tions, one toward another, be unkind, unsociable, and immoral.

Once more: The concluding and comprehensive term before us, very strongly cautions, and severely reproves, relative to the use of language in prayer, from the genuine meaning of which the heart is averse. To an acceptable Amen, in the sight of God, an enlightened understanding, an impressed conscience, and an upright heart, must all be engaged in prayer: for, without some degree of these mental qualities in exercise, the closing and em phatical So be it, does not express the least, devotion in them that use it; but becomes a mere word of course. A conviction of sin; sincere desire of receiving blessings from the hand of sove reign mercy; serious attention to the language of social prayer, and a cordial adoption of scriptural petitions presented to God; are necessary to a de vout Amen..

Destitute of these, and unconcerned about them, how often, alas! in how many millions, of instances, has a verbal So be it, been annexed to the several parts of this divine pattern of prayer, when used as a form? the state of the heart, and the tenour of the conduct, having been adverse to the languageadopted. Multitudes of persons have said, without hesitation, Our Father who art in heaven. As if they had undoubtedly stood in the filial relation to God; revered his majesty; confided in his paternal care; and lived in high expectation of enjoying the eternal inheritance: whose conduct, nevertheless, manifested, that they were, as our Lord, speaks, Of their father the devil.-They have daily used, and added their Amen to, Hallowed be thy

name.

As if the sanctification of his most august character, were the first wish of their hearts, and the main object of their lives: while it was the ruling passion of their souls, to raise their own characters, and those of their families, in the world; though, perhaps, at the expense of piety and of truth, of justice and of humanity - To, Thy kingdom come. As if the conversion of sinners to Jesus Christ; the extending of his gracious empire in the souls of men; and the enlargement of his visible church upon earth; were objects of their ardent desire: when their predominant concern was, to have their own secular possessions, power, and honour, increased: nay, when their hearts were full of bitterness, and their hands armed with vengeance, against the true subjects of that spiritual kingdom. -To, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. As if they were heartily disposed to perform the revealed will of God, and earnestly desirous of the same disposition becoming universal among mankind: when the prevailing bias of their souls, and the general course of their behaviour, were in a state of hostility with every principle of true virtue, and every precept of real piety-To, Give us this day our daily bread. As if, habitually feeling their dependence on the bounty of God for every temporal enjoyment, they were sincerely thankful for the mere necessaries of life: while they disregarded Providence in the bestowment of temporal benefits; were eagerly desirous of amassing riches; and of rising in the scale of ecclesiastical, or of secular distinction-To, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. While, far from cautiously avoiding the occasions

of temptation to sin; and equally far from habitual prayer, that God would preserve them from falling by the snares of Satan; they were devoted to the pleasures of sensuality, the gratifications of avarice, or the pursuits of ambition-And finally to, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. As if, being full of benevolence, and their conduct of mercy, toward those that have injured them; the least evidence of repentance for it would command their forgiveness: when their hearts were so full of malevolence toward their offending neighbours, that if God, as an echo to their Amen, had annexed his own righteous and omnipotent So be it, their case must have been hopeless, and their future damnation certain.

It is, indeed, a very common thing for the prevailing temper of a person's heart, and the prominent features of his behaviour, to be the reverse of his Amen in prayer. Nor is it an easy matter for a real Christian, in certain cases, cheerfully to receive the Lord's Amen to his own petitions. Does a believer pray, for instance, that our heavenly Father would subdue his corruptions, purify his heart, and elevate his affections to things above? Does the Lord graciously sanction his prayer with an efficacious Amen? It is expressed, perhaps, and takes effect, partly by means of great affliction in his own person, relatives, or temporal circumstances-by sickness, pain, or poverty. He forgets, it may be, that the Father of mercies afflicts the heirs of heaven, in order to make them partakers of his holiness. So that, when afflictions come on, continue, and increase, instead of expecting from God an answer to his prayers by

means of this kind (though a common mode of divine proceeding), he is too frequently alarmed, and filled with distress, as though the Lord had entered into an awful controversy with him; or as if some strange thing had happened to him. To Christians, in such circumstances, the language of Paul is instructive, corrective, and encouraging: Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.*-Such are the important cautions, admonitions, and reproofs, which the expressive So be it suggests to private worshippers.

A word to those who habitually take the lead in social prayer-to those who are silent worshippers-and to those who have little or no regard to prayer, whether secret or social-shall conclude this Discourse.

To those who habitually take the lead. It is evident, from what has been said, that when any one appears as the organ of an assembly, to present their united requests to God, the situation in which he stands is peculiarly solemn. Of this, I trust, not only my brethren in the ministry, now present, but many others in this congregation, have been long apprized: and yet, perhaps, none of us have realized the fact as we ought.-Is a minister of Christ under indispensable obligations, when expounding the divine oracles, to be conscientionsly cautious, that he do not misinterpret and misapply the language of God to men? and is he

*Heb. xii. 5-11.

not bound to be cautious of misrepresenting the character and state, the wants and supplies, the fears and the hopes, the sorrows and the joys of his fellow-men, when unitedly speaking to God; that those who are devout in the exercise may feel their interest, more or less, in all he expresses?-Besides, voluntarily and professedly to appear before the Divine Majesty, guilty, corrupt, and unworthy, as we are-To approach HIM, in whose presence those morning stars, those children of light and love, the seraphim, veil their faces and cover their feet*To draw near to HIM, though as on the throne of grace, and by the blood of Jesus, who is a consuming fire-To address HIм in prayer, not as a detached individual, but as presenting the confessions, requests, and thanks, of the whole assembly; as directing the intercessions of each worshipper in the congregation, for all the churches of Christ upon earth-for the civil government under which we live for the millions of our fellow-mortals that lie in wickedness; and all this with a view to the united and solemn Amen of the whole assembly; must constitute a situation that is very solemn, and very important. So solemn and so important is it, as justly to excite similar feelings with those of the revering Patriarch, when he said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.† Surely, then, my ministering Brethren, whenever thus employed, we must stand in the greatest need of grace, or of divine influence, that we may serve God acceptably; and be the happy means of exciting, promoting, inflaming de+ Gen. xxviii. 17. K

Isa. vi. 1-4.