but as Idolaters are always seeking a Reason in Man for the Motive of God's favour to him whereas when God gives any thing 't is not for the Merit of the Person he gives it to Yes say they he gave Abraham the promise of Canaan for his Faith so highly approved of in Scripture But who gave Abraham that Faith They say He was so ingenuous as to believe upon God's Call Ay but who gave him that Ingenuity If it were a Good Gift it came from above We must look upon all God's After-Gifts as we do upon those which we first and originally received from him at our Creation as proceeding from no antecedent merit on our Part that invited them God gave no man Beauty Sharpness of Wit or any other Grace of Body or Mind for any antecedent Graces that were in him it were as absurd and ridiculous to say That any one merited the Preheminences and Advantages he has above others as to say he could merit his Being it self before he had one but as God's Goodness was the Fountain so 't was the sole Motive of his Endowments Let no Man go say this Day among us That 't was for his Loyalty and adhering to the true Religion when so many were Schismaticks and Traytors that God let him behold the Restoration of the King and Church after their fatal Ruine but for his own Bounty sake and the Reasons of his unsearchable Wisdom For what could it profit any man to hold the Truth in Unrighteousness to be Orthodox in Profession as many boast themselves to be and Ethnicks in Manners Loyal to their Prince and Vicious in their Lives I shall name but one Circumstance more of God's Bounty to Israel and little more than name it and that is the Smallness of the Return he required for all his immense Favours it was only That they should live according to his Holy Laws A performance rather delightsom than burthensom so natural and reasonable that a Wise man would close with the Condition upon the bare hearing it without Stipulation Israels manner of Tenure of God's Favour was like our Tenure in the Church by Frank Alms who for many comfortable and too often envy'd Endowments are obliged only to send up Prayers and Thansgivings to God and to perform such other Duties as conduce to our Eternal Felicity God's very appointment of so merciful a Return to Israel was of it self a Singular Mercy But because this falls into my second General Part Why or for what End God gave the Lands and Labours of the Heathen into the Possession of the Israelites I shall not prevent my self by enlarging on it before the time And he gave them the lands and labour of the Heathen Why That they might observe his Statutes and keep his Laws Statutes and Laws are much the same in Sense and seem here to be but two Names for one thing Laws being so called from their binding Authority and Statutes from their being establisht or decreed Likewise the observing the one and keeping the other are but two Expressions again of the same Duty for by keeping the Laws is meant that men should not wittingly violate them and by observing the Statutes that they should not transgress them through Ignorance or Incogitancy as S t Paul says in a like Case Therefore we ought to give more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip But what were the Laws and the Statutes for the keeping of which God accumulated so many Extraordinary Benefits on Israel The Jews had three Sorts of Laws Judicial which related to their Civil Affairs the Tryals of Justice and punishing Criminals Ceremonial which belonged to Religion as the Laws of Sacrifices Observations of Days Purifications c. Thirdly the Moral Law contained in the Ten Commandments The two former Sort though they proceeded from the same Divine Wisdom and were established by the same Divine Authority as the last yet their Deductions being so remote from their Principles like the Branches or Twigs of a Tree from the Root and their Reason and Equity not so discernible they were enjoyed only as the Rudiments or Elements of a Science not so much for themselves as for a further End And as such Rudiments or Elements are laid aside when once the Science it self is attained so the Judicial and Ceremonial Laws were laid aside as soon as the End for which they were given was attained But the Moral Law quite of another Nature is the very Transcript or Copy of the Eternal Law of Reason residing in God's own Breast and can no more be abrogated than Vertue and Righteousness can be abrogated it being the same thing with them And therefore though God did require at the present that All his Laws and Commandments of what Kind soever should be kept and observ'd yet it was the Moral Law for which he was chiefly concerned the Law of Eternal and Immutable Goodness not temporarily impos'd upon Men but interwoven into their very Nature at their Creation and which though a long Night of Sin may obscure and dim the Characters of nothing can utterly obliterate 'T is true this Law was afterwards written on Tables of Stone but that was but for the same Reason that we write them now adays on our Church-Walls to put men in remembrance of them and to send them to consult the Tables of their Hearts where they were before engraved But to proceed God's Laws as my Text declares go hand in hand with his Benefits his Favours and Commandments are never divided but where he confers his Bounty he always exacts Obedience Men are willing to think as Israel did that all the Good they receive from God is merely