ion, to have nothing to do but to pray. "We must," s Bonnel, "shut all other businesses from our minds at time, and say, I have nothing to do this half hour, but wait on my God. For if we determine ourselves no time, are in haste to do something else, as soon as we have e our prayers, it is a great hazard if we are recollected ll during our worship." SECT. II.-On the Being to be worshipped. is evident that the Being whom all men are to wor, must be everywhere present, have all power and w all things. Many prayers being offered up, at the e time, by many persons, and for different things, an rance that he possesses these attributes is necessary, rder to our placing confidence in him, that he will anr all, and give to each that which is best in his particusituation. Hence the absurdity of praying to Saints Angels, or through their mediation. od is also infinitely holy and righteous; "a God of h and without iniquity, just and right is he."* He has neans in his control; he is Lord of all worlds; and he all riches in his possession. But when to these perfecwe can add the attributes of goodness, tenderness, love, we may then have the greatest confidence. And is the case with the Christian. He may consider God, only as the Father of the human race, but as his father more special relation. Christians have received "the t of adoption, whereby they cry Abba, Father:" they ' reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Like as her pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that him." Jesus Christ delights to bring this relation be18. He tells us, "When ye pray, say, Our Father,to thy Father which is in secret." Private prayer is the approach in its retirements to this reconciled Father; e who has been pleased to endear himself by so connding and so kind a title. He is "the Father of our Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven arth is named," and in him he is ours also. Our says to Mary, "I ascend unto my Father, and your r,"-first mine, and then yours. And how graciously courages us to bring our wants before God-"What man is t we cann come to In wor hend the vealed hi an is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he ive him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a erpent? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good ifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him!"* In praying to God the Father, we do not exclude the Son nd Holy Spirit from our worship. We should ever inlude the thrice-holy Jehovah in our adoration. In fact, we cannot as Christians worship the one Jehovah, but we nclude in that worship all the persons of the sacred Trinty; God is our Father only in Christ, and we call on him s such. We may however pray separately to each person f the ever-blessed Trinity. We may pray to Jesus Christ, Luke xxiii. 42; Acts vii. 59; 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9,) and to the Spirit, (Matt. xxviii. 9; 2 Cor. xiii. 14; Isa. vi. 3. 9, compared with Acts xxviii. 25.) In worshipping them, we only worship the one God; yet the general way of approaching The Almighty in prayer, is to God the Father, through the nediation of the Son, and by the aid of the Spirit. How delightful is the relation subsisting between God nd the Christian as father and child! The child receives every thing freely from paternal love; it does not come to The father as a purchaser, or as the merchant with an equivalent. When a desire for any good arises in the child's mind, it does not offer to buy it at a price, but simply expresses its feelings, and asks it as a gift. In its earliest years the child cannot speak its wants plainly; yet even in nfancy, they are made known by looks and cries, and the ather understands these expressions of its wishes. As the child grows up, all that the father requires of it is an affecionate and dutiful conduct, a reverence, and honor, and obedience, totally distinct from slavish fear, and which in effect only tends to promote its real happiness. It is under the influence of these feelings that we should come to God; and though we only learn to cry "Abba, Father," by slow degrees, let us persevere in faith and love, till we receive the full Spirit of adoption. In worshipping God, we need not be anxious to comprehend the particulars of his nature, except as he has revealed himself. Beware of any fanciful representation or † Isa. vi. 3; Rev. iv. 8. f him. All such things only tend to degrade him minds, and to fill us with unsuitable ideas of his . They are also directly prohibited in the word of Jesus Christ is our only Mediator and ground of to God the Father; and his Holy Spirit, the purf the blood of Christ, and sent by him to help our ies, our great Assistant. The view we should ento have of God, is that which our Lord gives-"God irit:" and that which was revealed to Moses-"The he Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, nt in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thouforgiving iniquity, and transgressions, and sin, and ll by no means clear the guilty."