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 a 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 extra

vagant 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 convenient 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 our part, may be allowably put up. 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 enjoyments 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,

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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 sincere repentance, and pardon our 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 befal us without, may enable us to preserve a good conscience within; that he may teach us to know ourselves, and assist us to controul 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.

IN the first 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 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. enemies 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 tes

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