state, rather by the number and length of their services, than by the spirituality of their minds in them : and it tvould he loell if some who minister in holy things, and who multiply their services beyond what their strength will endure, would attend to this hint.]
But we should have more correct notions of the Deity, than to imagine that he requires, or accepts, such services as these —
[We mean not to say, that persons may not profitably and acceptably prolong their services to any extent, when their spirits are devout and their hearts are enlarged ; for our Lord himself spent whole nights in prayer and in communion with his God : nor do we say, that all repetitions of the same requests must necessarily be superstitious ; for our Lord him- self, thrice within the space of one hour, retired for prayer, and poured out his soul in the very same words ® : but we must be understood to say, that the acceptableness of our prayers does not depend on the length of them. God does not need to be informed, or to be persuaded, by us : he is omniscient, and " knows what we need, before we ask him ;" and he is all-merciful, and is infinitely more ready to give than we are to ask. We mistake the nature of prayer altogether, if we think that God is prevailed upon by it to do what he was otherwise averse to do. It is true, he requires us to be importunate^: but such expressions as these are not to be strained beyond their proper import: the use of prayer is, to aflfect our own souls with a deep sense of our guilt and misery ; to acknowledge our entire dependence upon God ; to raise our expectations from him ; and to prepare our hearts for a grateful reception of his blessings ; that, when he has answered our petitions, we may give him the glory due unto his name. It is a truth not gene- rally known, that the very disposition to pray is a gift from God ; and that God does not give because we pray, but stirs us up to pray, because he has before determined to give : and this truth, well digested in the mind, will keep us equally from a presumptuous neglect of prayer, on the one hand, and from a superstitious use of it, on the other.]
In addition to the foregoing cautions, we will suggest two or three others, arising out of a more minute attention to the text, which will serve as a further APPLICATION of the subject —
Guard then,
1 . Against neglect of prayer —
e Matt. xxvi. 44. <" Luke xi. 8—10. and xviii. 7, S.
N a
180 MATTHEW, Vl. 5—8. [1312.
[Our Lord does not here directly enjoin prayer as a duty, but he takes for granted that all his followers will pray. On any other supposition than this, his directions would lose all their force. In a subsequent part of this sermon he both enjoins it as a duty, and suspends on the performance of it all hopes of obtaining blessings from God. In truth, it is not possible for a child of God to neglect prayer. Prayer is the very breath of a regenerate soul : and " as the body without the spirit is dead," so the soul, without those spiritual affections which go forth to God in prayer, is dead also. As soon as ever Saul was converted to God, the testimony of God respecting him was, " Behold, he prayeth^." Those who neglect prayer, are decidedly ranked among the workers of iniquity*^, on whom God will pour out his everlasting vengeance \ Think then, beloved, how many there are amongst us, who have reason to tremble for their state ! O that every prayerless person would lay this thought to heart ! ]
2. Against formality in prayer —
[Prayer is a service of the heart, and not merely of the lip and knee. It is a " pouring out of the soul before God," and " a stirring up of ourselves to lay hold on God." Let none then deceive themselves with mere formal services, whether public or private. As to the circumstance of using a precon- certed form of words, that makes no difference either way : a person may pray spiritually with a form, or formally without one. The true point to be ascertained is. Do the feelings and desires of our souls correspond with the expressions of our lips? If they do, that is acceptable prayer ; if not, it is altogether worthless in the sight of God. In the foregoing address, we have warned the infidel and profane : in this we would warn the superstitious and hypocritical. Yes : we must testify against them, that God looketh at the heart ; and that they never will find acceptance with him, till they come to " worship him in spirit and in truth " ]