its holy citizens! How animating to the saint-how arousing to the sinner-how mighty the impulse which is thus given to a soul that is toiling and languishing with the burden and heat of the day—and how solemn the summons which such a scene proclaims in the ears of the heedless sinner; saying, "There is the glory is it not passing excellent and fair?" Believe, and it shall all be yours, now and for ever.

V. They are blessed who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book, because thus will they be always kept with their loins girt about and their lamps burning-always watching for the coming of the Lord.-The Second Coming of Christ is the first and the last of this book-it makes its appearance in every chapter. It flashes through all the troubles of earth, and above all the darkness of heaven, so vividly and so incessantly, that our eye is always kept fixed upon it-wherever we turn we find it there.

The first mighty theme to which the prophet's burden is turned, is the Coming of the Lord-" Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him; and they also which pierced him," &c.; and the last mighty proclamation made in the book is of the same kind—" He that testifieth these things, saith, Surely, I come quickly, Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." And throughout the different scenes of the prophecy, this event is continually brought in as the grand consummation of each successive series of judgments. It forms the centre point round which all events revolve. It is the main figure in every picture. It is the chorus of every song-the joy of a groaning and travailing creation.

A book, then, which like this is always keeping before us the Coming of the Lord, and shewing us how all events bear upon this and cluster round it-teaching us how to look upon every event that befalls the world, in the light which is cast upon it by the Coming of the Lord-a book like this must be one of infinite blessedness to us especially, who, in these last days, are distracted with a thousand vanities and delusions, all tending to draw off our soul from the hope of the Advent, and our eye from the vision of the glory.

ART. V.-SUCCESSFUL PRAYER.

THERE is nothing beneath the throne of God so powerful as prayer. It is mightier than disease, stronger than death, and more than a match for Satan, the god of this world. It hath conquered all these. We have in the Bible a record of its mighty acts; and there are a vast number of other instances not recorded there, or elsewhere on earth. "The record is on high." Prayer is mightier than any circumstances or difficulties; and when a spirit of prayer is possessed, it fits a person for all relationships and responsibilities-enabling him to say, "My sufficiency is God." "I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me."

But all prayer is not like this. We may with equal truth say there is nothing so powerless as many prayers. They are mere words, which do not reach God, and so do not injure Satan, nor benefit the soul. To such prayers God often refers, and says concerning them, "I will not hear." "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." One, who was remarkable in his day for the gift and grace of prayer, used to put up this petition at a throne of grace, "Lord, save us from prayerless prayer, and praiseless praise." We have all need thus to pray, and then diligently to watch our spirits.

This mighty instrument God has provided us with, and He teaches us how to use it. In His word He has made every provision for the success of prayer, and also for the soul to realise much sweetness in the exercise. In the names by which He has revealed Himself-in the work and offices of the Saviour in the undertakings of the Holy Spirit, and in “the exceeding great and precious promises," a prayer-hearing God has furnished abundant facilities for prayer. These and other things such as the example of Christ, the models exhibited in God's Word, and the instances of success recorded there— should be well studied if we would prevail in prayer, and find increased pleasure in this holy exercise. But we do not propose now to examine these in detail, but to refer especially to one point, which will embrace some of them—a point which I think is a matter of great importance, and concerning which the Scripture has spoken very plainly, but which, perhaps, is too much overlooked even by praying souls. It is this

What are the conditions of successful prayer? Surely it is a point well worth investigating whether the Object and Hearer of prayer has made success in prayer conditional upon other things. If any object to the word "conditions," then

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let them put it in another form, and ask, "What, according to God's Word, must be the accompaniments of successful prayer?"

