"of Chrift." In other words, prayer is an expreffion of the heart, fenfible of our wants, acknowledging our dependence upon God, and in faith of his infinite fufficiency, through Chrift Jefus to fupply the fame.

In thefe days of gofpel light, no chriftian will dare to object against the duty of prayer, becaufe God is omnificient and immutable. Prayer was never defigned to inform God of any thing of which he was ignorant. The thought difrobes the divine character, mutilates his omnifciency, and fuch a depreciation implicates blafphemy. Neither is prayer intended to move God to change. He is the Lord who changeth not. But its intention is to encrease our own knowledge in various refpects, and that we ourselves fhould be moved and changed; brought near to God, humbled in his fight, conformed to his pleafure, and thus rendered meet for the reception of bleflings. Wherefore the whole effect of prayer is to be on ourfelves; and its nature is to declare the glory of God, to fhew forth his perfections, and to raise the creature to become an object of bleffings.

God has fixed a special conftitution and rule for the conduct of his rational creatures in this world, and given a fure revelation of the fame. A part of this establishment is, that his people fhould feel his fulness, be fenfible of their own wants, and apply to him in fincerity of heart, agreeably to the manEer of his direction, by fervent prayer and fupplication for all things neceffary for them. Before God delivered the children of Ifrael out of Egypt, they were brought to feel their evil cafe, and to cry unto him because of their, hard bondage. fame manner previous to that great deliverance brought for them at the red fea, when the fea was in front and the Egyptian army on their rear, and all things portended their immediate destruction. in this tremendious fituation, they prayed

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and cried unto the Lord, and God quickly fent them relief, and they foon faw their enemies overwhelmed in the fea. Thus the desciples of Jefus when in a dreadful ftorm, the ship covered with waves and just ready to fink, in this diftress, they prayed faying, "Lord, fave us, we perifh." The winds and waves were checked and there was a great calm. The woman of Canaan before fhe obtained healing for her daughter, came to the feet of Jefus, and in carneft fupplication cried, "Lord help me." The prpdigal fon becomes fenfible of his wants, bows before his father, confeffes his mifconduct and requests the lowest ftation benath his roof, in orderto his obtaining mercy.

Hezekiah when the fentence of death had been paffed upon him, turned his face towards the wall, wept and prayed unto the Lord; his prayers were heard, his life fpared and fifteen years were added to his days.

Innumerable are the inftances to fhew that prayer is the conftitution of God in refpect to finful men, for their obtaining favours and blefings. The Pfalmift fo ftrongly illuftrates this point, that he declares its origin is in the nature of God, and he enters it in his book as a part of the divine character. "He is a prayer hearing God, and to him all flesh shall come."

In our text, every motive, argument, and encouragement are combined to imprefs upon the hearts of chriftians the high importance and abfolute neceflity of this duty. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” In thefe words the apostle not only exhorts to prayer in general, but to extraordinary prayers in fpecial cafes. "Is any among "you afflicted, let him pray Is any fick among you, let "him fend for the elders, (or prefbyters) of the church, and "let them pray over hin." After this he gives them a dif

tinguishing commandment, " To pray one for another that they might be healed." Thus let perfons feel a due fenfibility of their wants, a proper dependence upon God, and offer up the defires of their hearts in the way of his ordination, and they have certain grounds of affured hope that their believing wishes will not be disappointed.

In this apoftolic affertion respecting prayer, three things ought to command the attention of chriftians.

Firft, the nature of prayer, it ought to be effectual, fervent.

Secondly, the qualification of the person," a righteous man.” Thirdly, the effect of the addreffes, they avail much.

A few obfervations on each member of the text will terminate the fubject.

The firft obfervation in the text, regards the nature of prayer, it is to be effectual, fervent. In the original there is but one word expreffing this quality. It is too ftrong to be expressed by any English term, hence our tranflators chose two. The word effectual was rather an unhappy selection, because it seems to impofe a tautology on the fentence. What is effectual availeth much. No other idea can be communicated hereby, than that which is effectual is prevalent. The only English term expreffive of the original, long fince introduced for the enrichment of our language is derived from it, the word energetical. "The energetical prayer of a righteous man availeth "much." The term fignifies that which is in-wrought, im porting the efficacy or influence of the Holy Ghoft powerfully exciting fuch a prayer in the heart. Hence a right and ac

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ceptable prayer is pouring out the defires of the foul in faith before God. There is no proper prayer, only what is of this nature and complexion. All prayers of this nature will furely be heard and answered. That is, they will be anfwered directly in the things prayed for, or perfectly fulfilled in blesfings, which are most for God's glory and the creature's good. This lies at the foundation, and is the effence of every true prayer, that God may glorify himself, promote the happiness of the moral fyftem, and every individual composing the fame. Our fuccefs in prayer may be always known by the views of the mind, the fenfibility of the heart, the fubmiffion of the will, and fervor of the affections. When God intends bleffings to his people, whether temporal or fpiritual, it is his usual method to raise in them, a fenfe of their neceffities, create in them, earnest defires, and in confequence of their feelings and fervent fupplications, their minds are calmed, or the favours are bestowed. Let us then always pray with a proper fenfibili ty of our wants, and a fuitable dependence upon the divine all-fufficiency, power and goodness through Christ, and disappointments will not take place. Let us especially cultivate that powerful in-wrought prayer of the Holy Spirit, which maketh interceffion with groanings that cannot be uttered. We must command our fouls to attention in this duty. The Pfalmift fays," I lift up my heart to thee." The heart which rifes in energetic prayer to God by faith in Jefus Chrift makes a most acceptable offering. It is like the afcenfion of the fweet perfumes from the ancient cenfors of incense; to which Solomon alluded when he faid, "Who is this that cometh "in pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense ?” Therefore whatever we lack, whether wifdom or any thing elfe, let us in faithful humility prefent our requests to God, in full affurance," He gives liberally and upbraids not." The more earnest and fervent any foul is in prayer to God, the more will he love him. Thus faith the Pfalmift in all the glow

of animated affection, "I love the Lord because he hath "heard my voice and my fupplications; because he hath "inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long "as I live." Whatever our wants are let us afk of God fervently and not doubt a denial. "Whatsoever things ye desire, when "ye pray, believe that ye fhall receive them, and ye fhall have "them. This is the confidence that we have concerning him' "that if we ask any thing according to his will, he hear

eth us." If we want temporal comforts, let us in prayer believe, he feeds the ravens and clothes the lilies of the field. If fpiritual bleflings, "Let us come boldly to the throne of "grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find help in time of "need." When we pray, let our faith be in exercise and our confidence firm. "Afk in faith nothing wavering; for he "that wavereth is like a wave of the fea driven with the wind. " and toffed."

Unbelief may be faid to be the canker worm of prayers. Its misgiving language is, " Can the Lord prepare a table in this "wilderness? If the Lord fhould open the windows of heaven "can this thing be?" Unbelief in prayer has its foundation in fcruples, hesitations and corruptions, which cannot now be attended to. Some future time when the heart of unbelief will be confidered, these things will come into review. To illuf trate the form, ferveney, and fenfibility of prayer, all which is placed before us, in the lives of the fcripture faints, fuch as Jacob, Mofes, Noah, David, Daniel, and Job, must at prefent be omitted, to make room for a

Second, confideration in our text, to wit, the qualification of the praying perfon, "a righteous man."

By righteous man is evidently not to be understood, one who is perfectly righteous, but a perfon juft fimilar to ourfelves. This he inftances in the cafe of Elias, "A man fub.