act as if you thought you had done all for which God gave you an intelligent mind, reasoning faculties, aspiring thoughts, capacities for endless happiness. Let not those powers which were meant to fit you, not only for the society of angels, but for the vision of God, be any longer wasted on objects the most frivolous; on things which at best, must end when this world ends.

Oh! re

nounce pursuits, some of them below a ra tional, unsuited to an accountable, and altogether unworthy of a never-ending being! Renounce them for objects more becoming a candidate for an inheritance among the saints in light, better adapted to an immaterial, immortal spirit, and commensurate wi eternity.

REFLECTIONS ON PRAYER,

AND ON THE ERRORS WHICH MAY PREVENT ITS EFFICAY.

On the Corruption of Human Nature.

THE most original French writer of our own time, but who employed his powerful talents to the most pernicious purposes, abruptly begins his once popular work on education with this undeniable truth,-All is good as it comes out of the hands of God, all is corrupted in the hands of man.'

In his first position, this sceptic bears a just testimony to the goodness of his Creator; but the second clause, his subsequent application of it, though also a truth, is not the whole truth. He ascribes all the evils of man to the errors of his institution.

Now, though it cannot be denied that ma ny of his faults are owing to a defect in education, yet his prime evil lies deeper, is radical, and must be traced to a more remote and definite cause.

Had the writer been as enlightened as he was ingenions, he would have seen that the principle of evil was antecedent to his edu'cation; that it is to be found in the inborn corruption of the human heart. If then, from an infidel, we are willing to borrow an avowal of the goodness of God in the creation of man, we must look to higher authorities to account for his degeneracy, even to the sacred oracles of God himself.

And, to remove the groundless hope, that this quality of inherent corruption belonged only to the profligate and abandoned, the Divine Inspirer of the sacred writers took especial care, that they should not confine themselves to relate the sins of these alone.

Why are the errors, the weaknesses, and even the crimes of the best men recorded with equal fidelity? Why are we told of the twice repeated deceit of the father of the faithful? Why of the single instance of vanity in Hezekiah? Why of the too impetuous zeal of Elijah? Why of the error of the almost perfect Moses? Why of the insincerity of Jacob? Why of the far darker crimes of the otherwise holy David? Why of the departure of the wisest of men from that pi ety, displayed with sublimity unparalleled in the dedication of the Temple? Why seems it to have been invariably studied, to record with more minute detail the vices and errors of these eminent men, than even those of the successive impious kings of Israel, and of Judah; while these last are generally dismis sed with the brief, but melancholy sentence, that they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; followed only by too frequent an intimation, that they made way for a successor worse than themselves? The answer is, that the truth of our universal lapse could only be proved by transmitting the record of those vices, from which even the holiest men were not exempt.

The subject of man's apostacy is so nearly connected with the subject of Prayer, being indeed that which constitutes the necessity of this duty, that some mention of the one And as these affecting details unansweraought to precede any discussion of the oth-bly establish the truth of the doctrine, so er. Let, then, the conviction, that we are they are not recorded for barren doctrinal fallen from our original state, and that this information. They are recorded to furnish lapse furnishes the most powerful incentive Christians of every age with salutary caution, to prayer, furnish an apology for making a with awful warning few preliminary remarks on this doctrine.

Surely the best man among us will hardly The doctrine is not the less a fundamental venture to say, that he is more holy than doctrine, because it has been abused to the Abraham, Moses, David, or Peter. If, then, worst purposes: some having considered it these saints exhibited such evidences of not as leaving us without hope, and others, as having escaped the universal infection, will lending an excuse to unresisted sin. It is a not every reflecting child of mortality yield doctrine which meets us in one unbroken to the conviction, that this doctrine is as true series throughout the whole sacred volume; as the history which has recorded it? Will we find it from the third of Genesis, which he not proceed further to say, How then records the event of man's apostacy, carried shall I be high-minded? How shall I not on through the history of its fatal consequen- fear? How shall I deny the cause of the evil ces in all the subsequent instances of sin, tendencies of my own heart, the sins of my individual and national, and running in one continued stream from the first sad tale of woe, to the close of the sacred canon in the Apocalyptic Vision.

own life, the thoughts of foolishness, and the actings of iniquity within myself? And will not such serious enquiry, by God's grace, acting on the study of the characters of these

Had the Holy Scriptures kept back from man the faithful delineations of the illustrious characters to which we have referred, the truth of the doctrine in question, though occasionally felt, and in spite of his resistance, forced upon him, would not have been believed; or, if believed, would not have been acknowledged.

