soul.

institution, lives in a state of disobedience to gion; but it is religion as opposed to infidelity the last appointment of his Redeemer. He not as opposed to worldly mindedness. who rests in it as a means for supplying the They defend the worship of God, but desire place of habitual piety, totally mistakes its to be excused from his service. Their heart design, and is fatally deceiving his own is the slave of the world, but their blindness hides from them the turpitude of that world. This awful solemnity is, it is to be hoped, They commend piety but dread its requisirarely frequented even by this class of Christions. They allow that repentance is ne tians without a desire of approaching it with cessary, but then how easy is it to find reathe pious feelings above described. But if sons for deferring a necessary evil? Who they carry them to the altar, are they equal- will hastily adopt a painful measure which ly anxious to carry them away from it; he can find a creditable pretence for evading? are they anxious to maintain then after it? They censure whatever is ostensibly wrong, Does the rite so seriously approached com- but avoiding only part of it, the part they monly leave any vestige of seriousness be-retain robs them of the benefits of their parhind it? Are they careful to perpetuate the tial renunciation. feelings they were so desirous to excite? We cannot sufficiently admire the wis Do they strive to make them produce solid dom of the church, in enjoining extraordiand substantial effects? Would that this in- nary acts of devotion at the return of those constancy of mind were to be found only in the festivals so happily calculated to excite declass of characters under consideration! Let votional feelings. Extraordinary repentance the reader, however sincere in his desires, of sin is peculiarly suitable to the seasons let the writer, however ready to lament the that record those grand events which sin levity of others, seriously ask their own occasioned. But the church never intended hearts if they can entirely acquit themselves that these more stated and strict self-examiof the inconsistency they are so forward to nations should preclude our habitual self-inblame. If they do not find the charge brought spection. It never intended its holy offices against others but too applicable to themselves.

to supply the place of general holiness, but to promote it. It intended that these solemn Irreverence antecedent to, or during this occasions should animate the flame of piety, sacred solemnity, is far more rare than du- but it never meant to furnish a reason for rable improvement after it. If there are, as neglecting to keep the flame alive till the we are willing to believe, none so profane as next return should again kindle the dying to violate the act, except those who impi- embers. It meant that every such season ously use it only as a pick-lock to a place,' should gladden the heart of the Christian at there are too few who make it lastingly be- its approach, and not discharge him from neficial. Few so thoughtless as not to ap-duty at its departure. It meant to lighten proach it with resolutions of amendment; his conscience of the burden of sin, not to enfew comparatively who carry those resolu- courage him to begin a new score, again to tions into effect. Fear operates in the pre- be wiped off at the succeeding festival. It vious instance. Why should not love ope- intended to quicken the vigilance of the berate in that which is subsequent? liever, and not to dismiss the sentinel from A periodical religion is accompanied with his post. If we are not the better for these a periodical repentance. This species of re-divinely appointed helps, we are the worse. pentance is adopted with no small mental If we use them as a discharge from that direservation. It is partial and disconnected. ligence which they were intended to pro These fragments of contrition, these broken parcels of penitence--while a succession of This abuse of our advantages arises from worldly pursuits is not only resorted to, our not incorporating our devotions into the but is intended to be resorted to, during general habit of our lives. Till our religion the whole of the intervening spaces, is not become an inward principle and not an exthat sorrow which the Almighty has pro-ternal act, we shall not receive that benefit mised to accept. To render it pleasing to from her forms, however excellent, which God and efficacious to ourselves, there must they are calculated to convey. It is to those be an agreement in the parts, an entireness who possess the spirit of Christianity that in the whole web of life. There must be an her forms are so valuable. To them, the integral repentance. A quarterly contrition form excites the spirit, as the spirit aniin the four weeks preceding the sacred sea-mates the form. Till religion become the sons will not wipe out the daily offences, the hourly negligences of the whole sinful year. Sins half forsaken through fear, and half retained through partially resisted temptation and partially adopted resolution, make up but an unprofitable piety.

mote, we convert our blessings into snares.

desire of our hearts, it will not become the business of our lives. We are far from meaning that it is to be its actual occupation; but that every portion, every habit, every act of life is to be animated by its spirit, influenced by its principle, governed by its power.