By successful prayer is meant, obtaining answers so as to be enabled to say, "I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplication." "I sought the Lord, and He heard me." "For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition that I asked of Him." It is freely and gladly conceded that there are many other benefits connected with prayer besides direct answers. There is much sacred pleasure in contemplating on, and communing with God. The graces of the Spirit are strengthened, and love to the saints is promoted by prayer. But these and other things are collateral blessings; the direct, the main design and use of prayer is to bring down blessings from God. "To ask, and receive; to seek, and find;" "to cry, and be answered;" to obtain strength in weakness, direction in difficulty, victory in temptation, and a blessing on our labours, are the great ends of prayer. We ought not to be contented without such answers; we ought not to be satisfied with performing a duty or enjoying a privilege; we ought to have something to shew for our prayers. Why is it that this is not more frequently the case? The answer must be, that either we are not the people whom God will hear, or else that we do not comply with certain terms or conditions which God has laid down. As we are now addressing the saints of God who are accepted, and who have a right of access to their heavenly Father, we shall only consider the latter cause. Prayer will not succeed if God's conditions are neglected, or if the accompaniments of prayer which He requires are not forthcoming. Prayer, like faith, is dead, being alone. Let us earnestly inquire, What are these conditions which God requires? I will reply to this question by quoting a few scriptures, and request that they should be first earnestly and carefully pondered. References to some others will be given, which it would be wise afterwards to search out. The following scriptures are of immense importance:-" My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed, and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,

ye

and love one another, as he gave us commandment," (1 John iii. 18-23.) "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him," (1 John v. 13-15.) 'If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you," (John xv. 7.) "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son," (John xiv. 13.) "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me," (Ps. lxvi. 18-20.) See also Job xxxiii. 26; John xv. 16, xvi. 23; Ps. xxxvii. 4; John ix. 31; 1 Pet. iii. 12; James iv. 3, v. 16.

From the five passages quoted we may notice the following points :

I. A right state of heart is a condition of successful prayer. Unless the heart is in our prayers we cannot prevail. Words are useless unless the soul is really stirred. An old writer compares such prayers to a bullet without powder. It may be just observed, that prayer should be thoughtful and reverent. We should think before what we mean to say, and seek to realise the awfully-glorious presence of Him to whom we propose to speak. It should be sincere and importunate; we should mean what we say, desire what we ask, and be very earnest to obtain the same. There should also be a singleness of aim to God's glory, hence the exhortation occurs so often in connexion with worship, "Exalt the Lord our God," "Sanctify the Lord," "Hallow his name." It is important in prayer, as in all things relating to God's service, that we regard the matter, manner, and motive of our prayers. But on these and similar points we shall not dwell, but merely glean some thoughts bearing on our subject from the scriptures just quoted. Observe, that it is in intimate connexion with prayer that the beloved John speaks of "the heart or conscience condemning or not condemning." I shall merely take the general idea suggested by these words, without attempting a minute exposition of the passage. A right state of conscience is to have it free from guilt by the blood of

Jesus, and to have it well instructed and kept tender by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. One has well said, "It is not enough that we be Christians, we must be in a state of friendship with God. There must be no unsettled controversy between Him and our souls." Why should guilt be cherished by us after all that Christ has done to put away sin, and after all that God has said about His satisfaction with that infinite atonement? Why should we dig up forgiven sins to affright ourselves with, and thus make ourselves weak? But it may be said that it is not the sins of unregeneracy merely that alarm, but sins against knowledge, sins of omission and commission many and oft-repeated since a profession has been made, that affrights the soul. Far be it from me to speak lightly of such things; but still let us remember that we cannot pray to God with freedom, or labour successfully for Him in the chains of guilt; and that God has made a provision even for this sad case now supposed. Surely the following words ought to settle the controversy, and fill the soul with peace in believing"My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world," (1 John ii. 1, 2.) There are "many like words" which should be pondered by all who are thus tried, especially they should muse on the glorious provision referred to in Rom. v. 10, and Heb. vii. 25. The life of Jesus, His priestly interceding life, is God's provision for the full and eternal salvation of those who are already reconciled. Having such a High Priest they may well be hopeful, and say, "Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water," (Heb. x. 22.) For "how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?" (Heb. ix. 14.)

But it may be that some sin is still allowed, some “iniquity regarded in the heart;" it may be that the protests of conscience as regards wrong paths, neglected duties, or secret faults are not heeded. If so, there can be no successful praying in this state of heart. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Or, perhaps, for want of light, which more diligence would have obtained, certain wrong things are done, or certain duties left undone, which amount to iniquity in God's sight, though the soul knoweth it not. We