have not supplicated, leaves us to ourselves, and generally, humour, dissatisfaction, vanity, hold an higher place in the discharge of our several obligations, than a sense of duty, and a love of our brethFrom these rocks we can be preserved only by the exercise of prayer.

ren.

Another reflection, no less worthy your attention, is, that prayer is not merely indispensable to preserve us from those evils "which may assault and hurt the soul," but even to assure us of the advantage and usefulness of the duty. For it is by the practice, that we know the utility, of prayer. We plant, we water; but God alone giveth the increase; and how can we expect it, if we are not diligent to supplicate it of him? We do not invoke him, who alone can render our labours efficacious to our flock, and our solicitude acceptable to himself. The want of prayer is the principal cause of the little good the generality of Pastors do, in their parishes, notwithstanding they may exactly fulfill all the other duties of the ministry. They think they have performed their part well, when they have performed what is commanded, but by the small advantage ac

Hence he will be dissatisfied within, detected and disesteemed by the judicious part of his hearers, and of little use to the rest, if he is not even hurtful by misleading them. Or whatever his case may be amongst men, his inward want of the piety, which he outwardly pretends to, must render him uncommonly guilty in the sight of God. Heaven forbid that I should have need to enlarge on such a character in this audience."-Abp. SECKER.

cruing from it, they might perceive that there is a something wanting; and so long as their prayers shall not interest the goodness of God, in the success of their labours; they will, like the apostles, pass their days and nights in casting the net, and in taking nothing: they will run a long and melancholy course, and will die without having brought one soul to Jesus Christ-without having reclaimed a single being from vice, or establised him in virtue and religion.

And indeed, what success can a Pastor, so little accustomed to prayer, promise himself from his instructions? What success can a Pastor promise himself in speaking of God, who never, almost, speaks to him? What barrenness in his discourses? He declares the truth, but it proceeds only from his mouth, and not from his heart. I appeal to yourselves; is it not true, that a hòly Pastor, a man of prayer, with only moderate talents, does more good, leaves his auditors more affected with his discourses, than many others, who, with shining abilities, have not derived, from an intercourse with Heaven, that genuine piety, which can, alone, speak to the heart? A Minister, who does not habituate himself to devout prayer, may deliver an animated discourse, and substitute address and elocution for zeal and piety; but you will always see the man; you will perceive, that it is not a fire which descends from heaven. For what impressions can his instructions make, if unaccompanied with prayer to

draw down upon them that grace, which alone can render them useful to those who hear him? He will speak only to the ears of his people, because the spirit of God, who alone knows how to speak to the heart, and who, through the neglect of prayer, not having taken up his abode within him, will not speak by his mouth. The Ministry of the word, will be a duty, not of choice, but of necessity; or he will make of it a theatre of vanity, where he will rather attract the notice, and obtain the applause of his hearers, than effect their amendment, and promote their salvation.

But although prayer were not so indispensable, as we are taught to believe it is, in order to accompany our labours with a blessing-is it not our bounden duty, to pour out our souls, in our closet in secret, for the salvation of those, for whom we must give an account? Are we not commanded, in the character we sustain, "to pray for "them without ceasing?" We are to lay before God their wants: we are to lament before him, over the vices in which we see them indulge themselves, and which our solicitude cannot prevent, nor our zeal correct, we are to supplicate strength for the weak, remorse for the hardened, and perseve. rance for the righteous. The more numerous their wants, the more ought our prayers, in their behalf, to be lively and fervent: when we appear before God, it should always be like the High Priest under the law, carrying, written upon our

hearts, the names of the tribes, that is to say, the names of the people who are entrusted to us.

A Pastor, who does not pray, or who contents himself with reciting the prayers commanded by the Church, is not a representative of the good Shepherd such an, one is not, what he is required to be, a father-he is an hireling; the christians who are committed to his care, are not, as might be expected, his children—they are orphans ; his heart, his bowels say nothing for them: he loves the title by which he presides over them; but he feels no comfort in the reflection, that he is to be the instrument of bringing them into a state of salvation, and of prevailing with them, to make their peace with God: he loves only the place of the shepherd; he has no affection for the flock: for, if he loved them, could he behold their irregularities, and the eternal evils they are bringing on themselves, without incessantly addressing himself to him, who alone can change their hearts, to the end that, not one of those whom the father has given to him in charge, should perish; What do I say ? A Pastor, who does not pray for his people, not only does not love them; he refuses them that which is their due: depriving them of his prayers, he robs them of a resource, to which the goodness of God had attached the graces and assistance designed for his heritage; he refuses what his parishioners had a right to expect of him; he occupies the place of a godly Pastor, whose prayers might have drawn down upon them

a thousand blessings, and he is accountable for all the sins which his prayers might have prevented. When you are disposed to complain of the negligences and irregularities of your parishioners, and of your being useless among them; examine yourselves, whether you are faithful in representing to "him that heareth prayer," their necessities and their miseries; whether you are solicitous, whether you are importunate, to obtain for them the protection and favour of the Almighty, who seems to have abandoned them: the prayers of a Pastor are seldom ineffectual; God, who has commanded us to pray for sinners, has also promised to hear us. We lament over the degeneracy of our flocks, whilst the reflection ought to make us tremble!—it may be attributed almost solely to ourselves.

But how, it may be said, amidst a variety of avocations, which the care of a parish imposes, shall we find leisure to devote ourselves continually to prayer? Alas! among all our pretended cares and labours, how many hours pass unemployed! how many days given up to indolence, to amusements, little becoming, it may be, the gravity and the holiness of our ministry! how many moments in which idleness itself, is a trouble to us, and in which we are a burden to ourselves! Blessed God! a Minister, commanded to offer the supplications of his people, has not time to offer his own, and to pray for himself; a Dispenser of divine grace, indisposed to have any communication