656 The. Efficacy ofPrayer, Vo1.II, of God's Grace and Spirit , and that God's Spirit is able to work this change in hiní,. and that it is the Will of God that he fhould be, regenerated and fanftified. 3. It is likewife generallygranted, that thefe Preparatory works ofRegeneration, thefe beginnings of our Repentance and turning to God, and all defrres and endea- vours to that purpofe, are acceptable to God. Now from thefe Conceffions it plainly follows , that an unregenerate Man ror pray to God acceptably for his Holy Spirit, to regenerate and fanftifie him. , z. The Matter of his Prayer is verÿ acceptable to God, according to the firs Çonceffion. 2. The manner of it may be acceptable, becaufe an unregenerate Man may pray forthis fincerely, with earneftnefs, and in Faith: fincerely becaufe hemay put up this Prayer to God, out of a true fenfe of his miferable and finful fiate, and his great need of God's Grace and Holy Spirit ; and he that is truly fenlible ofthis, cannot diffenible with God, he cannot but be very real and fincere in this requeft : and this fenfe ofhis condition, and the need ofwhat he alks, will make him earneft and importunate: and he inay pray in Faith, that is, not doubting but that God is able and willing to grant -himwhat he afks, becaufe he may be convinced that the Spirit is able to work this change in hini, and that this is the Will of God, that he fhould be regenerated and fandified, according to the fecond Con_ ceffion. 3. There's no reafon to think that God will not accept fuch a Prayer as this; becaufe thefe preparative works of Regeneration, viz. a fenfe ofour finful fiate, and of our need of God's Grace and Spirit, and earneft Delires and Prayers for thefe, are acceptable to God, according to the third Conceflion. So that now I hope this Objeftion, which bath been fo troublefome to many, is fully fatisfied. As for thofeTexts where it is raid, that the prayer and the facrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, I !hall briefly return this anfwer ; That thereTexts are not to be underítood ofa wicked and unregenerate Man, (imply as fuch, but as refolved to continue fuch. And thusSolomon elfewhere in the Proverbs explains what he means by a wicked Man, Prov. 28. y. He that turneth away his earfrom hearing the law, even his prayer Pall be an abomination. So that the wicked Man, whofe Prayer is an abomination, is fuch an one as is obflinately and refolvedly difobedient, fuch an one as turneth away his earfrom hearing the law. And David touch to the fame purpofe, Pfal. 5o. 15, 16, 17. Call upon me in the day oftrouble; Iwill deliver thee, and thou fhaltglorfeme. But unto the wicked Godfaith,Whathaft thoutodo to declare myflatutes,or that thoufhoulde take mycove- nant in thy mouth? Seeing thouhated infirutlion, andcafe(my words behind thee. Suchwicked Men as will not be reclaimed, What have they to do to pray, or per- form anyother aft of Religion? Nothing that they do, whilft fuch, can be accep- table toGod. And to thefame fenfe David fays elfewhere, IfI regard iniquity in my hedrt`, the Lord will not hear my prayer. God will rejeft the Prayers ofthe belt Ïen, if they retaina fecret love to anyfin. If it be yetfartherobjefted, That unregenerate Men, are out of Chrift, in and through whom we are accepted : To this I anfwer, That thofe only who are in Chrift, are in a (lateofperfeft acceptancewith God : but the beginning of this fiate, and all tendency towards it, fuch as is hearty and earneft Prayer to God for his Holy Spirit to regenerate and fanftifie us, have their degrees of acceptance from their relation to theperfeft ftatewhereofthey are thebeginnings, and towardwhich they tend: for by the faine reafon that a regenerate fiate is acceptable to God, all the beginnings ofit, and preparations to it are proportionably acceptable ; the de- grees of acceptance being proportionable to thedifference which is between thebe- ginning of a thing, and the perfeftion of it. Having thus endeavour'd to clear this Truth, I come in the Fourth andlas place to make fome brief Application of it to our (elves. r. This
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