heart to any evil things, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity, and let me not eat of their dainties. Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my supplication. In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness: and enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man be justified."

How different the humble prayer of David! and I may also add, how different was the prayer of the poor sinner, who was at some distance from the Pharisee at the temple.

What did he pray, Mamma?

He could not pray, my love; for the deep sense of his sins made him, as David said, broken-spirited. Indeed, my love, he was ashamed even so much as to lift up his eyes to heaven; but he smote his heart, despising himself as a lost sinner, and not knowing what he could do, as a sinner, to be saved; at length he asked at the fountain.

For what did he ask, Mamma?

For the Holy Spirit, my love, God's mercy.
How did he ask for it, my dear Mamma?
"God be merciful to me a sinner."

Was that all he said, Mamma ?

Nothing else, my love; it was sufficient; for the Lord himself declared, that this poor beggar, this broken-hearted sinner was justified, as he received

the Spirit; but the proud Pharisee was not: as he did not ask, he did not receive.

What is the meaning of asking, Mamma?

Prayer, my love. I have some beautiful lines, which are very expressive of the value of this mode of asking.

Pray, Mamma, recount them.

"Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,

Utter'd or unexprest,

The motion of a hidden fire

That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burthen of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,

The upward glancing of the eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech

That infant lips can try;

Prayer the sublimest strains that reach

The Majesty on high.

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air;

His watchword at the gate of death,
He enters heaven by prayer.

Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice,
Returning from his ways,

While angels in their songs rejoice,

The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, in deed, in mind,
When with the Father and his Son
Their fellowship they find.

Nor prayer is made on earth alone;
The Holy Spirit pleads;

And Jesus, on the eternal throne,
For sinners intercedes.

O thou by whom we come to God,
The life, the truth, the way-
The path of prayer thyself hast trod.

Lord, teach us how to pray."

Such, my love, is a sinner's mode of asking. We must humble ourselves in prayer ; so that in respect of those two characters, the Pharisee and the Gentile, the Lord graciously declared, "Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." So when we are on our knees praying for forgiveness of our sins, we call upon Jesus Christ, who is our fountain, and who sends us his Holy Spirit. Thus was the baptism of John, which was a ceremony of bathing in water, to cleanse the flesh, typical of the Spirit of Christ, which cleanses the soul. John, therefore, assembled considerable numbers from Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, who were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing

their sins. He was a bold and dauntless preacher, calling upon all men to repent, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

What, Mamma, did he mean by the kingdom of heaven?

That God, my love, was coming, by whose presence his Spirit would be imparted to those who were baptized, and believed: and this is what, you will remember, my love, is called Spiritual Zion; for Christ was to reign over his followers in spirit and in truth; not, as the Jews had expected, in the pomp and vanities of this wicked world. A friend of mine, my dear, has this moment sent me some very beautiful lines, descriptive of John's fine character. I will repeat them.

Morning in the Wilderness of Judea.

'Tis morn-and fair the Sun on Jordan's stream Is brightly glowing with his golden beam : Upon his banks a mingled group recline Waiting to hear the eloquence divine Of him, who midst the desert from a child Was nurs❜d by nature on her bosom wild; And like her artless charms his guileless breast Was with religion undefil'd imprest.

Though rude the mantle o'er his shoulder tied,
And coarse the food the rock and stream supplied,
With holy, high, inspir'd, commanding mien,
The first of men and prophets then was seen-
While grace, unmeasur'd, gave his thrilling word
The potent keenness of the two-edg'd sword.
Such was the prophet-such the scene, and hour
As lent to preaching its prevailing power—

Lo, where he issues from the shelt'ring cave,
Meek, yet majestic, on to Jordan's wave;
Behind him rugged rocks and cliffs arise,
Bright with the glory of the kindling skies;
Before him that mysterious river flows,
And with the risen sun refulgent glows.
Round the vast throng his eagle eye revolv❜d—
And the stern prophet in the man dissolv'd;
But when he saw, amidst that various crowd,
The Pharisees, self-righteous, false, and proud-
And careless, sensual Sadducees appear

With impious, cold, and sceptic, scorning sneer ;-
His eyes with holy indignation glow'd,
And dried the starting tear before it flow'd;
Pity's pale lustre from his features fled,
And o'er his cheeks the flush of anger spread.

Then rose that desert-voice, (that thrilling cried "Prepare the way,") and echo deep replied,