piness." This part of prayer is calculated to fill the pious mind with holy awe of the divine majesty and purity.

CONFESSION includes an acknowledgment of our meanness; a contrite recital of our sins with their aggravated nature, and desert of God's holy and eternal displeasure. David's language is a specimen of private confession; "I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight." Ezra and Daniel in public prayer, penitently confessed their own sins and the sins of others. Hear their language of deep contrition! "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God, for our iniquities are increased over our heads, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens. We have sinned and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and thy judgments, O Lord."

PETITION is humbly beseeching God for Christ's sake to bestow on us and others all needful temporal and spiritual good. The publican's prayer is the language of a broken-hearted sinner petitioning for pardon. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." This weighty prayer we design for the theme of some subsequent Essay.

PLEADING is introducing reasons in prayer why our intercessions should be heard and our requests granted, such as the declarative glory of God and the pressing necessities of his creatures. David plead," Pardon my iniquity, O Lord, for it is great ;" that is, it will magnify the riches of thy mercy, O Lord, to pardon such aggravated guilt. Moses and Joshua were accustomed to plead the honour of God's great name as a reason why he should not consume his backsliding people. Job, under his heavy afflictions, determined to avail himself of the privilege of filling his mouth with arguments in prayer to God.

DEDICATION is making an unreserved surrender of our souls and all the concerns dear to us, into the hands of a faithful Creator and Almighty Redeemer. David used self-dedication in this laconic prayer. “Lord, I am

thine, save me." Dedication is peculiarly suitable and appropriate in our secret devotions, and may occasionally be used to edification in social prayer.

THANKSGIVING is the grateful acknowledgment of God's abundant mercies toward creation in general and ourselves in particular. The 103 Psalm is a beautiful specimen of heartfelt thanksgiving. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities-who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies." The subjects of thanksgiving are as various as the temporal and spiritual blessings diffused throughout the universe.

The de

BLESSING in prayer is the ascription of all honour and glory to the only wise God and our Saviour. votions of St. Paul abound with this part of prayer. The conclusion of his affectionate and impressive prayer in behalf of the Ephesian Church, we shall select as a specimen. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ, throughout all ages, world without end."

The transition from one part of prayer to another is often almost imperceptible. In most prayers, some parts are omitted, some concisely and others diffusely used. Invocation and adoration may occasionally begin the sentence in almost all the other parts of prayer. For instance, we may beseech the most merciful God, who is gracious, long suffering, and full of compassion, to blot out our transgressions. We may thank the Giver of every good and perfect gift, for his unspeakable gift to a ruined world, and we may implore a covenant keeping God to accept the dedication of our all to him. We proceed

SECONDLY, To show the extent of human obligations respecting this duty. These obligations are universal because men are intelligent probationers. They have the means of knowing the existence of God, some of his perfections, and some of their relations to him. This intelligence imposes moral obligations on men every where to invoke the name of God, to adore such of his

perfections as they have both the ability and the means of discerning. Men ought every where to pray and not to faint, because they are dependent probationers. It is their indispensable duty as such to feel and acknowledge their dependence. As dependent for their existence, and all they have, and all they hope for, they ought daily to render thanks to God for all the past expressions of his goodness toward them, and supplicate his protection, guidance, and blessing continually.

Again, because the whole world has become guilty before God, men ought every where to pray. Wherever there is guilt there ought to be the deepest humiliation before an offended God; there ought to be penitential confessions of sin; there ought to be earnest petitions and pleading for pardoning mercy through the merits of Christ. Wherever moral guilt has polluted the soul, the Psalmist's prayer ought sincerely and fervently to be poured out before the throne of God. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." The sinner should take the leper's place in the dust of humiliation and utter the leper's plaintive cry-"unclean-unclean, if there may be hope."

If prayer is binding on one prisoner of hope, it is equally so on all prisoners of hope. The prisoners of God's justice who do not soon sue for mercy and obtain it, must presently be led out to execution. Their seconds for prayer are fleeing on the wings of the wind never to return.

