length of the service, must create a monotonous state of mind, if not an absence of thought, and convert prayer into a mere bodily exercise. The careless and unvaried manner in which prayers are often read in the English Church, proves too well that there is ground for this objection. Yet the praise bestowed upon the liturgy of that church exceeds all bounds. It is "an excellent liturgy," an "admirable liturgy," an "incomparable liturgy," an "all but inspired liturgy." This extravagant language is quite in unison with the pretensions of that arrogant church, which like the Church of Rome, her prototype in pride, says, "I sit as a queen, and shall never see sorrow;" looking haughtily down upon us as hardly worthy to be accounted Christians, pronouncing our assemblies to be conventicles, and our ministers to be without ordination; and sometimes going so far as to exclude us from any interest in the promises, and leaving us to what is called the uncovenanted mercy of God. "Let another praise thee," says the wise man, "and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips." If this wonderful liturgy be brought to the test of Scripture and sound reason, its vaunted excellence will vanish as a dream of fancy. To say nothing of the superstitious rites which it inculcates, and the false doctrine which it teaches, while it assumes in the burial service the salvation of all but self-murderers and excommunicated persons, and asserts the regeneration of all infants who are baptized, it has been justly charged with defects and redundancies; with omitting some important petitions, and unnecessarily repeating others; with dealing in generalities, without descending to particulars upon which the mind could fix; confessing, for example, sin in general, without specifying particular sins; with joining together petitions which have no kind of connexion; with prescribing prayers which contain, perhaps, only a single petition, expressed in two or three words, while the remaining space is filled up with a verbose introduction and conclusion. A serious objection is the shortness of the prayers. The longest is ended almost before you have time to bring your mind into a proper frame for joining in it; and some of them, consisting only of a single sentence, are finished almost as soon as they are begun. Besides the interruption which is thus given to devotional feelings, there is a want of dignity, and of sense, in a collection of what may be called shreds and fragments of prayers. The Lord's prayer is sometimes introduced out of place, or where no person can perceive any reason for using it; and it is brought forward so often, four or five times in the course of one service, as to have the appearance of vain repetition, and to give the idea of children conning a task, rather than of rational creatures worshipping God with the understanding. This is that boasted liturgy which has been extolled with bombastic praise, and, in comparison of which, the extemporaneous prayers of other churches are despised as vain babblings, or the incoherent effusions of enthusiasm. I have no hesitation in saying, that, in those churches, prayers far superior are offered up every Sabbath; and I have frequently heard a prayer poured out by a man of God with the assistance of the Holy Ghost, which, in my judgment, was of more value than the whole of the liturgy. Let us be thankful that we stand in no need of its proffered assistance, and that our devotion is not encumbered and impeded by any such human imposition. From the observations which have been already made, we can be at no loss to determine what prayers are acceptable. It is evident that they are prayers addressed to God alone, and not to any created being, however highly exalted; that they are prayers offered up in the name of Christ, the only Mediator between God and man; and that they are prayers regulated by the Scriptures, and consisting solely in petitions for such blessings as God has promised to bestow. I may add, that in prayer the understanding must be exercised, or it will not be a rational service. If men repeat a number of words without knowing their meaning, or without reflecting upon their import; if they are ignorant or inattentive, they are guilty of mocking God, and instead of drawing down his blessing, will incur his displeasure. And here we may take notice of the practice of praying in an unknown tongue, when others are expected to join with us; a practice so contrary to common sense, that not the shadow of an argument can be alleged for it; and it rests solely upon the same authority which has instituted and corrupted the other ordinances of Christ, and established iniquity and absurdity by law. Had there been no liturgy in the Church of Rome, her ministers would pray in the languages of the countries in which they officiate; but the forms of an infallible church are immutable, and her service is still performed in her ancient language, which has ceased to be vernacular for a thousand years. Prayers must be offered up in sincerity; for God regards not the words of the mouth, but the desires of the heart, and holds in abhorrence those who present to him hypocritical petitions. "This people draweth near to me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips; but their hearts are far from me." They should be offered up with fervour of spirit, which is the fire that should kindle our sacrifices. We would not grant a favour to a person who asked it in so indifferent a manner, as to show that he was careless whether he obtained it or not. Now God, who knows our hearts, will dismiss those without an answer, whom he perceives to entertain no sense of the value of his blessings, and upon whom therefore they would be thrown away. This qualification of prayer is connected with importunity and perseverance; with importunity, which consists in pressing our suit, and using arguments to enforce it; with perseverance, which renews its supplications when disappointed, applies again and again, and does not desist till such an answer is obtained as was given to the Syrophenician woman, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt."t We have already seen that there is an efficacy in prayer, or that, in consequence of the appointment