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would be graciously pleased to cleanse and purify our Hearts, to correct whatever is amifs in the Temper of our Minds, and 'to ftrengthen, confirm, enlarge good Affections and Difpofitions there. And indeed it may be juftly regarded as a wife Constitution, that in order to our obtaining his gracious Influences and Aids, it is ordinarily neceffary, that we should apply to him for that Purpose with an ingenuous Humility and Senfe of our Dependence. Let us therefore by the Prayer of Faith lay ourselves open to his divine Communications, making it our earneft Request that in the hidden Part he would make us to know Wisdom, and influence our Minds to a right Determination and Choice; that he would give us that Truth, that Purity and Simplicity of Heart which is pleafing in his Sight, and would infpire us with an inward Love of Virtue, and with an Abhorrence of Vice and Sin; that he would turn our Affections and Views towards himself, that we may love him above all; and that he would put his Fear into our Hearts, that we may never depart from him. Such have been the Defires and Prayers of good Men in all Ages. Thus the Pfalmist prays, Create in me a clean Heart, O God; and renew a right Spirit within me. Pfal. li.

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Teach me thy Way, O Lord, I will

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walk in thy Truth; unite my Heart to fear. thy Name. Pfal. lxxxvi. 11. Incline my Heart unto thy Teftimonies, and not unto Covetousness. Pfal. cxix. 36. I will run the Way of thy Commandments, when thou fhait enlarge my Heart. Ver. 32. Search

me, O God, and know my Heart; try me, and know my Thoughts; fee if there be any wicked Way in me, and lead me in the Way everlasting. Pfal. cxxxix. 23, 24. There is nothing in fuch Addreffes but what is founded in the most just and worthy Notions of God and of his Providence. We may upon juft Grounds hope, that if we fet ourselves to do all that in us lies to keep our Hearts under a proper Difcipline, to correct bad Difpofitions and Inclinations, and to cultivate and improve good ones, and at the fame Time from a Sense of our own Weakness apply to God for the Affiftance of his Spirit, he will communicate his gracious Influences for enabling us to govern our Appetites and Paffions, and to make a Progress in holy and virtuous Attainments. And efpecially there is great Reason to think that he will grant extraordinary Supplies of inward Strength, when we are exercised with extraordinary Trials and Difficulties. This is what we may expect from his Goodnefs as he is a Lover of Virtue and of Mankind; and to our

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unfpeakable Comfort we are actually affured of it by his own exprefs Promises in his holy Word. Nothing can be fuller to this Purpose, than that Declaration of our bleffed Saviour, in which he affureth us, that God is more ready to give his holy Spi rit to them that ask him, whose proper Work it is to excite, strengthen, and confirm good Affections and Difpofitions in our Hearts, than earthly Parents are to give good Gifts unto their Children. Luke xi. 13. If ye being evil know how to give good Gifts unto Children; how much more fhall your venly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that afk him? i. e. to them that apply to him for that Purpose, by humble and fer vent Prayer.

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Finally, How afraid fhould we be of provoking God to leave us to ourselves, or to give us up to our own Hearts Lufts, and to our own Counfels! It highly concerneth us therefore, to beware of ftifling Convictions, and of neglecting and abufing the Means which he hath provided for our Reformation and Amendment. Let us take Care that evil Habits do not gather Strength upon us, and our corrupt Lufts grow more headstrong, left as a juft Punishment for our obftinate perfifting in our finful Courses in Oppofition to all the Methods of his Grace and Providence to reclaim

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claim us, he should at length abandon us to a judicial Blindness and Hardness of Heart, which is the most miserable State we can be in. To-day, therefore, while it is called To-day, let us hearken to his facred Voice, and not harden our Hearts against him. Let us endeavour to comply with the Significations of his Will by his Word and by his Providence, and maintain an humble and fubmiffive Temper of Mind before him, as becometh those who expect foon to be accountable at his folemn Tribunal for their inward Frame as well as their outward Practice. God grant that we may now live in a conftant Preparation for that great Event, fo as to approve ourselves to the great Searcher of Hearts, the fupreme univerfal Judge, to whom be Glory. and Dominion for ever. Amen.

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