THE Amalekites were the reputed descendants of Esau, Amalek, their progenitor, being his supposed grandson. This people was Israel's enemy; but for aught that appears, they had received no injury from Israel, yet they determined to wage war with them; in consequence of which, God threatened them with an entire overthrow, by blotting out their remembrance from under heaven. They had no sooner heard that the Children of Israel had crossed the Red Sea, than they resolved to cut them off, and, accordingly, they fell upon their rear as they were marching from Rephidim to Mount Horeb: they were, however, discomforted by Joshua and put to flight. Their country was afterwards invaded in the days of Saul, and its inhabitants, by God's command, were massacred without distinction. Agag, their king, for a while was spared, but he also at length most miserably perished.

The last fatal blow was given to this people by the Simeonites, who, in the days of Hezekiah, utterly destroyed dispersed them, and took possession of their country; thus fulfilling the prediction of Balaam-" Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever."

The true Israel, or Church of God, has been in every age on earth a church militant. Ever since enmity was put between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, a conflict, a spiritual conflict, has been carried on between the church and the world, between the kingdom of Jesus and the empire of darkness: the former is to overcome at last, and the latter day glory is to be the consummation of her triumphs; then, He who is "the bright and morning star," by his rising at the time foretold in prophecy, will usher in the glories of the millennial day.

The carnal battle before us-its conduct and issue- aptly prefigures the spiritual triumph of the Church of the Redeemer over all her adversaries, together with the means by which that triumph is to be obtained, Eph. vi. 12: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this

VOL. VIII.

world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." 2 Cor. x. 4: "The wea pons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." 1 Cor. xv. 25: "For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet."

Prayer with us, brethren, as it was with Israel of old, is the path to victory. It is alike the secret, the measure, and the security of all spiritual success.

1. Contemplate prayer in the first place, as the secret of the Church's suc

cess.

Our conflict may be characterised as twofold-defensive and aggressive. We act on the defensive in resisting our own enemies, in freeing ourselves from their dominion, and in thus seeking to extend the Redeemer's kingdom within us. We act on the aggressive, in aiming to deliver others from the yoke of the destroyer, and in thus seeking to extend the Redeemer's kingdom in the world. We must act on the defensive before we can hope to contend successfully on the aggressive. We must first obtain a triumph over our enemies before we can hope to lead others on to victory; and in each department of this our spiritual conflict, prayer is the secret of our suc

cess.

It is so in seeking to subdue our own enemies.

Every Christian is a man of prayer: a prayerless man cannot be a Christian. Prayer is the first symptom of the renewed life. It is the Christian's vital breath. Paul's conversion was first gathered from the fact, "Behold he prayeth." The motion of the renewed life which swelled in the bosom of the contrite prodigal, found its first vent in prayer. This is the lever which detaches the soul from earth-the link which unites it to God. The renewed life, the offspring of the Holy Spirit, is not only developed, but sustained by prayer. Our spiritual life is a series of conflicts with spiritual foes. These are marshalled, as it were, under three great leaders-the world, the flesh, and the devil; three allies, to the least of which we are an easy prey. How formidable are they then combined! and these three are one, united and animated

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by the same spirit, and all alike potent in weaning the soul from God. Satan arrays the world in the most dazzling and deceitful charms, such as a heart like ours is easily inclined to follow. The heart itself, too, the fruitful source of evil, is an enemy within the camp, the more to be dreaded for its known and secret treachery: this foe often gains an imperceptible victory. Now, if we are less than a match for the least of these our foes, how are we to prevail over them in their confederacy? Surely by a strength not our own, but by a power Divine, the interposition of which is secured by prayer. The panoply of God is our only defence (Eph. vi. 10, 17), and it is prayer alone that makes it proof (v. 18). Satan knows this, and shapes his policy accordingly: he directs his subtlest artifices to render our devotions irksome, and draw us from the throne of grace. Such prevalence has prayer with God, and such advantage over the designs of this our enemy, that he even

"Trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees."