In the bosom of these professors there is a perpetual conflict between fear and inclina- The very mark of our nature, and our netion. In conversation you will generally cessary commerce with the world, naturally find them very warm in the cause of reli-fill our hearts and minds with thoughts and

ideas, over which we have unhappily too lit- supporting the dignity of the Christian chatle control. We find this to be the case racter; whether we are acting suitably to when in our better hours we attempt to give our profession; whether more exactness in ourselves up to serious reflection. How the common occurrences of the day, more many intrusions of worldly thoughts, how correctness in our conversation, would not many impertinent imaginations, not only ir-be such evidences of our religion, as by berelevant, but uncalled and unwelcome,ing obvious and intelligible, might not alcrowd in upon the mind so forcibly as scarce-most insensibly produce important effects. ly to be repelled by our sincerest efforts. How impotent then to repel such images must that mind be, which is devoted to worldly pursuits, which yields itself up to them, whose opinions, habits, and conduct are under their allowed influence!

If, as we have before observed, religion consists in a new heart and a new spirit, it will become not our occasional act, but our abiding disposition, proving its settled existence in the mind by its habitually disposing our thoughts and actions, our devotions and our practice to a conformity to each other and to itself.

Let us not consider a spirit of worldliness as a little infirmity, as a natural, and theretore a pardonable weakness; as a trifling error which will be overlooked for the sake of our many good qualities. It is in fact the essence of our other faults; the temper that stands between us and our salvation; the spirit which is in direct opposition to the Spirit of God. Individual sins may more easily be cured, but this is the principle of all spiritual disease. A worldly spirit where it is rooted and cherished, runs through the whole character, insinuates itself in all we say and think and do. It is this which makes us so dead in religion, so averse from spiritual things, so forgetful of God, so unmindful of eternity, so satisfied with ourselves, so impatient of serious discourse, and so alive to that vain and frivolous intercourse, which excludes intellect almost as much as piety from our general conversation.

The most insignificant people must not through indolence and selfishness undervalue their own influence. Most persons have a little circle of which they are a sort of centre. Its smallness may lessen their quantity of good, but does not diminish the duty of using that little influence wisely. Where is the human being so inconsiderable but that he may in some shape benefit others, either by calling their virtues into exercise, or by setting them an example of virtue himself? But we are humble just in the wrong place. When the exhibition of our talents or splendid qualities is in question, we are not backward in the display. When a little sclf-demal is to be exercised, when a little good might be effected by our example, by our discreet management in company, by giving a better turn to conversation, then at once we grow wickedly modestSuch an insignificant creature as I am can do no good.'— Had I higher rank or brighter talents, then indeed my influence might be exerted to some purpose.'-Thus under the mask of diffidence, we justify our indolence; and let slip those lesser occasions of promoting religion which if we all improved, how much might the condition of society be raised.

The hackneyed interrogation, 'Whatmust we be always talking about religion?' must have the hackneyed answer-Far from it. Talking about religion is not being religious. But we may bring the spirit of religion into company, and keep it in perpetual It is not therefore our more considerable operation when we do not professedly make actions alone which require watching, for it our subject. We may be constantly adthey seldom occur. They do not form the vancing its interests, we may without effort habit of life in ourselves, nor the chief im- or affectation be giving an example of canportance of our example to others. It is to dour, of moderation, of humility, of forbearour ordinary behaviour; it is to our deport-ance. We may employ our influence by ment in common life; it is to our prevailing turn of mind in general intercourse, by which we shall profit or corrupt those with whom we associate. It is our conduct in social life which will help to diffuse a spirit of piety or a distaste to it. If we have niuch influence, this is the place in which particularly to exert it. If we have little we have. still enough to infect the temper and lower the tone of our narrow society.

correcting falsehood, by checking levity, by discouraging calumny, by vindicating misrepresented merit, by countenancing every thing which has a good tendency-in short, by throwing our whole weight, be it great or small, into the right scale.

CHAP. V.

Prayer.

