5. We have another source of encouragement, not indeed more strong than this, although it may be more palpable and impressive. It is the facts, which are actually exhibiting-the events actually taking place before our eyes.-The enemies of our religion have sometimes raised objections to the promises of Scripture, pretending that they are inconsistent with facts. "We hear it alleged," say they," that Christians have great encouragement to pray-that God has promised, if they will only ask, they shall receive-and has represented himself as ever ready to bestow his favors on those who seek them. But we have heard Ministers and Christians praying year after year for particular blessings; and yet those blessings have not been bestowed, and no benefits so far as we can see, have resulted. To what then does this boasted encouragement in prayer amount? What are these promises of Scripture worth? Or if the promises are not worthless, the prayers must be ; for the blessings prayed for have not been bestowed."

The more effectually to refute objections such as these, I think it may be satisfactorily shewn, that existing facts, so far from being inconsistent with the promises of God, serve if possible to confirm them; and so far from detracting any thing from the encouragement which praying souls derive from these promises, they even add to this encouragement.-For what, I ask then, have the people of God been most fervently praying? For what have we heard them, during the last twenty or thirty years, lifting up their voices and their hearts to heaven ?—They have been praying, among other things, for a spirit of prayerthat this spirit might be generally diffused-and that' real Christians of every name might be prepared to unite in supplicating the grace of their common Fath

er. And is not this request most literally granted? Has not a spirit of prayer been bestowed and felt ? And have we not for several years enjoyed the satis-. faction-a satisfaction which our fathers were not permitted to enjoy of meeting month after month,, with our brethren and sisters of every name, and bending the knee with them before the mercy seat of God?-Saints have been praying for the outpouring of the Divine Spirit, and that revivals of religion might be increased and multiplied. And are we not receiving intelligence almost daily from different parts of our country and world, that the Divine Spirit is actually poured out; that revivals of religion are increased and multiplied; and that God is glorifying himself in the enlargement and prosperity of his Zion? It has been stated on the best authority, that there have been, during the last year, not less than "four hundred revivals of religion in our own country"-resulting in the hopeful conversion of about twenty seven thousand persons"!!-Christians have been praying that the Bible might be translated into the languages of the heathen, and circulated among them in their own tongue. And we have lived to see this prayer literally accomplished. The Bible is translated, wholly or partially, into a multitude of heathen languages, and is read in almost every part of the world. The people of God. have been praying that Missionaries might be raised up and sent forth, to scatter the light of truth in regions of darkness, and proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ to those who are perishing in superstition and sin. And Missionaries in great numbers are raised up and sent forth, for this high and holy purpose. Hundreds and hundreds have already entered on their work, and are "jeoparding their lives in the

66

high places of the field."-It has also been matter of earnest prayer, that the poor benighted heathen might be converted-that they might be led to renounce their idolatries and superstitions, and come to the knowledge of the truth. And the heathen in many places, and in great numbers, have been hopefully converted, We have seen whole nations burning and destroying their idols, renouncing the bloody superstitions of their fathers, and listening with attention and interest to the news of salvation by a Redeemer.-Real Christians have long been praying for the blinded, dispersed posterity of Abraham. They have been pleading for the conversion and restoration of the Jews. And their prayers in this respect have not been disregarded. Never was there so much zeal manifested in behalf of this wonderful people ; and never since their rejection was there so fair a prospect of their speedy conversion, as there is at present.→→ Christians, in short, have been fervently praying for the dawn and the ingress of Millenial glory-that the happy day so often predicted in the Scriptures might be hastened, when "the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters do the seas." And has not this portion of their prayer been heard? Do we not already witness the dawning of a brighter day? Do we not behold indications in the signs of the present time, that the Millenial morning is even now spreading upon the mountains, and skirting the summit of the distant hills, ready to pour its cheering refulgence upon a long benighted world?

Do we not find therefore abundant evidence, in facts which are actually exhibiting around us-in events taking place before our eyes, that God has not forsaken the earth, or forgotten to be gracious, or ceased to be a God who heareth prayer? And ought not Christians to take high and strong encouragement

to persevere and increase in the duty of prayer, arising not only from the character and perfections of their heavenly Father-from his commands and promises-and from the fact that he has heard and answered the prayers of his people in other times ;-but from their very senses--from actually witnessing what he is doing in answer to prayer at the present moment?

If Christians have so great encouragements to prayer as we have seen, then their backwardness and negligence in respect to this duty are very strange and criminal. So truly pleasant is the faithful performance of it-so highly honorable must it be for dust and ashes like ourselves to be admitted freely into the presence of Jehovah to hold conversation and communion with him-and so important withal to be able in this way to have power with God himself and to prevail; that it might be supposed, if the door of the celestial palace was but opened if the privilege of coming to a mercy seat was granted-if permission to pray was only given,—it might be supposed indeed, that the mercy seat would be encircled with crowds of suppliants, and the voice of prayer would never cease. Now the truth is, we are not only permitted, but commanded to pray; and not only commanded, but urged-by motives, promises, and all possible encouragements, to persevere and be faithful in this duty. And notwithstanding all this, prayer is greatly, awfully neglected. The mercy seat, instead of being thronged, is comparatively deserted; and the voice of humble, prevalent prayer, instead of falling in unceasing and delightful accents on the ear of heaven, there is reason to fear is comparatively but seldon heard. What folly and ingratitude, what a strange and criminal abuse of offered, urged privi

leges is this? How will the guilty children of men answer it before God at another day, that they have been so weakly and wickedly negligent in the duty of prayer?

I hope the subject to which we have attended may fall with its whole weight, to impress and urge the du- " ty of prayer upon every hearer. If our God has af forded us not only the liberty of approaching him with our requests, but great and precious encouragement to do this; then certainly we owe it to ourselves, our fellow immortals, and to him, to neglect this delightful and important service no more. If we are weak, and he is strong; if we are in need of all things, and he has all things needful to bestow; if he has encouraged and required us to come freely to him and ask him for favors; if he has promised to hear and, so far as it can be consistent, to grant our requests; if he actually has heard and answered thou sands of our brethren in other ages, who have left behind them their testimony to his faithfulness; and besides all this, if we really behold him at the present time shaking the earth in answer to prayer, and overturning, overturning, and overturning, to introduce the kingdom of him whose right it is to reign ; -what, my brethren, can we desire more? or what in a way of encouragement can we have more? If, after all this, we will neglect our closets, our family altars, our sanctuary privileges, our concert meet ings, and our various opportunities for public, private, and secret prayer; it certainly cannot be for lack of encouragement. It cannot be for lack of any thing which God can properly bestow. And if we will consider the many favors which have been poured upon us from the munificent hand of God, which it be comes us gratefully to acknowledge before him; and