LECTURE XCİV.

ON PRAYER.

On Prayer for others.-Public Prayer.-Private Prayer.-Secret Prayer.-Ejaculatory Prayer.-Seasons of Prayer.-Forms of Prayer Objectionable.—Acceptable Prayer.-Answer to Prayer.

In the preceding lecture, I explained the nature of prayer, showed that it should be addressed to God alone, removed some objections against it, pointed out the rule, and specified the blessings for which we should present our petitions.

It is acknowledged that our prayers should not be confined to ourselves, but that there are others in whose behalf we should offer up our supplications to God. Who these are, we learn from the following words: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." While it is evident from Scripture, and from the dictates of nature, that certain individuals, related to us by the ties of blood, and friendship, and religion, should have a particular place in our prayers, it appears from the words now quoted, that men of every nation, and of every degree, should be remembered by us when we draw near to the throne of grace. Our hearts, like our religion, should be expanded to embrace the whole family of mankind.

It is an inference from the command to pray for ourselves and others, that there is some efficacy in prayer. It is not only an expression of our desires, but a mean of obtaining the divine blessing. It is improper, therefore, to consider it as solely intended for our personal improvement, by awakening devout sentiments and feelings, and giving scope for the exercise of Christian tempers; there is a connexion between it and the end proposed, similar to the connexion between means and ends in the economy of nature. To encourage Christians to pray for their afflicted brethren, the Apostle James says, that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much;" and confirms the assertion by the example of Elijah, in answer to whose prayers, rain was first suspended and afterwards given. If it should be thought that their case was singular and miraculous, I would refer you to the words of our Saviour which are addressed to his disciples in general: "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." The efficacy which we ascribe to prayer, does not resemble that which the heathens imagined to be in certain words, by the repetition of which the aid of invisible beings was obtained; nor does it arise from any merit in the duty, which imposes an obligation upon the Supreme Being to grant our request. It is the result of a free gracious constitution, by which God has engaged to bestow blessings upon those who ask them in faith. Strictly, the efficacy of prayer proceeds from the divine promise. We succeed in our supplications, because God has pledged himself to attend to them; but they must precede the exercise of his goodness, and no encouragement is given to us to expect any thing from him, if they are withheld. When he promises blessings he says, "For these things will I be inquired of by the house of Israel."§

The efficacy of prayer being ascertained, we are authorized to hope that our supplications will be useful to others as well as to ourselves, and are encour aged to intercede for them. We should be excited to the performance of the * 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. † James v. 16. + Matth. vii. 7. § Ezek. xxxvi. 37.

duty, by reflecting that they as well as we are dependent upon God; that they are subject to the same necessities, and infirmities, and distresses, which fall to our lot; that they have wants which he only can supply, and sins which he only can pardon; that they are actuated by the same.desire for happiness which we feel, are in danger of eternal perdition, being by nature children of wrath, but are capable of heavenly bliss. If they pray for themselves, we should unite our interest with theirs, if we have any interest with the object of worship, that they may not fail of success; if, thoughtless and impious, they are living without God in the world, they are the more the objects of our pity, and we are the more loudly called to remember them because they are forgetful of themselves. Our prayers will thus be a becoming expression of love to our brethren of mankind; and among all the offices of kindness by which we should show our love, there is none more decisive, and more fitted to accomplish the end which we have in view, if we sincerely desire their welfare, than our earnest recommendation of them to the favour and care of the Father of mercies. In behalf of others, we should ask the same temporal and spiritual blessings. which we ask for ourselves. We should pray for the poor, that their wants may be supplied; for the afflicted, that they may be restored to health, and fitted by divine grace for life or death; for mourners, that they may be comforted; for the oppressed, that they may be delivered. We should pray for the young, that the seeds of piety may be sown in their hearts; for the old, that they may have wisdom to improve the short remainder of life, and to exhibit a salutary example to their inferiors in years; for persons in the other stages of life, that they may perform the duties of their stations, and fulfil the purpose of their being. We should pray for those who are in sin, that they may be awakened and converted; and for those who are in a state of grace, that their faith may be strengthened, and that amidst difficulties and temptations, they may persevere to the end. We should pray for magistrates, that they may be just, and may rule over us in the fear of the Lord, and that under their protection we may enjoy all the rights and privileges which belong to us as men and Christians. We should pray for the ministers of religion, that they may be faithful and zealous, and that their labours may be crowned with success; and for the Christian people, that they may receive "with meekness the ingrafted. seed of the word," and walk in the ordinances and commandments of the Lord. We should pray for the catholic church, that truth, and peace, and holiness may flourish in it; that its limits may be extended till it comprehend all the. inhabited regions of the earth; and that the time may come when it shall be said to it, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord hath arisen upon thee." "Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side."*"

One exception however is mentioned by the Apostle John: "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for it." There is a degree of obscurity in these words; but the sin unto death most probably is the sin against the Holy Ghost, which alone is pronounced to be unpardonable. Its irremissible nature is evidently the reason why prayer is forbidden for the person who is guilty of it. It is extremely difficult to say in what it consists; and as Christians are divided in their sentiments on this subject, and it is impossible to determine when a person is chargeable with it,-if it was not confined, as some have thought, to the age of miracles,-the exception stated by John is practically no exception We may pray for the greatest sinners, since, for aught that we can tell, † 1 John v. 16.

to us.

