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of him. As to him to live was Christ, so to die is gain. O how may this, after the example of the ancient Christians, fill us with joy and comfort, in the well-grounded hope of the happiness of our dear friend! Well may we think we hear him say, Why do you mourn for me? Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves; for to me to die is gain. And O how happy is our friend, who now enjoys an absolute freedom from all the pains, and griefs, and troubles of this miserable world! who is out of the reach of all its temptations and snares; whose soul is put beyond the possibility of ever sinning; which now only begins to live, being now all light, and life, and love, and motion; seeing and enjoying God; joining in pure and holy friendship with angels and archangels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, in admiring and adoring his Redeemer! O let us not bewail the absence of our friend, with fruitless sighs and tears; nor sorrow as they that have no hope; but let us always endeavour, after his example, so to live to Christ in this world, that our death may be the same gain to us as to him!"

Professor Scougal left his books to the library of King's College; and the sum of five thousand merks to his successors in the chair of Divinity. He was buried on the north side of the college chapel, opposite the high altar, afterwards called the bishop's seat, or desk; with the following inscription on his tomb

stone.

Memoriæ sacrum
HENRICUS SCOUGAL,
Reverendi in Christo Patris, Patricii

Episcopi Aberdonensis filius,
Philosophia in hac Academia Regia,
Per quadriennium, totidemque annis

Ibidem Theologiæ Professor. Ecclesiæ in Auchter!ess, uno antistite, Pastor.

Multa in tam brevissimo curriculo

Didicit, præstitit, docuit.
Cali avidus, et cœlo maturus,
Obiit Anno Dom. M.DC.LXXVIII.
Etatis suæ XXVIII.

Et hic exuvias mortalitatis posuit,

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Matt. vi. 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut thy door, pruy to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. PRIVATE prayer differs from family or public prayer in several respects. The proper subjects of public or social prayer are such wants as belong to

men in general. In private prayer, the wants of our particular state, our peculiar trials, dangers, and temptations, form the proper subjects of our addresses. Hence private prayer is a peculiarly interesting part of devotion. It may also be considered as more spiritual in its nature. In public prayer, there are many outward things to excite the affections: the surrounding multitude, the union of many voices and many hearts in the worship of God, the soothing or elevating strains of music, the solemnity of the house of God; all have a tendency to produce an artificial kind of devotion. This is not said in order to lessen the value of such helps to devotion: far from it in our present state, we need every help. Still it must be owned, that the less our devotion arises from outward causes, and the less it depends on these, the more likely is it to be the genuine feeling of a pious heart, actuated by gratitude to God, admiration of his perfections, love to his character, confidence in his providence, and faith in his promises. Private prayer, therefore, is far more likely to be the result of a real fear and love of God. It cannot, at least, be the offspring of ostentation; nor is it easy to conceive that it should flow from hypocrisy. In general it may be of the feelings of the heart, offered regarded as the genuine expression up from the purest motives, and in the most spiritual manner. There may be even no voice heard, no form used; yet the ardent desire of the soul, the unuttered aspiration, the penitent sigh, will be perceived and

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accepted as the purest worship by that God who seeth in secret.

Private prayer is also a better test or index of the state of the soul, than public or social worship. Every

› man is what he is in secret. When no eve is upon him, then his true character and feelings shew them selves. If then he sincerely and devoutly pours out his heart before -God; if then he truly mourns his sins, and fervently desires to obtain divine grace, to pardon and sanctify him, there is good ground for be Jieving that he is a real disciple of Christ. But if the person, who in social worship seems animated by a glow of devotion, and deeply affected by a sense of sin, feels no holy warmth or penitent sorrow in private prayers, if he can often omit secret duties, or perform them only in a cold and careless manner; he has reason to fear lest bis devotion in public should not be the offering of a sincere heart.

Prayer is the intercourse of the soul with God the Father of spirits: an intercourse not carried on by the bearing of the ear, or the uttering of sounds, but by the union of mind with mind. It has been an old objection against prayer, that God does not need to be told our wants, or to be entreated to supply them. This objection proceeds on a mistake as to the true nature of prayer. It does not consider prayer as the intercourse or communication which subsists be tween the Lord and Creator of the universe, the Chief of all spiritual beings, and the spiritual beings whom he has created. The angels in heaven thus hold constant communion with Him in whom they live, and move, and have their being. Nor is it to be supposed, that, because they have no sins to lament, they have therefore no need of prayer: the very continuance of their state of perfection, of strength and desire to do the will of God, may be the subjects of constant prayer-of de yout acknowledgment that all good proceeds from God, of humble cons

fidence in him, of fervent praise for

mercies enjoyed. And in answer to such prayer, there may be vouchsafed fresh manifestations of the Divine presence, a renewal of strength, an increase of light, an accession of bliss; so that all wisdom, power, and goodness may appear to flow directly from God, the only Fountain of good. In this way might Adam converse with God in paradise. But when he fell, this intercourse was destroyed; and since that period, men have lived in a state of alienation from God. But though communion with God, that invaluable privilege, has been forfeited, still man is not left without hope. A new way of access to God is opened. He has given his only Son to be a Mediator between himself and his fallen creatures. They draw near to him on a throne of grace, through Christ, and he receives them for the sake of his beloved Son. And that this privilege may be rightly used, he has given them his Spirit to incline and teach them to pray, to help their infirmities, and to sanctify their desires. Thus have we access to God, through Christ, by the Spirit. The throne of grace, where Jesus is seated as the High Priest and Advocate of his people, is now the place where God holds intercourse with man, and communicates to him the fulness of his grace. There, all his faithful servants are found. There they meet their God and each other; and the blessed intercourse of heaven is kept up by prayer, dictated by the Spirit, and offered up through Christ.

