2. For prayer, obferve this method :

1. Acknowledge your inability: O Lord, I have no graces by nature, I have no power to cleanse my own heart: O Lord, I have defaced thine image, but I cannot repair it; I may fay with the apostle, when I would do well, evil is prefent with me, but I find no means to perfect what I defire:-Oh! when fhall I be fet at liberty, that I might do the work of God, and run the race of his commandments? Oh! that I had faith, and hope, and joy, and love!

2. Look we up to the power, and grace, and truth of God, and prefs him therewith: "Lord, I have heard of thy power, thou calleft the things that are not, as if they were; thou canst if thou wilt, work in me thefe graces, as thou didft gloriously create them in Adam: Lord, I have heard alfo of thy grace and truth; thou art as faithful to keep, as free to make these precious promifes. Thy grace is unfearchable, thy word purer than filver feven times refined. Oh! make good thy promifes! I prefs thee with thy power, grace, and truth! Oh! replenish me with thy graces !"

3. Look we on the promises, and pray by them, or turn them into prayer. Faith hearkeneth what the Lord fpeaketh, and fpeaketh back again in fervent groans and defires to whatsoever it heareth; hence we can make no prayer in boldness, faith or comfort, but for things promifed, and in that manner as they are promifed. Thus Jacob (Gen. xxxii. 9) and David (2 Sam. vii. 27, 28, 29) prayed by a promise, and thus fhould we pray by a promife, and then we may be fure we pray according to his will.

SECT. IX.

Of the Manner of this Life of Faith in fpiritual Duties.

THE firft duty is prayer, to which are affixed

these promises, Pf. v. 3.-x. 17.-lxv. 2.-Prov. xv. 29.-Pf. 1. 15.-xii. 17, 18, 19, 20.-Zech. xiii. 8, 9.-Rom. viii. 13.-Jam. v. 15.

The fecond is praise, to which are affixed these promifes, 1 Sam. ii. 30.-Pf. 1. 23.-lxviii. 5, 6.

The third is preaching, to which Matt. xxviii. 20.-John v. 25.

The fourth is reading the word. to which Pfal. xix. 8.-Prov. i. 4.

The fifth is fafting, to which Jam. iv. 9, 10.Matt. vi. 18.

The fixth is meditation, to which Pfal. i. 2.Prov. xiv. 22.-Phil. iv. 8, 9.

The feventh is examination, to which 1 Cor. xi. 31.-Gal. vi. 4.

The eighth is fanctification of the Lord's day, to which Ifa. lviii. 13, 14.-lvi. 2.-Jer. xvii. 26.

The ninth is reproof, to which Prov. xxiv. 25. xxviii. 23.

The tenth is almsgiving, to which Pfal. xli. 1, 2, 3.-Luke xiv. 13, 14.

The eleventh is waiting on God, to which Ifa. xi. 31.-xlix. 23.-lxiv. 4.

2. For the exercife of faith concerning these promifes, that we may live by them, go we to meditation and prayer.

For meditation, confider :

1. That God deals gracioufly with his people. He might out of his abfolute fovereignty, command only, and we were bound to obey in every of thefe duties; but he is pleased (the better to quicken us to obedience) to annex thefe gracious promises.

2. That as he is gracious to us; fo we fhould be chearful in our duties to him: this chearfulness of service is the very best fruit of faith; by faith Abel brought of the firftlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof, an offering to the Lord. By faith David went with the multitude unto the houfe of God, with the voice of joy and praife. It is the voice of faith, I will fing and give praife with the best member I have.

2. For prayer, obferve this method:

1. Acknowledge the goodnefs and free grace of God in these promifes: "O Lord, why shouldft thou allure me to that which I am every way bound to? If I had none of these promises, I have already in hand a world of mercies, which infinitely bind me to duty; and wilt thou yet add this and that promife, to this and that duty? Oh! miracle of mercies! Oh! the goodnefs of God!"

