latter, by reafon of their having liberty of access to the throne of grace. This gave Jacob the advantage of his brother Efau. When Jacob was returning from Padan-aram, Efau fet out to meet him in a hoftile manner, at the head of 400 men. It was a trying time with Jacob. He did not wifh to fight his brother. If he had wifhed it, he could not; for he had nothing but a defenceless company of women, children and flocks. In this trying time, Jacob remembered the God of his father Abraham, and the God of his father Ifaac ; and he remembered that he was a prayer-hearing God-to him he went and poured out his heart, and entreated his bleffing. The night before he met his brother, he never fhut his eyes to fleep; but fpent the whole time in the most fervent prayer. His importunity held out to the very laft; even at the breaking of the day, he faid to the almighty Angel, with whom he wreftled, I will not let thee go, except thou blefs me. And the fequel fhows us that he did not wrestle in vain. He, who turneth all hearts whitherfoever he will, difarmed Efau of his rage, fo that the next morning they met like two twin brothers; fee Gen. 32d and 33dchapters. Whoever reads the account and believes the truth of it, will fee, that prayer was the weapon, with which Jacob overcame his brother. In this conteft, this weapon was ufed only on one fide. Efau was a profane man; his portion was in this life. Such men do not pray: "Ye cannot ferve God and Mammon." Efau had the most men on his fide; but Jacob had God on his fide. While the one was marthalling his troop, the other was praying to his God-and prayer got the vic In the 17th chapter of Exodus, there is an account of a battle be tween Ifrael and Amalek, an attention to which will throw light upon the fubject before us. "Then came Amalek and fought with Ifrael in Rephidim. And Mofes faid unto Jofhua, Choofe us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; to-morrow I will ftand on the top of the hill, with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Mofes had faid to him, and fought with Amalek : and Mofes, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass when Mofes held uphis hand, that Ifrael prevailed: And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed, &c. The holding up of the hand is expreffive of prayer: Lam. iii. 41. "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." Now obferve in the cafe before us, there were two ways in which Ifrael fought against Amalek, and but one in which they fought against Ifrael. They both had armies, and, no doubt, generals to lead them; but Amalek had no Mofes to pray. By attending to the whole paffage, we learn that the battle iffued in favor of Ifrael but not until God had given them decided proof, that they must not expect to overcome, by fuperior force, but by humbly fupplicating aid from the Lord of holts. The Amalekites could fight with carnal weapons as well as the people of God; but they had no prayer on their fide. In other ref pects, it feems, they had the advantage; for when Mofes letdown' his hand, they prevailed; but as foon as his holy hand was again lif ted up to God in the heavens, they were discomfited. They could not ftand before prayer, tho' they could force their way against the nakedfword. From this important Dd piece of fcripture hiftory, we learn that prayer is a weapon peculiar to the Ifrael of God. How careful then they ought to be to keep this part of their armour in ufe and to keep it bright. Even Mofes had fainting turas; his hands grew weary and he let them fall. What a mercy it was, that Aaron and Hur were with him to stay up his hands -Had it not been for this, Ifrael, instead of Amalek, would have been discomfited. "Wo unto him, that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." It was by prayer, that Jofhua gained a victory over the five kings, on that day when the fun ftood ftill. And there was no day like that before it, nor after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Ifrael; Jofh. x. 14. We are not to understand that this was the first and last day, in which the Lord ever heard prayer (a God hearing prayer is his memorial throughout all generations) but this was the only day, in which the fun ever stood still in answer to the prayer of a man. And this is a great monument, erected in the hiftory of the church to fhow the efficacy of prayer. Prayer was made great ufe of by David. Tho' he was a man of war and fought much with the fword; yet he fought more with prayer. Read the book of Pfalms and you will be convinced of this. He fays, Pfalm çix. 3,4. They compaffed me aboutalfo with words of hatred; and fought againft me without a caufe. For my love, they are my adverfaries; but I give myfelf unto prayer. This was his refort in all his troubles. He truftedin God. He did not depend on his own forefight, courage nor ftrength; but availed himfelf of the wifdom and power of Jehovah. And prayer was the ftated way, which he took to draw forth thofe fupplies which he from time to time needed. "In all thy ways acknowledge him and he fhall direct thy paths." It was in this way, that David had the advan tage of Goliah and Saul. In oth er refpects, he was not a match for them. Goliah was ftronger and better armed than he, and Saul had the power of the kingdom on his fide; but David had the power of the eternal king on his fide; for he was eminently a man of prayer. It was by prayer, that king Afa, gained fuch a victory over that great army, under the command of Zerah the Ethiopian. And Afa cried unto the Lord his God, and faid, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord, our God; for we reft on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude: 0 Lord, our God, let not man prevail against thee.