Thirdly. The truly pious, benevolent, devout man would not defire, or even dare, to pray to God for any thing, if he were changeable, and difpofed to alter his purpose and plan, in order to grant his petitions. Therefore he never does pray to any but an unchangeable God, whofe counfel ftands forever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations. He is fenfible that he is a very imperfect creature; that his heart, his will, is awfully depraved and finful; that he knows not what is wifeft and beft to be done in any one inftance; what is best for him, for mankind in general, for the world, or for the universe; what is most for the glory of God, and the greateft general good; and that it would be infinitely undefirable and dreadful to have his own will regarded fo as to govern in determining what fhall be done for him or any other being, or what shall take place. If it could be left to him to determine in the leaft inftance, he would not dare to do it, but would refer it back to God, and fay, "Not my will, but thine, be done." But he could not do this, unless he were certain that the will of God was unchangeably wife and good, and that he had decreed to do what was moft for his own glory, and the greatest good of the whole; at the fame time infallibly knowing what must take place, in every inftance, in order to anfwer this end; and confequently muft have fixed upon the most wife and best plan, foreordaining whatfoever comes to pafs. Therefore, whatever be his petitions for himself, or for others, he offers them to God, and afks, on this condition, always either expreffed or implied, If it be agreeable to thy will: for otherwife he would not have his petitions granted, if it were poffible. And he who afks any thing of God, without making this condition, but fets up his own will, and defires to have it gratified, whether it be for the glory of God, and the greatest good of his kingdom, or not; and would, were it in his power, compel his Maker to grant his petition, and bow the will of God. to his own will; he who prays to God with fuch a difpofition, is an impious enemy to God, exercises no true devotion,

and

and cannot be heard; and it is defirable to all the friends of God that he fhould be rejected. Refignation to the will of God always fuppofes his will is unchangeably fixed and established, which it could not be, unless he has foreordained whatfoever comes to país.

Thus it appears that if God were changeable, and had not foreordained whatfoever comes to pass, there would be no foundation for religious worship, or reafon for praying to him; or that there can be no reason or encouragement for prayer and petition to any but an unchangeable God.-I proceed to obferve,

2. There is good reason, and all defirable and poffible encouragement, to pray to an unchangeable God, who has from eternity determined what he will do, in every. inftance, and has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. This will doubtless be evident, to him who will duly confider the following particulars.

First. Prayer is as proper, important and neceffary, in order to obtain favour from an unchangeable God, as it could be were he changeable, and had not foreordained any thing.

Means are as neceffary in order to obtain the end, as if nothing were fixed and certain. Though it was decreed that Paul and all the men in the ship should get fafe to land, when they were in a storm at sea; yet this must be accomplished by means, and unless the failors had affifted in managing the fhip, this event could not take place, and they could not be faved. Prayer is a means of obtaining what God has determined to grant ; for he has determined to give it in answer to prayer, and no other way. "Afk, and ye fhall receive," fays our Saviour. When God had promifed to do many and great things for Ifrael, he adds, "Thus faith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Ifrael, to do it for them :" [Ezek. xxxvi. 37.] The granting the favours, which God had determined to beftow, was as much fufpended on their afking for them, as if there had been nothing determined and fix ed about it. There is as much regard had to prayer in

granting

granting favours, and the prayer is heard, and God gives them, as really and as much in anfwer to it, as if there were nothing determined and foreordained refpecting them for the decree includes and fixes the means, as much as the end; the method and way by which events are to take place, as much as thofe events themselves. The one depends on the other, as much as if there were no decree, and nothing fixed; yea, much more: for the decree fixes the dependence and connection between the means and the end: whereas if there were no decree, and nothing fixed, there would be no established connection, but all would be uncertain, and there would be no reafon or encouragement to use means, or do any thing to obtain an end.

Surely, then, there is as much reafon and encouragement to pray to an unchangeable God, and this is as important and neceffary, as if there were nothing fixed by the divine decrees, and much more: yea, the unchangeable purposes of God are the neceffary and only proper ground and reafon of prayer.

