giveth to all Men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given unto him; James 1. 5.

Where we have abundant Encouragement to address for this Grace, from the happy Iffue and Succefs of our Petitions: It fhall be given unto us. God Almighty is never wanting to the hearty Defires and Endeavours of his People; and if we are not wanting to ourfelves, we cannot mifs of Grace fufficient for us: he is ever ready to hear and answer our Requests, and to blefs our Endeavours with the defir'd Iffuc.

Wherefore let us not forget to pray daily unto God to give us Grace, to continue ftedfaft in our Chriftian Course to our Lives end. Thus are we here taught to pray for

our

ourselves and elsewhere we are call'd upon to make our Prayers to Almighty God in the behalf of every Child who is baptiz'd, that he may lead the reft of his Life according to that beginning.

To this end, let us frequently and feriously confider both the Danger of Apoftafy, and the Happiness of Perseve

rance.

For the firft; Unexpreffibly great is the Danger of Apoftafy or revolting from God, who has threaten'd all fuch Back-fliders with Eternal Deftruction from the Prefence of the Lord, and the Glory of his Power. Better had it been (faith St. Peter) not to have known the Ways of Righteouf ness, than having known them, to turn from the holy Commandment; 1 Pet. 2. 21. Such will be glad at the laft Day, to change places in Hell with a Turk or an Infidel, who will find a more eafy and tolerable Doom than thofe perfidious Renegadoes; fuch Bafenefs will heat the Furnace feven times hotter, and prepare thofe flaming Ingredients of Wrath, that will heighten and increase their Damnation.

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But as the Doom and Danger of Apoftates is unfpeakable, fo the Happiness of found perfevering Chriftians is inconceivable To him that overcometh (faith the Spirit) will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradife of God; Rev. 2. 7. They that overcome the Difficulties of Chriftianity, and hold on the Profeffion of it in Sincerity to the end, fhall be reftor'd to a far better Paradife than that which our firft Parents loft; where the Tree of Life will render not only their Perfons immortal, but their Blifs indefeasible: there will be no Serpent to beguile them, no Cherubims to guard the Way to the Tree of Life, nor any flaming Sword to drive or keep them from it: but contrariwife, as there is nothing to bereave them of their Innocency, fo neither can any thing hinder or impair their Happiness: Infomuch that if we are faithful to the Death, we fhall be fure to receive a Crown of Life; a Crown that can neither be forfeited nor eclips'd, but fhall fit for ever on our Heads, and fhine there with a bright and never-fading Luftre.

In a word, They that perfevere in the Ways of Virtue to the end, fhall be crown'd at last with endless Glory and Felicity.

A

EXPOSITION

OF THE

SECOND PART

OF THE

Church-Catechifm:

CONTAINING

The APOSLES CREED,

The TEN COMMANDMENTS,

And the LORD'S PRAYER.

Jude, Ver.
that was once deliver'd to the Saints.

3. Contend earnestly for the Faith

Printed in the Year M.DCC.XXXI.

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