of animated affection, "I love, the Lord becaufe he hath "heard my voice and my fupplications; because he hath " inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long "as I live." Whatever our wants are let us afk of God fervently and not doubt a denial. "Whatsoever things ye defire, when "ye pray, believe that ye fhall receive them, and ye shall have "them. This is the confidence that we have concerning him "that if we ask any thing according to his will, he hear "eth us." If we want temporal comforts, let us in prayer believe, he feeds the ravens and clothes the lilies of the field. If fpiritual bleffings, "Let us come boldly to the throne of "grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find help in time of "need." When we pray, let our faith be in exercise and our confidence firm. "Afk in faith nothing wavering; for he "that wavereth is like a wave of the fea driven with the wind “and toffed."

Unbelief may be faid to be the canker worm of prayers. Its mifgiving language is, "Can the Lord prepare a table in this "wilderness? If the Lord fhould open the windows of heaven

་

can this thing be?" Unbelief in prayer has its foundation in scruples, hesitations and corruptions, which cannot now be attended to. Some future time when the heart of unbelief will be confidered, these things will come into review. To illuf trate the form, fervency, and fenfibility of prayer, all which is placed before us, in the lives of the fcripture faints, fuch as Jacob, Mofes, Noah, David, Daniel, and Job, must at prefent be omitted, to make room for a

Second, confideration in our text, to wit, the qualification of the praying perfon, "a righteous man.”

By righteous man is evidently not to be underfood, one who is perfectly righteous, but a perfon juft fimilar to ourfelves. This he inftances in the cafe of Elias, "A man fub

"ject to like paffions as we are." He was a good man, yet fubject to fins and infirmities like others. Wherefore by righteous man here must be understood, one who is evangelically righteous, one who is renewed by the power of divine grace, united to Chrift by faith, cloathed by his righteousness, and entered into the way of fanctification. The perfon who is thus righteous in a Gofpel view of this term, tho' far from perfection, his prayers offered by faith thro' the mediation of Christ, will surely find acceptance. Abel received the divine testimony in favour of his offerings and prayers, while his brother was rejected, and his prefents of gratitude and praise from an infidel heart. Allow me to make this remark, that Cain believed not in a facrifice for his fin. Hence his offering was an imaginary gratitude to God, without any fenfe of his finfulness and unworthinefs. And the reception of his brother's offering, which was of the facrifical and bloody nature, which exhibited his belief of the atoning blood of a mediator, filled his whole foul with indignation and purposes of revenge. The fpirit of Abel is in all believers, and the fpirit of Cain would still murder all the friends of God. "By faith “Abel offered unto God, a more excellent facrifice than Cain "by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God "testifying his gifts." If we would expect our prayers to be heard, let us fee to it, that we be righteous perfons. None other will prevail or find acceptance with God.

A question here arifes whether God hath made any promi fes to the prayers of the unregenerate? This is impoffible in the very nature of things. If threatenings may be confidered as promifes, the whole bible is filled with these against all who entertain evil in their heart. For God to grant good to thofe, the ebullitions and feelings of whofe hearts are perfeâly at enmity against him, common fenfe and all nature rife against the fuppofition. And the wicked themfelves poffefs the convic

tions of their own confciences, however ftupid and fecured they may be, that they cannot be heard. They know amidst all the pains and anguifh of their bodies, whatever their wishes and tormenting anxiety may be for relief, the defires of their hearts are not raifed to God, in love, faith or a dependence on him in the forms of his appointment, through Jesus Christ. The old and new teftament declare, "God will not take fin"ners by the hand; he will not hear finners. Those who "regard iniquity in their hearts, the Lord will not hear. God "will not hear the cry of the hypocrite when trouble cometh him. The Lord is far from the wicked, but heareth "the prayer of the righteous."

upon

Thirdly, we proceed to lead your confideration of the effects of addreffes made to heaven, they avail much.