Once more, probationers for eternity ought every where to pray because they are social brings. It is worthy of particular observation that the universal model for prayer, given us by Christ, recognizes our social existence, and requires us to pray, even in our closets, like social beings. We are not taught to use the selfish epithet," my Father in heaven," nor raise the solitary desires, "forgive me, feed and succour me." The language is social: "Our Father in heaven, forgive and feed and succour us." As members of the same great family, having the same common necessities, we are obligated to supplicate our common Lord in behalf of each other.

The soul that wraps itself in selfish de

sires alone, might justly be doomed to retire into chaos beyond the limits of creation, and when bidding adieu to the last ray of light, be pierced with the reflection that he must be unheard of and unthought of forever. Finally, men ought every where to pray, because God has required them to do it. No duty is more frequently and fully inculcated, as binding on all mankind, than prayer. The injunctions of the Bible are reiterated. "Pray without ceasing; in every thing give thanks; let supplications, intercessions, together with thanksgiving, be made for all men." Christ spake a parable to the intent that men ought always to pray and not to faint. It is the inspired will of God that men pray every where. It must be the height of impiety to question God's right to command, or the universal obligations of men to obey him. But we must hasten

THIRDLY, To give some general directions how men ought to pray to have their prayers acceptable to God. They must lift up holy hands without wrath or doubting. To rush before the mercy seat of God, full of wrath towards our neighbour, whom he has required us to love as ourselves, would be insulting to his rightful authority. Nor may we cherish unbelief, "For whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.” We must lift up holy hands. The incense of holy desires must ascend from the altar of our hearts. We must ever pray with sincerity. It is but mocking God to pretend to confess that we are sinners, when we are full of selfrighteousness; or pretend to thank him for mercies, while every action of our lives proclaims our ingratitude to God. How absurd the conduct of the insincere worshipper, who, with his lips asks God to grant him affections he has no desire to possess, who beseeches Almighty power to guide him in a way in which he is determined he will not walk. Not only holy sincerity, but genuine penitence must be felt by the sinner who would worship God acceptably. If I regard iniquity in my heart, says David, the Lord will not hear my prayer. Men must pray with supreme love for God, with faith in Christ, with true submission, obedience, and forgiveness of enemies. But we have not room in one Essay to expand this copious subject.

By the leave of Divine Providence, we shall hereafter resume the question, How we ought to pray. The brief answer, that we must pray with holy affections, must now suffice, and two or three reflections conclude this Essay.

1. Is it manifestly the duty of all persons to pray; those are in an error who assert that the sinner ough not to be directed to pray. Our subject teaches that it is the sinner's duty to pray. He tramples on the authority of heaven if he restrains prayer before God. The sinner ought to pray. And if he is disinclined to attempt it, his duty must be pressed upon him. He must pray, or perish. And this solemn truth should be rung in his ears when in the sanctuary and when at home, when he lies down and when he rises up. But the sinner ought to know, and if he does not know it, he must be taught, that if does not lift up holy hands his prayers will not be acceptable to God. If, when attempting to pray, he has been insincere, impenitent, unbelieving, and destitute of love to God, he has not done his duty. With the mere externals of prayer, he has not pleased that God who searches the heart and tries the reins. He has not become any better in the sight of infinite purity, by offering such prayers. The awakened sinner sometimes feels his obligations to pray pressing upon him like mountains, and yet finds his heart opposed to holiness. With trembling anxiety he inquires, What shall I do? We answer with the inspired prophet, "Take with you words and turn to the Lord, and say unto him, take away all iniquity, receive us graciously, so will we render the sacrifice of our lips." Bring suitable words to the throne of grace and feel what you express. Let us apply this part of our subject to prayerless readers. God mercifully invites you all to pray. It is his revealed will that none of you should neglect prayer. If you will lift up holy hands, if you will pray as God has directed in his word, every soul of you shall be accepted. Have you not neglected prayer too long already? By your knowledge of the character of God, his relation and goodness toward you, we solemnly call on you to adore and worship him. By