It is by means of our relation to his Son that God becomes in a peculiar sense our Father, and that we are encouraged to draw near him as such, in the confidence that with a father's feelings he will receive land bless his returning children. Thus our intercourse with God is renewed, and we enjoy in our measure and degree that blessed communion with him on earth which the angels enjoy in heaven; and we then most nearly partake of the life, the enjoyment, the employment of angels, when we are engaged in prayer to God.

And as this freedom of access to God by prayer is the highest privilege we enjoy, so the benefits of it are of the highest order. Let us remember that God is the only source of all good, of all wisdom and strength, of all honour, happiness, and glory; and that whatever we have of these we must obtain immediately from him. But it is a law of the Divine government, that spiritual gifts should be connected with prayer to God, and with the acknowledgment of our dependence on him. The life of heaven is spoken of as seeing God; dwelling with him; beholding his face continually. No inhabitant of heaven is insensible to the presence of God, but holds constant intercourse with him in the exercise of dependence and gratitude, adoration and praise; and the perfection of religion on earth consists in partaking of the same benefits, and exercising the same affections. And how great is the value of those benefits which he bestows on such as maintain communion with him by prayer! All worldly blessings were but a small thing for him to bestow: he gives freely infinite blessings-eternal life, eternal glory, the eternal enjoyment of happiness. These are blessings worthy of God to give, and of an immortal being to receive; and these are all communicated through the medium of prayer. To prayer, the ear of God is ever open; to prayer, the pardon of innumerable sins and deliverance from every evil are granted; by prayer, the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil is obtained; by prayer, the weak are made strong, the helpless are protected, the corrupt are sanctified, death is disarmed of its sting, and, the grave of its spoil; by prayer, the gates of heaven are opened, and an entrance obtained into the regions of eternal light and glory.

And now, seeing that such is the privilege, and such the benefits, of prayer; and that we are invited, and even urged, to share in them; is it not a matter deeply to be regretted that CHRIST, OBSERV, No. 129.

so many should live without prayer?
nay, that prayer should be even a trou-
ble and a burden to them? Every day
does the sun behold innumerable,
rational beings, preserved and sup-
ported by God's bounty, endued by
him with many noble powers, and
graciously invited to partake of all
the blessings of his favour and of
eternal glory, averse to communion.
with their God; rising in the morn-
ing without thanksgiving or prayer;
lying down at night without acknow
ledging his mercy or desiring his
presence; and who say to him in
effect, "Depart from us; we desire
neither to know thee nor to receive
any blessing from thee." Fain
would I bring all who thus feel and
act, to a sense of their duty; fain
would I convince them of the high
privilege of being permitted to pray
to God. May. God himself, who
alone can touch the heart, make the
present endeavour effectual to that
end; may he awaken in them better
feelings, while I lead them to ask
their own consciences why it is that
they neglect to pray.-Is it that God
is a spiritual Being whom you do not
perceive by your senses, and there-
fore cannot converse with? But are
there not innumerable persons who
find no such difficulty in addressing
the Author of their lives? There
is no more difficulty in addressing
a being whom you do not see, than
one whom you do, provided only
your belief of the presence of both
be equally strong. If, indeed, you
entertain a doubt whether God is
present with you, and hears you,
then indeed there will be no earnest-
ness or seriousness in prayer.
belief, then, is one great cause of the
neglect of prayer. But surely even
the evidence of our senses is not
stronger than that which proves, be-
yond all question, that there is an
Almighty Being who knows all
things, who is ever present with his
creatures, and attends to all they
say and do. Every thing above us,
beneath us, and around us, proves
this. Our own existence is not
more certain than His; and if He

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exist, He must possess attributes which shew him to be near to us, about our path, and surrounding us on every side. And will He not hear if we address him? He that made the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that gave man understanding, shall he not perceive? All nature and all revelation confirm this, and proclaim God to be every where present, and at all times observant of his creatures. Well then may we adopt the language of the Psal mist, and say, "Lord, thou hast searched me and known me; thou knowest my down-sitting and my ap-rising. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways: for there is not a word in my tongue but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether."

Let us be persuaded, then, that at this moment, at every moment, there is an Almighty Being near us, who observes all we do, and say, and think, though we see him not; and this Being, in his word, requires us to maintain a constant intercourse with him. We are, therefore, bound to pray to him daily. Shalbwe, then, refuse to pay him our just tribute of homage and obedience, and to hold communion with him, when he invites and entreats us to do so?

