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our state, and look forward to the solemn and decisive scenes of an endless world, and not be earnest ?

§ 7. Prayer should be offered while exercising faith in your Redeemer's atonement and your heavenly Father's love. “What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." "If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."m

It is true some or all of these passages have a peculiar and special reference to faith in God, enabling the apostles to perform miracles for the confirmation of the gospel; but while this is allowed there can be no reasonable doubt of the importance of the exercise of faith, in imploring the more common blessings of his providence and grace. The exercise of faith will add fervour, solemnity, and reverence to your devotions. You will then pray as seeing him who is invisible, and with the confidence of a child addressing a beloved and loving father. And to all Christians it is said, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith."

nיי

§ 8. With acceptable prayer must be connected the exercise of a benevolent and forgiving disposition. As an important part of prayer is the imploring of forgiveness for sins and defects, so we are solemnly assured, that while asking forgiveness of God we must exercise it to man. "When ye stand praying, forgive." "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." The divine Saviour also taught his friends to pray "forgive us our debts AS we forgive our debtors." "Forgive us our sins; FOR we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.' "'r In the latter of these petitions the Christian is taught, while asking forgiveness, solemnly to declare to God, that he forgives all who have trespassed against him. An assertion which, if uttered by a person of an unforgiving disposition, would be a lie told to God himself. In the former

() Mark xi. 24. (0) Mark xi. 25, 26.

(m) Matt. xviii, 19, 20. (n) James i. 5, 6. (p) Matt. vi. 14, 15. (g) Matt. vi. 11. (r) Luke xi. 4.

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petition, we are taught to ask for that measure of forgiveness which we exercise. Forgive as we forgive. It is obvious, that a person using this petition who does not forgive others, in fact asks God not to forgive him, and thus implores a curse instead of a blessing. And this the Son of God has solemnly declared the unforgiving worshipper will bring down on his own soul: as he does not forgive he shall not be forgiven.

§ 9. Prayer should also be persevering. "Be careful (full of care) for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."s Continuing instant in prayer." The Lord Jesus taught perseverance in prayer by two instructive parables." The blessings you solicit may not immediately be granted, yet still pray, and if they are really blessings, depend upon it God at length will hear. He may see it wise and kind to exercise your faith and patience, by delaying mercies he intends to bestow; still, therefore, pray. Let not delay or discouragements damp your earnestness. "Wait on the Lord and be of good courage, and he will strengthen thine heart."

§ 10. Prayer should be constant. "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks."w "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always."x At every suitable opportunity; on every stated season, and at other times, having the heart kept in a praying frame. This may be called praying always, praying without ceasing, in the same way as the sacrifice that was regularly offered every morning and evening in the temple, was called the perpetual sacrifice. Those prayers which are only offered by fits and starts, proceed not from a heart reconciled to God. When any alarming danger threatens to overwhelm them, many, who never otherwise think of prayer, profess to pray. The profligate, or the man of the world, languishing out what he thinks his last hours, begins to pray; but let health return, and the profligate forgets his promises, his devotions, and his vows. Can such prayers be heard in heaven? Prayer should be a stated employment of part of every day. How often these seasons should be appointed, must partly depend upon the situation and circumstances in which persons are placed. The Psalmist appears to have had seven such

(s) Phil. iv. 6. (t) Rom. xii. 12. (u) Luke xviii. 1-8. xi. 5-8. (w) 1 Thess. v. 17. (r) Luke xxi. 35.

(v) Ps. xxvii. 14.

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stated seasons daily; Daniel had three of them. Many followers of Jesus Christ should not have less; but none that wish to walk with God should have less than two; one in the morning, and the other in the evening, of every day. To begin the day with God is unspeakably important. Every night we are preserved by his care; his eye, which never sleeps, watches over us, while we are insensible to all that may surround us. This goodness calls for every morning's praise. The day, with its snares and avocations, is then before us, and his help is needed to enable us that day to act the Christian's part, and his grace to prepare us for an eternal day above. Prayer should be the first employment; because, when just risen from repose, the mind is not distracted with perplexities and cares, as it is when it has been occupied for a while with the cares of the day. Let the first half hour, if possible the first hour of the day, be consecrated to reading the Scriptures, meditation, and prayer; and this will prepare you for the following employments of the day; will help you to walk with God, and strengthen you to meet the temptations or troubles that may beset your path. Of the pious Colonel Gardiner, who is stated to have attained such fervency in prayer as few have equalled, and whose life was rendered eminently happy by religion, it is recorded, that he devoted two hours to religious exercises every morning. If business called for his attention by four o'clock he would thus be engaged at latest by two. The evening is also an equally suitable time for devotion. We have then for a little while done with the cares of the day;-possibly have done with them for ever. We have enjoyed the mercies of God through another day. The night is at hand;-possibly the night of death. How important at such a season is thanksgiving for the mercies which the departed day has brought! and prayer for pardon of its faults, for protection through the coming night, and for grace to prepare the soul for the evening of life, the night of death, and the bright morning of eternity. Time taken from prayer, is time mispent indeed. At least fix the morning and evening as stated seasons for devotion, and let nothing tempt you to neglect the solemn exercise. If neglected once, another and another excuse will arise for neglecting it again and again. A chain with one link broken, no longer binds; and a habit of duty once broken, may soon

