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time, it is too generally found, that they who are not in earnest about their salvation, defer their prayers till bedtime: instead of transacting their business with God while their faculties are alive, they stay till exhausted nature is become incapable of any energetic exertion; and then hurry over some form of prayer, as a school-boy does his task, without feeling one word they utter. Even this is too favourable a representation of the prayers of many; who stay till they have lien down " upon their bed," and then fall asleep in the midst of their devotions. As for praying in the morning, they have no time for that: the concerns of the past, or of the present day have preoccupied their minds; and if they offer two or three cold petitions while they are dressing, it is quite as much as their souls require, or as God deserves. As to the manner, we may interpret the prophet's expression as importing in general, that their prayers are altogether irrational: and indeed, if we take into the account the state of the ppliants as guilty and condemned sinners, and the majesty of him whom they profess to address, their prayers are a most horrid mockery, yea, as unsuitable to the occasion as the "howling" of a dog would be. But the expression may be taken more strictly and literally: for these persons will not pray with any degree of fervour except in seasons of great affliction. Perhaps they have suffered some heavy loss, or are in embarrassed circumstances, or have some peculiar guilt upon their conscience, that greatly disturbs them; but even then they have no disposition to spread their case before God; and so they lie down upon their beds as miserable as they can be, "howling" and whining like dogs, and perhaps wishing that they were dogs, or any thing, rather than rational and accountable beings."}

But, whatever their prayers be, "they cry not unto God with their heart"

[View them in their public devotions; they will confess themselves "miserable sinners," and implore mercy for Christ's sake at the hands of God, and desire grace from him “that they may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of his holy name:" but if they were afterwards told by their minister, that they were miserable and hell-deserving sinners; that nothing but an application of the blood of Christ to their souls could ever save them; and that, to evince the sincerity of their repentance, they must devote themselves unreservedly to God; they would shew by their answers that they neither believed, nor desired, any one of the things, which they had uttered before God.

Enquire, further, into their private prayers, and it will be

See this exemplified in David, Ps. xxxii. 3, 4.

found that they are not sincere in any petition that they offer. If, for instance, they were to pray, that they might become true and faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus; and Jesus were to tell them, as he did the rich youth in the gospel, that they must first be deprived of all that they possess in this world, before they can ever be brought to love him supremely; would they reply to him, “Thy will be done?" Would they not plead for this or that sum, "Oh, spare it; is it not a little one?" and, when they found that the terms could not be lowered, would they not pray back again their prayers with tenfold more earnestness than they at first uttered them; and sacrifice their hope in Christ rather than their worldly interests?"

Such are the prayers of the unregenerate, if they pray at all: but the greater part of them, except on very particular occasions, do not so much as preserve even an appearance of devotion.]

We shall have a little clearer view of the worthlessness of such prayers, if we

II. Contrast them with those of the regenerate

In every thing that is essential to prayer, the difference may be seen. Particularly they differ in respect of 1. Voluntariness

[The wicked will only pray under some heavy calamity, or in the near prospect of death and judgment: all their petitions are extorted by anguish or by terror. The regenerate, on the contrary, go to God willingly and cheerfully as to their father and their friend. We do not mean to say, that the godly never feel backwardness to this duty (for, alas! they too often do) but they do not indulge it; they do not rest satisfied in such a state; they condemn themselves for it as much as an unregenerate person would condemn himself for the grossest sins: and when they are enabled, in any measure, to realize their principles, they account it their sweetest privilege to draw nigh to God, and to pour out their souls before him: they even pant for God as the hart after the water brooks, and "go to him as to their exceeding joy."]

2. Constancy

[When the distresses or terrors, that instigated the ungodly to prayer, are removed, there is an end of the importunity which was occasioned by them. The persons who for

↳ Mark x. 21, 22. This shews with what lamentable propriety they speak of" saying their prayers."

Jer. ii. 27. Ps. lxxviii. 34. Isaiah xxvj. 16. d Ps. xlii. 1, 2. & xliii. 4.

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e Job xxvii. 10.

a while seemed melted in the furnace, are no sooner taken out of it, than they return to their wonted coldness and obduracy, But a regenerate person can say, "My heart is fixed, O Lord, my heart is fixed:" "at evening, and at morning, and at noonday will I pray, and that instantly." There are seasons indeed, when he may, through the corruptions of his heart, be led to relax his diligence: but he can never give over prayer: whether he be in prosperity or adversity, he feels that he is altogether dependent upon God, both for his present and eternal happiness; and therefore he returns again and again to God, in order to maintain fellowship with him, and to receive at his hands the blessings he stands in need of.]

