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to shatter his fortune; or let sickness, and the harbingers of approaching death, shew him his frailty; and how ready will he then be to send up prayers from the heart, that Providence would then befriend and relieve him? Religion, my friends, is not a matter of theory and doubt. Its foundations are laid deep in the nature and condition of man. It

lays hold of every man's feelings. In every man's heart and conscience it has many witnesses to its importance and reality.

Let us then neglect no means which may be of avail for procuring the grace and favour of that Divine Providence on which so much depends. Let no duties be overlooked which belong to us as subjects of God; devout worship, and grateful praises for all his blessings, humble trust in his goodness, and implicit submission to his will; and constant and cheerful obedience to his laws. Let us be thankful that God hath clearly made

known all that he requires of us in order to be accepted in his sight; and that not only he has revealed the rule of duty, but also hath pointed out to us in the gospel, the direct method of reconciliation with him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Providence hath condescended to become our instructor in this great article; hath taught us in what way our sins may be forgiven, our imperfect services be accepted, and an interest in the Divine grace be attained by means of our Redeemer. Inexcusable we must be, if all this offered grace we shall wantonly throw at our feet. In a world so full of vicissitudes and uncertainty, let us take pains to secure to ourselves one resting place; one habitation that cannot be moved. By piety and prayer, by faith, repentance, and a good life, let us seek the friendship of the Most High; so shall he who directeth the steps of man now, conduct our path in such a course as shall bring us in the end to himself.

SERMON XC.

ON PRAYER.

O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.
Psal. lxv. 2.

THE Supreme Being is represented
under many amiable characters in the
sacred writings; as the Father of mer-
cies, the God of love, the Author of
every good and perfect gift. But there
is no character which carries more
comfort, or which renders God so pro-
perly the object of confidence and
trust, as this of his being the Hearer
of Prayer. This view of the Almighty
accommodates his perfections to our
necessities and wants, and in our
present frail and distressed state af-
fords a constant refuge to which we
can fly. Unto Thee shall all flesh come.
To Thee shall an indigent world look
up for the supply of their wants; to
Thee, shall the proudest sinner, at

some time or other, be compelled to bow; to Thee shall the distressed and afflicted have recourse as to their last relief and hope.

Prayer is a duty essential to natural religion. Wherever the light of nature taught men to acknowledge the being of a God, to that God also it directed them to pray. In the Christian revelation great stress is laid upon this duty, and great encouragement given

to it.

Our blessed Saviour not only set the example himself, and enjoined the practice to his followers, but thought it worthy his express instruction to teach them in what manner to pray, and even to put words in their mouth. We are assured that prayers

are not in vain; but that as the eyes | state which lead to reflections still

of the Lord are upon the righteous, so his ears are open to their cry; that if we ask aright, we shall receive; if we seek, we shall find; if we knock, it shall be opened to us. It is, indeed, hard to say, whether prayer is to be most properly considered as a duty incumbent on all, or as a privilege allowed to them. But a blessed circumstance it is, that our duty and our privilege thus concur in one; that we are commanded to do what our wants naturally dictate to be done; even to ask what is good from God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not. In treating of this subject, it will be proper to consider, first, the nature and the subjects of prayer; next, its proper qualifications; and lastly, the advantages and blessings which attend it.

I. The nature of prayer supposes, in the first place, that we have a just sense of our wants and miseries, and of our dependance on God for relief. To be suitably impressed with this sense, we need only think what our present situation is. We live in a world, where every thing around us is dark and uncertain. When we look back on the past, we must remember that there we have met with much disappointment and vanity. When we look forward to the future, all is unknown. We are liable there to many dangers which we cannot foresee; and to many which we foresee approaching, yet know not how to defend ourselves against them. We are often ignorant what course we can steer with safety; nay, so imperfect is our own wisdom, and so great the darkness which covers futurity, that while we imagine that we are in the road to prosperity, we are often rushing blindly into the most fatal evils. Besides these contingencies of life, which make us feel so deeply the necessity of looking up to some more powerful guide and protector, there are other circumstances in our

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more alarming. We know that we are the subjects of a supreme righteous Governor, to whom we are accountable for our conduct. We were sent into this world by his appointment, and we are removed from it at his decree.

