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A Prayer to be faid by Debtors, and all perfons obliged, whether by crime or contract.

Almighty God, who art rich unto all, the Trea fury and Fountain of all Good, of all Justice, and all Mercy, and all Bounty, to whom we owe all that we are, and all that we have, being thy Debtors by reafon of our Sins, and by thy own gracious Contract made with us in Jefus Chrift; teach me in the first place to perform all my Obligations to thee, both of Duty and Thankfulness; and next enable me to pay my Duty to all my Friends, and my Debts to all my Creditors, that none be made miferable or leffened in his Eftate by his Kindness to me, or traffick with me. Forgive me all thofe Sins and irregular Actions by which I entred into Debt farther than my Necef fity required, or by which fuch Neceffity was brought upon me but let not them fuffer by occafion of my Sin. Lord, reward all their Kindnefs into their bofoms, and make them recompence where I cannot, and make me very willing in all that I can, and able for all that I am obliged: or if it feem good in thine eyes to afflict me by the continuance of this Condition, yet make it up by fome means to them, that the Prayer of thy Servant may obtain of thee at least to pay my Debt in Bleffings. Amen.

V.

Ord, fanctifie and forgive all that I have tempted to Evil by my Difcourfe or my Example: instruct them in the right Way whom I have led to Error, and let me never run farther on the fcore of Sin; but do thou blot out all the Evils I have done by the Sponge of thy Paffion, and the Blood of thy Crofs; and give me a deep and an excellent Repentance, and a free and a gracious Pardon; that thou may'ft anfwer for me, O Lord, and enable me to ftand upright in Judgment: for in thee, O Lord, have I trufted, let me never be confounded. Pity me, and inftruct me, guide me and fupport me, pardon me and fave me, for fweer Saviour Jefus Chrift his Sake. Amen.

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Almighty God, thou Fountain of all Good, of all Excellency both to Men and Angels, extend thine abundant Favour and Loving-kindness to my Patron, to all my Friends and Benefactors: reward them and make them plentiful Recompence for all the Good which from thy merciful Providence they have conveyed unto me. Let the Light of thy Countenance fhine upon them, and never let them come into any Affliction or Sadnefs, but fuch as may be an inftrument of thy Glory and their eternal comfort. Forgive them all their Sins: let thy Divineft Spirit preferve them from all Deeds of Darkness. Let thy Miniftring Angels guard their Perfons from the Violence of the Spirits of Darkness. And thou who knoweft every Degree of their Neceffity by thy Infinite Wifdom, give Supply to all their Needs by thy glorious Mercy, preferving their Persons, fanctífying their Hearts, and leading them in the Ways of Righteoufnefs, by the Waters of Comfort, to the Land of eternal Reff and Glory, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

R

CHA P. IV.

Of Chriftian Religion.

Eligion in a large fence doth fignifie the whole Duty of Man, comprehending in it Juftice, Charity and Sobriety: becaufe all thefe being commanded by God, they become a part of that Honour and Worship which we are bound to pay James 2. 27. to him. And thus the Word is ufed in S.James: Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

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To vifit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction, and keep himself unfpotted from the World.. But in a more reftrained fence it is taken for that part of duty which particularly relates to God in our Worshippings and adoration of him, in confeffing his Excellencies, loving his Perfon, admiring his goodness, believing his Word, and doing all that which may in a proper and direct manner do him Honour. It contains the Duties of the First Table only, and fo it is called Godliness, and is Titus 2.82, by St. Paul diftinguished from Juftice and Sobriety. In this fence I am now to explicate the parts of it.

Of the Internal Actions of Religion.

Thofe I call the Internal Actions of Religion, in which the Soul only is employed, and minifters to God in the fpecial actions of Faith, Hope and Charity. Faith believes the Revelations of God: Hope expects his Promifes: and Charity loves his Excellencies and Mercies. Faith gives our Understanding to God: Hope gives up all the Paffions and Affections to Heaven and Heavenly things and Charity gives the Will to the fervice of God. Faith is op pofed to Infidelity, Hope to Defpair, Charity to Enmity and Hoftility: and thefe Three fanctifie the whole Man, and make our Duty to God and Obedience to his Commandments to be chofen, reasonable and delightful, and therefore to be entire, perfevering and univerfal.

