man? And the swearer, as he is moved to take the name of the Lord in vain; or the gambler, as he is about to enter the secret lurking-place of sin, either to be ruined himself, or to aid in the ruin of others; or the debauchee, as he is wending his way to the haunts of those whose guests are the dead in trespasses and sins, and whose "steps take hold on hell"; or the murderer, as he is moved with the design to imbrue his hands in the blood of a fellow-being; or the oppressive, the fraudulent, and the dishonest of every description; - would they not all, by the fervent exercise of this short petition when they were beset with temptations, be led to deliverance from evil, and salvation from moral death? The answer is clear. This would be the effect of the prayer.

"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen." Thine is the dominion over all; thine is universal power; thine the glory. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

This is the prayer, which the wisest of teachers directed his disciples to use; and which every Christian believer should know and understand. For appropriateness, simplicity, comprehensiveness, and purity of thought, it has never been surpassed, and it will ever stand first and best in the great record of human petitions to the God of all.

From the fact, that this form of prayer was given to the disciples, we are not to infer, that no other is to be used. Prayers may be offered according to circumstances; and, of course, different words and forms of expression will be observed. It is not so much the lan

guage of the lips, as of the heart, that God regards. It matters but little what place may be chosen for the offering up of the devout petition to the Source of all light and love; whether in the public sanctuary, or in the closet; amidst the busy crowd, or in the retired silence of some consecrated spot, where no eye can behold but that of Omniscience. It may go up from the monarch on his throne, or from the beggar in rags; from the palace of the proud, the cottage of the lowly, or the dungeon of the prisoner. It may be the still whispering of the heart, or it may be clothed in words of pleasing sound. If it be offered in sincerity, it is the same with him to whom all time and space are but names, and with whom there is no respect of persons.

"Prayer its way to God can find,

From earth's deepest centre;
Though a wall of steel confined,

Prayer that wall would enter;
Rocks of granite, gates of brass,

Alps to heaven soaring,

Bow to let the wishes pass

Of a soul imploring!"

"I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting." Such is the language of the apostle. And this spirit of prayer is in exact agreement with the religion of the Son of God. Men are to pray to their Father in heaven for themselves, and for one another. And if they not only pray, but watch and live as faithful children, the blessings of the Eternal will descend upon them, and crown their lives with peace and happiness.

It is not my intention here to treat on public prayer. This is better understood, and we may add, better prac

tised, than the other great important duty of secret prayer. Here is the employment in which the true Christian finds himself at home; here he holds sacred "audience with the Deity"; confesses his sin, humbles himself, gives thanks for mercies received, and implores grace to help in future. Here the world need not enter; when the heart is pouring forth its secret thoughts, its secret confessions, its secret resolves to forsake the foolish and live. No act of a poor, frail mortal can be of deeper interest than that of secret prayer. Here can be no hypocrisy, no speaking to be heard of men. The soul is in communion with God; and the humble petitioner possesses feelings like those which led the poet to say;

"Be earth with all her scenes withdrawn,

Let noise and vanity be gone;

In secret silence of the mind,

My God and there my heaven I find."

One hour spent in devotion like this, is worth all the formal prayers and vain repetitions, that ever went up from the lips of man.

True prayer gives us confidence in God. It leads us to him under all circumstances, and learns us to repose unlimited confidence in his goodness. To ask God's blessings, and to feel the need of them, will keep us humble. To realize that he is ever near, will make us devout, and cause us to put away all hypocrisy, and come to the throne of grace with sincerity and fervor of heart. To understand the nature and object of prayer, while we daily observe it, will insure us resignation and peace, under the various trials and ills of life. And so on: look which way we will, we perceive the advantages of prayer. The lover and observer of this institution needs not to

have them repeated to him; yet they should not be withheld from any who desire to keep their hearts in the love of God. We here speak of the advantages of secret prayer.

ence of the multitude.

It is in secret, that the heart can freely express its emotions to the Creator. This may not be done in presThe physician is rather consulted in secret than in the crowd. So may the heart of man apply in secret to the heavenly physician, who is ready and willing to bestow all needed aid.

Secret prayer enlarges the soul, and gives it greater views of the character, purposes, and commandments of God. The more the scholar applies himself to his studies away from the world, the less of embarrassment and hindrance he finds; and the more sure is his progress in knowledge. So of the Christian student. The more he enjoys of communion with God in secret, the more his spiritual conceptions are enlarged, and the more he becomes like his Father in heaven.

Secret prayer is the Christian's privilege at all times. He cannot always present himself before God in temples consecrated to his service. Circumstances often forbid this. Yet he can 66 pray without ceasing "; that is, he can keep alive the spirit of prayer, and, wherever he may be, he can lift up his thoughts in humble supplication and praise to him "who seeth in secret."

Secret prayer makes all the duties of life easy. God is the great helper of his children; and if they seek him they will "find grace to help in every time of need." It is thus, that "those who wait upon the Lord renew their strength." By seeking him, their confidence is strengthened, and they go forth from the closet to the business of

life, better than ever prepared to meet all its vicissitudes. "Acquaint now thyself with God and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee."

On the other hand the neglect of secret prayer is the sure evidence of practical unbelief. As the garden without care will run to waste, so the heart without the influence of prayer, will degenerate. There are those, professing faith in Christianity, and love for its precepts, who think and act strangely in regard to the duty of prayer. Some of these doubt the utility of public prayer, and express their scruples about the ostentation and vain pretence too often visible in connexion with it. They are in favor of secret prayers; but even here, if another talk much about this, he is suspected by them of sounding his own trumpet; of praying in secret, and then proclaiming it! This does not suit them. They are for secret prayer; but, if the whole truth in relation to their own practice could be made known, we should perhaps find their prayers so secret, that their use of them has never been suspected even by themselves! For such persons to talk about secret prayer is shameful. It is the sincere opinion of the writer, that we should have more, many more, in our churches and congregations ready to pray in public, did they but heed the privilege and duty of prayer in secret. Christian reader; will you think of this, and ask yourself if the suggestion is not probably true?

Prayer to many seems a wearisome duty. This is because it is not understood by a heart unaccustomed to meditate on "things above." A popular writer has expressed a great deal of sense in a short space on this subject. "But he to whom the duty of prayer is un