which honeft and good men experience in this their folemn intercourse with Heaven; and which therefore renders it the most comfortable employment of their lives. For the defign and effect too of well ordered prayer, is to keep alive within us a juft sense of our dependance on the Supreme Being; to procure us a conftant communication with the Holy Spirit; and to endue us with that heavenly peace of mind which passeth all understanding. And whoever is truly poffeffed of these bleffings, one may venture to pronounce, is more fubftantially happy, than any the best gifts that this world can bestow, could poffibly make him. Nor need fuch a one be under any anxiety about temporal neceffaries; feeing that He who cannot lie hath promifed, that if we feek firft the kingdom of God and his righteousness; if we make it our chief care, by learning and practifing the will of God, to fecure to our felves an intereft in Heaven, all thefe things fhall be added unto us; i. e. we fhall not only be bleft with the certain expectation of future and eternal happiness; but shall likewife be provided with whatever is requifite to the fupport of our prefent being, from Him who knoweth that we have need of fuch things. In a word then-Give me leave to recommend and exhort, that we make a fober and fanctifying use of the ineftimable privilege we enjoy of converfing with God in prayer: By conftantly performing this duty in the name, and through the alone mediation of our Lord Jefus Chrift; with a becoming confidence and perfeverance; at the fame time with a thorough fenfe of our own unworthinefs; together with a compaffionate regard to the failings of others. And, because through the weakness of our mortal mortal nature we know not of ourselves what to pray for as we ought, let us never cease to implore the affistance of the Holy Ghoft; that He would be pleased to purify our hearts, and direct us in all our addreffes to Heaven ; who himself also maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honour and praife henceforth and for ever. Amen. FINI S. |