V. Prov. xii. 21. SERM. fift in a fatisfaction of mind concerning events, he cannot fail of most profperous fuccefs. Whatfoever he doeth, Pfal. i. 3. faith the Pfalmift of him, it shall profper. How is that? Doth he, if he warreth, always get the victory? is he perpetually, when he tradeth, a confiderable gainer? will he certainly, after fowing, reap a plentiful crop? Probably yes; and perhaps no. Yet affuredly he thall profper, in the true notion of profperity, explained by those divine Pl. xxxvii. fayings: Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; Ifa. xxxii. for the end of that man is peace. The work of righteoufnefs fhall be peace, and the effect of righteoufnefs quietness Ecclef. viii. and affurance for ever. Surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God. 37. 17. 12. He cannot be much defeated in his purposes: for, as to his general, principal, absolute defigns, (that is, his defign of pleasing God, and procuring his favour; his defign of fatisfying himself, and discharging his confcience; his defign of promoting his own fpiritual interest, and saving his foul; his defign of doing good, of exercifing charity to his neighbour, of serving the public, of obliging the world by virtuous example, and by real beneficence;) these he cannot fail throughly to accomplish; nothing can obftruct him in the profecution, nothing can debar him from the execution of these undertakings; in fpite of all the world, by the fuccour of that divine grace which ever doth favour and further fuch designs, he most happily will achieve them. And for other inferior defigns, he can hardly be croffed in regard to them: for it is an effential part of integrity, not otherwise to affect or aim at private fecular interefts, than under condition, and with a refervation, if it be God's pleasure, if it seem good to divine wisdom. He knoweth that his pains employed on any honeft purpose, in a fair way, (be it to procure fome worldly advantage for himself, for his relations, or for his friend,) are not loft, if they have the fruit of fubmiffion to God's will, and acquiefcence in the event difpofed by him. He is affured that it is good luck to have his project blafted, and that miffing is better than getting, when by fovereign wisdom it is fo determined. He there V. fore could not fo fix his heart, or engage his affection in SERM. any fuch concern, that his mind is surprised, or his paffions discomposed by a feeming adverfenefs of events to his endeavours. So that in effect he can have no bad success. For how can that occurrence be deemed bad, which plain reason dictateth in certain judgment to be most expedient for him; about which he ever was very indifferent, and with which at present he is not heartily displeased? How can it be taken for difappointment and misfortune, which one was prepared to embrace with fatisfaction and complacence ? Yea, to a perfon fo difpofed, that fuccefs which feemeth most adverse, justly may be reputed the best and most happy, as promoting ends incomparably more excellent than any worldly gain; as producing fruits exceedingly more wholesome and more favoury than any temporal commodity ; as exercifing and improving the divinest virtues, (humility, patience, meeknefs, moderation, contentedness,) a grain whereof is worth all the wealth, all the preferment, all that is defirable in the world. Wherefore let the worst that can arrive, (or that which human blindness and fondness do count the worst,) yet upright perfons do not come off ill, or so (matters being rightly stated) as to be lofers upon the foot of the ac count. 27. If this do not fatisfy groffer apprehenfions, we may add, that even in these meaner concerns Almighty God is pleased commonly to reward and encourage upright perfons by the best fuccefs. For he hath as it were a natural inclination to gratify those who defire to please him; and, as the Pfalmift expreffeth it, hath pleasure in the profperity Pfal. xxxv. of his fervants. He may feem concerned in honour to Prov. xi. 20.. countenance those who have regard to his will, and who xv. 9. repose confidence in his aid; difcriminating them from fuch as prefume to act against or without him, in defiance to his will, with no deference to his providence. As they Prov. xiv.2. do render him his due refpect, by fubmitting to his authority, and avowing his power; fo he will acknowledge them by fignally favouring their concerns. Even his V. SERM. truth and fidelity are engaged in their behalf; seeing he very often hath declared and promised, that in all matters, and upon all occafions, he will be ready to bless them. Deut. xxviii. 2. Xxx. 9. 1, 2. xci. 1. xxxiv. 9, 11. X. To conclude; It is an infinite advantage of upPf. cxxviii. right dealing, that at the laft iffue, when all things shall be moft accurately tried and impartially decided, a man is 10. lxxxiv. affured to be fully juftified in it, and plentifully rewarded Matt. vi. 33. for it. As then all the deceits, which now pass under Ecclef. viii. fpecious masks, shall be laid bare; all varnish of pretence Prov.xxviii. fhall be wiped off; all perverse intrigues fhall be unra10. 