highly eminent, but not perfect worthies of within the reach of the plainest understandold times, patriarchs, prophets, and saints, ing. We speak of the Gospel itself, and not lead the enquirer, through the redemption of those metaphysical perplexities with which wrought for all, and faith in the operation of the schools have endeavoured to meet metathe blessed Spirit, to that effectual repen- physical objections; we speak of the fundatance and fervent prayer, to which, in this mental truths on which God has made salvasame Divine history, such gracious promises tion to depend. The unlettered Christian are made? lays hold on those truths which the philosopher misses. The former looks to the Holy Spirit for his teacher, the latter to his own understanding. The one lives holily, and this by doing the will of God, he comes to k of the doctrine whether it be of God.' Christianity hangs on a few plain truths; that God is, and that he is the rewarder of all that seek him;' that man has apostatised from his original character, and by it has forfeited his original destination; that Christ came into this world and died upon the cross to expiate sin, and to save sinners; that after his ascension into Heaven, he did not leave his work imperfect. He sent bis Holy Spirit, who performed his first office by giving to the Apostles miraculous powers. His offices did not cease there; he has indeed withdrawn his miraculous gifts, but he still continues his silent but powerful operations, and that in their due order,-first, that of convincing of sin, and of changing the heart of the sinner, before he assumes the gracious character of the Comforter. What need, then, of heresies to perplex doctrines, or of philosophy to entangle, or of will-worshippers to multiply them?

It is, then, one great end of the oracles of Divine truth, to humble man, under a sense of his inherent and actual corruptions. The natural man feels it repugnant to his pride to suppose this doctrine is addressed to him. It is very true, that this all-important doctrine of human corruption, is, like many other truths, both in the natural, moral, and spiritual world, liable to certain speculative objections, and metaphysical difficulties. Laying hold on these, which, often, a child might discover, and no philosopher be able to answer, even upon merely philosophical subjects, we excuse ourselves altogether from studying the Divine book, and fearful, in secret, of the discoveries we should make, pretend that its Author has left truth so obscure, as to be impervious to human eyes; or so lofty, as to be above human reach.

But is it not making God unjust, and even the author of that sin which he charges on ourselves, to suppose that he had put truth and knowledge out of our reach, and then threatened to punish us for failing in that which he himself had made impossible? Is it probable that He, whose eyes you say are so pure, that he cannot look upon iniquity, should tolerate it, by tying our hands, and blinding our eyes, and thus abandon us to the unrestrained dominion of that which he hates?

We do not deny that there are, in Christianity, high and holy mysteries; but these secret things,' though they belong to God,' have their practical uses for us; they teach us humility, the prime Christian grace; and they exercise faith, the parent attribute of all other graces.

This religion of facts, then, the poorest listners in the aisles of our churches understand sufficiently, to be made by it wise unto salvation. They are saved by a practical belief of a few simple, but inestimable truths.

The only real question which concerns us By these same simple truths, martyrs and in our present imperfect and probationary confessors, our persecuted saints, and our state, is this:-Are the statements of revela- blessed reformers, were saved. By these tion sufficient to establish this or that doc- few simple truths, Locke, and Boyle, and trine? And is the doctrine so established, a Newton, were saved; not because they saw sufficient ground for the duties required? If their religion through the glass of their phithis be answered in the affirmative, then to losophy, but because theirs was not a phiask for fewer difficulties, clearer light, or losophy, falsely so called;' nor their science, stronger motives to action, is only to enter a science of opposition;' but a science and a vain contest with Almighty wisdom, and a philosophy which were made subservient Divine supremacy. Our present disobedi- to Christianity, and because their deep huence proves that more light would only in-mility sanctified their astonishing powers of crease our guilt, stronger motives would on-mind. These wonderful men, at whose feet ly render us more inexcusable. We should the learned world is still satisfied to sit, sat reject then what we neglect now. To re-themselves at the feet of Jesus. Had there fuse what we now have, is not for want of been any other way but the cross by which light, but of eyes; not for want of motives. but of faith; not for want of rules, but of obedience; not for want of knowledge, but of will. Let us then pity those blind eyes which do not see, and especially those wilful eyes which will not see.

The christian revelation, as far as respects its professed practical purpose, is brought VOL. II. 65

sinners could be saved, they, perhaps, of all men, were best qualified to have found it.

The wise and the weak, the illiterate and the learned, cannot, indeed, equally discuss or expound these doctrines, but they are equally saved by them. In view of the simple means of salvation, talents lose their superiority, learning its dignity, and power

306

THE WORKS OF HANNAH MORE.

its pre-eminence. While the sober Chris- ungoverned anger, which is murder in ita tian keeps on his safe, because prescribed first seed; are not all these equally to be course; the wise, and the disputer of this found in the high-born and the low-bred ? world, by deserting it fall into absurdities Again, is not sensuality in the great, which, which plain men escape; they make the in the case of the poor, might have produced difficulties they do not find, and wander in unfair means to indulge it is not the love of to add dignity to the rich, the very principle the endless mazes of presumptuous devia- splendour and ostentation, which are thought which leads the necessitous to forgery, the crime for which so many are now suffering capital punishment?

tion.

