for they serve them no worse than then- own souls. A time is coming, wherein they shall know, that one hearty prayer found upon the file for their relations, would speak more for the love they pretended towai'd them, than all the bags of money which they fill for them. Others, if they shew a little natural aftection to their own flesh and domestic relations, yet their love hath much ado to get over their own thresholds. O, how little do they feel their neighbours' pains ! How seldom do they spread them with any real sense upon their hearts before the Lord ! Or, if their eye affects their heart with what is presented so near to them in the afflictions of their next-door neighbour, yet how few discover such a public spirit, as to cai-ry upon their hearts the miseries of those that are at a farther distance ! Paul was affected with, yea, had a great conflict for those that had never seen his face in the flesh. O, what a decay is there of this public spirit ! There is great complaint among men, of their great losses in our late times of confusion ; but I think the saints are the greatest losers, who have lost so much of their love and charity. One saith, that the world was once destroyed with water, because the heat of lust had set it on fire ; and that it shall be once again destroyed with fire, because of the coldness of love and charity. Love is to the soul, what natural heat is to the body, it gives vigour, and enables it to perform all the offices of life ; but, alas ! how is this decayed among Christians ! This was long ago foretold by our Saviour, Matt. xxiv. 12, ' The love of many shall wax cold ;' and no wonder, when self-love waxeth so hot. It was fore- told also by the apostle, 2 Tim. iii. 1,2, ' In the last days — men shall be lovers of their own selves;' and what a black regiment follows this captain, sin ! If once a man makes self the whole of his aim, farewell loving of, or praying for others : charity cannot dwell in so narrow a house as the self-lover's heart ; yea, it is diametrically opposed to it, — ' Love seeketh not her own,' 1 Cor. xiii. 5. But to turn huuentation into exhortation, labour for a public spirit in prayer. Is there none, O man, that needs the mercy of God besides thyself? Wouldst thou have none saved in another world, nor provided for in this, with thee ? Now, in remembering others, God gives thee leave thy love should begin at home ; look into thy family ; canst thou forget them a day, if thou rememberest thyself ? Shall a believer turn worse than an infidel ? He provides for his house ; but thou hast light which tells thee, that all thy providing for them is nothing, except God say. Amen. When thou hast paid thy duty to them, still widen thy charity; consider what is doing in the neighbourhood : how many mayest thou there find, poui'ing out their precious souls a drink-offering to Satan, in their horrid abominations ! O, pray that God would stay their bloody hand, before they have irrecoverably made away with themselves. Then take a farther walk in thy meditations to view the {public state of the nation ; see what mercies are written with the golden pen of Providence upon its forehead, and pay thy humble thanks ; observe what prognostics of judgments there are, and get into the gap before the wrath begins. Did Abraham so plead for Sodom, though himself was far enough from the danger of the storm ; and not thou for thy own nation, who art likely to be taken in it, if it falls in thy days, if the cloud impending be not scattered by the prayers of the faithful 1 Nay, let not the sea that divides thee and the other parts of the earth make thee think thou art not concerned in their happiness or misery. Let thy prayers walk over the vast ocean, and bring matter for thy devotions. Visit the churches of Christ abroad, yea, the poor Indians, and other ruins of mankind, that lie where Adam's sin threw them with us, and carry their deplorable condition before the Lord.
Section III.— Take a few quickening considerations to set thee more feel- ingly to this work. First, Thou canst not pi'ay in faith for thyself, if only for thyself. The Lord Jesus taught his disciples this in the form of prayer which he gave them ; ' When ye pray, say. Our Father :' ' Father,' is a word of faith and confidence: * Our Father,' imports love and charity ; two necessary graces in prayer. We live by faith, and faith works by love ; no prayer can be without faith, nor faith without charity. Christ sends him in the gospel from the altar, to reconcile himself to his brother, before he offered his gift, and why ; but that he might be as ready and willing to pray for his brother as for himself? If we have not charity to pray for our brother, we cannot expect welcome when we pray for oiu-selves. Secondly, You do not else make good the character which God gives of his children ; he speaks of them as being a blessing to the jiersons
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