teaching, to lead the regenerated child of God, (and it is only such I have in view) to God in his Trinity of Persons, in God's own way; " and not in the words which man's wisdom, teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual," 1 Cor. ii. 13.

I begin with the case of Abraham. Not as if there were none prior to Abraham; for God the Holy Ghost, in that blessed scripture to the Hebrews, chapter xi. hath shewn in the history of those eminent worthies, who all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them; that most blessed and gracious communion with God, in his Trinity of Persons, was as much enjoyed by the faithful from Abel to the days of Abraham, as from Abraham, by the faithful, down to the present hour. See Heb. xi. 4—37. See also Gen. iv. 4. The Lord's acceptance of Abel and his offering. See also Gen. vi. 8 and 18. "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And God said unto Noah, with thee will I establish my covenant." See also the blessing of Shem. Gen. ix. 26, 27. But I begin

with the patriarch Abraham; because, in this man's history, we have so many sweet relations of the Lord's communion with him, and he with the Lord. And, moreover, as God the Holy Ghost hath graciously taught the church that the gospel was preached to Abraham, and with whom the blessing itself was deposited; the regenerated child of God, (and it is of such only I speak) may enter the more immediately into the enjoyment of that delightful conclusion, made of it in the scripture, where it is said, "so then, they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham,” Gal. iii. 7-9.

"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. And I will

make of thee a great nation; and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him and in thee, shall all families of the So Abram departed, as the Lord had

that curseth thee; earth be blessed. spoken unto him,” Gen. xii. 1—4. "And the Lord appeared unto unto thy seed will I give this land. he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him," Gen. xii. 7.

Abram, and said,
And there builded

"And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel. And there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord," Gen. xii. 8. See also chap. xiii. 14, to the end.

"And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, blessed be Abram, of the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand,” Gen. xiv. 18-20.

"After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And he · believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness," Gen. xv. 1-6. Rom. iv. 16, to the

end.

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee; and will multiply thee accordingly. And Abram fell on his face and God talked with him,” Gen. xvii. 1-3. See also Coloss. i. 28. John xv. 4, 9.

Now pause, and let the regenerated child of God (for it is of such only I speak) first remark, in confirmation of what all scripture, and the experience of the Lord's people uniformly shew in all ages, that all the overtures of communion between the Lord and his people, begin

with the Lord. Here is Abram's first call; then, the Lord's promise; and this, again and again confirmed. Next, the exercise of Abram's faith and belief, in building the altar, with an eye to Christ, and calling upon the name of the Lord. To which follows, as if, in a sacramental way, in bread and wine, the blessing by Melchisedek; and this, succeeded by the word of the Lord, in a vision, in which Jehovah, in his Trinity of Persons, commanded the patriarch to fear not and declared himself to be his shield and exceeding great reward. And, lastly, Jehovah, the Almighty God, calling himself by that glorious name, and blessing Abram into a life of faith, so that the Lord accounted him righteous before him; and willed him into the gospel perfection of being perfect in Christ Jesus. Col. i. 28. The proper apprehension of these leading points, which were the foundation of all the patriarch's communion with the Lord, opens to a like apprehension of the patriarch's prayers which follow; and which, when beheld together, unite to throw a light on the whole, as samples which God the Holy Ghost hath given the church for a model to form our prayers by. One of those solemn and interesting seasons of communion between the Lord and Abraham, will serve as an illustration of the whole; and which God the Holy Ghost hath graciously caused to be recorded at large in the 18th chapter of Genesis.

"And Abraham drew near, and said unto the Lord, wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said, if I find in Sodom, fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham

answered, and said, behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, if I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, peradventure there shall be forty found there? And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh! let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: per-` adventure there shall be thirty found there? And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. said, behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord! peradventure twenty shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh! let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure ten shall be found there? And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake! And the Lord went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.". See Gen. xviii. 22.

And he

Was there ever any form of words equal to those which God the Holy Ghost here furnished the patriarch with, in drawing nigh unto God? And can there be any thing more gracious, than what is here given of the Lord's answers? I pray the regenerated child of God, (for it is of such only I speak) not to overlook some of the many most sweet and precious things contained in this prayer of Abraham's; and then let him judge for himself, whether the Holy Ghost, in recording the whole of what passed between a gracious God and his faithful servant, and causing it to be handed down to the church, through all the several successive generations of it, did not intend it as a pattern for the Lord's people to form their prayers by, in drawing nigh unto the Lord. Observe, it was the Lord which began the conference, in telling Abraham his intention concerning Sodom. See Gen. xviii. 16-22. And it was Abra

ham, and not the Lord, which brake it. See verse the last. Oh! how blessed is it at all times to make this discovery! A child of God finds grace to draw nigh to God, both in prayer and praise, when God hath first drawn nigh to him in grace and love. This is what the apostle calls "the renewing of the Holy Ghost, shed upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour," Titus iii. 5, 6.

Let it be further observed, the great plea the patriarch used, in order to obtain favour, namely, God's justice, in not destroying the righteous with the wicked. This was the bottom on which he grounded the whole for the obtaining favour. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And what a proof was this, that in all the patriarch's arguments for mercy, he had an eye to Christ. The Holy Ghost expressly tells the church that the gospel was preached to Abraham, Gal. iii. 8. And the Son of God himself hath said, that " Abraham saw his day afar off, rejoiced, and was glad," John viii. 56. And with him the Lord entered into covenant; and with him confirmed the blessing, which his Christ himself, Gal. iii. 16. And can there be a doubt then, that the Holy Ghost intended this prayer of the faithful patriarch's, as a model for all the children of the faithful in all ages? Do we not look to the Judge of all the earth to do right, when we plead the righteousness of God our Saviour? Blessed for ever, blessed be God, there is this One, this Holy One, this only one in the Sodom of our nature, to save his people from their sins. “In him shall all the seed of Israel be justified; and shall glory,” Isaiah xlv. 25. God himself hath said, "my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities," Isaiah liii. 11. "Here, mercy and truth met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other!" Psalm lxxxv. 10.

I pass on to another most precious monument, which the Holy Ghost hath erected in the aisles of his church,