To return, then, to the particular doctrines under consideration:-Let us believe man is corrupt, because the Bible tells us he is so. Let us believe that such were so by nature, even the best, since we learn Let us from the it from the Divine source. same authority, trace the disorder to its source from a fallen parent, its seat in a corrupted heart, its extent through the whole man, its universality over the whole race.

All are willing to allow that we are subject to frailties, to imperfections, to infirmities; facts compel us to confess a propensity to crimes, but worldly men confine the commission of them to the vulgar. But to rest here would lead us to a very false estimate of the doctrine in question, contrary to the decisive language of Scripture; it would establish corruption to be an accident, and not a root. It would, by a division of offenders into two classes, deny that all offences are derived from one common principle.

Among the higher ranks there is little temptation to the commission of certain sins; murder is rare, fraud uncommon, robbery not found, yet the inborn principle is the same in all. Circumstances, rank, education, example, reputation, give advantages to one class, which, had they changed places, might have led to the vices so common in the other; while, had the notorious offenders against the laws and the Divine law-giver, changed situations with their superiors, we should then have heard only of their imperfections, their infirmities, their fraillies.

Yet

If then men would examine their own bosoms as closely, as they censure the faults of others loudly, we should all find there the incipient stirrings of many a sin, which, when brought into action, by the temptations sion, produce consequences the most appalof poverty, of ignorance, of unresisted pasling. Let us then bless God, not that we are better than other men, but that we are placed by Providence out of the reach of being goaded by that temptation, stimulated by that poverty, which, had they been our Let then the fear of God, the knowledge lot, might have led to the same termination. of his word, and the knowledge of ourselves, teach us that there is not, by nature, so wide a difference between ourselves and the men not, by nature, a great gulf fixed, that they we abhor as we fondly fancy; that there is who are on this side might not have passed over to the other. Let us not look to any superior virtue, to any native strength of our own, but let us look with a lively gratitude to that mercy of God which has preserved us from such temptations; to his unmerited goodness, which has placed us in circumstances that have put us above necessity-the devil's plea.' But, above all, let us look to that preventing and restraining grace which is withheld from none who ask it, and we shall ously, to the worst of our fellow-creatures, not be so very forward to say, contemptustand by, I am holier than thou.'. A thor ough belief in this doctrine would lead us to pray more fervently to be delivered in all time of our wealth, as in all time of our tribulation.'

It is not enough that God has revealed the way of salvation, he must also incline us to Without this allaccept it. It is this gift, and this acceptance, which makes the distinction between the best men and the worst.

Temptation does not make the sin, it lies Accident does not ready in the heart. create the propensity, it only brings it into action. It destroys the plea of exemption from natural corruption, but it does not put that corruption into the heart. It was there before, ready, without the grace of God, ready, without the restraint of religion, ready, without the bridle of an enlightened conscience, to break out into any excess. there are many flagrant offences against God powerful grace, Latimer might have led and against human laws, which the high- Bonner to the stake; with it, Bonner might born and the high-bred frequently commit have ascended the scaffold a martyr to true with as little scruple as the lowest. The religion. Without this grace, Luther might frequency of duelling, the breach of the se- have fattened on the sale of indulgences; venth commandment, two offences frequent- and with it, Leo the Tenth might have acly found in the same company, gaming, the complished the blessed work of the reformaviolation of the Sabbath, with other enormi- tion. ties, would alone sufficiently prove the principle to exist, independently of rank, education, or fortune.

Are not what, by way of False Notions of the Dignity of Man, shewn

distinction, we may call the metaphysical
or spiritual sins, which are cherished without
loss of character-is not ambition, which
knows no bounds-envy, which knows no
rest-avarice, which destroys all feeling
jealousy, which is its own tormentor-ill-
temper, which is the tormentor of others

from his Helplessness and Dependence.

MAN is not only a sinful, he is also a helpless, and therefore a dependent being. This offers new and powerful motives for the necessity of prayer, the necessity of looking continually to a higher power, to a better

strength than our own. If that Power sus-human favour is liable to continual disaptain us not, we fall; if He direct us not, we pointment; if he knock at the door of his wander. His guidance is not only perfect patron, there is probably a general order not freedom, but perfect safety. Our greatest danger begins from the moment we imagine we are able to go alone.

to admit him. In the higher case, there is a special promise, that to him that knocks it shall be opened.' The human patron hates The self-sufficiency of man, arising from importunity; the Heavenly Patron invites his imaginary dignity, is a favourite doctrine it. The one receives his suitor according to with the nominal Christian. He feeds his his humour, or refuses his admission from pride with this pernicious aliment. The the caprice of the moment; with the other, contrary opinion is so closely connected, in-there is no variableness nor shadow of deed is so intimately blended, with the sub- turning :'Come unto me,' is his uniform ject of the pseceding chapter, that we shall language. have the less occasion to extend our present observations to any length.

fresh application He promises fresh support. He will still be solicited, but it is in order that He may still bestow. Repeated gifts do not exhause His bounty, nor lessen His power of fulfilment. Repeated solicitation, so far from wearying His patience, is an additional call for His favour.