for their Accommodation and that he has no regard to his own Glory and Service in bestowing them that the Sun was made only to give them Light to distinguish their Seasons and to ripen their Fruit Corn and Wine and other Products of the Earth to furnish their Tables and relieve their Necessities c. Whereas these were given not only as Blessings but as Documents and Instructions not so much to indulge the Outward as to edifie the Inward Man to bring the Partakers of them to the Knowledge Fear and Love of the Deity and if we would reflect on the End of God's Benefits as well as barely on his Benefits that which the Vine boasts of it self in the Parable would be found true of all other good Creatures viz. that they would cheer both God and Man at the same time i. e. refresh and comfort indigent Man and occasion Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and Obedience to the Almighty 'T is a Maxime even in the Gifts of Men conferr'd on one another and grounded on good reason Omne beneficium est propter officium every Good-turn is for the sake of some Good-turn and Gifts otherwise bestowed are justly lookt upon as proceeding only from Weakness as the Effects of Prodigality or some
the Swords of those whose Relations he had murthered So let no Man after a Wicked Life hope to find a Place so remote obscure or fortify'd as to protect him from God's Vengeance 'T is said That Kings have long arms and can reach Delinquents at a great Distance but the King of Kings has much longer and if the Offenders against him could take Refuge even in the Centre of the Earth obtain of the Rocks to shelter them or the Mountains to fall upon them the Angels would fetch them from thence to Judgment There are none that shall escape none that shall be dispens'd with from appearing before the Tribunal of God and receiving their Doom at the Last Day Only it is now in our power while we are yet in this Life to make it a happy or unhappy Doom a Doom that adjudges us to Crowns and Scepters or to Chains and Everlasting Torments Repentance and a Holy Life will turn that Day of Terrour into a Day of Rejoicing make the Ominous Portents the dreadful Thunders and other amazing Concomitants of it but as the loud Musick cheerful Acclamations and Solemnities which attend a Triumph or Coronation I say which attend our own Triumph and Coronation as S t Paul assures us 2 Tim. 4 8. I have finisht my Course says he I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them that love his appearance However the Predictions of the Last Day cause Consternation and Distraction of Mind in Wicked Doers to the Righteous they are altogether Gospel or Good Tidings they that keep God's Laws cannot chuse but love and delight in his Appearance Let the Heavens rejoice and the Earth be glad says the Psalmist Let the Field be joyful and all that is therein before the Lord And why all this Joy For he cometh for he cometh to judge the World and the People with Equity And Luke 21.28 says our Lord When these things come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh To God the Father Son and Holy Ghost be ascribed all Honour Glory c. The Eighteenth Sermon 1 PETER iv 8 And above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity covereth the multitude of Sins THE Commandment of Charity if we look to the Birth and Cradle of it is as ancient as Adam for this Natural Law Deal so with others as you would have them deal with you which is the radical and original Precept out of which this Gospel one did immediately issue Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self sprung-up with Nature and is as old as it mutual Love beginning with mutual Society and affection to one another being exercised as soon as there was a Pair in the World to keep it up But the Practice of the Jews in our Saviour's time much thwarted this Precept Sect was against Sect the Pharisee against the Sadducee and the Sadducee against the Pharisee and both against Christ Professions and Offices were made Crimes Publicans the Receivers of Tribute were counted Sinners again Revenge was held as lawful as Punishment Extrajudicial Righting of a man's self as Judicial Censures Do Good to those that do Good to you and Evil to those that do Evil was good Ethicks among them and the Moral Man esteem'd to appear as eminent in practising the last part of this Maxime as the first So that the Precept of Charity was in a manner wholly extinguish'd among them so overwhelmed with the Rubbish of ill Customs and worse Traditions that to clear it and make it shine out again was a Work as hard as to introduce something that never before was Which caus'd our Lord to call this Commandment a New one I give you a New Commandment says he That ye love one another New not as if it then first entred the World but because it was then renew'd to them as things redeem'd from the injury of Age and Oblivion appear fresh and new when they are brought into Use and Fashion again But we may admire that the World has so much agreed in all Times to abrogate this Law brought in at first by General Interest and of so Universal Benefit that we may say with Tully Non aquâ non igne non aëre pluribus locis utimur quà m amicitiâ we stand not more in need of water fire or air in every turn of our Lives than of Friendship or the mutual Offices of Love And if this Law were entertained it would render all other Laws useless it would disannul the