If we really believe that it is the design of Christianity to raise us to a participation of the divine nature, the slightest reflection on this elevation of our character would lead us PRAYER is the application of want to him to maintain its dignity in the ordinary inter- who only can relieve it; the voice of sin to course of life. We should not so much in-him who alone can pardon it. It is the urquire whether we are transgressing any ac-gency of poverty, the prostration of humilitual prohibition; whether any standing law ty, the fervency of penitence, the confidence is pointed against us; as whether we are of trust. It is not eloquence, but carnest

ness: not the definition of helplessness, but the feeling of it; not figures of speech, but compunction of soul. It is the Lord save us or we perish' of drowning Peter; the cry of faith to the ear of mercy.

our wants, but to express our sense of the wants which he already knows. As he has not so much made his promise to our necessities, as to our requests, it is reasonable that our requests should be made before we can Adoration is the noblest employment of hope that our necessities will be relieved. created beings; confession the natural God does not promise to those who want that language of guilty creatures; gratitude the they shall have,' but to those who ‘ask;' spontaneous expression of pardoned sinners. nor to those who need that they shall find,' Prayer is desire. It is not a conception of but to those who seek.' So far therefore the mind nor a mere effort of the intellect, from his previous knowledge of our wants nor an act of the memory; but an elevation being a ground of objection to prayer, it is of the soul towards its Maker; a pressing in fact the true ground for our application, sense of our own ignorance and infirmity, a Were he not knowledge itself, our informaconsciousness of the perfections of God, of tion would be of as little use, as our applicahis readiness to hear, of his power to help, of tion would be, were he not goodness ithis willingness to save. self.

It is not an emotion produced in the senses; nor an effect wrought by the imagination; but a determination of the will, an effusion of the heart.

Prayer is the guide to self-knowledge by prompting us to look after our sins in order to pray against them; a motive to vigilance, by teaching us to guard against those sins which, through self-examination, we have been enabled to detect.

We cannot attain to a just notion of prayer while we remain ignorant of our own nature, of the nature of God as revealed in Scripture, of our relation to him and dependence on him. If therefore we do not live in the daily study of the holy scriptures, we shall want the highest motives to this duty and the best helps for performing it if we do, the cogency of these motives, and the inestimable value of these helps, will render argument unnecessary and exhortation superiluous.

Prayer is an act both of the understanding and of the heart. The understanding must apply itself to the knowledge of the divine One cause therefore of the dulness of maperfections, or the heart will not be led to ny Christians in prayer, is, their slight acthe adoration of them. It would not be a quaintance with the sacred volume. They reasonable service, if the mind was ex- hear it periodically, they read it occasional cluded. It must be rational worship, or the ly, they are contented to know it historicalhuman worshipper would not bring to the ly, to consider it superficially, but they do service the distinguished faculty of his na- not endeavour to get their minds imbued ture, which is reason. It must be spiritual with its spirit. If they store their memory worship; or it would want the distinctive with its facts, they do not impress their quality to make it acceptable to Him, who hearts with its truths. They do not regard has declared that He will be worshipped it as the nutriment on which their spiritual in spirit and in truth.' life and growth depend. They do not pray Prayer is right in itself as the most pow-over it; they do not consider all its docerful means of resisting sin and advancing in holiness. It is above all right, as every thing is, which has the authority of Scripture, the command of God, and the example of Christ.

There is a perfect consistency in all the ordinations of God; a perfect congruity in the whole scheme of his dispensations. If man were not a corrupt creature, such prayer as the gospel enjoins would not have been necessary. Had not prayer been an important means for curing those corruptions, a God of perfect wisdom would not have ordered it. He would not have prohibited every thing which tends to inflame and promote them, had they not existed, nor would he have commanded every thing that has a tendency to diminish and remove them, had not their existence been fatal. Prayer, therefore, is an indispensable part of his economy and of our obedience.

It is a hackneyed objection to the use of prayer that its offending the omniscience of God to suppose he requires information of our wants. But no objection can be more futile. We do not pray to inform God of

trines as of practical application; they do not cultivate that spiritual discernment which alone can enable them judiciously to appropriate its promises and its denunci tions to their own actual case. They do not apply it as an unerring line to ascertain their own rectitude or obliquity.

In our retirements, we too often fritter away our precious moments, moments rescued from the world, in trivial, sometimes it is to be feared, in corrupt thoughts. But if we must give the reins to our imagination, let us send this excursive faculty to range among great and noble objects. Let it stretch forward under the sanction of faith and the anticipation of prophecy, to the accomplishment of those glorious promises and tremendous threatenings which will soon be realized in the eternal world. These are topics which under the safe and sober guidance of Scripture, will fix its largest speculations and sustain its loftiest flights. The same Scripture while it expands and elevates the mind, will keep it subject to the dominion of truth; while at the same time it will teach it that its boldest excursions must fall

infinitely short of the astonishing realities of a future state.

