reserve. They are 'powers" which the spirit will exult in even the more, the more fully it is surrendered to them. They are powers" from a world where our own great final interest lies; and operating, by means of faith, from a world of which the realities will, at length, be the objects of sight. They are "powers" which may be implored always, and may be obtained, to a very great degree of their efficacy; no ne plus ultra. No one has so much grace, faith, spiritual strength, or victory over sin, and Satan, and himself, that he has no right to desire and petition more. No one is maintaining the opposition to the pernicious powers of this world, with such easy and complete success, that he does not, every day, need more of the energy derived from "the world to come."

Consider, how fast we are all advancing to go into another world. And who would not wish to enter it, with the very utmost advantage of having proceeded thither under the influence of its "powers?" Who would not wish to arrive in the unveiled presence of the mighty realities with the delightful sense that their influence had been mighty,-in preparing his spirit as it were to rush with rapture into the midst of their glory?

February 10, 1825.

LECTURE L.

PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER.

LUKE Xviii. 1.

"And he spake a parable unto them, to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint."

THIS parable is indeed a very remarkable one, both for the condescension which it shows in the adoption of such an illustration, and in the force of the inference. It supposes the case of a bad man in power, importuned by a widow to right her wrongs. He is averse to it; he cares nothing about her distresses, nor about justice, nor God. And yet even he, thus regardless of right and of his duty as a judge, and without the slightest compassion for her necessities and sorrows,—even such a one may be induced by persevering entreaty to do her right, for the mere sake of his own convenience.

Think of such a character being put in parallel to God!' Then the inference, à fortiori,—if with such a one importunity may at last prevail," shall not God avenge his own elect?" And this is but one of numberless passages, inciting men to pray, and to continue to do so, and ensuring the ultimate success.

The exercise of Prayer is set forth, throughout the whole of Revelation, as essential to religion. It is represented as the indispensable act and evidence of acknowledgment and worship of the Almighty. The precepts relating to it, are express, and, by implication, innumerable. The special forms and terms of it, as uttered by devout men, are in

great variety and multitude. The promises made to it form the main body of all the promises in the Bible. The instances of good connected with it, and obtained by it, form a rich portion of the Sacred History. And then, all the good men, from the beginning of time to this hour, have practised it; not one of them now in a better world but did. On every spot where there has ever been a good man, there has been prayer. God has heard, from earth, from every man that ever loved, feared, and served him. The practice has spread out with true religion to the very utmost line and point to which that religion has reached. With all good men it has been the primary expedient in seeking to be happy. It has been the grand resource in seeking truthin performing duty-in resisting temptation-in bearing affliction-and in preparing to meet death.

What a delightful, and solemn, and, by its numbers, magnificent, vision back in thought, is that of all who ever prayed, habitually, on earth! And the pre-eminent dweller on earth, the Messiah himself, was an example of this practice.

Now, then, if there be men, professing to believe in revealed religion, who yet allege that they are obstructed and withheld from prayer by a philosophical difficulty attending the subject, we must avow that we can feel no respect for such feelings. It is the genuine spirit of religion that they want; if they had that, all these speculative perplexities would be overborne and swept away. We need not be detained a moment on this speculative point. Two plain observations may suffice. One is, that, though God has certainly predetermined what he will do, and his purpose cannot be changed, yet, in many instances, he has predetermined it to be done, as in answer to prayer, and not otherwise, not separately from it; so that, not to petition for the supposed good, involves a certainty of not obtaining it, and

vice versa. The other observation is--that, (the absoluteness of the divine predeterminations being fully admitted) it is still perfectly natural, rational, and proper, that his creatures should desire good from him; and it would be a wrong and an absurd state of mind if they did not. But then, prayer is rational and proper, for it is simply the expression of such desire, directed to him.

A great rational act and duty, then, is prayer. But, reflect what it is to do! Think of Him who is the Infinite of every perfection! Descend to the less sublime contemplation of Him, as having created, and as maintaining an absolute dominion over the almost unlimited vastness of the Universe. Prayer is to accost such a Being; directly, pointedly, and, so to speak, personally. We can go from speaking to fellow mortals, to speak to Him,-to call His attention to us individually; to request him to hear what we say; to offer from our little and guilty spirits thoughts to be admitted into his. Think what a marvellous thing it is to do this!-and that this may be done! And what a glorious privilege it would appear, if we had a thousandth part of the right apprehension! Think, then, in what manner we too often perform this great act of the soul !*

* Mr. Coleridge, within two years of his death, very solemnly declared to me his conviction on the same subject (Prayer). I was sitting by his bedside one afternoon, and he fell, an unusual thing for him, into a long account of many passages of his past life, lamenting some things, condemning others, but complaining withal, though very gently, of the way in which many of his most innocent acts had been cruelly misrepresented. "But I have no difficulty," said he, "in forgiveness; indeed I know not how to say with sincerity the clause in the Lord's Prayer which asks forgiveness as we forgive. I feel nothing answering to it in my heart. Neither do I find or reckon, the most solemn faith in God as a real object, the most arduous act of the reason and the will. O no, my dear, it is to pray, to pray as God would have us; this is what at times makes me turr cold to my soul. Believe me, to pray with all your heart and strength

Think, once again, of those millions in the Christian world, who deem it not worth performing,—and who scorn those that addict themselves in earnest to such an employment!

To this infinitely glorious and awful Being, we may freely represent all our interests, all our wants, great and small, without reserve, and with prolonged repetition, and with a happy exemption from the various restraining, repressive, and embarrassing feelings which interfere when disclosures are wished to be made to fellow mortals. In this happy freedom even the smallest of our concerns may be represented and pleaded; but at the same time, the consciousness of being in such a presence must needs contribute to our putting the main emphasis on the greatest. And, if we have any right, habitual sense of their greatness and urgency, shall we not continue and persevere in supplication,-when we can make it to such a Being?

To encourage and enforce this perseverance is indeed the special purpose of the Parable-"that men ought always to pray and not to faint." It implies that the petitioners to God may not obtain an immediate, or very speedy, evidence that their prayers are effectual. And under the delay, the weakness of their nature may tend to despondency,—and the corruption of it may tend to murmuring impatience— an impatience even partaking of resentment.

But, let it be solemnly impressed on the mind-" Shall dependent, sinful, unthankful creatures presume to prescribe to the Almighty?" Let them reflect what a value their pride is setting on their petitions, that more of them ought

with the reason and the will, to believe vividly that God will listen to your voice through Christ, and verily do the thing he pleaseth thereupon-this is the last, the greatest achievement of the Christian's warfare upon earth. Teach us to pray, O Lord!" And then he burst into a flood of tears, and begged me to pray for him. O what a sight was there!-COLERIDGE'S Table Talk, edited by H. N. Coleridge, Esq., 2nd ed., p. 85.