ing plain. What the mother feels towards the child which she clasps to her bosom, may help to shew men how they ought to feel when they pray. A parent yearns towards her child. She feels as if her heart were being poured into his, as if there were something which bound her to him, and him to her: or rather, something which was all day long drawing her towards him. She bends her head and neck towards the object of her love: she clasps it close, because it cannot be too near. If it be away, her eyes are always in that direction. We say all this to remind you of the heart's yearnings in respect of that tie which God hath made the strongest of all. But it may suffice to appeal to the passionate longing of the soul towards any one it loves; be it Father, or Mother; Husband, or Wife; Brother, or Sister. In a way somewhat similar our heart should stand affected towards GOD; if not at all times, at least while we pray. Our affections, our desires, our whole inner man should reach itself out towards GOD: put forth an invisible Hand in order to touch Him who is invisible !

Let it be observed, that it need be no matter of surprise if we find it hard to fix our thoughts prayer, and to pray with reality and earnestness for we wrestle not with flesh and blood,

in

but with spiritual enemies, who know that in prayer we are gaining strength to oppose them. They know that the Christian, at his prayers, is like the soldier sharpening his sword, and buckling on his armour. Their whole business therefore is to frustrate the process. They cannot drag the man from his knees: but they can put evil thoughts into his mind; they can lay traps to steal away his attention; they can disturb the prayers which yet they cannot hinder... We would have you, therefore, regard wandering thoughts in prayer, yea, and many other such distracting, disturbing things, as,-in part,—the work of the Enemy: and we would have you resist them, as such; struggle against them, and in GOD's strength seek to overcome them. This form of trial is no proof that GOD has forsaken us; much less that we are become hopelessly estranged from GOD. But it does furnish ground for anxiety and alarm. Have we perchance encouraged these assaults, by dreamy habits, and unreal approaches to the Throne of Grace? Whatever the occasion of them, let us pray God to enable us henceforth to pray aright: and why should we not begin what we desire may prove earnest and attentive prayers, with a prayer for the gifts of earnestness and attention?

The Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity.

THE STIRRED UP WILL.

2 TIMOTHY i. 6.

I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift

of GOD.

THESE words do not occur in any part of the service for this day, which is the last Sunday in the sacred Year; the last also of those twentyfive Sundays after Trinity for which a special Collect, Epistle, and Gospel have been provided in the Prayer-Book. But they are in the highest degree proper to the day; or rather, the train of thought which they awaken belongs to it in a very striking manner. For, as all must have observed, although it is ordered by the rubric that

if there be any more Sundays before AdventSunday, the Service of some of those Sundays. that were omitted after the Epiphany shall be taken in to supply so many as are here wanting: and if there be fewer, the overplus may be omitted; it is yet specially provided that this last Collect, Epistle, and Gospel shall always be

used upon the Sunday next before Advent.' The same provision is made, by other continental Churches; and we gather from it, without any risk of error, what was the intention of our guides in this behalf namely, to teach us that a stirring up of the Will is necessary,-as at all seasons, so especially at this season,-when we are about to enter upon the four solemn Sundays in Advent.

We are well aware that the text alludes to a very different gift from that which dwells in the great mass of GOD's faithful people.' In the meanwhile, the gift which all baptized Christians have received is from one and the same Divine Source; yea, is conveyed through the same human channels. So that, this message of the great Apostle to his son, Timothy,'-the remembrance, namely, that he should stir up the gift of GOD,' -is not without the strictest application to every one of ourselves and we shall do well, on such an occasion as this, to fill our minds with the thought of our great need of Spiritual renewal; or an invigorated Will.

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And here we cannot forbear remarking on the advantage which results to us, from the order of our Services, of a fixed Christian Season being provided for every great Christian duty. Who knows not, by a sad experience, what it is to

have resolved on doing certain acts, but to have hitherto deferred doing them, simply because no special season ever offered itself for the purpose? But it is our great privilege as Christians to have such periods set apart, by authority, for all our prime duties. Not only are great Doctrines brought before us, one by one; and whole weeks appointed, during which we may contemplate in succession each one of the grander features of Gospel Truth; but seasons for Preparation of the heart; for Repentance and Humiliation; for Christian Rejoicing,—are provided for us also. The present week, which is preparatory to Advent, (as Advent is preparatory to Christmas,) reminds us of our need to have our wills stirred up by GoD. Shall we omit to avail ourselves of the occasion to use every means of Grace, by GOD Himself provided, towards this great end?

For indeed, though it be undeniably true that ' we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to GOD, without the Grace of GOD by CHRIST preventing us, that we may have a good will; and working with us, where we have that good will;' yet, the practical duty of bestirring ourselves to the utmost, as if the beginnings of Grace lay within ourselves, is plain and Article X. 'Of Free-will.',