Effectual fervent prayer is powerful and prevaileth with God. The foul in this praying frame, is brought to that ftate, on which God will furely beftow his bleffings. Hence prayer properly offered will never fail of a proper effect. Be fore God grants his favors, it is his ufual method, to bring his people into a fenfible, fervent, and praying condition, and to open wide their mouths, that in this way they may be prepared for the reception of the defired fupplies. Prayer, fays one, is the key, by which the righteous open and lock heaven. at pleasure. This is beautifully exemplified in the character of Elijah in our context. He prayed and it rained not, he prayed again and the rains defcended. Aftonishing is the power attributed to prayer in the holy fcriptures. God condefcends to speak as if his hands were confined hereby. In the cafe of the angel wreftling with Jacob, He faid, "Let me "go for the day breaketh." Jacob replied, "I will not let thee And thus he had ftrength and go, except thou blefs me. "power with God and prevailed." The efficacy of the prayer

of Mofes is very remarkable. God intreats him to let him alone by folemn and great promifes. Thus faith the Lord, "Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against "them, and that I may confume them, and I will make of "thee a great nation." The expreffion by which God enjoins it upon his people in the prophet Ifaiah is very strong, when he fays, "Command ye me." Such phrafes, while they encourage, must be admired with a holy reverence, and not ftrained too far, left the fpirit of prayer degenerate into ungodly rudeness. These things are wonders of condefcenfion on the part of the Most High, and point to us, how highly he honors the duty of prayer. Its importance, prevalency and efficacy would be eafy to expatiate upon.

But thefe general meditations upon prayer will be closed at prefent with a few words of exhortation.

Whatever we

We here fee the great influence of this duty when rightly performed, and how highly it is refpected by God himself. This therefore fhould be a fufficient motive to engage us in the diligent practice of it. It becomes fuch guilty, empty, and neceflitous creatures as we are, to bow with all humility, and yet with holy confidence before God, as knowing that he is both able and willing to fatisfy all our juft defires, and to cause his grace to abound toward his people. want let us afk it of him in faith, and we fhall not be denied. We may always be importunate, when we are fure the things we wish are agreeable to his will. There is no want, no poffible want or defire of a right kind can arife in our breasts or is felt there, to which there is not a promifed fupply, if the petition be believingly prefented. "Godliness has the "promife of the life that now is and of that which is to come." Whatever our neceffities are, let us with fervent, fenfible addreffes make them known to God. What is your petition,

and what is your requeft, and they fhall not be rejected. Is it temporal bleflings that you want, feek the Lord and fear before him, "He will blefs your basket and your store. He "will open unto thee his good treasure; the heaven to give "the rain unto thy land in his feason, and to bless all the

*

"work of thy hand. The mercy of the Lord is from ever"lafting to everlafting upon' them that fear him, and his "righteoufnefs unto children's children. . Wealth and riches "shall be in his house, and his righteousness endureth forever."

Is it fpiritual bleflings that we need? God knows of thefe we are extremely deftitute. And what is ftill worse, we are not duly fenfible of our lamentable condition; neither are fervently petitioning the throne of grace for ourselves, our families, our children, or others. How many among us are living under the load of all their guilt, and abfolutely infenfible that they carry a weight fufficient to fink them to utter destruction. Let all fuch after fo long, a time hear the word of the Lord, lay your fins to heart, and repent and pray that your fins may be forgiven you. "Awake thou that fleepeth and arise from "the dead, and Chrift fhall give you light. Call upon me "faith the Lord, and I will anfwer and fhew thee great and "mighty things which thou knowest net.”

How many doubting chriftians are there among us, fufpended between hopes and fears with regard to their immortal intereft. Let all fuch be more diligent, faithful and fervent in prayer, and if you are the children of fhall furely grace, you be comforted, "Ye fhall feek me and find me, faith the Lord, when you fearch for me with all your heart. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and thou fhalt "glorify me."

Finally, all who have any regard for the profperity of Zion,