Commandments by fulfilling them it would remove heaps of Legal Cautions and Provisions the two Tables would be no more necessary to Men than to Angels private Grudges open Wars Rebellions Factions Schisms would all vanish every Person would be not only more holy in himself but would cause others to be more holy many Sins would be amended by a fair Example many would be extenuated by a candid Interpretation many overcome by a kind and amicable Usage Therefore as the Apostle advises in the foregoing Verses mortifie your Lusts be sober and watch unto Prayer neglect not necessary Duty But above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity shall cover the multitude of Sins In the Words we may observe these four things I. The Habit or Grace that is enjoin'd Love Not that Passion which is born with all Sensitive Creatures and is common to Men and Beasts but that Theological Vertue which is infus'd into Man only 't is not simply Love but Christian and Brotherly Love Have Charity II. The Degree of this Habit the Intenseness of this Divine Quality and that is Fervency it is not enough to have a remiss lukewarm Charity it must burn and glow in us Have fervent Charity III. The Object of this Vertue that which bounds and terminates it and is adequately commensurate to it and that is All Men in general the Object is as large as Humane Nature our Charity is not to be ty'd to Families or Tribes to Sects or Nations or whatever Partitions else Policy or Passion have made use of to distinguish and estrange men from one another but it is to be extended to all not to this or that Man but to Mankind as 't is indefinitely express'd in my Text Among your selves IV. The Inforcement of the Practice of this Quality and that is by the Recommendation of it from its Operation or Effect it covers Sins together with the Extent of that Effect not one or two but many and many Sins For Charity shall cover the Multitude of Sins I begin first with the Habit or Vertue it self contain'd in these Words Have Charity The Charity or Love here enjoined us is not I say that melting Passion that is common to Men and Beasts an affection awaken'd in us by the beholding of outward Beauty the comely
contrariety of sin to God who is all Light and to walk in sin is to walk in darkness the unsuteableness of such ways to the glorious Promises they expected the vileness of earthly things in comparison of things heavenly and the like And in the Words of my Text he adds two Reasons more taken from two things which he says they did know but did not duly consider The first from the purpose of the manifestation of Christ in the Flesh which was to take away sin And the second from the Sanctity of his Life which was an even course of righteousness Christ purposing to take away Sin by his Example as well as by his Death and Sufferings And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin We may observe in the Words these three things I. The Purpose of the manifestation of Christ in the Flesh It was to take away sin II. The Purpose of his holy Life That was also to take away sin For S t John alledges this for a Motive as well as his manifestation in the Flesh That in him was no sin III. The Inference from these two Purposes imply'd in the Argumentation of the Apostle though not express'd in his Words That it is the Duty of all Christ's Followers as far as 't is possible for frail men to be without sin I begin with the Purpose of Christ's Manifestation in the Flesh To take away sin And first a few things Of his Manifestation Christ's coming into the World is express'd in Scripture by this Term of Manifestation to shew that 't was of a different kind from other mens who had no Being before their productions into the World unless in a very imperfect way of conceiving it viz. in their Causes and Principles But Christ before he was born into the World had a full and perfect Existence even from all Eternity and did only assume our Nature to his Pre-existent Being thereby to enable him to perform the Work of our Salvation and more familiarly to converse with Mankind as our Apostle says that we might see and hear and handle the Word of Life And 't was in reference to his Being before he was born of the Virgin that Old Zachary compares his Manifestation in the Flesh to the rising of the Sun above the Horizon Whereby the Day-spring says he from on high hath visited us The Sun 's Rising we know is not his first Being as some ignorant People of old conceived who thought he was extinguish'd every Night in the Sea and a new one lighted every Morning But the Sun before he comes forth to us as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber has run his Course to many People and Nations So likewise Christ the Sun of righteousness before he shone to us here on Earth had run the Course of Eternity as I may say with his Father being the power of God from all Ages the Image of his Goodness and the brightness of his Person And this by the way may arme us against the errour and seduction of the Ebionites Samosatenians reviv'd again by the Socinians in later days who teach That Christ had no Being before he was conceived by the Virgin of the Holy Ghost Christus non fuit ante Mariam Virginem Mary the Virgin say they and Christ the Saviour were Cotemporaries Thus these Hereticks while they feared to worship a Man denyed the Son of God and ran into the highest Infidelity and Sacriledge