THE CHILD NEVER WITHOUT GOD. 277 everlasting Word;" such an education, as would render it possible for the beginning of regeneration to be merged in the remote period of unconsciousness, after which, a gradual increase of the divine life, as received in the soul, and identified with it, would certainly be perceptible, but no distinct period could be pointed out, at which this had begun. That such a gradual regeneration, beginning at the earliest dawn of intellectual and moral life, previously to the consolidation of the evil nature by corrupt practices and habits, is in itself possible, is as certain, as it is, that our Saviour declared the peculiar fitness of little children for the Kingdom of Heaven; though, on the other hand, it must be admitted, that, as matters stand at present, most children have tasted of the bitter fruit of sin by their own experience, before any religious impression is made upon them. Still, even with them, it should not be forgotten, that, although the creature by self-will has had time to grow up in a state of alienation from God, yet the child is not, on that account, quite destitute of internal assistance from the Source of Mercy and Grace. Upon this, then, we ought to build, and for those, who have faith in its existence in the child, I think it both consistent and obligatory, that they should acquaint children with prayer, that is to say, with the possibility of addressing their heavenly Father, and that they should even remind them of their duty to him, in case the children should forget it. But to invite, induce, or command them to pray, is, in my opinion, a gross breach of that reverence, which we ought to entertain for the privilege, granted to the finite creature, of holding communion of heart with the Invisible. This is so important, that, whenever it is necessary to remind a child of prayer, he should not, at the time, be permitted to pray, even though willing to do so, because the sacrifices of a forgetful heart cannot be acceptable before God. Would an affectionate parent be pleased with his child wishing him "good morning," because invited, induced, nay, com 278 FROFANENESS OF UNMEANING PRAYER. manded to do so? Would he not rather wait until the child's own feelings suggested it? And if the thoughtlessness of the child should render it necessary to remind him, would he ever be able to value it, when said in consequence of an admonition? It is strange, but true, that on the subject of prayer, as on all others, our religious teachers are so absorbed in the effort, to win the approbation of the religious world, that they forget the regard due to God, who is, or ought to be, addressed in prayer. The general wordiness of this day's religion has entailed upon us, among other evils, a fearful abuse of prayer; and, in deference to the prevailing opinions, children are made to pray, though their prayers be both unwilling and unmeaning. Now, if the regard due to the Supreme Being were consulted in this matter, it would, at once, be evident, that the Almighty cannot be pleased with words, which have no support, either in head or heart; it would be recollected, that he rejects "vain oblations." How, then, can it be the teacher's duty, to compel the child to bring them, and thus take the name of God and his Christ in vain? Upon whom is the responsibility of this sin to fall?-upon the children, who know not what they do, or upon the teachers, who have means of knowing it, but have more regard to the opinions of men, than to the will of God? The vanity and sinfulness of unwilling and unmeaning prayer is, I know it, abstractedly admitted; even Mr. Gall expresses himself, on this subject, in a manner, in which I fully concur. "Prayer," he says, "is and must be purely "an intellectual and spiritual exercise; an expression of "desire, or, if that be wanting, an expression of "regret and humility for the want of desire; and every "substitute for this mental and spiritual approach to "God, in the matter of prayer, is but a name, a mere "delusion; AN INSULT TO THE GREAT SEARCHER OF "HEARTS, to whom we thus 'draw nigh with the lips, "while the heart' and the mind have been wholly un PRAYER BY COMPULSION. 279 "concerned. But when we begin to investigate the "matter, as appearing in practice, what do we find? "Children are taught to approach the awful majesty of "heaven and earth, without one desire, one request, one "expression of feeling, or, indeed, without an intellec"tual exercise of any kind, from the beginning to the "end of what are most unwisely and untruly called "THEIR PRAYERS. They repeat their little forms of "words, upon their knees, with much decorum, and per"haps with mush seeming reverence; but they know "not what they say. The mind, the rational and im"mortal part of the child, has no share in the exercise. "The parent knows this, and knows that the child per"ceives it to be so, and yet he tells his little one, that this is prayer. Nay, some have even carried the ab"surdity to its utmost limit, and we have actually seen "children on their knees, repeating, by mere rote, psalms "and hymns, as substitutes for