and promise of God, it is effectual to obtain temporal and spiritual blessings. There would be no motive to the duty if God were inexorable, or if such an order was established, that the good things which we need would come to us as a matter of course, without any effort on our part to procure them. Where there is such an order or constitution of things, all supplication is superseded. We do not pray that the sun may rise the next morning, because his return is secured by the ordinance of heaven, which will not be changed till the end of time; but we pray that we may again open our eyes to behold his light. The one event will certainly happen; the other will or will not take place according to the Divine determination. Prayer is offered up in the expectation of an answer; and when it is the prayer of faith, it is not presented in vain: "The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers." On this department of the subject, let me request your attention to the following observations. First, God sometimes returns an immediate answer to the prayers of his people. In proof of this, many instances might be collected from the Scriptures. When the Israelites, in their flight from Egypt, were entangled by the Red Sea in front, the mountains on either hand, and the host of Pharaoh behind them, the Lord said to Moses, who, in this distress, was pouring out his prayer before him, Why standest thou, crying unto me?" Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward;"§ and immediately the waters were divided, and opened a passage to the opposite shore. When Elijah entreated God to determine, by a visible interposition, the controversy between himself and Baal, fire descended from heaven and consumed not only the sacrifice, but also the stones of the altar. These are the words of God concerning his peo • Matth. xv. 8. VOL. II.-56. † Ib. 28. 1 Kings xviii. 38. + 1 Pet. iii. 12. ple: "They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shal come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."* The idea suggested, is the promptitude of the answer. While the petitions are yet upon their lips, and before that they have had time to express all that they had conceived in their hearts, he will send down from heaven the blessing which they desire. No sooner had the Apostles prayed that "the Lord would grant unto his servants, that with all boldness they might speak his word," than " the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost," who inspired them with heavenly eloquence and undaunted courage. God returns a speedy answer to the prayers of his people when the case is urgent, and delay would prove injurious; and while he thus puts honour upon the duty of prayer, and holds out encouragement to persevere in it, he furnishes a proof, by which all should be convinced, that there is profit in serving the Lord. When an audible answer had been returned from heaven to our Lord upon a certain occasion, he said, "This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes."‡ Secondly, Although God has heard the prayers of his people, yet he sometimes delays to answer them. Whatever conclusion their impatient minds may draw, their petitions are not rejected because the favour asked is not immediately conferred. David was convinced of this truth, as we see from his exercise recorded in the hundred and thirtieth psalm: "Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications." Afterwards he adds, "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning."Ş This is the language of expectation. He did not receive an immediate answer; but he did not sink into despondency. He looked for the blessing, as the sick man or the benighted traveller waits for the morning light, and supported himself by the faithful promises of God, which were the foundation of his hope: "Though the vision tarry," says the prophet, "wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry." While God grants full liberty to his people to address him on every occasion, and promises that all their wants shall be supplied, he does not permit them to dictate to him with respect to the times and seasons of his interposition. His own wisdom, and not their anxiety, is the rule of his procedure. They are incompetent judges, as they know little more than their own feelings, and are unable to take a comprehensive view of the relations and consequences of the Divine dispensations. It is enough to be assured that God never turns away his ear from the prayer of faith, and that nothing truly good shall be withheld from those who fear him. Perhaps they are not yet in a proper state of mind for the reception of the blessings which they ask, not duly humbled by a sense of their unworthiness, and consequently not prepared to estimate them according to their value, and to feel all that warmth of gratitude which would lead to sincere and fervent thanksgiving. The delay may serve the salutary purpose of awakening their dormant piety, or of increasing its vigour and activity. It will teach them to live by faith, to support themselves by dependence upon his promises, to serve him in hope, instead of always being impelled by the actual experience of his goodness. It will lead their thoughts more to God, and render their supplications more earnest and importunate; and such is the constitution of human nature, that mercies which have been long sought, and sometimes despaired of, but at last obtained, acquire in our eyes a double value, and are enjoyed with a keener relish. For these and other reasons, there is sometimes a considerable interval between the prayer and the answer, but none of those who wait upon God shall * Is. lxv. 23, 24. † Acts iv. 29, 31. + John xii. 30. be ashamed. The prayer was heard when it was presented; it was remembered, although the saint might have been tempted to exclaim, The Lord hath forgotten me; and when the proper season has arrived, a testimony of the Divine favour is given to convince them, that blessed are they who wait upon the Lord. Thirdly, The prayer of faith is heard even when the blessing sought is withheld, but another more expedient is bestowed. When the disciples, at their last meeting with our Saviour, said to him, "Lord, wilt thou, at this time, restore the