has little or no influence on the temper, which still remains unsanctified, either self-indulgent or fretful, and exposed to bursts of passion. It puffs up and fosters pride of heart, and fills the mind with selfconceit and self-sufficiency. It leads men to court rather than shun the admiration of others; or, it is often a mere indulgence of natural imagination, of a pensive disposition, of taste, and the like. Pleasurable sensations are excited by the idea of the dignity of such contemplations, and it is supposed that they indicate a state of mind superior to that of the common class of persons, and this pleases and satisfies the carnal mind.

With respect to God, it has no regard to his holiness or justice; it overlooks the scripture account of his character, and those sorrows and evils of life which visibly mark his hand, and the sinfulness of It greatly, if not totally, disregards the only Mediator by whom we may draw near to God. No man cometh unto the Father but by Him.

man.

And with respect to others, there is little or no separation from vain and sinful company, from worldly habits, practices, and maxims; no fulfilling of the precept, Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and therefore no obtaining of the promise, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

In the feelings to which we allude, there is no real communion with God, that is ever humbling and purifying. Men of the description which has been mentioned, know nothing of the character of God as the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose

name is holy; who says, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

This deceptive appearance of devotion sometimes arises from a spurious sentimentality; from notions not founded on the word of God, but on human fictions, and vain reasonings, or foolish imaginations, assuming the character without the scriptural reality of religion. Sometimes men of real devotion, (like Law in his Spirit of Prayer,) have gone off into that which is mystical and unintelligible. Let us in all things adhere to the written word. This sort of devotion is not that plain, simple, home, and everyday-life religion which so eminently marks the discourses of our Saviour and of his apostles. It has its seat more in the imagination of a recluse, than in a broken spirit, enlightened and humbled by Divine Truth, and under the teaching of the Spirit, brought to a real knowledge of the excellence and glory of the Divine Being, of our great corruption, our inestimably precious Redeemer, our entire dependence on His grace, and to filial confidence in a reconciled Father.

At other times such feelings may arise from mere animal sympathy. In a social meeting, or in a congregation, both he who offers up the prayers, and they who join, will be deeply affected and moved by the solemnity of the place, by the number assembled, by the manifestation of their feelings, or by the sacred music which they may hear: these things naturally have, and ought to have, an impressive effect on every mind; we do not object to this effect, but to the mind's resting satisfied with it, as the sum of

devotion. It is possible that the whole effect of such a service may be the mere excitement of the animal frame, apart from all those really devotional principles which come from above; a mere impression on the senses, quite distinct from communion with God himself, and all that holy state of mind which God alone bestows and regards.

That corrupt church which in its devotional exercises, in direct contradiction to the plain testimony of Scripture, (1 Cor. xiv.) uses a language not understood by the common people, cultivates much among its adherents, by shew, pomp, music, and outward solemnity, this mere impression on the mind and senses of the worshippers. You may also behold among them persons with the greatest appearance of devotion, satisfying their conscience by numerous repetitions of prayers counted by beads. Our Lord decidedly condemns all such worship. Matt, vi. 7, and xv. 7-9.

There are those also in the Protestant churches, whose whole aim seems to be, merely to be deeply affected, while in prayer, and who consider that the being much impressed and excited, is the highest degree of devotion.

Let the reader, then, be on his guard, and not suppose that every thing of a contemplative, or sensitive, or exciting nature, with a devotional cast, is real devotion and acceptable to God.

Yet there is a true devotional feeling, essential to our well-being and happiness, of the greatest value and importance, and producing the most blessed effects; a devotion which humbles and yet raises, which softens asperities of temper, and yet makes the self-indulgent, self-denying and firm; which

changes the worldly into the heavenly mind; which heightens every enjoyment, mitigates every trial and suffering, gives peace within, and spreads cheerfulness and happiness without. St. John describes it, when he says, Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. The former part of this treatise will have shewn the reader the nature of this devotion, and the following directions are added to assist him in attaining it.

CHAPTER XV.

DIRECTIONS TO ASSIST IN ATTAINING THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER.

THE duty and privilege of the various kinds of prayer have now been brought before the reader. They should all be attended to; they are each beautiful, and needful in their season. A Christian will not attend public and neglect family worship; he will not pray in his family, and neglect his secret devotions; he will not pray steadily in secret, and neglect social or habitual prayer. Each will come regularly in its fit place and time, without interfering with the other; each not hindering, but succeeding and mutually helping the other. Nor will be count all this course of prayer burdensome and wearisome. enjoy the presence of God is his happiness, and therefore he longs to live in the continual practice of prayer. Your views of devotional exercise as a task or a privilege, are a test by which you may judge of your progress in religion, if not of its reality.

To

And while there will, in the advanced Christian, be a constant attention to all these kinds of prayer, he will especially attend to the spirit in which each