but to follow at once the dictates of Prudence and Charity, not giving away fo m ch as to expofe ourselves to future want, nor yet diftributing fo little, as to be unworthy petitioners to Providence, for the Supply of our own neceffities.

Having thus feen the nature and extent of this petition, with the qualifications requifite to make our repeating of it acceptable to God, I fhall, according to the manner I have hitherto obferved, conclude this discourse by fumming up the whole in the form of a prayer.

O thou all-gracious, all-fuftaining Providence, by whofe goodness we were created, and by whofe goodness we have hitherto been preserved, continue to us thy favour and protection; give us fuch a juft knowledge both of thee, and of ourselves, that we may be thoroughly fenfible we are thy dependants, that we are indebted to thee for all we have, and must apply to thee for all we want. Grant, O Lord,

that

1

that we may fo live in this world, as men that must leave it at one time or other, that may continue perhaps for a few years, or may be taken off this very moment; make us fenfible how few our real wants are, and let not our defires go beyond them. Let thy mercies crown our induftrious endeavours with fuccefs, and a well timed feafonable Charity, fanctify our works, and give ftrength to our prayers. And finally, O Lord, be pleafed of thine infinite mercy to grant, that whatfoever we fincerely pray for, we may fuccefsfully obtain, whatfoever we fuccessfully obtain, we may happily enjoy.

Now to God the Father, &c.

SERMON

SERMON VIII.

MATTHEW vi. 12th.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

N these words are two things obferv

IN words are two forgive us our Ι

ors.

able ;---the Petition---forgive us our debts,---and the condition on which we ask forgiveness---as we forgive our debtBoth these are subjects that greatly deferve our confideration---the one as it affords the highest inftance of God's goodness to the fons of men, the other as containing a motive to the forgiveness of our enemies, which is one of the hardest of all Christian duties. I fhall therefore particularly confider them, and shall shew that the

mercy

mercy and goodness of God, is remarkably difplayed, by the permiffion here given us to pray to him, for the forgiveness of our fins.

The temporal bleffings which his Providence dispenses for the supply of our wants, are arguments indeed of great goodness to us, and deferve our highest gratitude and love. But thefe are concerns of fmall moment to us, in comparison of those which look beyond the grave, and yield a profpect of better things to come. For what would it avail us to be fupplied by his bounty with the neceffaries of this prefent life, if our fins were to follow us in the next? If the fins and offences of our youth and old age were registered and treafured up against us, if no act of oblivion was to pass on our actions, no pardon granted, no method of atonement appointed to blot out our fins, no affurance that our prayers fhall be heard, no direction to afk that our debts may be forgiven as we forgive our debtors, we fhould as the Apoftle

Apostle fays, all have been concluded under fin, and confequently under punishment; our condemnation had been fure, our sentence irreverfible, and the bleffings and conveniencies we at prefent enjoy, would only have ferved to make easy our paffage to a state of everlasting misery; and who could be fo fond of a short momentary life, as to value it upon fuch terms as these? It is the glorious prospect we have before us, the certainty that if we are not wanting to ourselves we may work out our own falvation, and obtain by the fatisfaction of our Saviour, what we were not able to fecure for ourfelves; the means of forgiveness are placed in our own hands, and therefore it will be our own faults if we mifcarry. And when we confider the wretched ftate we were in befo. Chrift undertook our ranfom, the neceffity of finning, the certainty of our punishment, and how little reafon there was for God to accept of a fatisfaction and reconcile us to himfelf, we cannot but efteem it a wonderful inftance of God's goodnefs that he X

was