but too mischievous and hurtful it may be by our bad one have the Joy and Comfort of this both in Life and Death as also from a reasonable and just confidence and assurance of God's Love and Favour both here and hereafter Again Health Freedom from Sickness Diseases Distempers especially those which may indispose and disable us from being wise and good as many do and which may incline us to what is weak imperfect bad either immediately or by the Use of Means for their removal Further Peace a State of good-will of all Men towards us and towards one another a good Government good Laws good Magistrates good Neighbours Power and Magistracy our selves according to our Integrity and Ability to use it as well or better than others which sometimes our but allowable Modesty and just Opinion of our selves and especially our well disposedness to use it well for the good of others may permit us to desire and oblige us not to refuse Add hereto Liberty Honour Good-Name or Reputation to be beloved Friends Relations Riches and all the Conveniencies of Diet Cloathing Habitation Servants Assistants Attendants Freedom from hurtful Care and Solicitude and Temptation about worldly things just and sober Recreations which these Riches can and do use to procure These general things and many more numberless particulars may be the Matter and Contents of our Prayer to God that he would give and grant them us and most what in this order but let us be sure that all be for the Ends and with those Considerations expressed or presumed that I have mentioned Behold then here a short Scheme of the general Heads of most at least of those things which we may have need of either at all times or some time or other and which therefore may be the Matter of our Petitions and Desires when we pray or address our selves to God either ordinarily or extraordinarily And here it may be observed first That all these things some or other of them may be put into our Petitions for any other Persons when we pray for them For Example We ought to pray for all the Universe that God would make it perfect and happy we may and ought particularly to pray as heartily for other Men as for our selves that God would so dispose the Affairs of Mankind as to make Men more sincerely generously and constantly holy and good That Men may more love and obey God their own and all the World's Maker and Benefactour and imitate him more in the Universal Love of all and right use of any Power or Ability they have derived from him That Men may be more wise to understand and know the greatest good they can do for themselves and others and the Ways how and all things whatever which may enable them or help them thereto That Men may more universally obtain all the Perfection and Happiness their Nature is capable of be more knowing wise prudent holy good and in all instances virtuous and in order hereto that more Men may be Christians and Men which are so may be more so That they may better understand the Doctrine and Contents of the Christian Religion and their respective Goodness and Usefulness and attend to and be affected accordingly therewith and therefore principally with its ultimate end and design which is to make men holy and happy That they may be free from Ignorance Error Superstition a most mischievous sort thereof Formality Hypocrisie Pride Tyranny Affectation of Equality and Superiority Contention Strife finally from all ultimate selfishness That Christians might be preserved from being deluded or drawn or driven by foolish ignorant erroneous proud tyrannical envious vain-glorious conceited and self-seeking men Many good things there are also which may be proper to others to their Conditions or Circumstances as to all sorts of Governours and Governed that the one may rule well and the other obey to Magistrates and Subjects Parents and Children Husbands and Wives Masters and Servants So also for whole Communities or Societies some good things may be desired which are proper to them as Unity It is to be observed farther That the matter of our Prayer or Petition may sometimes be all or more fore-named particulars briefly mentioned only and sometimes and that most commonly but some of them enlarged Those particular things which we most want which are most reasonable of whose goodness we are most sensible these I say may be more enlarged with variety of expressiâ—â— both of sense and affection to detain our aâ—tention longer and to raise our affections We may also take notice of the incentives â— motives to our desire such as the goodneâ— of God his promises the great goodness â— the thing we desire in many instances 〈◊〉 necessity and yet the difficulty of it by reasâ— of many hindrances Insomuch that one or very few particulars may be the matter of very long Prayer Lastly We may observe That the Peâ—tion for holiness and righteousness a virtâ—ous and good mind is always expresly tolâ— made before all others or else it is to be pâ—â—sumed that we already have it in such degree that we may use the thing well we aâ— for if it be a thing may be used ill Forâ— only have we no reason to hope that our desires shall be granted but also we have reasâ—â— to fear that we shall be punished if we aâ— otherwise it being either impudent bolâ—ness or too wilful carelesness or ignoranceâ— the nature of God so to do as if he cared â— what and to whom he gave good thing When Men ask amiss that they may consuâ— it upon their lusts no wonder that they aâ— and receive not Jam. 4. 3. The sacrificeâ— the wicked is abomination how much more whâ— he bringeth it with a wicked mind Prov. 21. â— Nay it may be here added that so far aâ— man is wicked though he should pray for some things with a good mind intending to use them well so much less is the probability of his success or that God should grant any thing at his request For he that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law even his Prayers shall be an abomination Prov. 28. 9. i. e. so far forth and in such proportion as a man is disobedient to God and wicked it is probable God will reject and refuse his Petitions But this hindreth not to remove an ordinary scruple but that he that hath more badness than goodness in him and therefore in general may be called a bad man may pray and desire somethings from God For first he may in somethings at sometimes be well-minded be a good man and particularly in some of his Petitions and therefore hath proportionable hopes of speeding But Secondly there are other reasons of praying to God besides hopes of success There may be other and so many good effects of our praying that though we should have little probability of receiving what we ask yet it may be not only lawful but our duty to do it rather
bow down and oppress this happy soul With upright and cheerly countenance with solid joy and satisfaction in his thoughts he steadily and generously walks through all the variety of conditions of life and being the Divine Wisdom may dispose him into Who would not be a good man that he may thus pray and who would not pray that he may enjoy so great a happiness who would be so weak and foolish as for the indulgence and gratification of some pitiful mean and base appetite for the present enjoyment of some vile and unreasonable lust or sin forego and quit all his faith confidence and hope in God and the consequent delight acquiescence case peace and joy of soul upon all occasions being ashamed ever to think of God much more to address himself to him or ask any thing at his hand though he should be in never so great distress Who would lose the benefit and comfort of so good a Friend for what can never make the least part of recompense Yes Let Atheists and Worldlings live without any minding of or addressing themselves to God if they please the good man knows too well the sweetness the profit and the pleasure thereof to do likewise David was a truly excellent Example of this usefulness and benefit of Prayer It seems to have been his most usual Cordial which he often took to support his fainting and tired soul to quell and compose his vexations fears disturbances to alleviate and remove his grief and sadness We 'l give an instance or two Psalm 42. First he mentions his present sad and miserable condition in many respects as his being banished out of his Country it is likely by Saul and principally from the Publick Worship of his God for which he panted and thirsted Oh when shall I come and appear before God Verse 1 2 4 6. Then his Enemies contempt and insulting over him and especially their not believing that he was so great a Favourite of God's but rather that God had rejected him or minded him not Verse 3 10. But to comfort and chear himself he prays to God and is very confident God will hear him as he had reason and cheerlily chides himself Ver. 8 9 11. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night his Song shall be with me and my Prayer to the God of my life that is yet I will pray to my God and I trust and know he will give me cause to rejoyce and praise him by his hearing of me at all times I will say unto God my Rock why hast thou forsaken me why go I mourning because of the oppression of the Enemy And Verse 11. Why art thou cast down O my Soul why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God Again The very next Psalm viz. 43. he prays very passionately to God for deliverance from his Enemies who were unmerciful deceitful unjust and that God would bring him back again to enjoy his Publick Worship in his Temple from which he seems now banished Oh send out saith he thy light and thy truth that is perhaps thy enlightning or rejoycing truth in performing of thy Promises thou hast made to me let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill Sion the place where the Temple was built and to thy Tabernacles that is the Temple built instead of the Tabernacle where God especially manifested himself or where were very special effects of his Power and Presence Then he Vows unto God that with exceeding joy and thankfulness he would make use of and improve that favour Vers 4. Then will I go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding joy c. and then Verse the last he is full of good hope and firm confidence that God who was the health of his countenance that is the cause of all his joy and of his content which useth to be shewed by ones healthful aspect and countenance and who was his God would hear his Petition at last viz. that he should praise him therefore and that publickly in the Temple Again in Psalm 55. he describes the miserable plight that he was in because of the constant Machinations and plots of his Enemies deceitful and bloody men as 't is v. 23. nay of those who had been his Friends and Confidents who had forsaken him in his disgrace and adversity as it is usual and contemned him Verse 12. his Enemies contrived even to take away his Life they oppressed him with Accusations and Reproaches and wrathfully hated him whence he was full of Complaints and Mourning in so much that there was likelihood of his death thereby which though another sense may be too he expresseth in Verse 4 5 by his heart being pained and the terrours of death fallen upon him and fearfulness and trembling coming upon him and horrour overwhelming him But then the course he takes is to pray to God with hope and trust in him By these he reseues himself from this sadness and grief of Soul and eases comforts and satisfies it Verse 16. As for me I will call upon God and the Lord shall save me Verse 17. Evening and Morning and at Noon-day that is very frequently he would pray and cry aloud and God should hear his voice And Verse 22. Cast thy burden that is what grieves thee upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved that is himself to be frustrated of his hope SECT IX A Third Way how Prayer is for our III. ease comfort and satisfaction of mind is by reflection upon our having performed our most just and reasonable duty to God and upon some more than ordinary good qualities in our selves that may upon this occasion appear as in general upon our ability for and our good will to this duty or performance that we are able and disposed for such excellent things as are in Prayer more particularly that our minds are so able to converse with spiritual things and future yea eternal and to be affected with them such as God his Nature and Actions our own Souls their Actions and Inclinations the State after Death the Affairs of the Life hereafter That we can take notice of God's Perfections acknowledge them really honour him love and resolve to obey him to put our trust in him and depend upon him that we can take notice of and grieve sincerely and heartily for the irregularities of our Actions and our bad and sinful Temper and Inclinations be pleased with desire pray for Virtue and Grace that we can think of attend to and be frequently and much affected with things of future reward and misery Heaven and Hell that we are not sensual dull worldly earthly-minded persons who can mind nothing but sensible present and worldly matters for this short life All men are naturally inclined to believe and confusedly see
grows cold in his esteem and love of the greatest places of honor and profit which he hath long inâ—oyed he is still pursuing and grasping at more and greater either he would make an addition to what he already hath or find out greater than they are This reality and fervency of affection is truly a very great benefit supposing the affections to be rightly and in due degree directed to things true and useful but if that be not supposed it may be as great a mischief For great inordinate and immoderate affections miserably corrupt the judgments and inclinations they render them erroneous and superstitious and I think one of the principal causes why of late diverse premeditated nay extempore Prayers have been preferred before Forms whether publick or private is an immoderate love to great and busling affections for any thing though never so unworthy of them to which we may add great variety and quickness of conceit and invention as in extempore Prayers The Advantage of Variety and Copiousness of Conceit is both in premeditated and extempore Prayers and is because there are many of them used in Opposition to but one as often a repeated Form as is before said But quickness of Conceit or Invention is only seeâ— in extempore Prayers where if the thing invented be but indifferently good there hardly any Quality of our Minds that is â— much esteemed and applauded by the geneâ—lity of Men. Of which one reason is and may be the principal because it is judged sign of an extraordinary Ability in the Persâ— to invent and apprehend most excellent thinâ— easily and clearly if he did premeditate Hâ— that can do so much extempore think theâ— what would he do if he were allowed Time which is very oft a great mistake There is another reason also very generâ— and that is That Men are much pleased wiâ— Dispatch or Performance of any useful thing in a short time And in truth he that â—â— perform the same thing in half the time which another can do it is in that particular twice â— valuable These things in Prayers although they naturally do and may much please the mindâ— Man yet they may do it too much in comparâ— with others which are better viz. the Truth and Usefulness of what is said A Fault that is very often committed in Sermons and Books and other Performances by those Persons who observe and complain of it in Prayers If we separate things and compare them without doubt it is better that one and the same excellent good thing should be apprehended and willed by us though never so sluggishly and dully than that many and a great number either of unprofitable trifling useless mischievous and bad things should be known by us and fly about in our Imaginations and be violently and vigorously with strong Passions willed and pursued The first indeed doth less good but yet some but this last doth a great deal of hurt If we must lose or part with one of these it is better to lose that of Variety and Celerity and Copiousness of Conceit and strength of Passion than that of the Certainty and Profitableness of the Objects of our Knowledge and Wills It is better to have no Passions at all and consequently in this state generally but languid and weak Inclinations than to have them directed to wrong Objects or to right ones in an excessive degree And yet men generally are incomparably