mercy? Or does he require us to pray to him for his bounty? Is he willing to listen to supplications for heavenly gifts, when made in the sincere and anxious desire to obtain grace and help from above? Does he wait to be asked, before he sends the blessing? The gospel, my brethren, in all its parts encourages us to come to him, in the full assurance of faith, and to make known to him all our wants and infirmities, in the firm persuasion that he is always more ready to hear than we to pray. It is difficult

almost, amidst such a multitude of testimonies as the Scriptures afford to this point, to make a selection; one short sentence however of our blessed Lord, will be amply sufficient to establish the truth of our assertion: "Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

It appears, then, to be the uniform language of Scripture, that we are to seek God's blessings in prayer; that we are to come to him with a penitent spirit in all our troubles, and implore his help for the relief of all our necessities. But whilst many perhaps, will acknowledge the truth of this principle, few comparatively speaking, derive that comfort and encouragement from their devotions, which we are well assured never fail,

sooner or later, to follow the outpouring of our souls to God. And the clear reason of this is, because we do not pray aright, because we understand neither the nature nor the efficacy of prayer. But it is of the most momentous importance for every Christian to have correct views and conceptions of this great and solemn duty; momentous to his own soul's peace and comfort here, and to its eternal salvation hereafter. Let us, then, my brethren, beg God's blessing upon our enquiries, whilst we endeavour, in dependence on him, to explain the nature, and set forth the efficacy of Christian prayer.

One great source of failure in prayer, arises from our anxiety being chiefly directed to objects, in which God bears little sympathy with our sorrows. Our thoughts are, in general, so much engrossed by the things of this life, that we do, in consequence, suffer them to mingle too deeply with our supplications to heaven. It may be indeed, that we pray for grace and strength, but our petitions for these blessings are frequently but lukewarm and indifferent, when compared with the zeal and fervour with which we implore our Maker, to remove our worldly troubles, or to send us an increase of prosperity. Now when our hearts are so far influenced by the world, that its uncertain and doubtful advantages are made the subject of our most frequent and most ear

nest requests to God; we cannot in reason hope that he will listen to supplications, which are offensive in his sight; nor, if our prayers are also put up for spiritual gifts, can we expect to receive the grace for which we ask, whilst that which is earthly, still holds so large a place in our affections. Our blessed Lord knew what was in man ; and foresaw clearly how perilously he would misuse this holy privilege of prayer, by profaning it to the furtherance of his own carnal wishes and inclinations. In his sermon on the mount, he has given us the most clear and positive injunctions against this anxiety for worldly good. He has told us in what spirit our petitions should be offered, if we desire them to be listened to in heaven. "Take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Let us then, bear continually in mind, my brethren, that one most essential quality of prayer is, that such things must be asked as are pleasing to God; such things, that is, as he himself hath declared to be necessary to our everlasting salvation. We must pray therefore zealously and de

voutly, for the gifts and graces of the Spirit, by which alone our hearts can be sanctified, and our affections weaned from the world. We must pray for repentance, for repentance is the gift of God. We must pray for faith, for that saving faith in the merits of our Redeemer's death, by which alone our souls can be justified in the sight of God. And with regard to our temporal state, let our petitions be, that, in whatever station or circumstances we are placed, we may be saved from the snares which are spread around our walk of life; that we may be preserved from the seared heart which prosperous fortune too often brings; and the chill cold gloom of despondency and discontent, which hangs so frequently over the cottage of the poor.

A second point, to which our attention should be directed, in considering the nature of this sacred privilege, is, that we must not imagine that God is deaf to our intreaties, if we do not immediately receive the blessing for which we pray. I am not speaking now of supplications made for worldly advantages, but of those which are preferred for spiritual mercies. Persons whose prayers are not quickly answered, are apt to suppose, that, because the strength and comfort for which they pray is not instantly given, God has cast them off, and will for ever withhold his compassion. Now this is a great and perilous error.

True indeed it is, that a man possessed of so perverted a spirit as this, may never be a sharer in those good and perfect gifts which come down from above; but if he is so bereaved, it will be, not because God has forsaken him in his need, but because his own sinful and wilful mistrust has hardened his heart, and led him to forsake the means of grace which have been set before him. The Scriptures contain many striking admonitions against such a temper of mind as this; many powerful exhortations to persist in our supplications to heaven. Our Lord himself, in his thrice repeated prayer in the garden, gave us a lesson, that we should never faint because our first requests are not followed by an immediate blessing. And he sets this point in the clearest possible light, by the remarkable parable of the importunate widow, related in the 18th chapter of St. Luke's gospel. If there could be any doubt as to the design of this parable, such doubt would be at once removed by the manner in which the evangelist commences the narrative: "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The words which follow are most striking in their application, and although they are made by our Lord to bear a particular reference to the Jewish nation, and the fearful destruction then impending over it; yet is it evident, both from