Sometimes men of real devotion, (like Laud in his Spirit of Prayer,) have gone off into that which is mystical and unintelligible. Let us in all things adhere to the written word. This sort of devotion is not that plain, simple, home, and every-day-life religion which so eminently marks the discourses of our Saviour, and of his Apostles. It has its seat more in the imagination of a recluse, than in a broken spirit, enlightened and humbled by Divine Truth, and under the teaching of the Spirit, brought to a real knowledge of the excellence and glory of the Divine Being, of our great corruption, our inestimably precious Redeemer, our entire dependence on His grace, and to filial confidence in a reconciled Father.

At other times such feelings may arise from mere animal sympathy. In a social meeting, or in a congregation, both he who offers up the prayers, and they who join, will be deeply affected and moved by the solemnity of the place, by the number assembled, by the manifestation of their feelings, or by the sacred music which they may hear; these things naturally have, and ought to have, an impressive effect on every mind; we do not object to this effect, but to the mind's resting satisfied with it, as the sum of devotion. It is possible that the whole effect of such a service may be the mere excitement of the animal frame, apart from all those really devotional principles which come from above; a mere impression on the senses, quite distinct from communion with God himself, and all that holy state of mind which God alone bestows and regards.

That corrupt church which in its devotional exercises, in direct contradiction to the plain testimony of Scripture, (1 Cor. xiv.) uses a language not understood by

the common people, cultivates much among its adherents, by shew, pomp, music, and outward solemnity, this mere impression on the mind and senses of the worshippers. You may also behold among them, persons with the greatest appearance of devotion, satisfying their conscience by numerous repetitions of prayers counted by beads. Our Lord decidedly condemns all such worship. Matt. vi, 7, and xv, 7–9.

There are those also in the Protestant churches, whose whole aim seems to be, merely to be deeply affected, while in prayer, and who consider that the being much impressed and excited, is the highest degree of devotion.

Let the reader, then, be on his guard, and not suppose that every thing of a contemplative, or sensitive, or exciting nature, with a devotional cast, is real devotion and acceptable to God.

Yet there is a true devotional feeling, essential to our well-being and happiness, of the greatest value and importance, and producing the most blessed effects, a devotion, which humbles and yet raises, which softens asperities of temper, and yet makes the self-indulgent self-denying and firm; which changes the worldly into the heavenly mind; which heightens every eujoyment, mitigates every trial and suffering, gives peace within, and spreads cheerfulness and happiness without. St. John describes it, when he says, Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. The former part of this treatise will have shewn the reader the nature of this devotion, and the following directions are added to assist him in attaining it.

CHAP. XIII.

Directions to assist in attaining the Spirit of

Prayer.

THE duty and privilege of the various kinds of prayer

have now been brought before the reader. They should all be attended to; they are each beautiful, and needful in their season. A Christian will not attend public and neglect family worship; he will not pray in his family, and neglect his secret devotions; he will not pray statedly in secret, and neglect social or habitual prayer. Each will come regularly in its fit place and time, without interfering with the other; each not hindering, but succeeding, and mutually helping the other. Nor will he count all this course of prayer burdensome and wearisome. To enjoy the presence of God is his happiness, and therefore he longs to live in the continual practice of prayer. Your views of devotional exercise as a task or a privilege, are a test by which you may judge of your progress in religion, if not of its reality:

And while there will, in the advanced Christian, be a constant attention to all these kinds of prayer, he will especially attend to the spirit in which each is performed. It will not be sufficient to satisfy his mind that he has gone through the mere act of devotion; he labours for the inward feeling as well as the outward expression. He longs for the spirit of prayer, which is not the mere business of this or that hour, but the continual panting and breathing of the heart after God (Ps. xlii, 1, 2.) at all times.

Ardent love to God is, indeed, the true spring of genuine prayer. Where this is, all other graces will follow. "Love," says one," renders prayer delightful to ourselves, and acceptable to our Maker. It makes us willing to ask, and willing to receive."

Andrew Gray also observes, "The spirit of prayer consists more in the voice of the affections, than the voice of words." He suggests the following queries to detect the want of the spirit of know prayer.--Do you what it is to go to prayer on an internal principle of love, and the grace of Christ constraining you?-Do you know what it is by prayer to attain greater conformity to God, and the mortification of your lusts?- Do you know what it is to distinguish between absence and presence?-Do you know what it is to sit down and lament over absence from Christ, and think this an insupportable want?

I have endeavoured, under each kind of prayer, to give such hints as might assist you in attaining this spiritual worship; it may not be useless to sum up these hints in a few practical rules applicable to prayer in general. Only let the reader again remember, what we are apt perpetually to forget, but what should both humble, direct, and comfort us, that no knowledge of rules is of itself sufficient to enable us to pray; it is the Holy Spirit alone impressing the rule on the heart, that can enable us rightly to worship God.

To maintain a devotional spirit, two things," says Mrs. More," are especially necessary :-habitually to cultivate the disposition, and habitually to avoid whatever is unfavourable to it."-We will first point out some things which hinder your attaining the spirit of devotion, and then add some directions which may help you to attain it.

SECT. I.-Rules relating to Hinderances to Prayer.

1. RENOUNCE ALL KNOWN SIN AND SENSUAL INDULGENCE.—The allowed practice of any sin is utterly inconsistent with devotional feelings. If you live in habitual sin, or in the indulgence of evil tempers, or if any corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, you cannot at the same time enjoy communion with God. 1 John i, 6; iii, 21--23. His Spirit is grieved, and withdraws its influence. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart. Ps. xxiv, 3, 4. Any sin indulged, raises those fears, doubts, disorders, and tumults in the mind, which make it averse to, and incapable of, fervent affectionate prayer. An instance or two may confirm this remark. St. Paul exhorts us to pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting. I am sure, if you have any Christian experience, you know that it is necessary, that all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice, if you would gain the spirit of prayer. An unforgiving temper, also, not only hinders the spirit of devotion, but also prevents the acceptance of your petitions. Our Lord says, Go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matt. v, 24. Bishop Taylor, in a beautiful figure, shews the evil effects of anger as an impediment to devotion. "Anger is a perfect alienation of the mind from prayer, directly contrary to that disposition which makes our prayers acceptable to God. Thus the lark rising from his bed of grass soars upward, singing as he rises, but the poor bird is beaten back by the sudden blast of an eastern wind, and his