(b) PHILIP HENRY'S PROMISE. -The following remark of Rev. Philip Henry, after he had been engaged in ardent prayer for two of his children, that were dangerously ill, is so expressive of the simplicity and tenderness of Christian faith and love, as to recommend itself to the hearts of those who walk with God: "If the Lord will be pleased to grant me this my request concerning my children, I will not say as the beggars at our door used to do, 'I'll never ask any thing of him again;' but, on the contrary, he shall hear oftener from me than ever; and I will love God the better, and love prayer the better as long as I live."

UNSCRIPTURAL PRAYER.
325. Praying without Submission.

(a) THE BOY AND HIS DEAD BIRD." What occasions that melancholy look?" said a gentleman to one of his young favorites, one morning. He turned away his face, to hide a tear that was ready to start from his eyes. His brother answered for him, "Mother is very angry with him," said he, "because he would not say his prayers last night; and he cried all day, because a sparrow died of which he was very fond. The little mourner hastily turned round, and looking at me exclaimed, "I could not say thy will be done, because of my poor bird." The gentleman took him by the hand, and pointing to his school-fellows, "Mark the observation," said he, "from the youngest present, only six years old; for it explains the nature of prayer, of which, perhaps, some of you are ignorant. Many persons repeat words, who never prayed in their lives. My dear boy, I am very glad to find you were afraid to say to God what you could not say truly from your heart; but you may beg of him to give you submisssion to his will."

(b) MR. AND MRS. MART AND THEIR SON.-Mr. Edmund Calamy relates, in his life, that some persons of the name of Mart, in whose family he resided for some time, had a son who discovered the most wicked and impious disposition. When confined in prison,

he wrote letters professing penitence; but, as soon as he had an opportunity, he returned to his former sins.

This young man had been the darling of both his father and mother; and the latter had set her affections upon him to so great a degree, that when she saw him a monster of wickedness, she became deranged, and attempted to destroy herself, which she at length ef fected. So far from being suitably impressed with this awful event, her son now proceeded to greater lengths in wickedness. At length he professed to be sorry for his depraved course, and applied to the Rev. Samuel Pomfret to intercede for him with his father. was made ready for sea, but unhappily became connected with a gang of villains, and, on the very night before he was to set sail, he robbed Mr. Pomfret, was pursued, tried, and condemned to die.

He

On the Sabbath preceding the Wednesday on which he was condemned to die, his father entreated Dr. Calamy to accompany him that evening to his cell in Newgate, to converse with his unhappy son, and to give his opinion as to the propriety of seeking to obtain his pardon. The doctor went, and found him in a very awful state of mind, resenting different things which he conceived his father had done wrong, and saying that he might obtain a pardon for him if he would but part with some of his money. In vain did the doctor expostulate with him on the improper feelings he manifested, and entreat him to humble himself before God on account of his sins, as the only way of engaging his friends to obtain for him a reprieve. His reply was, "Sir, I scorn any thing of that nature; and would rather die with my company." The doctor reasoned with him on the existence of a hereafter, charged him with the death of his mother, taxed him with the murder of some persons abroad, whose blood he had actually shed, and showed him the heavy punishment he must endure in an eternal world unless he turned to God, repented of his sins, and prayed for pardon through the atonement of the Lord Jesus. He admitted the truth of all these things, but

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was filled with trifling unconcern. frankly said that he had no hope of being better in his character, and that, on the contrary, he was satisfied she should grow worse. The next morning he was visited by Dr. Jekyl, who asked him whether, during the whole time he had been confined in Newgate, he had once bowed his knees to the great God, making it his earnest request to him to give him a sense of his sins, and to create in him a tender heart: he admitted that he had not, nor did he think it of any use. He was promised that if he would engage to pray morning and evening for the grace of God, an effort should be made, with every probability of success, for a reprieve, and subsequently a pardon. But he would make no engagement, and was hung on the day appointed.

On the day of his execution, the father of this unhappy young man told Dr. Calamy, that when the culprit was a very young child, and their only child, he was exceedingly ill with a fever, and that both his wife and himself, thinking their lives were bound up in the life of the child, were exceedingly importunate with God in prayer that his life might be spared. A pious mother expostulated with him on the vehemence he manifested, and said she dreaded the consequence of his praying in such a way, and that it became him to leave the matter to an infinitely wise God. At length the father said, "Let him prove what he will, so he is but spared, I shall be satisfied." The old man added, "This I now see to have been my folly. For, through the just hand of God, I have lived to see this wretched son of mine a heart-breaking cross to them that loved him with the greatest tenderness, a disgrace to my whole family, and likely to bring my gray hairs with sorrow to my grave. I read my sin very distinctly in my punishment; but must own that God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

(c) "I CANNOT BEAR IFS."It is of great importance that we should entreat the Spirit of God to enable us to pray as we ought. It is quite possible to ask for what may appear to us good

things, but which, if we had them, would prove evil. Rachel, indulging a petulant disposition, said, "Give me children, or I die:" her desire was granted, and as the result she died.

