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actual fins, fins of omiffion, commiffion, heart, lip, and life, Pfal. li. 4. 5. In a word, all our fins, so far as we are capable, (for who can understand his errors? Pfal. xix. 12.), but especially thofe which most wound the confcience, we are to be particular in, with their aggravations.

Secondly, Let us confider the neceffity of confeffion. (1.) It is neceffary to clear the Lord's juftice in proceeding against us, Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight: that thou mightft be juftified when thou speakeft, and be clear when thou judgeft. (2.) The nature of the thing requires it, in order to obtain pardoning mercy, Prov. xxviii. 13. Whofo confeffeth and forfaketh his fins fhall have mercy. Thirdly, How are we to confefs fin?

1. Fully, without hiding of any thing wilfully, Prox. xxviii. 13. He that covereth his fins fhall not profper. God knows all our fins, and all the circumstan-. ces of them: fo that it is in vain to mince our confeffion, and it speaks a heart not duly humbled.

2. Freely and voluntarily, pouring out the heart like water, and not merely making the confeffion as extorted. Whenever grace touches the heart, it will make it come freely away.

3. Sincerely, confefling it with fhame, forrow, hatred of it, and a real purpofe of reformation; otherwife it is but a mock confeffion.

THIRDLY, The third part of prayer is thankf giving for mercies. Here I fhall fhortly fhew, 1. What is the matter of this thanksgiving. 2. The neceffity of it.

3. How we fhould give thanks. First, The matter of it is,

1. Spiritual mercies, Eph. i. 3. These are mercies for our fouls, and lead to everlafting happiness, and therefore are moft to be prized. They challenge the warmett and the most grateful acknowledgements from all who have received them.

2. Temporal mercies from the womb till now, Pfal."

cxxxix. 14. These call for the most thankful acknowledgements every day, for they are new every morn. ing. And we ought to be thankful for mercies con. ferred not only on ourfelves, but alfo on others, particular perfons or focieties. So did the apostle as to Philemon, Phil. ver. 4. I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers. And fo he did as to the Philippians, chap. i. 3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Secondly, Let us confider the neceflity of thanksgi ving.

1. It is all that we can render to God for good or benefits received, Hof, xiv. 2. namely, to acknowledge debt and be thankful. Ingratitude among men is reckoned a great fin and fcandal, and fixes an odious character on the perfon: but how much greater a fin and fcandalous offence is it to be unthankful to God, for the mercies which we enjoy, and that we never deferved at his bountiful hand! It is the character of Heathens, Rom, i. 21. O let it not be that of Chriftians.

2. It is the way to get more. Unthankfulness mars the course of divine communications, but to the thankful it is opened, Phil. iv. 6. Ingratitude among men provokes the liberal perfon to with-hold his hand; and fo does it provoke the holy God, the giver of all good, to reftrain his favours. Alas! it is more natural to us to afk than to give thanks. Among ten feekers (the lepers) whom Chrift cured of a very inveterate difcafe, there was but one thanker, and he is specially noticed in the gofpel hiftory. We fhould ne, ver beg a mercy from the Lord, without heartily thanking him for all we have formerly received, as this is the ready way to procure more.

Thirdly, How fhould we give thanks? With enlarged hearts, wondering at undeferved goodnefs; with deep humility for mercies conferred on fuch mean and unworthy creatures; with hearty refolutions to im prove them for God's glory and honour; and with

warm defires to receive more favours from the hands of God our bountiful benefactor.

I fhall conclude with a few inferences.

1. To live without prayer is a godlefs and graceless life. It is no better than the life of beafts, unfuitable to the rational nature of man, contrary to the defign and end of his creation, and highly unbecoming one who is a candidate for immortality. It exposes the finner to the fevereft ftrokes of God's juftice, and perfifted in will land him in hell. O let us all be excited to a life of prayer, remembering that we cannot be Chriftians without it. To pretend to be a Chriftian, and not to live a life of prayer, is a palpable contradiction.

