practical performance of relative duties between one reafona ble creature and another, completes the whole fum of natural religion.

The relation of a rational creature, capable of feeling its exiftence and dependence upon its Creator, upholder, and benefactor, mu& furely acknowledge this dependent exiftence, and be under obligations of gratitude, fupplication and praife.

But divine revelation far furpaffes all that natural religion can diftate, and herein we have not only erjoined the obligating nature of prayer, but infallible directions refpecting iz and its object, the manner in which it ought to be performed, and, the motives and encouragements to the fame.

It is not only a duty, but an high honor conferred upon the creature by pofitive inftitution, and it is an aftonishing priviledge, in the wondrous condefcenfion of heaven, granted to finners. To bow before the majefty of God, to acknowledge our dependence upon him, to make known our wants, and offer up the defires of our hearts to him, is an honor, dignity and glory conferred upon the human race, tranfcending their conception and their praife.

However wonderful it may be, as all that flows from God is wonders, the commandment ought to be embraced with profound adoration; "Pray without ceaiing, pray always with all prayer and fuppation." The import of thefe precepts will hereafter be explained.

The be definition or defcription of prayer is in beautiful fimplicity given in our chatechifm, "The offering up our de"fires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name

"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 gefpel Night, no chriftian will dare to object against the duty of prayer, becaufe God is cmnificient and immutable. Prayer was never defigned to inform God of any thing of which he was ignorant. The thotight difrobes the divine character, mutilates his omnifciency, and fuch a depres ciation implicates blafphemy. Neither is prayer intended to move God to change. He is the Lord who changeth not But its intention is to encreafe our own knowledge in various refpects, and that we curfelves frould be moved and changed; brought near to God, bumbled in his fight, conformed to his pleafure, and thus rendered meet for the reception of bleffings. Wherefore the whole effect of prayer is to be of ourfelves; and its nature is to declare the glory of God, to fhew forth his perfections, and to raife the creature to become an object of bleffings.

God has fixed a fpecial 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 should feel his fulneís, be fenfible of their own wants, and apply to him in fincerity of heart, agreeably to the manner of his direction, by fervent prayer and fupplication for att things neceffary for them. Bofore 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. In the 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 imme dinte deftruction. in this tremendous ituation, they prayed

and cried unto the Lord, and God quickly fent them relief, and they foon faw their enemies overwhelmed in the fea. Thus the defciples of Jefus when in a dreadful ftorm, the fhip covered with waves and juft ready to fink, in this diflrefs, 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 the obtained healing for her daughter, came to the feet of Jefus, and in earneft fupplication cried, "Lord help me." The prpdigal fon becomes fenfible of his wants, bows before his father, confeffes his misconduct and requests the loweft 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 ble flings. 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 neceffity of this duty. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." In thefe words the apoitle 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 him." After this he gives them a dif

tinguishing commandment, " To pray one for another that they might be healed." Thus let perfonis 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.

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

Secondly, the qualification of the perfon," a righteous man.”

Thirdly, the effect of the addreffes, they avail much.

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

The first observation in the text, regards the nature of pray. er, it is to be effectual, fervent. In the original there is but one word expreffing this quality. It is too ftrong to be expreffed by any English term, hence our tranflators chofe two. The word effectual was rather an unhappy selection, because it seems to impose 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 ener getical. "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 powerful. ly 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 answered directly in the things prayed for, or perfectly fulfilled in bleffings, 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 compofing 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 ufual method to raife in them, a fenfe of their neceflities, create in them, earnest defires, and in confequence of their feelings and fervent fupplications, their minds are calmed, or the favours are beftowed. Let us then always pray with a proper fenfibilithe divine ty of our wants, and a fuitable dependence upon all-sufficiency, power and goodness through Chrift, and disappointments will not take place. Let us efpecially cultivate that powerful in-wrought prayer of the Holy Spirit, which maketh interceffion with groanings that cannot be uttered. We muft 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 moft 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 fmoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincenfe?" 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