to avoid only a supposed Idolatry But to proceed The Manifestation of Christ unto the World in our Nature the Appearance of the Son of God in the Flesh to speak strictly was rather an Obscuration than a Manifestation of him As the interposition of a Cloud between the sight of our Eyes and the Sun is a veiling and not a shewing of him so the exhibiting of Christ in the beggarly Raggs of our Flesh and Bloud was a disguising not a revealing of him That God who is incomprehensible and unconceiveable hid from our senses and hid from our understandings not by Darkness but by excess of Light and Glory and our incapacity to behold him would stoop to manifest himself to mortal eyes though in the most excellent created Form whatsoever was an infinite diminution of his Majesty But to manifest himself not only to but in our Nature must be confest to be the greatest Clouding and Absconding and not Revelation of the Deity imaginable and such as could never have entred into the thoughts of Man to believe if it had not been done and seen But however that this is most true yet if we consider this Mystery rightly for though the Evangelists set down the Manifestation of Christ in the Flesh Historically S t Paul speaks of it as of a high Mystery we shall find that God could no way have more eminently declared his Wisdom and consulted the infirmity of Men in the manifesting of his Son to the World than after that mean manner which he did that such his eclipsing and obscuring him was the most advantageous and effectual way of revealing him For in the first Place how was it possible for mortal eyes to have seen the Immortal God otherwise Alas we cannot behold the Sun but in his setting as one says Spectantes oculos infirmo lumine passus our weak Eyes are not able to gaze on that glorious Luminary in its Meridian strength but if we will see its Beauty we must watch the opportunity of its infirmity For otherwise the greater its lustre is the greater is our darkness to perceive it How then could we have beheld the Glory of Christ the ineffable Glory I say which he had with his Father from all Eternity His three Disciples were as dead men beholding only his Transfiguration and those that apprehended him in the Garden upon the streaming-forth only of some Rays of his Divinity through the Cloud of his Flesh fell twice to the Ground who could then have stood or supported the Fulguration as I may say of his Deity in its full Glory It was not possible for Christ to have appeared but in some exinanition or being stript of his Majesty the Son of God to have convers'd with Mankind but in the Clothing of Humanity 2. If we consider the Purpose of his Manifestation which was to take away sin it was not possible again to have effected this by any other Manifestation but such as was also an Obscuration of him For how could he have been subject to the Law in his Divine Nature delivered up into the hands of wicked men suffered Death and the like How could he have fulfilled the Types that shadow'd him in the Law the Paschal Lamb the Goat for the Sin-Offering the Ram caught by the Horns in the Bush c. unless he had been hamper'd as I may say and caught in our Flesh intangled in our infirmities found as St. Paul says in the similitude of a man There had been no Sacrifice no Propitiation
Men do but the Spirit of God as they fansie doing all things in them to say they could sin were to say that God himself could Sin however therefore all Breaches and Transgressions of the Law are Criminal in other Men in them they are only Nominal and Seeming Sins Sins improperly and falsly so called from the similitude they bear to them And on this account they reprove none among themselves for committing the most heinous and flagitious Crimes but for shewing Sorrow for them after it being not Sin in their Opinion but a Remorse for Sin that is the Sign of an Unregenerate State the discerning a Difference between Good and Evil which they call the Relish of Eves Apple still remaining and endeavour by all means to eradicate perswading themselves that when they have destroyed all Sense of Sin they are arrived to the highest Point of Saintship and Perfection to the very State of Innocence in which Adam was created the State in which he knew no Evil. Miserably dreaming because Adam knew no Difference between Good and Evil Experimentally before his Fall that he knew not any Intellectually And thus we see not to believe Rightly of the Person of Christ is in truth not to believe in Christ to deny either his Humanity or Divinity is in Effect not to be a Christian. It is not only necessary therefore to receive all that is delivered By him but also all that is delivered Of him to acknowledge him to be our God as well as our Saviour and to adore him as well as to be Instructed by him To say in these days with the People in my Text He or This Man hath done all things well were no less than Sacriledge when our Style ought to be The Eternal Son of God blessed for evermore hath done all things well And so I pass to the Second Particular The Kind or Nature of the Peoples Verdict it was an Approbation He hath done Well The Peoples Approbation here was rightly grounded they concluded with good Reason That he that had made the Deaf and Dumb to hear and speak was a Prophet and no Deceiver that he whose Works were so Mighty must himself be Holy and his Words True Miracles are infallible Signs of a Divine