MISCELLANEOUS. 399 



otherwise dark and stormy being. But to prayer, besides 

 the inducement of momentary gratification, the very self- 

 love implanted in our bosoms would lead us to resort, as 

 the chief good, for our Lord hath said, " Ask, and it shall 

 be given to thee ; knock, and it shall be opened ;" and 

 rot a supplication made in the true spirit of faith and 

 humility but shall be answered ; not a request which is 

 urged with unfeigned submission and lowliness of spirit 

 but shall be granted, if it be consistent with our happi- 

 ness either temporal or eternal. Of this happiness, hov/- 

 ever, the Lord God is the only judge ; but this we do 

 know, that whether our requests be granted, or whether 

 they be refused, all is working together for our ultimate 

 benetit. 



When I say, that such of our requests and solicita- 

 tions as are urged in the true spirit of meekness, humi- 

 lity, and submission, will indubitably be answered, I 

 would wish to draw a line between supplications so urged, 

 and those violent and vehement declamations which, un- 

 der the name of prayers, are sometimes heard to proceed 

 from the lips of men professing to worship God in tlie 

 spirit of meekness and truth. Surely I need not impress 

 on any reasonable mind, how directly contrary these in- 

 flamed and bombastic harangues are to every precept of 

 Christianity, and every idea of the deference due from 

 a poor worm, like man, to the Omnipotent and all great 

 God. Can we hesitate a moment as to which is more 

 acceptable in his sight — the diffident, the lowly, the re- 

 tiring, ajid yet solemn and impressive form of worship 

 of our excellent Church, and the wild and laboured ex- 

 clamations, the authoratitive and dictatory clamours of 

 men who, forgetting the immense distance at which they 

 stand from the awful Being whom they address, boldly 

 and with unblushing front speak to their God as to an 

 equal, and almost dare to prescribe to his infinite wisdom, 

 the steps it shall pursue. How often has the silent yet 

 eloquent eye of misery wrung from the reluctant hand of 

 charity that relief which has been denied to the loud and 

 importunate beggar; and is Heaven to be taken by 

 storm ? Are we to wrest the Almighty from his purposes 



