THE GOSPEL HERALD; OR, POOR CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE. 'HOLDING THE MYSTERY OF THE FAITH IN A PURE CONSCIENCE.'-1 T. iii. 9. FEBRUARY, 1851. Essays. 'PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.'-1 THESS. v. 13. To pray without ceasing, is to spirits of the just men made perpray with constancy; that is, con- fect, and his thoughts breathe of tinually-not occasionally merely; heaven. Prayer does not consist not only at stated intervals or in articulation merely, nor in gestimes; but at all times. Prayer is ture; but it may be in the uprising to be the Christian's habit, and not thought of the mind, in the upthe accident. The Christian in lifted glance of the eye, in the truth ever prays. We do not throbbing of the breast, in the mean that he does so every mo- heaving of the heart. It is not ment of his fleeting existence; necessary that we should be out but prayer, either in words, of business to pray; but when in thoughts, or signs, blends with the house of prayer, it is very his very existence, whether he essential that we should leave be in business or out on pleasure; business out of our thoughts. in God's temple or dwelling The Christian should not be abroad; at the family hearth or slothful in business,' yet should rocked on the mighty ocean. His be 'fervent in spirit, serving the heart beats God-ward; his eyes Lord.' are upward; his faith is with the VOL. XIX. What is prayer? This we have 2 in a great measure anticipated. vile bodies will be fashioned like Prayer is the spiritual language unto Christ's most glorious and of the citizens not of this world, spiritual body, sin will be absent, but of the heavenly Jerusalem. and all the satellites of sin; and It is the only language whereby pure praise will ascend to the God the child of God familiarly and who hath loved us. Job said his filially talks with his Maker; it prayer was pure (xvi. 17); in this is the incense of a sighing heart; no doubt he erred, for sin is so it is the breath of love. God mixed with all we are, do, and leave having loved us, we love him in undone, that our petitions are not return, and we testify by our pray- without sin; and if so, are not ers, that the object of our love pure in the absolute sense. In is in yonder realms of bliss; by all this we know that we are not prayer we testify that our love is yet perfect, but the Christian will not bounded by the margin of this be sooner or later. Sin rages at earthly scene. Prayer is the only times in our mortal bodies here, language which stops not by and strives to reign over us, and created bounds; the surging, roll- to rob us of our hope; but grace ing, and boisterous sea has its reigns through faith unto rightbound, but prayer has no limits, eousness, and the saint by the though it has and will have an weapon of all prayer, overcomes end. Death, when it silences the through the blood of the Lamb. mortal tongue, will end the tongue of prayer; but this happiness we have, that the paralyzing of our mortal frames prevents not our enjoyment in yon bright world of our portion and inheritance. The spirit ascends to the God who gave Prayer is a fruit of the Spirit. Before a saving change of heart, there exists no prayer; we are clay-clogged mortals till God breaks the fallow ground, sows the seed of life-divine, and waters it by his Spirit and grace. It may be said, for the comfort of the saint who has not felt that dreadful law-work that many speak of, that God can⚫ as well and does work salvation by dewy influences, as by the strong hand of terror. He who holds that the Christian must have such a length of law-work, limits the Almighty; and upon such unhallowed ground I wish not to tread. 'PRAY WITHOUT CEASING,' Prayer is a spiritual grace, and as such, should be, and is a spiritual exercise; and he who worshippeth God most, worshipeth God most in spirit and in truth. A man sold under sin, cannot worship God in spirit and truth; he may have some sparks of the creative light sometimes visible in man, and may thank God for his mercies; he may have and should have gratitude for his daily food, health, and wealth, and be constrained, when he contrasts himself with others, to thank his Creator for all such benefits; but if he has never felt the saving excellency of the Saviour, he cannot spiritually discern heavenly things, and cannot, consequently, hold converse with God by prayer. Prayer to God signifies knowledge of God. We can have but scanty views of an object not properly understood. Our ideas must be very contracted, if we never saw or knew the living God by living faith. An unknown God is an un 27 here is very imperfect, but when the filmy vail is removed, we shall see God face to face. Such knowledge is almost too wonderful to consider; it is high, who will attain to it?