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Chap. xii. 12. Rejoicing in HOPE ; patient in TRIBULATION; Continuing INSTANT in PRAYER.

2 Cor. xii. 7. Left I fhould be aXALTED above meafare through the Abundance of the REVELATIONS, there was given to me a THORN in the FLESH, the Meflenger of SATAN to BUFFET me.

8. For this Thing I BESOUGHT the LORD thrice, that it might depart from medin.

9. And he faid unto me; My GRACE IS SUFFICIENT for thee: for my STRENGTH is made PERFECT in WEAKNESS.

Ephef. iii. 14. For this Cause I Bow my KNEES unto the Father of our LORD Jefus Chrift

tis. Of whom the whole FAMILY in Heaven and Earth is named,

16. That he would grant you, according to the RICHES of his GLORY, to be strengthned with MIGHT by his SPIRIT in the inner Man ; :

17. That Chrift may DWELL in your HEARTS by FAITH; that ye being rooted and grounded in Love,

18. May be able to comprehend with all SAINTS, what is the BREADTH, and LENGTH, and DEPTH, and HEIGHT;

19. And to know the Love of Chrift, which paffeth KNOWLEDGE, that ye might be filled with all the FULNESS of God.

20. Now unto him that is ABLE to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ASK, or think, according to the POWER that WORKETH in us,

21. Unto him be GLORY in the Church by Chrift Jefus, throughout all Ages, World without End. Amen.

Chap. vi. 18. PRAYING always with all PRAYER and SUPPLICATION in the SPIRIT, and WATCHING thereunto with all PERSEVERANCE and SUPPLICATION.

Phil. iv. 6. Be CAREFUL for nothing: but in every thing by PRAYER, and SUPPLICATION with THANKSGIVING, let your Requests be made known unto God.

1 The. v. 17. PRAY without CEASING.

2 Theff. iii. 1. Finally, Brethren, PRAY for us, that the WORD of the LORD may have free Courfe, and

be GLORIFIED.

2. And that we may be DELIVERED from UNREASONABLE and WICKED Men: for all Men have NOT FATH.

1 Tim. ii. 1. I exhort therefore, that first of all, SupPLICATIONS, PRAYERS, INTERCESSIONS, and GIVING of THANKS be made for all Men :

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2. For KINGS, and for all that are in Authority; that we may lead a QUIET and PEACEABLE Life, in all GODLINESS and HONESTY.

3. For this is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE in the Sight of GoD our SAVIOUR.

8. I will therefore that Men PRAY every where, lifting up HOLY Hands, without WRATH and DOUBTING.

Chap. iv. 4. Every Creature of GOD is GOOD, and nothing to be REFUSED, if it be received with THANKS

GIVING.

5. For it is SANCTIFIED by the WORD of GOD, and PRAYER.

Heb. iv. 14. Seeing then that we have a great HIGH PRIEST, that is paled into the Heavens, Jefus the SON of GOD, let us HOLD FAST our PROFESSION.

15. For we have not an HIGH PRIEST which cannot be touched with the FEELING of our INFIRMITIES; but was in all Points TEMPTED like as we are, yet without SIN.

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16. Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the THRONE of GRACE, that we may obtain MERCY, and find GRACE to help in Time of need.

Chap. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a KINGDOM which cannot be moved, let us have GRACE, whereby we may serve GOD acceptably, with REVERENCE and GODLY FEAR.

29. For our GoD is a CONSUMING FIRE.

James i. 5. If any of you LACK WISDOM, let him ASK of GOD, that GIVETH to all Men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it fhall be given him.

6. But let him AŞK in FAITH, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea, driven with the Wind and toffed.

7.

For let not that Man think that he fhall RECEIVE any thing of the LORD.

Chap. v. 16. The EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER of a righteous Man AVAILETH much.

17. Elias was a Man fubject to like PASSIONS as we are, and he PRAYED earneftly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the Earth by the pace of three Years and fix Months.

