I have been with them more than fourteen years, I feel my heart more attached to them than ever. Where is the minister, who, after such tokens of kindness to him, will not cheerfully labour for their spiritual welfare, feel interested in their interest, and visit, and endeavour to console them and their families in the seasons of affliction i" Another minister, speaking to me of the kind interpositions of his heavenly Father, said, "Some months ago, one of my friends in the church (whose name he mentioned) told me, he was afraid, from my income, and from the nature of the times, I must feel some difficulties in making suitable provision for my family. He wished very much to see me in comfortable circumstances; and, therefore, thought I should do right to turn my attention to some business, in conjunction with the ministry; and that he would advance me, upon a loan, from 500l. to 1000l. according to the nature of the trade." This kind offer very much surprized the minister, and excited his grateful acknowledgements. At first, he seemed disposed to accept it; but said to his friend, "I will think of it, and consult my wife." This he did; and they agreed to make it a mat ter of prayer, and converse upon it afterwards. The next day she said to her husband, Though we have difficulties, we have them with a clear conscience. I am afraid, if you enter into business, and should not be successful, it might injure the cause of Christ in the town; or, should you prosper, we may get as worldly-minded as some other professors; and thus, what we gain in temporal comforts, we, and the souls of your people, may lose in spiritual advantage. Besides,' said she, you have given up yourself to God and to the people, to fulfil the work of the ministry; and, surely, the Master whom you serve will not let you go long without your wages. You know, though you are seven or eight hours in the day in your study, you are often complaining for want of time, and lamenting how little you can do in a day. How dejected you appeared the other day, fearing you had given a wrong sense to a passage of Scripture, from not having had time to sce how the words of the text were used in other parts of Scripture! - how then will you feel, when so much of your time is taken up with business! Let us gratefully decline our friend's kind offer, and trust in him who has said, "Dwell in the land," that is, keep the station of duty," and, verily, thou shalt be fed.' I said to myself, while he related this conversation of his wife," This is a helpmate indeed for a minister! I wish all our young preachers might find such." The minister said to me, My own reasoning on the subject was a counterpart of my wife's; and as we so cordially agreed, I told my friend the gratitude we felt, and the reasons which induced us to decline his offer. The reasoning of the minister deeply impressed his friend's mind, and raised him still higher in his - - esteem. This friend then felt it his duty to exert his influence with the congregation; and doubling his own subscription, from five to ten guineas a year, he mentioned the subject to others of the congregation, who immediately increased the minister's income between 40 and 501. per annum. "Thus," said the minister," as my family have increased, my people have increased their subscriptions; and we live in confident expectation, that as our children rise into life, the people will help me to bring them forward suitably to my situation." When in company with the gentleman alluded too, I congratulated him on having such a minister, and such a flourishing congregation. The gentleman said, "I was so impressed with his piety and scriptural reasons for declining the loan, that I resolved to entreat his acceptance of a hundred pounds." This, I understand, was presented to the minister in a manner becoming an affectionate friend and a humble Christian. On my saying to him, Your conduct does you much credit,' Sir,' he replied," I can assure you, I have never had any other abiding feelings on my heart respecting any thing I have done for my minister, than painful ones, from a consciousness that I have not done enough. When I think of the benefit I derive from his ministry, the comfort he often affords me as my family counsellor, and as a second father to my children; and consider how much I have gained for my family, and how little he has gained for his, during the time of our acquaintance, I cannot think what I have done more than duty calls for; and I hope, as his family rises, I shall not forget that I am a steward! I would here only remark, that the praises of such men ought to be in the churches. Travelling in the west of England some months since, a tradesman, who, I understood, was a deacon of an Independent church, offered me a seat in his chaise, for about sixty miles. In the course of the ride, the conversation turned upon the income of ministers, as mentioned in the Evangelical Magazine. He said, "I have felt the force of what I have read in that publication; and am constrained to think, as a congregation, we have not done all for our minister we could and ought to have done. It has some time been in agitation among us, to build a neat and commodious house for the minister; and the last time I was in London, I purchased 6001. three per cent. stock, which I have devoted towards that object when it is called for; which I have pledged to my friends as my part toward the building; and, I have no doubt but the object will be accomplished." -Might it not, with propriety, be said to some other congregations, " Go ye, and do likewise?" I was not a little interested in a friendly conversation with a minister and his wife, in another part of the kingdon, who, in speaking on this subject, mentioned, a pleasing number of proofs of the gracious care of God displayed toward them in seasons of necessity. Among others, she related the following: "I shall never forget what we felt some little time since in a case of this kind. You know what I mean," said she to her husband."Well,' said he, tell our friend, he will make no improper use of it.' -"The expences of my last confinement," said she," excited some anxious feelings in our minds; and after conversing on the subject, my husband noticed it in prayer with me in the morning, with humble petitions and confident pleas at the throne of grace. The same day, a friend and one of the congregation came to see me, for the first time during my confinement. Having prefaced her kindness, by saying she was under great obligations to my husband as a minister, she begged my acceptance of a token of hei gratitude; putting two ten pound notes into my hand. The same day we received a letter from a lady, a friend at a distance, enclosing a ten-pound note. Could our liberal friends have seen, when my husband came home, and I had informed him