SERM. and as much perfection in the Maker, as the largest and most confiderable: but in this, as in all our actions, we fhew our own weakness and inconsistency. We pray for age, and when it comes, complain of its attendants, its melancholy train of woes and mifery; years bring forrow and heavinefs, the weight of them is grievous, the burthen of them is intolerable. But one thing then remains to be confidered, which the wife and witty of the world will be loth to give up as an improper object of our prayers, and that is, knowledge. To excel the rest of mankind in that which diftinguishes us from brutes, is furely of all things the moft defirable; and if our gratitude fhould rife in proportion to the benefit received, what infinite praise and thanksgiving is due to God from thofe whose parts placed SERM, parts and understanding have Such is the lot of our nature, that we are forced to be upon our guard even against the perfections of it. Thofe whom we falfely term the wifeft, are not always the best of men ; the little knowledge we have to boast of, makes us vain and infolent; the fair fruits of learning and science are eat up and deftroyed by the cankers of pride and arrogance. Men too frequently make use of their reason to vilify and degrade the Author of it, and brandish the weapons of truth, religion, and virtue, in the cause of vice,' falsehood, and infidelity. II. SERM. II. What has been faid may, I think, convince any impartial man, that in our prayers for particular bleffings, which for the reasons above enumerated are perhaps better laid afide, we cannot be too cautious in ufing proper restrictions, left we offend God and prejudice ourselves. If then we pray for knowledge, let it be for the only true and valuable one, the knowledge of our own little felves, our weakneffes, our vices, and our ignorance, that we may know how little can be known, and that God will teach us to know him, and our duty to him. If we pray unto him for riches, let us at the fame time make it our earneft requeft that those riches may render us humane, charitable, and beneficent to our fellow-creatures; that if he gives us power, it may be the power of doing good; II. good; if he fhowers down upon us fame, SERM, health, and long life, that that fame may be an honeft fame, and may raise the emulation of all good men to follow and to enjoy it; that that health may inspire us with vigour and activity in the execution of his commandments; and, laftly, that as our days, our virtues may increase, our paffions fubfide, our follies wear away, and our fouls become day by day fitter for that bleft habitation, to the enjoyment of which they were at firft created, and towards which they are fo nearly approaching. Befides the errors, and almoft every thing which has been urged on this fubject, may ferve to recommend to us the great usefulness, beauty, and neceffity, of an established form of prayer, to keep the folly and extravagance of men's defires within due bounds, and put a stop to SERM. to all abfurd, frivolous, and wicked II. prayers; fore, if we do not make ufe of the words With the great Searcher of Hearts there is more true, more persuasive eloquence in one noble and disinterested act of goodness and beneficence, than all the pomp of words which Rome and Athens could ever produce. The |