Events, in a confident affurance that we are fafe and happy in God's Hands.

2dly, Tho' our Truft in God does not fignify an abfolute fecurity what God will do for us, yet it is the moft certain way to obtain whatever we wifely and reasonably defire of God. When we trust in God, he referves to himself a liberty to judge whether it be good for us; but if what we defire be good for us, our Trust and Dependance on God will engage Provi dence on our fide.

Truft in God refers our Caufe to him to judge for us, and to do what he fees fit; and we have God's Word and Promife for it; That if we do truft in him he will take care of us, that we fhall want nothing that is good, and fhall be delivered from all Evil; 31. Pfalm 21, 22. O how plentiful is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, and that thou bast prepared for them that put their trust in thee before the fons of men! Thou shalt hide them privily by thy own prefence, from the provoking of all men; thou Shalt keep them fecretly in thy Tabernacle from the Strife of tongues. Thus 37. Pfalm 40, 41. The falvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord, who is alfo their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord fhall stand by them and fave them, he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall fave them becaufe they put their trust in him. The whole 91ft Pfalm is fo plain and full a Proof of this, that I need name no more: To truft in God, is called dwelling in the fecret place of the most High, or under the defence and protection of the most High; that is, fuch a Man puts himself under God's Protection; and he that does fo, fhall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; that is, be fhall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be fafe under bis feathers; bis faithfulness and truth fhall Ff.

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be thy fhield and buckler: And the Pfalmist particularly reckons up moft of the Evils which are incident to Human Life, and promises Security against them all; Because thou haft made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy babitation, there shall no evil befal thee, neither Jhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. This Pfalm indeed is a Prophecy of our Saviour, and in the Height and Latitude of the Expreffions is applicable only to him, but yet it gives a general Security to all who truft in God, of Protection from all Evil. This no Man can promise himself who does not truft in God; for how is Providence concerned for them who expect nothing from it? Nay, this is a Reason why fuch Men fhould be disappointed and fall into Mifery, to convince them that God does govern the World, and that no Human Strength or Policy can save them: But Truft in God makes us the Subjects and the Care of Providence; for if God does govern the World, none fo much deferve his Protection, as thofe who commit themselves to his Care. A good Man will not deceive or forfake those who depend on him, much less will a good God.

Thirdly, Another Duty we owe to Providence is Prayer; to ask of God all thofe Bleffings and Mercies which we need. The univerfal Pra&tice of all Nations who owned a God, and that Natural Impulfe all Men find to feek to God in their Diftrefs, fhews what the Senfe of Nature is; but yet fome of the Ancient Philofophers were much puzzled how to reconcile Prayer with their Notions of Neceffity and Fate: And indeed, were Providence nothing elfe but a Neceffary Chain of Causes, or Fixt and Immutable Decrees, there would be no great Encouragement to pray to God, who up

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on this Suppofition cannot help us, no more than he can alter Deftiny and Fate: But if God governs the World with as great Liberty and Freedom as a wife and good Man governs his Family, or a Prince governs his Kingdoms, there is as much reafon to pray to God, as to offer up our Petitions to our Parents, or to our Prince; for if we must receive all from God, what imaginable reason is there, that we should not ask every thing of him.

But it will be neceffary to difcourfe this Matter more particularly; for we live in an Age wherein Men are very apt to reason themfelves out of all Religion, and to form fuch Notions of God and his Providence, as make it needless, nay, abfurd to worship him.

The Apoftle tells us, That be that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, 11. Heb. 6. No Man can be a devout Worfhipper of God, who does not believe that there is a God to wor fhip, and that this God does take care of Mankind, and that he has a peculiar Favour for those who worship him; that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him: For if God neither take any care of us, or take no more care of those who worship him, than of those who do not, there is no juft reafon can be given, why any Man fhould worship him. But the Apoftle in this fuppofes, That to believe there is a God, and that he governs the World, and that we fhall be the better for worshipping him; is a reasonable Foundation for Religious Worfhip; and therefore fuch Notions of God and his Providence, as allow no peculiar Rewards and Benefits to Worfhippers, are certainly False, how Philofophical foever they may appear, and Impious too, becaufe they fhut all Religious Worfhip out of the World." Ff2 And

And yet fome Men can by no means underftand, for what Reafon they fhould pray to God: They comply with the Superftitious Customs of the Countrey, to avoid Scandal and Publick Cenfure; but think they might as well let it alone, as for any Advantage they hope for by their Prayers And I am very much of their Mind, that they had as good not be present at Prayers, as not to pray; for no Man can pray to any Advantage, who defpifes Prayer: It will therefore be highly neceffary plainly to ftate this Matter, and to fhew you,

That the Belief of the Divine Providence, lays the strongest Obligation on us, to pray to God.

The Scripture Proofs of this are fo plain, that they cannot be avoided; and fo well known, that I need not at large repeat them. There is no Duty we are more frequently commanded, none we are more earnestly exhorted to, than to pray to God: We have the Examples of all good Men for it, and of Christ himfelf, who spent whole Nights in Prayer; and we have the Encouragements of as express Promifes as any in Scripture, That if we pray to God, he will hear and answer us; which is all the Encouragement we can defire for our Prayers. As the Pfalmist (peaks; O thou that beareft prayers, unto thee fhall all flesh come, 65. Pfal. 2. To thee they fhall pray, because thou heareft Prayers. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee. In the day of my trouble will I call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, 86. Pfal. 5, 7. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the defire of them that fear him; he also will bear their cry, and will fave them, 145. Pfal. 18, 19. But

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nothing can be more exprefs than our Saviour's Promife; Ask, and it shall be given unto you; feek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketb, receiveth; and be that feeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it fhall be opened, 7. Matt. 7, 8.

And what great Things are attributed in Scripture to the Power of Prayer? St. James affures us, That the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much; and proves it from the Example of Elias, who was a man subject to like paffions as we are; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and fix months; and be prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth fruit, 5. James 17, 18. And all those Wonders, which the Apoftle to the Hebrews attributes to Faith, belong to this Prayer of Faith, 11. Heb. 32, 33, 34. For this Reason Jacob's Name was changed into Ifrael, when he wrestled all Night with the Angel, and would not let him go, till he had bleffed him: Thy name fhall be called no more Jacob, but Ifrael; for as a Prince haft thou power with God and Men, and baft prevailed, 32. Gen. 28.

One would think, that this were abundantly fufficient to convince all Men of the Duty, Neceffity, and Advantages of Prayer: For if God govern the World, and we must expect his Bleffing and Protection only in Answer to our Prayers; if he himself makes Prayer the neceffary Condition of our Receiving, it is in vain to dispute the Philofophy of it; for we muft ask, if we will receive. We can receive of none but God, and he has promised to give to none but those who ask: And therefore, tho' we may receive many good Things without asking, (as God does good both to the evil, and to

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