+ Keep fast hold this view of the character of God; it is exactly to the wants of sinners. consideration that the eye of God is upon us, that eavenly Father is in secret, and there beholds us, be continually on our minds as a motive for conwatchfulness, and a source of the greatest comfort. God seest me," should be written on the walls of set; or, rather, deeply engraven on our hearts. Beearthly superior, we are careful and circumspect in expressions and actions: how careful then should when we approach unto one, who, though he is our , is yet the King of kings, and the Lord of lords? angel, in all his heavenly brightness, were to be s, sure our hearts would feel awed by his glorious ce. How much more then should it affect us, and with a holy fear, to think, 'I am with God; he is t in the room with me! that God is now about me, glory stains and sullies the beauty, and extinguishes -ht of angels!" h not, hastily, then, into the presence of God. Pause ew moments. Meditate on his character. Consider odness, he is "our Father:" consider his greatness, - in heaven." ollect the glorious Majesty of that Being whom you S. He is in heaven, and we are upon earth. It is eflections of this kind, that David begins many of his s. Thus he says in the 104th Psalm, "O Lord, my hou art very great, thou art clothed with majesty and to a state of and devoti grandeur s Recollec at him in full of com to you by and love! is his nam to you." portunity o child, in a the arms c It is our w task and a much he with a holy ly! We ne us to do so SECT. III. "The fe fession of o the renunc the applica entreaty for own will, those resolu the subject which hist Prayer God, we sl our hearts tions, lay as anxiety, and onor. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment, ho stretchest out the heavens like a curtain, who layest he beams of his chamber in the water, who maketh the louds his chariot, who walketh upon the wings of the ind." These recollections of his majesty are calculated, rough the grace of the Holy Spirit, to bring your mind o a state of reverence and a holy admiration; of solemnity nd devotional feeling. But lest this view of his awful randeur should discourage you,la Recollect his wonderful grace and mercy. Ever look t him in Christ Jesus, as a tender and loving Father; as all of compassion and goodness. How he endears himself o you by characters of the utmost tenderness, compassion, nd love! "Thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of hosts = his name."*"Return, saith the Lord, for I am married o you." What affectionate wife will not rejoice in an oportunity of meeting a kind and faithful husband? What hild, in a proper state of mind, will not willingly run to he arms of a tender father inviting him to come to him? is our want of faith and love that makes our prayers a sk and a burden. How often God invites us to pray! how uch he promises, in order to encourage us to come to him ith a holy boldness and confidence, freely and unreserved7! We need not fear to ask, when God himself commands s to do so. SECT. III.-On the Subjects to be mentioned in Prayer. "The feeling of our wants," says Mrs. More, "the conession of our sins, the acknowledgment of our dependence, he renunciation of ourselves, the supplication for mercy, he application to the fountain opened for sin, the cordial ntreaty for the aid of the Spirit, the relinquishment of our wn will, resolutions of better obedience, petitions that hose resolutions may be directed and sanctified: these are he subjects in which the supplicant should be engaged, by hich his thoughts should be absorbed." Prayer being the expression of the heart's desire to fod, we should, with all simplicity and sincerity, open ur hearts unto him. When you retire to your devoons, lay aside all artifice, all needless form, all distracting nxiety, and express your desires with the utmost plainness speech. sider before you begin, what are those sins, which, if ere now on the point of death, would weigh most on conscience, confess them, enlarge upon their circumes and aggravations, bewail them, and plead for parrough the blood of Christ. What blessing is there You would desire above all other things, if you were o have your wish? Whatever it be, whether it be the y of earthly wants, or pardon, grace, peace, or heaven -"ask, and ye shall have." What are those mercies omforts which others have not, but you are now enjoyand what are those which you could least of all spare? hearty and unfeigned thanks for the possession of these. ider the wants of your friends, your immediate relaand your acquaintance, and intercede for them. In , make known your present sins, wants, desires, and ies, and empty the very thoughts of your hearts in the easy and obvious expressions." Lord, save me, or I h; Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me; be merciful to me a sinner;" coming from a full heart, of prevailing weight and importance: while the most ent form of words, which is the mere expression of ips, is utterly unavailing. Thus you may see that there not be any difficulty for the poorest and most unlearnexpress their desires in prayer. And do you complain disposition and unwillingness to set about the duty! o the footstool of mercy, confess, in broken sighs and ns, even this indisposition of heart, cast this care upon and he will either remove it, or accept those broken s, and unexpressed wishes of the heart, which mark the gned desire to find his favor, and to love and serve him. great thing is to have the heart right with God; then e will be no difficulty in finding matter for prayer. at the heart feels the mouth will express: and the varyemptations and circumstances of life will thus afford variety in your prayers. Dwell, therefore, chiefly on e things with which you are the most deeply affected, h are warmest in your own hearts. ayer for temporal blessings should ever be mingled expressions of entire and unfeigned submission to the of God. To ask for them thus is not improper, but de fon man of the highest saints have done so. Forms often, ev are a hel the staffi blessing, laboring 1 assisted. The ne to the cas membere them, th Christ Je forms, bu Christian censure n seek com |
