*The following fact will show that God's blessing to others may also attend a faithful discharge of our own duty.

A pious man was once led by some common engagement to associate a whole day with a minister who had greatly neglected his sacred duties. Their business took them from home, and they had much conversation together on religious subjects. At night they came to the same inn, and found that they could only have one bed room. The minister was soon undressed and in bed, without saying any prayer. His companion at first hesitated whether he should put out the candle and then pray, or say his prayers openly. He thought that his duty at that time led him not to be ashamed of prayer, and he prayed, extinguished the light, and went to bed. This faithful discharge of duty was not lost on him who had gone prayerless to bed. The conversation which he had heard, and the example which he had seen, left a deep and abiding impression on

faithful and laborious

both extinguished in the heart." The exhortation belongs to you-"O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity." Are the realities of a dying bed and the judgment day less near, or less important than they once were? Nay, every day is bringing you nearer and nearer to them. Every day is of more importance,

and shortens that little span of life, in which we have to escape the misery of hell, and gain the heavenly mansions. Lose not a moment-plead earnestly for the renewed spirit of prayer. Think not that your sin is beyond forgiveness, and therefore now prayer is of no use. Let not Satan so tempt you. Again seek the presence of God, and it will be a proof that you are not yet given up to a reprobate mind. Even in the wicked city of Nineveh, when they cried mightily unto the Lord, they were spared. Now if God heard the Ninevites crying for temporal blessings, doubt not but he will hear you, when you earnestly implore pardon, peace, and salvation. Yet there is a way open to the throne of grace; and so long as it is open, you need not be miserable, you need not be unhelped.

4. Others are endeavoring to live in constant prayer.— They need no proof of the obligation, no additional argument, to show them that it is their duty. But perhaps they are often discouraged and cast down by their difficulties in attaining a constant spirit of devotion. If, however, you are desiring and seeking, Augustine justly says, "If he seeks, let him not doubt but that the desire of seeking has been received from him whom he seeks." And may I not say, when you really attain a good measure of the spirit of devotion, you enjoy a peace of God which passeth all understanding; it is your privilege-your happiness. You have free communication with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings-You are permitted to come nearer to him on all occasions. He grants all your requests, and supplies all your wants. On account of our corrupt nature, it requires indeed watchfulness, patience, and perseverance, to maintain this spirit of prayer, but you find it to be its own reward. Let us not then be content with small measures of the grace of supplication: let us seek to attain more and more of this gift: and soon, the work of prayer ended, the never-ceasing song of praise will commence, which will

Christian Ministers! We should be men of prayer; it is the half of our duty, and that by which we carry on the rest. "We will," say the Apostles, "give ourselves continually to prayer, and the ministry of the word." The prayers of ministers avail much. We may expect more assistance than others. It is the divine direction for our people-"Is any sick among you? let him call for the clders of the Church, and let them pray over him." When Abimelech was threatened with death, he was told to send for Abraham; and the reason given was, "for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live." Should not we then abound in prayer?

Christian parents! We next address you. Pray for your children. "Whenever," says Bishop Hopkins, "thou comest unto the throne of grace, bring these thy dear pledges upon thy heart with thee. Earnestly implore of God that he would own them, and provide for them as his own children: that he would adopt them into the family of heaven, make them heirs of glory, and co-heirs with Jesus Christ: that he would give them a convenient portion of good things for this life, that they may serve him with the nore cheerfulness and alacrity; and a large portion of spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Jesus; and it length bring them to the heavenly inheritance. And know assuredly that the prayers of parents are very effecual, and have a kind of authority in them to obtain what hey sue for. This is the blessing which holy fathers in Scripture have bestowed on their children. Thus Abraham sked, "O that Ishmael might live before thee!" Thus acob prayed for and blessed his children and his grandhildren. Thus Job remembered his children, and "ofered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all." Bring them up, also, in the practice of prayer. They canot too early begin to seek their Savior and to lisp his raise. No habit will be more profitable to them than that f daily prayer. Teach your children this, and they will en rise up and call you blessed. Store their young minds ith the Scriptures, furnish them with short portions for 1 occasions. This will arm them with invincible strength gainst their enemies. They are about to journey through

dancerous wilderness: teach them to prov morning and

day to shadow them, and as a fire by night to comfort them."

Prayer is a duty at all times and in all seasons of life. Are you in prosperity? Let prayer and praise sanctify all your enjoyments. Great is the snare of outward prosperity. How " hardly shall they that are rich enter into the kingdom of heaven!" You have need to pray much, lest that which was designed as a talent for great usefulness, occasion your eternal ruin. Let nothing hinder you from giving regular and full time to devotion. The days of health and strength should be given to God, "while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."

Are you afflicted? That is the time for special prayer. "Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt glorify me." In the absence of the sun, the mild and peaceful radiance of the moon illumines our path. Let devotion spread a cheering light over your darker hours. "The Queen of night," says Bowdler, "unveils its full beauty when the hours of joy and lustre have passed away, pouring as it were a holy light through the damps and darkness of adversity." Thus will constant prayer

cheer the darkest season of affliction.

Are you young? Let that rapid torrent of youthful strength and vivacity, which, if left to itself, would only be wasted and dashed against rocks, from precipice to precipice, be turned into a profitable course. Let this stream be brought into the channel of devotion, and it will move the machine of the Christian life, and communicate innumerable blessings to man. "Those that seek me early shall find me."* Nothing is more pleasing, nothing more profitable, than early devotion. Slight not him in your strength, who will be the only protector of your weakness.

Are you in middle life? In the midst of this world's engagements, how are you encompassed as in a maze of temptation! Let prayer be the secret thread which leads you safely out of this labyrinth. How are you surrounded with duties of the first importance! What a happy influence, then, would devotion have in making you a general blessing to your family, your neighborhood, and your country! Like the regulator in the watch, though unseen out