SERMON I.

MATTH. vii. 7.

ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU.

HE husbandman, defirous of a

Tcrop in the time of harveft, betakes

himself to the use of fuch means as have been found to anfwer: He turns his field with the ableft hands, he adds the richest manure; though he knows not, and will modeftly own he knows not, why the acceffion of fuch foreign matter, or the breaking of a clod is fo indifpenfably neceffary to the propagation of a grain of barley.

36.

But we, who fhould teach you to cultivate that more valuable part of your

John iv. poffeffions, the mind, and gather fruit unto life eternal, are apt to talk in a higher ftrain; and not apprehending any danger of experiments in this cafe to confute us, at least for the prefent, we lay down our decifions with the greater confidence. We expatiate on the ideas of rectitude and obligation, free-will and fate, and fubftance, corporeal, fpiritual, and everlafting; till the world and it's adorable Author, his attributes and effence, his power and rights and duty (I tremble to pronounce the word) be all brought together to be judged before us; who ftand, like infants, in admiration of the paper-fabrick we have raised, and fee the univerfal frame of nature within the little lines which we have drawn in the duft.

Not that speculations on fuch fubjects are in themselves wrong: then alone they become dangerous, when carried to ex

cefs;

cefs; when they engage perhaps too much of our attention; when in proportion as our light fails us, our prefumption increases; when we grow fond of erecting fyftems and theories; when we are no longer in ignorance or doubt on any point, nor know things any more in parts, but all things univerfally, with all their relations to every other fubject, and as they make a part of the whole; when we will leave nothing unexplained; and in one word, when we lay greater ftrefs on these notions of our own, than on the univerfal fenfe, and general fentiments, and maxims of mankind.

Indeed, the confequences of thefe conceits in Religion, and of this vain Philofophy, are not always fo bad in fact, as might be apprehended from the abfurdity of them. Common fenfe and nature, though distorted by this violence, are making continual efforts to recover their

Matt, vii.

bent and figure, and prevail frequently in practice against any theory. Just as, alas! on the other hand, natural temper and paffion exert themfelves with great power against the beft arguments, and gain daily victories over well-grounded refolutions, and the lawful authority of the ftricteft reason.

Among other fubjects,that of PRAYER has fuffered from the indifcreet endeavours that have been used to explain it.

The Scripture faith, Afk, and it shall be given you. The plain meaning of which words must furely be, That Almighty God may be moved by Prayer. Now if it should happen, that we cannot well explain how this is done, it may still be true: and if we have laid down fuch laws for the regulation of the Divine Government, as will not admit this doctrine, we must alter them till they will.

3.

If indeed we ask amifs, that is, with a James iv. design to confume the divine gifts upon our lufts, the Scripture tells us, that this will hinder the efficacy of our prayers; nay, that the prayer of the wicked is an Prov. abomination unto the Lord.

Should we even pray without this evil defign, or with a very good one; ftill there may be many reafons, why we may not obtain that which we pray for. It might not be truly good for us, however ardently we defire it; it might be injurious or detrimental to other perfons, or creatures, in a manner of which we have no fufpicion, or even idea; it might oppose some of the rules of Divine Government, of which we know little; or be even a thing impoffible, when we fancy it the easiest.

Yet we are not therefore to conclude, that even these prayers are loft and use

xv. 8. xxviii. 9.