House of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the Sacrifice of Fools; for they confider not that they do Evil (b).'- -Over-value not the

Manner of your own Worship, nor defpife the different Made which others chufe. Perhaps he that pravs from the Habits of his Mind and his prefent Defires, is reproached, as preíumptuously speaking that to God, which he has not firft duly confidered. As if a Beggar is rath in asking Alms, or a Maleface tor in begging Pardon, or a Judge in fpeaking on the Bench, or a Phyfician in advifing his Patient, only because their Words are not in Books or Forms. Perhaps he that reads a Form of Prayer out of a Book, is charged with falfe Worship, and cleaving to human Inventions. As if the Book, the Pref, or the Pen, rendered the Words odious to God; or as if all Words are bad, that are prepared for us by others; even to the exploding of the Pfalms of David, and the Lord's-Prayer. It is easy, but abominable, to fall in Love with our own Mode, and to vilify another's, and to think that God him felf is of our Mind. Look upon your Book, fays one, or elfe God will not hear your Prayers. Look off your Book, fays another, or your Prayers will not be heard, But how lamentable is it, that both of them do not tremble thus to abuse God, and to add unto his Word, to speak against their Brethren in his Name, and reproach the Prayers which Christ presents to the Father, and in which the Father delights, notwithstanding their Defects!

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Never come to the Father but by the Son' (c). Dream not of any other Accefs for a

H.3

Sinner

(b) Pfalm li. 17. Ecclef, v. 1.

(c) John xiv. 6.

Sinner to God, but wholly truft in Chrift's Media tion. Receive the Father's Will from Chrift as your Teacher, the Father's Commands from Chrift your King, and all the Father's Mercies from Chrift your Head and conftant Interceffor. Put all your Prayers and Praifes, Duties and Alms, into Chrift's Hand, that thro' him alone they may be accepted of God. Be moft folicitous for the Spirituality of Worship. God is a Spirit, and they that ⚫ worship him, muft worship him in Spirit, and in Truth (d).' Dare not to draw nigh unto himn with your Mouth, and honour him with your Lips, while your Heart is far from him (e).' Yet a fubordinate Regard is due to your external Worship. God must be honoured both with Soul and Body. Decent Order and reverent Solemnity both exprefs and affift the Affections of the Soul. Procure the beft Helps you can from Minifters and Churches, but reject Nothing that is of God. It is defireable to have Communion with the purest Churches, and to attend the most able and faithful Miniftrations. But what is lefs defireable, is not therefore unlawful, nor to be rejected. Chufe a lively, convincing Preacher, to enlighten your Understanding, and awaken your Confcience; one that fpeaks from the unfeigned Love of God and Men, and therefore more likely to kindle that Love in your Hearts; and also one whofe Holinefs of Life, as well as Doctrine, tends to win you to a holy Life. But if fuch a One cannot be had, fupply by your diligent Attention, what is wanting in the Preacher's Manner of Expreffion; and let your Care

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Care for your own Souls not diminish thro' his Carelefhefs. The Sheep' of Chrift hear his • Voice (f),' fo as to diftinguifh, reverence, and love it, from whatever Mouth it proceeds.

Remember that you are Members of the univerfal Church, and act accordingly. Tho' you are not to own the Corruptions of any Church, or any Mode of Worship; yet you must own the Church itself, and the Worship, fo far as God owns them; and he does not reject the Matter for the Manner, nor the Whole for the Defect of a Part. We fhould imitate the meek and gentle Jefus, who pardons the Failings of Believers, and fhould confider how much we need to have our own pardoned. We should esteem it a great Lofs, to lose the Prayers of thofe Churches which we condemn; and while we condemn them, how can we juftly expect the Benefit of their Prayers?

3.Avoid Care'effness and Curiosity in the Wor"Ship of God. It is a great Work to speak to God, or to hear from him about your everlasting Welfare; and to do it with Levity of Temper, and with wandering Thoughts, is Profanenefs and Contempt. It is alfo finful, when the most wholsome ·Food is offenfive, for Want of the Accuracy of Stile, and the Propriety of Cadence.-Let your Eye of Faith be fixed on the Church triumphant. Think how God is worshiped by the heavenly Hoft. With what Wisdom, Purity, and Affection! With what Unity, Peace, and Pleafure! There is no Hypocrify, Pride, Darkness nor Dulnefs! No Divifion, Faction, nor uncharitable Contention! O how they H 4

(f) John x. 27.

burn

burn in Love to God, and how fweet is that Love to themselves! Endeavour by Faith to join with them. They are more imitable and amiable, than the pureft Churches upon Earth. And remember the Time, when you must meet all thofe upright Souls in Heaven, whofe Manner of Worfhip has probably offended you upon Earth; and confider how far they should be difowned, who will be dear to Christ and you for ever.

$4. Be very folicitous to pray in Faith, efpeci ally in private. Let your Heart lead your Tongue. Defire firft, and pray next; remembering that Defire is the Soul of Prayer. But by no Means omit Prayer, for Want of more earnest Defires. Beg good Defires of God. Be affured that your heavenJy Father is more ready to give every fpiritual Bleffing, than you are to ask or receive. Go boldly to God in the Name of Chrift. Cherifh no Defire in your Hearts, which you dare not make the Matter of your Prayers. Let God himself be your first Defire, and then all spiritual Bleffings in Chrift, and common Bleffings only in Order to fpiritual. Let the Precepts and Promises of the Word direct and limit your Petitions; and confidently expect what God has promifed, tho' he feems long to delay. The Lord's Prayer is your beft general Rule for Matter and Method. But be more careful of your Affections, than about the Order of your Words. Pray as earnestly as if God himself were to be moved with your Prayers; ever remembering that the Change is not to be made in him, but in yourselves; for when the Boat-Man lays hold on the Bank, he draws the Boat to it, and not the Bank to the Boat.

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5. [II] Living by Faith in the Social Connections and Relations' into which Providence has brought you, may be affifted by the following Rules. With Reference to your Children, let Faith be always in Exercife. Believe the Promifes of God to Believers and their Seed; for there never was an Age of the World in which God did not -diftinguish Believers and their Children from the reft of the World by a special Covenant. But let no Apprehenfion of Children's being born in Covenant, make you omit the ferious and folemn Dedication of them to God in Baptifm. If after such Dedication, they should die before they come to the Ufe of Reafon, you have no Cause to doubt of their Salvation. See that your Duty be answerable to your Hope; and not only pray for your Children's Sanctification, but if they live, endeavour to promote it, by all poffible Care of them in a wife and godly Education; for to this you are obliged, both by the Tyes of Nature, and by your having dedicated yourselves and them to God; and indeed fuch an Education of them, is one of the greatest Duties in the World, for the Service of Chrift, and the Profperity of Church and State. If your Children fhould live in Ungodlinefs, contrary to the Covenant which you brought them into, they forfeit all the Benefits of it, and you cannot be certain of their Converfion by any Thing you can do for them, tho' there is yet Hope. And if they are ever converted, their Pardon and Adoption will be the Effect of God's Covenant, as newly entered into by themfelves, and not as it was done for them in infancy. But tho' their Salvation is not laid fo much upon you in their adult Age, as it was in their Infancy;