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He has, more than all, revealed to us a remedial dispensation, by which our sins may be forgiven, and we be raised to higher and more glorious happiness than that which we have lost. It surely becomes us, then, specially to study the Bible, not merely as a book of antiquities, nor as a choice collection of poetry, and an inexhaustible storehouse of wisdom; but for the sole purpose of ascertaining the character of God, and our relations to Him, and of thus cultivating towards Him those feelings of filial and reverential homage, which are so manifestly our duty, and which such contemplations are in their nature so adapted to foster and improve.

4. A devout temper is also cultivated by the exercise of devotion. The more we exercise the feeling of veneration, of love, of gratitude, and of submission towards God, the more profound, and pervading, and intense, and habitual, will these feelings become. And, unless the feelings themselves be called into exercise, it will be in vain that we are persuaded that we ought to exercise them. It is one thing to be an admirer of devotion, and another thing to be really devout. It becomes us, therefore, to cultivate these feelings, by actually exercising towards God the very tempers of mind indicated by our circumstances, and our progressive knowledge. Thus, submission to His will, thankfulness for His mercies, trust in His providence, reliance on His power, and sorrow for our sins, should be, not the occasional exercise, but the habit of our souls.

5. By the constitution of our nature, a most intimate connection exists between action and motive; between the performance of an action and the principle from which it emanates. The one cannot long exist without the other. True charity cannot long exist in the temper, unless we perform acts of charity. Meditation upon goodness will soon become effete, unless it be strengthened by good works, So, the temper of devotion will be useless; nay,

the profession of it must, of necessity, be hypocritical, unless it produce obedience to God. By this alone is its existence known; by this alone can it be successfully cultivated. The more perfectly our wills are subjected to the will of God, and our whole course of conduct regulated by His commands, the more ardent will be our devotion, and the more filial the temper from which our actions proceed.

6. It is scarcely necessary to observe, that as penitence is a feeling resulting from a conviction of violated obligation, it is to be cultivated, not merely by considering the character of God, but also our conduct towards Him. The contrast between His goodness and compassion, and our ingratitude and rebellion, is specially adapted to fill us with humility and self-abasement, and also with sorrow for all our past transgressions. Thus said the prophet: "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!"

Lastly. It is surely unnecessary to remark, that such a life as this is alone suited to the character of man. If God have made us capable of deriving our highest happiness from Him, and have so constituted the universe around us as perpetually to lead us to this source of happiness, the most unreasonable, ungrateful, and degrading, not to say the most guilty, course of conduct which we can pursue, must be, to neglect and abuse this, the most noble part of our constitution, and to use the knowledge of the world around us for every other purpose than that for which it was created. Let every frivolous, thoughtless human being reflect what must be his condition when he, whose whole thoughts are limited by created things, shall stand in the presence of Him, "before whose face the heavens and the earth shall flee away, and there be no place left for them!"

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CHAPTER THIRD.

OF PRAYER.

In the present chapter we shall treat of the nature, the obligation, and the utility of prayer.

1. The nature of prayer.

Prayer is the direct intercourse of the spirit of man with the spiritual and unseen Creator. "God is a spirit, and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

It consists in the expression of our adoration, the acknowledgment of our obligations, the offering up of our thanksgivings, the confession of our sins, and in supplication for the favors, as well temporal as spiritual, which we need; being always accompanied with a suitable temper of mind.

This temper of mind presupposes,

1. A solemn conviction of the character and attributes of God, and of the relations which He sustains to us.

2. A conviction of the relations which we sustain to Him, and of our obligations to Him.

3. An affecting view of our sinfulness, helplessness, and misery.

4. Sincere gratitude for all the favors which we have received.

5. A fixed and undissembled resolution to obey the commands of God in future.

6. Unreserved submission to all His will.

7. Unshaken confidence in the veracity of God.

8. Importunate desires that our petitions, specially for spiritual blessings, should be granted.

9. A soul at peace with all mankind.

Illustrations of all these dispositions from the prayers recorded in the Holy Scriptures, as well as the precepts by which they are enforced, might be easily adduced. I presume, however, they are unnecessary. I will only remark, that it is not asserted that all these dispositions are always to be in exercise at the same time, but only such of them as specially belong to the nature of our supplications.

Inasmuch as we are dependent on God, not only for all the blessings which we derive directly from His hands, but also for all those which arise from our relations to each other; it is manifestly proper that we confess our sins, and supplicate His favor, not only as individuals, but as societies. Hence, prayer may be divided into individual, domestic, and social.

Individual Prayer. As the design of this institution is, to bring us as individuals into direct communion with God, to confess our personal infirmities, and to cultivate personal piety, it should be strictly in private. We are commanded to pray to our Father in secret. It should, moreover, be solemn, unreserved, and, in general, accompanied with the reading of the Holy Scriptures. As, moreover, this direct

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