us nothing that he fees and knows to be fit for us. And from hence it will follow,

4. As a fourth Qualification, That in all Things of a temporal Concern, we must exercise an entire Submiffion to the Will of God. Not my Will, but thine be done, faid our blessed Lord, when he prayed that the bitter Cup might pass from him: And sọ must we too, whenever we pray for the Removing of prefent Evils, or the Procurement of any future Good of this Life. God indeed has been gracioufly pleased to encourage us to lay our Wants before him; but how far, and in what Manner, and when they shall be relieved, is a Matter He has referved to his own Difpofal; and we must (and it is highly reasonable we should) acquiefce in all his Determinations concerning them: He only knows what is beft for us, and what is moft fuitable to our prefent State: And therefore, a good Chriftian will be fure to leave the Iffue of his Prayers in God's Hands, not doubting but he will give, like a kind Father, to each of his dutiful Children, as much as he needeth, or as much as is ufeful and fit, and from thence will take it for a Demonftration, that what God gives him not, is not fit for him.

5. A fifth Qualification of the Perfon praying is, That he hath a good Intention; petitioning for thofe Things he asks to a good End. We must not pray (as the Hypocrites do) that we may be seen of Men*. Neither muft we pray for any Thing that we may confume it upon our Luftst, as the intemperate Man does when he prays for Health, only that he may be still intemperate; or the revengeful Man, when he prays for Authority, that he may have the more Power to effect his evil Defigns; for this is, as St. James says, to ask amifs; and then no wonder if we ask and receive not†: Indeed, it is pure Mercy in God to deny us fuch Requests; and therefore if we defire that he should hear our Prayers, we muft, as is faid before, make his Glory, and our own and others Salvation, our chief End in presenting them; and all other Things are to be confidered, only as they tend to promote the one Thing needful.

Secondly; We are to confider the matter of our Prayers. We are to take Care that we never afk any thing of God but what is conformable to the Divine Will, which are all fuch Things as He has promised to give; as Bleffings fpiritual and temporal;

Matt. vi. 5.

+ Jam, iv. 3.

the

the former, God has promised to the Faithful that discharge their Duty, without any Condition; the latter, He has promifed (especially fuch Things as are neceffary for the Support of Life) only in general Terms, and not as our chief Good, but as an Addition to it: From hence it is plain, that Spiritual Bleffings are, in the firft Place, to be defired, and that fuch may be prayed for abfolutely; and we may likewife petition for temporal good Things; but then, as I faid before, that must be done with Submiffion to the Will of God, whofe Wisdom, we are fure, knows what State and Condition of Life is better for us, than we do for ourselves.

Thirdly, We must confider the manner of our Prayers.

1. They must be offered up with Humility and Lowlinefs. We must endeavour to poffefs our Minds with a juft Senfe of our own Unworthinefs, and how undeserving we are of the Mercies we pray for. And fince by Prayer we fpeak to God, the Confideration of his divine Majefty, and of our own Sins, which have placed us at fuch a Distance from him, ought to humble our Souls in his Sight; and fince Man is compofed of Body as well as Soul, we ought,

when

when it may be, to worship God with both, and therein to use fuch Poftures of Body, as may best excite Humility in ourselves and others; in Publick, the Pofture of kneeling is moft fit and decent; in Private we may ufe a greater Liberty; and if we find Proftration, or any other Pofture, more apt to excite Devotion, we ought to use it.

And though many People's Condition may be fuch, that they cannot often have an Opportunity of Privacy and Retirement to fall upon their Knees, except at their Morning and Evening Prayers, yet a good Chriftian, that truly loves and honours God, and is fenfible of his entire Dependence upon him for Grace to refist Temptations, and to do his Duty, and to defend him against the Evils and Calamities of this Life, will never make that a Pretence for not frequently praying to Him ;' such an one, even in the midst of Business and Company, will be fometimes lifting up his Heart to God in devout and pious Ejaculations; and when alone (though walking or ftanding) will many Times offer up a fhort and comprehenfive Prayer to Him, fuch as that our Saviour has taught us, or some short Collect of the Church, or the like. No Condition of Life can hinder a devoutMind

from

from this; and, therefore, nothing should be made a Pretence for not doing it; and this will be accepted by God when we have not an Opportunity to fall upon our Knees, and offer up a more folemn Prayer.

I hope, that no one will mistake me, as if I thought Ejaculatory Prayer proper only for People of Business; it is what I would recommend to all, even thofe of the greatest Leifure and Retirement, as being not only very pleafing in the Sight of God, but an excellent Means of keeping the Soul in a fit Difpofition to pray to him in a more folemn Manner.

2. Our Prayers must be offered up with Fervency and Devotion, which requires, that what we utter fhould come from the Heart; and, therefore, we must not pray in a cold, formal, and careless Manner, but with fuch Zeal and Earneftness, as is in fome Measure fuitable to the Importance of the Things we pray for; fome of which are of that infinite Moment and Concern, that if we fhould not be heard, we are of all Creatures the most miserable: And though wandering Thoughts will be apt to intrude them, felves into the Minds of the beft Chriftians, yet these must be laboured against and lamented, and pardon for them afked of God.