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before his conversion. If Saul of Tarsus were living in this day, and were walking about with us, and taking his place among our congregations-if there was any individual among us who was near heaven, we should say it was Saul of Tarsus. He had profited in the Jew's religion above many his equals, of equal standing with himself in point of talent, erudition, and high station: no man was more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of the fathers than he was, determined to resist any encroachment: and in all that was considered virtuous, lovely, and of good report, he signalized himself in general estimation. Surely we should say, “Here is a man fit for heaven on the principle of merit." But St. Paul had been taught the difference between his own religion, in which there was so much short-coming, and the obedience of Christ, in which there was no short-coming. He felt the force of the alternative, and therefore he was so anxious to win Christ, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.

Let these sayings find a lodgment in your heart; that, while they who trust in the general mercy of God do so at the expense of his whole character, they who trust in his mercy as it is manifest in unison with justice in the work of Christ, may surely hope for everlasting salvation; and their hope shall never be confounded.

How delightfully, then, we are brought to the last remark I shall make: No humble penitent whose heart has been softened need despair of obtaining mercy, so long as there is an ear willing to listen to the precious truths of the Gospelso long as there is a tongue to ask its blessings-so long as there is a heart to desire those blessings-so long as these blessings are obtained. Come, then, ye weary, heavy-laden, trembling sinners; come to Christ to-night with a burden too heavy for you to bear: O do not carry it any longer: yes, carry it a little way; but not further than to the foot of the Redeemer's cross: carry it there, casting all your care on Him who on that accursed tree gave such touching proofs of caring for you. O hear his voice as he hangeth there: "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” "Ah!" say you, "these are certainly encouraging exhortations, and we have heard them, and have done as we were bid; and we have carried our burden there, but we have not obtained rest: the agony of our sins still, still cleaves to us. Our souls have long been in heaviness, by reason of strong convictions, and we are almost beginning to fear that our hope is perishing." O, my brother, thou art not patient; thou art falling into the sin of not waiting. But wait: if you have thrown down the burden, and expect immediate relief, you have been forgetful of the days, weeks, and months, that you allowed to pass before you brought your burthen there. You have God's word to rest upon, that in due season you shall have relief: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."

I beseech every burdened sinner, if he forget the whole of the sermon besides, to remember this word—that you are not permitted in any part of your Christian experience to interpret the delay of mercy into denial of mercy. You are not to say, that because God will not give you mercy when you ask it, you will not have it at all. O beware of charging God with want of wisdom: he is as wise as he is kind; he has infinitely good reason for every thing he does, and for every chastisement to which he submits you. Look at Paul; it was three days

after he was arrested in his career to Damascus before he obtained spiritual comfort. O, the agony of those three days! He could not eat; his friends brought him the cup of refreshment, but he could not drink. O the agony of the penitent, broken-hearted, Saul of Tarsus ! But you see that after this agony of three days, Paul was brought out of his trouble. And why was al! this? To shew him what sin is; to make him feel the need of prayer; to dig deep, and lay low the foundation of the superstructure that was to rise so high. So perhaps with you: the longer you have been kept waiting for mercy, the more remarkable monument of grace God intends you to be. Wait, then, I beseech you, wait patiently on the Lord, and he will incline unto you and hear your cry. The longer you have been sighing for mercy, the nearer it certainly is to you. Perhaps some messenger of mercy is now hastening his way towards you; and perhaps the next Christian you meet may speak a word in season to your heart: perhaps the next sermon that you may hear, may let in the light of heaven on your soul, and chase away all the shadows of your present deep despair. The vision is yet for an appointed time; but though it tarrieth, wait for it: wait for it, and it will surely come; it will not tarry.

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RESTRAINING PRAYER BEFORE GOD.

REV. J. PARSONS.

POULTRY CHAPEL, JANUARY 27, 1835*.

"Thou restrainest prayer before God.”—JOB, xv. 4.

THE principle of this address, my brethren, is clearly one of a most grave and serious order; and although by some it might be treated with perfect unconcern and indifference, yet it could not be heard by a mind possessing aught of spiritual susceptibility, except with terror and alarm. It was, as you perceive by the connexion, the charge of Eliphaz against Job, at a time when the patriarch was sunk under the pressure of deep and peculiar afflictions, and when he gave way to despondency of soul. As it was applied to him by his visitor, it probably may be considered as unnecessarily harsh and severe, and not borne out and ustified by facts: although it will also be perceived, that the expressions of the sufferer exposed him to some imputation of blame. But whatever might be the ground of the original appropriation of the reproof, it is not to be doubted, that many now exist in the world against whom, with perfect equity, it may be alleged; and there are many (and perhaps not a few who are now in this assembly), who have reason to be startled and to be humbled, because they are guilty of restraining prayer before God.

Any explanation, my brethren, of the immediate connexion of the text, after the brief remarks which have already been made, probably will not be required. It is intended, therefore, at once to proceed to illustrate it, in such a manner as to embrace those general principles which it properly suggests, and which must be regarded as of high importance to the interests and the well-being of all men. The presentation of those principles cannot but be regarded as eminently appropriate to the specific occasion which has now assembled us in the house of God; because their recognition and their just application are evidently essential to the success of this, and of all other institutions, which are now imploring the charity and receiving the support of the enlightened and Christian world. But, my brethren, I do not affect to conceal at the outset, that the great object which I have in view is, to enforce those general principles upon you as being individually responsible, and being individually immortal. Those amongst you whose spirits heretofore may have been the most elevated, will, I trust, find additional reason for continued watchfulness and care: and those who are now present, and by whom the guilt noticed in the text has in any manner been contracted, will, I trust, under God, receive such an impulse, as will lead them on to pardon and salvation.

