I REG. viii. 37, 38, 39,

Ver. 37. If there be in the land famine, if there be peftilence, blafting, mildew, locuft, or if there be caterpillar: if their enemy befiege them in the land of their cities, whatsoever plague, whatsoever fickness there be:

Ver. 38. What prayer and fupplication foever be made by any man, or by all thy people Ifrael, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and Spread forth his hands towards this house:

Ver. 39. Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive and do, and give every man according to his ways, whofe heart thou knoweft (for thou, even thou only knoweft the hearts of all the children of men.)

2. Defired.

1. Supposed.

1. That a Land may lie under great Judg-
ments from God; and that,2 Chron.vii.13.
1. In Mercy to fome of the Land.
2. In Anger against others.

2. That at fuch a time the People pray, v.38.

I. That

1. That God would fanctify.

2. And then remove them.

3. That they that do thus pray, first know the Plague of their own Hearts.

Where confider,

I. What are we to understand by the Plague of our own Hearts ?

Sin; which is like the Plague.

1

1. In its Cause. Sin, as the Plague, proceeds from Corruption.

2. Its Infection, Gal. v. 9.

3. Its Prevalency: It is Epidemical.

4. Its Power in turning other Diseases into it felf: So Sin makes all Actions Sin, Prov. xv. 8. and xxi. 27. Ifa. lxvi. 3. Prov. xxi. 4.

5. Its fad Effects.

1. The Plague diftempers the whole Body, Sin the Soul, Isa. i. 5, 6.

. The Plague flies up into the Head, and Sin makes mad, Fer. 1. 38.

3. The Plague ufually kills the Body, and Sin the Soul.

6. Its manner of Prevention.

1. By Purges or Catharticks, Pf. li. 27. 2. By Antidotes.

Antidotes against Sin.

1. Prayer each Morning.

2. Carrying the Fear of GOD about with us all Day, Prov. xxiii. 17. and

xvi. 6.

7. Its manner of Cure.

1. By Sweats; Sin by Repentance.
2. Cordials; Sin by Faith.

II. How should we know this Plague of our

Hearts?

I. So

1. So as to be fenfible of it.

2. Acknowledge.

3.

4.

Be forry for it.

Make use of all means to prevent it.

1. Apply your felves to Chrift the Phyfician, Luke v. 31, 32.

2. Ufe his Remedies, Faith and Repen

tance.

I CHRON xxviii. 9.

And thou Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and ferve him with perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord fearcheth all hearts, and underftandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou feek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off for ever.

I. E that would ferve GOD uprightly, muft firft endeavour to know him perfectly: Or, a right Knowledge of GOD is neceflary to our Performance of right Service to him. 1. What of GOD fhould we know? 1. His Existence, Heb. xi. 6.

2. His Effence, Exod. iii. 14.

3. His Perfons, Job. v.7. Mat.xxviii. 19. the Father, Chrift, the Son,Redeemer, God-Man, the Holy Ghoft, the San&tifier.

4. His Attributes.

5. His Works, of Creation,of Providence.

6. His Word wherein,

1. Fundamental Truths.
2. Divine Precepts.

3. Precious Promifes.

4. Dreadful Threatnings.

2. How should we know this God?

1. Clearly.

2. Diftinctly.
3. Practically.

4. Experimentally.

3. Why should we know him in order to our ferving him? Because unless we know,

him,

1. We cannot serve him.
2. We will not ferve him.

3. We must not ferve him.

1. We would not ferve him if we could.

2. We could not ferve him if we would, Heb. xi. 6.

3. We ought not to ferve him though we both could and would, Prov. xxi. 4, 27, and xv. 8.

USE I. Reproof.

1. Such as do not know him.

2. Such as do not defire to know him, Job xxi. 14.

3. Such as do not only not defire to know him, but defire not to know him. 4. Such as do pretend to defire, but do not endeavour to know him.

II. EXHORTATION.

1. Labour to know him, and to frequent the Means to know him.

2. Teach him your Children and Servants. VOL. I. 3. Nev.

Y

3. Never give over learning to know him, 'till you can ferve him with a perfect Heart and willing Mind.

II. 'Tis a Chriftian's Duty not only to know GOD, but to ferve him with a perfect

..T

בלב שלם .Heart and willing Mind בנפש חפצה

1. What is here meant by ferving him?
1. Our doing his Work, what he com-
mands.

2. Our therefore doing it because he has
commanded it, Eph. vi. 5, 6.

2. What by ferving him with a perfect Heart, Ecclef. ix. 10.

1. The utmost of our Strength.

2. The conftancy of our Endeavours always at his work.

3. The integrity of our Intentions in his

Service.

3. What by a willing Mind.

1. A defire of it, 2 Chron. XV. 15. Ifai.

xxvi. 8.

2. A love to it, Deut. xi. 13, 22.

3. A delight in it, Pfal. cxix. 16. Pfal. xl. 8.

4. Why fhould we ferve him fo?

1. Why serve him?

1. Because we are his Servants.

1. By Creation.

2. By Redemption, 1 Cor. vi. 20.
3. By Covenant, Heb. viii. 10.

2. We feed daily upon him.

3. We only manage thofe Talents he hath entrusted us with, Luke xix.13. 2. Why with a perfect Heart and willing

Mind.