"ever? doth his promife fail for evermore? Hath God "forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger fhut up his "tender mercies? Selah." He endeavors to take fuch views of the glory and extent of divine mercy as will give him fome ground of hope. He maketh fupplication with ftrong crying and tears. Againft hope he believeth in hope; or refolves, that if he perifh, he fhall perifh at the footstool of mercy. And nothing is fo proper to bring him to this refolution, nay, nothing is fufficient for that purpose, but the freenefs of falvation, as it is offered in the gofpel of Chrift, where all confidence is derived, not from the goodness of the finner, but from the power and grace of the Saviour.

2. Another difficulty to be overcome in prayer is, a frowning Providence difcouraging the mind. When this is added to the former, as they commonly go together, it augments the difficulty, and adds to the diftrefs. When great calamities are brought upon the believer, when one ftroke follows upon the back of another, when fin challenges, and Providence punishes him, he is then in dan ger of giving up his condition as defperate, and without remedy. See the reflections of Job in this ftrain, notwithstanding he is commended to us as a pattern of patience, Job xix. 8, 9, 10. "He hath fenced up my way "that I cannot pass, and he hath fet darkness in my "paths. He hath ftript me of my glory, and taken the "crown from my head. He hath deftroyed me on every "fide, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed "like a tree.".

When the rod of correction falls heavy, the Chriftian finds it very difficult to believe that it comes from the love of a father, and is rather apt to tremble under it as the feverity of a judge. So did Jacob himself, after all his experience, in the clofe of life, Gen. xlii. 36." And Jacob their fa "ther faid unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children; Jofeph is not, Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away all these things are against me." Sometimes the course of Providence in general has the fame effect. The profperity and infolence of finners, the opprefled ftate of the children of God, the difappointed endeavors of his

fervants, make them often call in question his presence, his faithfulness, or his power. This is the fubject of the whole 73d Pfalm, and fummed up in the 10th and 11th verfes: "Therefore his people return hither; and waters "of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, "How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the "Moft High ?"

He that wrestles in prayer, therefore, confiders the depth of Divine Providence with reverence. He dwells upon the wisdom and power of God, who alone can bring light out of darkness, and order out of confufion. He taketh hold of his covenant, and the fure and everlasting mercy that is contained in it, and humbly and earnestly prays for univerfal and abfolute refignation to the divine will. This, my brethren, is one of the greatest and most important objects of prayer, and what believers fhould wrestle for with the greateft fervor and importunity. They fhould cry mightily to God, and expoftulate earnestly with their own hearts, as the Pfalmift, Pf. xlii. 9, 10, 11. "I "will fay unto God my rock, Why haft thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppreffion of the པ enemy? As with a fword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me while they fay daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou caft down, O my foul? and "why art thou difquieted within me? hope thou in God, "for I fhall yet praise him, who is the health of my coun"tenance, and my God." I am not here to go through all the grounds of encouragement on which the fuffering and pleading believer may place his dependence, drawn from the perfections of an unchangeable God, from the power of a Saviour upon a throne, from the precife and exprefs promises in fcripture of fupport or deliverance, and the daily experience of the faithful. It is fufficient that I have pointed out to you the ftate and practice of a diftreffed and afflicted Chriftian wrestling with God.

3. Another difficulty often arifes from unbelieving thoughts, and inward temptations diftreffing the fpirit. Prayer takes its rife from and is carried on by faith. Prayer indeed is little elfe than the immediate and lively exerçife of faith: Heb. xi. 6. For he that cometh to God,

"muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of "them that diligently feek him." On this account, dutiful and acceptable prayer is called the prayer of faith. Who would apply, or who can apply, to God, for any mercy, but from a persuasion, that he is prefent to hear, and that he is able and willing to bestow? Now, when this faith begins to fail, either from its natural weakness, from our finful negligence, from the fubtle infinuations, or the more violent affaults of the adverfary of our falvation, it must be a great hindrance to the exercise of prayer.

Many are the difficulties of this kind which the Chrif tian, from time to time, hath to struggle with. Sometimes he is made to doubt of the certainty, and fometimes of the meaning, of the promises. We fee' fome diftreffed perfons fo embarraffed with fcruples, or fo mifled by controverfy, as to lose the relish and spiritual comfort of the word of God, while they are contending about it. Sometimes

they are made to doubt their own title to apply the promifes, which appear like a rich and fumptuous table, encompaffed with a flaming fword, forbidding their approach. Thus they are led away from the confolation of Ifrael, and made to feek in vain for a foundation of comfort in themfelves. How often do we fee, that the very fenfe of fin, and fear of danger, the very mifery and neceffity which particularly discover the fitnefs and excellence of the truths of the everlasting gospel, are made use of to discou-' rage us from embracing them!

