A LETTER TO A SISTER ON PRAYER.

Before we enter upon prayer, we ought to ask God for his Holy Spirit to teach us to pray; that he will according to his promise pour out upon us the Spirit of grace and supplication (Zech. xii. 10;) and how. ever we may endeavour by meditation and reflection to prepare for prayer, yet we must ever remember the preparation of the heart of man and the answer of the lips, is from the Lord. Prayer is one of the most delightful employments in which we can be engaged, when the Spirit of God helps our infirmities, and enables us to worship God in spirit and in truth. But though the spirit of prayer be the gift of God, yet by watching thereunto with all perseverance, (Ephes. vi. 18.) we may doubtless obtain a higher degree of the spirit of prayer: for this purpose I would mention a few hints which I have found useful.

First, believe that God will hear you, and will give you whatever you ask according to his will. Consider God as your reconciled Father in Jesus Christ, and be persuaded that he considers you as his child; that he has forgiven you all your sins, and that you are justified freely by his grace. (Rom. iii. 24.) Consider further that God who cannot lie, has promised to hear and answer you, and that you sadly dishonour him, if you doubt this.

Recollect it is the most important business in which you can be engaged. You are addressing the greatest of all beings. You are permitted to have this delightful intercourse with your Creator and God-but it is an especial direction that we must not be rash with our mouth; for God is in heaven and

we are upon earth. But still, through Jesus we may have access, with confidence by one Spirit, unto the Father, being made of the household of God; (Ephes. ii. 18, 19.) and not only so, but we have the privilege of adoption, are made sons of God, (Gal. iv. 67.) and are not only permitted, but re quired by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known unto God. (Phil. iv. 6.) And for this consider, we have a friend to offer up our pray. ers; we have an an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous-he is the way, the truth, and the life; and it is only in his name and merits, and through his mediation, that God will allow us to come nigh unto him.

Before then you begin your morning or evening prayer, give a little time to reflection and meditation. Consider the Majesty of God; (Ps. civ. 1.) the promises of God; (John xiv. 13.) the certainty that those are true and will be accomplished; (Rom. iv. 21.) that is, the faithfulness of God and the love of God in Jesus Christ. (John iii. 16.) Then consider the matter of your prayers and thanksgiving. In the morning I would begin with praise, in the evening with confession. What are the mercies you daily receive? surely every moment is productive in mercies. When we consider what we deserve, our very existence is one of the greatest mercies-a proof of the long-suffering of God. First, consider temporal mer cies as preservation, possession of limbs, senses, health, food, clothing, peace, friends, books, competence, protection, deliverance from dangers, the mercies peculiar to us of this nation and time; then consider the far better spiritual mercies-the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the love of

God in him, passing knowledge free pardon and justification by his blood; the gift of his Spirit to sanctify us, and the gift of eternal life which he hath given us; then the means of grace-his word full of sweet promises, of awful threatenings, a light to our feet; his house, his day, his ministers, his sacraments. Praise him for his answer to your prayers, and for the good his Spirit has enabled you to do. Praise him for his talents of money and ability; and also for any particular mercies you may enjoy.

What are the sins most heavy upon your conscience? The two great sins of those, who pay serious attention to religion, are unbelief, and self-righteousness. The Spirit alone convinceth of these sins; (John xvi. 8-11.) no wonder therefore the world is not sensible of them: but in addition to these, every one has what the Scriptures call besetting sins; (Heb. xii. 1.) sins to which he is more easily tempted than to any other; these you will probably have reason to confess every day. Pride is the most common sin, under the power of which we all in some measure are. God is often much forgotten; our hearts cold and dead in religion; our words are idle and vain; our heart is a nest of evil thoughts; our actions are not with a single eye to the glory of God

these several sins should be confessed and bewailed, and yet with a confident hope that God will forgive them; for if we confess our sins, he is just and faithful to forgive us. (1 John i. 9.)

What are your wants, your desires, your fears, and cares? Lay them all before God, for he careth for you. (1 Peter v. 7.) The -first desires ought to be for spiritual good things; for if we seek these first, all other

things will be added. (Matt. vi. 33.) Ask then first for an increase of faith, hope, and love; that you may abide in Christ, and he in you; (John xv. 4.) that he may dwell in your heart by faith; (Ephes. iii. 17.) that this faith may work by love, and overcome the world. Ask then to be a partaker of the hopes of the Gospel, and to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Rom. v. 2.) Pray that the love of God may be shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit, that you may be taught of God to love others: pray for that Holy Spirit which our Lord has promised to send to guide us into all truth; then pray that you may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. Pray for wisdom (James i. 5.) that God would enable you to speak that which is good to the use of edifying. Pray to be delivered from the pollutions that are in the world through lust. Our temporal wants we are also permitted to lay before God. We ought never to forget to pray for others; for those that are dear to us, and those that need our prayers; for all in authority; for this nation that God may still continue his protecting arm over us; for our enemies (if we have any) that is, for those who may have offended us in any way; and lastly for those who may have desired your prayers. It is indeed a delightful thing thus to bring all who are near and dear to us, daily before our God; trusting that he will hear us, and do far more for them than we could. And then, as you begun your prayers in the name of Jesus, so conclude them; trusting that God will pardon the iniquities of your prayers, through the blood of Christ, and accept them in his merits and through his mediation.

I have thus, my dear sister, run over very hastily a few thoughts on this subject; I say hastily, because I have hardly time to read what I have written; but of course the subject must have been often in my thoughts. You will see my plan in the main requires that we should not pray by forms. They are doubtless very useful at times; but it is very delightful to do without them. Prayer, you know, is the expression of the heart, which is often very different from forms of prayer.

But besides these stated times of prayer, we must live in prayer-praying always; that is, we must look upon God as ever present, and our hearts must be raised up to him on every occasion.

"The principal reason wherefore the Levitical law prohibited the swine was because of their extreme filthiness, and their eating so many impurities. For it is well known with what care and precision the law forbid