* Is. lx. 1. 4.

they are within the reach of mercy, and God may give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.

Prayer may be distinguished into public, private, and secret.

Public prayer is that which is offered up in the church, or in any other place, where many are assembled to observe the ordinances of religion; and it appears from ancient records to have made a part of the service in the meetings of Christians from the earliest times. It is an acknowledgment of God by those who are present; an acknowledgment of their dependence upon him, of their expectations from him, of their desire for his grace, by which only the institutions of religion will be rendered effectual. On such occasions one necessarily speaks in the name of the rest, but all are understood to join in the petitions. It is not the minister alone who prays, it is the congregation which addresses God by his mouth; and every man should make the petitions his own by serious attention to them, and by stirring up the sentiments and affections of which they are expressive.

Private prayer is offered up in select associations, and particularly in families. Our Saviour has given an example in his prayers for his disciples; it is implied in the accounts of good men, which we find in the Scriptures; and it has been practised in all ages by the saints. The motive which excites a man to pray for himself, will lead him also to pray for his family, and with them. The relations in which they stand to one another give them a sort of individuality; as there are benefits which they all need, so there are mercies for which they should be all thankful; and interwoven as their interests are, the good which any of them obtains will be regarded as a common blessing. There is no fear of God in that house, in which the exercises of devotion are unknown; and it is worthy of observation, while the fact may seem strange, and is deeply to be lamented, that it is only among professed Christians that private worship is neglected, and that Mahometans and even Heathens act more consistently in carrying their religion into the bosom of their families, and the ordinary transactions of life.

Secret prayer is offered up by an individual in some place of retirement. Withdrawing from the world, and even from his most intimate friends, he converses with God alone. Seclusion is necessary to the collection of his thoughts, and the full unrestrained expression of his desires. He has wants which God alone can supply, and sorrows amidst which he alone can comfort him; he needs counsel to direct him in his personal conduct, and assistance under infirmities, the sense of which overwhelms him. Our Saviour has enjoined this duty upon us: "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."* Secret prayer is so characteristic of a Christian, that we may pronounce him to be a mere pretender to the name who habitually neglects it, or contents himself with the occasional and formal performance of the duty. When Ananias seemed to doubt of the conversion of Paul, or at least hesitated to commit himself to a man of whom he had never heard before but in the character of a persecutor, our Lord gave him this sign, "Behold, he prayeth." This will be the constant effect of the grace of God in the soul of man. It will awaken feelings which will irresistibly draw him to the throne of grace; and it will be as impossible for him to live without prayer, as to live without his daily food. graces would decline; his spirits would sink; his activity would abate; his joy would fail, as the fruits of the earth languish and wither in the want of rain. Prayer brings down the Divine blessing, with all its precious attendants, light, and peace, and strength, and hope.

His

I may add to these, ejaculatory prayer, or prayer not offered up on stated † Acts ix. 11.

Matth. vi. 6.

occasions, and in consequence of a previous purpose, but called forth by some unexpected circumstance; prayer prompted by some unforseen perplexity and danger, by something afflicting which we see or hear, by an unlooked for deliverance, or by the sudden incursion of temptation. So natural, indeed, is it to have recourse to God under strong momentary impressions, that often they call upon him then, who at other times spend days and weeks without ever bowing a knee; and in this impulse of the mind have originated those exclamations or prayers,-that God would bless and preserve them,which are so frequently in the mouths of the profane. The ejaculations of which I speak, are the effusions of a devout soul, which knows God, and loves him, and spontaneously flees to him as its refuge in the season of need. Assured that he is at hand, and that his ear is always open, it implores his favour, and commits itself to his care. Hence, we perceive of how much importance it is to cultivate a habit of piety, and to establish, if I may speak so, a familiar correspondence with him who compasses our path, and is acquainted with all our ways; for occasions will often occur when our own resources will prove insufficient, and no friend will be at hand to help, or when a friend could afford us no effectual aid. How happy, in such a case, is he who is not confounded and driven to despair, like the men of the world, but knows of an asylum to which he may run, and, by the prayer of faith, throws himself into the arms of almighty power and love!