How soon the call for our removal may be given, none of us know; but this we profess to believe, that upon our going hence we are to be brought into new and unknown habitations, suitable to our behaviour here. Who amongst us can say, that he is perfectly ready to appear before his Creator and Judge, and to give an account to him for all the actions of his life? How much do the best of us stand in need of mercy and forgiveness for our offences past, and of direction and assistance from Heaven to guide us in our future way! What reason to dread, that if we be left entirely to ourselves we will be in the utmost danger of departing from virtue and from happiness, and of leaving life under the displeasure of Him, who is to judge us! While with this sense of our imperfections, our dangers, and our guilt, we come to the Hearer of prayer, we must, in the next place,

Pray to God, in the belief that with him there is power which can give us relief, and goodness which will incline him to give it. Prayer supposes a full persuasion that his providence rules and governs all; that through all futurity his eye penetrates; that there are no events of our life in which he interposes not; that he knows the most secret motions of our hearts; and that to the hearts of all men he has access, by avenues unknown to us, and can turn them according to his pleasure. It supposes, at the same time, a firm confidence in the declarations he has made in his word, that a plan is established for dispensing grace to fallen and guilty mankind, through a great Redeemer. It supposes an humble hope

that, as he knows our frame and remembers we are dust, he will not reject the supplications of the penitent returning sinner; that he is one who hath no pleasure in our sorrows and distress, but desires the happiness of his creatures, and beholds with complacency the humble and sincere worshipper.

Now these things being supposed, this just sense of our own imperfections and guilt, and this proper impression of the Divine nature, when the soul is in this posture of devotion, breathing forth its sorrows and its wants before its Creator, and imploring from him protection and aid, it cannot but give vent to the high conceptions with which it will then be affected, of God's supreme perfection. This of course becomes the foundation of that part of devotion which is styled adoration or praise.-As it is the experience of past goodness which warms the heart of the worshipper, and encourages his present supplication, he will naturally be led to a grateful celebration of the mercies of Heaven; whence thanksgiving becomes an essential part of his devotion.

-As he cannot put up petitions without acknowledging his wants, and as his wants are closely connected with his frailty and ill-deserving, hence the most humble confession of guilt must necessarily enter into prayer. If there be any terms on which we may expect the Deity to be most propitious; if there be any meritorious Intercessor through whom we may prefer our request to him; this assuredly will be the method which the pious worshipper will choose for addressing the Almighty; and this will be the ground of his praying in the name of Christ, sending up his petitions to God through his beloved Son, whom he heareth always.

Thus it appears that there is a just foundation for prayer, in all its parts, naturally laid in the present circumstances of man, and in the relation in

which he stands to God. But as petition is the chief and most distinguishing part of prayer, it will be requisite that we consider particularly what those requests are, which are proper to be offered up to God. These may all be classed under three heads: first, requests for temporal blessings; next, for spiritual mercies; and lastly, intercessions for the welfare of others.

With regard to temporal blessings, though men may lay a restraint upon themselves in the expressions which they utter in prayer, yet it is much to be suspected, that the inward wishes of their hearts for such blessings are often the most fervent of any. To wish and pray for the advantages of life is not forbidden. Our Saviour hath so far countenanced it, as to command us to pray that God would give us our daily bread; that is, as his words have been always understood, that he would bestow what is necessary for the sustenance and comfort of life. Yet the very sound of the words retrenches every superfluous and extravagant wish. Not for riches and honours, for great advancement or long life, or for numerous and flourishing families, has he given us any encouragement to pray. Foreign are such things to the real improvement, foreign very often to the true happiness, of man. Foolishly they may be wished for, when the wish accomplished would prove our ruin. Let health and peace, contentment and tranquillity, bound the humble prayer which we send up to heaven; that God may feed us with food concenient for us; that whatever our outward circumstances are, they may be blessed to us by him, and accompanied with a quiet mind. Even health and peace themselves may not always prove blessings. Sweet and desirable as they seem, God may, at certain times, foresee their tendency to corrupt our hearts, and may in mercy reject a prayer for them, which, on

errors for the sake of Jesus Christ. We must earnestly pray, that he would strengthen us by his grace to resist the temptations that hereafter may assault us; and whatever he appoint to befall us without, may enable us to preserve a good conscience within; that he may teach us to know ourselves, and assist us to control and govern our passions; that he may endow us with temperance in prosperity, and resignation under adversity; that in no situation of life we may be allowed to forget what we owe to our Maker and Redeemer; and that after having discharged the duties of life, through the assistance of Divine grace, with some measure of integrity and honour, we may be prepared for going through the last scene of life without dismay; and when we have made a decent and peaceful retreat from this world, we may then find ourselves in some better and happier state.

our part, may be allowably put up. | sincere repentance, and pardon our For the nature of all temporal things is such, that they have not one fixed and stable character, but may be convertible on different occasions either into good or ill; and therefore, some reserve in our wish must always be maintained and to the wiser judgment of God, it must be left to determine what is fit to be bestowed, and what to be withheld.-But this we may lawfully pray, that, as far as to God seems meet, he would make our state comfortable, and our days easy and tranquil; that he would save us from falling into any severe and extreme distress; that he would preserve to us the enjoyment of those friends and comforts that we most love; or, if he bereave us of any of them, that he would in mercy assist and support us under the loss; in fine, that he would so order our lot, that we may be kept as free from pain, trouble, and anguish, as shall be consistent with the higher improvements of our souls in piety, virtue, and wisdom.