If you peruse the list of holy men, whose names, fragrant with piety, are recorded in the Scriptures, you will find that they were all men of prayer. There is Enoch, Noah -men who lived so much above the world, by virtue of their intimacy with the Most High, that it is said of them, they "walked with God" -Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Elijah, David, Daniel; all men of prayer. Our Lord himself was exemplary for prayer, and his Apostles were baptized with the self-same spirit. And thus, too, will it be with ourselves. proportion as prayer is the element in which we live, shall we war successfully with our own spiritual enemies, and will the Redeemer's kingdom be established within us. Brethren, let us see to it, that this spirit of devotion in our hearts has the place which it deserves, and let us never cease to cultivate it with everwatchful solicitude.

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Again; prayer is the secret of our success, in seeking to vanquish the enemies of others, and to extend the Redeemer's kingdom in the world.

Never was there such a vast amount of religious machinery in the Church of Christ as now; never were such schemes undertaken for the evangelization of the world as in the times in which we live. We have invaded, we may say, almost every portion of the enemy's territory; but how small has been our success to

what we should have expected! How small as compared with that of the Apostles, and those of past Apostolic ages! At first, a few poor fishermen went forth in the work in which we are embarked, and though they had no other weapon in their hands but the sword of the Spirit, and no other wealth than the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, their success was great-great without a parallel. At their preaching, the idols of the heathen were prostrated, their temples were deserted, their creeds were overthrown, and there was "added to the Church daily of such as should be saved." Now, as we have machinery which these devoted men had not, how is it that we are so far behind them in success? not the answer at hand?-they were men of prayer, and often met for prayer. The machinery which the Church at present possesses is adequate for far nobler results than any she has yet attained. What then is wanting to effect those results? Our machinery is not stationary. It does not want motion, but efficient motionthe motion of the mainspring, and that mainspring is prayer. Prayer it is that gives life to our projects, and efficiency to our plans. It is the mainspring of our

success.

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Pursuing the simile a little further, the universal Church of Christ possesses machinery, which, if advantageously employed, would secure the conversion of the world. The action of this machinery, at present, is that of its several detached parts, and whatever union and efficiency may exist among the several detached parts, the whole is not one, the Christian Church is disjoined, and its efforts are divided. The Church must be united, ere the success to which it is adequate can be actually secured. We should pray for this union. Our Lord prayed for it with almost his dying breath, John xvii. 21: "That they all may be one, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."

But much as we may desire this union, we shall never have it, while a part of the church is in alliance with the world. The Church of the living God must dissolve every such alliance. It must be entirely disunited with the world, ere it can hope to be entirely united with itself. We should pray for this; that everything may be put aside which frustrates this union, and renders it impracticable. The union of the Church, we say, is necessary to the conversion of the world. But mere union is not enough. The

united machinery must be set in motion by prayer; and then who shall predict the results which would follow? The universal Church of the Redeemer knit together as the heart of one man, and this comprehensive one inspired by the spirit of prayer! Brethren, if the "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," what would be the triumphs which would be brought about by the effectual fervent prayer of a universal, united, and wrestling Church? Thus leagued we need fear no foe, if we go forth in prayer, for the "battle is the Lord's;" but we must not be surprised at the most stupendous and promising schemes ending in failure, if they are not undertaken in the spirit of prayer.

With a stone and a sling the Jewish stripling encountered the giant of Gath, who had defied the armies of the living God, and by believing prayer he prevailed. With a meagre band of three hundred, Israel's champion met the confederate hosts of the Midianites and the Amalekites, the numbers of whom were as grasshoppers in multitude, and as the sands on the sea-shore innumerable, and with the sword of Jehovah he achieved the victory. Nay, we may even glean this lesson from a page of history. On the occasion of an attack upon the English crown by a Norman invader, history reports that that army was eventually successful that spent the previous night in devotion and prayer.

Do we not depend too little on prayer? We honour God by prayer. We dishonour him in its neglect. The promise of success is to those who plead; and what will not the Lord do for those who plead his promises, and put his faithfulness to the test? The Most High waits to be put in mind of his promises: "Put me in remembrance, saith the Lord, let us plead together, declare thou that thou mayest be justified," Isa. xliii. 26. "Thus saith the Lord God, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them."

2. Contemplate prayer as the measure of the Church's success.

Though prayer and success do not stand in the relation to one another, as cause and effect, still, by the Divine appointment, the one is as efficacious to secure the other as if they stood in that relation. Not only by prayer is it that we succeed at all, but the amount of our success is in proportion to prayer.

This is true in regard to our own spiritual success.

