of another state, than the greatest malefactor can be to procure the friendship of any earthly judge. Let the wicked seriously, and for fome time, try the influence and efficacy of daily prayer; and they will find it will do more towards reforming them, than all their admired heathen authors, or the boafted power of philofophy. For when we, in an humble and compofed manner, addreffe ourselves to God by prayer, it not only diverts the thoughts at prefent, from fin and folly (which the turning to any bufineffe, or amusement, might, in fome measure, do;) but devout prayer has also an apt tendency to root out the love of fin; and to plant, in its ftead, good difpofitions and virtuous defires. As to our duty towards our neighbor ; Prayer does likewife influence us to the dif charge of this part of our duty. For this comes recommended to us, both as the will of God, and as tending to the benefit of mankind. Now prayer not only composes the foul to that thoughtfulneffe and deliberation (which is the moft proper frame for confidering all obligations;) but it likewise reduces the mind to refignation, and a flexible temper, fo as to incline us to have refpect unto all God's commandments; and, among thefe, juftice and charity are none of the leaft. And prayer does not only cherish this general good difpofition; but that part of prayer, commonly called interceffion, does more immediately E 3 mediately tend to plant and cherith love, which is the fulfilling of the law, and has a most noble, extensive and happy influence. As for inftance-Do I pray for an enemy? This must make, or fuppofe, me inclined to forgive him. Do I pray for friends? This implies that I continue to with them well, and ftrengthens the facred bands of friendship, refines and exalts the noble paffion, and makes it chriftian and divine; lays the foundation deeper, and is the most proper method to make it fincere and perpetual. Do I pray for all mankind? This inlarges, or maintains, my charity and benevolence towards all fuch as are of that nature, of which I myself have the happineffe to partake; and cherishes my difpofition to do any of them good, as they fall in my way, but especially to the fincerely virtuous and holy. Do I pray for fuperiors, inferiors, or equals? This were to trifle with the great God, if it were not accompanied with refolutions of filling up every relation in life with proper duty. Prayers for the afflicted, when rational and fincere, are accompanied with what fuccor and relief we can conveniently afford them. And, when we petition God to instruct the ignorant, reclaim the wicked, or affift the righteous to perfevere, it is our duty to use indeavors (as well as prayers) for promoting fo defirable a work. He that converteth a finer from the error of his way, doeth doeth fave a foul from death, and hide him a multitude of fins. As we As to our duty towards ourselves; are a compound of foul and body, Prayer reminds us of our duty towards both, i. e. chiefly to mind the affairs of the foul; and, in fubordination thereto, the affairs of the body. Confeffion of fin brings our faults to mind, and may well make us forry and ashamed, and fincerely refolve to behave in another manner. may Petitions for mercy teach us our own weak and dependent ftate; and humble us, and should make us look for help from above, and to act as obliged, dependent beings. Praife and thanksgiving fecretly reproach us, that we have made no better returns for fo many and fuch great favors; and point out what ought to be our future conduct. He, that daily goes to God by prayer, has a daily check upon his confcience, and a daily fpur to repentance, care, and watchfulneffe he lives, as it were, under a conftant fense of the observation of the fupreme ruler, which (if any thing can) will make him circumfpect. If fuch a one cannot find out the bent and inclination of his own heart, and the tenor and habit of his own life; no man can. And, if he do not prefer the foul to the body, rational to fenfual injoyments, and eternity to E 4 the the things of time, his prayers are fruitleffe and his expectations vain. The fum of what has been faid comes to this. Infinite, unerring wifdom, uncontrolable power, and fuperlative goodneffe, have fixed, unalterably fixed, the terms of acceptance; with which terms the creatures are made acquainted: and, as they eventually comply, or disobey, their requests are finally heard, or denied, and they themselves rewarded, or punished. If daily prayer cherish, in any man, fuch a pious difpofition, then God will hear and anfwer him; not because he proftrates himself before God, and puts up now and then a few petitions; but because the petitions, he puts up, either model his heart (or flow from an heart already modelled) to fuch a frame and difpofition, as the wife and good governor of all may rationally expect, in fuch as partake of his favors 1. If fuch a perfon be denied any particular request, he will, in the end, be no lofer by 66 it. "The best method (fais Socrates, to his pupil Al"cibiades) that you can make use of, to draw down bleffings from heaven upon yourself, and to render your "prayers acceptable, will be to live in a conftant prac"tice of your duty, both towards the Gods and towards. men. [See Plato's dialogue upon prayer, intitled, Alcibiades the 2d.] 66 • Hunc collatis precibus adoramus, ab hoc jufta, & honefta, & auditu ejus condigna, depofcimus; non quo ipfe defideret fupplices nos effe, aut amet fubfterni tot millium venerationem videre. "Utilitas hæc noftra eft, & com modi it. For all things work together for his good. And what of injoyment he wants, in this present state of trial and discipline, shall be abundantly made up to him, in a future and better ftate; - the fcheme of providence being fo calculated, as to reach beyond the present ftate of existence. We need not wonder, then, that good men afk for many things, in this life, which God does not think proper to grant them. This is not a state of retribution, and therefore many things, that might gratifie us, are at present witheld, as unfit for us; and nothing could be a greater curfe, than to grant us every thing that our fancies might defire, or wish for, in this state of darkneffe and imperfection. Whereas, in a state of recompence, the defires will not excede the injoy ments. Thus modi noftri rationem fpectans. Nam, quia proni ad culpas, & ad libidinis varios adpetitus vitio fumus infirmitatis ingenita; patitur fe femper noftris cogitationibus concipi, ut dum illum oramus, & mereri ejus contendimus munera, accipiamus innocentiæ voluptatem, & ab omni nos labe, delictorum omnium amputatione, purgemus. Arnob. 1. 1. p. 18. The Sum of Socrates's devotions was a short prayer, which a Greek Poet compofed for the ufe of his friends, Ζεῦ βασιλευ, τὰ μὲν ἔθλα, καὶ ευχομένοις καὶ ἀνεύκτοις, Optima da nobis, feu te, Pater, illa rogemus, |