of the kindness of the Lord toward us, with what tears and emotions of soul we knelt before the Lord, and poured forth our grateful feelings for such evident answers to prayer; and with what earnestness we supplicated for the spiritual and eternal welfare of our friends, I think their feelings would have taught them the meaning of this passage: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Thus our fears were silenced, and our prayers and pleadings were turned into admiration and gratitude." These, with many other equally interesting facts, have come to my knowledge; and which I would relate, were it not for filling too many of your pages. These, I think, tend to show the necessity of Christians attending to this subject, and likewise the use of stating it to the public. While they equally prove, that those who honour God, by trusting him in the way of duty, and by making use of no improper means for relief, God will honour by a seasonable and suitable supply. THE HINDRANCE AND THE ANSWER If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. But, verily, God hath heard: he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Psalm lxvi. 18, 19. THE Psalmist bere states the grand hindrance of prayer:regarding iniquity in the heart, loving it, indulging it, looking on it with favour or allowance: whoso does this, the Lord will not hear his prayer; he will not accept it:-on the contrary, he will reject it with holy indignation. What do we learn from this? We learn, that there may be the words of prayer on the lips, while the love of sin is in the heart; and that, where this is the case, religious services are sure to be rejected. It cannot be otherwise: every perfection of the Divine Nature forbids it; and the word of God is sufficiently express :"What is the hope of the hypocrite? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?" It is here supposed, that the hypocrite may have a hope; but, What is it? Is it of any value? "The hypocrite's hope shall perish." It is supposed also, that he may cry unto God; but, will God hear him? The answer is, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear." The same is confirmed in that remarkable passage, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." A man may talk of the gospel; he may boast of salvation by Jesus Christ; he may make a splendid profession, and shine in external gifts; yet, it he be careless of practical godliness, his prayer is sin; his sacrifice is none other than the sacrifice of the wicked; and this, no less than his open wickedness, is" an abomination to the Lord §." But the Psalmist also gives us his cheerful testimony concerning the answer of prayer: Verily, God hath heard;' not only so," He hath attended to the voice of my prayer." This is evidently the sentiment of humble confidence and of lively thankfulness. But it is an important question, How may we know that God attends to our prayer? A general reply is, 'When blessings asked for are bestowed.' Yet this rule does not always apply. it is not the safest nor the best rule. A hypocrite pretends to pray: he may ask for this and the other blessing, as health in sickness, or deliverance in danger. It may please God to give these blessings, yet not in answer to his prayer; for, in fact, he did not truly pray at all. The mere receiving what is asked for, is no infallible sign that prayer is accepted. There are more certain rules. For instance, 1st, When God stirs up the soul in prayer from a proper sense of its need, and of the Redeemer's fulness. The soul of the hypocrite is not engaged in prayer; it is merely the labour of his lips, aided by his memory, and perhaps a Hyely imagination; but he knows these things only by rote: he has no proper sense of them. 2dly, When God quickens the soul to look out, with believing expectation, for the returns of prayer. This disposition is never excited, but in order to its being satisfied. We must, indeed, carefully distinguish be tween faith and fancy, between believing and ignorantly presuming; yet humble reliance on what the Lord hath said, 'be Job xxvii. 8, 9. Prov. xxviii. 9. cause he hath said it; and lively expectation arising hence, is neither fancy nor presumption, it is faith: and wherever this is found, it shall be honoured.. When the man applied to Jesus in behalf of his son, saying, "If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us," Jesus replied, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." The man's faith operated with his prayer:-"Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief!" He waited, in humble expectation, for the display of the compassion of the Saviour. Compassion was exercised, and his son was healed *. "All things what soever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive ."- To which we may add, 3dly, When we have evident tokens for good, that the Lord has answered us. While the mere receiving what we solicit, is no certain proof, yet, where there is the true spirit of prayer, from a proper knowledge of ourselves and of Jesus Christ; where there is a looking out for the returns of prayer, and, sooner or later, the actual possession of what was sought at the throne of grace, there cannot be a reasonable doubt, but that God hath attended to the voice of Prayer. Suppose some sin to be the burden of the believer's soul; he spreads this sin before God in prayer; he pleads his promise; he rests on his word,-that sin shall not have the dominion over him §; and that he will cleanse the blood which he hath not yet cleansed . Gradually, the believer gains the ascendency over this sin, and is fortified with strength against it. Does not this prove that his prayer is heard? Or, suppose some temporal blessing be needed; there is no direct promise, it may be, which warrants the expectation of this individual blessing; yet the believer goes to his heavenly Father; he acknowledges God in all his ways, and bows submissive to his will. Presently, what he sought is bestowed, or something of higher value in its stead. Ought not such a one to say with David, "Verily, God hath heard: he hath attended to the voice of my prayer." Does the experience of the reader agree, in any measure, with this of the Psalmist? Say with him, " Blessed be God!" While you enjoy the evidence that sin is not cherished in the heart, render praise to whom it is due. Mr. Henry observes on the passage," Whatever be the premises, God's glory should always be the conclusion: God hath heard, there fore, blessed be God!" He hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Mark the expressions: they breathe the most amiable humility and most admiring thoughts of divine mercy. While God receives, he communicates: he receives the prayer of the unworthy, he communicates the mercy uceded from his throne': he turns not away the latter Mark xix. 17-27. |