Occasional acts of prayer will not long preserve alive the flame of piety and devotion in the soul. A few irregular visits to the throne of grace will not suffice to fortify us against the numerous enemies to which we are constantly opposed. To meet these successfully, we must become habituated to prayer: prayer must be the element in which we live. We do not believe, with some misled religionists, that the mere number of our prayers is the measure of our success; but we do believe that it is only as we rely by holy communion with God, on his Almighty grace, that we can hope to be victorious over our spiritual foes. The closet is the thermometer of the soul. It has been observed by the holy and useful Doddridge (useful because holy), that, "were a Christian to keep an accurate journal of his own heart, but for one month, he would find as real and exact a correspondence between the temper of his soul at the seasons of his secret devotion, and at other seasons of his life, as we find between the thermometer and the weather." Our growth in grace will invariably correspond to the degree in which we possess the spirit of prayer.

Again; prayer is the measure of our success, in our efforts to extend the kingdom of Christ in the world.

Are we not in danger of measuring our success in our attempts to extend the Redeemer's kingdom in the world, by the amount of instrumentality we employ? Are we not, therefore, accustomed to estimate it by a false criterion ?—and is not such an error, if it exist, pregnant with a twofold evil? Does it not, in some cases, lead us to rest satisfied with the mere semblance of prosperity ?—and, in others, tend to discourage efforts which are by necessity feeble, but which may be no less effectual? Is it always safe-e. g., to argue a large amount of spiritual prosperity from an overflowing congregation?-and little prosperity, or none, where the numbers are few and far between? May there not be as much prosperity among the praying few, as among the lukewarm many? Let us be assured that our real success will be in proportion to the spirit of fervent prayer which pervades our numbers. We may not for a time see our success, but it is no less real, because invisible to us. We know that prayer, combined with effort, without which the former is inconsistent, is the appointed means for hastening on the kingdom of Christ, and that praying

breath was never spent in vain. If, then, we would ascertain the amount of our prosperity, as individual churches, we shall find, that the prayer-meeting is one of the best criteria by which to measure it. If the closet is the thermometer of the soul, the prayer-meeting is the thermometer of the church. Does it rise to its proper height?

If we believe that our efforts to extend our Saviour's kingdom are successful in proportion to the spirit of prayer in which they are put forth, what encouragement have we to persevere? We are not straitened in Jehovah. Abraham's petition in behalf of Sodom affords a specimen of God's willingness to answer prayer. So long as Abraham prayed, God promised mercy; and it was not till he ceased praying that the Lord left him: and who would venture to say that had Abraham pushed his petition another point, the Hearer of prayer would not have even granted his request.

So of the case before us. Moses, pleading on behalf of Israel, was the measure of their success. He held up

his hands till sunset, and at sunset Israel had the victory. One of the greatest discouragements, perhaps, to perseverance in prayer, is the apparent delay of the expected answer. But so far from ceasing praying on this account, should it not urge us still more to persevere ?-and is not then the time to adopt and abide by the resolve of Jacob, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me."

3. Contemplate prayer as the security or pledge of the Church's success.

Prayer and spiritual success are most closely connected. The one is the earnest of the other, 1 John v. 14, 15: "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him."

But still we may not unnaturally inquire, "if prayer is the foundation of our spiritual triumphs, what guarantee have we that the foundation will remain secure? Whence have we the confidence that we shall finally prevail? It is true that so long as we continue instant in prayer, we are sure of success; but may we not grow weary in our prayers? As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; so long victory was certain; but Moses' hands were heavy,-so are ours; are we then sure of final victory?" -Yes; and we gather our confidence of

this not from the uncertainty and instability which mark our devotions, but from the unceasing intercession of our risen and exalted Redeemer; his hands are never weary; his heart is never alienated from his people; his love, ever the same, is engaged on our behalf; he pleads our cause, both within us, by his own spirit, and for us, in his exalted humanity, before the throne of his Father and our Father, his God and our God: seeing "he ever liveth to make intercession for us;" and him the Father heareth always.

Let us then take courage, and gird ourselves anew for the conflict; and whether we are aiming at victory over our own spiritual enemies, or seeking to deliver others from their cruel bondage, feel that our Lord himself is with us more than all that are against us. Let us believe that his arm will help us to secure the victory; "for he must reign till all his enemies are put under his feet."