Sometimes the truths themselves are perverted, or fet in oppofition one to another, and mutually deftroy each other's influence. Thus, while the conftant and overruling providence of God fhould be the great foundation both of our faith and prayer, it is fometimes fet in oppofition to both. The falfe reafoner will fay to himself, Why should I pray for deliverance from this diftrefs? why should I pray or hope for the poffeffion of fuch a mercy? The whole order and courfe of events is fixed and unalterable. If it is appointed to happen, it fhall happen, whether I fpeak or be filent; if it is otherwise determined, the prayers of the whole creation will not be able to obtain it."

How unhappily do men thus reafon themfelves out of their own peace! not confidering the unfpeakable abfurdity of making our weak, and imperfect conceptions of the nature and government of God to ftand in oppofition to his own exprefs command. The influence of fecond causes, moral as well as natural, is a matter of undeniable experience. If you acknowledge it in the one, fhould you deny it in the other? Is not intemperance the caufe of difeafe? is not flothfulness the way to poverty is not neglected tillage the caufe of a barren field? and is not reftraining prayer alfo the way to barrennefs of fpirit? Believe it, my bre thren, fervent prayer is as fure and effectual a mean of obtaining thofe mercies which may be lawfully prayed for, as plowing and fowing is of obtaining the fruits of the ground.

Again, fometimes by the cunning of Satan, the believer is driven to the brink of the precipice, and made to doubt of the very being of God, and the reality of all religion. It is cafy to fee, that this muft wholly take away the neceffity and ufe of prayer. But even when it is not fo powerful as to prevent the practice, yet doth it, in a great meafure, cool the fervor and deftroy the comfort of prayer. He that wrestles with God has often thefe difficulties, in a greater or leffer degree, to ftruggle with. Some of them it is his duty to oppofe by reafon, and fome of them directly and immediately to refift and banifh as temptations; and I think an exercifed Chriftian will ufually make the matter of his complaint the fubject of his prayer. This is indeed defeating the tempter with his own weapons: it is bringing sweetness out of the ftrong, and meat out of the eater, when the difficulties thrown in the way of our prayers ferve to excite us to greater ardor, importunity, and frequency in that neceffary and profitable exercife.

4. Another difficulty with which the believer hath to ftruggle, is the coldnefs and flothfulnefs of his own heart. This is as great a hindrance of prayer as any that hath been named; and I believe it is of all others the moft common and prevalent. At the fame time it affords a very mortifying view of our own character and ftate. Strange indeed! that when we confider the great and eternal God with VOL. I. 4 F

whom we have to do, we should find so much difficulty in maintaining a ferious and attentive frame of fpirit! that when we lie under fo great and unfpeakable obligations to his mercy, our fenfe of gratitude fhould be fo weak and languid! that when we have bleffings to afk of so ineftimable value, we should notwithstanding do it with so much indifference! And what is ftranger ftill, are there not many who have tafted, in fome degree, the fweetnels and confolation of communion with God, and yet are ready to return to a ftate of coldnefs and negligence!

I am perfuaded I need not tell any ferious perfon in this affembly the danger or frequency of the Chriftian's being feized with a flothfulness, coldnefs, or fecurity of fpirit. It is probable many are at this moment inwardly afhamed on being thus barely put in mind of it. How often is it the reproach and ftain of all our worship, in public, in family, and in fecret! how easily do we degenerate into a form! how hardly is the spirit and affection kept alive! How many are there over whom confcience has fo much power, that they neither dare abfent themfelves from public ordinances, nor difcontinue the form of fecret duty; and yet they may continue long in a heartlefs, lifelefs, and unprofitable attendance upon both! Times of deep conviction, of heavy affliction, or haraf fing temptation, are more diftreffing; but they are not fo infnaring, as this leprofy that creeps upon us in a feason of quiet and ferenity. The other difficulties, if I may fpeak fo, force us to wrestle with them, because they leave us no peace; but this tempts us to fit fill under it, because it gives us no difturbance.

He that wreftles with God in prayer, then, muft maintain a conflict with the flothfulness of his own fpirit, and endeavor to preferve that vigor and fervency of affection fo neceffary to the right performance of the duty. You will fay, perhaps, With what propriety is this called wreftling with God? it is rather wrefiling with himfelf. But when we confider, that every gracious difpofition must come down from above, from the Father of lights, and author of every good and perfect gift; and, in particular, that the fpirit of prayer is one of his moft precious and