༢ཝ།

The Prayer before Sermon.

THOU that art the King eternal, immortal and invisible, vouchfafe to look down from Heaven, the Habitation of thine Holiness and Glory, upon us thine unworthy Servants. Thou haft been pleased to caufe all holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning and Inftruction; give us Grace fo to hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them, that by Patience and the Comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the bleffed Hope of everlasting Life. Open the Eyes of all our Understandings to fee, and know, and experience, the Truth as it is in Jefus. Difpel from our Minds the Clouds and Mists of Darkness, Ignorance, Error, and Delufion. Turn us, O turn us from Darkness to Light, from the Power of Satan unto God. Enable us to fee, and ever to bear in Mind, That it will not profit us, if we should gain the whole World, with all its Riches, with all its Pleasures, and with all its Charms, if we

loose our Souls, and are caft away. Graft therefore,

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therefore, O Lord, in all our Hearts the Love of thy Name; increase in us true Religion; nourish us with all Goodness, and of thy great Mercy ever keep us in the fame, through Jefus Christ our Saviour, in whofe all-prevailing Name, and comprehenfive Form of Words, we further pray:

Our Father &c.

PSALM 1XXXV. 10.

Mercy and Truth are met together: Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other.

R

IGHTLY to discover how much we are

indebted to the Riches of Divine Grace, it is neceffary we should take into Confiderati on what would have been the Condition of our World, without that Love of GoD, which was manifefted to us by the Sending of Jefus Chrift. 'Tis through a Want of due Attention to this, that the natural Powers of Man are frequently exalted at so extravagant a Rate, beyond all the Bounds of Truth; and the Aids and Affistances of the Holy Spirit, looked upon as unneceffary in the Working out of our Salvation. But if we look back into the firft Ages, and confider what was the State of the World juft before the Flood, when the Spirit of GOD ceased to strive with Man, you will gain fome obfcure Idea of what we should

have been, without Jefus, the Saviour, and the Spirit, the Sanctifier. To ftrengthen and confirm that Idea, caft your Eyes upon the Heathen Nations, of antient, or modern Times: Let your Thoughts range through the Woods of America, and the Wilds of Africa: These wretched Creatures are but too just Resemblances of what we should have been, without that Sun of Righteoufnefs, who by his Word, Spirit, or Providence, enlighteneth every Man

that cometh into the World.

To make the Idea ftill ftronger, and nearer the Truth of the Cafe, view in the Glass of the Gofpel, the Condition of the Fallen Angels: They tranfgreffed againft tlie Sovran Ruler of the Skies: And what was the Confequence? They were thrown (to use the Words of Milton)

They were hurl'd headlong flaming from th' etherial Sky, "With hidious Ruin and Combuftion, down

"To bottomlefs Perdition, there to dwell

"In adamantine Chains and penal Fire.

Or, in the infallible Language of Inspiration: "The Angels which kept not their first Estate,

but