2. The miffing of the anfwers of prayer is our own fault, we pray amifs. If we always prayed in faith, and in the manner formerly obferved, we would not be difappointed. Let us then be induced to pray in a right manner, and wait particularly on the Lord for gracious acceptance and a favourable anfwer.

3. It is through Jefus Chrift that the communication with heaven is opened and obtained. Let us then pray in his name, depend upon his interceffion, and prefent all our petitions to God through him: for him the Father heareth always.

4. We need the Spirit of prayer, in order to our praying aright. Let us then cry inceffantly for the Holy Spirit, and his influences; for we know not what to pray for as we ought. Let us look for his quickening influences to quicken our dead hearts, and warm our frozen affections, that we may fend up our hearts unto God, and wing our defires to hea

ven.

5. Be exhorted to give yourfelves unto prayer in all the forts of it. Be men of prayer, as David was, Pfal. cxix. 164. Seven times a day do I praife thee. How may this fhame many Chriftians who but twice a day? And how does it condemn all who re

pray

ftrain prayer before the Lord? O let us be induced to make confcience of this important and delightful duty, without the exercife of which we behave no better than the beafts that perifh, and are a company of ungrateful monfters that shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God. Pray evening and morning, and at all convenient feafons. Be always in a praying frame, and be devout and lively in all your applications to the throne of grace. Omit no feafon of it, not even amidst your daily employments; for even then ye may fend forth pious thoughts towards heaven, and maintain communion with God while you are engaged in your daily labours. Pray without ceafing.

I might have spoke of occafional and ftated prayer; of public, private, and fecret prayer; and of ordinary and extraordinary; but I fhall drop all these, and only give you next a discourse on fecret prayer.

A Difcourfe on fecret Prayer.

MATTHEW vi. 6.

But thou, when thou prayeft, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret, and thy Father which feeth in fecret, fhall reward thee openly.

H

AVING opened up unto you the nature of prayer in general, before I proceed to the explanation of the Lord's prayer, it will not be improper to difcourfe a little of that too much neglected duty, fecret prayer; concerning which our bleffed Lord gives directions in this paffage of scripture. And this he does, negatively, ver. 5. cautioning against performing that important duty with vanity and oftentation, to gain the applaufe of men. (2.) Pofitively, in the text. Wherein confider,

1. The duty itself urged by the Lord. And in it we may obferve,

(1.) The duty fuppofed, When thou prayeft. That this is to be understood only of fecret prayer, is mani fest from the text, and the preceding verfe. Public prayer cannot be meant, for where elfe is that to be performed but in the congregation? Not family-prayer, which is not performed in a closet, and which muft be done by more than one. Not ejaculatory prayer, which may be done any where, in any company, and whatever one be doing, as in the cafe of Nehemiah, chap. ii. 4. Therefore we must understand here folemn, fecret prayer, which in the text the Lord takes it for granted that his difciples made conscience of.

(2.) The place to be chofen for it: Enter into thy clofet; that is, a fecret place, where you may be out of the view of others; for fecret prayers are not to be reftrained to fecret chambers, as Chrift's praying on a mountain does evidence.

(3.) The care that we should take left our fecret place become public; Shut thy door, fo as others may not fee thee, and fo thou fall a facrifice to hypocrify, vanity, and oftentation.

(4.) The duty itself commanded; Pray to thy Father which is in fecret. Where we have, 1.) The object of prayer, thy Father, namely, in Chrift; intimating to us, that when we go to God, we fhould go to him as he is our Father in Chrift, able and ready to help us, and reconciled to us in him. 2.) A defignation which the Fa ther gets, which is in fecret; who knows as well what thou fayeft in a fecret place as what thou fayeft in public; for he is omnifcient and omniprefent.

2. The motive whereby he preffeth fecret prayer, viz. God's reward, who will openly reward fervice done in fecret, which the world knows not of. And those who make confcience of this duty in faith and fervency, are no ftrangers to thofe rewards and advantages that are to be met with in this heavenly traffic. The text affords the following doctrine.

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