receiving back the return of its grateful acknowledgments and praises, wherein it is manifest he should do no greater thing than he For who sees not that it is a mat

hath done. ter of no greater difficulty to converse with, than to make a reasonable creature? Or who would not be ashamed to deny, that he who hath been the only Author of the soul of man, and of the excellent powers and faculties belonging to it; can more easily sustain that which he hath made, and converse with his creature suitably to the way wherein he hath made it ca pable of his converse." The memorable John Hales, in his Golden Remains, expresses him. self thus, on the subject of spiritual worship, "Nay one thing I know more, that the prayer, which is the most forcible, transcends and far exceeds all the power of words. For St. Paul, speaking unto us of the most effectual kind of prayer, calls it sighs and groans, that cannot be expressed. Nothing cries so loud in the ears of God, as the sighing of a contrite and earnest heart." From all which, and many other testimonies which might be produced, it must be evident that a spiritual devotion is believed in, and has been acknowledged by others as well as the society of Friends. Al

though this divine and spiritual devotion may be experienced when our hands are employed in the business of this world, and we doubt not many pious souls are poured out before God in secret, by gratefully owning his mercy and his grace, yet we are satisfied that such will be glad often to assemble themselves together, that they may unite in spirit in this duty. And we have often had experience that it is acceptable to our holy Head, that we meet together to wait upon and worship him. He has owned our silent and solemn assemblies, and in them united us in the fellowship of his dear Son. Therefore we believe that it is our indispensable duty, and that they who sincerely attend to it will know the promise fulfilled, "Even the youths shall faint, and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." Isa. xl. 30, 31. Therefore, we are concerned, to practice the exhortation of the apostle, "I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God; which is your reasonable

service." Rom. xii. 1. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner, of some is." Heb. x. 25. But concerning those who think of his name, the prophet Malachi, has said, "Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day, when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Mal. iii. 16, 17.

OF PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL SINGING TO THE LORD.

HAVING given an account of our belief concerning the spirituality of worship, I shall now speak of prayer; which, though it is a part of the worship of God, and not to be dispensed with by the Christian, appears to me, cannot be acceptable, when performed in the will or wisdom of man. But prayer, performed by direction of the Divine Spirit, is profitable;

and should not be neglected. The disciples, sensible of this, applied to the only proper instructor: and we believe that they who at this day apply to him, will be rightly directed in this solemn act. That others who have their forms of prayer committed to memory, and are formal in the act, not knowing the instruction and puttings forth of the Divine Spirit, are not asking in his name; and therefore will not receive. Perhaps there is scarcely an act sanc tioned by the religion of Jesus Christ, less understood, and therefore none more abused than that of prayer. Those who think they are within the meaning of this duty, because they are governed by the boundaries set in the Lord's prayer, are too generally deficient. They do not consider that the very first sentence in that solemn compendium requires a qualification. Who are they that may call God father? Certainly not those who are the sérvants of sin; who reject the light of Christ, and are enemies to his spirit; these are not his children." But as many as are led by the spirit of God; they are the sons of God." Rom. viii. 14. Such may say our Father which art in heaven: but of the vast multitude who are daily addressing him by that paternal title,

there is reason to doubt, few are his obedient children; and all others are saying that which is not true in relation to themselves. They have not lived in nor received the spirit of adoption, authorizing them to cry Abba, Father. Neither are the disobedient willing that his kingdom should be set up in their hearts, nor that the divine will should be done; but they live in the pride and obstinacy of their own self will. Instead of forgiving men their trespasses, they watch the opportunity for revenge, and are joyful when they succeed in punishing those who they imagine have injured them; and yet some of these are forward to pray in the assemblies of the people; and would willingly persuade men, that they have a claim to true devotion. Others again seem to suppose they shall be heard for their much speaking, and therefore are crowding together all the subjects of desire which the imagination can reach, and calling upon the Almighty to grant them this vast assemblage of requests. If we were to take a correct account of the multitude of petitions, which are vocally offered up, and strictly to examine and reflect upon them; I have sometimes thought there are few of common understanding, but what would be of opi