liverance for them, but a pit of destruction for those that pursue them. When Sennacherib too invaded Judea; nothing could exceed his insolence, and nothing as he vainly imagined could withstand his power. But again the pious in Israel have a resource, of which the great king of Assyria" is ignorant. They spread their cause before the Lord, and he appears for their salvation. He sends his angel into the camp of their enemies, and the desolating army of the proud Assyrian is destroyed at a stroke. And so it has been with the people of God in all periods since-so it is now. They have a resource in their afflictions and distresses, of which the world around them by experience know nothing. They have a throne of grace to which they may repair, and here under all circumstances they rest secure.-Wicked men oppose the progress of the church, and are ever planning to defeat and overthrow it. Their designs are formed, often, with great worldly wisdom, and to their own distempered minds furnish promise of success. But in view of what has been said such men have reason to beware. They may burn the bush, but nothing can consume or ultimately injure it. They are engaged in a cause, in which no one has ever succeeded, but in which thousands and millions have fallen and perished. The truth is, sinners, the people of God have a resource in their afflictions-a constant, inexhaustible resource-to which you have no claim, and which you never can take from them. They have an almighty Friend, who, when inquired of, is ready to assist them. They can enlist a Power on their behalf, in comparison with which your proudest designs are but idle dreams, and yourselves but worms.

2. If the power of prayer is so great as we have seen, then the present expectations of the people of God, in regard to the future triumph and glory of the Church, are perfectly reasonable. We know very well what these expectations are. Saints are expecting, that the religion of Christ will shortly prevail over all the world-that ignorance and vice, oppression, slavery, and war will cease-that every idol temple will be demolished-that false religions of every name and description will come to an endand that true and undefiled religion shall cover the earth as the waters do the seas. These great changes too, they are expecting will be brought about in some way by their means.-But what reason, it may be asked, have they for such expectations? What can they do? They cannot convert one soul;-how then can they be instrumental in the conversion of millions? They cannot of themselves produce a revival of religion in the smallest village ;-what then can they do towards reviving it all over the earth? They can engage in a use of means; but they cannot give efficacy to one mean of grace, or crown it with success.-To all this it may be answered, that no persons can feel more deeply their insufficiency and weakness, than real saints do; still. their sense of these does not destroy or at all weaken their expectations, relative to the final success of the gospel. For their expectations are not founded on what they can of themselves do, but on what a God of sovereign mercy and almighty power can do for them. And they expect themselves to be instrumental in this important work, chiefly, by going to Godin all their weakness, and engaging him to act on their behalf. They know they cannot accomplish the promises, and fill a ruined world with good;

but they know at the same time that their God can do this, and if they go to him in humble prayer, they believe he will.-When they consider the wonders which have been already accomplished by means of prayer, their confidence is increased. What could Joshua of himself have done, towards arresting the progress of the heavenly bodies, and staying the flaming san in his course? But through the power of prayer, when he gives command, the sun is in a moment still. Or what could Elijah of himself have done, towards covering the heavens with blackness, and pouring torrents of rain upon a guilty, parched land? But through the influence of prayer, all this is accomplished at his word. And though the saints now can of themselves do nothing, towards dispossessing Satan of his long usurped dominion, and filling the earth with the glory of God; yet, through the power of prayer they expect, and have reason to expect, that all this will be speedily accomplished. A good man has well remarked, "He that hath the ear of God hath his hand also." When the saints wrestle, as Jacob did, they may expect to have power with God, and to prevail. They may expect he will take his work into his own hands, and accomplish it speedily. Satan has little to fear, from any thing, and every thing, the saints can do, so long as they can be kept from prayer; but,

"Satan trembles, when he sees,

"The weakest saint upon his knees."

In the attitude of humble, fervent prayer, the weakest saint has more power than his great adversary; for by this means, he enlists the whole power of the Almighty in his behalf, and in opposition to such power, what can Satan do?

3. We learn from our subject what is most needed for the success of the gospel both at home and abroad. It is an increase of humble, fervent prayer.-The experience of a thousand ages and the unerring voice of inspiration unitedly testify, that without the influences of the Holy Spirit the gospel will be attended with no success. Without the saving influences of the Spirit, the means of grace may indeed be used-they may be used in the Churches at home, and sent to the nations abroad; but in all places, and under all circumstances, they will be used in vain. They will be as water spilled upon the ground, or as seed sown upon the barren rock. Nore will be awakened, none converted, and no fruit will be gathered unto life eternal. To the success of the gospel, therefore, the Spirit must be regarded as all in all.-But how is this Spirit to be obtained? In no way ordinarily but in answer to prayer. It is prayer then-humble, fervent, prevalent prayer-which the interests of religion most deeply require. It is the want of such prayer, which clothes the Churches at home in sackcloth, and spreads spiritual dearth and barrenness round the land. And it is the want of such prayer, more probably, than that of any thing which Christians can bestow, which damps the energies and limits the successes of Missionaries abroad. When the hearts of christians shall become enlarged with desires for the universal success and prevalence of the gospel; when for the accomplishment of these desires they shall be willing to cast themselves unreservedly upon the Lord; and when, with such feelings, they shall humbly approach their Father's throne, and continue with one accord imploring his aid, and the influences of his Spirit; then the Spirit will be poured out, the messages of Divine mercy will be published in all lands, the gospel will

every where become the power of God unto salvation, and this will be a happy world.

4. From the power and efficacy here attributed to prayer, saints should learn in what their great strength lies. It does not lie in their own unassisted efforts, but in their interest and influence at the throne of grace. It lies in the advantages they possess of enlisting the power and perfection of Jehovah in their favor. In other words, it lies in their prayers.Without prayer, Moses had been as weak as others; but through the efficacy of prayer, he was exalted in strength, and his rod seemed almost the rod of Omnipotence. Without prayer, the eleven Apostles were, and would have continued, illiterate and feeble men ; but through the efficacy of prayer, the promised Spirit descended on them, and they were "endued with power from on high." They were enlightened with heavenly wisdom, warmed with Divine love, and fitted to spread the triumphs of the cross throughout the world. Without prayer too, christians at the present day can do comparatively nothing; but by their interest and influence at the throne of heaven, they may be instrumental of shaking the earth, overturning the nations, and introducing the universal kingdom of the Prince of peace.

Finally; in view of what has been said, we should all learn and feel the importance of prayer. It is in prayer, my brethren, that our great strength lies. It is in the attitude of prayer, that we may, "as princes, have power with God, and prevail.”— But in order that our prayers may possess this power, they must be offered up, it will be recollected, in a proper manner. They must be offered up with humble confidence, and in the name of Christ. There is no other name in which sinners can be accepted,