may possess and be actuated with reverence and a believing confidence in prayer. The saints have for this purpose, when they prayed, employed in their addresses such honourable titles of God, as inspired them with a profound reverence for him, and nevertheless encouraged them to desire and expect good things of him. See this in the prayer of Moses, Numb. xxiii. 16, 17, of those who returned from Babylon, Neh. ix. 1-26, of Jeremiah chap. xxxii. 17, 18, of Daniel, chap. ix. 5, of the first Christian church, Acts iv. 24-26. We ought not therefore to approve of uttering without any impres sion, and hastily the first word that occurs concerning God. (b) Our minds must also be rightly affected with respect to ourselves, and the things, for which we are about to pray. We cannot pray as we ought, unless "we rightly and thoroughly know our need and misery." Our hearts must be deeply sensible of what we need, of the misery to which we are subject, that we are unworthy of, and have forfeited all things, that the soul, urged by her need, may humbly prostrate herself before the Lord, and may seek his grace. It is not enough to pray for things that are needful, but we must also have a deep sense of our need of them, that our need may urge us to pray: "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee,” saith the Lord, Psalm 1. 15. "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him; and saved him out of all his troubles," saith David, Psalm xxxiv., 6. He saith concerning himself to the Lord, Psalm Ixi. 2, "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed." See the prayer of the church, Psaml cii. 1. (c) The mind of the person who prayeth must also undoubtedly desire the good things for which he prays. Only to mention desirable things, and not to desire them, but to be heartless, indifferent and listless, when we pray, is just as though we said, I do not wish that God should grant me my petition. When David prayed to the Lord, his soul was like "a panting hart, and a land, in which there was no water," Psalm xlii. 1, 2. Ixiii. 1. cxliii. 6. Therefore prayer is sometimes called "a cry," Psalm v. 2. Lam. iii. 8.

When the mind is so disposed, it is prepared for "prayer, by which we address God, make our needs and desires known to him, and request of him all things necessary for soul and body, with humility and believing confidence, in the name of Christ, with a trust, that we shall be heard, with thanksgiving, and with an intense earnestness, in spirit and in truth."

It is necessary to describe prayer agreeably to this representation somewhat more particularly.

1. We say that prayer is "an address to God." The natural

"He

man, when he prays after his fashion, speaks only to the air: draws near to God with his mouth, and honours him with his lips, but removes his heart far from him," Isaiah xxix. 13. But the true supplicant "seeks unto God, and unto God he commits his cause," as Eliphaz adviseth, Job v. 8. He lifts up his heart to heaven, presents himself before the Lord, treats with him, and speaks to him: "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens," saith the complaining and praying church, Lam. iii. 41. David's psalm of prayer begins thus, "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul," Psalm xxv. 1. Hear how Job sighs, "O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him," Job xxiii. 3, 4. We make this address either with our heart only, by ejaculatory prayers, like Moses, who though he did not speak one word, nevertheless "cried to God," Exod. xiv. 15, and like Nehemiah, who "prayed to the God of heaven," while he spake with the king, "when the king said to him, For what dost thou make thy request," Neh. ii. 4. Or with our mouth, either whispering, like "Hannah, who spake in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard." 1 Sam. i. 13, or with an audible voice, by which we excite our attention, and are preserved from wandering thoughts. When we pray alone, we must be able to hear ourselves, but we must not then be heard by others, that they may not suspect us of hypocrisy; for why else do we "we enter into our closets," but that we may "pray in sécret to God," according to the command of our Saviour, Matt. vi. 6. But when we pray, as leaders in prayer, with others, we must then raise our voice so high, that every one may hear it, like the Levites, Neh. ix. 4. But to pray in the presence of others, as leaders of prayer, in an unknown tongue, is the work of the "Barbarian and mad" Papists. How can the people unite with us, when we pray so, and say Amen to what they do not understand? See what Paul saith against this, 1 Cor. xiv. 1-23. To excuse this irregularity by saying that God understands such a strange language, is absurd for it would then be the same whether a man or a parrot prayed. "We must pray with our understanding," as the apostle required, 1 Cor. xiv. 15. Neither is it proper to mutter every word after the person, who is the leader of prayer; we need only give heed to what is uttered, and take care that our hearts accompany with their desires the words of the prayer, and that we confirm it with our Amen, as all the people said Amen upon David's psalm, 1 Chron. xvi. 36. We read, Neh. viii. 6, that Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen,

with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and wor shipped the Lord with their faces to the ground."

2. The person who prays in faith "makes with his address his need and desires known unto God." "In every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God," saith the text. He shows God what afflicts bim, and what his condition requires, from what evil he wishes to be delivered, and what good he wishes to enjoy; and therefore he sends up his groanings and desires to God: "Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee," saith David, Psalm xxxviii. 9. "He declares his ways unto God, and is heard," Psalm cxix. 26. The prophet saith to the Lord concerning the righteous, Isaiah xxvi. 16. "Lord in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer, when thy chastening was upon them." The Lord knows indeed the needs and desires of those whom he loves; but he chooseth nevertheless that they should complain of them, and propose them to him, that it may appear, that they also know them, that they are affected with them, and earnestly desirous of his favour; for this is acceptable to him. thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely," saith Jesus to his dove, Song ii. 14.

