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his condition is in God's sight, so much as the state of his mind at prayer: whatever it is that most distracts him at his prayers, he may be sure is that point in which his great enemy has most power against him. And therefore it is evident that our prayers depend upon our manner of life. No one can express wants he does not feel but he who most feels his want of assistance from God, will be sure to pray aright; he will find at once that the prayers of the church exactly suit his case; their language gives utterance to all his desires; he is relieved and comforted, and comes to know with the patriarch that "the Lord is of a surety in this place," according to his promise.

We cannot doubt but that the words of the text do contain a great and assured truth, that, over and above the usual and sure benefits of prayer, where two or three are gathered together" in church, there Christ is "in the midst of them," in some mysterious and lifegiving manner beyond understanding: present to hear their prayers-present with divine power to bless them and give them his peace. And yet it is very certain that few come to the knowledge of this truth, and herein is fulfilled that saying of our Lord's, when his disciples asked him how it was that he would manifest himself to them and not to the world; for he said that if any man would keep his commandments, he would manifest or show himself unto him. It is therefore now as it was of old, when Christ appeared, he was rejected by some, despised by others, by others persecuted, and by another betrayed, and to people in general unknown; nevertheless, to those who gave themselves up to follow him, he was made known. They came to a full assurance of the truth; they put Christ's words to the proof by acting up to them, and found them true, as every one now may do: they felt they had no one else to go to for support and comfort; thus St. Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life: and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

According as any man lives so does he pray: as far

as he lives aright he will pray aright; and by prayer― serious and devout prayer-men are brought into some mysterious nearness to the Almighty God! they feel beneath them and around them "the everlasting arms!" Many who know the great promises which Holy Scripture has attached to prayer, and that “ every one that asketh receiveth," avail themselves very little of this privilege at present, but think that they will pray and derive this support in the time of affliction and death. Thus it is that the evil spirit deludes them, well knowing that if he can but get them to defer habits of prayer in this their day, that they will not be able to pray when they most need it. And therefore God has mercifully warned us, that if we refuse to hear when he calls, he will mock when our fear cometh; his Holy Spirit will leave us, and when we have no one else to look to, he will be far from us.

SERMON LXIII.

THE LAND OF PROMISE.

ST. LUKE X. 23, 24.

"Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them."

BLESSED indeed were the prophets and kings of old, to whom the coming of Christ was revealed at a distance; who, like faithful Abraham, "saw it afar off and were glad." But they were not to be accounted blessed in comparison with those apostles who themselves beheld his sacred person, and heard his divine words. Blessed indeed were those favored apostles; and yet perhaps even they were not to be accounted blessed, when compared with faithful Christians now in the church, who have the Comforter to be with them; for Christ himself said that it was expedient for them that he should go away, in order that the Comforter might be with his church. It was therefore better to be in his church after his death, than with him in the flesh. Blessed therefore are those baptized Christians who now eat his flesh and drink his blood. And yet they are not to be considered blessed compared with those who have left this world and "sleep in Christ;" for with respect to them who are now with God, those who are still in the flesh at their best estate are to be accounted miserable. For a voice out of heaven has declared; "Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord," blessed are they, that is to say, in comparison with the living.

Thus is it ever with the people of God, that however great are the promises made to them, yet there is ever something higher and better in store for them than all

that has been given; however great are the blessings foretold and given for the present, yet there is ever something far greater beyond-and, as St. Paul says, after all that has been given, "there remaineth a rest for the people of God."

And the reason is because God is infinite, in him there are no bounds nor limits there is ever something farther for those that love him and his word-men give that which is best first, and afterward that which is worse; he ever keeps that which is best to the last, and of him it is said, "but thou hast kept the good wine until now." Thus Noah received his name, which signifies 66 rest or comfort," because it was said of him, "this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed." And truly he was as such "rest and comfort," because he was a type or shadow of Christ. Rest and consolation was with him in the ark, when considered with respect to those that perished; and afterward when the covenant of God was established with him. But still when he stood almost alone in a world which had been destroyed, we cannot consider him, in the midst of the terrors of that dreadful judgment, as blessed in comparison with those who found rest in the land of Canaan, under their own vine and fig-tree, and in the temple of God.

Thus also was it with the patriarch Abraham; he was called of God from out of the nations unto a land that God showed him; and there he received great wealth, and almost every earthly blessing, with the promise that the families of the earth should be blessed through him. Highly favored indeed was his condition who was called "the friend of God," and who for his faithfulness was allowed afar off to see the day of Christ. But yet we are told that in that land of promise he was as in “ a strange country," considering himself that is as a stranger and sojourner, "for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

Thus was it also with the children of Israel when they had been brought out of Egypt, the house of bondage,

unto that mount which God had showed them: "He led them through the deep as a horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble," "the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest." But yet their rest in the wilderness, though fed with bread from heaven, and carried as it is said by God himself as it were on eagles' wings, was but sore travel compared with that land of promise -the land flowing with milk and honey, to which they were travelling.

But yet afterward, when they had arrived at this, their long-promised inheritance, the land of Canaan-being led thither by Joshua, that is the same as Jesus, their Savior and Deliverer-that country of which such great things were spoken, and which was a type and figure of the heavenly Canaan:-though their lot was indeed blessed, when compared with that of those who died in the wilderness, and with that of all other nations in the world yet how little like anything of solid rest or peace was theirs? Their best hope and consolation was still nothing else than to look forward to a happier and better day, and to those far better promises which were held out to them in the coming of Christ. Even in that favored country of God they had no rest for the sole of their feet.

And now we have our Savior's own words for the far greater blessedness of those that saw his day, than that of all those prophets and kings who had gone before them. For then indeed were all those promises fulfilled which had been made from the beginning of the world: all the promises and the blessings which had been given were but shadows, and semblances going before, of this blessed day. All the deliverers that had been raised up from time to time, from this circumstance alone derived all their strength, that they were types of the one great Deliverer. The world had only continued in existence ever since the fall in the hope of this happy day. The eyes of all good men from the beginning of the world had been looking forward to this day of days, and longing for it on their death-beds. So much was this the case, that many could find rest in nothing else; and one who had lived long enough to see this day, was then

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