Excuse of not being a Christian examined.

rious upon others, or given to the indulgence of vile thoughts and practices in secret, you cannot welcome the hour of prayer.

you

It may seem strange to some of my readers, that I urge this duty upon them, when they do not profess to be Christians, or religious people. But am I to blame, if they do not even profess to wish to obey and honor their God? Are they in any way above the reach of want, so that they need not prayer? What if you have no relish for prayer; will neglecting the duty cultivate, or even create, such a relish? If have lived so long under the government of God, under all the advantages which you have enjoyed, under all the responsibilities which have been resting upon you, and still are living without prayer, are you in the path of duty to plead this neglect of prayer, as a reason why it should not be urged upon you? Shall I be a faithful friend to admit this excuse, and to allow, that, because you have so long tried to escape the eye of God, and have neither thanked him for his mercies nor asked him for his goodness, neither sought his friendship nor deprecated his displeasure, you ought still to be left, and no warning voice reach you? No. And if you urge that you have not been in the habit of prayer, I assure you that you are inexcusable; that you are losing great peace of mind, and daily satisfaction in laying all your wants and trials before Him who can relieve

Pray in Christ's name.

them: you are losing those great principles which make character good, great, and stable, and you are losing opportunities which are passing away rapidly, and whose misimprovement will hereafter bring down great anguish upon you.

(4.) Offer your prayers in the name of Jesus Christ.

He is the only Mediator between God and man. He it is who sits with the golden censer in his right hand, and who ever lives to intercede for us. He is a great and a merciful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. We have no righteousness of our own; we can have no confidence in offering prayer in our own names. But he who has most of the spirit of Christ; who comes near to him in his contemplations and devotions; who has the most exalted views of the Redeemer, and the most abased views of himself,—will enjoy most at the throne of grace. Your prayers will be cold unless they go from a heart warmed by his love. Your petitions will not be fervent unless you feel your need of an almighty Saviour. The songs which are the loudest and sweetest in heaven, we are told, are kindled by the exhibitions which he has made, of what he has done for us.

(5.) Ask the assistance of the Holy Spirit.

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When God directs us to pray, it is not that he may sit at a distance, and, in the coldness of a sovereign

Ask for the Holy Spirit.

monarch, hear our prayers, and receive our homage; but it is, that we may draw ourselves near to him, as one in a boat, with a boat-hook, would not draw the shore to the boat, but the boat to the shore. His promise of the Holy Spirit to those who ask him, was sincere; and no gift can be compared to this. All that is done for man in the way of calling his attention to eternal things, sanctifying the heart, and preparing the soul for the service of God here and hereafter, is done by the Holy Spirit as the agent. Solemn warnings are given in the Bible lest we should abuse this last, best gift of Heaven. He is the Sanctifier to purify your heart, the Comforter to sustain and cheer in life and in death. Ask his assistance, and you will be shielded from temptation, trained for usefulness here, enlightened in your views, expansive in your feelings, pure in your aims, contented in your circumstances, peaceful in your death, and glorious in immortality beyond the grave.

CHAPTER X.

THE OBJECT OF LIFE.

How many imaginary

How many beautiful visions pass before the mind in a single day, when the reins are thrown loose, and fancy feels no restraints! How curious, interesting and instructive would be the history of the workings of a single mind for a day! joys, how many airy castles, pass before it, which a single jostle of this rough world at once destroys! Who is there of my readers who has not imagined a summer fairer than ever bloomed,-scenery in nature more perfect than was ever combined by the pencil,— abodes more beautiful than were ever reared,— honors more distinguished than were ever bestowed,homes more peaceful than were ever enjoyed,-companions more angelic than ever walked this earth,and bliss more complete, and joys more thrilling than were ever allotted to man ? You may call these the dreams of the imagination, but they are common to the student. To the man who lives for this world alone, these visions of bliss, poor as they are, are all that ever come. But good men have their anticipations-not the paintings of fancy, but the realities which faith discovers. Good men have the most

Visions of good men.

Our visions a test of character.

vivid conceptions. Witness those of old. As they look down the vale of time, they see a star arise,the everlasting hills do bow, the valleys are raised, and the moon puts on the brightness of the sun. The deserts and the dry places gush with waters. Nature pauses. The serpent forgets his fangs; the lion and the lamb sleep side by side, and the hand of the child is on the mane of the tiger. Nations gaze till they forget the murderous work of war, and the garments rolled in blood. The whole earth is enlightened, and the star shines on till it brings in everlasting day. Here are glowing conceptions, but they are not the work of a depraved imagination. They will all be realized. Sin and death will long walk hand in hand on this earth, and their footsteps will not be entirely blotted out till the fires of the last day have melted the globe. But the head of the one is already bruised, and the sting is already taken from the other. They may long roar, but they walk in chains, and the of faith sees the hand that holds the chains.

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But we have visions still brighter. We look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. No sin will be there to mar the beauty, no sorrow to diminish a joy, no anxiety to corrode the heart, or cloud the brow. Our characters may be tested, in part, by our anticipations. If our thoughts and feelings are running in the channel of time, and dancing from one earthly bubble to