more pleased with Life and Activity which is caused much and exerted in Variety and Celerity of Conceit and Greatness of Passions than with its right Determination and Goodness And as Men are for the most part unduely pleased with premeditated and even extempore Prayers upon the account of Variety and quickness of Conceit So there are others too who are pleased with publick or private Forms or very well content with them not so much upon the account of the truth and usefulness of the things there contained or other common advantages â— men thereby as because of the slowness and dulness of their own conceit and passions â— is difficult to them and consequently painful which all men naturally shun to apprehend any new thing to examine the truth and goodness thereof and to excite their heavy arâ— sluggish affections thereto but they easie conceive and are affected with that whiâ— they have been accustomed to that whiâ— they have very frequently heard and to whiâ— their affections have been used to be conjoyned Contrariwise those who are of quâ— conception and moveable affections they apprehend new and various things with eâ— and delight and are presently naturally â—â—fected with them It is observable that oâ— of the most general causes of mens incliâ—tions choices and esteems of things is thâ— own ability easily to obtain and possess theâ— Hence it may partly come to pass that mâ— advanced in years and of staid and sloâ— tempers are usually pleased with Forms â—â— any performance but young and hot persoâ— with Variety So little most commonly dotâ— reason or the foresight of the good or bad effectâ— of things determine Mens Judgments concerning their general Worth and Value And accordingly I believe it may be remembred that lately those who were against all Forms were generally of an active and passionate temper but those who were for some Forms at least were of a more staid and composed one Those Prayers in which are Variety Celerity and great Affections do more generally please Men and are preferr'd before those in which there is Truth and Usefulness for two reasons among others First Because Men are amiss and depraved in their Inclinations and love those qualities better than these Secondly Because those of variety quickness and affectionateness are discerned more easily by every body in a Prayer those other of the Truth or Usefulness not without more difficulty and but by very few it is a difficult thing to examine and see them The best is to make use of them all as there may be just reason First Be we sure that the Objects of our Knowledge and Wills be true and good and then let us furnish our selves with as plentiful a knowledge of them and have as strong Affections to them in compare with other things as they deserve Let us be sure the Matter be true and good and then know as much as we can and in proportion as it is so be zealously affected And here as to Affection I would propound this to be often remembred viz. That we should always regard not what doth strongly affect our selves or others what we seel to dâ— so but what should do so Possibly we have been or may be deceived and be mightily in love with and passionately desire whaâ— is of little or no worth while we are colâ— to things which are really of much more excellent Use Benefit and Concern in the World We must have a care of measuring the Goodness of Things by our Affections bâ— contrariwise we must adjust our Affections to the goodness of
in all Graces and good Works Aâ— surely they would not have prayed so â— less they had had hopes that God woâ— some time or other and in some measure heâ— them Thus only for Example St. Paâ— Thessal 1. 3. 12. The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one to another anâ— all men even as we do towards you to the eâ— he may establish your hearts unblamable in holâ—ness before God even our Father at the comiâ— of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saint And Thessal 2. 2. 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort yoâ— hearts and stablish you in every good word aâ— work And if God would hear their aâ— consequently our Prayers for others to make and keep them good and make them better then surely there is reason to think he wiâ— hear us for our selves nay there is much more reason for it is a sign that we have a real and prevalent Love to Goodness wheâ— we desire it for our selves but the desiring it for others may not so much signifie it We may often wish others to be good as bad Parents do their Children sometimes and yet not our selves Because others being good â—s not inconsistent perhaps with any beloved â—ust of our own but our own being good â—s Whence it may be observed that a real Love of the Saints or of holy Men which â—ath by some been laid down as a certain Character of a Saint that is of a Person who is habitually and prevalently holy and who shall be saved is not truly so It is a sign indeed of some Degree of Holiness but not of a prevalent degree thereof And thus much for the first general Benefit to our selves of Praying viz. it is a likely Means duly performed to preserve â—s in Goodness and to make us better to increase and strengthen in us Holiness and Goodness and all the particular Instances hereof and that by these several Ways I have mentioned SECT VII I. A Second general Benefit to our selves by Prayer is that of Comfort Joy Delight of Soul Satisfaction Acquiescence Ease of Spirit and that these four ways among others 1. Great pleasure and delight of Soul ariseth immediately from the Operations or Actions of our Souls terminated upon God in Prayer very naturally that is withoâ— the special immediate influence of God upâ— our minds For Example In our acknowledgment of the Divine Perfections and Aâ—tributes so often mentioned we take nâ—tice of or contemplate if we be more aâ— and have more time in secret especially God's infinite Perfections and Excellencieâ— his All-mighty Power his All-comprehending Knowledge his Universal and Infinâ— Goodness to all his Creatures and therefoâ— sometimes his tender Mercy forbearing for giving bestowing promising rewarding otherwhile his as wholesome Justice in coâ—trouling chastising and punishing wickedness and that God is eternally immutably infinitely all this I say we in our Prayer more or less take notice of or attend tâ— such things as these the very thoughts oâ— which so vast objects are vastly pleasing and delightful to the Soul To cast but some glances at them toucheth the soul with â— great and smart pleasure and delight as iâ— is in our most set Customary Publick oâ— Private Prayers where we can have timâ— only more transiently to look at these things But in our secret and retired Devotions where we may take as much time as we wâ— to fix our thoughts upon them to admire them and then think of them again if our souls be but fitted for this Employment by â— sober and refined temper of body by frequent use and God's influence the delight and pleasure may be to a ravishing degree And the more particular distinct and comprehensive our Knowledge is the greater our Admiration and the more intense our pleasure still which it is certain some souls have experienced to such a degree that they would not change with the best furnished sensualist or worldling nor hearken to the motion without the highest contempt But then much more still is this pleasure increased by the passions and actions of Love Desire Joy Trust and Hope Resolutions of Obedience and Imitation which the view and apprehension of the Divine Perfections produce in us so far forth as we are fitted therefore by spirituality to apprehend them and by an habitual goodness and generosity of temper to be affected with them The very passion of Love it self is an extraordinary agreeable pleasant and sweet thing to our minds and who is there except very unfortunate natured persons who doth not experience it in some thing or other But what may or can be beloved with a more ardent and intense degree of it than God ' Than God I say when we conceive him to be infinite love it self for God is Love to be universally good to all things which he hath made eternally immutably and in infinite degree insomuch that there never can be any one