name of the Lord; and from all the exalting influences of prayer thine offspring, by thy fault, are withheld. And will they not, by the same means, be also withheld from grace and the inheritance of life ? Art thou a member of the church? Thy remissness in prayer exerts a secret influence to make the courts of Zion desolate, and her ways to mourn; and to take out of their places, or obscure the brightness of her golden candlesticks. - Art thou a minister of God? Thousands may go away to wail forever in the prisons of darkness, because thou givest not thyself to the exercise of prayer. By that one neglect, thy thoughts are sensualized, thy discourses robbed of unction, thy walk before the saints made a snare and scandal, and all thy ministrations sadly marred and misdirected, if not utterly perverted. The prayerless man perisheth not alone in his iniquity. A word, at parting, to the saint - the man of faith in Christ. Great, beloved brother, and manifold are thy privileges; but what we now would humbly call upon thee to bear in constant remembrance, is, the power which thou, all impotent and helpless as thou art in thyself, can exert through prayer. The feeblest of saints can chase a thousand - can put ten thousand to flight-can overcome the world - can elevate himself to higher honour than earth can give or appreciate. There is a kind of omnipotence in prayer; as having an influence on him who is Almighty. But why do we put thee in mind of this? Not because we would have thee inflate thyself with pride; but because we remember that the spirit of prayer is altogether benevolent. Its power is unto the destruction of nothing but sin and its fruits. Its power hath the same scope and aim with that Glorious Being on whom it depends. Pure prayer's first accents are, "hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Faithful brother, man of prayer, for a man who hath power with God, get not, we beseech thee, what, by means of prayer, thou art capable of accomplishing. The world's conversion hath not yet been achieved. Means, with that great end in purpose, have been long in operation, and have recently been much increased. What those means are, thou knowest; and their powerlessness, independently of God's blessing, thou knowest also. We remind thee again of thy privilege, as endued with the spirit of grace and supplication. For Zion's sake, then, hold not thy peace, for Jerusalem's sake rest not, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. There is neither dulness in the ear nor weariness in the arm of God. Both almighty strength and boundless mercy are awake and alert, to make full and swift return to any righteous man's effectual fervent application. And the divine glory is still pledged to make the dominion of truth and grace universal and complete : Of the prophecies promising that triumph, not a jot or tittle can fail to be fulfilled; unless God can cease to be God, or the Scriptures cease to be his word. And the souls of men have not become less excellent than when Christ counted not his blood too precious to be given for their ransom. Nor are they less liable to be lost, or liable to less than an everlasting perdition. And shall the knees of the saints be soon wearied, and the breath of their prayers be stifled? Oh, let them lift up their hands, and pour forth their cries, till they cease to have their dwelling in the land of prayer. VIII. THE SAВВАТН. Ir has often been observed that the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue, REMEMBER the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, does not appoint or institute the Sabbath; but rather proves incontestably that it had been instituted before that commandment was given. It supposes the previous separation of the day to sacred purposes, and enjoins the due observance of it, as having been so separated. The Sabbath, in fact, was made not for the Jews, nor for any age or nation, but for man, with whose existence it wants but a day of being coeval. Man was made on the sixth day; on the |