has been describing,) have we not reason to fear that few ever really pray? are we not compelled to acknowledge, how seldom they that pray oftenest, do pray; and what short prayers the best make, many words, perhaps, and but very little prayer? These things should lead us more to value the doctrine of free justification through the blood of Christ; more deeply to prize, and more earnestly to ask for, the aid of the Holy Spirit; more to depend on the Saviour's intercession; and more to long to be in that blessed kingdom where we shall serve our God without weariness, or wandering.

SOME HINTS THAT MAY, by the help of God, AsSIST YOU TO AVOID DISTRACTIONS will now be mentioned.

There may be an infirmity arising from the state of bodily health, or constitution, and the like, of which timid and anxious Christians, who are most apt to be troubled by their wanderings in prayer, should not lose sight in judging of themselves. Preston ob

serves, "one may aim at a mark and do his best, and yet be hindered either by the palsy in his arm, or by one who jogs him when about it." But the general CAUSE of our distractions is the remaining strength of corrupt nature. Though the Christian is born again of God, he has two contending parties within;-the old man, and the new man; and distractions mainly arise from the weakness of grace, and the strength of sin.

Remember, first of all, YOUR ENTIRE DEPENDENCE ON GOD. Know your own weakness. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but while you see this, know your Saviour's strength, that his grace is sufficient for you; and these things

being duly impressed on your mind, in his strength, seek to overcome this evil. For farther directions, as to the assistance which you may have from God, I refer you to the chapter on the assistance of the Holy Spirit.

SEND UP FERVENT PETITIONS FOR DIVINE ASSISTANCE, especially when you first find that your heart is wandering.* This is an effectual help. It engages the power of God against the power of Satan and sin. The Psalms are full of suitable expressions that may be used with advantage. My soul cleaveth to the dust, quicken thou me according to thy word. Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Thus contend against your spiritual enemies, and you must overcome them.

DETERMINE TO STRIVE AGAINST WANDERINGS.-Are you not in general going carelessly to the worship of God, as a matter of habit and custom, without much thought of engaging your heart to approach unto him? This seems to be a too general case from the inquiry, 'Who is this that hath engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord?' Jer. xxx, 21. The heart must be engaged to serve God. We should resolve with Jeremiah, 'Let us lift up our hearts with our hands, unto God in the heavens.' Jer. iii, 41. Before you enter on this holy duty, pause, and pray with David, 'Unite my heart to fear thy name,' (Ps. lxxxvi, 11.) as if he had said, 'I find my heart-divided, and my thoughts dis

# "Cry unto God, Lord, wilt thou suffer thy slave to abuse thy child, before thy face, while he is on his knees for a blessing?" HARRISON.

sipated; gather in all my wandering affections; may they be fixed on ONE great object; may they all be united in this single act that is before me:"

"That all my powers with all their might,
"In thy sole glory may unite."

SEEK ΤΟ GAIN A SPIRITUAL tually-minded is life and peace.

KINK.

MIND. To be spiri

We are only cutting

off a leaf or a twig from this evil tree, while. we take away a particular distraction. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved! How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?' Jer. iv, 14. Till the heart be washed from sin, by the blood of Jesus, and by the grace of his Spirit, vain thoughts will be sure to lodge, or take, up an abode in you, and to mingle with all you do. The heavenly-minded Christian, whose beart is continually with God, finds it comparatively easy to keep it more closely fixed on him, in the particular act of prayer. But if you are under the full influence of the carnal mind, it is utterly impossible that you can offer spiritual worship. must be born again.' John iii, 7.

You

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hope to attend upon the Lord without distraction. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long, and then there will not be the difficulty which you find in fixing your thoughts, and staying your mind on God, during the act of prayer.*

Men of the world are not distracted about their worldly business, but will pursue it with all fixedness and intention of mind, hour after hour, day after day,

* See Owen's Grace and Duty of being spiritually-minded.

and year after year.

love earthly things.

They have an earthly mind, and Seek you to have a spiritual mind, and then you will thus pursue spiritual things. All the lines of your affection should unite here; all the radii of the circle should meet in this centre-in a fixedness of heart on God in his worship.

The circumstances of our prayers often lead our minds from God. We have to think of our sins, and their circumstances, when we confess them, and of our wants when we pray for what we need, and of our mercies when we thank God for them, and of our friends when we intercede for them; but if the mind were in a spiritual state, these things would rather be the means of drawing our hearts nearer to God, than of drawing them from him. Our thoughts should not so run out on the particulars of worship, as to forget the presence of Him whom we worship.

PERSEVERE. IN PRAYER, NOTWITHSTANDING DISTRACTIONS. In the path of duty, every obstacle gives way to the faith of the Christian. When the Israelites were come to the Red Sea, and to the waters of Jordan, they were directed to go forward. It might have been objected, If we go forward, shall. we not be drowned ? But still their duty was to go forward; and so shall we go in the path of a plain command, leaving to our God the removal of all obstacles. The reluctance and discouragement of prayer will be overcome in the performance of the duty. When your heart is in this distracted frame, in private prayer, by giving more time to the duty, and dwelling on the petitions till you are able to attend to what you say, you will often be enabled to overcome your difficulties. "Patience is a grace as necessary

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sometimes in devotion, as in afflictions; and the want of patience does as often make our devotions defective as the want of recollection."

The difficulty of praying without distraction, and the fact that distractions do mingle with our holiest services, should inculcate many practical LESSONS; such as humility, brokenness of spirit, and as has been already noticed, entire dependence on Christ for righteousness and strength, breathings after the influence of the Spirit, and a longing to be in heaven, where all our services will be pure and holy. That prayer is not lost which produces any of these effects. Nay, if a distracted prayer do but deeply humble us, it may be one of our most profitable prayers.

And when our distractions are lamented, and ourdesire after spiritual blessings unfeigned, it may encourage us to remember that we pray to a Father. A little child often finds a difficulty in expressing its wants to an earthly father; yet he, being desirous to meet the wishes of the child, will be ingenious, and patient, to discover and supply those wishes: so shall our heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him.

OUR incapacity, indeed, is not physical, but moral : yet God, notwithstanding these many sins, considers those who trust in his Son as children, and pities them, and spares them, as a man spareth his son.