present.* By faith, then, realize his presence. It spreads a 115 avor-it imparts a life and beauty-it throws a glory upon Christian assemblies. Believe, then, the Lord Jesus Christ be standing in the midst of his people, giving power to he prayers, and efficacy to the blessing at the close, and ffering up in heaven all those petitions which you have made on earth. While the prayers which the minister has to read alone e repeating, do not accompany him by your voice, or in hispers: this well-meaning people sometimes do: but it sturbs the devotions of others. The thing to be aimed at - that your heart go along with all the service, desiring ery blessing, and holding unseen communion with God. And, Christian reader, may I not appeal to you, that hen you have come to the house of God in the spirit of ayer, and with an earnest longing to enjoy the presence God, and the communion of saints with your fellow ristians, you have found in some of the pathetic expresns of our Liturgy, that nearness to God, and that interurse with him, which has been to your own mind a manit fulfilment of the promise to be present with us when meet in his name. nest entreaties for mercy at the end of the Litany, "O For instance, in repeating those mb of God that takest away the sins of the world, have rcy upon us! O Christ, hear us!" have you not, in happy ments, found your hearts deeply affected, elevated, and wn out to the Savior? The spiritual worship of God in every part of the ser- he hearing of the truth in faith, humility, and love, is A TREATISE ON PRAYER. n this, however, we cannot here enlarge. Let it only be Oserved, that the more we can hear with a devout heart, ith a soul continually darting up holy desires that God ould send home to our hearts what we hear, the more e thus hear with self-application and earnest prayer, the ore profit we shall receive. After the close of the service, you should be glad of the use allowed in all well-ordered congregations, for secret ayer to God, that he may pardon every imperfection, and press all that you have heard on your heart. III. A due return from worship. Alas! how alive is the great adversary to rob us of every hristians should aim at carrying on the benefits of pubvorship by suitable, spiritual, and heavenly conversawhile obliged to be in company. And they should, n practicable, retire as soon as may be from the church e closet, to examine what has been the state of their s, and to meditate and pray over what they have and done. It would greatly assist in impressing the -on deeply on your heart, to turn, as soon as may be hearing it, the substance of it into a prayer; confesshe sins that have been brought home to your conce, and asking for grace to fulfil the duties that have enforced. O that all ministers had such hearers! tantius says, "That is not true religion which is left church. The holy and heavenly principles enforced, ercised there, should be carefully nourished to influthe life." The Church of Christ would soon assume brighter character, did we duly improve this great = of grace. as there is danger of a careless return, so there is of self-righteousness. Mixed and defiled as all our es are, yet through the blindness of our minds, we are apt t Though willing somethi praying for the t which done all has don profitabl to do."* Yet le too muc The wri what he evil I wo ing short der to the ceding Sa to do that THERE outward o word of Go if any, post to gather t various ind the duty o family wor The reas is designed in every sit *Luke re apt to think we are something when we are nothing. hough it is the highest act of divine mercy that God is illing to hear us, we are ready to fancy that we are doing mething for him, and put him under an obligation by aying. I appeal to those who have watched their hearts r the truth of this. O beware of this self-righteous spirit hich would taint all you do. "When you shall have one all those things which are commanded you, (and who s done this? but supposing the case) say, We are unofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty do." Yet let not any (for we are apt to err on every side) be O much discouraged by the strictness recommended. he writer freely confesses how much he falls short of hat he recommends; "the good I would, I do not; the il I would not, that I do." Let the conviction of our fallg short only lead us to see the necessity of a total surrento the righteousness of our crucified, risen, and interHing Savior; and to come more simply to him for strength do that which is of manifest excellence, and a plain duty. THERE are some very important means of grace, and ward observances, which are plainly implied in the -d of God, for the performance of which we have few, ny, positive, plain, and express precepts. We are left gather them from the examples of holy men, and from ous incidental circumstances: such, in some degree, is duty of public, and such more plainly is the duty of ily worship. he reasons may be these. The Christian dispensation esigned as a religion for people in every country, and very situation in which a human being can be placed. Luke, xvii. 10. The greatest part of this chapter may perhaps be read with adge by the master of a family, when first beginning to afford t uty. A TREATISE ON PRAYER. is more of a spiritual transaction between God and the ul than the Mosaic dispensation was. en positive precepts respecting the means of grace, and Had there then e circumstantials of religion, and particularly respecting ne, place, or frequency, the tender conscience, of which d has ever manifested particular regard, would necessahave been burdened when placed in situations where duty was impracticable."* By this, also, another important end is answered. A I is made of men's spirits. It is seen, whether, because ositive precept cannot be brought requiring its performe, men will neglect a duty plainly implied. Thus more The real state of our minds is discovered, and it is manied whether we have, or have not, a full and ardent love God, his worship, and service. I will not, however, be difficult to prove the obligation mily worship in various ways. onsider the example of Abraham, the father of the ful, and the friend of God. His family piety is that for ch he is blessed by Jehovah himself: "I know Abrathat he will command his children, and his household him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to des ce and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abrathat which he hath spoken of him." Abraham is here mended for instructing his children and his household e most important of all duties, "the way of the Lord," reat doctrines of religion, and "justice and judgment," -eat duties. And observe," he will command" them; s, he will use that just authority which God gives the and head of a family in the religious instruction of hildren. Abraham also prayed with, as well as ined his family. Wherever he fixed his tent, there he an altar to the Lord.-This we read he did in the Moriah. And when he removed to a mountain on st of Bethel," there he built an altar, and called upon me of the Lord." Now we may say to those who t family worship, that as all real Christians are ham's seed," "If ye were Abraham's children, ye do the works of Abraham." Your neglect of this ee Cecil's Remains. al. iii. 29. + Gen. xii. 7, 8. John, viii. 39. duty, ter Christ.* The e Abraham who dec will serv Lord."+ 66 nor his v attention brought t rifices, an duties, an Hosts, "h to these Daniel, (c the house household. household, and praise. was 66 a de house; whi God alway St. Paul Aquila, wh tion of the in Asia. T ludes rathe that of a sta by the ange the mother praying."+t These exa g *Let us als "If Abraham But he utterly he abases hims unto the Lord, tified by faith, filled with love spiritual blessi t ty, tends to show that you do not really belong to 119 hrist.* The examples of other holy men are similar to that of braham. Consider the holy determination of Joshua, ho declared to all Israel, "Choose ye this day whom ye ill serve; as for me and my house, we will serve the ord."+ Neither the exalted station which he occupied, r his various and pressing public labors, prevented his cention to the religion of his family. When David had ought the ark of God into Jerusalem with gladness, sacces, and thanksgivings, after discharging all his public ies, and blessing the people in the name of the Lord of sts," he returned to bless his household." In addition hese might be brought the examples of Job, (ch. i. 5.) niel, (ch. vi. 10.) and others. While the ark rested in house of Obed-edom, a blessing came on him and all his sehold. Would you then obtain the blessing of your sehold, let your family be daily assembled for prayer praise. Observe the praise given to Cornelius; he "a devout man, and one that feared God, with all his e; which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to alway." The early Christians practised this duty. Paul greets the Church in the house of Priscilla and ila, when they were at Rome, and sends the salutaof the Church that was in their house when they were sia. We may probably gather hence, that he alrather to the assembly of a religious family than to of a stated congregation.** When Peter was released e angel from prison," he came to the house of Mary mother of John, where many were gathered together ng." ese examples are brought forward to show you, that et us also notice the principle which influenced Abraham- h. xxiv. 15. m. xvi. 3. Acts, x. 2. T1 Cor vi 10. e also Col iv 15. |