lously heal them and great was the effect of these wonders, then so needful as a testimony to the truth. Such extraordinary testimony is not necessary for the men of this generation. The evidence of that grace on which our eternal hopes are built, is complete; and to any unprejudiced inquirer, irresistible.

If, then, we were now to expect, in answer to prayer, a miraculous deliverance from dangers, or a miraculous recovery from afflictions, or the miraculous conversion of a sinner, or any other manifestations of the mighty power of God, out of the usual order of his government; there is much reason to fear, that we should be guilty of a profane abuse of the privilege of prayer, and expose ourselves to the just but awful penalties of a bold and daring presumption.

3. Yet, on the other hand, it is highly important in this age of scepticism to be protected against any doubt of the real efficacy of prayer. It does not follow, that because a duty so reasonable, a privilege so excellent, is sometimes misunderstood, and often perverted to evil purposes, therefore it is to be rejected altogether: nor can we allow ourselves to be despoiled, by any specious reasonings called philosophy, of the never-failing source of encouragement we experience in an unshaken conviction, that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Prayer is effectual for every purpose of essential importance; desires may be uttered in the language of prayer, the object of which would be to gratify a lofty or a worldly disposition; but the great object of all religion, especially of this most solemn act of devotion, is to subdue the influence of earthly gratifications, to promote the purity of our hearts, and to accomplish the salvation, the eternal well-being of our immortal souls. It were folly to ask who among men are most distinguished by such high and happy attainments. No one who is conversant with the Scriptures, or with the state and history of the christian church in every age, will entertain the hope that even the purest devotion will fortify his physical nature against the attacks of disease, or protect him from the accidents of human life, or save him from the anxieties that are involved in the very pleasures of relative and domestic society. Neither will he suppose that his prayers will create wealth, or command the success he may desire in the common pursuits of business, or raise him to an elevation in the ranks of society that would gratify an ambitious mind. Religion is not designed to make us men of the world. But men of eminence in prayer have been distinguished above their fellow Christians, by their patience in tribulation, their resignation under the afflictive strokes of Providence, their purity of heart, their consistency of holy obedience, their exemplary display of the Christian virtues, their deep humility, their

confidence of faith, their assurance of hope, and their triumphant victory over the last enemy. Who will venture to assert that such high and holy attainments as have been enumerated above, have ever been made, or would ever have been made, in the neglect of prayer? On whom shall we fix, either in ancient or modern times, as an example of high religious character, of unquenchable zeal for the gospel, of indefatigable labour in the service of the Divine Saviour, of unlimited benevolence towards the wretched and the ignorant, that was not a man of habitual devotion? Where have we witnessed the most flourishing state of Christian churches, and the most remarkable examples of revivals in religion, but where the people have been distinguished by a spirit of prayer? We have the promise of Him who cannot lie, that the influences of the Holy Spirit shall be granted in answer to prayer; and we see the fulfilment of that encouraging promise in every instance in which the appointed means are employed with faith and sincerity.

Yet we often meet with those who appear to doubt the real benefit of prayer; with whom it is a question whether any direct blessings are ever granted to men in answer to their requests; and the consequence is, that they are incapable of offering the prayer of faith. It is said, the counsels of God already determined must stand, and he will do all his pleasure; the arrangements of his providence, and all the designs of his grace, from the beginning of time are formed and will be fully accomplished. No creature can by any exercise of piety, or by any importunity of prayer, effect the slightest alteration in the entire system of the Divine government; and therefore, however gratifying it might be to our own feelings, to utter our desires before God, nothing can be effected by it. But in venturing upon such a course of reasoning, men forget that they are meddling with things too deep for human research; they forget that those things which are certain with God, are with us matters of contingency; and they forget that the counsels of God, unknown to ourselves, embrace all the means of their accomplishment, as well as the effect; and that scriptural fervent prayer is one of the effective means placed within our own reach, whereby his great designs are realized. We are required to sow, that we may reap; to run, that we may obtain; to believe, that we may be saved; to ask, that we may receive. Let us then assure ourselves, on the highest testimony that we can enjoy, of the certain efficacy of prayer.

It now remains that we

II. Consider the Apostle's instructions on this important subject, as contained in this passage.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much;" or, as it might, perhaps, with propriety be rendered,--the energetic prayer of an upright person is strong; powerful to effect the merciful purposes of God. The inference is, that in the neglect of prayer, we have no scriptural warrant to expect the favour of heaven; and that, in the serious and devout observance of it, we may assure ourselves that every essential good will be faithfully conferred upon us.

Being well guarded against the excesses which have been de scribed; and being satisfactorily convinced, on solid and scriptural principles, both of the necessity and the efficacy of prayer, it deeply concerns all men to avail themselves of so high a privilege. Who does not feel that his own personal situation is such as to render it essentially needful? Who is not sensible that misery and ruin are inevitable, unless he receive the instruction and enjoy the protection of an Almighty Friend? Who can look with the eye of a Christian upon a desolate world,-upon the nations that know not God,--upon the Laodicean indifference of multitudes within the British domi nions, and whose names are even enrolled in the registers of British churches,-upon the solemn aspect of impending visitations, without perceiving that prayer ought to be made by all the faithful in the land without ceasing? And who that has the heart of a Christian does not rejoice in God that we are permitted to seek unto him with confident hope? Yes we do know assuredly, that for him to meet us in the way of prayer is perfectly consistent with the fixed and unchangeable principles of his wise and merciful government. What, then, are the directions to which we must closely adhere in the discharge of this most needful duty?

