3. The Returns. Whether GOD give unto thee what thou defiredst of Him or no; and if, upon diligent Search, thou findeft, GOD hath given thee the Mercy thou defireft of Him,

1. Look upon it as the Return of
Prayer.

2. Be thankful for it, Pfal. cvii.
3. As thou receivedst it from GOD's
Mercy, fo improve it for His
Glory, 1 Sam. i. 28.

4 Be encouraged thereby to be more
frequent and conftant in thy
Addrefs to theThrone of Grace,
Pfal. iii. 26.

If, upon diligent Enquiry, thou canft not find thy Prayers anfwered, nor thy Petitions granted, there are fome Things I would have thee not to do; as,

1. Take not every Delay for a Denial.

2. Think not GOD hath not heard thy Prayer presently, because thou doft not find He hath; thou mayft have the Mercy, and yet not know it.

3. Look not upon every Mercy thou defireft of GOD, as a Denial of the Prayer thou madeft to Him: Though He doth not give thee the Mercy thou defireft, He may give thee a Mercy thou more lackeft; though He doth not give

it thee in fpecie, He may in genere, 2 Cor. xii. 8.

And fome Things there are, thou fhouldft do; as,

f

1. Confider the Matter thou pray-
edft for; perhaps, it might
not be for GOD's Glory, and
thy Good; and if fo,GOD an-
fwered thy Prayers, in not gi-
ving thee the Thing thou
prayedft for, Pfal. lxvi. 18.
2. Confider the Manner of thy
Praying; perhaps, thou didnt
not pray for the Mercy thou
thinkeft thou didft; thou
mightft defire it with thy
Mouth, but thy Heart might
be against it, ready to call
back thy Words again; or
how foever, perhaps, whilst
thy Mouth was speaking the
Words,thy Heart was about o-
ther Matters,and fo,tho' thou
didft ask the Mercy of GOD,
yet thou didst not pray for
it to Him; for, Prayer is the
Work of the Soul, it is ele-
vatio cordis ad cælum, & afcen-
fus mentis ad Deum; and there-
fore, thou canst not expect,
GOD fhould ever hear thy
Prayers, when thou never
madeft them.

3. Confider, whether thou haft made ufe of the right Means that GOD hath appointed for the Attainment of it.

Vol. III.

4. If thou findeft all Things right,
and yet thou haft not the
Mercy, wait and pray, and
pray and wait, till GÓD be-
tows it upon thee; and if
thou canst do fo, be fure thy
Prayers are answered, tho',
perhaps, thou haft not the
Thing defired; for thou haft
received a Mercy, as great a
Mercy as thou canst defire of
GOD,or GOD can bestow up-
on thee, on this fide Heaven,
even an holy praying and
waiting Frame of the Spirit.
From these Directions, I obferve,
1. How few there be in the
World, that ever pray.
z. How feldom they, that pray
the oftnest, do pray; eve-
ry Saying of our Prayers
is not a Prayer.

3. What fhort Prayers the best
of GOD's People make;
they may fay many Words,
but alas,they pray but a lit-
tle; if we fhould take out of
them every imperfect and
diftracted Petition, How
little little would there be
left behind, that could be
called a Prayer? fo that in
fix Words, a Man may pray
more, than perhaps another
doth, that is faying his
Prayers for a whole Hour
together.
Dd

S. JA MI

HEBR. ix. 27, 28.

Ver. 27. And as it is appointed unto all Men once to die, but after this the Judgment:

Ver. 28. So Chrift was once offered to bear the Sins of many; and unto them that look for Him Shall He appear the fecond time, without Sin, unto Sal

vation.

I.

Η Ε πρότασις.

TH

1. It is appointed to die once. 1. To die, Gen. ii. 17.

2. Once.

1. Ordinarily, I Cor. XV. 51.
2. Naturally.

3. Temporally, Rev. ii. 11.

2. After that the Judgment.

1. Private, or Particular, Ecclef. xii. 7.
Where,

1. Our Lives fhall be reviewed.
2. Our Repentance, &c. examined.
3. Our Perfons judged accordingly.
2. General.

1. All Perfons fhall rife, 1 Cor. XV. 52.
2. Appear perfonally, 2 Cor. v. 10.
3 Before Chrift.

4. Who will pafs a final Sentence,
1. Of Abfolution on the Juft, S. Matth.
XXV. 34.

2. Con

2. Condemnation on the Impenitent, S. Matth. XXV. 41.

ΙΙ. Απόδοσις,

1. Chrift's Oblation.

1. He was offered, Rom. v. 6.

2. Once, I S. Pet. iii. 13.

3. To take away the Sins of many, Isa. liii. 5,6.

2. His fecond Appearance.

1. He fhall appear, A&t. i. 11.
2. Without Sin imputed.

3. Unto Salvation.

Unto them that look for Him. 1. Patiently.

2. Faithfully, or believingly, S. Luk. xviii. 8.

3. Watchfully, S. Mar. xiii. 34, 35, 36,

USE.

37.

Prepare for Death, Judgment, and the second Appearing of Chrift.