20. x. 6. velled; all wicked and base intentions fhall be quite 5. (Prov. xi. 18.) ftripped of the veils which now enfold them; all fhrewd contrivers and engineers of mischief, all practisers of unjust and malicious guile, fhall be exposed to fhame, shall lie down in forrow: fo then the righteous man fhall ftand in great boldness; his cafe will be rightly stated, and fully cleared from flanderous afperfions, from odious furmises, from unlucky prejudices and mistakes: what he hath done fhall be approved; what he hath suffered shall be repaired. So that it then evidently will appear, that upright fimplicity is the deepest wisdom, and perverse craft the meereft fhallowness; that he who is true and just to others, is most faithful and friendly to himself; that whoever doth abuse his neighbour, is his own greatest cheater and foe. Rom. ii. 16. For, In the day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus Chrift, every man's work shall be made manifeft. 1 Cor. iii. The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifeft the counfels of the hearts; and then Shall every man have praife of God. Unto which our up 13. iv. 5. 17. 1 Tim. i. right Judge, the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wife God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. SERMON VI. OF THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 1 THESS. V. 17. Pray without ceafing. It is the manner of St. Paul in his Epiftles, after that he SERM. hath difcuffed fome main points of doctrine or discipline, (which occafion required that he should clear and settle,) to propose several good advices and rules, in the observance whereof the life of Chriftian practice doth confift. So that he thereby hath furnished us with so rich a variety of moral and spiritual precepts, concerning fpecial matters, fubordinate to the general laws of piety and virtue ; that out of them might well be compiled a body of ethics, or fyftem of precepts de officiis, in truth and in completeness far excelling those which any philosophy hath been able to devife, or deliver. These he rangeth not in any formal method, nor linketh together with ftrict connection, but freely scattereth them, fo as from his mind (as out of a fertile foil, impregnated with all feeds of wisdom and goodness) they did aptly spring up, or as they were fuggefted by that holy Spirit which continually guided and governed him. Among divers fuch delivered here, this is one, which fhall be the fubject of my prefent difcourfe; the which, having no other plain coherence (except by affinity of matter) with the reft inclofing it, I fhall confider abfo VI. SERM. lutely by itself, endeavouring fomewhat to explain it, and VI. to urge its practice. Pray without ceafing. For understanding these words, let us first confider what is meant by the act enjoined, praying; then, what the qualification or circumstance adjoined, without ceafing, doth import. 1. The word prayer doth, in its ufual latitude of acception, comprehend all forts of devotion, or all that part of religious practice, wherein we do immediately address ourfelves to God, having by fpeech (oral or mental) a kind of intercourfe and conversation with him. So it includeth that praise which we fhould yield to God, implying our due esteem of his most excellent perfections, moft glorious works, moft juft and wife difpenfations of providence and grace; that thanksgiving whereby we should express an affectionate refentment of our obligation to him for the numberless great benefits we receive from him; that acknowledgment of our entire dependence upon him, or our total fubjection to his power and pleafure; together with that profeffion of faith in him, and avowing of fervice to him, which we do owe as his natural creatures and fubjects; that humble confeffion of our infirmity, our vilenefs, our guilt, our misery, (joined with deprecation of wrath and vengeance,) which is due from us as wretched men, and grievous finners; that petition of things needful or convenient for us, (of supply in our wants, of fuccour and comfort in our diftreffes, of direction and affiftance in our undertakings, of mercy and pardon for our offences,) which our natural state (our poor, weak, fad, and finful state) doth engage us to feek; that interceffion for others, which general charity or special relation do require from us, as concerned or obliged to defire and promote their good. All these religious performances prayer, in its larger notion, doth comprise; according whereto in common ufe the whole body of divine fervice, containing all fuch acts, is termed prayer; and temples, confecrated to the performance of all holy duties, are styled houfes of prayer; and that brief directory, or pregnant form of all devotion, which our Lord |