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Indeed the common fenfe and feelings of mankind teach them, that when a family or community have offended a prince or benefactor, jointly, by the head of the family, or fome other perfon in their name, to confefs their faults and feek reconciliation. When Herod was highly difpleafed with them of Tyre and Sidon, they came with one accord to him, and having made Blaftus, the king's chamberlain, their friend, defired peace; becaufe their country was nourished by the king's country. [Acts xii. 20.] When families, or particular communities, have received rich and repeated favors from a prince, or fome noble benefactor, their natural feelings and good fenfe teach them to acknowledge fuch favors. How much more do they teach families to confefs their faults, and feek reconciliation to God, and to blefs him for his countless mercies? Is he the only being to whom guilty, dependent families are not obliged to confefs their faults? With whom they are under no obligations to be reconciled?— And to whom they are not bound to give thanks for all his benefits? An appeal is made to your reafon and confcience. Let them feriously determine the point.

Praying always with all prayer, comprifes all public prayer in the houfe of God, and in the affemblies of his people, wherever they may be convened. It implies your being inftant in feafon and out of feafon, to offer your prayers and praifes to God, and to fupplicate his mercies, as well as to hear his word; and that you, by no means neglect the affembling of yourselves together as the manner of fome is. [Heb. x. 25.] God has commanded his minifters to preach the word, to be inftant in feafon and out of feafon; [2 Tim. iv. 24.] and this implies the duty of the people conftantly to attend to offer their public prayers and praifes to God, and hear the word difpenfed. Whenever it is the duty of minifters to pray and preach in public, it is the duty of the people to hear. Public focial worship has been fanctioned by divine inftitution, and the example of the faints from the commencement of the Jewith and chriftian churches unto the prefent time. Good men have always been remarkable for their love to the houfe of God, and attendance on the public worship. This was the language of David and the pious Jews, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I feek after, that I may

well in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. [Pfalm xxvii. 4.] How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hofts! My foul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord ;for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. Bleffed are they that dwell in thy houfe, they will be ftill praising thee. [Pfal. lxxxiv. 1, 2, 5, 10.] This was their refolution, Our feet fball ftand within thy gates, O Jerufalem. [Pfalm cxxii. 2.], The prophets Ifaiah, Micah, and Zechariah, reprefent, that, in the days of the Meffiah, when the fpirit fhall be poured out upon mankind, there will be an uncommon zeal for the public worship. All nations fhall flow together to the house of God. [Ifaiah ii. 2, 3. and Micah iv. I, 2.] The inhabitants of one city hall go to another, faying, Let us go fpeedily to pray before the Lord, and to feek the Lord of hofts: I will go alfo. [Zechariah viii. 20, 21, 22.] This is the very fpirit of God's children towards his house and worship. How abundant were the primitive chriftians in their public prayers and praifes? And were continually in the temple, praifing and bleffing God. [Luke xxiv. 53.1 They continued Readfastly in the apoftles doctrine, and in prayers; and were continually in the temple praifing God.[ Acts ii. 42, 46.] This was remarkably the Spirit of Chrift. Where was he found at twelve years old, but in the temple, attending its public inftructions? It is written of him, The zeal of thine houfe bath eaten me up. [Pfalm Ixix. 9.] No perfon, who does not love the public worship, has his Spirit, nor can be hisdifciple. No man who does not delight in the public worThip, and the communion of the faints in this world, can ever, be qualified for the worship of God's temple above, or be admitted to the fociety and blessedness of the church of the First-Born, whofe names are written in heaven. Public worship is one of the most important means of inftruction, edification, communion with God, and of all divine confolation. In the houfe of God it is that his people fee his power and glory, and are fatisfied as with mar row and fatnefs. This is the birth-place of the faints. When God writeth up the people it fhall be faid of Zi on, that this and that man was born in her. Faith comes by hearing. By the foolishness of preaching it pleafed God to fave them that believe. The public worship is

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the brightest emblem of heaven, and most wifely adapted to prepare those who will devoutly attend upon it for that bleft abode. The bleffing of the Lord is upon thofe who attend the public worship; and his curfe is denounc ed upon all those who neglect it, in the days of the Meffiah. Pfal. lxxxiv. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thine boufe: they will be ftill praising thee. Prov. viii. 34. Bleffed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, and waiting at the pofts of my doors. On the other hand, thofe, who will not publicly worship God, are threatened with drought, famine and death. Zech. xiv. 17, 18. And it fhall be that whofo will not come up, of all the families of the earth unto Ferufalem, to worship the king, the Lord of Hofts, even upon them fhall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain, there fhall. be the plague wherewith the Lord fhall fmite the heathen, that come not up to keep the feaft of tabernacles. With what conftancy, zeal and devotion fhould all go to pray before the Lord? How fhould every one refolve, I will go alfe?

Praying always with all prayer and fupplications, as the divine precept enjoins, comprises ejaculatory prayer ; or an offering up of fhort mental petitions and praises to God, as occafions may require: when journeying or laboring, when fitting or walking. They may be offered at all times, and in all places. This is a constant recollection that we are in the prefence of God; and it greatly contributes to keep us always in his fear. Many are the examples of it in the feriptures, efpecially in the Pfalms. I am perfuaded that all perfons, who have attained to any confiderable degree of piety, have been much exercised in this kind of prayer. They will rarely close their eyes in the evening, or open them in the morning without it. Immediate dangers, temptations, unexpected mercies, or deliverances will engage the four in fhort prayers and praifes. Prayer is the very breath of the chriftian's heart, by which he maintains a conftant course of communion with God. His eyes, like David's, are ever towards the Lord. [Pfal. xxv. 15.]

In a word, praying always with all prayer and fupplication, includes the acknowledgment of God at your tables. Our divine master has taught us to pray, give us this day our daily bread, and by his example to ask his bleffing

in the participation of it. It is alfo exprefsly command ed, that we fhould give thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift. [Eph. v. 20.] This is that life. of prayer which all true chriftians live. They not only pray with all prayer and fupplication, with all perfeverance therein, but they pray in the fpirit, worshipping the Father, in fpirit and in truth. They are all the feed of Jacob, and know how to wrestle with God in prayer. They have all the Spirit of Chrift, and delight in drawing near to God. Because they are fons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father. [Gal. iv. 6.] This is that life of prayer which the fcriptures enjoin, which the examples of the faints, and the perfect example of our Savior recommend. It is that life which every good man defires and determines, by the grace of God, to live, and which is most earnestly recommended to you, and to all perfons to whom this address. thall come.

To engage you in fuch a pious and happy life, ye are moft feriously entreated to contemplate, not only the commands, but the example of Chrift, and the resolutions and examples of the faints. As for me, faith the psalmist, I will call upon God evening and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud. [Pfal. Iv. 16.] Seven times a day will I praife thee. [Pfal. cxix. 164.] I will blefs the Lord at all times: his praif fhall be continually in my mouth. [Pfal. xxxiv. 1.] How did Mofes, Job, Samuel, Elijah, Daniel, the apostles, and primitive chriftians pray? How did Jefus Chrift pray, night and day, while he tabernacled in flesh, offering up prayers and fupplications, with strong rying and tears, unto him that was able to fave him? [Heb.

7. Are ye not under indifpenfable obligations to follow thefe examples? Know ye not, that if any man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his? If ye will not be followers of those who inherit the promises, ye certainly can never inherit with them.

But further, be perfuaded to pray from a confideration of the advantages of prayer. These are not only great and numerous, but they are lafting as eternity. Prayer is a direct addrefs to God, as omnifcient and omniprefent, as directing and governing all creatures and things in

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