not alfo plain, that this muft preferve the believer from impropriety: and that it cannot lead to any foolish or indecent familiarity, which is often mistaken for it, and often reproached in its room?

What hath been faid upon the fubject, I hope, will point out to you the juft middle between every vicions extreme. Such real concern, fuch fervor of fpirit, will not indeed lead any to ftudy in their prayers a nice, vain, or ornamented style. This is the language of a mind at ease. It is but of little value at any rate: but O how mifplaced ! O how unfuitable in prayer to God! This is beft carried on by plain and ardent expreffions of the very temper of the foul, when the fulnefs of the heart gives a ready utterance to the tongue. But neither will the views which the wrestling believer hath of the glory and majefty of God, of the ftrictnefs of his law, and the terror of his wrath, fuffer him to give way to any rifling, flovenly, or ridiculous manner of addreffing himself to the throne of grace. It must be obferved indeed, that there will be a difference, according to the different circumftances, fration, and capacity of the perfons concerned. There may be many a ferious Chriftian, who knows what it is to pour out his heart before God, and fpread his fins and forrows at his feet, who would not be fit for leading the devotion of a public or promifcuous assembly; yet he may be the perfon who, as a prince, hath power with God, and prevails. The prayers of fuch a wrefiler, with all the blemishes that attend them, are probably far more effectual, than thofe of fuch over-nice perfons, as defpife the weak- ́ ́ nefs of his understanding, or make themfelves merry with the homeliness of his ftyle: nay, I muft fay further, that we fometimes meet with perfons whofe language in prayer is fo unfpeakably fuperior to their abilities or performances of other kinds, às to fhow that they have an unction from the Holy One; and that they are examples of the accomplishment of that promife, Pfal. xxv. 14. "The fecret of the Lord is with them that fear him: and he will fhew "them his covenant."

4. I muft conclude the fubject at this time with earneftly exhorting you all to the diligent exercife of this duty.

And that it may be the more diftinct and effectual, I fhall briefly point out to you the following objects of prayer.

1. Be fervent in prayer for the improvement of the fpiritual life in your own fouls. Prayer is at once the fecurity and the comfort of a Chriftian. Hate, fear, prevent as much as in you lieth every thing that may obftruct your regularity and earneftness in this duty.

2. Be earnest in your fupplication, and importunate in your pleading for the church of Chrift, and the glory of his kingdom, especially in your native country. The character of real Chriftians, in this refpect, is well defcribed by the prophet: If. lxii. 6, 7. "I have fet watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerufalem, which fhall never hold "their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the "Lord, keep not filence; and give him no reft, till he "establish, and till he make Jerufalem a praise in the "earth." The languishing state of religion in this nation, and the threatening afpect of Providence, fhould prefs us to this duty and furely, in proportion as our belief of the truths of the gofpel is real and prevalent, we must behold tranfgreffions with grief, and be ready to intercede for a "time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord."

3. Be earnest for a feafon for the power of God at this approaching communion. We ferve an all fufficient and unchangeable God, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, who is able to pour down his Spirit in a large and plentiful measure, and make it a happy time for the efpoufal of many finners to Chrift, and for edifying his faints, that they may go on their way rejoicing, and eat their bread with gladnefs and fingleness of heart. Let us plead his own promife, If. xliv. 3,4. "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: "I will pour my fpirit upon thy feed, and my bleffing upon thine offspring: and they fhall fpring up as among the grafs, as willows by the water-courfes."

4. Pray for the minifters of the gofpel. The apoftles often afk this affistance of the faithful: Col. iv. 3. "With"al, praying alfo for us, that God would open unto us a "door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for "which I am alfo in bonds." If you believe the efficacy VOL. I. 4 G

of prayer, you must be fenfible that your diligence in this refpect will prepare minifters for you, and you for them. This is to point the eye of faith beyond the fervants to the maf ter of the feast; and you will probably both look for and receive your answer from himself.

