Prayer — Worship. 283 



study of nature, — or Natural Religioit ; and the 

 second through Revelation, which it can test, as to 

 its source, and consequent validity. It would lead 

 us too far from our subject to follow the baffled 

 strivings of this instinct, in seeking by itself alone 

 the satisfaction of its own yearnings. But there 

 are certain beliefs joined with this instinct that are 

 hke special instinctive impulses. The first is the 

 belief in accountability to this unseen Being ; and 

 the second is belief in immortality, which carries 

 the accountability beyond this life. 



The third manifestation of instinct correlated 

 with the belief in God, and accountability,— or of His 

 personal relation to us, — is Prayer. The instinct 

 of prayer is the most manifest of all the religious in- 

 stincts, and is more nearly self-directive than any 

 other of them ; and it is so strong, that, at times, 

 it breaks through every philosophical theory of ne- 

 cessity, or pantheism, or atheism itself. 



But in the addition to the impulse of prayer, is that 

 of adoration, — of worship. There is in this no ser- 

 vile fear ; but there may be awe. There may be no 

 desire of favor, but a pouring out of the soul, in 

 adoration and praise, which has no end beyond what 

 is found in the act itself, as meeting a demand of our 

 nature. It is the gratification of an instinct, which 

 forms a part of the original constitution of man. 



In all these things, — belief in God, in immortal- 

 ity, in accountability, and in having the instinctive 

 impulses of prayer and praise towards art tmseen Be- 

 ^^g, — man stands alone, so far as we can judge. 



