SERM. Cious Condefcenfion which would come
VI, down to fuch Comparisons, that every

body might, in the plaineft and strongest
Manner, be affur'd of the Neceffity and
Efficacy of Prayer before the Throne of
God.

THAT is the Doctrine of my Text, introduc'd as you have feen; that to receive from the Divine Bounty those good Things we stand in Need of; the Application by Prayer, and even frequent and earnest Prayer is required. That accordingly, although a Man be poffefs'd of the other Qualifications which would render him accepted with God, yet fhall they not prevail, (no more than the Juftice of the Widow's Cause in one Parable, or the Friendfhip of the Borrower in the other) till the Force of his Prayers be fuperadded; and on the contrary, where that Course is taken, the Result shall be as exprefs'd in the Verse next after my Text; Every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that feeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened..

Now that we may gain the more diftinct Senfe of the Divine Wisdom, in

teaching

VI.

teaching us this in Terms (as I have al- SERM. ready obferved) fo extraordinarily familiar and strong, 'tis requifite we search for the fpecial Reason in the Nature of the Doctrine. THAT, upon full Confideration, we shall find not altogether evident to our Reafon by natural Light And although knowing Men had very fufficient Cause, from the general Practice of Mankind, to conclude it flowed from the Revelation of God to the ancient Patriarchs, directing or approving their Conduct herein, yet is the Ufe of an express Declaration of the Will of God upon this Subject ftill fignally great: Because fince his Pleasure could not before with abfolute Certainty be collected from the Reafon of Things, Men of different Sorts were not wanting, who fet at nought the Tradition of their Ancestors, and perfuaded People, fome, to the total Disuse of Prayer, others, to a grofs Corruption in the Ufe. The Corruption lay in,changing the immediate Object of our Vows, carrying Men off from the Supreme, Him that indeed heareth the Prayer, to Mediators or Deputies, invented and ranged fubordinately for the Purpose.

L4

SERM. Purpose. The Divine Nature itself, they VI. argued, was too pure, too exalted for the Approach of Mortals and under that Colour of the profoundest Veneration, cut off all direct Commerce between Man and his Creator and Governor. Where this obtain'd thus totally, the Worship and Truft of People became entirely idólatrous, and a fpreading Flagitiousness

of Manners wanted not the Protection of corrupted Principles; and the Nations that received it in Part only, yet worshiped the Creature more than the Creator, and abandoned themselves, in Proportion, to other Immorality and Abominations.

This was the Error of the Abuse, indeed is ftill in many Parts of the World. The other I mentioned is of the Disuse of Prayer; into which Error, though not apt (as the former) to grow national, by, Reason of a strong Difpofition in most Men to the contrary, yet Particulars, are in Danger to be mislead. The Patrons of it, both of old and in our Days, have not been fparing of their vain Wit in ridiculing the Devotion of Mankind; and, which only is worth our Notice, pretend likewise to

fet

fet it afide by Force of accurate Reasoning. SERM. For, fay they, fince all our Neceflities, VI. and every Circumftance that is good or evil to us, are known to God, and even better than to ourselves; and fince the Qualifications too of each Perfon that may render him acceptable, always appear in his Sight; and his immenfe Goodness befides is of itself perpetually ready to give and order what is beft and fitteft; to what End can Prayers ferve? Not to inform him, who is omniscient; nor to prevail on him, whose Bounty needs no Sollicitation, and whofe Wisdom is incapable of being mov❜d by it.

This is the Subftance of their Argument; and the Anfwer to it is now short and plain, That God himself has appointed the Method which they decry: In him alone it evidently refts to fettle, as he pleases, the Ways and Conditions of his Creatures receiving good Things at his Hands. And the Condition of Prayer he has fettled, and in the Doctrine of my Text declared to us. And if fuch Objectors infist against it, as weak and improper, we may fatisfy ourselves, if not them,

that

SERM. that the Foolishness of God is wifer than VI. Men, and the Weakness of God is ftronger

than Men.

From what has been faid, may appear the Goodness and the Wisdom of the Divine Teaching, to fet this Truth of our Duty in foftrong a Light; that it might stand abfolutely guarded against those pernicious Misconstructions and Perversions, which would otherwife carry a Strength fufficient to mislead great Numbers. For if we confider but a little of the everdependent and hazardous State of Mortality; of our Wants and Diftreffes, our Weakness and Blindness, spiritual and temporal; what is there that we can be more dangerously, more fatally ignorant of, than the true Course of obtaining and preferving the Divine Favour, Pardon, Grace, and Protection.

'But there is no Need we should reft this Matter here: It is indeed fufficient for rejecting all Oppofition of Arguments, and determining our Practice, to know that fuch is the Will of God. Yet our Satisfaction will be improved, and our Grati tude excited, if we fee (as there is large Room