prepared by a fenfibility of their state or wants to receive them. Hence innumerable mercies of God are loft upon us, because of the abfence of a prepared heart.

This preparation of heart originates from a fenfe of our dependence, our wants and neceffities. Mercies bestowed in confequence of thefe impreffions are entertained with propriety and gratitude, and the foul exhalts the glory of God. The frame of mind forms the foul to be a recipient of favours defigned. It reduces the person to the state and circumstances in which he ought to be. He feels as he ought; feels his unworthiness ; and that it would be juft in God to frown on his requests and fpurn him from his prefence.

Thus prayer fits the heart for the receipt of mercies, quickens and revives it, and prepares for their reception. It tends to our comfort and refreshment, to direct our hearts and eyes to God, and in this way to bring in a world of hope and confidence to the foul.-I proceed,

Secondly, to place before you, the great defign of our Saviour's instruction, the irrefragable obligation every perfon is under to perform fecret prayer, or to pray for and by himself.

Will any suppose themfelves acquitted from this obligation by being prefent in the prayers of the family or church. They may ignorantly impofe on themselves, that nothing more in the way of prayer is requifite. But let them remember our Lord here requires fomething different, and that there is fuch an emphasis laid upon it that it would feem to exalt it in some respects above all the variations of social and public prayer. Let every thing be done in order. The one is to be done, and the other not left undone. Family, focial and congregational prayer is to be performed, but private and perfonal prayer is

perhaps of greater confequence. One thing is certain, în neg. left of the latter, the former will be of no avail. To fhow that perfonal prayer is of effential confequence to our falvation, let the following things be obferved.

First, perfonal religion is of the highest concern to every in. dividual. The first attention of each one ought to be about and for himself. He ought to be concerned for his children, family and fociety, to feek and pray for their peace, prosperity, and falvation. Yet in religion every one must attend to his own cafe, whether he is parent or child, master or servant, or whatever distinction may be attributed to his individual cha. racter, this is a first thing obligatory upon him, to take care of his own foul. Would every individual attend to his own falvarion, the whole world would be happy. If the foul of any other were more precious and important than a perfons own, this might change the complexion of his anxiety; but there is no fuch thing in nature, reafon or revelation. Although God hath ordained the falvation of others every man's concern, yet he hath enjoined upon each, that his own foul should require his primary attention. If he lofes that, a world, and a thousand worlds cannot make compenfation Let every one remember the care of his own foul is committed to him.

Now if a man's concern with God and religion be in the first place of perfonal moment, it must furely follow, that perfonal religion is of the highest confequence. Hence fecret prayer as an effential branch of piety must be attended to by every individual. Whatever may be his devotion in the prayers of the family, church or fociety, it cannot plead an apology for the neglect of this duty. An attention to this fecret duty. prepares him for this public fervice. And if this be difregarded, all his public exhibitions of adoration, however fplendid and fhowy in the eyes of men, will be nothing before God.

Secondly, all the reafons which can be adduced for public and focial worship, apply with irrefiftable force, to inculcate the duty of fecret prayer. Are we to pray with and for others, abfurdity itself cannot fay, we are not to pray for ourselves. The reasonablenefs of the duty of prayer arises from the nature and fate of man; from his neceflities wants and dependence. Is there any fountain in ourselves, either of being, comfort, fupport or felicity ? All nature arifes, and the decision is, there is none. This fhows it to be a most meet and rational procedure, that we fhould by prayer and fupplication make appli cation to God, who is the only fource from which fupplies can be had. Is every individual wanting, needy and dependent, hence it is evident to demonftration, that every individual ought to pray. Young and old, male and female, bond and free, from the higheft to the lowest ranks of mankind, all are under this indifpenfable obligation.

Thirdly, every man's cafe in innumerable inftances is peculiar. There may be a fimilitude in the cafes of others, to our own, yet it can hardly be found that the circumstances of even any two perfons can for any time continue the fame. Every perfon has a peculiarity of difficulties, temptations, doubts and diftreffes, which can be expreffed to no one but God. They ought to be opened to none other. Therefore it is the duty of every perfon to pray fecretly and by himself.

Fourthly. Secret prayer is effecially a perfons own act, and is more expreffive of duty and obedience in fome refpects, than family, focial or public prayer. When we unite with others, whether we lead or follow, we ought to make the duty our We may afford our prefence in focial adorations, and not a fingle exercife of prayer in our hearts. Social prayers become our own, when the feelings of our fouls the offered petitions.

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But fecret and perfonal prayer is more in the nature of it our own act. The conceptions, words, fentiments and operations of our minds are in an unrestrained manner our own. Therefore this kind of prayer manifefts a distinguishing respect and abedience to God. Perfons may and do attend public worship in the church from a thousand finifter motives'; from political confiderations, from a love of decency and applaufe, from edu eation, from fear of fingularity, difreputation, &c. But none of these reasons can influence in the prefent cafe. It cannot be performed for the fake of fashion or show, but from a feeling of duty. If this be our conftant practice fome higher motive muft fway the mind than those mentioned. And thus it is a greater proof of obedience and regard to the commandments of Christ. The stated confciencious practice of this duty, either fhows a perfonal love to God fupremely or a fear and tenderness of heart, which prohibits difobedience. The latter may not be deemed perhaps a motive of the most exalted kind, yet however this may be, it manifefts a ftate and temper of mind vaftly fuperior to that, by which a perfon cafts off fear and restrains prayer before God. The conclufion in the latter cafe is, the perfon is given over of God, and is preparing for fwift deftruction.

Fifthly, a fpecies of hypocrify will attend us in all our fervices in this imperfect and corrupted state, but peradventure lefs hypocrify can enter into this duty than others. He must be a hypocrite of an enormous fize, who can be a hypocrite alone when there is no motive or inducement to it, none to appland, or praise his devotions: none but God is prefent, and all know that fincerity is with him the only acceptable offering.-In private the foul as it were undreffes, lays afide all the pomp of public homage, and unrefervedly pours out his whole heart, in all its wants, diftreffes, and defires. It is here freed from the

reftraint of the public eye, and all critical obfervation. Here he enjoys perfect liberty to unbofom and unburden himself. He may here pray and paufe, meditate a while, and pray again. Secret prayer is not only a duty, but it is a high and eminent privilege. How precious is it to retire from every eye, how fweet to tell his whole heart, and to converse with God. The gofpel minifter, who has prayed a whole day, and led the devotions of his congregation, twenty minutes retirement has often given him more spiritual pleasure, joy and de. light than all his public performances. In the former he has done his duty, the imperfections, hypocrify and meanness of which caufes him to weep in fecret, but in private converse with God, where he can open his whole foul, and fpread all that is in it before heaven, here is pleasure and confolation that the world cannot know. And this which is the experience of Godly minifters, it may often be the cafe with pions chrif tians. You have prayed, you have heard, your fouls have, been inftructed and refreshed by the ordinances of the church, but have you not felt more extatic pleasure in a few moments retirement than in all thefe public offices. Wherefore fecret prayer and holy meditation is a duty of the highest importance, for all who wifh for holiness and happiness.

Having attended to this matter on common and rational confiderations, let us review what the fcriptures declare both in precept and example. Our Lord's injunction in the text is nothing more than a correction of foolish oftentation, and a reduction of this duty to its proper place in the fyftem of religion. Secret prayer was not a new inftitution, but in force from the nature of things, and by revelation from Adam to Mofes, from Moses to Chrift, and its obligation must continue with the existence of the world. Let us caft our minds to the ancient fcriptures on this head, and we will find it neither a novel nor merely a chriftian doctrine. It was always a duty, and always in practice by the people of God. Did not Abra