-The praying soul. Prayer is the handmaiden of faith. Faith climbs the mountain to catch the first earnest of perfect day, and to anticipate the coming of the heavenly bridegroom-the Sun of Righteousness; but prayer is found on the low ground, hardly heard or seen at times, seeking and wrestling hard on the plains of time for a blessing, for more hallowed communion with the Lord; but though the graces of faith and prayer differ, yet they unite, and it is only the prayer of faith that is prevailing. Prayer does not consist in external form merely, though where there is the substance, there will be form. We may have the bowed head; the dejected look; the teardropping eye; the uplifted gaze; and the bended knee; yet there loved God. The Athenians truly were unacquainted with God-may be only the form, and not the they could not discern the un-power. God regards not genuknown God; but Paul, in his usual flexions merely, but he looks to the forcible mode cried out, 'Him heart; and when he says, 'Seek declare I unto you.' The best of ye my face,' my heart says, 'Thy us see but through a glass darkly, face, Lord, will I seek.' (Ps. xxvii, and have but little, very little 8.) True religion is in the heart, knowledge of Him whom to know, but still it should be seen in the even by the grace of faith, is life life and spirit of its possessor. eternal; bye and bye we shall know Know ye not that your bodies are even as we are known. Our vision the temples of the Holy Ghost? ' manner of persons ought we to be (1 Cor. iii, 16; xvi, 19.) 'What God; it unites hearts in oneness of service; it softens the asperities of human life; sweetens the sours, and makes the bitter herbs palatable; it keeps alive, through the life-imparting power of God, the sympathies of the Christian breast; it is one of the main instruments in aid of the continuance of brotherly love, and God the Spirit often works through the means of prayer to freshen up the fruits of his power. Elijah prayed, and the heavens were closed, and there were no dew and rain for years; he prayed again, and refreshing showers fall, and dews descend. The thief on the cross prayed 'Lord, remember me;' and the promise of a certain entrance into the kingdom of heaven was afforded. Prayer was uttered; it prevailed-the promise is given, and the sinner's heart was gladdened with the Paradise in prospect. Israel cried unto God when pursued by the Egyptian host, and the waters divided, as if afraid; Israel cried again, and the Egyptians are drowned. Asa cried, 'Help us, O Lord our God' (2 Chro. xiv, 11, 12); and the Ethiopians die. David prays in his distress, and Ahithophel hangs himself (2 Sam. xv.) The disciples prayed when Peter was cast into prison; and lo! he is at the door, safe and sound. It is exceeeingly blessed to observe how sweetly the prayer What is the utility of prayer? It is of considerable use and value. From the preceding remarks, somewhat of its utility may be seen, though more may well be said. It is of the last importance to the believer; it is the appointed way or medium of access to God through the Redeemer. The saints are called priests unto God; they sacrifice by prayer; they lift up their hands and their hearts unto God; the altar and meritorious sacrifice is Christ crucified. Prayer pleads the merits of Jesus, and it cannot fail to prevail; because God has left on record, that whatsoever is asked in the name of Jesus, shall be granted. By prayer heart speaks to heart, and hearts unto POPISH PRETENSIONS AND PROTESTANT ERRORS. of the saint dovetails with the providences and power of God. 29 the sin of the Papists, and rest in the means as they do in the sacraments; such is idolatry, to which we are all prone. 'Whatever is not of faith is sin.' 'Little children, keep yourselves from idols,' is a Divine exhortation, one always In conclusion, we may speak by way of caution to all God's children; that while we thus speak of the utility of prayer, we must be cautious that we do not make prayer eclipse the object to whom to be remembered. Amen. we appeal. We must not follow C. T. EDOUARD. to maintain amongst themselves and others, the spirit of its reign, in advocating doctrines and practices she herself has introduced. Not but that they hate the thing as embodied by the Church of Rome, but to some There is a lurking tendency yet with some of them to exalt human devices over Christ's authority; to subvert his ordinances, or change them profanely, in order to minister to a morbid and carnal charity, unrequired and unknown in his Gospel. POPISH PRETENSIONS AND PROTESTANT ERRORS. POPERY stands before us with brazen, | Baptist body may be found helping impious, and unblushing front, the monster evil of the age. On its forehead it bears the inscription of the Mystery of Iniquity'-the 'Mother of Harlots'—the Abomination that maketh Desolate.' It is the most frightful and hellish engine for en-extent, still walk in her evil ways. slaving man and damning souls, by a counterfeit and base religion, the Devil ever could invent or use. It is carnal, sensual, and devilish; worked by men of like character, to secure like purposes. The great power by which it effects its diabolical achievements, the secret of its potent and immense operation, is its additions to, detractions from, and perversions of, God's truth. Professing reverence for the word of God, it makes it void by man's traditions. It presents the mask of Christianity, and keeps the Devil's face behind. Where its spirit is discovered, there, to some extent, its secret reigns. Protestantism even, to a large extent, is infected with its wickedness; Dissenters have not clean escaped from its pollution. Strange to say, that members of the These remarks have been suggested by the late Popish display, or 'usurpation,' as some will have it, in connexion with the perusal of a Tract, entitled Reasons for Free Communion, by BAPTIST W. NOEL, M.A., in which that great, and, in many respects, excellent man attempts, by a course of reason, or rather of remark, calculated to be of weight in some quarters, to maintain principles and practices as opposed to Christ's gospel, his ordinances, example, and authority, as any one |