But the true reason why we neglect to pray to God is probably a secret sense of guilt, and a dislike or dread to approach him. We know that God is a holy God, who requires holiness in all who draw nigh to him; but our minds are averse to holiness, and though we cannot conceal ourselves from him, yet we vainly endeavour to hide him from our view. We do not like to have such a witness of all we do; and we feel an awe and constraint in the thought of his presence. Besides, to pray, while we do not forsake our sins, appears to be such plain mockery of God that we cannot persist in it. In short, to use the language of Scripture," the carnal" or unrenewed

"mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Now this is the very state from which the preaching of the Gospel is intended to deliver men. By nature men are alienated from God, and the Gospel is intended to reconcile them to him, and to bring them back to their heavenly Father by repentance and prayer, acknowledging the injury they have done to the best of Beings. O that we were all convineed, that in keeping at a distance from God we keep at a distance from our best friend and kindest benefactor! He wants not our services, but we want him and his grace. He humbleth himself even to listen to the aduration of angels: yet such is his wonderful condescension that he stoops from heaven to listen to the groans and supplications of the lowest and most abject of his creatures. He waits to do us good, and to shew us mercy, if we call upon him. Our unwillingness to pray to such a Being shews most strongly our need of prayer; for surely this alienation from God, this aversion to holy intercourse with him, must be removed, if we would dwell with God here. after in heaven. Surely, if we knew him aright; if we could see the infinite fulness of his compassion, the overflowing benignity of his disposition, the vast extent of his bounty, we should not act thus. It is his presence which gives glory to hea ven and fills it with joy; and ought not we also to rejoice in it? Consider only his mercy: He hath not withheld his Son, his only Son, from us, but has given him to be a propi tiation for our sins. Does this look like a stern, unpitying Being?" But he is a just and holy God." Yes. But, though both just and holy, he delighteth not in the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his way and live: and to effect this, what pains has he not taken; what arguments has he not used; what invitations has he not given; what promises has he not made! But, alas! till the heart is in some

measure changed, it is in vain to convince the understanding. If, however, we are so far persuaded of the evil of our alienation from God as to be desirous to have it removed, let us bless God even for this desire, and let us pray to him for that mercy and grace of which we stand in need. Let us confess to him our true state, lament before him the hardness and impenitence of our hearts, beseech him to enlighten our understandings, and to draw our affections to himself. God will help those who thus turn to him. He will strengthen each weak endeavour, and perfect every feeble at tempt. And to prayer let us join meditation on the true character of God, as revealed in the Bible, and displayed by his only begotten Son, If our view of God is not, as it ought to be, a cheering and encouraging view, our prayers will necessarily be cold and formal. It is the love of God which produces earnestness, pleasure, and constancy in prayer. Oh, then, let us be induced by the mercies of God, and by a sense of our wants and miseries, to draw nigh to Him. Let the void we feel in our minds convince us that our souls can never find rest till they are united to God, the source of all good and all peace. Let the guilt of our sins hasten our application to him, who pardoneth iniquity through his Son, and who willeth not the death of a sinner. Let the peace which passeth all understanding, of which those are destitute who live without God; let the sweet hope of eternal happiness, which never brightens their hours; let the vanity of this world, and the glory of that which is to come; let the miseries of sin, and the blessedness of holiness; let every thing on earth, and in hea ven, and in hell, persuade us to return to God, and to offer him the full surrender of our hearts. The faith ful on earth exhort us to draw near to God: the dead who have perished warn us from the tomb not to trifle with the offers of Divine mercy; the saints who have entered into

rest call us to come up to them: angels wait to carry the joyful tidings to heaven of our approach to God: the Holy Spirit is even now striving with us: Christ urges us from heaven to come to God through him and God, the Father of all, stretches towards us the sceptre of his grace, and entreats us not to refuse him who speaketh to us from heaven. Let not all this be in vain: let us no longer delay to accept the offered mercy; but to-day, while it is called to-day, let us cast ourselves at the feet of our heavenly Father and implore his grace. If we draw nigh to God, he will draw nigh to us. If we pray to him fervently for the blessings we need, we may confidently rely on the fulfilment of his promise: "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; krock, and it shall be opened unto you." Amen.

For the Christian Observer.

ON SUBMISSION TO GOD.

WHEN we consider the relation in which we stand to that Almighty Being, who created us by his power, and who preserves us during every moment of our existence by the unceasing energy of his wisdom; it seems of all truths the simplest and most obvious, that we ought to be subject to his disposal. When we recollect that He, who is our sovereign by nature, unites in his adora ble character every attribute which can attract our veneration, or claim our confidence, or win our love, duty seems too cold a term to ex press the regards which are due to wards him. But when we reflect, that He who formed us by his power, and blessed us by his goodness, left not the world he made to perish in its wilful apostacy, but purchased again his own creation by the blood of his dear Son, what language can adequately describe the feelings of glad obedience and grateful adora tion, which should auimate every child of this wise and gracious, insulted and indulgent Parent! Yet

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