thing in the World that is not the Effect of his love and goodness to the whole World even his permission and punishment of Sin it self than God I say who is uncontroulable and infinite in Power too and can do what he pleaseth upon whom all things depend and from whom they have all and that no longer than pleaseth him and yet is infinite Love and Goodness What can or may be more beloved than such a Being as he is I say what may be loved by us more ardently than God not what is so Our minds may be very sensual and dull in their apprehensions very much corrupted degenerate and debased in their affections so that we may not apprehend these spiritual Excellencies nor have any or but very little inclinations to them or affections for them in any other We may our selves be so ill-natured as not much to be taken or pleased with all the expressions of others kindness and good nature unless it be to our selves nor then neither unless they be able as well as kind and can do something for us as well as will it which is a sign that 't is the persons power more than his goodness that we love or esteem and his power too only to do us good I say a man may be of this dull selfish brutish Nature and be pleased principally with power and other things not at all or little with loving or good nature This man indeed in his Prayers will have little love for the Universal Goodness and loving Kindness of God and consequently have little pleasure or delight in his Prayers upon that account But I do affirm That there are Souls who have the greatest ardency and pangs of love and affection to God and dearly embrace him and unite themselves to him thus considered and that these therefore find in their Prayers where they put forth this their affection the most ravishing Joy and Pleasure Nay I affirm That even
the worst of men that are the most sensual carnal dull and ill-natured have Souls capable of being more spiritual and refined in their understandings and affections and of being infinitely in love with the boundless goodness and love of God and more than with any other thing and consequently of a proportionable pleasure and satisfaction The same is to be said concerning Joy in God who is thus infinite in love and goodness to all his Creatures and hope or confident perswasion and consequent acquiescence and repose of Soul in God for the Universal good of all When the Soul upon the assurance and evidence that all things in the World are the best that can or ever shall be by reason of the immutable goodness and benignity of God is not solicitous or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self but acquiesceth and even re 〈◊〉 in all events to it self or to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and full appro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy will be done O â—ll mighty and All wise goodness and Love both in Heaven and Earth I say these very Pas 〈◊〉 Affections are sweet and delicious to the Soul and therefore being excited and exerted in Prayer and that in prepared Souls to the highest degree are Prayers so acceptable and delightful duties Further In Prayer we do not only make acknowledgment of God admire honour love rejoyce hope in him for his Perfections in reference to all his Creatures in general but also in reference to our selves We admire his great goodness particularly to our selves and love him for it and rejoyce in the present possession and in good hopes of the future perhaps eternal enjoyment of it Which passions generally are in most men more piercing and strong than upon the account of God's infinite Perfections and especially his goodness referred to all his Creatures but indeed should not be so Nevertheless it is good for us to be deeply affected with Admiration Love Joy Hope of God's Goodness to our selves in any kind expressed not in opposition to others good but as one single Instance and Example of God's Universal Goodness to all which we most clearly apprehend For is God so good to us in particular he is the same to all and every of his Creatures as much as is consistent with the common good of all to some more to some less than our selves In Prayer we I say thus take notice of and stir up our love to God for his love to us or thankfulness to God for all his past benefits among which are his promises of future good things we rejoyce in him for the present and we hope and repose our selves on him for the future Now these very Passions and Affections themselves in our Souls are the most agreeable and pleasing to them as is the very thinking and contemplation of the Infinite Power Wisdom and especially Goodness of God All these Operations and Employments of our Souls are very grateful and acceptable to them Even in this respect it is good for them to be here to be thus employed It is good for them to draw near unto God that is to direct their Actions and Operations to God SECT VIII 2. BUt a Second more particular Way how Prayer is for our comfort anâ— delight so far forth as we are good is by the Exercise of Faith and Hope anâ— Repose in God as to all our concerns whatsoever Any good man when he prays to Goâ— habitually believes these two things 1. That God will alwaies bestow upoâ— him what is just and fit to be bestowed And 2. That the particular things he humblâ— beseecheth God to grant may be justly bestowed by God upon him that is that it 〈◊〉 consistent with or rather effective of thâ— greatest good of the whole World as haâ—â— been often said and this latter he may sometimes believe certainly sometimes probably whence ariseth either assurance and expectation of the thing or only Hope strictâ—â— so called As for Example When he pray to God for the pardon of his sins and hiâ— consequent favour to his person for Christ sake upon the condition of his true and unfeigned repentance amendment anâ— change of Soul when he cries with thâ— poor Publican God be merciful to me a sinneâ— which most men are so careless proud self-conceited and presumptuous as seldom to do so far as he is conscious to himsâ—lf of the sincerity of his amendment so far he may be confident God will grant this his Prayer For besides that even by reason it self without express promise of the Gospel it might be very probable by the express promise of the Gospel it is most undoubted and certain Even Reason it self would judge it more probable if it were informed that it is done for so excellent a person's sake as Jesus Christ was But then moreover I say it is the most express promise of the Gospel and one indeed of the principal things it came to acquaint men withal viz. That God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and that by repentance and faith in Christ's Name that is by doing all our duty for the future as commanded from God by Christ men might have remission of sins And so again if any man desires and prays from the bottom of his soul for God's grace in general to repent and that he may forsake at last all sin and become a new man giving up himself to obey God being afraid or weary of a sinful wicked life as a thing unaccountable unreasonable or in particular if he prays for strength to mortifie any lust to leave any sin to obtain any grace or virtue he may be confident he shall be heard in some degree or other some time or other Perhaps God might not hear us presently but excite us and strengthen us to continue our Prayers more earnestly whereby we gain dependance upon God humility nay a greater thirst after the thing we ask and consequently indeed a greater degree of it I say for pardon and grace if unfeignedly and heartily asked and humbly begged of God we may be confident we shall be heard both because it seems reasonable and because God hath more expresly promised them in the Scripture But as for other even spiritual good things as natural parts or gifts of understanding memory utterance or the like these it is but probable that it is the best God should bestow them upon us in some degree And as for external good things such as health strength beauty riches honour or good name plenty or competency deliverance c. we have less probability still although so much as to encourage us sufficiently to propound our desires to God too And therefore here our hope will be more or less strong unless God hath expresly by certain revelation promised any of them to us as it was in David's case when he was persecuted by Saul and by other Enemies and his life sought after God had certainly by his Prophets and probably to himself by Inspiration promised he should be King and
