The Prayer before Sermon. ALMIGHTY GOD, the Fountain of all Wisdom, who knoweft our Neceffities before we ask, and our Ignorance in Asking; grant that we being regenerate, and made thy Children by Adoption and Grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit. Have Compaffion upon our manifold Infirmities, and difpose the Way of thy Servants towards the Attainment of everlasting Salvation. Bid Pleafure, Diffipation, and worldly Care depart; and cause a folemn Seriousness to poffefs all our Minds. O may we ever be mindful, that we are bound by all the Ties of Duty, Love, and Gratitude, to obey, implicitely to obey, thy holy, juft and good Commands. May thy Presence be with us; may thy Bleffing be upon us, and attend the Word now to be spoken: And may it please Thee to cleanse and purify the Thoughts and Inclinations of all our Hearts, by the Inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be enabled perfectly to love Thee, and worthily to magnify thy holy Name, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Our Father &c. 1 MEN, BRETHREN, and FATHERS, I AM about to lead your Meditations to a Sub ject of infinite Importance: To a Subject as clearly revealed in the Bible, as any within the Compass of the Christian Scheme: To a Subject, which right Reason, and all good Men hold to be neceffary: And yet to a Subject highly difagreeable to the Generality, and peculiarly obnoxious to the Wicked, the Formal, and Profane. Favor me then, with your ferious, impartial, and candid Attention, so long, and fo long only, as I fpeak the Words of Truth and Soberness. hath Ears to hear, let him hear ". "Who There was a Man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a Ruler of the Jews: The fame came to Jefus by Night, and faid unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a Teacher come from God; for no Mian can do thefe Miracles that thou doeft, except God be with him. Jefus answered and faid unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a Man be born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus faith unto bim, How can a Man be born when he is old? Can be enter the fecond Time into his Mother's Womb, and be born? Jefus answered, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, Except a Man be born of Water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the Flesh, is Flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit. Marvel not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again. The Wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the Sound thereof, but canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus anfwered and faid unto him, How can thefe Things be? Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Art thou a Mafter of Ifrael, and knoweft not these Things? ESUS CHRIST, as the Mediator between JES GoD and Man, fuftains the three important Offices, of Prophet, Prieft, and King. |