viduals of deep, fervent piety; those whose faith reached and influenced the arm of Omnipotence; whose example shone out upon the moral darkness of the early ages, as stars upon the gloom of night. And, moreover, we know, that faith never exists solitary and alone. She has sister-graces, which she binds by her influence; which she inspires and animates; and by which she is strengthened and animated in turn. The graces, therefore, which belong to, or are distinctive of, true piety, existed, in greater or less degree, in all the Old Testament saints. Nor can it be doubted that they sought and obtained spiritual blessings by means of prayer. We have, in part, the spiritual history, or exercises, of one saint-that of the Psalmist; and, though he lived centuries before the light of the gospel shone out in its full splendor, how rich and instructive his experience! Whose piety now is stronger, or more fervent and active? Whose supplications are more importunate? Whose confessions of sin could be deeper, or more sincere? As to spiritual communion with God, his pantings are like those of a hart after the water-brook. "As the hart panteth after the water-brook, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on the earth that I desire beside thee."

Let it not be supposed that David, man of God that he was, was the only saint, in ancient times, of fervent and exalted piety. He may have been in advance of others; but had we the spiritual history of others, we should, doubtless, find that there were many whose piety was of the same pure and heavenly character. Indeed, from incidental passages in the lives of some, which we find in the sacred narrative, we may be sure that in them abounded, and in their example shone forth, those virtues, which are strongly inculcated in the gospel, and for which saints of modern days are taught importunately to pray.

The growth of believers, then, under the former dispensation, was by a process essentially the same as under the

gospel. Among other means of obtaining spiritual blessings, and growth in holiness, they prayed, and doubtless with fervency and in faith; but they seem to have done so without those special injunctions, and without so plain and explicit assurances of success, as the believer finds in the pages of the New Testament.

The gospel, then, places believers on vantage-ground, much higher than believers enjoyed anterior to those fuller revelations, made by Jesus Christ and his apostles. Our spiritual wants are, as it were, drawn out, and spread before us; so that the believer cannot innocently be ignorant of them. And, moreover, specific directions are given how, and upon whom, to call for spiritual gifts and graces; and promises and assurances are made, calculated to inspire the most timid with confidence.

A second advantage, which the Christian enjoys over the saints of the earlier revelation, is, that he may ask in the name of Jesus Christ. "Ask," says he, "in my name." "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name." That the ancient saints were accepted through the future propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, and that they had the "spirit of faith" in a suffering savior to come, is manifest; but it is equally clear that they did not pray in the name of Jesus; nor, up to this moment, had the disciples themselves. They had gone out, indeed, and preached in Christ's name; and had been commissioned to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, and raise the dead; and, returning, they had announced to Jesus that even the devils were subject to them. But as his atonement was not complete till he had hung upon the cross, its full merit could not be pleaded till after that event. Then the disciples, and all the followers of Jesus, in after years, were to ask in his name. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." As if he had said, "When you go to the door of mercy, and knock, make use of my name, and you shall

gain admission. Make it known that you belong to me, and my Father will treat you as belonging to him. Make it known that there is a mutual affection, a close and indissoluble friendship subsisting between us, and my Father will take you into his favor, to his heart, Tell him that my name is dear to you, and it will endear you to him; so endear you, that, ask what you will-the forgiveness of your sins, adoption into his family, the sanctification of your nature, the riches of his grace-all, all he will give you; I am so beloved by him, that, for my sake, he will refuse you nothing."

"Now, what a vast acquisition was this to the wealth of devotion! By empowering his people to employ the argument of his name, he is, in so far, placing the fund of his merit at their disposal. He affords them the profound satisfaction of bringing it into the presence of God, and using for themselves the very same plea which he employs for them; he is, in effect, pleading for them by their own lips, as well as by his own, and thus multiplying the voice and power of his intercession. By investing them with this privilege, he is virtually clothing them with priestly vestments, placing them by his side at the altar, and putting in their hands a censer filled with incense like his own."*

In this connection, it may be added, that Christ pledges himself to act in behalf of his disciples as their personal intercessor. "I will pray the Father for you." This was a new revelation; an announcement and an assurance never before imparted to believers; a power and a resource, of which past ages had been ignorant; or, if patriarchs and prophets had had some conjectures of this tenor, they were too faint to impart strength and animation to their devotions. Nor, in point of fact, could Christ have been such an intercessor before, as after, his death. From and after that momentous

event, his residence-as God-Man-Mediator-was to be in

Harris' Great Teacher.

heaven. There he was to reside, as the victorious Son of God; the conqueror of those powerful enemies of man, sin, Satan, and death; as one who had actually "traveled in the greatness of his strength; and, by the shedding of his blood, had purchased a people for himself." "The merit of his death would no longer be prospective, but actually existing; a fund of infinite value and inexhaustible resource, which he had created for them, and which, like incense and an acceptable memorial, would continually ascend to God in their behalf. He himself would be on the throne with the Father, and would personally attend to their interests. He would bear them on his heart; he would receive their supplications from off the wings of faith and love, and, mingling with them the merit of his sacrifice, he would present them to God. Thus, by proclaiming himself our intercessor, he would have us to know, that the entire merit of all that he did is contained as incense in his golden censer, that he might offer it up with the prayers of his people. Our prayers, then, in their ascent to the throne of God, mingle and blend with the ascending incense of his merit; our voice, before it reaches the ear of God, falls in and blends with the voice of him whom the Father heareth always. So that, in pledging himself to intercede in our behalf, he is, in effect, assuring us of the certainty of our success."

What an encouragement is thus presented to Christians to pray!-far, very far, beyond what the ancient believer possessed. A power, a purchase upon the throne, has been placed at their disposal, of surpassing and incomprehensible value. Reader! if you are Christ's, you have an all-sufficient, almighty advocate with the Father; one whom you know; one who invites your confidence; who solicits the management of your cause, and who has power with God.

"I will pray the Father for you." Had such an announcement been made to the patriarchs and prophets of old, what an impulse would it have given to their devotions! What

fervor and importunity to their prayers! The hope of success animates our efforts; assurance of it, secures it. The intercession of Christ-one of the most wonderful revelations in the whole divine record-is a verity, which we are not permitted to doubt: a truth, which we may appropriate and employ to our largest desire; and, in virtue of which, we may make ourselves the constant and importunate clients of the Great Advocate. How poor then soever our cause may be in itself, with an advocate who knows so well how to manage it with an intercessor of such exalted merit to urge its acceptance-so far from distrusting the issue of our prayers, "we may feel that the footstool is our only place of safety and hope; that, if danger impend, a sure way to avert it; or, if pardon and life be needed, a direct means to insure them, is to pray in the name of Jesus; making him, at the same time, by our faith and reliance, our advocate and friend."

In ev'ry dark, distressful hour,

When sin and Satan join their power,
Let this dear hope repel the dart,
That Jesus bears us on his heart.

Great Advocate! Almighty Friend!
On thee our humble hopes depend;
Our cause can never, never fail;

For thou dost plead, and must prevail.

But the revelations of Jesus, on this subject, are not yet exhausted. I may add, therefore, that as a higher encouragement to the devotions of Christians, Jesus assures them that he will himself answer their supplications. "Whatsoever

ye

shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." To authorize them to ask in his name, and to assure them of his intercession for them, might seem enough. But, if enough for them, it was not enough for the full and overflowing love of Jesus. He designed to roll up,