Person Irrefragable Testimonies of a Man of God as the Widow of Zarephath rightly concluded when Elijah restored her dead Son to Life Now says she I know thou art a Man of God and that the Word of the Lord in thy Mouth is Truth and likewise Nicodemus when he said to our Lord Rabbi we know thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man can do the Miracles thou dost except God be with him Our Lord himself made use of this Argument drawn from his Mighty Works as his last Appeal for the Truth of his Divine Mission says he If I do not the Works of my Father believe me not but if I do though ye believe not me believe the Works Thus even licensing the Infidelity of men in case he had not performed Works above the Power and Ability of men At the first production of the Creatures there were certain Properties or Qualities implanted in them as Descending to heavy Bodies Ascending to light moving Circularly to heavenly c. Now when it comes to pass that Heavy things move Upwards and Light Downwards when Water a fluid Body is made a Pavement or a Wall the Fiery Furnace a Refrigeratory as Nebuchadnezzar's was to the three Children circa frigidos capillorum globulos innoxium luxit incendium says S t Jerome the harmless Flame did only shine upon not singe their curled Locks When I say the Courses of Nature are thus changed and its Laws inverted when the Creature is fashioned again anew as the Author of the Book of Wisdom speaks and is made to observe Particular Commands it is a Kind of Second Creation For none can change the Laws of Nature but the God of Nature Well therefore did S t Augustine say Habent Miracula linguam suam opera sunt argumenta Miracles have a Tongue and speak and they are not only Works but Arguments To give a man Speech that was born without it is even of it self a Kind of Speech the Speech no less than of the Almighty for God appears not Personally to converse with Men but such as these are his Utterances of himself to the World neither did the Voices that broke from the Clouds at the Baptism and Transfiguration of our Lord saying This is my Beloved Son more clearly and intelligibly declare to the Hearers who Christ was than the Voice of God in every Miracle he wrought pronounc'd the same thing but on all his Mighty Works was engraved in bright and shining Characters This is my Beloved Son and again This is my Beloved Son hear him The first Way I say was not more convincing to mens Senses than the second was argumentative to their Reason and there is but One and the same Proof of the Deity and of the Truth of Christ's Pretences and they are either both True or both False he that gives Hearing to the Deaf-born is a Righteous Person or he that made the Ear is nothing he that gives Speech to the Dumb-born has done well or he that made the Tongue is a mere Chimaera But yet this is to be received with some Caution for there are two Uses which God makes of Miracles The one to plant Faith And the other to try the Constancy of Believers And as God sent Christ and the Prophets before him with the Power of working Miracles for the first End so he permits Anti-Christ and other Impostors to work False Signs and Wonders for the second End and those so seemingly true as to deceive if it were possible the very Elect. You will say then Which of these two shall have the Preheminence in our Belief how shall we know to which to adhere both performing the same Works but drawing several Ways Must these Miracle-Workers as one asks the Question take place as Women in a Bake-house the first Comer the first served There is a Rule set down Deut. 13.1 how we are to carry our selves in this Case and to judge of Miracles If there arise among you a Prophet says Moses or a Dreamer of Dreams and gives you a Sign or a Wonder and the Sign or the Wonder comes to pass whereof he spake unto you saying Let us go after other Gods which you have not known and let us serve them you shall not hearken unto the Word of that Prophet for the Lord your God proveth you Now the Wonders and Signs performed by Anti-Christ and other Impostors are all to this Purpose To draw men from the Worship of the True God or at least from some Fundamental Points in Religion For as S t Paul says of Anti-Christ He opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself to be God When
Endowments S t James notes that Elijah by the power of prayer shut the Windows of Heaven and caused a Dearth and again open'd them and made Plenty But the Prayers of the Apostles wrought not only Wonderful Effects in the second Region of the Air in the Magazines of Snow and Rain but entering into the Heaven of Heavens call'd down Showres of Supernatural and Divine Graces And though before the time of Christ it was said That 't was not known that God so hearkened to the Voice of a Man as he did to Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still yet after Christ's ascension he frequently hearkened to the Voice of Men and effected greater Wonders For after this Promise was once of force Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you nothing was impossible nothing was difficult to a Disciple of Christ. But some perhaps will say That it does not appear that this Promise was fulfilled according to the Extent and Latitude of it even to the Apostles themselves not to say how little of it has been made good to the Faithful since For undoubtedly S t Paul was not the only Person