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cease to be a habit. You cannot reasonably expect any spiritual blessing on a day begun without prayer. It will probably be a day of sin; it must, if you have proper feeling, be a day of uneasiness. Nor would you like to die some night, when you had lain down to sleep without communing with your God. O would you pray successfully, pray statedly. Besides, such stated seasons for prayer cherish that frame of mind which is adapted to prayer; and you will find many intervals from business, and many circumstances, in which you may and will lift up your heart unto God.

§ 11. It may assist you in offering your private addresses to God to remember, that every thing like a solicitous attention to language, or matter, is then utterly needless-God who sees your heart knows your meaning, and the broken language of a humble heart is acceptable to him; while studied eloquence in prayer is contemptible indeed. Pray to him as your heavenly Father: speak to him from your heart, and God will hear. If any rule is necessary to direct you how thus to pour out your desires before God, it is comprised in one word-meditation. Think of the greatness and majesty of God, and you will learn how to praise him. Think of his goodness, and you will learn to bless him. Meditate on your obligations to him; the numerous mercies you enjoy, the needful gifts of providence, and the means of grace, the word of life, the great Redeemer, and the hope of glory; and you will surely know how to thank him. Review your life, reflect on your sins, your sinfulness, and ingratitude, and you will learn how to confess your offences to him. Meditate on your wants, your weakness, and imperfections, the love of Christ, the value of your soul, and the nearness of eternity, and this will teach you how to pray for everlasting blessings. Look by faith into the eternal world, listen to your Redeemer's promises, and think of being for ever with him in a better state, and you will not need the language of others to express your earnest desires to be his humble follower here, and his glorified disciple there. A child knows how to ask favours from an affectionate parent, and needs no form composed by others; and shall not a child of God acquire the same facility in speaking to his heavenly Father? What if, when first starting in the Christian course, he found a devout form adapted to cherish the flame of devotion, yet, when accustomed to the

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worship of the closet, habituated to communion with God, should he not indulge the spirit of a child, who knows that even his broken accents are welcome to his Father's ear?

§ 12. There is one requisite more of essential importance to successful and acceptable prayer-that it be offered in the Saviour's name. "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you. At that day ye shall ask in my name. Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." To ask a favour in another's name, is to present our petition, relying for success upon the influence of the friend, whose name we are permitted to use.

Jesus Christ is in heaven, ever living to intercede for his friends, as their advocate there. And when they pray in his name, they ask as his friends, relying on his intercession, and expecting success on his account. His sufferings, his merits, and his intercession, are the ground of their acceptance. In themselves there is nothing that can add weight to their prayers, but going in his name the Father hears and blesses them for Jesus's sake. Ever pray in the name of Jesus.

§ 13. The observations already made, have been designed principally in reference to private devotion; but, as the house of God is the beloved spot to which religion often leads its friends, a remark may be introduced on public devotion. Be as solicitous to realize the presence of God, when surrounded by a crowd of fellow-worshippers, as when no eye but that of God is fixed upon you. It is to be apprehended, that both in the establishment and out of it, multitudes profess to join in prayer who never pray. Their vacant looks, their wandering eyes, staring round to see who is present, or to mark the dress of those they know, their heads turned at every motion of the door, to observe who is entering, but too plainly show them guilty of a profanation of sacred time, and of a dreadful mockery of God. If you attend a dissenting house of prayer, you pray only when you join in the petitions the minister offers; when your heart accompanies his words, and you offer the prayers and praises which he utters as your own. Alas, with how many is the case widely different from this! They appear to listen to the prayer as they listen to the sermon, without attempting to pray with the speaker, as if he alone were to pray for them, and they had nothing to ask for

(y) John xvi. 23, 26, 24.