tage to ourselves; yet that prayer cannot be mercenary, which involves God's glory Though we cannot pray with a too deep with our own happiness, and makes his will sense of sin, we may make our sins too ex-the law of our requests. Though we are to clusively the object of our prayers. While desire the glory of God supremely; though we keep, with a self-abasing eye, our own this ought to be our grand actuating princicorruptions in view, let us look with equal ple, yet he has graciously permitted, comintenseness on that mercy, which cleanseth manded, invited us, to attach our own happifrom all sin. Let our prayers be all humili-ness to this primary object. The Bible exation, but let them not be all complaint.-hibits not only a beautiful, but an inseparaWhen men indulge no other thought but ble combination of both, which delivers us that they are rebels, the hopelessness of pardon hardens them into disloyalty. Let them look to the mercy of the king, as well as to the rebellion of the subject. If we contemplate his grace as displayed in the gospel, then, though our humility will increase, our despair will vanish. Gratitude in this as in human instances will create affection. We love him because he first loved us.'

Let us then always keep our unworthiness in view as a reason why we stand in need of the mercy of God in Christ; but never piead it as a reason why we should not draw nigh to him to implore that mercy. The best men are unworthy for their own sakes; the worst on repentance will be accepted for his sake and through his merits.

from the danger of unnaturally renouncing our own benefit for the promotion of God's glory, on the one hand; and on the other, from secking any happiness independent of him, and underived from him. In enjoining us to love him supremely, he has connected an unspeakable blessing with a paramount duty, the highest privilege with the most positive command.

What a triumph for the humble Christian to be assured, that the high and lofty One which inhabiteth eternity," condescends at the same time to dwell in the heart of the contrite ;-in his heart! To know that God is the God of his life, to know that he is even invited to take the Lord for his God. To close with God's offers, to accept his invitaIn prayer then, the perfections of God, tions, to receive God as his portion, must and especially his mercy in our redemp- surely be more pleasing to our heavenly Fation, should occupy our thoughts as much as ther, than separating our happiness from his our sins; our obligation to him as much as glory. To disconnect our interests from his our departures from him. We should keep goodness, is at once to detract from his perup in our hearts a constant sense of our own fections, and to obscure the brightness of weakness, not with a design to discourage our own hopes. The declarations of inspithe mind and depress the spirits; but with a red writers are confirmed by the authority of view to drive us out of ourselves, in search the heavenly hosts. They proclaim that the of the divine assistance. We should contem-glory of God and the happiness of his creaplate our infirmity in order to draw us to tures, so far from interfering, are connected look for his strength, and to seek that power with each other. We know but of one anfrom God which we vainly look for in our-them composed and sung by angels, and this selves. We do not tell a sick friend of his most harmoniously combines the glory of danger in order to grieve or terrify him, but God in the highest with peace on earth and to induce him to apply to his physician, and good will to men.' to have recourse to his remedy.

'The beauty of Scripture,' says the great Among the charges which have been Saxon reformer, consists in pronouns.' brought against serious piety, one is, that it This God is our God-God, even our own teaches men to despair. The charge is just God, shall bless us. How delightful the apin one sense as to the fact, but false in the propriation! To glorify him as being in sense intended. It teaches us to despair in- himself consummate excellence, and to love deed of ourselves, while it inculcates that him from the feeling that this excellence is faith in a Redeemer, which is the true anti-directed to our felicity! Here modesty would dote to despair. Faith quickens the doubt-be ingratitude; disinterestedness rebellion. ing spirit, while it humbles the presumptu- It would be severing ourselves from Him, in The lowly Christian takes comfort in whom we live, and move, and are; it would the blessed promise, that God will never for- be dissolving the connexion which he has sake them that are his. The presumptuous condescended to establish between himself man is equally right in the doctrine, but and his creatures. wrong in applying it. He takes that com- It has been justly observed, that the Scripfort to himself which was meant for another ture saints make this union the chief ground class of characters. The mal-appropriation of their grateful exultation- My strength' of Scripture promises and threatenings, is my rock'-- my fortress'-- my deliverer!' the cause of much error and delusion, Again-Let the God of my salvation be ex

ous.

Though some devout enthusiasts have fal-alted! Now take away the pronoun and len into error by an unnatural and impracti- substitute the article the, how comparatively cable disinterestedness, asserting that God is cold is the impression! The consummation to be loved exclusively for himself, with an of the joy arises from the peculiarity, the inabsolute renunciation of any view of advan-timacy, the endearment of the relation.