The late Mr. Kilpin, of Exeter, writes, "I knew a case, in which the minister, praying over a child apparently dying, said 'If it be thy will, spare The poor mother's soul yearning for her beloved, exclaimed, 'It must be his will! I cannot bear ifs. The minister stopped. To the surprise of many the child recovered; and the mother, after almost suffering martyrdom by him while a stripling, lived to see him hanged before he was two-and-twenty! Oh! it is good to say, 'Not my will, but thine be done." "

326. Various Examples.

(a) PRAYER WITHOUT EF. FORT.-At a boarding school in the vicinity of London, a Miss ——, one of the scholars, was remarked for repeating her lessons well; a school-fellow rather idly inclined, said to her one day, "How is it that you always say your lessons so perfectly?" She replied, “I always pray that I may say my lessons well." "Do you?" said the other; "well, then, I will pray too:" but, alas! the next morning she could not even repeat a word of her usual task. Very much confounded, she ran to her friend, and reproached her as deceitful: "I prayed," said she, "but I could not say a single word of my lesson."

Perhaps," rejoined the other, "you took no pains to learn it!" "Learn it! learn it!" answered the first, "I did not learn it at all. I thought I had no occasion to learn it, when I prayed that I might say it."

(b) ABUSE IN PRAYER.-Mr. John Kilpin, father of the Rev. Samuel Kilpin, of Exeter, having from some cause displeased a member of the church; at a prayer meeting, his offended brother used most unbecoming expressions respecting him in prayer. On his family's offering their sympathy and expressing resentment, he said, with a mind unruffled, "I was not the least hurt on my own account; such

(d) OBJECTS OF PRAYER.-A gentleman conversing with his friend respecting the exercises of his own mind, before and after conversion, observed that there was a great difference as to the objects of prayer. "When I was," said he, "only a nominal Christian, I used to pray to my family, if any strangers were present I prayed to them, when I was alone I prayed to myself but since I have been renewed by divine grace, in all my prayers I pray to God!"

(e) PRAYING TO MAN.-In the town of in Connecticut, there lived Mr. S-, an elderly man of undoubted piety, and one whose catholic and Christian spirit led him to associate with the people of God of all denominations. He circulated to some extent, among Congregationalists, Baptists and Methodists; attended many of their prayer meetings, and was frequently invited to conduct them. Every Chris tian loved Father S-. One evening he was to conduct a meeting for prayer, and had opened it with reading a portion of Scripture, after which he proposed to lead in prayer. He had nearly finished his chapter, when elder L-, Baptist minister of high-toned Calvinistic sentiments, entered and took his seat near him. The thought crossed his mind, "Now I am rather moderate in some of my views, and I must try to shape my prayer so as not to give of fence to good brother L-." With this thought in his mind, he kneeled and commenced with a few words of address to the Deity-became confused, and stopped. A second and third attempt were made with similar results. No one

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(f) SAYING PRAYERS SEV. ENTY YEARS.-A poor old man, when a child of three years of age, had been taught by his mother to repeat a prayer every night, which he did till he was seventy-three years old; and not a little proud was he to say that he had not omitted saying his prayers every night for seventy years! At this advanced age, it pleased God to afflict him severely; he was led by the Holy Spirit to see that he was a poor sinner, who had been living in the form of godliness, but had never felt its power. He was enabled to spend the last few years of his life in humble dependence on the grace of Christ; and when he referred to himself, he would often add, "I am the old man who said his prayers for seventy years, and yet all that time never prayed at all."

(g) IRREVERENCE IN PRAYER.-An aged minister told me, says a correspondent of the Morning Star, that when he was a young man, he had, on a certain occasion, been praying in a family, and in his prayer he had made a very frequent and energetic use of the terms of good God and God Almighty. At the close of his prayer, a little child, about four years of age, came to his mother and said, "Mother, I don't like to hear that minister pray!" Why, inquired the mother. "Because," said the child, "he swears so when he prays." This reproof from the child, broke the minister of swearing when he prayed. Prayer is petition: and no one would use the name of a ruler, to whom he was making a petition in as harsh a manner as many use the name of the great God.

(h) A LONG PRAYER-Rev. Mr. while traveling through one of

the western States, stopped for the night at the house of a worthy member of a church. When Mr. entered the house, the old gentleman was about commencing family worship. Mr. being seated, he who was the head of the family proceeded with worship; and after having read and sung the usual length of time, he, together with all who were present, kneeled in prayer. Mr. thought the prayer extremely long, but being much fatigued with the day's journey, supposed that his impression with regard to its length might have arisen, in some degree, from that circumstance. After having made a slight change in his attitude, he endeavored to compose himself, and wait patiently until the service should end. But the prayer continuing for near an hour, he could no longer control his impatience; but turning to a son of the old gentleman, who was kneeling or reclining near him, asked him if his father was not almost through with his prayer. The youth inquired if he had yet got to the Jews? Mr. replied that he believed not. Well, said he, he is not half done yet.

in the evening of his life declared, "Were I to live again, I would exchange the court for retirement, and the whole life I have lived in the palace for one hour's enjoyment of God in my closet. All things cow forsake me, except my God, my duty, and my prayers.'

