culable importance, and demonstrates how necessary it is to attend on them with diligence and punctuality.

I am aware, that besides a principle of enlightened and fervent piety, there are motives of a very inferior order which may impel men to wait punctually on the public ordinances of christianity; and, therefore, it is not to be inferred from that single symptom, that a religious society is in a healthy and vigorous state; but if it be in such a state, that symptom of health will not be wanting. Its members, on the contrary, will universally, or almost universally, "love the house of God," and prove this by a regular attendance on it. Not only so; but their deportment in it will be such as to indicate that they feel deeply interested in its exercises. Instead of showing, by their drowsy and vacant countenances, that their thoughts are roaming on the "mountains of vanity," or rather, that they are hardly thinking at all, that their souls are almost as torpid and stupid as those of the irrational animals, it will appear, from their devout, and solemn, and eager looks, that they are aware that they are in the immediate presence of their Judge, and that they regard the message addressed to them as one of unutterable importance, as one which involves their eternal well-being. They wish" the word to become effectual to their salvation," and therefore, to use the language of our Shorter Catechism, they "attend to it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love; and laying it up in their hearts, practise it in their lives." And as they will love the house of God, and appear in it punctually, and enter into its services with life and ardour, so they will love the day of God, and consecrate it scrupulously to religion and devotion. Instead of feeling it to be a burden or weariness, they will "call it a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honour

VOL. II.

L

able; and will honour it, not doing their own ways, nor finding their own pleasures, nor speaking their own words."

III. When a church is in a prosperous condition, it will be pervaded by a spirit of prayer. This particular is intimately connected with the preceding; but it is one so very important, and so necessary to be pressed on the attention of professing christians in the present times, that I think it but proper to make it the subject of distinct consideration.

I have already had occasion to remark, that never, probably, has the world produced a race of saints equal to those of the apostolic age. Now, from incidental intimations given of their habits and practices in the Acts of the apostles, it would seem that they attached far more importance than we do to the exercise of prayer, and devoted to it a much larger space of time. It would seem that almost all their religious enterprises were preceded or accompanied by prayer and fasting, and that they spent a considerable portion of every day in the exercises of personal or social devotion. Thus, in the first chapter of the book referred to, it is said of certain of the apostles, "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." Of the three thousand souls converted by Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, it is said, that "they continued stedfastly in prayers;" and that they "continued daily with one accord in the temple." When Peter was imprisoned by Herod, " prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him;" and when released by the angel during the night, he proceeded to "the house of Mary the mother of Mark, where many were gathered together praying."

That part of the conduct of the primitive christians

now adverted to, is not without a parallel in the conduct of eminent saints in other times, nor is it without a warrant in the intimations and injunctions of scripture. Does not David tell us that it was his fixed determination "to pray to God at evening, morning, and noon;" and that it was his custom "to praise God seven times a day, because of his righteous judgments?" Is it not said respecting the Messiah, 66 prayer shall be made for him continually, and daily shall he be praised?" And is it not the injunction of the apostle, "Pray always," "pray without ceasing?" In fine, brethren, if prayer is the grand medium of intercourse between the "Father of lights" and the human soul, the grand instrument for obtaining spiritual and eternal blessings, is it not eminently reasonable and proper that we attach to it the highest value, and give to it as large a portion of time as we can possibly command?

I say, therefore, if religion be in a flourishing state in a church, that church will be pervaded and animated by a spirit of prayer. Its members will not content themselves with attending to that exercise merely at the ordinary or stated seasons; they will cultivate habitually a devotional temper; they will be "in the fear of God all the day long," and almost every hour of the day they will be presenting fervent ejaculations to their heavenly Father. In such a church, also, there will probably be many meetings for social worship; and instead of requiring to be importuned to attend these meetings, the members will come to them spontaneously and willingly, or rather, they will crowd to them with high delight, and irrepressible eagerness.

IV. When a church is spiritually prosperous, its members will be distinguished by intelligence or knowledge. There is a knowledge which is little better, if it be not

positively worse, than brutish ignorance-a knowledge which is merely speculative and unproductive, which "puffeth up," and which is possessed by many who are complete strangers to genuine piety. I need not say that this is not the knowledge or intelligence to which I now refer. The knowledge in which the members of a church in a prosperous condition will be eminent, is that knowledge which is the fruit of supernatural teaching, that knowledge which is accompanied by a perception of the grandeur and excellence of divine truths, and by a firm and vigorous faith. It is that knowledge which is practical and influential, which tends not to blow, but to build up, and which, instead of filling its possessors with pride and self-conceit, serves to humble and sanctify them, rendering them "meek and lowly," kind and compassionate.

That the members of a church, which is spiritually prosperous, will be eminent for that hallowed knowledge, may be confidently inferred, both from the inherent importance of that knowledge, and from the express intimations of scripture respecting the attainments of christians during the millennial period. This knowledge is in itself a most valuable attainment; it lies at the root of general excellence of character; it exerts a healthful and invigorating influence on every grace and virtue; and without a considerable portion of it, it is almost impossible to arrive at eminence in any christian attainment.

In reference to the millennial period it is predicted : "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. For behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of David; and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."

These predictions, in popular language, are not to be understood in the most literal sense; but they evidently intimate two things, the universal, or almost universal, diffusion of spiritual knowledge,-" all shall know the Lord;" and high attainments in that knowledge,"they will no longer need to teach one another."

It can scarcely be necessary to observe, my friends, that this is a state of things not yet realized. Without affirming that the former days were better than these, without comparing the christians of the present age with those of any preceding period, it may be confidently asserted that their attainments in religious knowledge are exceedingly deficient, compared with what they might be, and compared with what actually will be the attainments of christians generally in those better days, which the church is destined to witness. While there may be in most of our congregations a few individuals, eminent both for intelligence and piety, there are many, it is to be feared, who are utterly devoid of saving knowledge,-ignorant of "the first principles of the oracles of God;" and it is to be feared that the general mass are but babes in understanding, and "need to be fed with milk and not with strong meat."

Nor is it wonderful, though it is lamentable, that professing christians are so defective in christian knowledge, considering that they are so negligent in using the means of knowledge, and that this world, with its interests and pursuits, engrosses almost entirely their time and their attention. It will not do to allege that this is the result of necessity, not of choice; for with regard to many the necessity is of their own creating, originating in immoderate attention to the world; and even the most laborious would be far better informed, were they careful to improve the little leisure they possess.