that prayed thrice i. e. often and instantly that the Thorn in his Flesh might be taken away and was not heard but others also of the Apostles and first Planters of the Gospel made many earnest Supplications for Success to their Endeavours and Deliverance in their Persecutions and were not answered in their Petitions So that this Promise Whatsoever ye shall ask c. seems to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Promise with Repentance which was never made good To this may be said in general what S t Paul says of all God's Promises That in him they are Yea and Amen i. e. Truths which are ratified with Performances But when we meet with such General and Unlimited Expressions as this in my Text Whatsoever ye shall ask he will give it you though we ought to look upon them as no more than what God is both able and willing to perform when any Just Cause shall require yet they are only then to be expected from him when a Just Cause does require For we must not imagine because he promises according to the Greatness of his own Power and Goodness that he promises according to the Extravagance of Mens Lusts and Phancies because he promises Liberally that he promises also like Herod Licentiously who at a wanton Banquet engaged the one half of his Kingdom to a dancing Damsel and gratify'd a Harlot with the Head of a Saint God's Unlimited Promises are to be understood like the Unlimited Promise of the Good Samaritan when he left the Wounded Man in the Inn Whatsoever thou spendest more says he to the Host I will give it thee i. e. in Order to the hurt man's Recovery the Credit did not extend to the Purchace of the Inn in case his Guest had desired it And if we shall thus receive the Words of our Lord cum grano Salis as they say but with two Grains only of prudent Interpretation cast into them we shall understand their just Latitude and Extent Whatsoever ye shall ask he will give it you i. e. si justum si rationabile if it be Righteous if it be Reasonable First If it be Righteous Righteous in the Matter Righteous in the End and Righteous in the Manner of the Petition 1. Righteous in the Matter if it be something Pious or Charitable that is pray'd for something for God's Honour or the Spiritual Advantage of the Votary something in a word worthy to concern and engage Heaven in for if men shew themselves over-much in love with the things of this Life too solicitous for that which is Vile and Transitory when they have the Promise of things Eternal this declares a Degenerateness in their Affections and an Indecorum that is reprovable and not rewardable as 't is said indecorum est ei curare de cibo qui militat de regno Care of the Belly and the Kitchin ill becomes him that is in pursuance of a Kingdom Such as these while they pray to God despise him and let them not hope while they set at Nought the Glories of Heaven that he will regard their abject Desires he promised to give to them that ask'd in his Son's Name not in the Name of the World 2. Righteous in the End The End of what men desire should be the Glory of God for if it be to satisfie their Pride Revenge Concupiscence c. 't is enough again to put an Embargo upon their Requests as S t James says Ye ask and ye receive not because ye ask for your Lusts and though God has promised to have his Ears open to faithful Prayers he has not engaged to assist Sin or to be accessory to Wickedness 3. Righteous in the Manner if men lift up pure and holy Hands sincere and faithful Hearts without Hypocrisie and without Presumption neither doubting nor tempting God constant but with resignation devout but yet humble Zealous and Fervent but without Murmuring and impatience Heaven is taken by Violence but 't is by an Agonistical not a Hostile Violence by contesting with our own Sins not by quarrelling with God his Kingdom is not to be storm'd after the manner the Poets feign'd the Giants to assault Olympus but to be conquered by Submission Duty and Devotion God is to be wrestled with as Jacob did with the Angel in Faith and Prayer and they are brutish who because he has promised his Servants shall have power With him expect to have a power Over him And thus as our Prayers must be Righteous have nothing in them repugnant to God's Holiness and Majesty so secondly they must be Reasonable i. e. agreeable to God's Divine Will for Reasonable here is not to be measur'd by what is Reasonable to us but to God that which is often Good and fit in our Eyes is not so in his If therefore as S t John says we ask according to his Will he heareth us And a thing may be supposed to be ask'd according to his Will three Ways 1. If it be not contrary to his Decrees something which he has predetermined for these are immutable and though Noah Daniel or Job should intercede they should not prevail again as reducible to these if the Prayer be not against the Decrees or Laws of Nature For though I confess the Promise made to the Apostles in my Text relates chiefly to things of a Miraculous Nature yet the Promise in that part is not to be extended beyond the Apostles Own Persons or the Time of the first planting the Gospel To bring about some great Designs of his in the World God thought fit to interrupt and discompose the Order of Nature but 't is not for Men at their Pleasure to think to do the same Miracles 't is true were wrought by Men but they were never wrought by the Will of men and 't is a Fanatick Presumption