their duty to pray, or perhaps because they love to pray; but with scarcely an expectation that their prayers are to have influence, or are to be followed by any corresponding results. Now it scarcely need be said that, in such a spirit, effectual, fervent prayer never was offered, and never can be. It is not in the nature of the human mind to engage earnestly and perseveringly in any service, without the expectation of accomplishing something. And besides, such faithless supplications can hardly be said to be offered to the God of the Bible, who has everywhere revealed himself as One who heareth prayer. Nor do they correspond to those examples of prayer which are recorded in the scriptures for our instruction. As for me,' says the Psalmist, 'I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice.' It was 'the prayer of faith which saved the sick,' and accomplished such wonders in ancient times; and a strong faith in the promises of God and in the various encouragements given in his word, is still equally essential in order to the success of pray

er.

3. Acceptable prayer must be offered with proper motives. This may seem too obvious to require mention; and yet, is it not likely that good men sometimes impose upon themselves, and defeat the object of their prayers, by the minglings of selfishness? Do they never seek to acquit themselves well, in the public performance of this duty, with a view to the applause of men? Do they never implore a blessing on their efforts, that they may have the credit of success? or pray for Christian institutions, that, with these, their own plans may be promoted? or desire the progress of the gospel, that their sect or party may be advanced? May not the public teacher long for success to attend his instructions, that his ministry may receive honor? And may not his people join in the desire, that they may enjoy the comforts of respectability, and the advantage of numbers? It is humbling to think to what a degree we are actuated by such principles in our prayers, instead of the purer desire of seeing sinners saved from destruction, the crown of the Redeemer flourishing, and the will of God done on earth as it is in heaven. But so far as the motives of our prayers are sinful, it is impossible

that we can obtain our requests; for 'if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us.' He may see it to be for our real advantage that our wishes should not be gratified, till we have learned to set our hearts on worthier objects, and to have our eye more single in his cause.'

4. Acceptable prayer must be offered in the name of Christ. The suppliant must feel, that he is an unworthy, sinful creature, having no merit of his own, and not deserving to be regarded or answered, and he must come and ask for favors, entirely on the ground of mercy, as flowing through a Redeemer. Believ ing that there is no other way in which mercy can flow, and in which sinners can have access to God, he will approach the throne and urge his request in the name of Christ.

It is easier to speak of the merits of Christ in our devotions, than it is to bring the deceitful heart implicitly and uniformly to rest upon them. Do we not often plead his name in our form of words, while no corresponding reliance on that precious name accompanies what we utter? Do we never carry our own lurking self-righteousness even into God's

presence, and derive confidence in prayer from something pertaining to ourselves? Do we never admit the hope that God will hear us, on account of our having prayed well, with liveliness of affection, and enlargement of desire? Is there no such thing as coming to God with a boldness, growing out of the frequency of our approaches, the intimacy of communion we have maintained, or our attention to duties and consistency in obedience,rather than from an exclusive and selfrenouncing dependence on Christ's finished work, as all our salvation and all our desire? Let us only remember, that it is the purpose of God, in the whole plan of salvation, to exalt his mercy and humble the sinner, and we shall cease to wonder that petitions, in which we have done homage to ourselves and not to Christ, have been unanswered.'

5. That prayer may be acceptable, it is necessary that it should express our real feelings, and that our thoughts and affections should be interested and engaged in it.-Some of the principal evils incident to prayer are wandering thoughts, formality, and hypocrisy. We pray, because the forms of religion require it, or because others pray. We

visit the closet, and bend before the family altar, and rise in the social circle or in the house of God, because it is decent and customary so to do, and our Christian characters would be suspected, and our hopes of heaven forfeited, should we suffer ourselves to neglect these duties. Still, our feelings are not interested, our thoughts wander, we satisfy ourselves with mere words and appearances, and the service degenerates into a heartless form.

It may help to guard against these great and common evils, to avoid generalities and common place expressions in our prayers, and render them, so far as possible, particular and appropriate. There are some general subjects of prayer of thanksgiving, confession and supplication-which may be introduced on all occasions; and there are certain phrases and modes of speech, in which these generalities are expressed, with which every child, who has been religiously educated, is familiar. Now I do not say that expressions such as these should be utterly excluded; because occasions may occur in which they will be appropriate, and will exactly express the feelings of the worshipper. But so great