2. Bewail your own dulnefs and floth to the duty: " And yet (O Lord) how dull, and remiss and flight am I in the practice of this or that duty ??? Thou haft faid, Curfed is the man that doth the work of the Lord negligently: "O! then what is my portion? No marvel, if I feel no power, no fweet in the ordinances whilft I deal partially, hear perfunctorily, pray coldly, labour not to feed on the promife. O Lord, thou loveft a chearful giver, but my fervices are maimed, corrupt, dead, fų. perficial, and very unchearful."

3. Importune the Lord to quicken your dead hearts to the duty; fo prays David, Teach me to do thy will; thy fpirit is good, lead me in the land of uprightness; fo prays the church, draw me, and we will run after thee; and fo let us pray, give me a chearful heart in thy fervice, enliven my heart by thy blessed Spirit, give me to do what thou requireft, incline my heart to thy ftatutes.

4. Implore the affiftance of God's Spirit to every good duty, beg acceptance of your perfons and performances in the Lord Jefus Chrift, prefs him

with his promises to fet on duties, and to reward duties; and whatever duty you do, prefs him with that especial promife belonging unto it. Thus if we meditate and pray, and pray and meditate, we may live by faith, in reference to fpiritual duties.

SECT. VIII.

Of the Manner of this Life of Faith in Things Eternal.

1.

CONCERNING damnation, or eternal con

fufion, we have these promises against it, Ifa. xlv. 17. Rom. viii. 1.

2. Concerning falvation, we have these promifes for it, Rom. vi. 23.1 Theff. iv. 17.-God hath promifed us a kingdom, Matt. xxv. 34.-An heayenly kingdom, Matt. vii. 21.-An eternal kingdom, 2 Pet. i. 11-A crown of life, James i. 12. A crown of righteoufnefs, 2 Tim. iv. 8.-An immarceffible crown of glory, 1 Pet. v. 4.

2. For the exercife of faith concerning these promifes, that we may live by them, go we to meditation and prayer.

1. For meditation, confider,

1. That faith in the precious promises of eternal life, quiets and cheers the heart in the midst of difcouragements.

2. That fulness of glory is referved for the life to come; but the beginnings of glory, as peace, joy, fanctification, are vouchfafed here. Grace is the beginning of glory, and now as grace grows, fo we enter upon the poffeffion of our inheritance.

3. Faith earnestly defires and longs after full glory. Ourselves alfo which have the firft-fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within our. felves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body.

2. For prayer, obferve this method:

1. Confefs we our former careleffness to enter upon this inheritance; "O Lord, I have flighted thy promifes, I have neglected the motions of thy Holy Spirit, I have not carefully improved the gifts received, I have not laboured more and more to be fealed with the promised spirit :-Ah Lord! what a dwarf am I in holiness? By reafon of my floth, the powers of grace are fo enfeebled, that I can scarce breathe or figh in the way to heaven."

2. Pray that the Lord would increase our faith, feal us by his Spirit, lead us in the way of peace, caufe us to grow up in holinefs, make us wife to prize and value, to taste and relish the very joys of heaven; and above all that he would affure our confciences of our right and title thereto,

3. Praife God for his promifes of eternal life :"O Lord, thou haft looked on my base estate, and vifited me with mercy from on high; of a ftranger and a foreigner, thou haft made me a free denizen of the new Jerufalem: now I fee, I read it in thy precious promifes, that my name is registered in heaven; an eternal weight of glory is referved for me; heaven is my home, my hope, my inheritance: Oh where fhall my heart be, but where my treasure is ?-Oh! the incomprehenfible love and favour of my dear Lord! What a mercy is this? What promifes are thefe ?-My foul rejoiceth in thee my God, my fpirit fhall blefs thy name for ever and ever."

SECT. IX.

Of the Manner of this Life of Faith in regard to others.

WE have done with the promises that concern

ourfelves: now follow fuch fpecial promifes as we find in holy writ concerning others; and they have