REMARKS ON PUBLIC PRAYER. 105 themselves, or as if he were speaking to them instead of addressing God. But this is not devotion; though only hearers when the preacher addresses them, if they expect any benefit when he speaks to God they must be humble worshippers, pouring out the desires and confessions of their hearts before the throne of God. In all devotion, pray as on the borders of eternity. Closing the eyes during the time of public prayer, will frequently assist a worshipper in maintaining that seriousness and abstraction from the world which prayer demands; and when it is found to do this, it becomes an incumbent duty. But, perhaps, you are attached to the liturgy, and think that the whole of a congregation should unite in praying aloud. If you are so, still consider that the remarks just made apply to some of the most solemn and impressive parts of that liturgy, which the minister singly repeats. And where all unite, every sincere worshipper should do so with as much seriousness and solemnity, as if he were privately praying alone. It is vain to repeat again and again the same words, unless when you repeat them they come from the heart: if the heart go not with the lips, the chattering of a magpie, or the rumbling of a carriage, is as acceptable to God as the most devotional form of prayer that can be imagined; nay, more acceptable, for the magpie's chattering is not a mockery of his majesty, but he is insulted by the solemn chatterings of the formal worshipper. The more devotion the form used expresses, the more dreadful is the mockery when the heart goes one way and the lips another. § 14. Some weight is to be attached to the posture in which you worship. Where places of worship are so constructed as to admit with comfort of kneeling, that appears the most devotional; but kneeling or standing are both devout and scriptural: sitting is decidedly irreverent and improper, except where weakness and indisposition require it; then, indeed, it is allowable in his sight who loves mercy better than sacrifice; otherwise it appears like treating the infinite Jehovah with less reverence than we should use in addressing an exalted fellow-worm. What supplicant would sit carelessly down if presenting a petition to the king of Great Britain? and who that feels reverence for the eternal Kings of kings, 106 ON PRAISE, AND SINGING. can needlessly indulge that careless, slothful posture when speaking to him? § 15. Connected with prayer is praise. Many of the observations made already respecting prayer, apply equally to this sacred, and to a grateful heart delightful, part of divine worship. The wants of man call for prayer; the goodness of God demands praise. Many Christians, who pray much, are comparatively forgetful of praise. This springs from looking at their wants more than at their mercies, or from a want of grateful feelings for the blessings with which their years are crowned. The sacred Scriptures, which contain so many directions respecting prayer, also abound with admonitions respecting praise. A considerable portion of the book of Psalms is praise; and exhortations are frequently given, to present this grateful offering to the Most High: "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."'z "Praise is comely for the upright." "Offer unto God thanksgiving."b "In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." § 16. In many congregations, singing constitutes a considerable part of public worship. This sacred exercise should ever be conducted in the spirit of humble devotion. It is frequently an address to God, and always connected with divine subjects. Perhaps, in few ways is God more insulted, than by hymns sung without devotion. Much sin is thus committed. Many sing without considering whom they address, or what they utter. Sometimes the congregation engages their attention, and their eyes are wandering from place to place. At other times the tune attracts all their notice; and God and Jesus, and life or death eternal, and all the solemn truths the hymn on their lips may contain, are forgotten, while the eye is fixed, perhaps, on a stranger entering the door, or the ear is engaged in observing the harmony of a fleeting sound. O, watch against this common sin, into which thoughtless worshippers so often fall! God of old complained of some who drew nigh to him with their lips, and honoured him with the mouth, but their heart was far from him. In sing (a) Ps. xxxiii. 1. (z) Ps. xxx. 4. (b) Ps. i. 14. (d) Matt. xv. 8. VALUE OF PRAYER ONLY KNOWN HEREAFTER. 107 ing hymns descriptive of the feelings of the heart, it is needful to observe how far the feelings of our own hearts accord with the hymn; lest we should be guilty of uttering any thing approaching the nature of a solemn falsehood, in the presence of the Most High. Keep in view the apostle's words, I will sing with the spirit and with the understanding. e While so much attention should be paid to the spirit with which hymns are sung, the posture also deserves attention. Where weakness or indisposition do not require a sitting posture, has it not a very undevout and irreverent appearance to see a congregation lolling carelessly at their ease, while uniting in the worship of God? The hosts of heaven are represented as behaving to their Creator in a more reverent manner. The happy multitude which John saw in vision, and whose song of praise was, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb," stood before the throne. A devout posture ought to be connected with a deyout spirit. § 17. Your present welfare and eternal happiness greatly depend