thing to perfect his nature. It was in the fecond light only that of being the captain of our falvation, that he needed to be made perfect through fufferings. As the captain of our falvation-as the Redeemer of mankind, he underwent fuffering, particularly the fuffering of death, as it was neceffary in this great work, that he should tafte of death for every man. Be XLIV. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and fupplication let your requests be made known unto God.-Philippians iv. 5. THE apoftle St. Paul here gives us a caution against a dangerous propenfity; to which (as is common in other parts of fcripture) he hath annexed its proper corrective.-The cares and anxieties of the world are the mifchief-and the cor rective recommended, is, that in every thing by prayer and fupplication our requests fhould be made known unto God. By making our requests known to God in a pious prayer, the apoftle fuppofes we rid our own minds of the perplexity, whatever it is; and make it over, as it were, to one, who is able and willing to bear it for us. But the apostle's advice in the text goes ftill farther. It is not only a corrective of the mifchiefs which arife from the cares of the world, but it it is a test also of the lawfulness, or unlawfulness of fuch cares, and anxieties. By enjoining us to lay these cares before God, the text infinuates, that whatever cares we cannot properly lay before God, fhould not certainly be indulged at all.— Thus for inftance, the safety of a husband engaged in war, or in a dangerous voyage, may be laid before God in a prayer by a tender wife; therefore the text fuppofes fuch an anxiety may in a reafonable degree be indulged. But if she feel the fame. anxiety in removing a fet of china-ware from one place to another, it is plain fhe indulges it improperly, because she cannot make that the subject of a prayer to God. XLV. He who hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure.-1 John iii. 3. WE have here the progress of a christian life -the efficient caufe-the effect-and the mode of producing this effect. In the first place, we have the caufe-the animating hope, through faith, of a happy immortality. We have next the effect. When this hope hath taken full poffeffion of a man, he purifieth himself; knowing, that nothing elfe can fit him for a bleffed immortality. Laftly, the manner how he is to purify himself, is prefcribed as Chrift by his precepts, and example, hath fhewn him in the gospel. N. B. All these points, in their order, might be dwelt upon at large. Leaving XLVI. Leaving us an example, that we should follow his Steps.-1 Peter ii. 21. 'HAT our good works, have in themfelves ΤΗΛ some value in our gracious Creator's eyes (meritorious we must not certainly call them) is, I think, plain from numerous paffages of scripture : but I infift at prefent, only on the fingle circumftance, that our religion is given us in the form of a hiftory. The actions of our Saviour's life are fet before us with a view, that we fhould follow his Neps as if our great perfection lay in imitating his example. It is true we are unprofitable fervants after all. By the best of our works we can lay no claim to God's favour. Hopes of juftification we can have none of fcriptural authority, notwithftanding the beft of our works, but from the atonement of Chrift. All I mean, is, to give good works their proper value. As our Saviour's life was meant as an example, I think, fo great a ftrefs |