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prayers of Christians. And though there was a miraculous power of prayer in the primitive times, which is now ceafed, and of which St. James plainly speaks, chap. v. 14, 15. "Is any fick among "you? let him call for the elders of the church, and "let them pray over him, anointing him with oil "in the name of the LORD: and the prayer of faith "fhall fave the fick, and the LORD fhall raife him

up" yet it is certain that these promises extended farther, to the efficacy of the prayers of the faithful in fuch cafes. And fo our SAVIOUR extends this promife, Mat. xxi. 22. For after he had faid in the verfe before, "verily I fay unto you, if ye have faith, "and doubt not, ye fhall not only do this which is "done to the fig-tree; but also if ye fhall fay unto "this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou caft "into the fea, it fhall de done:" after this he immediately fubjoins," and all things whatfoever

ye ask in prayer, believing, ye fhall receive;" hereby declaring that the efficacy of the prayers of Christians was not limited only to thofe miraculous effects, which were but to continue for a time; but that this promife was to be extended to the prayers of the faithful in all cafes and all times.

And indeed all the grounds and reasons of the efficacy and prevalency of our prayers which are mentioned in the new teftament, do equally concern Christians in all times; as that we pray to GoD in the name and mediation of JESUS CHRIST; upon which our SAVIOUR very frequently when he makes this promife lays great ftrefs, and feems to render it as the reason of the fpecial efficacy of our prayers. John xiv. 13, 14. "And whatsoever ye fhall ask

"in my name, that will I do, that the Father may "be glorified in the fon. If ye fhall afk any

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"in my name, I will do it." And chap. xvi. 23, SERM. 24. "Verily verily I fay unto you, whatsoever ye, "fhall afk the Father in my name, he will give it

you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name : "afk, and ye fhall receive."

Another reason of the acceptance and prevalency of our prayers, is, that the Spirit of GOD which dwells in all true Chriftians does help our weakness, and fecretly directs us to afk of GOD thofe things which are according to his will, and does as it were intercede for us. Rom. viii. 26. "Likewife the Spi"rit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not "what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us." And ver. 27." And he that fearcheth the hearts, knoweth "what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh "interceffion for the faints, according to the will of "GOD." And no wonder if thofe petitions are very prevalent, which we are affifted and directed to put. to GOD, according to his will.

And this certainly is a great comfort under any trouble, that we can have free accefs to GoD by prayer, in confidence that he will grant us thofe requests which we put up to him according to his will. And this the apostle to the Hebrews mentions more than once, as an argument to them to continue 'ftedfast in the profeffion of their religion, notwithstanding the perfecution that attended it, because we may at all times addrefs ourselves to GOD in confidence of his gracious help and affiftance. Heb. iv. 16. after he had exhorted them "to hold faft their profeffion," as an encouragement thereto, he adds the free accefs we may have to God for his help and fupport. "Let "us therefore," fays he, "come boldly," or with great freedom and confidence," to the throne of

"grace,

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SERM." grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find favour "with him for our seasonable help and fuccour." And to the fame purpofe, chap. x. 19, 20. "Hav

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ing therefore, brethren, freedom to enter into the "holieft by the blood of JESUS," that is, having accefs to God in prayer by JESUS CHRIST, "let us "draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith," that is, in perfect confidence that our prayers will be graciously heard and answered; upon which he adds, "let us hold faft the profeffion of our "faith without wavering: for he is faithful that hath promised." If we continue ftedfaft to GoD, and the profeffion of his truth, he will make good all that he hath promised, both of prefent fupport under our fufferings, and of the glorious reward of them in another life he will hear our prayers, and grant us the aids and fupplies of his grace, as we stand in need of them.

IV. The chriftian religion propounds to us the best and most admirable pattern that ever was of patience and conftancy of mind under the apprehenfion of approaching evils, or the fenfe of our prefent fufferings, and of a contented and chearful fubmiffion to the will of GOD in the faddeft condition to which human nature is incident; and that is the pattern of our bleffed SAVIOUR, who, for this reafon among others, was fo great a fufferer in fo many kinds, that he might go before us in this rough and difficult way, and leave us an example that we should follow his steps;" that we might learn from him how to calm and quiet our fpirits, to appeafe and hufh the tumults of our paffions under the fevereft difpenfations of God's providence towards us, and to bend our wills to a patient fubmiffion to the will of our heavenly Father, under the foreft afflictions and sharp

eft

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eft fufferings for though our bleffed SAVIOUR prayed fo earnestly to his Father, that "that bitter cup might pafs from him," yet how quietly and chearfully did he refign and yield himself up to the will of GOD, faying, "yet not my will, but thine be done.” Human nature shrunk and gave back at the fight of his dreadful fufferings; but his reafon over-ruled the inclinations of nature, and kept him to a steady refolution of fubmitting to the will of GoD and therefore when Peter attempted his refcue, he commanded him to desist, saying, "put up thy fword into the "fheath, the cup which my Father hath given me, "fhall I not drink it ?" Joh. xviii. 11. And though he had as quick a fenfe of fuffering as any man, yet "with what patience did he poffefs his foul ?" with what meekness and humility of Spirit did he bear and yield to it?" He was led as a lamb to the flaugh"ter, and as a sheep before the fhearers is dumb, so "he opened not his mouth; when he was reviled he "reviled not again; when he fuffered he threatned "not, but committed himself to him that judgeth

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righteously." And thus "it became the captain "of our falvation," that he might be a perfect pattern to us of patience and fubmiffion to the will of GOD, of a meek and undisturbed mind under the greatest bodily pains, and the extreme anguish of his foul," to be made perfect by fufferings."

So that under the greateft prefent evils, or the most fearful apprehenfion of future evil and fuffering, we fhould fix our eye ftedfaftly upon this great and glorious example of patience and conftancy and meeknefs; of a due fenfe, and yet of a moft decent behaviour under the heavleft load of affliction, that was ever laid upon any of the fons of men, looking, as the apostle exhorts, Heb. xii. 2, 3. "looking unto VOL XI.

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SERM." JESUs, the author and finisher of our faith; who "for the joy that was fet before him, endured the "crofs, and defpifed the fhame;" and "confider“ing him, who endured fuch contradiction of fin"ners against himself; left we be weary and faint in our minds."

And furely if we would but let our minds dwell a while upon this confideration of the fufferings of the Son of God, and his great meeknefs, and patience,. and fubmiffion to the will of GoD under them, it would mightily conduce to the mitigating of our trouble, and bringing us "to poffefs our fouls in patience," in the faddeft condition that can befal us.

And what confideration more proper for us than this, when we are going to receive the bleffed facrament, wherein the fufferings of the Son of GOD are reprefented to us, in the fymbols of his body broken, and his blood fhed for the remiffion of our fins? and there are many confiderations which this fight is apt to fuggeft to us, which are fo many powerful argu'ments to quiet and comfort our minds under the 'greatest troubles and fufferings which we are liable to;, fuch as thefe:

1. The grievous fufferings which the Son of GoD was expofed to, do clearly fhew us that the good things of this life are not fo valuable, nor the evils and fufferings of it fo confiderable as we are apt to. fancy and imagine; when the belt man that ever lived was fo deftitute even of the common comforts and conveniences of human life, and had fo large a share of the calamities and fufferings of it. If we could. but rectify our opinion of things, it would go a great way in making any of the evils and afflictions of this life tolerable. If God fee good to reduce us to poverty and want, let us think of him, who "being.

"LORD