heart accompany them with a devotion ever fo intenfe, ftill be very careful to avoid the dangerous error of imagining that any merit arises from the most perfect performance of them. They become acceptable to God through Chrift alone; and are the means, indeed, to make you good; but the goodness itfelf is not in them, no more than a favour among men can be faid to be deferved, because afked with humility, propriety and elegance. If therefore you were to truft merely in them, 'twould be making idols of your prayers; -it would be putting them in the place of Chrift's atonement, which is quite contrary to praying, (as an unworthy finner) in the name of Chrift. If we have not recourfe to God with the mind and thoughts that we ought, it looks as if we expected nothing from him; or rather, (feeing our remiffnefs and indolence,) it may be faid, that we do not deferve to obtain, that we do not value the things that we feem to afk. Yet, God would have what is afked of him, afked with earneftnefs; and far from taking our importunity ill, he is in fome manner well pleafed with it. For, in fine, He is the only debtor who thinks himself obliged for the demands that are made upon him. He is the only one that pays what we never lent him. The more he fees us prefs him, the more liberal he is. He even gives that he does not owe. If - we we coldly afk, he defers his liberalities; not because he does not love to give, but because he would be preffed, and because violence is agreeable to him. 66 TERTULLIAN fays fomething like this, of the prayers that the primitive Chriftians made in common. We meet together, fays he, as if we conspired to take by our Prayers what we afk of him; this violence is pleafing to him. St. Paul ingenioufly explains what Chrift teaches in the Gospel, that heaven is taken by violence; " do violence to God," fays he, feize the kingdom of heaven. He that forbids us to touch another's goods, rejoices to have his own invaded: He that condemns the violence of avarice, praises that of faith. As the bones of the human frame connected together, form the skeleton of a man, fo repentance, faith, hope, charity, love, zeal, humility, patience, refignation, hatred of fin, purity of heart, and holinefs of life, all united together, make a Christian; but must be accompanied with prayer, the breath of the new creature, or they will prove like dead corps, lifeless and inactive. Going to prayer with bad affections, is like paying one's levee in an undrefs. All All prayer must be made with faith and hope: He who would pray with effect, muft live with care and piety: Our prayers must be fervent, intense, earnest and importunate. Our defires muft be lafting, and our prayers frequent and continual. God hears us not the fooner for our many words, but much the fooner for our earnest defire. A long prayer and a fhort differ not in their capacities of being accepted; for both of them take their value, according to the fervency of fpirit, and the charity of the prayer. That prayer which is fhort, by reafon of an impatient fpirit, dullness, flight of holy things, or indifferency of defires, is very often criminal, always imperfect; and that prayer which is long out of oftentation, fuperftition, or a trifling fpirit, is as criminal and imperfect, as the other in their several inftances. We must be careful in all our prayers to attend our prefent work, having a prefent mind, not wandering upon impertinent things, not diftant from our words, much lefs contrary to them. Often pray, and you fhall pray oftner; and when you are accuftomed to frequent devotion, it will fo infenfibly unite to your nature and affections, that it will become a trouble to you to omit your ufual or appointed prayers; and what you obtain .at at firft by doing violence to your inclinations, at laft will be left with as much uneafiness, as that by which at firft it entered. A On a young Member of Parliament. CERTAIN member of parliament having heard many speeches in the house, to the great applause of the speakers, grew ambitious of rifing to rival glory by his oratory; and accordingly watched for a favourable opportunity to open. At length an occafion prefented itfelf: It was on a motion being made in the house for enforcing the execution of fome ftatute; on which public fpirited motion, the orator in embryo rofe folemnly up, and after giving three loud hems, fpoke as follows: "Mr. Speaker, Have we laws, or have we not laws. If we have laws, and they are not observed, to what end were thofe laws made?" So faying, he fat down, his cheft heaving high with confcious confequence; when another member rose up, and delivered his thoughts in those words " Mr. Speaker, --Did the honourable gentleman who spoke last, fpeak to the purpose, or not to the purpose: If he did not fpeak to the purpose, to what purpofe did he speak?"-Which a-propos reply fet the house in fuch a fit of laughter, as difcouraged the orator from ever attempting to speak again. young TQ TO THE MEMORY OF AN AMIABLE Young Gentleman, Who died foon after entering into Life. ELENTLESS fate! why crop this youthful w'r, te op'ning sweets gave luftre to the day? te voracious! why didft thou devour The nobleft heart that ever warm'd our clay? Header his foul-compaffion ever fhone With moiften'd radiance in that piercing eye, Friendship unfeign'd did warm his gen'rous breast, Virtue and science own'd him for their fon, And fnatch'd the scholar and the faint away. What tho' no fplendid titles deck'd his name, Go, |