Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

SERMON II.

HEB. 13. v. 18. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

TRUE Religion and godliness consists not only in the illumination of the mind, and in the conception and contemplation of the Truths concerning God and the Gospel; but also and mainly in the practise of the known Duties thereof; and very ordinarily there is more of the concern of Conscience, and of its solid peace, in the practise of more common and well known Duties, that are even at our hand, then in the speculation of, and painful search after things that are more mysterious and obscure: We would decry none of these, nor dissuade any from a sober inquiry after them, who are more called to it than others; yet we would give every one of them their own due place; and would by all means take heed that we separate and divide not the power and practise of Religion from the Theory thereof; and that we prefer not the search after some more cryptic and dark things in Religion, to the serious practice of the more plain and obvious Truths thereof: For the preventing whereof, as by other means, so we find the Apostle very ordinarily in the close of his Epistles ⟨p. 287⟩after more Doctrinal Discourses, subjoining some plain and familiar Directions, concerning the practice of such Duties, that are generally known and acknowledged; amongst which this is one, viz. Prayer for one another, and more particularly and especially for the Ministers of the Gospel, pray for us (faith he) in the first part of this Verse: We would then learn conscientiously to improve our Light and Knowledge towards the practice of the Duties of Religion, and most, of these that are most necessary; And particularly we would learn to lay due weight on the practice of this Duty; Ministers would neither disdain, nor think shame to call for the help of the peoples Prayers; Neither would people neglect, nor think it needless, or a burden to them, to take a serious lift of their Ministers, in their prayers to God: When we press obedience in all things, as the evidence of a good Conscience, we would press obedience to this amongst the rest, which whoever neglect, will in so far mar the peace of their Conscience before God; For they cannot have a good Conscience in all things, if they neglect or flight this piece of their Duty: Therefore without further insisting in it, we exhort you in the Name of the Lord, Pray for us.