(James i. 17;) he is the sole proprietor of all earthly good; the cattle upon a thousand hills, and the gold and the silver, are all his. (1 Tim. iv. 8.) We are also taught to place our dependance, for the supply of our temporal wants, upon the love and care of our covenant-God. Matt. vi. 32. It is probable that Jabez prayed for temporal favours. (1 Ch. iv. 10.) It is certain that Jacob prayed for temporal blessings, when he expressed his desires to God in the form of a vow. (Gen. xxviii. 20-22.) Agur also sought temporal blessings at the throne of grace. Prov. xxx. 8, 9. Spiritual blessings are also the proper subject of prayer, and Christians will daily want fresh supplies of these: their weakness, trials, and their conflicts, are so numerous, that they would sink under them, but for the succour which is daily brought into the soul, through the medium of prayer. They therefore should encourage each other in this holy work in such language as Heb. iv. 16; Ezek. xxxvi. 37. There will never be a period on this side the grave when the real Christian will rise above the need of prayer: as it is among the first, will also be among the last of the operations of God's Holy Spirit in the soul. Prayer was the first act of grace put forth by the apostle Paul after his conversion; and it was the last act of grace in which the dying martyr Stephen was engaged, previous to his entering the world of light and glory. Glory is the subject also of the Christians prayer. The darkness, the difficulties, and the dangers of the Christian's journey through this dreary and miserable world, often constrain him to direct his eye towards that land of promise, in which the saints shall find the fullest accomplishment of that beautiful passage, Rev. xxi. 4. He is frequently led to breathe forth his soul in the pathetic exclamation of the psalmist, Ps. Iv. 6. It is worthy of remark, that the Holy Spirit not only teaches us to pray for heaven, and helps our infirmities in such prayers, but he bears witness to our souls that we are the heirs of it. Eph. i. 13, 14. In teaching the Christian how to pray, the Holy Spirit will guide him as to the manner and spirit in which be should approach God. In accomplishing this, he possesses the mind of the true believer with a holy awe when in the divine presence, and enables him to recollect and practise what David affirms. Ps. lxxxix. 7. The Spirit also teaches the real believer to be humble in prayer; filling his mind with such a holy shame for sin, and a strong impression of his own weakness, insufficiency, &c. Again, In conformity to his character as the Spirit of truth, he teaches the saints to pray with unfeigned sincer ity; this is highly necessary, because God is a spirit, &c. John iv. 24; Ps. xvii. 1. They that pray without the guidance of the Spirit, exercise no patience in waiting for the blessing they ask; in them is exemplified the saying of a good man, they knock at mercy's door, and run away.” Ps. xl. 1. When the Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray, he influences us to a sincere and unreserved renunciation of our idols. If we approach God with " a divided heart," we shall be "found faulty." (Hosea x. 2.) We should often think on the address of the prophet Elijah to the house of Israel. (1 Kings xviii. 21. 39.) May the Spirit ever lead us to cry, "The Lord, he is the God," &c. and make every idol in our heart fall before the throne of grace, as Dagon fell before the ark. 3. The Spirit not only excites the Christian to pray; and teaches him to do it, but he affords him special and effectual aid in the exercise. It is by this that the soul attains a deep sense of the inestimable value of heavenly things, and an ardent desire to possess them; when the Spirit suitably affects the soul with this conviction, then it is induced to plead and wrestle with God, as did the patriarch Jacob, of whom it is said, that "he had power over the angel," &c. (Hosea xii. 4.) Then his prayers resemble those of his great High Priest. Heb. v. 7. It is by the Spirit's aid that we obtain enlargement of heart and liberty of expression in prayer. It was for something of this kind that David prayed, Ps. li. 15. It is only as the Spirit affords his special assistance in prayer, that we practise it with pleasure and delight then the soul cries out with Asaph (Ps. Ixxiii. 28,) and with Peter, when on the mount, Matt. xvii. 4. When it is thus with us, we feel a holy ecstasy, a sublime pleasure, in our intercourse with our covenant-God. It is by the agency of the Holy Spirit alone that Christians attain to any composure of mind, or to any devout affections in prayer: when his divine unction is felt, then the chains which bound us to the earth are broken; the tumult which worldly cares had raised in our souls subsides; earthly things cease to attract us, a heavenly calm fills the breast, and a glowing affection towards God. The Holy Spirit's aid is peculiarly needful so to witness with our spirits that we are the children of adoption, that we may approach God with a strong confidence. Heb. x. 22. To conclude: The Holy Spirit so helps the infirmities of the saints in prayer, by his unction and power, that the sighs and groans which proceed from them, when agonizing with God in prayer, are spoken of, in the text, as his. There is nothing in this idea of the apostle which either tends to supersede the necessity of Christ's intercession, or weaken the believer's attachment to it. I shall conclude with remarking, 1. That professing Christians should be very careful that they do not mistake the fancies and delusions of their own hearts for the influences of the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit really makes intercession within us, we shall feel a strong hatred to sin, together with an increasing measure of grace and holiness. 