-WHAT IS TO BE THE FURTHER OBJECT
OF OUR PETITION WHEN WE HAVE
PRAYED FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF OUR

PRAYERS? That which was David's and
which should be ours is-" Teach me
thy statutes."

It has already been observed, that the prayer of David in our text suits the unpractised and dispirited believer: we shall now see that it is adapted in the sequel to the most favoured and experienced. Those who have been able thus far to present only words, may here see how those words can be made acceptable: those who have risen to the greatest attainments in religious knowledge, may here discover how much they have yet to learn. Here we have the best informed, the most enlightened man of his age-the man who had held the closest and most intimate intercourse with Jehovah-the man by whom the Spirit of the Lord had spoken, and who was himself in part the writer of the sacred book in which the judgments of God were recorded, praying that God would instruct him in his word. Surely, then, there are none among ourselves who do not need to prefer the same petition; and we shall feel this perhaps the more forcibly, when we have briefly considered the import of the petition -"Teach me thy judgments."

we, Christian brethren, possess in this | ticipated the third point of consideration respect an inestimable advantage over even the Man of God. Having offered his prayer, David besought acceptance for it himself in his own person; but is there no one who beseeches it for us, no one who intercedes on our behalf? Are we obliged to take our own imperfect, interrupted, | inconsistent prayers, and bear them ourselves to the throne of God, and say "Here, Lord, are the offerings of our mouth-free-will offerings indeed, but still blemished, defaced, deformed, | intrinsically worthless, or worthy only in being all that we can give?" No, brethren; the unmerited, the unspeakable goodness of our heavenly Father hath provided better things for us. Prayers have been proffered in our behalf which have no inconsistencies nor imperfections; a sacrifice has been offered for us which is without spot or blemish. Not only may we take with us words, as the Prophet advises, and so render the "calves of our lips;" but we may take with us promises promises to which God has pledged himself to give heed—promises that are given by the Son, and are ratified by the Father-promises which can unlock the gate of Heaven, and give us full access to the rich treasures of the unspeakable riches of Christ, the inexhaustible mercies of the Most High. When we say with the Psalmist, "Accept, O Lord, the freewill offerings of our mouths," we may add, "Accept them in thy beloved Son; give us access with confidence by the faith of Him. We offer to thee the fruit of our lips; but He offered up Himself, and by that one offering He hath made a complete satisfaction for the sins of the whole world-yea, for that sin of which we are daily conscious, the sin of drawing near to thee with our lips, while our hearts are either far from thee, or not as they ought to be, nigh unto thee. But we give all we can, and do Thou enable us to give more; and accept in the mean time our imperfect offering for the sake of Him who has given all. Thou who sparedst❘ not thine own Son, but deliveredst him up for us all, wilt thou not with him also freely give us all things? O then, with the words of prayer, give us also a heart to pray!"

Here, however, I have well nigh an

By the judgments is here intended the statutes, or the law, or the word of the Lord; that is, plainly and simply, the Bible. Now, it is no very difficult task to learn the Bible as men teach it-to analyze its doctrines-to classify its precepts-to impress upon the memory its more striking passages

to form an accurate estimate of its beauties-to dispute, if need be, and contend earnestly and ably for the faith delivered to the saints—yea, to do what is far more and far better, to construct from it a system of morality, which shall control a man's intercourse with men of the world, so that even they shall approve and admire his conduct, and appreciate the excellence of the source whence his principles are derived. But all this is very different from the meaning of the Psalmist. It may be the whole of man's teaching; yet it is but a small part, if indeed it be worthy to be called a part, of God's.

Christ, even in the days of

point out his track through the wilderness of the world; they not only shed a mild and benignant lustre through the night of heaviness that often hovers over the course of the truest believer; they dissipate and dispel the darkness that envelops the valley of the shadow of death, and display to the eye of faith the realms of glory and of blessedness that are prepared for the believer beyond the tomb. This, then, it is, to be taught God's judgments, and to be taught by God: an object, O how desirable for our necessities, how worthy of our prayers.