that such spiritual and future things as we have mentioned are more excellent more perfect that is of more good effect than sensible and present worldly things and consequently that it is a greater perfection and excellency in a man to know contemplate be affected with those former than these latter to have his mind conversant with and employed about them which is one reason why the persons who profess and really live or seem to live such a life are generally honoured and reverenced Further A man after such a performance as a discreet and affectionate Prayer may reflect not only upon his ability and sufficiency for such excellent things but also upon his love to them and good will to them his esteem for them that he actually is so affected and at that particular time Particularly after an understanding and affectionate Prayer it is very acceptable to make reflection that he hath at that time performed so noble and excellent a part of his duty and that which more immediately respects God that he is not altogether careless of God lives without him forgets him days without number but that he hath honoured him by his express acknowledgments of his Infinite Perfections by humbly petitioning him for what he wants and what is good and just for him by rendring him hearty thanks and actually loving him for his manifold favours even for all he hath or ever had for any degree of Holiness for Knowledge and Wisdom Parts Gifts Riches or Competency Reputation Friends Security from Enemies Health Strength Power Opportunity or Advantage to do Good Peace Joy Satisfaction Happiness here Hopes and Assurance of greater Perfection and Happiness after Death and parting with all here and for all his boundless Goodness and benignity of his Nature to all his Creatures that he hath honoured him by an assured but just Trust and Confidence in him by a free submission of his Will to his Will in all things and conforming of it chearfully thereunto to do all he commands him and to be in any condition he appoints or disposeth that he hath honoured him by a ready and free confession of and piercing hearty grief for and inward detestation of all his unreasonable Violations of his Just and Holy Laws made known either by Reason or Revelation by Natural Conscience or God's Word and consequently of the Eternal Laws of Righteousness that he hath honoured him by asking from him as the only supreme just and yet propitious Judge of the World pardon and forgiveness for Christ's sake that he would not punish him but most of all by importunately begging his supervenient Grace Strength and Influence his Assistance one way or other that he might not Offend or do contrary to his Duty any more in any kind I say when a man hath performed so noble and excellent a part of his Duty towards God which tends so much to make him Divine and Perfect it will not soon out of his mind he will be rereflecting upon it and that cannot be without a high degree of joy and satisfaction of Spirit and he will humbly give unfeigned Thanks to God for making him capable of such a noble and excellent Employment so ravishing and delicious to himself but especially which will render him so benign useful and profitable to the World and pleasing to God for giving him the means of and effectually bringing him to the knowledge and use of such an excellent Life and he will wish all men may be so happy as to know and partake thereof There are Two things among other which make a man very sensible of the excellency of this part of his Duty and consequently to perceive from thence more satisfaction and pleasure The first is its compare with other parts of our Duty respecting our Neighbour It seems more excellent than that to love ones Neighbour that is any rational Creature capable of any good from us To wish well heartily to him to be charitable just grateful compassionate or to shew any other Instance of Love to him though it be excellent yet seems as much inferiour to that of our absolute love to God not as only good to one but to all the Universe as our Neighbour nay all the World are inferiour to God To wish well to or desire any good thing for God we may not because it supposeth some good thing absent or possible to be absent from him an absent good is the proper object of desire but we may will and rejoyce in his infinite happiness and perfection which he actually possesseth we may will a present good And this ought to be so much more esteemed if we compare them than the love of our Neighbour as God is capable of more happiness and felicity than all his Creatures which is infinitely All the World is a little thing a Nothing to him and his Being and Happiness consequently is infinitely to be preferr'd before that of all his Creatures if they could be opposed Besides it is part of the Nature of God to be infinitely good to all his Creatures he therefore that loves God as such must needs love all that he hath made too God's Being and Happiness infer's that of his Creatures necessarily and is the cause thereof but not on the contrary wherefore the love of God as having infinitely more excellent Effects is to be preferr'd before the love of all the Creation if we consider them distinct and if they could be inconsistent one with another which they never can be but much more before the love of any person or persons And although we are said not only to will but to do good to our Neighbour and not to God yet in truth our proper action is to will it the outward Effect consequent upon our will is only by God's Power and Action and we can will it as hath been just now said equally to both Man having naturally a great sense of the infinite Excellency and Perfection of God above all must needs have the perswasion that he ought to love him above all and that to love him is a greater Perfection than the love of all the World besides And the truth of it is next to the perfection of the love of all the Universe i. e. God and all that he hath made together is the Love of God distinctly considered As for the other parts of our Duty to God viz. Honour Admiration Dependance Obedience c. they are but Instrumental Duties to cause us to practise Universal Righteousness and the great Instance Universal Love Love to God and to every Creature c. but they are much more excellent ones than many other and ingenerate in us more immediately a greater and higher degree of Holiness as might be particularly shewed and consequently of Universal Love in which it consists Some of those persons who magnifie and commend those Duties which respect our Neighbour especially such as Beneficence justice and honesty in Dealings and Conversation Peaceableness Obedience c. may
1. The First is the truth of them We are to take care that that which is capable thereof be true All things that are the sense or matter of our Prayers besides that which is the proper matter of Petition or Desire may be false or true The matter or objects of our desire indeed cannot because they are all of them as so considered simple not complex things in such manner as Propositions are in which only there is that truth I now mean For Example In acknowledgment of the Divine Perfections we must have a care that what we acknowledge to be in God be really a pure perfection and implies necessarily no imperfection or defect in the least and therefore that it is really in him Thus when we make an acknowledgment of God's absolute Power and Sovereignty of doing whatsoever he willeth and pleaseth we must have a care of thinking he can by his own intrinsick Power or that it is in his Nature to determine himself contrary to the Laws of Righteousness or Universal Goodness which is all one As for Instance That he can or that there is any capacity in his most perfect Nature to will all his Creatures to be miserable and to make them for that purpose nay or to will any number of them nay any one of them absolutely and ultimately to be so nay or the