5. In the last place, I would earnestly recommend to you the exercise of joint and focial conference and prayer. There is great danger of extinguifhing the heavenly flame, if while you are neceffarily furrounded with a flood of ungodly men, you do not often affociate with the excellent ones of the earth, and place your delight there: Malachi iii. 16. Then they that feared the Lord, fpake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, "and heard it, and a book of remembrance was writ"ten before him for them that feared the Lord, and "that thought upon his name." There is a great advantage in fociety for every purpose. If we know the benefit of united bodies for bufinefs and trade, if we find the pleasure of joining together for mutual entertainment and focial converse, must not as great a benefit refult from a more facred union? Serious perfons, by affociating together, direct each other by their counfels, embolden each other by their examples, and affift each other by .their prayers. There is alfo a particular promise of efficacy to focial prayer: Matth. xviii. 19, 20. "I fay “unto you, that if two of you fhell agree on earth, as

touching any thing that they fhall afk, it fhall be "done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For "where two or three are gathered together in my name, "there am I in the midft of them."

Now, may the Lord himself vifit you with his gracious prefence, and make you to say with Jacob at Bethel, Gen. xxviii. 16, 17. "And he faid, Surely the Lord is in "this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, "and faid, How dreadful is, this place! this is none other but the houfe of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

END OF FIRST VOLUME.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

Philadelphia, July 26th, 1799

DR. WITHERSPOON's character as a writer is fo highly and

defervedly esteemed by all the friends of Evangelical truth, who have been acquainted with his publications, that it is prefumed to be fuper fluous to folicit their patronage by any commendation of the work now propofed for publication. To those who have not been favored with the perufal of the Doctor's Sermons and Effays, the Subscriber takes the liberty to obferve, that their merit is fuperior to his praise.

JOHN B. SMITH, Minister

of the Third Prefbyterian Church, Philadelphia.

Philadelphia, July 30th 1799.

SIR,

It has given me much pleasure to hear that you are about to publish

T

an edition of the works of the late Dr. WITHERSPOON. I know not how you could do a greater service to the public, than by this undertaking; and I fincerely hope you may find it advantageous to yourfelf. In all the Doctor's-tracts there is manifeft tha: clofenefs and clearness of thought, that acutenefs of difcernment and accuracy of difcrimination, that faculty of feparating the matter difcuffed from every thing extraneous, that conftant attention to radical principles, and fyftematic confiftency, that lucid order, and that power of prefenting his whole fubject in the most striking and impreffive manner to the mind of the reader, which distinguish the writer of penetration and comprehenfive views. His ftyle is uniformly fimple, and nervous, perfectly intelligible to thofe who have not had the advantages of education, and yet pleafing to those whofe tafte is the moft cultivated and correct. The Doctor has given fpecimens of talent as a critic, a fatvrift and a politician, which demonftrate that he might have attained high eminence in each of these characters. But from a sense of duty, as well as from a love to the employment, he devoted himself princi pally to the difcuffion of religious truth; and always with a view to

its practical application. His Sermons and Effays on various topics in divinity, will be read with pleasure and with profit by serious Chriftians of all denominations. The pious and eloquent Wilberforce has noticed them with approbation in his late popular book.

If the Doctor's works had been generally read in this country, it would be equally unnecessary and affuming for me to characterize or recommend them. But for ten years past, I believe they have not been vended by any American bookfeller, and I am informed they are now out of print in Britain. If, therefore, you fuppofe that my opinion of them will be any way ferviceable to you in their publication, you are at liberty to use what I have here written for that purpose. Your's Sincerely,

MR. WOODWARD.

ASHBEL GREEN.

New-York, August 6, 1799.

DEAR SIR,

T was with fingular fatisfaction I learned you were iffuing propofals for printing the works of the late Rev. Dr. WITHERSPOONThofe already in print, are justly esteemed by all good judges on both fides of the Atlantic, among the first in our language on the Subjects of which they treat the addition you contemplate of several Discourses and small Tracts never yet published, will not a little enrich your collection, and render it defervedly acceptable to the Friends of Literature and Piety of all Denominations. Your fuccefs in this bafinefs will give heart-felt Pleasure to

Your Friend and Humble Servant,

Mr. William W. Woodward, printer, Philadelphia.

JOHN RODGERS.