watchful, more spiritual, more holy, more heavenly frame; and, consequently, is more fit for the public duties of religion, or the particular duties of his calling -the Lord having put into his heart more gladness than an increase of corn and wine could give, (Ps. iv. 7,) and caused his holy comforts to delight his soul. (Ps. xciv. 19.)

CHAP. II.

ON THE NEGLECT OF PRIVATE PRAYER

How lamentable is it that a duty so obvious, a privilege so great, a means of grace so enriching to the soul, ever should be neglected! What are the causes to be assigned for it?

If the neglect be total and permanent, impenitency of heart may be suspected as the cause.

To perceive no necessity for secret prayer to have no mind, no will, no heart to such a duty-to make no effort to discharge it, and to feel no remorse of conscience for neglecting it, are fearful signs of an unhumbled, unrenewed, impenitent heart. Whilst the cause remains, the effect will continue; therefore, let such

"beseech God to grant them true repentance, and his Holy Spirit," that their indisposition to call upon him in private may be removed, that their secret prayers may be accepted, and openly rewarded, by him, "and that the rest of their life may be pure and holy, so that at the last they may come to his eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

If the neglect be temporary and voluntary, some sin, or sins, committed against light and knowledge may be the cause.

SUCH sins load the conscience with guilt, weaken the spiritual strength of the Christian, becloud his evidences of grace, make him a terror to himself, and afraid of realizing the Divine Presence. Then he is shy of drawing near to God in secret; and as our first parents, from conscious guilt, would have "hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God, amongst the trees of the garden;" so he,

by neglecting the positive and known duty of secret prayer, flies, as it were, from the Lord's presence, to forget his transgression and acquire his former confidence, by occupying his time and thoughts with the affairs of this world. -But this is folly. To add sin to sinthe sin of omission to the sin of commission-gives the enemy of souls a powerful advantage over him. It invariably increases his guilt, benumbs his conscience, strengthens his inbred corruptions, and renders his return to spiritual duties increasingly difficult. However painful it may be to draw near to God in secret, with an awful consciousness of guilt on the soul, it should not be shunned. It is vastly better, while the conscience is feelingly alive to the wound it has received, to hasten to the throne of grace, and ingenuously to confess the sin, looking to the cross of Christ, and imploring the pardon of it for his sake, and grace to be more watchful in future. It must be done, or the consequences will be most awful; and the sooner it is done the better, For

66

with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities (Ps. cxxx. 7,8.)

If the neglect be partial, spiritual declension is probably the cause.

WHILE the believer, with deep humiliation, reviews the evils of his past lifereflects upon the awful consequences of sin, and contemplates, with adoring gratitude, the astonishing love of God the Father, the amazing condescension of God the Son, and the stupendous work of God the Holy Ghost, as exhibited in the economy of redemption, and feels "the love of God shed abroad in his heart," (Rom. v. 5.) he does not neglect the private duties of the closet; but anticipates with delight the return of those seasons of private prayer in which he has frequently enjoyed sweet communion with the Lord, and found his service perfect freedom.