least evil to any of them without any further respect to any other good but only that he pleaseth himself therein this is contrary to Reason and express Revelation It is true there is no superiour cause to God's Will or his active Power that makes him to be good or restrains him from making any of his Creatures unhappy or miserable we should be mistaken again if we thought so but we neither ought nor can conceive if we attend to the Nature of God and Perfection that it is possible ever for him to will absolutely and ultimately the least evil or misery of his Creatures his Will can never be so disposed it is not in his Nature to will so cannot please him That which I conceive the best disposed men mean confusedly and are not offended with when they acknowledge God's Soveraignty so unlimitedly as that he can do what he will with his innocent Creatures and either immediately though such or mediately first contriving a necessity of sinning throw them into Hell if he pleaseth is that there is no superiour cause to his own Will why he doth not so which is true not that it is possible for him ever so to will or to be pleased therewith That even the due Relations of our Actions to their Objects or their Justice or Righteousness is something and therefore made by God or dependent upon his Will for all things must have his Will or active Power to be the Cause But then we cannot conceive his Nature such as ever to have willed contrary or not to have willed these Relations not to have willed that which is just and right There have been both of the most prophane and of the greatest Religionists but mistaken who have I think entertained these false and most mischievous Opinions concerning God So on another hand in the acknowledgment of the Divine Goodness men may have a conceit and acknowledge that God is so good that he will make all men happy and therefore pass over all their sins though never so great and heinous numerous and many that he will not punish them neither here nor hereafter and this though they do not repent and their minds and natures are not changed at all or very slightly They say they are sinners but God they hope will forgive them for God is merciful as they use to express it This is a very mischievous falshood and implies him even not to be Universally good to all his Creation not to do the greatest good to it for he cannot be so unless he restrain sometimes wickedness and sinful mischievous Purposes and Resolutions of Will and put a difference as to Happiness between the Righteous and the Wicked sometime and in some measure or other according as seems best to his infinite Wisdom This also is contrary to Reason and the express revealed Will of God So again Those who may acknowledge the Divine Tenderness and peculiar Love to them and to some certain others that he will not see any sin in them and will not punish them in the least for it but that they are peculiarly destined to an unconceivable Glory and Felicity in another World notwithstanding they live in their Sins and are no better than others and are very well content so to do and be who say further that God hath provided and found out a way to excuse them from actual obedience to his Laws and from punishment in case of constant failure without any amendment that they indeed have very corrupt hearts but God for Christ's sake will pardon all These persons make God and Christ the worst Patrons of sin the most unrighteous the most partial to bear with and pardon it in a few whom he pleaseth but to punish it in all the rest with the greatest severity Nothing more repugnant to Reason and Scripture in Rom. 2. In Confession in like manner we must have the like care and as near as we can say nothing but what we know to be certainly true Wherefore we must have a care that we do not confess that we deserve punishment in such things which are not sins nor that we are guilty in those things which really are sins when we are not Nor on the contrary perhaps excuse our selves or think our selves innocent or good when we are bad think those things no sins nay very good actions which are bad ones That which may often be in those which are done with pretended or some little real zeal confusedly for the glory of God mixed with much more or other undue selfish ends and unlawful appetites Nor must we acquit slatter connive at our selves and think our selves not guilty of any sins and it may be thank God for it too when we are being either ignorant and forgetful of our selves or wilfully vainly conceited The greatest part of the World are very presumptuous and conceited generally of their own innocency though they may sometimes in words only or very slightly say they are sinners insomuch that if you should enquire of them what they have been or how they have lived they 'l tell you that no man can say any harm by them and they know nothing amiss they thank God by themselves they hardly know one sin by themselves or one bad action to confess or they must study upon it or be put in mind of something or other whence they conclude themselves very innocent and take it for granted and act accordingly as if it really were so and God knew as little by them as they do by themselves when perhaps they have rarely done any good action and they have little good in them If they should
and mostly of the greatest importance and concernment Not but that there may be some time or other too in which we may mention in our Prayers many lesser things Things of greatest concernment and use must in proportioâ— to their concernment compared with those of less be more and more frequent in our Prayers And this concerns all the parts or Ingredients of a Prayer As in Acknowledgment let us be careful to be well instructed in the greatest the most comprehensive and general the most useful and beneficial Perfections iâ— God that we make our Acknowledgments of those principally and chiefly as that of his infinite and general goodness to all more than his particular goodness to us And so when we make an Acknowledgment of the Instances of his Power Wisdom Goodness Mercy Justice let us take those chiefly which are the greatest and largest and endeavour to be affected with them such as are God's Creation of all things Preservation Providence throughout the whole Universe that towards Mankind and especially the making of us Reâ—sonable Creatures and giving us such Faculties Aid Sufficiency Opportunities Helps to improve our Reason and Understanding also the Revelation of such excellent Doctrines and Truths to the World by especial Messengers the Prophets of old and lastly by Jesus Christ his beloved Son In Confession let us take notice of and bewail most our greatest Sins that have most of Iniquity in them where there is the greatest degree of the depravedness Inordinacy of our Wills included the greatest Aversation from Righteousness the greatest degree of unreasonable and mischievous Self-love in a usual Phrase our most aggravated Sins Consequently let us confess our dearest most pleasing and delightful sins for our greater degree of delight in any thing more than in our Duty argues a degree of the inordinacy and depravedness of our wills as to Intenseness those also which are most frequent Contrariwise let us not confess little sins much and neglect great ones or more than those confess those which we can more easily forsake and neglect those which are most sweet pass over them or slightly only take notice of them confess those which we commit rarely and neglect those which we do frequently When this fault is in our Confession purely through ignorance through want of understanding of the degrees of sin and there is no fault in the will which I scarce believe it begets in us a great deal of superstition that is an opinion that some actions are more or less displeasing to God than indeed they are compared with others and consequently being more afraid of doing some of them and of God's anger or punishment for them than we should be and in others again less which is a very bad effect and doth much deprave and corrupt the Inclinations of the will as to the Instances of our duty and renders us less capable of any happy condition till we are better instructed in them though we should be