* On behalf of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society.

We have to request your patient and devout attention, while we notice, in the first place, the employment, the importance of which is assumed; secondly, the habit, the indulgence of which is charged; and, thirdly, the evils, the infliction of which is threatened. All these are rightly involved in the expression, "Yea, thou restrainest prayer before God."

First, we shall proceed to notice from these words, THE EMPLOYMENT, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHICH IS ASSUMED. It is, as you will perceive, the employment of prayer.

Prayer, as we need scarcely explain, is an application made by an inferior being to one who is superior, for the communication of a good, which it would benefit the one to receive, and which the other is able to bestow. He who prays must be conscious of his personal imperfection and personal wants; he must be anxious to have those imperfections supplied, and those wants relieved; and he must exercise a just confidence, that the Being to whom he addresses himself, is actually possessed of the knowledge, and the power, and the willingness, essential to procure the impartation of the blessing desired. All these emotions, my brethren, are essential to constitute prayer; where these are not, there may, indeed, be the form of prayer, there may be the name of prayer, there may be the attitude of prayer, and there may be the external appearance of prayer; but the thing itself is absent and he who professes to use it, is just as far from it as if the very first syllables of religion were unknown, and as if he were engaged in those employments from which religion is at the utmost possible distance of separation. Now it must be observed more particularly, that the end and object of all prayer is God. This you will perceive to be clearly implied in the expression of the text; as we read "prayer before," or "unto," "God." You are doubtless prepared to remember, that God is alone adequately possessed of the various attributes to which we refer, as those essential to justify and to claim the offering of supplication to him. We have, for example, referred to knowledge; and he searcheth the hearts and he trieth the reins; there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight; "all things are naked and open in the eyes of Him with whom we have to do:" he is a God of knowledge. We have referred to power; and " he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and amongst the inhabitants of the earth; none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest thou?" He speaks, and it is done; he commands, and it stands fast. He is the Lord God Omnipotent. We have referred again to willingness; and his kindness is infinite, he waiteth to be gracious: he is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. These attributes of Jehovah must be regarded as in themselves commending and sealing his claim upon the supplications of all mankind. And in the volume of inspired truth, as you cannot but be aware, there are distinct and direct assertions of that claim, the most decisive and solemn which language can possibly supply. To address in prayer other beings, while there exists such a one as Jehovah, constitutes a folly and a guilt at once palpable and enormous; guilt which can only terminate in the infliction of his direst curses. And it cannot but be advantageous for us ever to remember, in regard to the importance of prayer, his own vindication of his own exclusive majesty: "I am Jehovah, that is my name; and I will not give my glory unto another."

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But, secondly, it must be observed, that God, who is the only true object of prayer, has rendered it a matter of positive and universal duty. He has imposed it, by his own command, upon all the people of the earth. The obligation, my brethren, cannot but be reasonably and properly inferred from those relations which are revealed as essentially existing between man and God. Man, for example, being the creature, and God the Creator-man being the preserved, and God the Preserver-man being the recipient, and God the Benefactor-man being the subject, and God the Governor-man being the criminal, and God the Judge.

There are, besides, positive and distinct commands, the import of which it is perfectly impossible to mistake, and the force of which it is perfectly impossible to avoid. We are taught, for example, that men are to “ pray always," and "not to faint;" that they are to "watch" and "to pray;" that they are to "continue instant in prayer;" that they are to "pray without ceasing;" that "in every thing they are to pray always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit ;" and that in every thing they are to "make known their requests by prayer and supplication, with thanksgivings unto God." Directions are given upon every point connected with the ordained employment; misapprehension with respect to which we might conceive perfectly impossible: directions, for example, as to the manner; the medium through which prayer is to be performed through the merit of the Atoning Sacrifice directions as to the scenes in which prayer is to be performed—in the silence of the secret chamber, amid the enjoyments of the social circle, and in the assemblies of the great congregation and directions as to the spirit in which prayer is to be performed -the spirit of humility, the spirit of faith, the spirit of earnestness, and the spirit of perseverance.

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My brethren, the law which Jehovah has been pleased to reveal on the subject of prayer, must be regarded as involving every thing which can guide, and govern, and animate, and inspire. And strange and wondrous, indeed, it is, that to a law, involving, as it does, all that is overwhelming in power, as well as all that is melting in tenderness, men do not bow at all times in blended adoration and love. For ourselves, my brethren, be it our great and constant desire, to render the tribute that is due to Him; be it our frequent invitation one to another, "O come, let us worship and fall down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker:" and let it be our highest ambition, that we may live and die as men of prayer; that at length we may be transferred, as the monuments of its triumphant efficacy, to other and nobler worlds, where our employments will be those of rapturous and everlasting praise.

We have offered, my brethren, these brief observations upon the nature of the employment, the importance of which is assumed, for the purpose of rendering the way clear and easy for that which ought to be more impressive and more solemu, and to which I am now to request your attention at large, in the second proposed object in our address, namely, THE NATURE OF THE HABIT, THE INDULGENCE OF WHICH IS CHARGED. "Thou restrainest prayer before God." Instead of submitting to, and absolutely obeying, the injunctions which God has imposed upon thee, and imposed upon all mankind, thou art guilty of holding back and preventing the exercise of supplication; although

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