The design of one of our Saviour's parables is to teach us, "that men should pray always, and not faint."* And an Apostle exhorts Christians to "pray always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." Such passages cannot be misunderstood. Uninterrupted prayer is impossible; both mind and body would fail, if they were not relieved by intervals of repose, and a change of employment; and when devotion is prolonged beyond a reasonable time, varying, no doubt, according to the circumstances of individuals, it degenerates into bodily exercise, the mere labour of the lips. The business allotted to man in this world, comprehends a variety of duties which demand his attention, and will occupy a considerable portion of his time. Persecution first drove Christians into deserts, and from this accident arose the practice which afterwards led thousands to bury themselves in solitudes, and within the walls of a cloister, where their days were spent in the offices of piety. But it is superstition which has suggested the idea of superior sanctity, in thus abandoning the active duties of life; and had the voice of true religion been attended to, it would have brought them back to the world, and prevailed upon them to enter into the common relations of society, and conscientiously to perform the duties arising from them. There are two tables of the law, and he only is a perfect Christian, who makes both the rule of his conduct. Nothing is meant by the exhortation to constant prayer, but that we should be frequently and regularly engaged in it; that we should pray at all the stated times; that we should comply with every call to it from Providence and our own feelings; that we should cultivate a habit of devotion, and lift up our hearts to God, when we are walking by the way, as well as when we are sitting in our houses; in company as well as in solitude; in the midst of business, as well as in the hours sacred to religion. When Cornelius is said to have " prayed to God alway," the historian, by specifying the ninth hour, plainly signifies his meaning to be, that the centurion regularly engaged in prayer at the hours which were observed by the Jews.

By these remarks, I am naturally led to inquire what are the proper seasons of prayer. The holy Psalmist speaks, in one place, of engaging in devotional exercises seven times a-day;§ in another, of morning, evening, and noon; and again he says, that it is a good thing to show forth the loving kindness of God ⚫ Luke xviii. 1. † Eph. vi. 18. + Acts x. 2. Ps. cxix. 164,

Ib. lv. 17

in the morning, and his faithfulness every night.* Religion ought not to be subjected to mechanical rules. Although it is enjoined by authority, yet its exercises must be spontaneous, or they will not be acceptable to God; and their multiplicity will not compensate for this defect. Yet it may be subjected to regulation, without interfering with its free and liberal spirit; and although no attempt should be made to impose restraints upon a person whose heart impels him to make frequent approaches to the throne of God, and no man can decide for another in a matter which his own feelings alone can determine; yet, we may say without hesitation, that there are two seasons which seem to be pointed out by the hand of nature itself as peculiarly suitable,— the morning and the evening. These, however, are not mentioned as the only seasons, but as times at which there is a particular call to the duty; which have been uniformly dedicated to a sacred use by the people of God; and which, therefore, should not be permitted to pass without a solemn address to Him who makes the sun know his time of rising and going down. There would be no overstraining in considering the law which commanded the Israelites to of fer sacrifices in the morning and the evening, as intended to admonish us that we should begin and end the day with our sacrifices of prayer and praise. In the morning we have awaked from a refreshing sleep, and life has been, as it were, restored to us with fresh vigour after the exhaustion caused by the labours of the preceding day. As our situation evidently calls for praises to the Author of our mercies, so it no less plainly points out the seasonableness of prayer, in the view of the events of the day upon which we have entered. There are duties to be performed, of great importance to ourselves and others, and connected with the glory of God, by a failure in which we shall incur guilt, and a train of consequences fatal to our peace and happiness. There are temptations to be encountered, arising from our intercourse with the world, against which our own vigilance is an insufficient defence, as they often assail us in an imperceptible manner, and our hearts are too prone to give them a favourable reception. We are exposed to danger at every step; and the calamities which befall men in circumstances that give no warning of evil, are a proof of our constant insecurity while we are not under the protection of Providence. These considerations show that the morning, when we are about to plunge into the busy perilous scene, is a season when we should solemnly commit ourselves, and those with whom we are connected, to the care of the Most High, who is near to them who call upon him in truth and sincerity. The man who, by the prayer of faith, has obtained the protection of the Almighty, may walk forth with humble confidence; not trusting in his prayers, but in Him to whom they were addressed, and assuring himself that no real evil shall be permitted to befall him. 66 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”† When the evening comes, there is a new call, not only to thanksgiving, but also to confession and supplication. If we review the transactions of the day, we shall not fail to perceive that we have been ungrateful for mercies, and negli gent of duties; that we have offended in deed, and word, and, above all, in thought; and our only refuge from guilt and its consequences is in the Divine mercy, through Jesus Christ. We are about to lie down upon our beds, and to close our eyes in sleep, from which we may never awake. Is not this a season to implore the favour of that Being into whose immediate presence death will introduce us, and earnestly to entreat that we may be so prepared for the awful event, that we shall find ourselves in that blessed world on which the shades of night never descend? We are exposed to dangers by night as well as by day. The storm may arise, and bury us under the ruins of our houses. We may awake amidst flames from which it is impossible to escape. The + Ib. xci. 4.

* Ps. xcii. 2.