We may derive two practical lessons from the subject under consideration: we learn,

(1.) That the Saviour's intercession does not supersede ours.

This is implied in the verse succeeding the text. Moses was a type of Christ. Moses' intercession for Israel, was typical of Christ's intercession for his people. The staying up of Moses' hands signifies the union of his intercession with that of Israel, and also prefigures the conjoint intercession of the Saviour and his church.

Again; when Christ intercedes he does so in his human nature; as God he cannot intercede. But in his human nature, he is our example. As Christ has acted in his human capacity, so we are to act; what he did, we are to do. His whole life on earth was a succession of living lessons, which have been preserved and recorded to teach us how to walk even as he walked. We are to imitate his active benevolence; he "went about doing good.' We are to imitate him on the cross, by being crucified to the world, and dead unto sin. He is also our model in prayer. As prayer was the element of his life, so it should be of ours. Not only has he hallowed the path of prayer by his own footsteps, but he has himself taught us to pray: he has thus taught us that it is our duty to pray. That duty does not cease to be obligatory now that he is exalted to the right hand of God. He yet intercedes. Though, as God, he could accomplish all his pur

on us,

poses in regard to his church without instrumentality; he shows us that these, like all God's other purposes, are to be brought about by instrumentality; and by his own example he has taught, and still is teaching, us to intercede with the Most High that he would hasten on the triumphs of his spiritual kingdom. We learn,

(2.) That our own intercession does not supersede or paralyse our efforts.

Israel was not at ease while Moses was interceding for them, but engaged in the heat of battle. The army would never have conquered if it had not fought.

They believed that they should have the victory, while Moses was interceding: it amounted to a certainty with them; but did they therefore cease their action? No; but they doubled their efforts. It was this very conviction that they should prevail, which inspirited and sustained their courage; this it was which gave nerve to their arm and decision to their stroke, and which in fact strengthened them to overcome.

THE SECRET OF THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE GOSPEL.

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul."-PSA. xix. 7.

THE true strength and glory of the Gospel lies in the power of its truth, not in the operation of its sacraments. Urquestionably the crowning glory of the Gospel consists in that, whatever it be, which imparts the principle of spiritual life to guilty dying men. The imparting of this life, is what is meant by the conversion of the soul. This, the Psalmist assures us, is effected by "the law of the Lord," which is his word or revealed truth. When the Apostle James is speaking of the spiritual life, which God imparts to believers, he says: "Of his own will begat he us, by the word of truth." And St. Paul says of the children of God, that they are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible-even by the word of God." these and other passages there is but one testimony on this point, and that is in the most thorough agreement with the text, which teaches us that the grand

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as

instrumental means, which God has ordained for the conversion of souls, is the truth of his word. The prevailing disposition of the present day is to connect this result with the operation of the sacraments, and to represent them as the appointed channels for conveying quickening and converting grace to men. But there is not a single passage in the Bible, from which it can be satisfactorily shown that the conversion of the soul is connected with the use of the sacraments; while there are many in which it is clearly and positively connected with the word of God. We regard this mistake respecting the sacraments one of the most fruitful sources of error and mischief in the church. The point is one of vital importance, and it becomes every man to strive to form clear and correct views respecting it. There is, we know, a great unwillingness on the part of many persons, to hear much said upon the subject. They are apt to regard every attempt to correct this prevailing error, as an effort to disparage the sacraments, and lessen the obligation to their observance. But this is far from being the case. The real disparagers of the sacraments are those who drag them out of their proper place, and give them a degree of prominence in their preaching and practice which the Scriptures do not authorize. And those do the most truly honour these divine ordinances, who keep them in the position which God has appointed, and use them for the object for which they were designed. For ourselves, we love and delight in the sacraments of God's house; we adore his name for ordaining them, and bless him for all the aid and comfort which they yield. We hold it to be as much the duty of every individual professing love to Christ, to partake of the sacraments, as it is to exercise faith in him. The same authority which enjoins the one, commands the other also. But still to speak of the sacraments as the means appointed for the conversion of the soul, is to invert the order of things which God has appointed in his church. The soul must be first converted by the application of the truth, before it can have any right to a participation of the sacraments. We speak not now of the case of infants, but of adult persons. Both the Scriptures and the church require repentance and faith to be already in exercise, before an individual can properly come to either of the sacraments. But where these are in exercise, the soul