on a strict attention to prayer. Its value will never be fully known, till that day when an end shall be put to every hope that is not eternal. Then, when the sepulchres of brass and marble melt away, the pyramids of brick and stone moulder back to dust; when humble cottages and gorgeous palaces, little villages and mighty cities, fruitful plains and barren deserts, lowly valleys and lofty mountains, and the world itself shall be weltering in final flames;—then when the solemnities of eternal judgment commence-proceedconclude and all have entered their unchangeable abodes; -then, and not till then, will the value of devout intercourse with God be fully known. O, keep those scenes in view! and no earthly pleasure, no earthly care, will lead you to neglect communion with your heavenly Father. tion; 18. To increase your sense of its value, observe the importance attached to prayer by the example, and in the life, of the Lord Jesus Christ. His life below was a life of devoand events of peculiar importance were accompanied with a peculiar attention to prayer. When the holy Jesus was baptized he prayed." Before he chose his twelve apos(f) Dan. vii. 10. (g) Rev. vii. 9; Rev. xv. 2. (h) Luke iii. 21. (e) 1 Cor. xiv. 15. 108 PRAYER RECOMMENDED BY i tles he went out into a mountain to pray. Before his transfiguration he took James and John and Peter apart into a high mountain, for the same sacred exercise. When he stood by the grave of Lazarus he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and thanked his Father for hearing him. When certain Gentiles desired to see him, after speaking of the effect of his sufferings, he prayed, "Father, glorify thy name."m After working many miracles, on one occasion he rose in the morning a great while before day, and went into a solitary place and prayed." At another time, when he had healed great multitudes, he withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. When he had fed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, he sent away the multitude, and went up into a mountain apart to pray, and when the evening was come he was there alone. When he foresaw Peter's temptation, he prayed for him that his faith should not fail. He closed the solemnities of his last supper with an affecting prayer. For those who crucified him he prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." And on the cross, before he expired, he addressed God, saying, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."s As thus on every solemn occasion prayer expressed the feelings of his heart, so he persevered in prayer. When he went out into a mountain to pray, before he chose the twelve, he continued all night in prayer to God.' And after feeding the multitude with a few loaves, and retiring for prayer to a lonely mountain, he continued there from evening almost till the following morning dawned. Thus did he converse with his heavenly Father. Amidst the stillness of midnight his prayers ascended to heaven. Though he had no inward corruptions to harass his holy soul, his exemplary devotion manifested his love to prayer, and proclaims to his followers, that prayer should be their pleasure and their strength. While such was the conduct of the holy Saviour, what should be that of the unworthy disciple? Surely, if you follow Jesus, prayer should be the pleasure of every day; and when any circumstance occurs of more than usual moment, let it be attended with more than usual prayer. See the Saviour on a lonely mountain employing the whole night in (i) Luke vi. 12. (k) Luke ix. 28. (1) John xi. 42. ) Mark i. 35. (0) Luke v. 16. (p) Matt. xiv. 23. (s) Luke xxiii. 46. (r) Luke xxiii. 84. (m) John xii. 28. (t) Luke vi. 12. THE SAVIOUR'S EXAMPLE. 109 prayer, or rising for that sacred exercise before the first glimmering of the dawn. See this, and learn of him. Leave the bed of sloth to commune with your God. And when called to engage in duties of peculiar weight, then, like the Lord, watch unto prayer. Amidst the silence of midnight, or before the dawn glimmers in the heavens, let your prayers and your praises be ascending to God. 66 § 19. The value of prayer, and the strongest encouragement for it, appears in the numerous promises made to it, with which the Scriptures abound. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good." "U "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry." "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; he also will hear their cry, and will save them."w "Ask, and it shall be given' you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. -If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"x "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."y "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." These are a few of the numerous promises made to prayer. How precious are the blessings promised! If solid holiness and real peace in life, if comfort or triumph in death, and the love of God through a whole eternity, are important to you, then is prayer unspeakably important; for all the grace that makes the deathless soul a partaker of these blessings, is promised in answer to sincere, humble, fervent prayer; and it is given. All who truly pray obtain these blessings, and none possess them who life a prayerless life. $20. The blessings that have been granted to prayer illustrate its importance and its worth. The records of religious history abundantly prove, that God is the hearer of prayer; and this not only on subjects of great magnitude, but on those (u) Ps. xxxiv. 10. (v) Ps. 1. 14, 15. L (w) Ps. cxlv. 18, 19. (z) John xv. 7. |