Spiritual PerfeCliou. The Pardon of Sin is attended with all the mo!t exceller.t Bleffin:;s, the tef.imonies of his Favour. Guilc feals d1e fountain, and flops the cur rem of ;vh.:rcies; ic er.poE:s us to the Terrors of the Lord. If Sin be pardon'd, Peace of Con!Cience is a R_,;inDuw of Tranquiliry in the ftorms of outward Evils. If Guile be not abalifh'd, a Smner ia the mofllhining ProfperiJ:y, has fearful darknefs within. . . ( z.) This Relation gives us an adoptive freedom, and Joyful accefs to God in Prayer. God, upon his Throne of Glory, or his Throoeof Judgment, {lrikes us with Terror; but upJn the Throne of Grace, as our Father, invites our Addreffes. The Apo!lle incourages us to come with ho!dnefs to the Throne of Grace, or Gr.ace upon the Throne, di[/'enjing Grace and Mercy in time of need. We lland in need of Mercy to pardon, and Grace eo preferve us from Sin, of Counfel and Comfort 10 our variOus Ex1genctes, and our Heavenly Father is able and ready to grant our Requdls. 'Tis the Law of Heaven, tha t Bleffings are to be obtained by Prayer; for that is the homage due to God's eternal Greatnefs; 'tis the acknowledgment of his All-foJfficiencr, chat he can fupply al1 our Wants, fatisfie our Defircs, allay our Sorrows, fabdue our Fears; 'tis the glorifying his Mercy that inclines him to relit:ve the miferablt: and unworthy of his Benefits. The whole Trinity afford.-; incouragemcot to ~ur Faith in humble Prayer. The Mercy :or the Father who receives them, the Mems of the Son who prefents them, and the A ffil!ance of the Holy Spirit who indices them. If we come jealous as Strangers, or fearful as Slaves, and not wirh a Filial freedom and reliance, we difparage his love and power. A regular truft of Benignity in rhe givc;r, and diftanr from all prefUmpr ion of Merits in the receiver, is very honourable to God, and beneficial to us. Our Saviour confirms our Hope by a powerful Argument; If yor1 that are evi~ know how ~o give good gifts to JOU~ Childru1, how much more jhAUy01er bea· venly F1tber J!.IVC xood thmt.s to them that ask htm? The deduCtion is with convincing force and evidence: If the Natural Love of a Father be fo deeply planted in his Heart, that 'tis prodigious if any deny necelfary fupport to their Children; can you fufpe8: that God will not fupply the we.n ts of his Children? An Earthly Parent may be unnatural, ar unable to relieve a Child; but in our heavenly Father, love and power are truly infinite. The llcdfalt belief of this, is the fovereign cure of piercing Cares, the great Compofer of our diflra8::ed Paffions. 7Tis the Apofi:le's Counfel, Be in not hint. careful, btet let your re· qrujls be made knorvn with thankfgivill!f. , and the peace of God thAt pajfes underjlanding·, fba/1 kup yo11r hearts. There is no llleffing fa great, no Evil fa fmall, but we may prayio Faith to God, to bellow the one, and remove the other. Unvaluable Privilcdge! he prote8:s them from Dangers, relieves them in their Troubles, and releafes them out of Troubles. His Eye is intent upon the Righteous; his Ear is open, and inclined to hear their cry ; his hand is as ready as powerful to deliver them from Death: David faith, I ha'Vtfot the Lord alw#JS befort me: HeU at my right hllnd, I /bAfi not be moved. In all his Mtlf!l""'(p~a~. Combats, God appear'd as hisfecond: When bis Dangers wereextream, the {arrows of'ulum<rJidm Deathincompa!Jed bim, hedifpatches a PrayertoHeavenfor fpeedy relief, and God ap.. ~:O~;;;~;_rpf. pear'd in Arms for his ddence. H- · I fhal l add for our DireCtion and Comfort, that the Love and Providence of God is often Etr""'~M, as vifible to the inlightned Mind, in denying fame Petitions of his Children, a~ in grant· ~;!."" Qra • id ing others. Sometimes they pray for temporal things, unbecoming their alhance with fun; e;n-~=~ God, and their inrereA: in his fpecial favour. 'Tis recorded of that Wife Theban, Epami· 119 ': IJil~ '""11· 11011d.ra, that when a Friend, greatly in his efleern, requeA:ed his favour to releafe a mean :Ad. d~:o:::;o Fellow, imprifoned for a Crime, he denied him; and afterward relcafed him at the defire P""':mie, nm ~i;n~;{~1~~~:i~[~," lrt:{,~it~~;eet!~~e ~aa~~;~ oJ';~~ :re;~e:i~;;:;r 1T';~;~~:0;h~;d:;; i::lt~~:::· of thU World, who believe no other happinefs, but the enjoyment of temporal things, ficiis, Amb, fomerimesob~ain their Ddircs; hr~t the Cbildrm of L~~bt are not heard in their Prayers for them; they being unfuirable to their heavenly Dignity, and not the fure flgos of God's favour. Sometimes. by miA:akes, they pray for things prejudicial to their Salvation; and it would be a fevere Judgment if Go:l !hould bellow them. We read of the polfeG.'d Per· fon m the Gofpel, thar the evil Spirit made ufe of hUTongt~e to requeft our Saviottr, th::t he would not torment him , that is, not expel him from his habitation. Thus the Carnal parr, ioctns,d by the Tempter, is ofren clamorous to obtain as a Benefic, that which would be hurrfu! to the Soul, and God is merciful in the denial. We know not what to ask, bur our heaven ly Father Jmows what to give. ~omecimes God bellows equivalent or betcer B!effings than what his Children pray for. If God gives Contentment With Poverty, 'tis equivalent to Riches; if Patil!nce wirh Sick· nefs, 'tis better than Health ; if Ecernal Life in Heaven, 'tis infinitdy better than a long Mm m m 2 Life
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