even the form of a prayer. "How low must the opinion of the spirituality or om"niscience of God soon become, even to a child, when he "is thus taught, that his worship consists in external "form and sound, without the mind or the heart taking 66 any part in it! It is indeed a contrast, even to the prayer of the heathen. With them, there is the living "form of devotion presented to a dead idol; while "here, there is a dead and senseless form, offered as "devotion to the living God." 66 Of a man who thus clearly apprehends the depth of the evil, and its awful consequences, we expect, that he will not permit children to pray, except when both their hearts and minds are concerned in the exercise. And yet he will have children invited, induced, nay commanded, to pray, even before conversion, that is to say, at a time when, according to his doctrine, it is utterly impossible for the child, to make "a spiritual approach to God." What inconsistency! what blindness! But, bad as this is, it is not the worst. We read far 280 66 SECRET AND SOCIAL PRAYER. ther in his book: "Secret prayer, they" (many good and pious Christians) "have cultivated, and do cultivate; "but social prayer is, what many of them have never "yet been able to engage in, with ease or comfort to "themselves, or with improvement to others. Their physical (!!) nature, they seem to think, cannot now "overcome this backwardness; and the consequence is, "the frequent or constant neglect of family worship, the "want of much comfort and enjoyment in Christian "fellowship, with leanness of soul, a wounded conscience, " and a doubting mind." "When thou prayest, Our Lord and Saviour says: "thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love "to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners "of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily "I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, "when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when "thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is "in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall "reward thee openly." What is here recommended, secret or social prayer? But Mr. Gall, as the mouthpiece of the religious world, says, "Secret prayer has for its reward, leanness of soul, a wounded conscience, and a doubting mind," unless there be added unto it, "social prayer," that is to say, prayer "in the synagogues, in the corners of the streets, at vestry meetings, and in evangelical drawing-rooms." The open reward, which the Lord promised to secret prayer, is not able to compete, in the estimation of these men, with the "ease, and comfort, and enjoyment," of what they term "their Christian fellowship." Verily "it must needs be, that offences come!" Often have I been shocked, when, in a drawing-room, fitted up with all the luxuries of the world, where every thing bespeaks the Mammon-service of the master, and the vanity of the mistress, after a long gossip, during which, not levity, nor even lawful mirth, but hypocritical conceit, 66 RELIGIOUS OPPORTUNITIES." 281 malice, slander, and all uncharitableness were indulged,— to close the profane scene worthily,-the Bible was brought in, and, after the perusal of the chapter, the master called upon one of the company to engage in that fashionable effusion of words, called social prayer, in which all the topics of religion are collected together in elegant phrases, to illustrate, both the spirituality of the offering priest of pharisaism, and the acknowledged sanctity of all that join him. What prayer can a Christian, under these circumstances, offer to the Searcher of hearts, than that he may have mercy on the blindness of those who imagine, that these are the things which he requireth at their hands; who do not perceive the depth of their delusion, by which their religion has become the means of gratifying their ambition and vanity? There are cases, no doubt, in which the common prayer of a number of Christians, assembled together, aside from the assemblies expressly gathered for worship, will be both acceptable before the throne of God, and elevating, enlightening, and improving, to themselves; but these cases are not so common as "the religious opportunities" of the evangelical world, and they are so much more soul-stirring than these, that they require not a long training, to be prepared for the performance of so simple a duty, as the adoration of the All-adorable. The necessity of such a preparation begins to be more felt, as vanity and dryness of heart are increasing among our pharisaical professors; and the art of making such prayers acceptable to the audience, to whom they are, in reality, addressed, but abominable, in the sight of Him, to whom they purport to be directed, has, at length, been reduced into a system. I must beg here, that you will recollect the "separating and proving of doctrines," and you will be able to follow Mr. Gall in what he says concerning this matter. "The following, then, is a specimen, how children may "be taught to turn the answers of the First Initiatory "Catechism' into prayer, to which we would particularly |