unattainable by any human efforts; after all such efforts had been made without success; after all hope of obtaining them, except by prayer, had vanished; and when, Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man,' had become the only language seriously thought of by those who were concerned. Of such instances I could easily mention a considerable number. Many more, there is every reason to believe, are remarked by every observing, religious man. Many more still would I doubt not have been remarked, if religious men were more observant, and prayer were more continually and faithfully performed.

It will be said still, that even these blessings might have been given, had they not been supplicated. To this suggestion of possibility the proper answer is, "They might not." We know they were not given without prayer; and have not a shadow of reason to conclude that, if they had not been prayed for, they would ever have been given. The suggestion therefore is useless to the purpose for which it is made.

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But the complete proof lies in this; that certain blessings are not given to men who do not pray, and those, blessings of the highest importance. Such are peace of conscience, 'joy in the Holy Ghost,' the hope,' which maketh not ashamed,' increase of grace, and final perseverance in piety. These are the best of all blessings; and these are never found by those who do not pray. They are also blessings which none but God can give. As therefore they are given to those only who pray, so they are plainly given as an answer to prayer.

At the same time, I am bound, as an inhabitant of NewEngland, solemnly to declare, that were there no other instances to be found in any other country, the blessings communicated to this would furnish ample satisfaction concerning this subject to every sober, much more to every pious man. Among these the destruction of the French armament under the Duke D'Anville, in the year 1746, ought to be remembered with gratitude and admiration by every inhabitant of this country. This fleet consisted of forty ships of war; was destined for the destruction of New-England; was of sufficient force to render that destruction, in the ordinary progress of things, certain; sailed from Chebucto, in Nova-Scotia, for this purpose; and was entirely destroyed on the night following a general fast throughout New-England, by a terrible

tempest. Impious men, who regard not the work of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands,' and who for that reason are finally destroyed, may refuse to give God the glory of this most merciful interposition. But our ancestors had, and it is to be hoped their descendants ever will have, both piety and good sense sufficient to ascribe to Jehovah the greatness, and the power, and the victory, and the majesty' and to 'bless the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever.'

3. The Scriptures put this subject out of doubt, by declaring directly, that blessings are given to mankind in answer to prayer.

To prevent any misapprehension concerning the views now to be exhibited of this subject, I observe, that I do not consider prayer as meriting in any case the blessings which are given to the suppliant. All blessings are bestowed upon man by the unmerited mercy of God; as is unanswerably evident from the fact, that men universally are sinners, and deserve of course nothing but punishment.

Nor do I intend, that the prayers of men change at all the views, dispositions, or purpose of God. The Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift, is without variableness, or shadow of turning.' No suppliant therefore is encouraged to pray by an expectation, or a possibility of producing the least change in the glorious object of his prayers.

But I intend, that prayer is in this sense the means of procuring blessings; viz. that without prayer the blessings would never be obtained.

4

In the immutable counsels of God it is established, that there shall be an inseparable connection between humble, faithful prayer, and the blessings needed by the suppliant. Prayer is therefore as regular, nay, more regular, a cause of blessings, than ploughing and sowing, rain and sunshine, are of the harvest.

In support of this position, I shall now allege several passages of Scripture, sufficient in my view to establish the doctrine beyond reasonable debate.

The only condition upon which mankind receive any blessings, is given us by our Saviour in that remarkable passage: Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh

receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.' As asking is here made the condition of receiving; it is plain, that if we perform not this condition, we are assured that we shall not receive.

Again: Verily, verily, I say unto you, that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.' John xvi. 23. Here the promise is unlimited, as to the good which is asked; and absolute, as to the certainty of receiving it. More cannot be expressed, nor desired. Again: Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,' 1 John iii. 22. Quotations of this nature need not be multiplied.

As proof that prayer is not offered up in vain, I allege Isaiah xlv. 19: I said not to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.' In this passage God declares that it was no part of his declarations to Israel, that they sought him, or prayed to him in vain. Of consequence, it was no part of his counsels with respect to that people. But the counsels of God towards his people, in the different ages of the world, are in substance the same. It is now as true as it was when this prophecy was uttered, that they never seek, that they never pray, in vain.