Secondly. Though prayer is not defigned to make any change in God, or alter his purpose, which is impoffible; yet it is fuited and defigned to have an effect on the petitioner, and prepare him to receive that for which he prays. And this is a good reason why he fhould pray. It tends to make the petitioner to feel more and more fenfibly his wants, and thofe of others for whom he prays, and the miferable ftate in which he and they are for in prayer thefe are called up to view, and dwelt upon and prayer tends to give a fenfe of the worth and importance of the favours asked. It is alfo fuited to make perfons feel, more and more, their own helpleffness, and entire dependence on God for the favours for which they petition, of which their praying is an acknowledgement: and therefore tends to enhance them in the eyes of the petitioner, when given in anfwer to prayer, and to make him more fenfible of the free, fovereign goodness of God in granting

them.

them. In fum, this is fuited to keep the existence and character of God in view, and imprefs a fense of religious truths in general on the mind, and to form the mind to universal obedience, and a confcientious watchfulness and circumfpection, in all religious exercises.

Thirdly. It is reafonable, and highly proper and important, and for the honour of God, that the friends of God fhould exprefs and acknowledge their entire dependence on him, and truft in him, for all they want for themselves and others, and their belief in the power, wifdom and goodness of God; and all this is acknowledged, exprefsly or implicitly, in prayer to God. It is alfo reasonable and proper that they fhould express their defire of those things which are needed by themselves or others, and which God alone can give or accomplish: and fuch defires are expreffed in the best way and manner by petitioning for them. And in afking for bleffings on others, and praying for their enemies, they express their difinterested benevolence, which is an advantage to themselves, and pleafing to God, even though their petitions fhould have no influence in procuring the favours which they afk. And in praying that God would honour himself, and advance his own kingdom, and accomplish all the great and glorious things which

he

A kind and wife father, who defigns to give his child fome particular favour, will bring the child to ask for it before he bestows it, and will fufpend the gift upon this condition, for the benefit of the child, that what he grants may be a real advantage to him, and a greater than if it were given before the child was better prepared to receive it, by earnestly and humbly asking for it; and that the father may hereby receive a proper acknowledgement from the child, and be treated in a becoming manner. And in this cafe, the petition of the child is as really regarded, heard and granted, and the child's application and prayer to the father is as much a means of obtaining the favour, and as proper, important and necessary, as if the father had not previously determined the whole affair. And when the children of fuch a father know that this is his way of beftowing favours on them, they will have as proper motives, and as much encouragement, to ask for all they want, as if he had not determined what he would do antecedent to their afking him; yea, much more.

he has promised to do for his own honour, and the good of his people, they do not exprefs any doubts of his fulfilling his promifes, but are certain he will grant their petitions; but they hereby exprefs their acquief cence in, these things, and their earnest defire that they may be accomplished; and alfo profefs and exprefs their love to God, and friendship to his people and kingdom; and do that which the feelings of a pious, benevolent heart will naturally, and even neceffarily, prompt them to do.

We have many examples of fuch petitions and prayers for those things and events, which the petitioners, antecedent to their prayers, knew would certainly be accomplished. We have a decifive and remarkable instance of this in David, the King of Ifrael, in the following words: " And now, O Lord God, the word that thou haft fpoken concerning thy fervant, and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as thou haft faid. And let thy name be magnified forever, faying, The Lord of hofts is the God over Ifrael: and let the house of thy fervant David be established before thee. For thou, O Lord of Hofts, God of Ifrael, haft revealed to thy fervant, faying, I will build thee an houfe: therefore hath thy fervant found in his heart to pray this prayer before thee. And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou haft promifed this goodnefs unto thy fervant. Therefore now let it please thee to blefs the house of thy fervant, that it may continue forever before thee; for thou, O Lord God, haft spoken it, and with thy bleffing let the houfe of thy fervant be bleffed forever:" [2 Sam. vii. 25-29.] Here David not only prays God to do that which at the fame time he knew and acknowledges God had promifed to do; and therefore it was established as firm as the throne of the Almighty, and decreed that it should take place; but he fays that this promife of God, making it certain, was the reafon, motive and encouragement to him to make this prayer: "Thou, O Lord, haft revealed to thy fervant, faying, I will build thee an

houfe.