SERMON IIL

The Duty of Secret Prayer.

Matt. vi. 6. But thou, when thou prayeft, enter into thy clofet, and when thou haft shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret, and thy Father which feeth in fecret shall reward thee openly.

WHEN Jefus Chrift, the Saviour of the world, entered upon his public miniftry, the Scribes and Pharifees were the moft diftinguished characters in the Jewish church. They were confidered by the mafs of the people as perfons of extraordi nary piety and goodnefs." They were admired for the orthodoxy of their principles, the ftrictness of their morals, and the zeal and fervency of their devotions. But all that for which men highly esteemed them was an abomination in the fight of an heart fearching God. Thus our Lord views them in thefe very points for which they were held in admiration, and on which their reputation was established. He affures his hearers "That except your righteoufnefs fhall exceed the righteoufnefs

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"of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall in no cafe enter inte the kingdom of heaven." In the preceding chapter he expofes and refutes both their doctrines and morals, clearly pointing out the dangerous fallacy of the one and the base hypocrify of the other.

In this he confiders their conduct and the oftentatious ends they acted from, in religious duties. When they gave alms, it was not from love to God, or charity to the poor, but merely to.be feen and catch the empty applaufe of men. When they prayed it was for the fame purpose; they stood in the Synagogues or in the corners of the streets, but all was for mere show and to obtain a name as persons of high distinction in religion. Chrift declares his abhorrence of all fuch abominations and commands his difciples to perform their alms without of tentation, and their fecret prayers in a private manner. It is fecret perfonal prayer made publicly before spectators, that our Lord here condemns in these Pharifees, and enjoins both the duty and the mode of performing the fame in the words of our text; "But thou, when thou prayeft, enter into thy closet, " and when thou hast fhut thy door, pray to thy Father which "is in fecret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. How beautiful is this divine direction, it charms the pious heart, and gives pleasure to the foul of fincerity.

Prayer may be contemplated as of two kinds, public or focial, and perfonal or fecret. The former will be attended to in its proper place, the latter is to be the fubject of our prefent confideration.

Perfonal or fecret prayer is that wherein none joins or is present. The person is alone by himself, feparated from the view and fociety of others. None is prefent but the omnifcient, and omniprefent God to whom he offers his addreffes. He

reprefents what are his perfonal feelings, views, wants and defires. And this is the kind of prayer taught us in our text. In this duty we are to be as fecret and as much unobferved as may be. By closet and fhutting our door, is evidently intended any place of privacy or retirement, whether it be the house, chamber or barn, the field or woods. The direction to us is to be alone. To affect obfervation in this fervice is finful and edious in the fight of God, and an evidence of grofs hypocrify. This was the condemnation of the Pharifees, and the command. ment of our Lord is to his difciples, "Be not ye as the hypo crites."

This difcourfe of Chrift about prayer, plainly implies that it is the indifpenfable duty of all to pray to God, and that it is particularly incumbent upon every one to pray by himself. The Pharifees are no where blamed for praying, but for their oftentation or affecting obfervation in their perfonal devotions. When the manner of performing a duty is directed and enjoined, furely the duty itself is commanded.

Prayer in general whether private or public is a most folemn act of adoration, in which we reprefent to God our abfolute dependence upon him, a sense of our wants and neceffities, a belief of his all-fufficiency to fupply them, and wherein we humbly implore him for this purpose. In fome of these particulars, prayer differs from praise which is an act of adoration alfo. Praife is an act of adoration in which we afcribe to God, his names, titles, attributes and works, and all his glory; but prayer is a representation of our wants before God, and offering up in faith the defires of our fouls for a fupply of the fame.

The fenfe and feeling of our wants at best is but very weak and imperfect, both in regard to the things we need and the

"greatnefs of our neceffity. Our real conceptions of thefe matters, alasf how feeble in comparison of what they ought to be! but God perfectly understands and knows what is most proper And blessed be his and expedient to be bestowed upon us. name, he confers not according to our contracted fupplications but he gives liberally and upbraids not.

We fhall here make a few obfervations.

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Firft, to imprefs upon every confcience, the importance of prayer, keeping in view the effect it has upon this fecret duty.

Secondly, place before you, from reafon and revelation, the irrefragable obligation every perfon is under to perform fecret prayer, or to pray by and for himself.

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Firft, to imprefs upon the confcience, the neceffity of this duty. Is it not a thing exceedingly rational, fit and fuitable, arifing from the relation of creatures to their God? Whether we confider our own ftate and condition, or the character of our Creator, Preferver and Benefactor, nothing can be brought inte view of fuperior fuitablenefs and propriety.

Our own ftate and condition manifefts the fitnefs with fuch a glare of light, that to neglect it, exhibits an awfully wicked ?, Spirit and a reprobate temper.

Firft, are we not poor, indigent and dependent creatures? Have we any fund in our nature either of fubfiftence or happinefs? Are we not in ourselves abfolute weakness and infufficiency? Is it not then meet, that we fhould acknowledge truth that things are with us as they really ftand? Is not God in reason the first and most proper being to whom it becomes us to make "fuch an acknowledgement? It is only by prayer, by an humble declaration ofour true ftate, and a representation

of our dependent circumstances, with all our wants and deplorableneceffities we can open the fame to the only fountain of relief. Wherefore to restrain prayer is to fpurn at the acknowledge. ment of our being indigent, defolate and dependent creatures. It is defpifing a confeffion of facts required by infinite authori ty, and is not only unbecoming, but profane and very abfurd.

Secondly, prayer is the duty of every individual, originating from the nature and character of God. Let reafon answer this question, "Is it not in God, we live, move and have our being." Can any creature breathe, exert a fingle movement, fupply his wants, or furnish himfelf a fupport, comfort and happiness. God is the fountain, from whenee every good flows, acknowledged or not. It is rational then, that a fufficiency in this fource for a fupply of the wants of all creation 'fhould be confessed, which is the great employment of prayer.

If there be two things certain, our dependence upon God, and his fufficiency to answer all our fenfibilities, does not reafon dictate the fuitable ftatement of this whole fituation before him? This only can be done by a praying representation. God knows whether there is a feeling of these things previous to the acknowledgment, but even the abfence of it, cannot take away the propriety and condecency of fuch a confeffion. If we have any respect to God, we shall from the nature and manner of its operation, adore him by prayer, and wish for grace, fupport, peace, confolation and felicity from him.

Thirdly, prayer difpofes and prepares the heart for the reception of mercies. We are often indifpofed and unprepared for bleflings. If in this temper, they could be conferred, how could they be accepted, but with all the indecency of an unfeeling and ungrateful heart? A great caufe of perfons not making proper returns for favours is, they were neither difpofed or