The prevailing power of prayer is directly as well as strongly asserted by St. James; The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.'

'Is any sick,' says the same apostle, let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick; and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.'

To illustrate all these declarations, St. James adduces the example of Elijah; who, although a frail man, like others, 'prayed earnestly, that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.' These great effects, it is to be remembered, were consequences of the prayers of a single

man.

After the glorious prediction communicated to Ezekiel concerning the return of the Jews to their own land in the latter days, a prediction delivered in absolute terms by God himself, the same great Being declares, Yet for all this will I be in

quired of,' that is, prayed to, by the house of Israel, to do it for them.' Absolute as the promises of these vast blessings were, still the blessings were to be given only in answer to the prayers of the recipients.

Among the divine promises concerning the millennial happiness, this is a remarkable one: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.' From this great fact will arise inseparably the happiness itself. Without such an universal spirit of prayer as is here predicted, the peculiar blessings of that singular period would never exist; for then, as in all preceding periods, the only ordinance of God concerning this subject will be, Ask, and ye shall receive.'

From all these passages it is I think unanswerably evident, that prayer is entirely efficacious to procure blessings from God.

It ought here to be further observed, that we are not to ex pect any thing in answer to our prayers which is not agreeable to the will of God. Nor ought we to wish any thing which is not of this nature to be given to us; for nothing else will prove a blessing. Whatever is right and proper to be done, is a part of the Divine will.

Nor ought we to expect the very same kinds or measures of good for which we pray. Often these would not be good for us; or if good for us at all, they would not be so at the times, and in the manner in which we ask for them. Good will always be given in answer to our prayers; but it will be real good, such as God sees to be good, and not such as we erroneously may imagine to be of this nature.

REMARKS.

1. All persons have abundant encouragement to pray to God.

This was originally proposed as a distinct head of discourse. I have chosen to introduce it in this form, because it grows so naturally out of the two preceding heads; and because it has of necessity been anticipated in the consideration of them. The usefulness of prayer by its own proper influence, and by its efficacy in procuring blessings from God, are prime encouTagements to the performance of this duty.

The certain prospect of becoming better, wiser, more lovely in the sight of God, and more fitted to receive blessings from his hands, and of actually gaining the blessings by known, limited, and easy efforts, is a combination of the highest and moblest motives which can influence a rational being. To every suppliant these motives are continually presented. They are presented by God himself; they are established by his undeceiving declarations; they are obvious to our own reason; they are therefore real, and ought plainly to have their full influence on every reasoning mind. The good in view is the greatest good. Nay, there is no other real good. It is good in certain reversion for every suppliant.

In support of this scheme may be alleged, as full evidence, the numerous examples in which these great consequences of prayer have actually existed; examples, faithfully recorded in the Scriptures for our encouragement in this duty.

Abimelech received an entire deliverance from the distresses in which his family were involved, as an answer to the prayer of Abraham.

As an answer to the prayers of Abraham, also, God assured him, that, if ten righteous men should be found in the cities of the plain, he would spare those cities, and not consign them to the punishment which their sins had so eminently deserved.

In answer to the prayer of Job, God forgave the sin and folly of his three friends, in not speaking of him the thing which was right.

At the prayer of Moses, the Israelites were not only delivered from many other evils, but preserved also from utter extinction.

At the prayer of Gideon, the dew fell on the ground, and not on the fleece; and again on the fleece, and not on the ground; that he might know the will of God, and be satisfied that he acted under a divine commission.

At the prayer of Samuel, the Lord thundered on the army of the Philistines, and wrought a great salvation for Israel. At the prayer of Hezekiah, his life was lengthened fifteen years.

In answer to the prayer of Daniel, Gabriel was sent from the highest heavens, to explain the wonderful and distressing vision, disclosed to him concerning future times.