160 A GUIDE TO PRAYER. couraged while he abides without hope ? But when be first be- holds Christ in his mediatorial offices, and his glorious all-suffi- ciency to save ; when he first beholds this new and living wan of access to God, consecrated by the blood of Christ ; how chear- fully loth he come before the throne of God, and pour out his whole soul inprayer ? And how lively is his nature in the exer- cise of every grace suited to his duty ? How deep his humility ? How fervent his desires ? I-Iow importunate his pleadings ? How warm and hearty are his thanksgivings? And we have need al- ways to maintain upon our spirits a deep sense of the evil of sin, of our desert of death, of the dreadful holiness of God, and impossibility of our converse with him without a Mediator, that so the name of Jesus may be ever precious to us, and that we may never venture into the presence of God in set and solemn prayer, without the eye of our soul toChrist our glori- ous Introducer. V. Maintain Always a praying frame; a temper of mind ready to converse with God. This will be one way to keep all praying graces ever ready for exercise. Vint hïm therefore often, and upon all occasions, with whom you would obtain some immediate communion at solemn seasons of devotion, and make the work of prayer your delight, nor rest satisfied till you find pleasure in it. What advantages andopportunities soever you en- joy for social prayer, do not neglect praying in secret, at least once a day : constrain the businesses of life, to give you leave to say something to God alone. When you join with others in prayer, where you arenot the speaker, let yoúr heart be kept in- tent and watchful to the work, that you may pray so much the better, when you are the mouth of others to God. Take fre- quent occasion, in the midst of your duties in the world, to lift up your heart to'God : he is ready to hear a sudden sentence, and will answer the breathings of a holy soul towards himself, in the short intervals or spaces between your dailyaffairs. Thus you may pray without ceasing, as the apostle directs, and your graces may be ever lively. Whereas if you only make your ad- dresses to God in the morning and evening, and forget him all the day, your hearts will grow indifferent in worship, and you will only pay a salutation with your lipsand your knees, and fulfil the task with dull formality. VI. Seek earnestly the assistance of the Holy Spirit. It is he that works every grace inus, and fits us for every duty; it is he that awakens sleeping graces into exercise; it is he that draws the soul near to God, and teaches us this correspondence with heaven. He is the Spirit of grace and supplication; but because this is the subject of the followingchapter, I shall pur- sue it no further Isere.
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