* Zerah had the most formidable army, but he did not make fach a prayer. It is prob able, that in all his numerous army, which confifted of more than a thoufand thoufand, there was not one praying man. Doubtless they prayed to their dumb idols; but nothing can bemore ineffectual than fuch prayer. In the controverfy between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, prayer was reforted to on both fides; but Baal's prophets were not heard, tho' they cried aloud. There is but one prayer-hearing God. David addreffing himfelf to the Moft High, faith, O thou that heareft prayer! It is as much as to fay, that Jehovah is a prayer-hearing God, and that he is the only God, who does hear prayer. Therefore all prayer offered to • 2 Chron. xiv. Chap. other gods is, in reality, no prayer; | a greater defence than walls of brafs. Who can believethe bible, and not feel the importance of hav ing pious rulers? It would give great delight to all the pious part of a state or kingdom to have rea fon to believe, that their rulers were daily fupplicating the king of kings for wisdom and direction, and for his bleffing on the nation But words fcattered in the wind. And there is but one way, in which prayer can be offered up to the living and true God, fo as to be accepted. Without faith, it is Without faith, it is impaffible to please God. The facri fice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord; but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The exter The external of prayer is not peculiar to the people of God. Pharifees and hypocrites have prayed much in their way; but it is the prayer of the righteous alone, which availeth much. No other prayer avails any thing; fo that prayer, confidered as prevalent is peculiar to the people of the faints of the most high God. Judah was bleffed with more than one praying king: And more than once did the kingdom obtain a great deliverance, in answer to the prayers of its Prince, in union with others, who delighted to call on God. Sennacherib threatened to destroy Jerufalem, in the reign of the pious Hezekiah. His army was great; his success had been great, and he was perfectly confident, that enfeebled Jerufalem could not withstand the force he brought against it. Hezekiah felt his own weakness, and the weaknefs of his people; he was allo acquainted with the strength, the valour and the fuccefs of the king of Affyria: But he knew there was a king in heaven more mighty than he. He felt for himself and his people; but he felt more fenfibly for the infulted Majefty of heaven, whom this idolatrous king had ranked with the gods of the heathen. "And for this caufe, Hezekiah the king, and the proph et Ifaiah the fon of Amoz, pray. That prayer gives the people of God a fuperiority over their enemies is clear, from reading the 20th chapter of the 2. Chron. When Moab and the children of Ammon came against Jehoshaphat with a great multitude he acknowledged before the Lord his inferiority to the enemy, and his entire dependance upon him for help. "Ö our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might againft this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do, but oureyes are upon thee." Hear the answer, which the Lord fent by his prophet to this prayingking; "Ye fhall not need to fight in this battle; fet yourselves, ftand ye ftilled and cried to Heaven. And the and fee the falvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerufalem; fear not, nor be difmayed; to-morrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you." It was even fo. Prayer and faith had done all-God made the enemies of his praying people destroy one another. What a blefling it was to Judah to have at the head of the kingdom fuch a praying man as Jehoshaphat. He was to them, under Heaven, Lord fent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Affyria; fo he returned with fhame of face to his own land." What a mighty weapon is prayer! If John Knox was a Hezekiah in prayer, it is no wonder, that Queen Mary fhould fay, * Hezekiah's eminency in prayer will alfo appear by reading 2 Kings, chap. xx. "She had rather have an army of ten thousand men against her than the prayers of John Knox." en. * was that daily intercourfe, which he had with God in prayer, which gave him this zeal and prefence of mind. It was owing to this, that he was fo fuperior to the power, malice and intrigues of his enemies, and the enemies of the peace of Jerufalem. Such a man was remarkably fitted for the great work of building up the walls of Jerufa "O rife fome other fuch !" It appears from reading the book of Nehemiah, that the advantage, which he had over Sanballat and his companions, who endeavored to hinder the Jews from rebuilding Jerufalem and from fetting up the worship of God there, was greatly owing to his fervent pray-lem. ers. Before he fet out for Jerufalem, he fat down and wept, and The book of Efther will help mourned certain days, and failed to establish this point, That prayer and prayed before the God of heav- is a weapon peculiar to thofe, who After he had built the wall, fight under Immanuel. Haman he kept a folemn and public faft at fought the deftruction of MordeJerufalem; at which