kingdom to Israel?" he did not return an answer, for a reason which is assigned in the following words: "It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.' .." But, although he refused to gratify their curiosity on this subject, yet he promised them what was of far greater value than the information which they were anxious to obtain: "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." He would give them the Spirit, to teach them all mysteries, and all necessary knowledge. When the Apostle Paul thrice entreated the Lord, that the messenger of Satan, sent to buffet him, might be removed, he obtained only this answer, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." He was not relieved from his present distress, but he was assured of grace to support him. God reserves to himself the power of judging what answer he shall return to the prayers of his people; and it is a power in which they should cheerfully acquiesce, as it will be always exercised for their best interests. From their imperfect knowledge, they may commit mistakes with respect to the object of their requests; but their petitions are pleasing to him, as expressions of their faith, and hope, and humble desires; and he therefore bestows in return a blessing more suitable to their circumstances and conducive to their good, which they afterwards perceive to be preferable to that which was selected by themselves. I observe, in the last place, that God hears the prayers of his people, even when he does not return any direct answer to them. A Christian may pray, as he is bound in duty, for the recovery of a friend who is sick, and yet his friend may die; or he may pray for the conversion of particular persons, who may never come to the knowledge of the truth. In such cases a distinction should be made, and we must say, that, although the prayers are not heard, so far as this implies the obtaining of an answer, yet they are acceptable to God, as proceeding from a holy heart, and being conformable to the general rule of Scripture. The exercise of grace may be pleasing to God, although the occasion of its exercise be a mistake. The love which a saint bears to a hypocrite, whom, in charity, he supposes to be a saint, is the fulfilment of the law, and receives the Divine approbation as well as any other duty. The unworthiness of the object does not destroy its value, because his real character is unknown, and the formal reason of it is his profession of piety. Notwithstanding the error of those members of the Church at Rome, who, not considering that the ceremonial law was abolished, observed a distinction of days and meats from a principle of conscience, we are assured by Paul that the Lord received them.‡ We may therefore conclude that, although the people of God should, in particular circumstances, present their petitions for favours which his wisdom does not judge it proper to bestow, yet he is pleased with their prayers, because they are founded on the general promises of Scripture. Such prayers ought not to be considered as lost. They are among the works of faith, and labours of love, which God will not forget. The prayer of faith is always heard. It brings down, sooner or later, the specific blessing, or another of equal value; and although no direct answer should be returned, it is still a sacrifice pleasing to God, through Jesus Christ, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in time of need."* LECTURE XCV. ON PRAYER. The Lord's Prayer.-Its Use as a Form and as a Pattern.-Is it a Compilation?-Its Parts.— Commentary upon it.-Dispute Respecting the Genuineness of the Doxology. In the course of his sermon on the mount, our Saviour said to his disciples, "After this manner, pray ye. Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."t The same prayer in substance occurs in the gospel of Luke, but there are some verbal differences, and the doxology is omitted. On this account, and because it was pronounced by our Lord the second time, in answer to the request of one of his disciples, who said, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples," Origen, in his treatise, ɛρ evxns, thinks that they should be considered as different prayers. This, however, is too nice a distinction; and it is not easy to see on what it is founded, as with the alteration of a word or two, all the petitions are exactly the same. If you should inquire how this disciple came to ask Christ to teach them to pray, although he had taught them already, the same Father will tell you, that perhaps he was not present when it was first delivered, or he had forgotten what was said. It has been asked, whether this prayer was intended to be a form, or a patfern; and the question has given rise to various opinions, and to arguments for and against. Those who maintain that it is only a pattern, besides other reasons, allege the words in Matthew, "After this manner, pray ye;" but their criticism is founded on the English version. The original word ros, may be rendered," after this manner," but also more simply, "thus," and is used in Scripture, in reference to the identical words which were spoken. They also forget that in Luke, our Lord said without any qualifying term, “When ye pray, say." If it were only meant, that our Lord did not intend to confine them to this prayer, to enjoin the constant unaltered use of it, to prohibit prayer in any other terms, we should certainly concur with them; but it is not a little surprising to find some persons discovering an anxiety to prove, that we should cautiously avoid the words which were dictated by the Son of God himsel and should apply them to no other purpose, but as a guide in prayers of our own composition. It has the appearance of impiety, or, to use a softer teim, of very great folly; and it can be accounted for only on the principle which directs the conduct of weak-minded men, that of guarding against one extreme by running into another. They imagine that they cannot remove to too great a distance from any thing which they conceive to be wrong, and if their antagonist should go to the east, they know of no better way of testifying their disapprobation than by walking in all haste to the west. There is no doubt • Heb. iv. 16 Matth. vi. 9-13. + Luke xi. 2-4. |