his flesh, taught as one having autho- | rity, not as the scribes: much more, then, does he now teach from his heavenly abode, with an authority that cannot be controlled, and which whenever his divine instructions are received under the teaching of the Spirit, will enter into, and pervade, and acquire an ascendancy over the whole heart, that shall cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself up against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Whenever, therefore, God is pleased in any instance to teach a man his judgments, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, In endeavouring to adapt this subthe aspect of the entire book be- ject to the present occasion, and to comes changed to that individual. It apply it to the congregation here asis no longer that in which he has but sembled, I cannot doubt, brethren, a partial or temporary interest, an in- that I address many who offer to their terest shared with others, and which God even the acceptable sacrifice of others share with him, and in which the heart; none perhaps, or certainly perhaps neither are very deeply con- few, who do not at least approach him cerned; it then becomes a thing of with the offering of the mouth. But personal, individual, exclusive interest, even of the former I am constrained or at least an interest as personal, as to add, that their service and their atindividual, as if it were exclusive. It tendance are, in too many instances, is now the key to the mysteries and only partial. It is difficult to concontradictions in his own character: ceive how Christians who are in the it is now the guide to the attainment practice of fervent and heartfelt prayer, of unspeakable, and unchanging bene- can turn away from the ordinance of fits to himself: it is now the charter of the Holy Sacrament; and yet unless his own freedom-the title deed to his this be the case, it would be compaown estate-the instrument by which ratively a small portion of the numbers he can himself claim a bright reversion congregated here, of whom we could in the inheritance of the Saints in light. entertain a scriptural hope that they It introduces him into the glorious li- were indeed in the way of salvation. berty of the sons of God; the chains But I will not limit thus the numbers fall off from his limbs; the iron that of the true servants of Christ-God forentered into his soul is burst asunder; bid that I should-I would only exhort no longer does he associate with the such persons to ask their own hearts, slaves who are in bondage to sin, and why, when other offerings are made, this led captive by the devil at his will; he only is neglected?-why, when they apbecomes one of that glorious brother- pear before God in prayer every day of hood who have known the truth, and their lives; when, conscious of the imwhom the truth has made free; of which perfection of their prayers, they daily Adam, we hope, was the first, and Abel implore acceptance, and through Him we are sure was among the first; and whose precious blood makes the fruit which will continue to increase until of the lips acceptable to God-when, the Angel shall swear by Him who by daily study of the Scriptures, and liveth for ever and ever that time shall daily seeking the promised influence be no more, and shall then be consu- of the Spirit of Grace, they realize and mated at once by the union of myriads evince a lively and undissembled deand myriads to that multitude, which sire that God would teach them his already no man can number. He is judgments-why, when all this is now taught by God, and no longer does done, one thing only is left undone? he walk in darkness. The judgments Can they imagine that their Lord would of Jehovah are light to his feet, and have instituted, almost with his dea lantern to his paths: they not only parting breath, an ordinance of mere

:

secondary importance-a means of you are constant and sincere and grace, of which it was comparatively who shall say but that in recalling the indifferent whether they partook or precious death and passion of the Sanot;-by observing which no great ad- viour-in receiving the symbols of his vantage was to be acquired, by omit- | body broken and his blood shed for ting which no important benefit was you-for each of you, as exclusively, to be sacrificed? Can they suppose as effectually, as if there were none that the primitive Christians in the beside; who shall say, but that the pure apostolic times, when almost heart may at length be touched and every member of the Church was a softened, which has never been touched preacher of the gospel, and when they before?-who shall say, but that the were compelled to have their loins grace may be communicated at the altar girt and their lights burning, like which has been sought in vain in the men waiting for the coming of their closet, in the family, and in the house Lord, because he might come, amidst of God? Christ would never so sothe terrors of a painful and ignominous lemnly have instituted an ordinance death, at an hour when they thought which he had not designed signally to not-can they suppose that the pri- bless; and those who bring all that mitive Christians never met for divine they can, though not all that they worship without celebrating the hal-would-frank confessions of unworthilowed ordinance, and that too with a fervour, and affection, and devotedness, of which nothing but the memory remains-and yet that they themselves may safely think it a matter of indifference whether they follow this example or not? If they can try themselves on this point without shrinking from the trial-if they are persuaded that they do right-nay, even that they do not positively err in absenting themselves from the table of the Lord-let them receive, though still with diffidence, and abide by the award of their consciences. But if it be as it surely must be the reverse ;-if they neglect, and know that they neglect, an incumbent, an imperative, an indispensable duty, let them consider, whether that which is neglected in life will comfort or solace in death. It may be so indeed, for the mercy of God is boundless; but to hope that it may, and to rest on that hope, is folly and weakness; to expect that it will, and to rely on that expectation, is more than folly, worse than weakness; it is guilt, it is presumption.