time he made cai and of all the Jews throughout a moft excellent and well adapted the Perfian empire; and for a prayer. It is evident alfo, that while every thing feemed to favour he kept at the throne of grace, his wifhes. He had obtained a while the work was going on ;- decrce for their entire deftruction, "Nevertheless we made our pray- in that kingdom, where it was a er unto our God, and set a watch fixed maxim of the government, against them day and night, be- that no decree once paffed, fhould, caufe of them." Here, brethren, on any account, be reverfed. He is a pattern for all of us. This now felt fure of his prey, like the holy man began, carried on and end-ravenous wolf, which has the tened his work, with prayer to God. This did not keep him from ufing other means. He was remarkably laborious and vigilant. He put his own hand to the work: he did every thing to excite others to diligence. No threats, no flatteries could start him from his poft, until the work, upon which he had his heart fo much fet, was finished. When he was folicited to go into the temple to avoid the attacks of his enemies, he nobly anfwered, "Should fuch a man as I flee and who is there that being as I am, would go into the temple to fave his life? I will not go in." It Nehem. i. 4. † Nehem. chap. ix. Nehem. iv. 9-fee alfo 4th and 3th verfes-fee also chap. vi. 9. "Now, therefore, O God, ftrengthen my hands." The whole book of Nehemiah is calculated to ftir up a fpirit of prayer, der, defencelefs lamb already in his paws. In fuch a critical moment, what could Mordecai and the feeble Jews do? Bleffed be God! fome of them knew the way to the throne of grace. They knew a King, who could alter the laws even of the Medes and Perfians. They agreed to keep a faft of three days, which time was no doubt devoted to confeffion of their fins, and fupplication for God's unmerited mercies; particularly for the fpecial interpofition of his Providence to refcue their devoted nation from the jaws of a devouring monfter. Prayer was almost the only weapon, with which the y to ftrengthen the weak, to animate the languid, and to lead the defponding Chriftian to hope in God. For this purpose let it once more be read. could oppofe their enemy; and with this they a this they triumphed gloriously. Ha-THE parable of which thefe words are a part, is replete with interefting and folemn inftruc man was hung on the high gallows, which he had prepared for Morde- tion. It brings the two worlds, cai; and the day, in which the Jews heaven and hell, with their rewere to be destroyed, was a gloo-spective joys and forrows into the any day to their enemies. How wonderful are the ways of the Most High! What honor does he put upon his praying fervants! meft clear and affecting view. It teacheth the immortality of the foul, and the future happiness, or mifery of men, according to their moral character. That the foul will exift after its feparation from the body, in a state of incalcula ble blifs or woe; and that death tranflates it inftantaneously into one or other of thefe fates. The beggar died, and was carried by angels into Abraham's bofom. The rich man alfo died, and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments. The parable alfo teacheth us, that the state of mankind in the invifible world is unalterably fixed. There is no poffi Daniel and the three children were eminent for devotion. By prayer, they baffled all the efforts and wiles of their enemies. It feems, their enemies difcovered that holy weapon, through which they were invulnerable, and they fought to wreft it out of their hands. But in vain do tyrants make laws to prohibit the children of God from praying. They may put them into a fiery furnace they may put them into a lion's den, but they cannot ftop them from praying. As a boiling fpringbility of exchanging it for another. muft boil over; fo a gracious foul muft flow out in prayer and fupplication with thankfgiving to God. The enemies of religion put the feet of Paul and Silas in the ftocks; but the gracious affections of their hearts they could not confine even at midnight, they prayed and fang praifes to God. Prayer is fomething, which the world cannot give nor take away. "Bleffed is the man, whom thou choofeft, and caufeft to approach unto thee." (To be continued.} Obfervations on the parable of Dives and Lazarus; especially on this paffage, I pray thee therefore, Father, that thou wouldst fend him to my father's houfe: for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, left they alfo come into this place of torment. Luke xvi. 27, 28. • Daniel iii. 12. and vi. 4,--9: The language of Abraham to his apoftate fon was, Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: fo that they which would pass from hence to you cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. It gives us also a striking reprefentation of the astonishing changes which a few moments may make in the state both of faints and finners; and how wonderfully different it may be in different worlds. The faints are inftantaneously tranflated, from the depths of poverty, pain and wretchednefs, into the paradife of God, into all the dignities and beatitudes of the father's houfe. From the crofs and the faggot, from beggary and contempt, at the gates of the rich, they are exalted to crowns and joys in heaven. But the wicked go from their gilded domes, their downey beds, fcarlet, fine linen aud fumptuous fare to the pit of deftructon, are wrapped with |