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Here I shall briefly say something to an EXCUSE which some may be ready to make for themselves. Some may be ready to say, If I do pray, my prayer will not be the prayer of faith, because I am in a natural condition, and have no faith. ANSWER 1. This excuses not from obedience to a plain command of God. The command is to all to whom the command shall come. God not only directs godly persons to pray, but others also. In the beginning of the second chapter of Proverbs, God directs all persons to cry after wisdom, and to lift up their voices for understanding, in order to their obtaining the fear and knowledge of God; and in James i. 5. the apostle says, "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God;" and Peter directed Simon Magus to repent and pray God, if perhaps the thought of his heart might be forgiven him, Acts viii. 22. Therefore, when God says, do thus or thus, it is not for us to make excuses, but we must do the thing required.

ANSWER 2. God is pleased sometimes to answer the prayers of unbelievers. Indeed he hears not their prayers from any goodness or acceptableness that there is in their prayers, or because of any true respect to him manifested in them, for there is none; nor has he obliged himself to answer such prayers; yet he is pleased sometimes, of his sovereign mercy, to pity wicked men, and hear their cries. Thus he heard the cries of the Ninevites, Jonah chap. iii. So he heard the prayer of Ahab, 1 Kings xxi. 27, 28.

in their prayers, yet have respect to their grant their requests.

Though there be no regard to God God, of his infinite grace, is pleased to desires of their own happiness, and to God may, and sometimes does, hear the cries of wicked men, as he hears the hungry ravens, when they cry, Psalm cxlvii. 9. and as he opens his bountiful hand, and satisfies the desires of every living thing, Psalm cxlv. 16. Besides, the prayers of sinners, though they have no goodness in them, yet are made a means of a preparation for mercy.

3. The last use shall be of exhortation. Seeing we have such a prayer hearing God as we have heard, let us be much

employed in the duty of prayer: Let us pray with all prayer and supplication: Let us live prayerful lives, continuing instant in prayer, watching thereunto with all perseverance; praying without ceasing, praying always, and not fainting; and not praying in a dull, cold, and lifeless manner, but wrestling with God in prayer, I shall particularly at this time exhort to two things.

(1.) Let us pray for others, as well as for ourselves. God hath in his word manifested himself to be especially well pleased with hearty intercessory prayers, or prayers for our fellow creatures: 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, 3. "I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, &c.; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." It is especially acceptable to God, as such prayers, when sincere, are an expression of a spirit of Christian charity, which is a grace peculiarly becoming Christians, and acceptable to God, as may be seen by what is said of it in 1 Cor. xiii.

(2.) Let us especially be earnest with God in our prayers, for the outpouring of his Spirit both on ourselves and others. We have not such encouragement in scripture to pray for any other blessing, as we have to pray for this blessing. It is the greatest of all mercies; yet God hath given such encouragement to pray for no other mercy, as he hath for this mercy. See Luke xi. 13. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Though it be the greatest mercy, yet We ought God is most ready to bestow it of any whatsoever.

therefore most earnestly to pray for the outpouring of God's Spirit on our own souls, on others in whom we are particularly concerned, on the people among whom we dwell, and on the whole land and whole earth. We are directed to pray for this with the greatest possible importunity in the forementioned place, Isaiah Ixii. 6, 7. “Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth,"

VOL. VIII.

I

SERMON XIX.*

Great Care necessary, lest we live in some way

of Sin.

PSALM cxxxix. 23, 24.

SEARCH ME, O GOD, AND KNOW MY HEART; TRY ME AND
KNOW MY THOUGHTS ; AND SEE IF THERE BE ANY

WICKED WAY IN ME, AND LEAD ME IN THE WAY EV-
ERLASTING.

THIS psalm is a meditation on the omniscience of

God, or upon his perfect view and knowledge of every thing, which the Psalmist represents by that perfect knowledge which God had of all his actions, his downsitting and his uprising; and of his thoughts, so that he knew his thoughts afar off; and of his words, "There is not a word in my tongue," says the Psalmist," but thou knowest it altogether." Then he represents it by the impossibility of fleeing from the divine presence, or of hiding from him; so that if he should go into heaven, or hide himself in hell, or fly to the uttermost parts of the sea; yet he would not be hid from God: Or if he should endeavor to hide himself in darkness, yet that would not cover him; but the darkness and light are both alike to him.

Then he represents it by the knowledge which God had of him while in his mother's womb, verses 15, 16. "My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret ;

Dated September 1733.

thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written."

After this the Psalmist observes what must be inferred as a necessary consequence of this omniscience of God, viz, that he will slay the wicked, since he seeth all their wickedness, and nothing of it is hid from him. And last of all, the Psalmist improves this meditation upon God's allseeing eye, in begging of God that he would search and try him, to see if there were any wicked way in him, and lead him in the way everlasting.

Three things may be noted in the words.

4. The act of mercy which the Psalmist implores of God 'towards himself, viz. that God would search him, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts."

2. In what respect he desires to be searched, viz. "to see if there were any wicked way in him." We are not to understand by it, that the Psalmist means that God should search him for his own information. What he had said before, of God's knowing all things,implies that he hath no need of that. The Psalmist had said, in the second verse, that God understood his thought afar off; i. e. it was all plain before him, he saw it without difficulty, or without being forced to come nigh, and diligently to observe. That which is plain to be seen, may be seen at a distance.

Therefore, when the Psalmist praysthat God would search him, to see if there were any wicked way in him, he cannot mean that he should search that he himself might see or be informed, but that the PSALMIST might see and be informed. He prays that God would search him by his discovering light; that he would lead him thoroughly to discern himself, and see whether there were any wicked way in him. Such figurative expressions are often used in scripture. The word of God is said to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Not that the word itself discerns, but it searches and opens our hearts to view; so that it enables us to discern the tem

to God, through want of care, and watchfulness, and observa tion of ourselves. We should be concerned to know whether we live not in some way which doth not become the profession we make; and whether our practice in some things be not unbecoming Christians, contrary to Christian rules, not suitable for the disciples and followers of the Holy Jesus, the Lamb of God. We ought to be concerned to know this, because, (1.) God requires of us, that we exercise the utmost watchfulness and diligence in his service. Reason teaches, that it is our duty to exercise the utmost care, that we may know the mind and will of God, and our duty in all the branches of it, and to use our utmost diligence in every thing to do it; because the service of God is the great business of our lives, it is that work which is the end of our being; and God is worthy, that we should serve him to the utmost of our power in all things. This is what tod often expressly requires of us; Deut. iv. 9. "Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul dili. gently, lest thou forget the things that thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life." And v. 15, 16. Take ye therefore good heed to yourselves, lest ye corrupt yourselves." And Deut. vi. 17. "You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes which he hath commanded thee." And Prov. iv. 23. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

So we are commanded by Christ to watch and pray; Matth. xxvi. 41, and Luke xxi. 34, 36. "Take heed to your

selves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with sur feiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life." 15.

"See that ye walk circumspectly."

Eph. v.

So that if we be found in any evil way whatsoever, it will not excuse us, that it was through inadvertence, or that we were not aware of it; as long as it is through want of that care and watchfulness in us, which we ought to have maintained.

(2.) If we live in any way of sin, we live in a way whereby God is dishonored; but the honor of God ought to be si

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