But in addition to those whose hearts are in the main with God, I have another class of persons to invite you, brethren, who offer to your God the service of daily prayer-who offer it promptly and cheerfully as a freewill offering, but whose hearts do not yet accompany your lips, as you desire that they should. Even you may come, if in the outward act of prayer

ness, deep convictions of insufficiency, earnest desires for the grace which alone can renew and sanctify-may find the sacrifice accepted, the iniquity pardoned, the infirmity strengthened, the deficiency supplied-may date from that very day their first effective entrance on the path of life, their first heartfelt experience of the comforts of that religion, the duties of which they have practised hitherto without any of the solace and encouragement that the gospel is so calculated to impart.

And O, that He, whose power alone can, may direct the words which have been now spoken, to the hearts which they most concern.-O that He may suffer none, whose sacrifice He would be pleased to accept, to leave this place to-day without offering it at His holy altar.-O that He may abundantly shed the influence of the Divine Spirit upon all those who, here and elsewhere, meet around the table of the Lord.Cause them, O Lord, to feel that it is indeed good to be there! Minister to them, and to us, that strength, which shall enable each to stand firm against the attacks of their spiritual enemies; and bestow on them, and on ourselves, a pledge and an earnest of that blessedness and glory which await all those whom thou teachest thy statutes, and who learn them by thine instruction. For what is eternal life, save to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent?

A Sermon

DELIVERED BY THE REV. C. BENSON,

AT THE TEMPLE CHURCH.

Luke, iv. 13, 14.- -"And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into

Galilee."

To those, who will not even on the authority of divine revelation, admit the truth of what they cannot thoroughly comprehend;-who make their own weak and limited understandings, the rule of judgment on all the mysteries of providence, and reject the declarations of the Holy Spirit whenever they are incompatible with their own preconceived opinions ;-to men and minds like these, the personal and visible interposition of the Prince of Darkness, for the purpose of tempting the holy and immaculate Lamb of God, has appeared a strange and unaccountable circumstance; and various opinions have consequently been maintained, as to the nature and measure of our Saviour's temptation.

theology, but I should do little for the practice of religion. I might accuse and exercise the understanding; but it would surely be without improving the heart. Enquiries like these lead to no practical good; and whatever explanations we adopt, the facts still remain substantially the same. Christ was tempted, seriously, strongly, severely tempted-tempted by every thing which in his particular case was likely to have the greatest effect in withdrawing him from the service of God, and teaching him to forget the end of his appearance on earth.

The first attempt which the adversary made on the virtue of our blessed Lord, was by an artful and forcible appeal to his natural appetites, at a time when they were more than usually sharpened and increased by circumstances. During his miraculous fast of forty days, Christ had been miraculously supported from above; the common feelings of nature had been subdued, and they were relieved from all the misery which humanity experiences from the want of food. But

To avoid the difficulties that attend the transaction when considered as real, some have explained it to be a mental or an ideal representation, as an impression wrought on the Divine Jesus by diabolical agency,-as an imitation of the visions and dreams of ancient prophets; without remembering that to these new and more strange opinions, new and still more serious" he was afterwards an hungered." objections may be made. For my own part, I am strongly inclined to take the general sentiment in every passage of Scripture, and to prefer the common and literal interpretation to which every one is, upon the first perusal, naturally led by the statements and descriptions of the Evangelists, and to attribute the Lord's temptation to the actual intervention of that being who is called the Prince of Devils; the being of whose power and existence, the plain, the positive, the repeated declarations of Scripture cannot permit us with consistency to entertain a doubt. Were I, however, to enter into a long stricture on this subject, I might do something for the science of

The superior power which had overruled the general laws of the material frame was suddenly withdrawn; the sense of his bodily appetites as suddenly returned; and would of course be more severely felt from the immediate transition, than they could possibly have been by any gradually increasing appetite. The fierceness of opposite extremes it is difficult in every instance to bear; but where those extremes are made yet more fierce by the rapidity of a total change, the weakness of mortality must always necessarily sink under the trial. Yet the quickness of vicissitude from satiety to want did not form the only aggravation of our Saviour's sufferings