SERMON VI,

THE QUALIFICATIONS OF PRAYER, AND THE ADVANTAGES OF IT.

JAMES V. 13. (former Part)

IS ANY AMONG YOU AFFLICTED? LET HIM PRAY.

IN difcourfing upon these Words, I proposed, First,

To confider the Motives to Prayer. Secondly, To lay before you the Qualifications requifite to make our Prayers acceptable to God. And,

Laftly, to fhew you the Advantages arifing from a due Performance of this Duty.

to;

The first of these I have already spoken and shall therefore proceed to shew

you,

you, what Tempers and Qualifications are requifite to make our Prayers acceptable to God.

First then, we must offer up our Prayers to Almighty God with Humility, and an entire Refignation to his Will. It is not at all confiftent with our dependent Condition to demand a Redress of our Grievances, in an haughty and imperious Man

ner;

neither doth it become us to give ourselves up to Murmurings and Impatience, becaufe our Wants are not fatisfied, nor our Calamities removed. Such a Behaviour would only ferve to increase our Miseries ; to provoke the most High against us; and to excite him to add a greater Weight to our Afflictions. We should present our Supplications before God with all the tender Expreflions of filial Respect and Submiffion; and refer the Time and Manner of our Deliverance to him alone. But if we complain, as though we were oppreffed with Tyranny and Injuftice; and that our Calamities are rather the Inflictions of a fevere and cruel Mafter, than the Chaftife

ments

ments of a kind and merciful Father, we shall draw down the Vengeance of God upon our own Heads, by arraigning his Justice, and calling his Mercy in Queftion. But Patience and Refignation reconcile us to God, because they are an Acknowledgment that our Dependence is upon him; and that all that we enjoy, and all that we hope for, floweth from his Bounty. If we act thus, we shall have reafon to hope, that the Mercy and Goodness of God will be extended towards us. And although we may not escape free from Misfortunes and Calamities (as indeed we have no Cause to expect it, neither, perhaps, would it be fo well for us, if we did) yet we shall be amply recompenfed in the Enjoyment of a quiet and ferene Confcience here, in the Love and Favour of God, and in the comfortable Expectations of that eternal Reward referved for us in Heaven.

Second. A fecond Qualification is Faith; by which is not meant a vain enthusiastic Prefumption that God will do for us what ever we defire of him, but a well-grounded

Belief and Perfuafion, that whatever God willeth, he is able to do; and that he will do whatever he fhall fee fit and convenient for us. Whenever, therefore, we put up our Addreffes to God, we must ask in Faith, nothing doubting. What foever ye fball afk for in Prayer, that, believing, ye shall receive, fays our bleffed Saviour. We must by no means diftruft God's Power and Willingness to aid and affift us, but firmly believe that he will aufwer our Defires, and fulfil all our Mind, if it seem beft to his unerring. Wisdom. The Reafon why God requireth this Duty of us, is not because he ftandeth in Need of our Information; for he is acquainted with all our Infirmities, He knoweth our Neceffities before we afk, and our Ignorance in afking. But he expecteth it of us, that we fhould thereby exprefs our Dependence upon him, our unshaken Truft and Confidence in him, and our Faith in his Goodness and Power. But if we doubt whether God be able, or whe ther he be willing to relieve us, we distrust his Providence and Goodnefs; and if our Expectations

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Expectations are not answered, and our Calamities removed, we can blame none but ourselves; for we do not afk as we ought. 3. But further. We must pray with Conftancy and Perfeverence. We must not be caft down because our Requests are not immediately granted; neither muft we for that Cause, grow remifs and careless in our Duty; for God may feem to reject our Prayers, and not immediately grant our Petitions, to try our Faith and Patience; but we should double our Endeavours, and cry unto God mightily and pray with the greater Fervency and Importunity. This we are encouraged to do by our Saviour; which of you, fays he, shall have a Friend, and fhall come to him at Midnight, and fhall fay unto bim, Friend, lend me three Loaves; for a Friend of mine in his Journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. And he from within fhall fay, trouble me not, the Door is fut, and my Children are with me in Bed, I cannot rife, and give thee. Verily I fay unto you, though he will not rife and give him, because he is his Friend; yet because of his Importunity, H

be