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saints were also in the habit of "inquiring of the Lord," before engaging in any important enterprise. And Paul enjoins upon the Philippians, "in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving," to let their requests be made known to God. Also, whenever you are under any particular temptation or affliction; whenever you are going to engage in any thing which will expose you to temptation; whenever you perceive any signs of declension in your own soul; when the state of religion around you is low; when your heart is affected with the condition of individuals who are living in impenitence; or when any subject lies heavily on your mind,-make the matter, whatever it is, a subject of special prayer. There is a peculiar fitness in this which must commend itself to every pious heart.

In seasons of peculiar difficulty, or when earnestly seeking any great blessing, you may find benefit from setting apart days of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. This is especially suitable whenever you discover any sensible decay of spiritual affections in your own heart. Fasting and prayer have been resorted to on special occasions, by eminent saints, in all ages of the world. The practice was very common among the Old Testament saints. Nor is the New Testament without warrant for the same. Our Lord himself set the example by a long season of fasting, when about to endure a severe conflict with the Tempter. And he has further sanctioned the practice by giving directions respecting its performance. We have examples also in the Acts of the Apostles. The prophets and

teachers in the church at Antioch fasted before separating Barnabas and Paul as missionaries to the heathen. And when they ordained elders in the churches, they prayed, with fasting. Paul, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, speaks of their giving themselves to fasting and prayer, as though it were a frequent custom. You will find, also, in examining the lives of persons of great spiritual attainments, that most of them were in the habit of observing frequent seasons of fasting and prayer. There is a peculiar fitness in this act of humiliation. It is calculated to bring the body under, and to assist us in denying self. The length of time it gives us in our closets also enables us to get clearer views of divine things. But there is great danger of trusting in the outward act of humiliation, and expecting that God will answer our prayers for the sake of our fasting. This will evidently bring upon us disappointment and leanness of soul. This is the kind of fasting so common among Roman Catholics and other nominal Christians. But it is no better than idolatry.

When you set apart a day of fasting and prayer, you ought to have in view some definite objects. The day should be spent in self-examination, meditation, reading the Scriptures, confession of sin, prayer for the particular objects which bear upon your mind, and thanksgiving for mercies received. Your self-examination should be as practical as possible; particularly looking into the motives of your prayers for the special objects you are seeking. Your confession of sin should be minute and particular; mentioning every

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sin you can recollect, whether of thought, word, or deed, with every circumstance of aggravation. This will have a tendency to affect your heart with a sense of guilt, produce earnest longings after holiness, and make sin appear more hateful and odious. Moreover, confession of sin is one of the conditions of pardon. Your meditations should be upon those subjects which are calculated to give you a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the abounding mercy of God in Christ. Your reading of the Scriptures should be strictly devotional. Your prayers should be very particular; mentioning every thing relating to the object of your desires, and all the hinderances you have met in seeking it. Carry all your burdens to the foot of the cross, and there lay them down. Your thanksgiving, also, should be very minute and particular; mentioning every mercy and blessing which you can recollect, with your own unworthiness, and every circumstance which may tend to magnify the love, condescension, and mercy of God.

4. Come to the mercy-seat with preparation of heart. We ought, indeed, to maintain so habitually a devout spirit, as to be always prepared to approach the throne of grace. But our minds are so liable to be injured by contact with the world, that it seems becoming in us to spend some time in collecting our thoughts and stirring up our affections, before approaching the Majesty of heaven. When you enter your closet, shut out the world, that you may be alone with God. Bring your mind into a calm and heavenly frame, and endeavor to obtain a deep sense of the presence of God," as seeing

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him who is invisible." Think of the exalted nature of the transaction in which you are about to engage; think of your own unworthiness, and of the way God has opened to the mercy-seat; think of your own wants, or of the necessities of those for whom you intercede; think of the exhaustless fulness of Christ; think of the many precious promises of God to his children, and come with the spirit of a little child to present them before him.

5. Persevere in prayer. In the eleventh and eighteenth chapters of Luke, our Lord shows, by two impressive parables, the importance of importunity in prayer. In the first, he presents the case of a man who was prevailed upon to do his friend a kindness, because of his importunity, when he would not have done it for friendship's sake; and in the other, of an unjust judge, who was persuaded by importunity to do justice. And from these he argues that God, who is disposed, by his own benevolence and mercy, to listen to the cries of his children, will much more be affected by the importunity of those whom he loves. He adds, with emphasis, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you he will avenge them speedily." But the delay of a blessing which has been earnestly sought should lead to self-examination. If the thing sought is agreeable to the will of God, you may have been asking amiss, perhaps with selfish desires, and too little regard for the glory of God; perhaps you have not sufficiently felt your dependence, or have not humbled yourself enough to receive the

blessing; or perhaps you have regarded iniquity in your heart, in which case the Lord will not hear you. Still, it is possible the blessing may be delayed for the further trial of your faith. Look at the woman of Syro-Phoenicia, who came to beseech Jesus to heal her daughter. Here is an example of faith, worthy of imitation. She continued to beseech Jesus to have mercy on her, although he did not answer her a word. The disciples entreated Christ to send her away, because she troubled them with her cries; yet she persevered. And even when Christ himself told his disciples that he was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and compared her to a dog seeking for the children's bread, yet, with all these repulses, she would not give up her suit, but begged even for the dog's portion, the children's crumbs. When by this means our Lord had sufficiently tried her faith, he answered her prayer. So likewise persevere in your prayers, and "in due time you shall reap, if you faint not."