and knocked, they would have received and gained entrance agreeably to the promise, but time lasts not always. Behold the contrast between the prayer of these foolish virgins and holy Stephen. Acts vii, 29. He is a dead man, who does not pray.

The Scriptures plainly teach the duty of specification in prayer, and especially in private prayer. Think not that your prayers will be of much, if any avail, so long as they do not partake of this property. He who asks for a great many things at a time, cannot be very desirous of getting any one of them. It is in prayer, as in some other things, the way to accomplish much, is to do one thing at a time. Take a single case and lay that before God. The woman of Canaan came to Christ on a single errand, and urged one only suit. When Peter was in prison, and the Church desired his release, they prayed, not for all good things, but "for him." He, who in his secret devotions, prays only for his friends or his enemies in general, is not sufficiently interested for any one of them.

It is thought by some, that Christians do not need to be prayed for. But they need it as much as any others, and we are more frequently reminded of the duty of praying for them than for any other class of persons. Our consistency as Christians, and our progress in religion, depend very much on our prayers for one another. Perhaps the low state of religion among professing Christians is more owing to a neglect of this duty than any thing else.

When Paul prayed for the Ephesians, it is remarkable that he prayed for but one thing, and that one in

order to others. Gal. i, 17. The truth is, we do not want but one thing. Thy want, O man, is of the soul, and thy soul has but one want" One thing is needful." Would to God thy soul had but one desire, so as to say with David-" One thing have I desired of the Lord; that will I seek after."

SECRET PRAYER.

MEN never take so firm a hold on God as in secret. Remember Jacob.

Thou shouldest pray alone, for thou hast sinned alone; and thou art to die alone, and to be judged alone. Alone thou wilt have to appear before the judgment-seat. Why not go alone to the mercy-seat? In the great transaction between thee and God, thou canst have no human helper. You can be free before God. You are not going to tell him any secret. You may be sure he will not betray your confidence. Whatever reasons there may be for any species of devotion, there are more and stronger reasons for secret devotion.

Nothing is more embarrassing and disturbing in secret prayer than unpropitious circumstances. Great attention ought always to be paid to this point-"Enter into thy closet," says Christ. He says not a closet, nor the closet, but thy closet. The habit of secret communing is supposed to be formed. The man is supposed to

have a closet-some place to which he is accustomed to retire for prayer-some spot consecrated by many a meeting there with God-some place that has often been to him a Bethel. The Saviour uses the word to mean any place, where, with no embarrassment either from the fear or pride of observation, we can freely pour out our heart in prayer to God. No matter what are the dimensions of the place, what its flooring or canopy. Christ's closet was a mountain, Isaac's a field, Peter's a housetop.

Go not into thy closet to say prayers. Oh! I wish obsolete. could be written against that phrase, saying prayers. It were as proper to speak of saying praises.

If, when in thy closet, thou feel nothing, say—“ Oh God, I feel nothing; no gratitude, no contrition, no desire." God likes truth.

It is in the closet, and not in the crowd, that men become acquainted with God; and what so important as acquaintance with God? Oh! how it lightens the pressure of calamity, relieves the loneliness of death, and breaks the shock of the entrance to eternity.

To become remiss in secret devotion is to become tired of God.

What an argument we have for secret prayer in the example of Christ, who seems to have been in the habit of retiring to very solitary places, for the purpose of personal communion with God, and especially for prayer. Yes! He, who knew no sin, who needed no forgiveness, and whose mind was not liable to be diverted and distracted, as ours is, maintained secret prayer. Though the habit of his soul was devotion, and every breath

bore prayer upon it, and, wherever he was, he held perfect and uninterrupted communion with the Father, yet He was wont to seclude himself to pray. With all these advantages over us, He felt the necessity of it; and, with the business of the world's redemption to attend to, He found time for it. This example speaks volumes to us all. Was it necessary for Him and not for thee, poor, guilty, exposed sinner, that hast a God to propitiate, a soul to save, a heaven to obtain? Was it practicable for Him, and canst thou, durst thou, say it is not for thee? Canst thou not find a secrecy, or make a solitude? And if the day is not thy own, is not the night? That was the Saviour's time of prayer, and the cold mountain top was his oratory.

The Scriptures do clearly teach, that secret prayer ought to be not only daily—" give us this day our daily bread;" but often through the day. Daniel and David prayed three times a day at least. "To pray frequently is to pray fervently."

FAMILY PRAYER.

CAN any one doubt whether God is more pleased with the practice than with the omission of family prayer? Does any one doubt whether the practice or the omission will be the more pleasing subject of retrospect from the dying bed, in the eternal world? By and by will

come the long deferred and greatly dreaded season, of taking the last look and the last leave of those whom your decease is to make orphans. Oh then, if this sweet thought may enter into your meditation, that you have been in the daily habit of commending them to the care and grace of their heavenly Father, and that you may now indulge the confident hope that He will infinitely more than supply the paternal place which you leave vacant, you may leave the world rejoicing. Otherwise, there will be a great darkness resting on your hopes, if not respecting yourself, yet certainly respecting your darling children.

Do you ask for an express precept enjoining family worship? Suppose it cannot be given. Yet listen to the language of prophetic indignation-" Pour out thy fury upon the families that call not upon thy name." Hear one in high favor with God, saying, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Even Paganism, in all its sottishness, has never been so stupid as to deny the obligation of family religion. And the blessed Saviour, when on earth, left us an example that we should follow his steps;-he prayed with his family.

PRAYER MEETINGS.

THE want of concert in prayer, brings it to pass that we have no such influence accompanying the word preached as that which gave pungency and power to