And this it is eafy to account for. God, undoubtedly, is always as good as his word; and not only willing, but forward to give all; even more than he has promised, if we would but take care to ask as he requires. But all the hinderance lies in ourselves. We do not afk like those who would obtain; we do not fue for pardon, as he will beftow it; nor pray for grace, as if we defired it, or had a mind to make any use of it. And therefore after all our prayers for God's fupplies, we are as indigent as we were before. Ye ask, and receive not, fays St. James, because ye ask amifs. Whereas would we ask things, in such wife as God has promifed to grant them; and feek them upon fuch terms, as he has offered to bestow them; would we ask for pardon of our fins, only in repenting of them, and forfaking them; and for grace and virtue, in the ufe of good and wife endeavours after them; it is certain, we should not go without them,

✦ Jam. iv. 2, 3.

THEREFORE

THEREFORE it concerns us to enquire, What thofe terms and conditions are, upon which we are to pray for any of God's mercies. God's promifes run upon certain conditions; he engages to beftow benefits, when we perform duties; and offers the reward, after we have done the fervice. And now, what God promises only conditionally, we must not ask absolutely; we must not expect that he will give, till we come duly qualified, and fitted to receive; we muft feek his mercies on his own terms; and ask them only in fuch wife, as he has undertaken to bestow them. And this is that rule which St. John prescribes to us in my text, which he makes the great condition of our prayers, and the measure of our expectations: This (fays he) is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

To know then when we afk any thing upon God's own terms, and fue for mercies in fuch fort, as he has promised to bestow them; we must inquire what his will is, concerning any things which we afk

for,

for, or upon what terms he will give them, and on what conditions the gospel bids us hope to receive them: And if we come duly prepared therewith, we may be fure upon our prayers to receive them.

The condition upon which God has promised to us PARDON OF OUR SINS, is, that we repent of and amend them. If any man would pray for the pardon of his fins, according as the fame is promised by God, and is to be expected by us, he muft firft renounce the fin, which he defires God to pardon, and pray for the forgivenefs of it, with true penitential purposes and engagements, and change of mind and practice. He must not lie labouring at the throne of grace, and think to weary God with importunate entreaties, to pardon him without more ado, and to forgive his fin, whilft he continues unreclaimed from it. He must not pray against a dreadful punishment, whilft he continues in a wicked practice; and seek to appease God, before he has reformed himself. He muft first fit himself for the favour, before he afk it; he muft first repent and amend,

and

and then pray to be forgiven, and his peti tion will be accepted.

The condition whereupon God has promifed to confer upon us any gracious ASSISTANCES OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT, is, fo far forth only, as we are honeftly prepared to use them; and carefully co-operate ourfelves, and concur therewith: And the condition, whereupon he has promised to bestow upon us any VIRTUE, is, our own ferious and diligent feeking, and endeavouring after it.

So that whenfoever we ask for the help of God's grace, or for any holy difpofitions or virtues, it must be in the honest ufe of our own induftry and good endeavours. God will not beftow new grace upon us, till he fees that we have made a good ufe of what he has bestowed already. :

As for thofe prayers then, which God will anfwer, if they be for pardon of fins, or for grace and virtuous difpofitions; they must be fincerely penitent and industrious. God has promised no pardon, but upon true repentance; nor any faving helps and affiftances

affiftances of his Spirit, or virtuous tempers, but upon our honeft industry, and good endeavours.

And therefore, if we would ask these mercies, as God has promifed to grant them, and as the gofpel bids us hope to receive them; we must pray for pardon, with true repentance; and for God's grace, with fincere purposes to make good use thereof; and for any virtuous tempers, with a preparation to take pains for them, and seriously and carefully to endeavour afterwards, to acquire the virtue which we have prayed for.

An impenitent man's prayer for the pardon of his fins, will be of no avail with God; for he will not forgive us our fins, whilft we go on in them. And an idle unworking perfon's prayer, for any particular grace or virtue, is offenfive to him. The only prayers which he hears for these things, are the prayers of the fincerely penitent, and induftrious; and if our prayers are qualified thus, they are fuch as he will own; and, as he has bound himself