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does it prove to you one important means of growth in grace? Do you enjoy the devotions of the closet; find nearness to God there, and experience in your soul that peace and joy, that resignation to the divine will, love to mankind and foretaste of heavenly bliss, which other Christians have experienced, and which are a part of the reward promised to secret prayer? If, brethren, you cannot answer these questions in the affirmative, what is the reason? Is there no efficacy or use in prayer? or has the promise of God failed? Rather, is there not a fault and a failure in you ? Examine yourselves. If you daily enter into your closet, and yet derive no benefit from the duty, and find no enjoyment there, you may be sure that "sin lieth at the door," and that "your iniquities separate between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Does not conscience accuse you of living in some allowed sin, either towards God, or your neighbor, or both? Do you cherish no secret sin,-indulge no

vicious appetite,-gratify no unhallowed lust? Do you live in peace and love with your Christian brethren, and in charity with all men? Is there no command or divine institution which you disregard? Do you set your heart upon the discharge of every known duty, and "herein exercise yourself to have a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men?" If, on examination, conscience accuses you of living in any sort of sin, then you may know the true reason why your closet devotions are barren and joyless. Let it be written in large capitals on your closet door, "IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART, THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR ME."

Do any of you, who are members of this church, wholly neglect private prayer? I pause-and tremble for the reply. I seem to hear one, and another, and yet another, answer, "I do-I confess I do." What, then, is your experience? What progress do you make in spiritual religion? What do you know of communion with God? How do you honor your religious professions before the world? I would also seriously and affectionately ask you, Why you do not pray in secret? Have you no need? no time? no desire! Then, how do you you are a Christian? from what do you infer it? on what evidence do you rely? It is a mark of the hypocrite, "that he does not always call upon God;" and I beseech you examine well, and see if this is not a conclusive mark against you.

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Are there any present who formerly prayed in secret, but now neglect the duty? My friends, have you proved the promises of God to be deceptive? If not, why do you forsake the place once consecrated to prayer? Are not your wants as great now as ever? Have you no sins to be forgiven? Has that soul, whose infinite worth you once felt, lost its value? Can you now brave the terrors of death, and go, without another prayer, to the tribunal of God, your Judge? Can you be willing that it should be recorded against you in the book of God's remembrance-This is the man that once bowed unto me in his closet; that once cried for pardoning mercy; that once sued for an interest in the Savior's love: but afterward shut, no more to open, his closet door; broke his most solemn vows; committed again

the sins, for the pardon of which he had prayed, and turned away from the Savior, whose merits and righteousness were proffered to him. Oh! my friends—return, return speedily to prayer! Peradventure there is yet hope! "Seek the Lord while he is yet to be found; call ye upon him while he is yet near."

Finally-Are there any who have hitherto neglected private prayer? any so busy in the pursuits or pleasures of the world, that they find no time for this duty? any so thoughtless of their immortal destiny, and of the account which they must soon give at the bar of God, as not to feel the need of it? Is there one who up to the present time has had no closet for private prayer, and no heart for the duty-to him would I speak. Oh! wert thou soon to be visited with sickness-to see ghastly death approaching to seize thee-how would thy cries ascend to God for mercy! Thou wouldst not, methinks, be willing to die, without at least one prayer. The cry would be extorted from thee, “God be merciful to me a sinner!"—"Lord, save, or I perish !" If such would be thy cry in death, when probably it would be unavailing, why not make it now, while there is hope? Now God is on the throne of mercy, and through Jesus the Mediator, thou canst have access to him. He waits to be gracious; he is ready to hear, and pardon, and save the penitent suppliant. But soon he will be seated on the throne of judgment! No prayer will then avail. Thy cries will be lost, amid groans of despair, the sound of the last trumpet, and the convulsions of a ruined world! Call then upon him now. He bends from his mercyseat to hear and save! Let the prayer of thy heart, offered in silence here, be repeated, and urged with fresh importunity in thy closet at home. Henceforth let that be said of thee, that was said of Saul of Tarsus, “Behold, he prayeth." Daily, to the end of life," enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father who seeth in secret, and he will reward thee openly." AMEN.

SERMON CLIV.

BY REV. NATHANIEL BOUTON.

SOCIAL PRAYER.

MATT. xviii. 19, 20.-Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

I HAVE selected this passage as the foundation of a discourse on SOCIAL PRAYER. If, in the first place, you ask, wherein this kind of prayer differs from other kinds, it will be sufficiently explicit to say;

it differs from secret prayer, in that two or more are united in it; from family prayer, in that it is not offered by the master or head of a family, as such, at the stated hours of morning and evening devotions; but by persons, however related, who are agreed to pray for blessings which they desire in common. And it differs from public prayer, in that it is offered in more retired places, and at times not particularly enjoined by divine or human authority. Meetings for such prayer may be stated or occasional-may be held for special purposes: as to beseech God to avert his judgments; to grant wisdom and guidance in times of doubt and difficulty; to save the church from divisions, or declensions; or to revive the spirit of true religion. Or such meetings may be held for objects of ordinary interest and utility; as the promotion of Christian fellowship, improvement in personal piety, the success of the word preached, and of other means employed for the advancement of true religion.