18. And he PRAYED again, and the Heaven gave Rain, and the Earth brought forth her Fruit.

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1 John v. 14. This is the CONFIDENCE that we have in him, that if we ASK any thing according to his WILL,

he HEARETH US.

15. And if we know that he HEAR us, whatfoever we ASK, we know that we have the PETITIONS that we' defired of Him.

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Jude 20. But ye, beloved, building up your felves! on your moft HOLY FAITH, PRAYING in the HOLY GHOST,

21. Keep

21. Keep your felves in the Love of GOD, LOOKING for the MERCY of our LORD Jefus Chrift, unto ETENAL LIFE.

Rev. viii. 3. And an Angel came and stood at the Altar, having a golden Cenfer, and there was given unto him much INCENSE, that he fhould offer it with the PRAYERS of ALL SAINTS upon the golden Altar, which was before the THRONE.

4 And the Smoke of the INCENSE which came with the PRAYERS of the SAINTS, afcended up before GoD, out of the Angel's Hand.

AS our Being is the WORK of the ALMIGHTY, moft curionfly and wonderfully framed, fo it is CONSERVED and PROTECTED by the PowaR and PROVIDENCE that continues Life, Breath, and Being unto all, as is moft elegantly expreffed by St. Paul, who, to inforce this Idea, tells the Athenians, That fince God had 'made of one BLOOD all Nations of the Earth, we 'fhould then SEEK after him, and SERVE him, becaufe "he is not far from us; for in him we LIVE, and MOVE, ' and have our BEING.

DAILY Experience teaches us, to how many DANGERS and DISEASES the HUMAN LIFE lies continually expofed, which neither any CARE or FORESIGHT of our own can prevent; and therefore are neceffitated to IMPLORE the PROTECTION of the DIVINE PROVIDENCE. If this be the State of the ANIMAL LIFE, how much more is our IMMORTAL PART, the Sour, in continual need of that MERCY from whence alone we can expect the PARDON of our DAILY OFFENCES, and that GRACE which alone can SANCTIFY and enable us to overcome the ALLUREMENTS of this WORLD, the LUST of the FLESH, and the TEMPTATIONS of SATAN; which in our BAPTISM we have all vowed to do.

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HOW can thofe expect to receive the PARDON and BLESSINGS of the ALMIGHTY, who are either fo PROUD or fo STUPID, as not every Day to implore it?

AS there are so many exceeding PRECIOUS PROMISES annexed to HUMBLE and FERVENT PRAYER, so the THREATNINGS that are denounced against those that live in the NEGLECT of this DUTY, are very terrible and severe for the Almighty will pour out his FURY upon the PERSONS and FAMILIES that CALL not upon his Name, as in Jeremiah x. 25.

THE wifeft of the Gentile Philofophers were fo fenfible of the Neceffity of PRAYER, that in the DIALOGUES of Plato, is found the following Instruction.

IF a Man have any degree of WISDOM, he will never undertake the leaft Thing without the INvO⚫CATION of GOD: and that if PRAYER is necessary before every ordinary Action, 'tis much more fo when we are about to fpeak of GoD; becaufe 'tis "GOD that illuminates our Minds; 'tis he that affifts us, and without him we can do nothing.' He well understood the NECESSITY and BEAUTY of that PRECEPT of Pythagoras; " BEGIN all thy ACTIONS with "PRAYER, that thou mayft be able to ACCOMPLISH "them." PRAYER and ACTION ought to be infeparable: want of PRAYER renders ACTION useless, and 'want of ACTION renders PRAYER ineffectual. We ought to ask what we do, and to Do what we ASK.' But he at the fame time affirms, that Men are fo BLINDED by their PASSIONS, that they know not how to PRAY well, unlefs GOD inftructs them; and 'therefore the trueft PRAYER, and that which can be ' alone agreeable to him, is to request of him to PERFORM his own WILL in us, and not ours.

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