"cause they are not of the world, even as "I am not of the world. 66 15. I pray not that thou fhouldest "take them out of the world, but that "thou shouldest keep them from the evil. "16. They are not of the world, even " as I am not of the world. 66 66 17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. "18. As thou haft fent me into the world, even fo have I also sent them " into the world. 66 19. And for their fakes I fanctify myself, that they also might be fanctified through the truth. "20. Neither pray I for these alone, "but for them alfo which fhall believe on me through their word; 66 66 21. That they all may be one; as "thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, "that they also may be one in us; that the " world believe that thou haft fent me. 66 may 22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may "be one, even as we are one: 68 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and "that the world may know that thou "hast sent me, and haft loved them, as thou haft loved me. 66 24. Father, I will that they alfo, "whom thou haft given me, be with me " where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou haft given me: for "thou lovedft me before the foundation "of the world. 66 25. O righteous Father, the world "hath not known thee: but I have known 66 thee, and these have known that thou "haft fent me. 66 26. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou haft loved me may "be in them, and I in them." Although I have, in a former part of this work, treated pretty much at large on the neceffity and utility of prayer, I cannot fuffer this occafion to pafs without endeavoring to impress this duty ftill more ftrongly strongly on the minds of my readers, from the example as well as precept of our bleffed Saviour. We have many inftances, befides the one before us, of our Lord's addreffing himself to his Father, in prayer: not that it could be neceffary for him, who, uniting the godhead with his human nature, was Lord of all, and could have commanded legions of angels to execute his will, but that whilft he continued in that nature he would practise all the duties required of it, that in him we might have a perfect pattern to look up to, under every circumstance of life. We are told, that our blessed Lord lifted up his eyes to Heaven when he addreffed his Father and fo may we do, and with confidence, if our lives are according to the precepts of the holy Gospel; but, through our own unworthinefs, the conduct of the publican, who did not fo much as dare lift up his eyes to Heaven, but fmote upon his breast faying, God be merciful to me, a finner! will be, generally speaking, more becoming : 1 in us. Our hearts, however, must be always lifted up to Heaven when we addrefs the Father of mercies; it is the heart, and the heart only, which God will accept: mere words of form are worse than total neglect, and become an additional infult to him. The hour of our bleffed Lord was now arrived when he should glorify his Father, in the mercy he would fhew to mankind, by his fufferings and death, as an atonement to the divine juftice: this glory the Father would make to fhine forth with the utmost brightness upon his beloved Son; eternal life being promised, only through his merits and mediation : let us not, then, deceive ourselves with any vain or prefumptuous thoughts of being able to procure eternal life by any other means; but, with the utmost humility, thankfulness and gratitude, seek it where we are fure we shall not be disappointed; for if our hope and trust in God's mercy is fteadily fixed on, and through, the interceffion of our bleffed Redeemer and Advocate, we shall, through through him, enfure our own falvation and glorify God's infinite mercy and goodnefs to his finful creatures. Do not the expreffions in the second and third verses clearly prove that all mankind may become partakers of eternal life, if they perform the terms on which it is offered? These terms are, the knowledge of the only true God, and of his Son Jesus Chrift; in which is neceffarily included, obedience to his laws. How thankful ought we to be, that this bleffed knowledge is so plainly revealed; that the ignorant, as well as the learned, may be perfectly acquainted therewith! It cannot be necessary to point out to my readers the many proofs contained in the chapter before us, of the divinity of our Saviour; as almost every verse bears testimony of it. The only Son of God, who was with the Father before the world was made, quitted his feat of bliss, and came down upon earth, not only by his fufferings and death to fave mankind from the punish |