truly conscientious and love that which we judge right and our duty which possibly may be But I am apt to think that most ignorant superstition proceeds from unconscientiousness But when this fault proceeds out of a desire to indulge our selves in some sin both the Cause and the Effect is extremely bad If we have occasion to confess National Sins or those which are most practised frequently by the generality of a Nation have we a care to confess those principally and most which are indeed the greatest both as to the Principle and the Effect those that argue and include the greatest degree and neglect of and aversation from our duty and the great instance thereof compared with other objects or the greatest degree of ultimate self-self-love compared with or opposed to the common good and those which are the most mischievous or do the greatest hurt in the World Such as are some the more colourable and undiscerned sins of Malice Pride Envy Ambition Affectation of Superiority Equality Liberty add Tyranny Disobedience Revenge Oppression Covetousness Fraud Hypocrisei or want of Integrity and others more notorious of Prophaneness Irreligion Atheism Unbelief Disbelief of Christian Religion Sensuality Lasciviousness Intemperance c. Those Sins also which are the most frequent and continual in several or the same persons are to be principally confessed In thankfulness likewise it is much to be attended to and we ought to give thanks in the first place and most frequently and most ardently for the greatest favours those that are most publick diffused and general those that are spiritual or intellectual those that appertain more immediately to the Soul those among spiritual ones which concern our wills or inclinations and in order thereto our affections called generally by the names of Sanctiâ—ication or Regeneration purifying and renewing of the heart or in one word usually by the name of Grace then afterwards for the good things that appertain to our Knowledge or Understandings as quick and plentiful Suggestion Revelation Illumination in Truths of the greatest Excellency Use and good Effect for ability to signifie convey or propagate these such as ready Invention Memory Utterance c. all which have been known by the name of Gifts Then for the good things appertaining to the Body or in it as the subject as Strength Health Comeliness plenty of such things as Food and Diet Raiment Habitations with their Ornaments c. which gratifie our Senses and secure us from Corporeal Pain which the most necessarily affects us and consequently from necessary care and solicitude to prevent it c. Then for the External good things without us of Riches Reputation Liberty Magistracy Friends Relations c. The Reason of all this is because to thank God more for personal than publick benefits as it doth usually proceed from so it will increase a particular and selfish spirit To thank him more for bodily or external sensible good things than for spiritual is both a sign and cause of sensuality in us i. e. it doth proceed from and confirm our excessive love to corporeal and sensible good in compare with spiritual as well as keep us in some respect to God It is that which may be ordinarily observed viz. that men are usually much more sensible of and grateful to God for bodily good and the things of this life than for spirtual or intellectual And so likewise to thank God more for Gifts than Graces though both spiritual things confirms one in too great an esteem and love for Gifts compared with Graces which notwithstanding are incomparably inferiour to them Gifts sometimes may be â—ill used be mischievous and hurtful which sincere Virtue and Grace can never in the least be Knowledge puffeth up without Charity and is contentious affecting contemptuous but Charity edifieth saith the Apostle Charity even without Knowledge can do no harm but in its own nature necessarily tends to do good Now although this be better than not to be thankful to God at all than to thank him
perform their Duty to him where also his Justice or punitive Goodness and the Psalmist concludes with as general an acknowledgment by his mouth speaking the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Read also a magnificent particular acknowledgment of God's Power Goodness and Wisdom in Psalm 104. which begins bless the Lord O my Soul O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with Honour and Majesty who coverest thy self with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain and then ends O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches that is of plenty and abundance of good things For reasonable trust in God we meet with the most significant Expressions every where of the greatest and boldest degree thereof both as to particular favours of Peace Plenty good Name and Honour c. and also in general Psalm 37. Verse 3 4 5 6. and so on throughout the whole Psalm Trust in the Lord and do good behave thy self as thou oughtest and do thy Duty so shalt thâ—â— dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee thine hearts desire Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass c. Psalm 146. Verse 3. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Son of man in whom there is no help And Verse 5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God who made Heaven and Earth c. And how often doth the Psalmist seem to be exalted above himself and triumph in his trust confidence and firm hope in God For Confession and Grief for Sin see the reality and seriousness of it in the 38 Psalm Verse 3. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger nor any rest in my bones because of my sin And Verse 18. I will declare mine Iniquity I will be sorry for my sin The 51 Psalm is a known Example both of David's hearty confession of and piercing grief and bitterness of Soul for his sins as also of the vehemencies of his desire and petition to God for purging and pardon to cleanse and rectifie his Soul and to forgive him and then to grant him Joy Comfort and Peace Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions c. We may read the whole Psalm than which there cannot be any thing more pathetical O Lord open my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise that is give me an occasion and a cause of acknowledging and praising thee in this thy particular favour of granting me Purification Pardon Peace and enable me to do it and then I resolve also to declare and make known how much thou deservest to be praised thanked loved admired by me and all men As for Profession of Obedience there are not many Verses in the 119 Psalm in which we have not some Emphatical signification of the firmness and unmovableness of his resolution the very frequency is a great sign thereof Verse 97. Oh how I love thy Law Verse 103. How sweet are thy words unto my tast sweeter than honey to my mouth Verse 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments Ver. 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage â—â—r ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Ver. 127. I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above sine Gold Ver 131. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments c. Are these the Words and Expressions of a cold indifferent or of a luke-warm man in his love to resolution for Righteousness and consequently for the Commands of God For the Psalmist's Thankfulness and Love to God for his Benefits to him in particular the passages and places are as numerous Psalm 86. Verse 12. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or from the deep Grave or the Grave underneath that is from Death which had overtaken me and seized upon me had it not been for thy special eare A very pathetical and emphatical Expression of his Love and Thankfulness to God both for his personal Favours towards himself and those towards his own Nation the People of the Jews nay towards all his Works in all places is the 103 Psalm all which Read we heedfully and imitate Verse 1. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits who forgiveth all thine Iniquity and healeth all thy Diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies c. And lastly his Petitions and Desires are with the greatest fervency and importunity signified and expressed and that principally in the things of greatest concernment especially considering his case sometimes fain to fly to Idolatrous People for shelter as particularly for to be admitted and restored to the external publick Worship of the true God as it was by himself instituted in order to his internal Worship which as I have above said contains all Religion nay all Duty Psalm 42. Verse 1. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psalm 63. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee The Psalmist Asaph very passionately expresseth his Joy repoâ—e and â—â—quiescence in God in that of the 73 Psalm Verse 25. Whom have I in Heaven and I have delighted in nothing on Earth in compare with thee or with thee at all that is besides thee as our Translation hath it That is I put my Trust and place my Delight neither in any God the Heathen Gods nor man in compare with thee or together with thee Thou art my Ultimate Trust my chiefest Delight My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever The like earnestness and fervency may be observed when the Psalmist prays for deliverance from his so great and malicious Enemies that they sought utterly to ruine him to defame and reproach him by malicious and mischievous slanders and so banish him perpetually or take away his life or when he prays for
whosoever do shall not inherit the Kingdom of â—od But that we be filled with all the Fruits of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Long-sufferâ—â—g Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Galat. 5. Verse 16. c. That all â—itterness Wrath Anger Clamour Evil-speaking and Malice may be put away far from us â—nd that we may be kind one to another tenâ—er hearteâ— forgiving one another even as God for Christ'â— sake hath forgiven us Ephes 4. Verse 31. That we may add to our Faith Virtue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly-kindness Charity that these things may be in us and abound that as Christians we may not be unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Pet. â— 1. Verse 5. Further still In order to all these pray we for other excellent instrumental Graces or Virtues as that God would cause us to adâ—ire his most excellent Nature and Perfections to imitate him in what we are capable â—nd ought to resemble him to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect but especiallâ— Holiness and Universal Beneficence that â— may be holy as he which hath called us is â— That he would grant us to obey him sincâ—ly resolvedly universally that he wâ— give us an obedient Heart and consqueâ— be universally holy righteous and goâ— and practise all manner of Virtue and eâ—cially in the hardest Lessons when iâ— his Will we should undergo any Evils or â—flictions then presently to comply witâ—â— Will and to submit ours to it nay perfeâ— acquiesce in it nay out of choice to make â— Will to be ours That also God would gâ— unto us to trust in him have Faith in â—â— and Dependence upon him to believe wâ— soever he teacheth us willingly to â—â— our Applications to him as our best Fâ— upon all Occasions to acknowledge â—stantly that whatever inherent Strength â— Ability in any kind we have we haâ—â— from him to be heartily thankful to â—â— for all good things to rejoyce in his Fâ—â— which cannot be had without Holiâ— which when we have we have all weâ— wish or desire in Effect and we need as â—â— trouble our selves about any thing but â—â—ing our selves in all dutiful Demeanour â— Temper towards him as the innocent and â—dient Child of a loving Father Further still In order to the obtaiâ—â— â—nd practising these and all other Virtues and â—races we may put into our Prayers that â—od would bestow upon us both natural â—arts and supervenient Gifts That he would â—ake us knowing and wise furnish our underâ—andings with the Knowledge of many and â—f the most excellent things especially spiriâ—ual and more especially that he would diâ—ect us to the Knowledge of the Truth and â—rue Goodness of things That we might â—ot be foolishly led away with things that â—re false erroneous vain trifling swelling â—nd puffing up and much pleasing sometimes â—or the present but of little Profit to our Selves or the World which make us little â—ruitful in good Works to others and conâ—equently the least acceptable to God Pray â—e that God would illuminate our Minds and make us clearly to discern things especially spiritual things such as are Truth and â— Goodness the excellent and invaluable effiâ—cacy of Holiness and all Virtue to make our Selves and the World happy the Mischievousness and consequently Unreasonableness of Sin and the real Contemptibleness of all other Qualities in compare with Holiness and that we might be affected accordingly that is that God would spiritualize our Understandings and Affections Particularly that he would give us to apprehend and understand and consider there is the greatest sincerest constantest Pleasure and Satisfactiâ— in a holy virtuous wise and consequentâ— godly Life and Temper that is in Imitatiâ— of and Obedience to God much naturallâ— especially after much use and we know â—â— how much by the Influence of the Spirit â— God that this will give us great Conâ—dence and Comfort in the Day of Deathâ— Boldness Joy and Triumph in the Day â— Judgment when shall be seen so many trembling Knees and amazed Countenances of thâ— haughtiest Sinners and finally that it certainly fits us for and leads to a most perfecâ— and happy Condition or State of Life hereafter That God would give us I say ofteâ— to think of consider apprehend be affected with and feel these and any other Motives to â— holy Life Add we further That God would bestowâ— upon us a sober considerative advised calâ—â— Mind as a great preparation for Wisdom anâ— Virtue Pray we That God would instilâ— into us the most generally useful and instrumental Graces of a most ingenuous impartialâ— sincere Love of the Truth and more particularly a sincere Love to Christianity as â— Systeme of the most certain and useful Doctrines That we might believe most firmly and with a sense of their Excellency Sublimity Nobleness Delightfulness and Usefulness all the things that are therein taught and delivered and most especially those concerning our Tempers Lives and Actions that we may be hearty not superficial Believers And in order to this that we may the more mind and love these things Pray we that we may have a very great Admiration of and Love to the excellent Qualities of our Saviour Jesus Christ his mighty miraculous Power and high Favour with God â—ay his being united so intimately to God or the Divine Nature his great Wisdom his â—ncomparable Holiness and Goodness and Virtue in the highest degree particularly that of his Charity and so of all other particular Virtues to us and all Mankind his being so great a Benefactor to us as he hath been in revealing and confirming so many excellent sublime noble and useful Truths and Doctrines to us in going through the most calamitous Life and Death to give us an Example of the most perfect Virtue and Holiness and thereby meriting and procuring for us the Remission and free Pardon of all our Sins or our Justification in case of true Repentance and Amendment in his procuring for us Grace and Assistance to repent amend and be converted which is in some measure afforded to the worst and the most negligent Finally in being the Author of Eternal Life to us by thus bringing us by his Grace and Merits to be good and to be pardoned and consequenntly not to be unmeet to enter into a State of great Perfection and Happiness after Death and the final Judgment of all Flesh of which he shall be the Judge and the Distributer After these may follow the things which for the most part are useful and subservient while we are in this Life and some of them proper thereto to make and keep us good or make us better or any way enable us to do more good to execute our Goodness more immediately or remotely Such as are long Life especially till we come to be good to be converted to repent that we may have the Experience of our own Sincerity and Strength in Goodness be profitable to the World by our good Example as we have been