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7.TO believe every thing which God hath revealed

to us;

quod nos fa.

and when once we are convinced that Demus Deura God hath fpoken it, to make no farther Enquiry, but aliquid poffe teamur inveftigare non poffe, S.Aug. 1. 21, c. 7. de Civit. humbly

humbly to fubmit, ever remembring that there are fome things which our understanding cannot fathom, nor fearch out their depth.

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2. To believe nothing concerning God but what is honourable, and excellent, as knowing that belief to be no honouring of God, which entertains of him any difhonourable thoughts. Faith is the Parent of Charity, and whatfoever Faith entertains must be apt produce Love to God: but he that believes God to be cruel or unmerciful, or a rejoycer in the unavoidable damnation of the greateft part of mankind, or that he speaks one thing, and privately means another, thinks evil thoughts concerning God, and fuch as for which we fhould hate a man, and therefore are great enemies of Faith, being apt to deftroy Charity. Our Faith concerning God muft be as himself hath revealed and defcribed his own excellencies and in our Difcourfes we must remove from him all imperfection, and attribute to him all excellency

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3 To give ourfelves wholly up to Chrift in Heart and Defire, to become Difciples of his Doctrine with choice (befides conviction) being in the prefence of God but as Ideots, that is, without any principles of our own to hinder the "Truth of God; But fucking in greedily all that God hath taught us, believing it infinitely and loving to believe it. For this is an act of Love reflected upon Faith, or an act of Faith leaning upon Love.

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4. To believe all God's promifes, and 'that whatfoever is promifed in Scripture fhall on God's part be as furely performed as if we had it in poffeffion. This act makes us to rely upon God with the fame confidence as we did on our Parents when we were Children, when we made no doubt but whatfoever we needed we fhould have it, if it were in their power. were in their 5. To believe alfo the conditions of the promife, or that part of the revelation which concerns our duty. Many are apt to believe the Article of Remiffion of Sins, but they believe it without the condition of strepentance, or the fruits of holy life: and that is to sof believe

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Sect. believe the Article otherwife than God intended it. For the Covenant of the Gofpel is the great Object of Faith, and that fuppofes our Duty to answer his Grace; that God will be our God, fo long as we are his People. The other is not Faith, but Flattery.

6. To profefs publickly the Doctrine of Jefus Chrift, openly owning whatfoever he hath revealed and commanded, not being afhamed of the Word of God, or of any Practices enjoined by it, and this without complying with any Man's Intereft, not regarding Favour, nor being moved with good Words, nor fearing Difgrace, or Lofs, or Inconvenience, or Death itfelf.

7. To pray without Doubting, without Wearinefs, without Faintnefs, entertaining no Jealoufies or Suf picions of God, but being confident of God's hearing us, and of his Returns to us, whatfoever the manner or the inftance be, that if we do our Duty, it will be gracious and merciful.

Thefe Acts of Faith are in feveral Degrees in the Servants of Jefus fome have it but as a Grain of Mustard-Seed, fome grow up to a Plant, fome have the fulness of Faith: but the leaft Faith that is muft be a perfuafion fo ftrong as to make us undertake the doing of all that Duty which Chrift built upon the foundation of Believing, But we fhall beft difcern the Truth of Faith by thefe following Signs. S. Hie-Dial. adver rom reckons three.

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Signs of true Faith.

1. An earnest and vehement Prayer: for it is impoffible we fhould heartily believe the things of God and the Glories of the Gofpel, and not molt importunately defire them. For every thing is defired accor ding to our Belief of its Excellency and Poffibility.

2. To do nothing for Vain-glory, but wholly for the Interests of Religion, and thefe Articles we believe, valuing not at all the Rumours of Men, but the Praife of God, to whom by Faith we have given up all our intellectual Faculties.

Lucif.

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