Nor is the lateness of the petition any bar to its acceptance: He likes it should be early, but He rejects it not though it be late.

to prayer so fervently or so frequently, as this ever abiding sense of our corrupt nature,-as our not being able to ascribe any disposition in ourselves, to any thing that is good, or any power to avoid, by our own strength, any thing that is evil.

The obligation of Prayer universal-Regu lar seasons to be observed. The sceptic and the sensualist reject prayer.

With a human benefactor, the consciousness of having received former favours, is a motive with a modest petitioner for prevent- AMONG the many articles of erroneous ing his making an application for more; calculation, to which so much of the sin and while, on the contrary, God even invites us misery of life may be attributed, the neglect to call on Him for future mercies, by the or misuse of prayer will not form the lightpowerful plea of His past acts of goodness-est. The prophet Jeremiah, in his impaseven mercies which have been ever of old.'sioned address to the Almighty makes no And as past mercies on God's part, so, to the distinction between those who acknowledge praise of His grace be it said, that past of- no God, and those who live without prayer. fences on our own part are no hindrance to Pour out thy fury, O Lord, upon the heathe application of hearty repentance or the then, and upon the families that call not upanswer of fervent prayer. on thy name.'

The petitioner to human power, who may Some duties are more incumbent on some formerly have offended his benefactor, con- persons, and some on others; depending on trives to soften his displeasure, by represent- the difference of talents, wealth, leisure, ing that the offence was a small one. The learning, station, and opportunities; but the devout petitioner to God uses no such sub-duty of prayer is of imperative obligation; terfuge. In the boldness of faith, and he it is universal, because it demands none of humility of repentance, he cries, Pardon any of the above requisites; it demands only a willing heart, a consciousness of sin, a

my iniquity, for it is great.'

It is no pardon, then, to assert that depen- sense of dependence, a feeling of helplessdence on God is the only true safety; depenness. Those who voluntarily neglect it. dence upon Him, the only true freedom- shut themselves out from the presence of freedom from doubt and fear, and sin; free- their Maker. I know you not,' must as dom from human dependence; above all, suredly be the sentence of exclusion on freedom from dependence on ourselves. As those who thus know not God.' Nothing, pardoned sinners, through the redemption it is true, can exclude them from His inspecwrought for them, find, in the renewed na- tion, but they exclude themselves from his ture, a restoration to that dignity they had favour. forfeited, so those who are most destitute of Many nearly renounce prayer, by affectthe dignity which arises from this depend-ing to make it so indefinite a thing, as got to ence, missing the reality, deceive themselves require regular exercise. Just as many, also, unhallow the Sabbath, who pretend He who does not believe this fundamental they do nothing on week-days, which they truth, on which the other doctrines of the should fear to do on Sundays. The truth is, Bible are built,-even he who does nominal-instead of sanctifying the week-days by rais ly profess to assent to it as a doctrine of ing them to the duties of Sunday-which is, Scripture; yet, if he does not experimental- indeed, impracticable, let men talk as they ly acknowledge it; if he does not feel it in please,-they desecrate the Sunday to secuthe convictions of his own awakened con-lar purposes, and so contrive to keep no science, in his discovery of the evil workings, Sunday at all.

with the shadow.

of his own heart, and the wrong propensities Stated seasons for indispensable employof his own nature, all bearing their testimo-ments, are absolutely necessary for so desuly to its truth-such a one will not pray ear-tory, so versatile a creature as man. nestly for its cure-will not pray with that feeling of his own helplessness, with that sense of dependence on Divine assistance, which alone makes prayer efficacious.

Of this corruption he can never attain an adequate conception, till his progress in religion has opened his eyes on what is the nat ural state of man. Till this was the case, he himself was as far from desiring the change, as he was from believing it necessary. He does not even suspect its existence, till he is in some measure delivered from its dominion.

That which is turned over to any chance time is seldom done at all; and those who despise the recurrence of appointed times and seasous, are only less censurable than those who rest in them.

Other duties and engagements have their allotted seasons; why, then, should the most important duty in which an immortal being can be employed, by being left to accident, become liable to occasional omission, liable to increasing neglect, liable to total oblivion?

All the other various works of God know Nothing will make us truly humble, no- their appointed times;-the seasons, the thing will make us constantly vigilant, no- heavenly bodies, day and night, seed-time thing will entirely lead us to have recourse and harvest,-all set an example of undevi