t!Je Nature andCaufes of it. There is not any one Reafon of Prayer, not any one Mo· tive unto it, not any confideratwn of its ufe or Effi cacy, but render this peculiar Invocat ion of Chrifl, a neceiliry Duty. 1 wo things in general are required to render the Duty of In– vocation lawful and ufeful.. Firfr,that it have?- proper Ol;jeCl; Secondly, that it have prevalent Motives and Encourage- , ments unto it. Thefe in concurence are the formal Reafon and Ground of all Religious VV orfl1ip in general, ·and of Prayer in partic,uiar. So are they laid down as the Foundation of all Religion, Exod_ 20. 2)) ~ I am the Lordtliy God, that is the proper Object of all Religious \Voril1ip; which brought thee out of the -Land of ./Eg)pt, out of the Houfe of Bo.ndage, which being Summarily and Typically reprefentative of all Divine Benefits, Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal, is -the great Mo– ti"e thereunto. The want ofboth thefein all meer Creatures, Saints and Angels, makes the Invocation of them, not only ufelefs, but Ioo1atrous. But they both eminently concur in the Perfon of Chrifr, and his A&ings towards us. AH the PerfeCtions of the Divine Nature ar~ in him, whence he is the proper Object of Religious Invocation. On this account when he ACted in and towards the Church, as the great An– gel (f the Covenant, God infrrucred the people unto all Reli– gious Obfervance of hi!11, and Obedience unto him, Fxod. ~3.· ,_I. Beware vf /Jirrt m:cl c6ey hi.s v oice, prl, v uke him not~ f r he wtll not pardon -''\lour tranfgre.J!iJns, f.;r ~'V name is in him. Becaufe the Name of God was in him, that is, the Divine Nature with foveraign Authority to punifl1 or pardori fin, the~efore was all Religious Obedience due unto him. And no Motives are wanting hereunto. All that the Lord Chrifi: hath done for us, and, all the Principles of Love,Grace, Compaffion and Power from whence what he bath fo done die\ proceed, are all of this nature. And they are accompa– ~ied with the encouragement of his Relation unto us, and R 2 ch arge
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