2. Let us be constant and diligent in the use of all the means of grace. To suspend a regular attention to those, under pretence of waiting for the motions of the Holy Spirit to excite us to, and aid us in spiritual services, is unscriptural. This remark may be illustrated by the case of Daniel. (x. 12. 14.) In like manner, let us be found occupied in the regular seasons of prayer, and we shall find that God will send his Holy Spirit to help our infirmities. Let us deprecate formal and lifeless prayer. The real Christian knows, that there is neither liberty, energy, nor acceptance in prayer, except the Holy Spirit help his infirmities. 4. If the Spirit's helping our infirmities be so important a branch of religion, and so conducive to our growth in grace, and the maintenance of the spirit of prayer; how careful should we be to shun grieving or offending him. (1 Thess. v. 19.) Continually see the language of David in prayer. Ps. li. 11. NECESSITY OF ADDING DOING TO HEARING. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, &c. James i. 22. WE have at the 18th verse a very high eulogy given us of the word of God, as that which is the divine seed and principle of the new birth: "Of his own will begat he us." Whereupon the exhortation, "Be swift to hear," is grounded; i. e. be very covetous of all seasons to wait upon the dispensations of the word. And then this caution in the text, "But be ye doers of the word." Though hearing the word be the appointed means of this new creation; and is that which, by divine designation, is able to save the soul, by virtue of that efficacy which accompanies it; yet this is not to be understood, as if it should do any such work upon those who are hearers only, and no more. Therefore the apostle gives this intimation, if we expect this glorious effect to be wrought by it, we must be guided and governed by the word,-"Be ye doers of the word." 1. The character of those who may be said to be hearers only. By being hearers only, we must not understand every thing to be excluded besides the bare external act of hearing. To be a hearer only, is, in the general, to hear without any design of doing at all. Truth is but one, error is manifold. There is but one right end; but various are the ends, and many are the ill principles and dispositions of those who are hearers only. There is, 1. The inattentive hearer. "We ought to give the more earnest heed." (Heb. ii. 1.)-"Let your hearts," &c. (Deut. xxxii. 46.) He who never intends being a doer of what he hears, will probably little regard what he hears. 2. There is the inconsiderate hearer, that never ponders what he hears, nor compares one thing with another. 3. The injudicious hearer, that never makes any judg ment upon what he hears, whether it be true or false ; all things come alike to him. 4. The unapprehensive hearer, who hears all his days, but is never the wiser-"Ever learning." No light comes in to him. 5. The stupid, unaffected hearer, that is as a rock and a stone under the word. Nothing enters or gets withinrocks and mountains may shake sooner than they. 6. There are the prejudiced, disaffected hearers, who hear with dislike, especially those thing which relate to practice; they cannot endure such things as relate to the heart. 7. There are your fantastical, voluptuous hearers, that hear only to please their fancy; a pretty sentence, any fine jingle, some flashes of wit, are what they come to hear. The mere gratification of the fancy in serious matters is a dismal token.-There are, again, 8. The notional hearers, who only ain merely to please their fancy, they come to learn some kind of novelty. Nearly allied to these are, 9. Those talkative persons, who only come to hear that they may furnish themselves with notions for the sake of discourse. And there are, again, 10. The censorious and critical hearers; who come not as doers of the law, but as judges. And, Lastly, There are the malicious hearers, that come on purpose to seek an advantage agai st those they come to hear. By this sort our Lord was often pestered.-To which may be added, the raging exasperated bearers; such were Stephen's, at his last sermon. Thus you see the characters of those who are hearers only. II. Show what it is to be a doer of the word. The expression plainly imports a habit. A doer of the word, is not one that doeth some single act now and then, which the word enjoins: but whose course and the business of whose life it is to obey the dictates of the word. In the Old Testament, sinners are styled workers of ini |