quired to make a Man a good Christian; he muft endeavour to form in his Mind that inward Purity and Holiness which he prays for, and muft ftrive and labour to attain that true Sanctification of his Nature, which is the great End of all Religion; in fhort, he must make it the chief Bufinefs of his Life, to walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleafing, being fruitful in every good Work, and increafing in the Knowledge of God*.

And now, what remains, but to exhort all Christians, as they have any Regard for the Happiness both of their Souls and Bodies; as they value the Favour of God, and would not deprive themselves of a fure Refuge in Times of Trouble and Temptation, nor fall under the Power and Dominion of their Lufts and Paffions, thofe cruel and tyrannical Mafters (to fet us free from which our Saviour vouchfafed to come into the World and die) that they would, in the Apoftle's Senfe, pray without ceafing; that is, not only be very frequent in Prayer to God, but keep up in their Minds fuch a devout and holy Flame, that they may be always in a fit Difpofition to pray; To intreat them, I fay, that they would not neg

lect a Duty which is attended with fuch unfpeakable Advantages; but that they would pray frequently to God in private, and if they have Families, that they would every Morning and Evening pray to God with them too, and alfo join in the publick Prayers of the Church as oft as they can.

This, I am perfuaded, is the most likely Way we can take to procure the Favour of God, and to draw down the Bleffings of his Providence upon ourselves and Families; this will make our Bodies the Temples of the Holy Ghost, and invite that blessed Spirit to take up his Refidence in our Souls; in fhort, this will fill our Minds with Joy, and Peace, and Comfort in this World, and through the Mercy of God, and the Merits of his dear Son, will make us everlaftingly. happy in that which is to come.

I cannot conclude this Difcourfe, without acquainting the Reader, that when I recommend the Duty of Prayer, I would be understood to include in it that of Praife and Thanksgiving; which being a Thing fo excellent in itfelf, fo highly conducing to the Glory of God, and fo suitable to the Nature of a Creature, it ought (without all doubt) to have a very great Share in our Devotions.

One

One would think, indeed, there fhould be no Neceffity of recommending a Duty fo pleasing in itself, and fo agreeable to an ingenuous Mind; and yet whoever looks abroad into the World, will find that Men are very apt to overlook the Bleffings of God, or, at leaft, very quickly to forget them; and then it is no Wonder if they feldom or never return Thanks for them. Were there not ten cleanfed? faid our bleffed Saviour, when he healed the Lepers; but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give Glory to God, fave this Stranger. And was the Enquiry now to be made, I doubt the Difproportion would be much greater between those that receive Bleffings from the Hands of God, and those that are truly thankful for them. What thro' the Pride of fome, who think that all they receive from God is but the juft Reward of their Merits: the Covetoufnefs and Ambition of others, who, from a greedy Defire of more, overlook what at prefent they enjoy; or from an unhappy complaining Temper in a third Sort, who (not content to take their Share of the ordinary Troubles and Cares of Life) expect that every Thing fhould confpire to make * Luke xvii, 17, 18.

them

them eafy, and being difappointed of this, are apt to undervalue the B leffings that God has bestowed upon them; or laftly, from the wicked and profane Lives of many more, who being immerfed in Brutishness and Senfuality, have lost almost all Notions, not only of the Providence of God, but of the great Things he has done for us; I fay, what from these, and fuch like unhappy Causes, it comes to pass, that the great Duty of Praife and Thanksgiving to God, is very much neglected; and, I fear, even among Jome, who, in other Refpects, are very careful of their Duty.

'Tis ftrange, I confefs, that such a weak and depending Creature as Man is, that owes his Being, and all the Comforts of it, to the great Love and Bounty of his Creator, and that cannot poffibly fubfift one Moment, but by the Will and Power of God, fhould neglect to pay him the conftant Tributeof Praife and Thanksgiving; this I fay, is ftrange, if we confider Man barely as a Creature, made and fupported by the Almighty Arm of God, who upholds all Things by the Word of his Power*.

But then how much more ftrange and furprising will this ungrateful Behaviour of

Heb. i. 3.

Man

Man appear to be, if we confider him as a Sinner, redeemed (as St. Peter fays) not with corruptible Things, as Silver and Gold, -but with the precious Blood of the Son of God. If we look upon him under the different Character St. Paul gives of him * to wit, Once dead in Trefpaffes and Sins, walking according to the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Difobedience, having his Converfation in the Lufts of the Flesh, fulfilling the Defires of the Flesh, and the Mind: a Child of Wrath, without Chrift, an Alien from the Commonwealth of Ifrael, and a Stranger from the Covenant of Promife, having no Hope, and without God in the World; But now, in Chrift Jefus, made nigh by the Blood of Chrift, no more a Foreigner and Stranger, but a Fellow-Citizen with the Saints, and of the Houfhold of God, juftified by Faith, and having Peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift. I fay, if we confider Man with this different View, how much more aftonishing is it, that a Sinner thus redeemed, thus loved and honoured, should ever be found wanting in Praife and Thanksgiving! It is the least Return that

· Ephef. ii. 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 19.
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↑ Rom. v. 1.

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