"Let me see

3. But the most essential requisite of prayer is the request, which we make to God in praying. The need of the soul constrains her to seek deliverance, and her desire urgeth her to obtain that which is good, and to request of the Lord to bestow it. As God describes prayer by requesting that which is good of him, Ezek. xxxvi 37. "Daniel desired that his companions would request mercies of the God of heaven." Dan. ii. 18. Which request earnest petitioners urge vehemently with the Lord God, by a persevering cleaving to the Lord, and "wrestling" with him, not being able to desist, "until he hath blessed them," like Jacob, Gen xxxii. 24-26, and by a continual uplifting of their hearts and enforcing of their words in their request, that they may importune him to grant their request, like Daniel, O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord, hearken and do, defer not," Dan. ix 19, and also by vehement motives, derived, one while from his honour, which will be manifested thereby, like the church, Psalm lxxix. 9, "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name's sake :" another while from his promise, like Jacob, "Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau. And thou saidest, I will surely do thee good," &c. Yea, such a petitioner will derive his motives

Gen. xxxii. 11, 12.

1

also from the malice and power of his enemies, from the providence of God, who hath brought him into such a situation, from the intensity of his desire, which God himself hath wrought in him, and from the greatness of his distress, rendered more grievous by his sins; "Pardon mine iniquity; for it is great," saith David, Psalm xxv. 11. If our prayer shall be acceptable to God, it must possess such qualifications and properties, as are acceptable to him, and it must therefore be made,

1. With humility." We must "humble ourselves deeply in the presence of the divine Majesty." The person who prays aright beholds the exalted dignity of God, and he sees his own meanness, nothingness, neediness, filthy sinfulness and impotence. This excites a holy awe for the Lord in his soul, it causeth him to abase and abhor himself, and it teaches him to desire all things of grace, and to submit patiently to the wise, righteous, and sovereign disposal of God, with respect to the measure, the time and the place of the fulfilment of his desire. See this in Abraham, Gen. xviii. in Job. ch. xlii. 5, 6, in David, Psalm cxxxi. in Isaiah, ch. vi. 5, in Daniel, ch. ix. and most emphatically in "the publican, who standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner," Luke xviii. 13.

2. But although the praying soul humbles herself so much, she is nevertheless not diffident, but "goes with" a believing confidence to the throne of grace, that she may obtain mercy, and find grace to help her in time of need," Heb. iv. 16. x. 19-22. Her need urges her the command of God to call on him constrains her, so that she dares not forbear: his call, his promises, that he will hear, and the satisfaction of Christ allure the soul; and "the Spirit" of the Lord "leads" her, and effects "an access for her to the Father," Eph. ii. 18. Yea, "he causes her to cry, and cries also in her, Abba, Father," Rom. viii. 15. Gal. iv. 6.

3. But how can he, who contemplates the highness of God, and his own odiousness and nothingness, come boldly before the Lord, and bow down before the high God? He comes in the name of Christ. "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do," saith he, John xiv. 13, 14. The name of Jesus denotes not only his proper name and his titles, Mat. i. 21, Isaiah ix. 5, but also his person, as God and man, and as Mediator, John i. 12, his merits, I Cor. vi. 11, his charge and command, 2 Thess. iii. 6, and thus also his power and strength, Acts iii. 16. To pray in his name, signifies in general, to go through him unto God, and to request all things of

"What

him for Christ's sake. By him we have also an access to the Father, according to the words of Christ and of his apostle, John xiv. 6. Eph. ii. 18. But we pray especially in the name of Christ, when we (a) draw near with boldness, relying upon the right which we have in him, and in his name: "In him we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him," saith Paul, Eph. ii. 12. (b) When we lay hold on him and on his merits by an active faith, unite ourselves to him, and in this manner come with him to the throne, and refer the Father to Jesus in all that we request, that we may be acceptable in him, and may request and obtain all things for his sake. Therefore the Saviour saith, John xvi. 23. soever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." (c) We also pray in his name, when we draw near, and offer up our petitions to God upon his command and encouragement. We come then, as sent by him; for he saith, Mat. vii. 7, "Ask, and it shall be given you," &c. (d) Also when we apply to the Father upon the foundation of his merits for all that grace, which he hath purchased, and plead thereupon before his throne, "with the answer of a good conscience," 1 Peter iii. 21. (e) And we pray not less in his name, when we are influenced by his power and Spirit, while we draw near to God, and request all things of him. It is "by the Spirit," that we go through Christ to the Father, Eph. ii. 18. Once more; we pray in his name, when we request aught for his (f) sake; as Daniel prayed "for ths Lord's sake," Dan. ix. 17. Jesus desires by his intercession with the Father, that he would hear and show favour to his delivered, as he declares, John xvii. To apply then to the Father upon the foundation of the will and of the intercession of Christ is praying in his name. (g) Finally, we do this, when we commit our prayers into the hands of the Advocate, that he may present them with his intercession to the Father. See him engaged in this work, Rev. viii. 3, 4.

4. The believer, praying thus in the name of Christ, "trusts also that God will certainly hear his prayer, although he is unworthy of it." God hears prayer according to Psalm lxv. 2. And he doth this sometimes by granting that for which we pray: "Jabez, who was more honourable than his brethren, called on the God of Israel, saying, O that thou wouldest bless me indeed, &c. And God granted him his request," 1 Chron. iv. 9, 10. He doth this, either presently, as upon the prayer of Elijah fire fell presently from heaven, and consumed his sacrifice, 1 Kings xvii. 36-38, or some time after. Abraham prayed for a son, and God promised him one, when he was seventy-five years old; but he did not obtain him, be