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1. Let it never be forgotten that prayer must always be offered in the name of Christ. Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father." It is the prayer of a righteous man that availeth much; but surely with all the light of the Christian revelation, and with the testimony that God has given us concerning his Son, he can lay no claims to the character of a righteous man—a man of upright heart-who does not honour the only Saviour of the world. To reject the divinely appointed method of justifying the ungodly, is to reject the righteousness of God: this itself is immorality. There is one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Nor can we consider that as the prayer of a righteous man which is not offered with a heart relying upon the certain efficacy of his mediation. "In that day," said the Saviour to his disciples, " ye shall ask the Father whatsoever ye will in my name, and it shall be done unto you; hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: ask, and it

shall be given unto you, that your joy may be full." Now to suppose that such directions with reference to prayer should be given to us, and that too under the high sanction of a divine revelation, and to imagine on the one hand that prayer can be acceptable to God without a divine Mediator; or to apprehend, on the other hand, that there are no benefits connected with prayer thus presented in the sincerity of our hearts,—is altogether contrary to every idea we must entertain of the character and veracity of a holy God. It is not possible that he should enjoin upon us a useless duty, and it is equally impossible that he should attach any useless forms or conditions to the successful discharge of it.

2. The prayer of the righteous is sincere; it is prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips, it is the sentiment of the heart. "The hope of the hypocrite will perish." Petitions forced from our lips through the dread of suffering are not those that will prevail : "Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?” Besides, the very object of such prayer is but sensual and fleshly; it has no connexion with religion; the spiritual health and salvation of the immortal soul are not regarded. Among the multitudes who are assembled every week for the public worship of God, professing to unite in the same petitions, few, it is much to be feared, are sincere in the expression of desires that are purely spiritual: and can these be considered as the prayers of the righteous? When supplication is made to God as the dispenser of all human affairs; when the request is offered for some temporal good thing, or for the removal of some great affliction, or for the averting of some dreaded calamity; no man, it is likely, will be more sincere than the man of the world and the man of pleasure: he has no idea of enjoyment but as derived from sources which he apprehends are about to be dried up; his views and desires are all of the earth; and his prayers, thus limited, may be most sincere ; but then they are wholly unconnected with any religious disposition. Is this the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man? Alas, there is no such feeling, no kindling emotions of the heart, no solemn impressions of the great object implored, no trembling anxiety as to success, when the petition is, to be delivered from all sin, to secure a victory over the world, to destroy our immoderate and unlawful passions, to be made conformable to the holy will of God, to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us try ourselves, and ascertain the genuine sincere dispositions of our heart with respect, not to the interests of time, but to those of eternity; and then may we judge whether our prayer is that of the righteous.

3. Prayer must be fervent and importunate. The prayer of faith is that of the heart; and it is difficult to conceive of the heart, the very heart being interested in an object without creating an energy of action proportioned to its estimated importance. Can we picture to our own imagination the idea of a man, a company of men, in the act of solemn worship, praying for the pardon of sin, for deliverance from the wrath to come, for a new heart and a right spirit, for communion with God, and the eternal inheritance of life; praying also for the spread of the gospel, for the prosperity and enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom, for all that can change a wilderness into a garden, that can substitute peace, and good-will, and true enjoyment among the fallen sons of Adam, for that selfishness, and pride, and vice, that have produced such an harvest of woes; -can we imagine the idea of a man thus employed, presenting such requests without emotion? His heart, and his soul, and his affections, all asleep, while his lips are employed in uttering and professing these great things, these wondrous operations of the Spirit of God? Would it be possible to come to any other conclusion with such a phenomenon before us than, that the poor unhappy man was merely acting a part which had been most improperly imposed upon him, but to the effect of which he was completely indifferent? Thus to offer our petitions before the heavenly throne would betray our real character; it would prove that we had been taught to place but little value on an immortal soul, and that we had acquired the capacity of slighting the choicest favours of heaven. Indeed, our own individual necessities, our own immortal souls, the situation of all our fellow-creatures, the state of the whole world at the present moment, the character of the times, and the prospect of the Church, all call, and loudly, for energetic prayer.

4. Finally, it is clearly suggested by the apostle, that the success of prayer is intimately connected with our habitual character. The prayer of a righteous man will prevail. And who is righteous? Is it the man who avows himself a Christian, as to the system, or he who is one as to its spirit and practice? Is it the individual who says, I believe, or he who really, and with the heart does believe? It will be found upon a close and attentive examination of the subject, by the only authority to which we can adhere, the Word of God, that a righteous man is not one who can presume upon the efficacy of the great atonement for sin, without a new heart, and a holy disposition: he is not one who will resolve the whole of religion into mere opinions, or into doctrinal notions, however accordant his creed may be, as to such doctrines, with the word of truth.

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