In the next place, it may be asked, what warrant have we for this kind of prayer? To which I answer,

First, it is warranted by the social nature of our religion: we are brethren, and as such it is suitable we should meet for prayer, as well as for other religious services; we have common interests, and these can with the greatest advantage be pleaded before the throne of grace in union. Suppose Christians, enjoying the hope of heaven should live without any intercourse. Each one alone cultivates as he is able

the graces of the Spirit; but together they hold no religious conversation; meet on no occasions for Christian fellowship; but, in respect to their religion, are as much alone as the recluse in a wilderness. Is it not manifest that in such a case they would be greatly deficient in some parts of Christian character? Where would be that "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit," which is enjoined? or love to the brotherhood, or bearing one another's burdens, or weeping with them that weep, or rejoicing with them that rejoice, or forbearing one another and forgiving one another, or preferring others to themselves, or even praying one for another? In the case supposed, not one of the social duties of religion could be duly performed; nor one of the social religious affections properly exercised. To live thus, therefore, unless it were necessary, would be contrary to the very nature of our religion.

But we have also express Scripture warrant for social prayer. The text is in point: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." "If two of you shall agree on earth, touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven." Now, supposing that this passage has primary reference to prayer for miraculous interposition; yet it recognises union in that exercise-it is social prayer which most effectually secures such aid. But neither the language of the text, nor the connection in which it stands, restricts the meaning to prayer for miraculous purposes. Agreement touching "any thing" that they shall ask, is too comprehensive a phrase to be restricted simply to things which it requires miraculous power to accomplish; and the promise,

"where" wherever on earth-" two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them"-that promise is too broad to be limited to the twelve apostles, or to the short period in which miracles were continued in the church. The language which is used need only be restricted by the nature of the case, or by other passages of Scripture. Thus we know that the promise to grant "any thing" touching which two shall agree in prayer, must be limited to things lawful and proper-to things which on the whole will be for God's glory; and the prayer must be offered in faith and submission, as well as in union.

We have, moreover, examples of social prayer in Scripture. Immediately after the ascension of Christ, the disciples in an upper room "all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication." On the day of Pentecost, "they were all with one accord in one place." Peter and John, being let go from the Jewish council, went to their own company, and reported all that had been done, and said to them "and they all lifted their voice with one accord," in prayer to God. When Peter was put in prison by Herod, "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him;" not however in one public assembly, but in retired social meetings: for after his release he found, in the "house of Mary the mother of John, many were gathered together praying for him." Daniel and his three friends were accustomed to meet for prayer on occasions of special interest. Esther engaged her brethren in fasting and praying, while she went uncalled into the presence of the king; and Nehemiah and his countrymen made their united prayer to God for success in building the walls of Jerusalem. These scriptural examples, the text, and the social nature of our reli gion, are then a sufficient warrant for social prayer.

In the third place, I would offer a few suggestions on the principles upon which meetings for social prayer may be formed and regulated. They should be voluntary; that is, should be commenced and continued in accordance with the wishes and hearty consent of those interested in them. The Scriptures speak of social prayer in a different manner from what they do of other religious services. The language is, "If two of you are agreed." "They were with one accord in one place." On general grounds, we may urge social prayer as a duty binding on the conscience. We may say it is our duty to use all suitable means of religious improvement, and to advance the Redeemer's kingdom; and as social prayer conduces to these ends, we ought to engage in it spontaneously.

But further, the meetings, being voluntarily commenced, should be regularly attended. Why agree to begin, unless determined to continue? If the object for which you agree to pray is good, it should be persevered in till accomplished. To absent yourselves from the place of prayer, because you do not feel the Spirit of devotion, or because attendance requires a little self-denial, is disheartening to others, and may destroy the meeting itself. For "two or three" are requisite for social prayer, and when you are absent without a substantial reason, how do you know that enough will be together to claim the promise?

But again, there should be union as to the object of a social prayer meeting. Let the question of the members be, for what do we meet? -What do we agree to pray for? In deciding this, take comprehensive views of your own circumstances, of the church, and of the world. As to the various subjects of prayer, it may be said, "the field is the world." But out of this spacious field, you should select some one or more objects, which shall be the burden of your prayer. You may pray for your own growth in grace, for your brethren, for the conversion of your children, friends, or neighbors; for a revival of religion, for the success of missions, for ministers of the gospel, for the universal diffusion of gospel light, and the triumphant reign of the Redeemer on earth. But it is essential to the profit and interest of social prayer that the object of the meeting be well understood and adhered to.

Let the prayers also be pertinent; for example, if you meet to pray for a revival of religion in the church or town where you reside, limit your petitions mainly to that subject, and not embrace other topics which have no connection with it. If you agree to pray for the conversion of your children and friends—it is obviously unsuitable that the chief part of your prayer consist in the confession of your sins, or in thanks for personal favors, or in petitions for the conversion of the heathen. When Queen Esther went in unto the king, it is probable that the prayers offered by her countrymen were solely for her success. When Daniel and his three friends agreed to pray that God would reveal to them the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, other topics were omitted. The prayers offered by the church for Peter when in prison were for his safety and release.

If the object of the meeting be understood, and the prayers be appropriate, they will generally be brief. If you enjoy an uncommon fulness and enlargement of desire in prayer for a particular blessing, there is little danger of wearying those with whom you join; but if you introduce topics foreign to the object of your meeting, your prayers will be extended to such a length as to become wearisome and unprofitable.

Further, it is desirable that social prayer meetings be so organized and conducted, that all may, in turn, if they will, take a part. Where the meeting is made up of both males and females, it belongs to the former only to lead in prayer; but females may, with great propriety, meet by themselves, and engage in this exercise. But when met, let all, if they will, take a part. Some are timid, and need encouragement; some inexperienced, and need practice; some backward in duty, and ought to be brought forward; some have too low a sense of their ability, and need to acquire confidence. If each in turn is expected to pray, or is called upon to do it, the gifts of all may be duly exercised and improved, and a common advantage gained. Still the meeting should be so free, that those who attend shall not feel obliged to take a part, or be excluded; for there are persons who enjoy great satisfaction in hearing and uniting with others in prayer, who cannot, or think they cannot, themselves pray to edification.

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