In the next place, with regard to spiritual mercies, we are unquestionably allowed to be more fervent and explicit in our requests at the throne of grace. God can never be displeased in hearing us implore from him those graces and endowments of the soul, that beautify us in his sight, that are good for all men, good at all times, indeed the only certain and immutable goods; and therefore to these only pertains that earnestness, that urgency of prayer, which is represented as acceptable to the Almighty. Our petitions of this nature, our Saviour has ranked under the two great heads of forgiveness for past offences, and deliverance from future temptations. It is chiefly for these important blessings, that we are to prostrate ourselves before our Father in heaven, begging of him, who knows our heart with all its frailties, that he would accept our

In the last place, it is to be remembered, that intercessions for the welfare of others form a material part of prayer. The sincere worshipper is not to consider himself as a single and separate being, confining his concern wholly to himself. Our Saviour has initiated us into a more noble and enlarged spirit of devotion, when he taught us to begin with praying that the kingdom of God may be advanced over all, and that mankind may be rendered as happy by doing his will, as the angels are in heaven. When we bow our knee to the common Father, let it be like affectionate members of his family, desiring the prosperity of all our brethren. In particular, the happiness of our friends and relations, of those whom we love, and by whom we are loved, ought then to be near our heart, praying that the Almighty may be our God, and the God of our friends and family, for ever; that he may watch over them

and bless them; and may make us | long happy in mutual comfort and affection. We ought to remember our benefactors before God, and pray for a return of Divine blessings on their head. The distressed and afflicted ought to share our sympathy; remembering them who suffer adversity, as being ourselves in the body; and shedding the friendly tear at the thought of human woe. Our encmies themselves ought not to be forgotten in our prayers: in fine, our prayers ought to be an exercise of extensive benevolence of heart; a solemn testimony offered up to the God of Love, of our kind and charitable affection to all men.

But now, after what has been suggested concerning the proper subjects of prayer, I am aware that it may be said by some, To what purpose is all this detail ?-Do we propose, by our prayers, to give to the Supreme Being any new information, regarding our situation, of which he is not possessed? Does he not already know all our wants and distresses? and will He not be prompted by his goodness and wisdom to do for us, in such circumstances, whatever is fit and proper to be done? Do we imagine that by the importunity of our solicitations and requests, He can be prevailed upon to alter his purpose, or depart from his system in the government of the world, in order to gratify our desires? Such objections against the reasonableness of prayer, have been often urged with all the parade of scepticism. Though, on the first view, they may carry some appearance of speciousness, yet on a slight discussion they fall to the ground; for they all rest on a mistaken idea of the nature and design of prayer. No man in his sober senses could ever believe that, by lifting his feeble voice to heaven, he could convey to the ear of the Almighty any new knowledge or information. None

but the most ignorant could imagine, that by his prayers he could raise any new emotions in the unchangeable Sovereign of the universe, and prevail upon him to alter his decrees in consequence of his request.—The efficacy of prayer lies, not in working a change upon God, but in working a change upon ourselves; in begetting or improving right dispositions of heart, and thereby making us fit subjects of the Divine mercy. It is not for the sake of our asking, that God grants the requests we prefer in prayer; but as our asking, with proper dispositions, produces that frame of mind which qualifies us to receive. Hence, prayer has been appointed by God as an instrument for improving our nature, and is required on our part as a condition of receiving his favours. Thus, when upon a certain occasion he had by his prophet predicted and promised circumstances of prosperity to the Jewish nation, the prophet was directed to add, Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. (Ezek. xxxvi. 37.) Is there any one who will say, that it is not incumbent on all rational creatures to feel their dependance on the God who has formed them, and to refer to him all the blessings which they either enjoy or hope to receive? Would not the want of such becoming sentiments be altogether unworthy and sinful? And if they are such sentiments as ought to be entertained, must it not be proper to express them by words in prayer, and thereby to strengthen the impression of them on our minds?

But in truth there is no occasion for entering into any long discussion of argument, in order to evince the reasonableness of prayer. It is the natural dictate of the human heart. Though in the days of prosperity and ease it may, like other duties, have been neglected and forgotten, yet, on all great and trying occasions,

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