is at present attempting to convulse both Asia, Africa, and America: if we have had, and still have, reason to dread domestick insurrections: if our sister-kingdom has been rendered a scene of bloodshed and confusion, and is in danger of still more dire calamities, whilst its vicinity may well increase our alarm, as well as excite our sympathy: if we have been preserved beyond expectation, by most extraordinary providential interpositions in our favour: if besieged, plundered, or burning cities and towns; deserted and desolated fields and villages; slaughtered or violated relatives; assassinations, massacres, and scenes, the distant report of which has chilled our hearts and made our ears to tingle, are to be deprecated; if any thing in our constitution, laws, liberties, national independence, peace, and prosperity, be worth preservation: and if there be any thing dreadful in the murder, imprisonment, or banishment of all those in the land, who have on any account, been distinguished characters; in the riot, plunder, and atrocities attending publick convulsions; or in the ruin of our commerce and manufactures: we may then confidently maintain, that we are bound by every obligation to unite our ceaseless prayers in behalf of our country. For whatever may be pretended or argued, as far as human foresight can reach, it is indubitable that all these calamities and many others, await us, in case our enemies should prevail, in this tremendous contest.

But if prayer for the land be our undeniable duty, surely few words may suffice to convince every pious person that it is incumbent on us to unite in supplica

tion for "the church of God which is among us." We would not so far forget ourselves, as to launch out in invective against our enemies; but who can help seeing; that could they accomplish their avowed purposes, they would not only overturn our national establishment, but likewise abolish our sabbaths, and adopt measures subversive of Christianity itselt? On former occasions, Britons, in pleading for the land, have been accustomed to consider the protestant interest as the cause of God, and as endangered by the machinations and assaults of papal powers: but is vital christianity at this time less exposed from the efforts of our present enraged enemies? "Let no man," brethren, "de"ceive you with vain words:" not only our outward advantages, but our religion itself is at stake; and it therefore behoves us to beseech the Lord, that he would, in these troublesome times, "build the walls," and secure the peace "of Jerusalem." Surely no situation, no peculiarity of sentiment, no distinction of any sort, should indispose any pious person, in these circumstances of extreme danger, to join the prayers of his brethren for those interests, which ought to be dearer to us, than property, or liberty, or life itself.

We should therefore, beyond all dispute, in publick, and social, and private worship, continually and fervently beseech the Lord, not to permit his cause in our land to be run down, his sabbaths to be abolished, his sanctuaries profaned, his ministers silenced or ba nished, his ordinances inhibited or restricted, or his word sunk into neglect and contempt., He might most justly permit all these evils, attended by other dread

ful calamities, to come upon us; and he could easily render his gospel triumphant in other places, should this favoured land be left in total darkness: but we may beseech him to "work for his own name's sake, that "it should not be polluted among the heathen." This, however, leads us to consider,

II. The nature and special objects of those prayers, which may be supposed availing on such occasions.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man "availeth much."* But of our whole fallen race, "There is none righteous, no not one," except by the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the grace of the gospel.

We ought not indeed to undervalue the publick honour put on God and religion, by the observance of days set apart for fasting and prayer, through the whole nation: yet we must maintain, that the remnant of penitent believers are the only persons, whose intercessions for the land can properly be considered as effectual and prevailing: and their prayers should not be restricted to any season, but ascend incessantly before the throne of grace. Provided this were indeed the case, though we must lament, that so few in comparison attend in a suitable manner on these occasional services, yet we need not be discouraged. Alas! this has always, in great measure, been the case, even in times of peculiar reformation; as we shall readily perceive, by comparing the records of the most pious kings of

Jam. v. 16.

Judah, with the testimony of the contemporary prophets, concerning the national character of the Jews.

We must, however, remember, that all the prayers, even of this faithful remnant, are not alike acceptable and prevailing. When James and John had presented a request to the Lord Jesus, he replied, "Ye know "not what ye ask." And when they wanted permission to "command fire from heaven to consume" the Samaritans; he rebuked them, saying, "Ye know not "what manner of spirit ye are of." Even Elijah once impatiently requested to die: yet he "was translated "that he should not see death." And on the other hand, the repeated and most earnest intreaty of Moses, that he might enter the promised land, was finally refused. Yet what righteous men ever prayed more effectually and prevalently than they did on other occasions?

It is therefore of great importance for us to understand, with accuracy, the nature and special objects of that prayer, which powerfully and certainly prevails: and while this is stated, according to the oracles of God, some objections, which are groundlessly advanced may likewise be obviated.

When the apostle speaks of "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man," he is supposed by several expositors to intend the powerful suggestions of the Holy Spirit to the minds of the prophets, by which they were inwardly moved to ask, with confidence and earnestness, the miraculous interposition of God, on particular occasions, in support of their testimony: and the prayer of Elijah, by which he illustrates the

subject, was certainly of this kind. Yet this would never have been proposed as an example and encouragement to believers in general, if there had not been. something of a similar nature in their acceptable pray. ers. Through our heavenly Advocate "we all have "access by one Spirit unto the Father:" for "the Spi"rit helpeth our infirmities:" and thus we pray in or by the Spirit. In order therefore that our supplications may be accepted and answered, they must be dictated to our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

But how shall we know this?-We cannot distinguish between the acting of our own minds and the effect of divine influences, except by considering the nature and tendency of our desires and expectations: but we may conclude, safely and without hesitation, that every prayer, which accords to the Scriptures, is presented by the teaching and assistance of the Holy Spirit. We may premise, therefore, that no formal lifeless prayer, the language of the lips without any corresponding affections or emotions of the heart, can accord with the holy Scriptures: but supposing that we earnestly desire some real or imagined good, and fervently and importunately intreat the Lord to bestow it upon us; we have only to enquire, whether the motive and object of such desire be scriptural, in order to determine the question before us.

To instance in some particulars: We may enquire, Whether the supposed good, which we are earnestly seeking, be expressly promised in the word of God? Can we present our prayer, and pour out our hearts, in the language of the promises? Do we understand them in