Sweets of Life would foon grow flat, infipid, and nauseous; were it not for a mixture of Sharp and Bitter, that quicken, and raise the Taste of them to us. This Obfervation, applied to the Benefits we ask at God's Hands, shews his Delays in granting, to be for our Advantage. Because, the longer we need them, the more sensible we are that we need them; and the more comfort we take in them, when we have them. Nor is this all; But even our Expectations are placed to Account; provided we behave our selves in them as we ought. For he hath condefcended to call himself the Good-Man's Debtor: And he is the only Debtor, who loves to be perpetually called upon for Payment; who rewards Importunity with larger Interest. And this is our Cafe, that we do not only relish what he gives the better for staying, but the longer we wait, the more bountifully he gives at last.

Prov. xix. 17.

What other Reasons foever have usually been, or may be alledged on this Occafion, will, if I mistake not, be easily reducible to These Two. And therefore I only add a few Cautions, necessary to be taken along with us, and fo Conclude.

Now First, When I affirm the Delays we have been confidering, to tend to our Good, I defire it may be understood of our Spiritual Good: The Advancement of our Virtue here, and the Addition to our Reward hereafter. Which are indeed so properly the Good of a Man, and of a Christian, that nothing else deserves that Title, excepting fo far forth, as it is some way Subservient to, and helps to promote, these great Ends.

Secondly, The requiring this Importunity in Prayer must not be so interpreted, as if God could take any delight in it, for its own fake, but he values it for the Effects it produces in Us. He is not like those haughty Eastern Monarchs, who take a Pride to fee

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a number of poor depending Creatures lye proftrate at their Foot. He is not to be conquered by many, or cajoled by fair Words: But he will have us Pray, and perfevere in it, purely for our own Benefit. He hath inade it a Condition of obtaining our Requests, because it will certainly bring our Minds to fuch a frame, as Religion is defigned to make them of. For Prayer hath a vast Influence upon the Dispositions and Actions of Men. We cannot be frequent and serious in it, without becoming better. And we cannot leave it off, or grow cold or formal in it, without degenerating and growing worse, in the general Course of our Lives. Nor is it any Change, which our Prayers make in God, but the Change they make in our selves, which is the Cause of our Success. For he is unchangeably determined to grant, or not to grant, according as Men do, or do not, perform the Conditions he hath fixed for granting. All therefore depends upon Our Qualifications, and Fitness to receive that, which he is always ready to give, when we are duly qualified. And nothing hath so direct a tendency to render us proper Objects of his Mercy, (that is, truly good Men) as frequent and fervent Prayer.

Lastly, It is necessary we confider the true Ufe and End of fuch Prayer. It is to beg of God, that he will do for us, that which we cannot do for our selves; but then this supposes, that we should do all that we can for our selves, and depend upon Him for the rest. A Man, who, for the purpose, afks of God his daily Bread, without using his own Industry to get it, by such lawful Methods, as Providence hath put into his Hands; does not make the right use of Prayer. And He, that begs not to be led into Temptation, without watching and striving, and shunning the occafions of Sin; does not so properly worship God, as mock him. Let Us do Our parts parts, and then we are fit to afk, that God would, and may be very confident that he will, do His. But, fince our own Endeavours are made a Condition of Success in this Affair, to afk new Graces, without improving those we have already, is vain and impious. We acknowledge indeed, in the Collect for this Day, that we are not able of our selves to help or keep our felves: but this is no ground for our prefuming, that God will help or keep Them, who take no care at all to do what they are enabled, though They are not able to do the whole, that is necessary for this purpose. For He that made us without our concurrence, will not save us without it. And we must work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling, if we would be heard in those Prayers, which entreat Him to work in us both to will, and to do of his good pleasure.

W

The Third Sunday in Lent.

The COLLECT.

and

E befeech thee, Almighty God, look upon the
hearty Defires of thy humble Servants,
ftretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to

be our defence against all our Enemies, through Jesus Chrift
our Lord. Amen.

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B

The EPISTLE.

Ephef. v. 1.

E ye therefore followers of God, as dear Cbil

dren,

PARAPHRASE.

1. Since then God hath been so good to you (See Chap. iv. 32.)

confider your relation to, and let that provoke you to a resemblance of, Him.

2. And walk in love, as Christ also bath loved us, and bath given himself for us, an Offering, and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling favour.

2. Let your Love too

be like that of Chrift's

to us, who was content

to become a Sacrifice,

by which God was atoned for our faults.

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3. But for unclean and inordinate Lufts, be so far from practising, as to abhor the very mention of them, for so,

3. But fornication and uncleanness, or covetousness, as becometb let it not be once named among you, Saints;

as Christians, you ought to do.

4. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jefting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.

4. The like Caution you should use with regard to fcurrilous and obscene talk, a thing by no means agreeable to your Character. But let your Mirth be express'd in Thankfgiving, or (as St. Jerome) in graceful and becoming Difcourse.

5. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, batb any inberitance in the Kingdom of Chrift and of God.

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14. Wherefore be faith, Arwake thou that fleepest, and arife from the and Chrift shall give thee light.

dead,

14. So that to this good Effect may not unfitly be applied those

Passages of the Prophet (Ifai. xxvi. 19. Ix. 1.) which describe the Coming and Kingdom of Chrift, as means of raising Men from Death, rouzing them from Sleep, and bringing them out of a thick Night of Error, and Ignorance, and Vice, into the bright Shine of Knowledge and Virtue.

T

COMMENT.

HE Chapter next before had concluded with an
Exhortation to Meekness, and Charity, and Par-

Ch. iv. 31, 32. * Gospel for 22d

Sunday after Tri

nity.

don of Injuries; enforced with a Motive, taken from the Remembrance of God's Goodness in forgiving us. This Argument will offer itself to our Confideration * hereafter. The Obligation we lie under to imitate such Goodness, is, in the beginning of this Chapter, farther urged, from the Relation, which already is, and confequently, the Resemblance there ought to be, between God and Us, confidered in the Capacity of Father and Children. The force of that Confideration hath been formerly treated of. To Another, which backs it here, I shall speak Epift. for Sunday very briefly, and then proceed to fome other Particulars, intended to make the principal Subject of my present Discourse.

after Christmas.

Not content then with the single Example of God the Father's Love in forgiving, the Apostle propofes for our Pattern, that alfo of God the Son, in offering himself a Sacrifice, thereby to purchase this Forgiveness for us. And what were We, that so marvellous an Instance of Kindness and Condefcenfion should be exhibited in our Favour? And what was He, that He should vouchsafe that Favour? We Creatures, Sinners, Enemies, Rebels; He our Creator, our Lawgiver, our Benefactor, our Lord. We consequently had all the Unworthiness, He all the Provocation, that habitual Disobedience, and Ingratitude, and Obstinacy

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