It is said further of this eminent man, that at the close of life he observed, that the result of his oservation and experience might be comprised in three short sentences:-Seriousness is the greatest wisdom; temperance the best physic; and a good conscience the best estate.

(c) PHILIP HENRY'S PRACTICE--In the life of Philip Henry, it is said, "He and his wife constantly prayed together, morning and evening. He made conscience of closet worship, and abounded in it. It was the caution and advice which he frequently gave to his children and friends, "Be sure you look to your secret duty; keep that up, whatever you do; the soul cannot prosper in the neglect of it. Apostacy generally begins at the closet door."

(d) GRIMSTONE'S HABIT.-Sir Harbottle Grimstone, master of the rolls, an eminent lawyer, a just judge, and a person of large fortune, who lived in the 17th century, was a very pious and devout man, and spent, every morning and evening, at least an hour in meditation and prayer. And even in winter, when he was obliged to be very early on the bench, he took care to rise soon enough to have the time he usually devoted to these exercises.

(e) THE THREE METHODS.— The celebrated Haydn was in company with some distinguished persons. The conversation turned on the best means of restoring their mental energies, when exhausted with long and difficult studies. One said, he had recourse in such a case, to a bottle of wine-another that he went into company. Haydn being asked what he would do, or did do, said that he retired to his closet and engaged in prayer-that nothing exerted on his mind a more happy and efficacious influence than prayer. Haydn was no enthusiast.

(f) PAYING FOR PRAYING.An aged burgomaster, traveling to Germany, stopped at an inn on the borders of that country and Holland. He observed that the servant girl who laid the cloth, and made other preparations for his supper, performed these offices neatly and with much alacrity, and he commended her, saying also, "I trust that, while you show yourself so careful in the performance of the common duties of your station, you are not less diligent in observing the duties and privileges of a Christian." The girl, who was quite ignorant of religion, replied by asking what he meant; upon which he entered more particularly into an explanation of his meaning, dwelling especially on the importance of prayer, as he found that she lived in entire neglect of it. Her countenance and manner indicated a strict adherence to truth, and he told her that if, when he again passed through the place, she could assure him that she had knelt down every night and morning, and uttered a short prayer, he would give her a ten-guilder piece, (a gold coin, value 16s. 8d.) Af ter some hesitation the girl agreed, and asked what the prayer was, the repetition of which was to procure her a larger sum than she had ever before possessed at one time. The burgomaster told her, "Lord Jesus, convert my soul." At first, the girl hesitated, and sometimes thought that she might omit the repetition of these words, the full meaning of which she did not understand. A better feeling, however, induced her to continue, and also to inquire the meaning of these words.

About six months afterwards, the old gentleman returned; he went to the same inn; another girl laid his supper cloth; he inquired for her predecessor in vain. He then asked for the landlord, who told him that five months back the girl alluded to had been seized with such a praying fit, that he found she would no longer do for his service, and that she was then living with a private family in the neighborhood. In the morning the old gentleman sought for and found her; and said he was come to fulfil his promise. She immediately recognized him, but

decidedly refused his offered money, saying, "I have found a reward much richer than any sum of gold."

(g) A SECRET OF SUCCESS.Edward Lee, of Manchester, Massachusetts, was for several years a sailor, and apparently hardened in sin, but he became converted, and then all his energies were devoted to the service of Jesus Christ. Quitting the sea for the sake of being more useful, he took up his residence in his native village; and the time which could be spared from his labors on the farm, he employed in behalf of God's glory, and the salvation of souls. For thirty years he kept up a weekly prayer-meeting every Thursday afternoon in his own house. It was his rule to visit all the families in the village once in a year, to inquire after their spiritual welfare. The houses of affliction and sorrow were always sure of his visits and his prayers. In his own house, in the field, and on his journeys, wherever he could warn and plead with the impenitent, he was sure to do so. One night, putting up at an inn where a country ball had commenced, he got permission to enter the room, and addressed the company with such moral power and energy, that dancing was abandoned, and the evening, begun in mirth and folly, was spent in holy exhortation, and closed with prayer.

Mr. Lee gave away one eighth of his income, yet left enough to support his widow for thirty years after his death. Wonderful example of piety! What was the secret of his high attainments? He was a man of prayer! A few days before he died, he pointed his Christian friends to a spot on the floor, and observed that for more than thirty years, with the exception of ten days' illness, he had risen from his bed at night, and prayed for a dying world's salvation. His minister used to say. "I am but a babe to brother Lee: I prize his prayers more than gold."

(h) A SHEEPCOT FOR A CLOSET.-Dr. Milne, a laborious and useful Missionary in China, in his early years attended a Sabbath evening school, which was taught in the neighborhood of his residence. Here his