God receives, he communicates: he receives the prayer of the unworthy; he communicates the mercy needed from his throne: he turns not away the latter from us; therefore he rejects not the former from him. Divine mercy, flowing to sinners by Jesus Christ, is at once the fountain of blessings already received, and the foundation of our hope for blessings yet in reserve."

The Christian's heart his prayer indites,
He speaks as prompted from within ;
The Spirit his petition writes,

And Christ the Saviour gives it in.

2. Reverence is another disposition requisite in performing the duty of prayer.

By reverence, is meant that mixture of love and fear which is the opposite of levity and rashness. Can we contemplate the infinite greatness of God without awe, or his infinite goodness without pleasure? Can we view the glorious perfections of Jehovah, as they are displayed in his works, or revealed in his word, without sentiments of the profoundest veneration? Surely, God is greatly to be "feared in the assembly of his saints, and to be had in reverence by all that are round about him." Persons who have to stand before a prince, to transact important business, think their behaviour must be agreeable to the rules of propriety

and decorum. And if respect and honour are due to an earthly monarch, who is only a faint image and passing shadow of power, a " dim miniature of majesty," with what feelings of solemn awe ought we to adore the mighty King of kings, the Creator and Governor of the universe? Even the angels, those pure and happy creatures, are represented as encircling the throne with their faces veiled, and crying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts*. It is the last extreme of folly, and the greatest height of presumption, to pour contempt upon the Majesty of Heaven, by mixing levity with divine worship. Nadab and Abihu, offering strange fire before the Lord, were instantly smitten with death. Though they were the sons of Aaron, the high priest, neither their relation, nor their office, could shield them from divine wrath; but they paid the penalty of their rash presumption, that others might take warning from their doom. "Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." Lev. x. 3. Beware of lightness, when you take the awful name of

* "Sic ora, quasi assumptus et præsentatus ante faciem ejus, in excelso throno, ubi millia militium ministrant ei." Bernard. So pray, as if you were taken up and presented before God, sitting upon his royal throne on high, with millions of his glorious servitors constantly ministering to him.

God upon your tongue; and rush not thoughtlessly into his presence, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Reflect on his power and wisdom, his justice and truth, his mercy and love, his majesty and glory, till trains of sacred thought and devout feeling pervade the mind, and duly affect the heart. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear." Heb. xii. 28.

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3. Humility is a disposition of mind requisite in the important duty of prayer.

Humility, the very opposite of pride and arrogance, is a lively sense of our insignificance, our unworthiness of the Divine favour, our unfitness for the Divine presence, and our exposure to the Divine vengeance. Humility puts us in our proper place-the dust of abasement, and makes us prize the meanest lot within the golden line of mercy, seeing we have deserved a place in the burning furnace of wrath. Without this disposition, we cannot be duly qualified to pray. Prayer is the free, full, and penitent confession of our manifold sins and aggravated iniquities; but pride blinds the mind, and hardens the heart, and speaks nothing but the language of self-justification. Prayer is the offering up of our requests to God, the suit of poverty to Him who has an unwasting

fulness to give; but the proud, though unable to dig, is ashamed to beg, and disdains to stoop at the footstool of the Prince of Peace. Prayer is communion with God, but the proud he knoweth afar off. High thoughts, and towering imaginations, must be brought down, ere the soul can rise to the throne of grace, or rejoice in the light of God's countenance. "Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isa. lvii. 15.

Pride and humility are drawn in two striking pictures, by that skilful and faithful Hand, which never erred, and they are set up to be viewed as an instructive contrast. "And he spake a parable unto certain which trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, the other a publican." The reader may for himself examine this beautiful and impressive parable, for it needs neither comment nor exposition. Never was profound humiliation more graphically delineated with a few masterly strokes, to which nothing can be added. “The publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be

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merciful to me a sinner!" That our prayers may be acceptable, let us rather mourn with the lowly publican, than boast with the lofty self-elated Pharisee. Let us draw nigh to God with the language and spirit of humility, crying, Lord, what is man! and let us stand before him clothed with humility, for this is the only robe which befits a rebel, when he becomes a penitent supplicant at his footstool. Nor let any attendant discouragements oppress our hearts; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble. Contemplating the blessed God," says one*, "I behold an ocean unfathomable and without shore. This, O my Creator, I understand, that thou art all, and I am nothing. On this condition I exist, that I consider myself as nothing, and vanity. The moment I begin to consider myself something, without thee, I stand condemned. O nothing be still, for a few moments of that vain life which thou spendest as a shadow; lose thyself in solemn silence; be wholly absorbed in the greatness of God. O the real happiness of self-annihilation! And as nothing can be more happy, so nothing can be more equitable, more conformable to eternal rectitude."

4. Gratitude is another disposition requisite in the important duty of prayer.

*The late excellent Dr. Williams.