3. Humility

[Persons may use very strong language and express a kind of indignation against themselves in reference to their inward corruptions, while yet they are not truly humbled before God: but true humility consists, not in vehement expressions, but in a tenderness of spirit mixed with self-loathing and selfabhorrence. Of this, an unregenerate man has no conception: yet it is this that constitutes the chief excellence of prayer: and without it our prayers can find no more acceptance with God, than the howling of a dog. In this view, God himself calls the services of the temple an hateful "noise;" and declares, that the offering of a lamb with an unhumbled spirit, is as odious in his sight, as the offering of swine's blood, or "the cutting off a dog's neck,"k]

INFER

1. How little dependence can be placed on a deathbed repentance!

[Far be it from us to discourage repentance at the last hour. On the contrary, if we behold symptoms of it, we would in the judgment of charity conclude well respecting its issue.

But it is God alone who can perfectly distinguish between the feigned humiliation of Ahab, and the sincere contrition of Peter: and perhaps, where we think we hear the supplications of a Christian, God may hear nothing but the howling of a dog. Repentance, like every Christian grace, must be judged of by its fruits; and if we would have in ourselves, or leave in the minds of surviving friends, an unquestionable evidence of our sincerity, let us repent without delay, and "bring forth fruits meet for repentance."]

2. What encouragement have all real penitents to call upon God!

Ps. Ivii. 7. and Iv. 17.
Matt. xv. 8, 9.

i Amos v. 23.

Job xlii. 6. Ezek. xx. 43.
Isaiah lxvi. 3.

[As God can distinguish hypocrites in the midst of their most specious services, so can he discern the upright in the midst of all their infirmities. The sigh, the groan, the tear; the broken accents of contrition, are more pleasing to him than the most fluent petitions that are destitute of a divine unction.' Let none then be discouraged because they do not find a ready utterance in prayer; but let them be chiefly solicitous to "cry to God with their hearts." Then they will have nothing to fear; for "God will hear them, yea, and answer too, while they are yet speaking to them," and "will do for them abun dantly above all that they can ask or think.""]

1 Ps. vi. 8. and xxxviii. 9. and lxxix. 11.

m Isaiah lxv. 24.

n Eph. iii. 20.

CCCCXVI. A WARNING TO CARNAL AND EARTHLY: MINDED PROFESSORS.

Phil. iii. 18, 19. Many walk, of whom I have told you often; and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things.

NOTWITHSTANDING the utter extinction of vital godliness from the heart of man, through the introduction of sin into the world, there remain within him some principles of goodness, weakened indeed, but still operative and lively. Among these we may notice humanity and compassion, which often work in the breasts of the unregenerate, so as even to shame those who are endued with a principle of true religion. There is, however, one essential difference between this disposition as it is exercised by unconverted men, and the same as cultivated by the godly: in the former, it extends no further than to the temporal condition of man- ́ kind; but in the latter, it terminates chiefly on their spiritual and eternal state. Hence we frequently see both prophets and apostles expressing with tears their cons cern for the souls of those around them. In the passage before us, St. Paul was filled with the tenderest emotions of pity, while he beheld the state of many in?

the Christian church, whose character and end he most pathetically describes.

In illustrating his statement, we shall consider

I. The lamentable state of some professors

St. James speaks of a principle that is "carthly, sensual devilish, and such is that, by which too many, who profess godliness, are actuated.

1. "Their belly is their God"

[By "the belly," we understand the sensual appetite: and to make" a god" of it, is to yield ourselves up to its dominion. And must we go to heathen countries to find persons of this description? are not "many" such to be found in the Christian church? Many, alas! are addicted to gluttony, to drunkenness, to whoredom: and among those who are free from these gross excesses, how many are there who have no higher end of life than to consult their own ease and pleasure, and whose labours in all their younger years, are with a view to provide these very enjoyments for them in the decline of life! What is this but to put the gratification of their sensual appetite in the place of God, whose will should be the only rule, and whose glory, the ultimate end, of all their actions?]

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[Whatever proceeds from a currupt principle, whether it be approved or not among men, is really a ground of shame: yet how many will boast of their vilest excesses, perhaps too, even of crimes which they have never committed! How many will glory in the insolence with which they have treated their superiors; the resentment they have shewn towards those who injured them; and the cunning they have exercised in a way of traffic; when, if they viewed these things aright, they would rather blush for their iniquities, and mourn over them in dust and ashes!

Perhaps the apostle had a more especial reference to the judaizing teachers, who sought to distract the church of God, and gloried in the number of their proselytes. Such he justly calls "dogs, and evil workers:" and too many such there are also in this day, who care not how many of Christ's flock they scatter and destroy, if they can but increase their own party.

Now to glory in sin, of whatever kind that sin be, is the very spirit of Satan himself, who accounts himself happy in proportion as he can weaken the kingdom of Christ, and establish his own empire over the hearts of men.]

* Jam. iii. 15.

b Rom. xvi. 18.

e Ver. 2.

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