I might urge, that the duty of prayer is enforced by examples of the greatest weight and authority. Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and all the Patriarchs, and all the prophets, were men of fervent, prevalent prayer. 'Seven times a day,' says the Psalmist, 'do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgements.' Daniel'kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God.' Anna served God with fastings and prayers night and day.' Cornelius 'prayed to God always.' And to crown all, it is recorded of our blessed Saviour, that he repeatedly spent whole nights in prayer.

It should be enough to engage all intelligent creatures in the duty of prayer, that such is the known will and pleasure of their Creator. His will on this subject has been variously expressed,—in commands, in invitations, and entreaties. Pray without ceasing.' 'Watch unto prayer.' 'Call upon me, and I will answer thee.' 'Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.' Strange, that the needy children of men should want so much commanding and

exhorting, and this too from the lips of their Creator, to induce them to pray to him! And stranger still, that after all the commands and exhortations he has given, they should yet be so backward and negligent in this duty!

6

We are encouraged to pray, not only in the ways already pointed out, but by innumerable and precious promises. Promises of this description, expressed in every variety of form, and conveying all the assurance which language can convey, are interspersed throughout the Bible. 'Before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.' 'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. If a son ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children;

HOW MUCH MORE SHALL YOUR HEAVEN

LY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK HIM?' 'Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These are but a specimen of the many promises of good things to be bestowed in answer to prayer: the promises of One who changeth not, neither is weary, and whose truth and faithfulness never fail. Encouragement higher and better than this, language surely could not afford

And the promises of God for our encouragement in prayer, he has abundantly verified in his providential dispensations. The Scriptures record numerous instances, which I need not repeat, in which prayer has brought down deliverances and blessings for the people of God, and judgements on his foes. Nor have the promises of God on this subject been vacated; nor has the efficacy of prayer ceased. The blessings which God still bestows in answer to prayer, are manifest to the sense; they are visible, palpable, before the eyes of all men.

Let

any well informed person consider what that is for which the people of God have been praying, with the greatest frequency and importunity, for the last twenty

or thirty years. And then let him look abroad on the world and see, if the same things precisely have not been bestowed. In what light are we to regard the numerous revivals of religion with which our land has been blessed-the rapid diffusion of Divine knowledge, by means of Bibles, tracts, and Sabbath schools-the raising up and sending forth of hundreds of Missionaries-the success which has followed their labors in different parts of the earth-and the present, cheering indications of approaching latter day glory; -in what light are we to regard all these things, but as so many signal answers to prayer-so many evidences, that God's arm is not shortened, nor his ear heavy, nor his promises forgotten, nor his cause on earth abandoned?

But this brings me to that on which I design chiefly to insist, as a motive to continued, importunate prayer. The people of God are expecting the speedy accomplishment of great things for the church. They are expecting that, at no distant period, the religion of the gospel will prevail over all the world-that ig norance, error, vice, oppression, slavery and war will cease-that idolatry, and every species of false religion, will come

to an end-and that the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' But what reason have they to expect these great moral changes? And what can they do towords accomplishing them? They cannot convert one soul; how then shall they engage in the conversion of millions? They cannot produce a revival of religion in a single village; and what can they do towards reviving it over the whole earth? They may indeed engage in the use of means; but they cannot give efficacy to one mean of grace, or crown it with success.-To all this it may be answered, that the expectations of Christians are not founded on what they can of themselves do, but on what a God of sovereign mercy and almighty power can do for them. And they expect to be instrumental in the great work to which I have alluded, chiefly, by going to God in all their weakness, and engag ing him to act on their behalf. A good man has said, 'He that hath the ear of God, hath his hand also.' Christians know, that they cannot accomplish the the promises, and and fill a ruined world with good; but they know that the God in whom they trust can do all this, and