It is indeed a melancholy Reflection, to think with what paffionate Eagerness Men pursue their feveral Interefts in this World, when they know, that the Fashion of this World paffeth away, and that all their At

tainments must in a fhort Time have an End) and how cold and heartless they are in profecuting that Happiness which is to laft to all Eternity. No Pains, no Solicitations are thought too much for the one: but little, very little, is thought enough for the other! But if we will attend to the Reason and Nature of Things, and to the Voice of Jefus Chrift in the Gospel, who came down from Heaven to conduct us in the Way that leads thither, we fhall foon alter our Sentiments and Opinions.

I do not fay this is the Practice of all People: God be praifed, there are many who make Religion the chief Bufinefs of their Lives; whofe Devotions are as conftant and regular as the rifing and fetting of the Sun; and, who not content with offering up a daily Morning and Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and Praife to God, do (as Daniel did) pray Three times a Day; and befides, are continually fending up pious Ejaculations to Heaven; fo that in the

ftrictest

Arictest Senfe of the Apoftle's Meaning, they may be faid to pray without ceasing.

But alas! how many are there, whofe Lives are the very reverfe of all this; who feem to live without God in the World, and to own no Dependence on his Providence, nor to have any regard to a future Life; who feldom retire into their Clofets, unlefs to form Projects and Defigns of worldly Advantage, or to fee how their Accounts ftand in refpect to the Affairs of this Life! How many Families are there, where the very Form and Appearance of Religion is almoft loft! where Children and Servants, instead of being called to daily Prayers in the. Family, have hardly the Example fet them of retiring in pri

vate!

What Methods thofe that profefs to be Christians, take to fatisfy themselves in at conftant Neglect of fo plain and neceffary a Duty, as that of Private and Family Prayer, I know not; but fure they have little Thought how they will be able to anfwer it at the Last Day, when they shall appear before the Judgment-feat of Chrift, there to give an Account how they have obferved the Precepts of Chriftianity, of which they cannot but know this is one, That

B 2

That Men ought always to pray*: Or, as. it is in another Place, that Men pray every where, lifting up boly Hands without Wrath and Doubting t.

In order, therefore, to convince fuch Men of the great Importance of praying frequently to God, and how inexcufable they are if they neglect fo to do, I defire they would go along with me in the following Reflections.

Confider that Prayer is a Duty enjoined us purely for our own Sakes a Duty, that is neither expenfive of our Time, nor of Eftates; no depth of Learning, no Subtilty of Parts is required to the Practice of it; 'tis what the Meaneft as well as the Highest may perform; 'tis fuited to all Perfons and all Conditions; the Miferable and Afflicted, the Profperous and Happy, the Poor and the Rich, the Young and Old, may all pray to God: no Circumstance of Life can incapacitate us for this Duty it obliges all, for all are the Creatures of God, and depend upon him for all the Comforts and Conveniences of Life ; In him we live, and move, and have our Being; and therefore (as the Pfalmift advifes) we should worship, and fall down, and

Luke xviii, 1.

† Tim, ii. 8,

kneet

kneel before the Lord our Maker; and what 'engages us the more fo to do, is, that God hath been graciously pleafed to invite us to this Duty by the most endearing Promises, and annexed invaluable Bleffings to the due Performance of it. He hath declared himfelf to be a God hearing Prayer; and has promifed that He will give his Holy Spirit to them that afk it. Our Saviour has affured us, that if we pray to our Father which is in fecret, our Father which feeth in fecret, will reward us openly*; and that whatsoever we afk the Father in his name, he will give it ust. If any of you, fays St. James, lack Wifdom, let him afk of God, that giveth to all Men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. Nay, fo far has God been pleased to condescend in this Matter, as to appeal even to Men themselves for the Truth of it. What Man is there of you, fays our Saviour, whom if his Son afk Bread, will he give him a Stone ? Or, if he ask a Fish, will he give him a Serpent? If ye then being evil, know how to give good Gifts unto your Children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good Things to them that ask him §? As if he * Matt. vi. 6. + John xvi. 23. § Matt. vii. 9, 10, !I. B 3

Jam. i. 5

fhould

fhould have faid, Was ever any earthly Parent deaf to the Wants and Cries of his Children: And if they asked for Food, • did he deride their Neceffities, by giving them what it was impoffible they fhould• eat? If ye then that are evil, that is niggardly and covetous, know not how to refift the force of natural Affections, how • much rather ought we to think, that your Father, which is in Heaven, who fees, and knows, and pities all your Wants; He that is Goodnefs itfelf, who delights ⚫ in communicating the Effects of that Goodnefs, and whofe Love exceeds the Kindness of the most tender Parent! how much rather, I fay, ought ye to think, that fuch a Father will be ready to hear the Prayers of his Children that call upon Him? It is certain, and you may be affured, that he will hear them, and give good Gifts unto them that afk • him? But he has made our afking of them one Condition of our receiving them from him.

And now, what higher Motives can we wifh for, to excite our Performance of any Duty, than we have for this? What can we defire more to encourage our Addreffes to God by Prayer, than to be affured, That

he