boldness and encouragement drawn from the other. The very silence which our unworthiness putteth us unto, doth itself make request for us, and that in the confidence of His grace. Looking inward we are stricken dumb, looking upward we speak and prevail. O happy mixture, wherein things contrary do so qualify and correct the one the dangers of the other's excess, 'that neither boldness can make us presume as long as we are kept under with the sense of our own wretchedness; nor, while we trust in the mercy of God through Christ Jesus, fear be able to tyrannize over us! As therefore true fear excludeth not that boldness which becometh saints, so if familiarity with God do not savour of this fear, it draweth too near that irreverent confidence wherewith true humility can never stand.

Minds religiously affected are wont in everything of weight and moment which they do or see, to examine according unto rules of piety what dependency it hath on God, what reference to themselves, what coherence with any of those duties whereunto all things in the world should lead; and accordingly they frame the inward disposition of their minds sometime to admire God, sometime to bless Him and give Him thanks, sometime to exult in His love, sometime to implore His mercy. All which different elevations of spirit unto God are contained in the name of prayer. Every good and holy desire, though it lack the form, hath notwithstanding in itself the substance and the force of a prayer with God, who regardeth the very moanings, groans, and sighings of the heart of man. The prayers of the just

are accepted always, but not always those things granted for which they pray.

Hooker.

We have abundant assurance that we shall receive at His hands what we ask, if it be good for us; and if it be not, we have no reason to complain that we are not heard, unless we should turn our prayers into curses. And this very consideration seems to be the reason why our Saviour chooseth this among all God's titles and attributes to prefix before our Lord's Prayer. And, indeed, it is the most proper name by which we can style God in our prayers to Him; for the name of Father emboldens faith, and is as pledge and pawn beforehand that our requests shall be heard and granted. What dost thou then, O Christian, complaining of thy wants and sighing under thy burdens? Is it not God thy Father? Go and boldly lay open thy case unto Him; His bowels will certainly yearn toward thee. Is it spiritual blessings thou wantest? Spread thy requests before Him; for He is thy Father, so He is the God of all grace, and will give unto thee out of His fulness; for God loves that His children should be like Him. Or is it temporal mercies thou wantest? Why, He is thy Father, and He is the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. And why shouldst thou go so dejected and disconsolate who hast a Father so able and so willing to relieve and to supply thee? Only beware that thou askest not stones for bread, nor scorpions for fish, and thou ask what thou wilt for thy good, and thou shalt receive it. Bishop Hopkins.

UNCEASING PRAYER.

PRAYER must be continual. If we intermit this recourse to heaven we shall presently find ourselves like Samson, when his head was shaved, weak like other men. Grace in the saints is not like the light in the sun, that springs from itself, but like the light of a lamp that is constantly fed with supplies of oil, otherwise the weak light will faint and die. Inherent grace is maintained by the continual emanations from the Holy Spirit: nay, the habits of grace are drawn forth into act and vigorous exercise by supervenient exciting grace, without which they would be ineffective and useless. As there cannot be actual sight, unless the light in the eye be irradiated by the light of the air; so without special assisting grace we cannot do any spiritual good, nor avoid evil: we shall be foiled by every temptation, even the best will leave God, and provoke God to leave them. Our Saviour therefore enjoins His disciples the double duty, 'Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.' David with his severe resolution to be circumspect joined his fervent requests to God: 'I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips' (Ps. cxliii. 3).

Dr. W. Bates.

POWER OF PRAYER.

MARVELLOUS is the power that a faithful heart hath, when it sendeth up sighs and sobs to heaven, to pull down God's presence and grace; if there be no more but the eye, it will not do the turn, but when the Spirit of the Lord dwelleth in the heart, it maketh it to sigh with sobs that cannot be expressed. 'Out of the deep

places have I cried to thee, O Jehovah,' said the prophet, when he was under great affliction : his affliction wrought in him so that he waited patiently the Lord's deliverance; awaiting with patience, in the end he finds experience and proof of the mercy of God, for he was delivered; finding experience of the Lord's love through that delivery, he conceits a hope that God's favour shall never leave him, and professeth that he will wait yet still, and wait on continually because of that experience of mercy. Then after that a man hath waited patiently on the deliverance of the Lord, he will say that patience worketh experience, and then that experience worketh hope, and then that he hopeth he shall get a greater favour than ever he got before; for if the Lord give the faithful temporal delivery, they hope he shall give them eternal delivery. And this is sure, thou canst never hope for great enough things of the Lord, for thine hope is far inferior to the things that shall be granted: for certainly they that hope in the Lord shall find greater things than ever they hoped for. Thou art not able to apprehend in thine hope the greatness of them; the

kingdom, the joy, and the glory is greater than thou canst look for: when thou shalt come there, thou shalt find all things greater than thy hope.

Rollock.

SECRET PRAYER.

FAMILY prayer and public prayer will be a sweet and easy task, if once we win near to God in secret. Alas! many are like the nightingale in the woods, of which it is said that she sings most sweetly when she thinks any one is near her. Oh, remember thousands eternally perish besides those that are openly profane; for though they make a profession of prayer, yet they know not what it is to wrestle with God in secret. Oh, then, choose retirement often, and begin this happy work of secret prayer. For secret prayer is advantageous for secret purposes, personal wants and difficulties, which it does not concern others to know, therefore every man ought to go to God upon his own errand. Every man has private sins to confess to God, the plague of his own heart, the secret workings of corruption, ignorance, enmity, and unbelief. The troubled mind will mostly vent itself in secret prayer. It is the Christian's relief in affliction, for then he gives vent to his troubled soul, and fetches in supplies from heaven. Ralph Erskine.

The man who abounds in secret prayer will not only preserve his own vitality, he will carry away from