Nor to the liberal Christian is the grateful multitude of ages they should have pursued joy diminished, when he blesses his God their appointed course, for the comfort of as the God of all them that trust in him.' the whole system :

For ever singing as they shine
The hand that made us is divine.

All general blessings, will he say, 'all providential mercies, are mine individually, are mine as completely as if no other shared in the enjoyment. Life, light, the earth and As the affections of the Christian ought to heavens, the sun and stars, whatever sus-be set on things above, so it is for them that tains the body, and recreates the spirits! his prayers will be chiefly addressed. God My obligation is as great as if the mercy in promising to give those who delight in had been made purely for me. As great? him the desire of their heart,' could never nay, it is greater-it is augmented by a sense mean temporal things; for these they might of the millions who participate in the bless- desire improperly as to the object, and inoring. The same enlargement of the personal dinately as to the degree. The promise reobligation holds good, nay rises higher, in lates principally to spiritual blessings. He the mercies of redemption. The Lord is not only gives us these mercies, but the very my Saviour as completely as if he had re-desire to obtain them is also his gift. Here deemed only me. That he has redeemed our prayer requires no qualifying, no condi'a great multitude which no man can num-tioning, no limitation. We cannot err in ber, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, our choice, for God himself is the object of and tongues,' is diffusion without abatement; it; we cannot exceed in the degree, unless it is general participation without individual it were possible to love him too well, or to diminution-Each has all. please him too much. In adoring the providence of God, we are We should pray for worldly comforts, and apt to be struck with what is new and out for a blessing on our earthly plans, though of course, while we too much overlook long, lawful in themselves, conditionally, and with habitual, and uninterrupted mercies. But a reservation: because after having been common mercies, if less striking, are more earnest in our requests for them, it may valuable, both because we have them al- happen that when we come to the petition ways, and for the reason above assigned, thy will be done,' we may in these very because others share them. The ordinary words be praying that our previous petitions blessings of life are overlooked for the very may not be granted. In this brief request reason that they ought to be most prized-consists the vital principle, the essential spibecause they are most uniformly bestowed. rit of prayer. God shows his munificence They are most essential to our support, and in encouraging us to ask most earnestly for when once they are withdrawn we begin to the greatest things, by promising that the find that they are also most essential to our smaller shall be added unto us.' We there comfort. Nothing raises the price of a bless-fore acknowledge his liberality most when ing like its removal; whereas it was its con- we request the highest favours. He manitinuance which should have taught us its tests his infinite superiority to earthly favalue. We require novelties to awaken our thers by chiefly delighting to confer those gratitude, not considering that it is the du- spiritual gifts, which they less solicitously ration of mercies which enhances their va- desire for their children than those worldlue. We want fresh excitements. Wely advantages on which God sets so little consider mercies long enjoyed as things of course, as things to which we have a sort of presumptive claim; as if God had no right to withdraw what he had once bestowed: as if he were obliged to continue what he has once been pleased to confer.

value.

Nothing short of a sincere devotedness to God, can enable us to maintain an equality of mind, under unequal circumstances. We murmur that we have not the things we ask amiss, not knowing that they are withheld by the same mercy by which the things that are good for us are granted. Things good in themselves may not be good for us. A resigned spirit is the proper disposition to prepare us for receiving mercies, or for ba ving them denied. Resignation of soul, like the allegiance of a good subject, is always in readiness, though not in action: whereas an impatient mind is a spirit of disaffection always prepared to revolt, when the will of the sovereign is in opposition to that of the subject. This seditious principle is the infal lible characteristic of an unrenewed mind.

But that the sun has shone unremittingly from the day that God created him, is not a less stupendous exertion of power than that the hand which fixed him in the heavens, and marked out his progress through them, once said by his servant, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon.' That he has gone on in his strength, driving his uninterrupted career, and rejoicing as a giant to run his course,' for six thousand years, is a more astonishing exhibition of Omnipotence than that he should have been once suspended by the hand which set him in motion. That the ordinances of heaven, that the establish- A sincere love of God will make us thanked laws of nature, should have been for one ful when our supplications are granted, and day interrupted to serve a particular occa- patient and cheerful when they are denied. sion, is a less real wonder, and certainly a He who feels his heart rise against any diless substantial blessing, than that in such a vine dispensation, ought not to rest till by