Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. Now, therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only," 2 Kings xix. 15, 19.

ANSWER-Sennacherib and 185,000 Assyrians slain. "And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses."-(Sennacherib slain also), 2 Kings xix. 35.

24. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Hezekiah sick unto death.

"In

those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set shine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore," 2 Kings xx. 1-3.

ANSWER-Hezekiah's life lengthened. "And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen

years," 2 Kings xx. 4-6.

25. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-The shadow and the sun-dial. "And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord," 2 Kings xx. 11. ANSWER" And he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz,” 2 Kings xx. 11.

26. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-King Asa and the Ethiopians. "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee," 2 Chron. xiv. 11.

ANSWER-The defeat. "So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled," 2 Chron. xiv. 12.

27. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Jehoshaphat and his foes. "And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine

hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?" 2 Chron. xx. 5, 6.

ANSWER-The overthrow. "And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped," 2 Chron. xx. 22, 24.

28. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Manasseh afflicted. "And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him," 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12.

ANSWER" And he was entreated of him and heard his supplication," 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13.

29. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Ezra at the river Ahava. "Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way; because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The haud of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath. is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this," Ezra viii. 21-23.

ANSWER" And he was entreated of us," Ezra viii. 23.

30. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Nehemiah and Artaxerxes the king. "Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven," &c., Neh. ii. 4.

ANSWER-" And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me," Neh. ii. 8.

31. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar's dream. "Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perishi with the rest of the wise men of Babylon," Dan. ii 17, 18.

ANSWER-The dream is revealed. "Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision," Dan. ii. 19.

32. SUBJECT AND PRAYER.-Daniel and the lions' den. "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime," Dan. vi. 10.

ANSWER-The lions are muzzled and Daniel unhurt. "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency

was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt," Dan. vi. 22.

33. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Jonah and the fish. "Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly," Jonah ii. 1.

ANSWER-"And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land," Jonah ii. 10.

34. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Christ and a blind man.

"And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me," Luke xviii. 38.

ANSWER He receives his sight. "And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight," Luke xviii. 42, 43.

35. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-The thief on the cross. “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom," Luke xxiii. 42.

ANSWER-"And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise," Luke xxiii. 43.

36. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-The promise of the Holy Ghost. Jesus commanded his disciples, "that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me;" "but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name," &c., Acts i. 4. "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication," (Acts i. 14), "until the day of Pentecost," Acts

ii. 1.

ANSWER-The Apostles endowed with the Holy Ghost. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance,” &c., Acts ii. 4.

"And Cor

37. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Cornelius and Peter. nelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing," Acts x. 30.

ANSWER" Thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God," Acts x. 31.

38. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Peter imprisoned. "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James, the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him," Acts xii. 1-5.

ANSWER-Peter delivered.

"And when Herod would have

brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands," Acts xii. 6, 7.

39. SUBJECT AND PRAYER-Paul and Silas imprisoned. "They caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market-place unto the rulers. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God; and the prisoners heard them," Acts xvi. 19, 23, 24, 25. ANSWER-Their release. "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken : and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed," Acts xvi. 26.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOMINAL AND REAL CHRISTIANS. BESIDES the distinction between the nominal and the real Chistian, which results from the impressions produced on them respectively by the eternal duration of heavenly things, there is another grounded on their nature, no less marked, nor less important. They are stated in Scripture, not only as entitling themselves to the notice of the true Christian from considerations of interest, but as approving themselves to his judgment from a conviction of their excellence, and yet further, as recommending themselves to his feelings by their being suited to the renewed dispositions of his heart. Indeed, were the case otherwise, did not their qualities correspond with his inclinations, however he might endure them on principles of duty, and be coldly conscious of their superior worth, he could not lend himself to them with cordial complacency, much less look on them as the surest source of pleasure. But this is the light in which they are habitually regarded by the true Christian. He walks in the ways of religion, not by constraint, but willingly; they are to him not only safe but comfortable; "ways of pleasantness as well as of peace." Not but that here also he is from experience aware of the necessity of constant support and continual watchfulness; without these, his old estimate of things is apt to return on him, and the former objects of his affections to resume their influence. With earnest prayers, therefore, for the divine help, with jealous circumspection, and resolute self-denial, he guards against whatever might be likely again to darken his enlightened judgment, or to vitiate his reformed taste; thus making it his unwearied endeavour to grow

in the knowledge and love of heavenly things, and to obtain a warmer admiration and a more cordial relish of their excellence.

That this is a just representation of the habitual judgment and of the leading dispositions of true Christians, will be abun dantly evident, if, endeavouring to form ourselves after our proper model, we consult the sacred Scripture. But in vain are Christians there represented as having set their affections on things above, as cordially rejoicing in the service, and delighting in the worship of God. Pleasure and religion are contradictory terms with the bulk of nominal Christians. They may look back indeed on their religious offices with something of a secret. satisfaction, and even feel it during the performance of them, from the idea of being engaged in the discharge of a duty; but this is altogether different from the pleasure which attends an employment in itself acceptable and grateful to us. We are not condemning a deficiency merely in the warmth and vehemence of religious affections: we are not asking, whether the service and worship of God, are delightful and pleasant to such persons: but, do they diffuse over the soul anything of that calm complacency, that mild and grateful composure, which bespeaks a mind in good humour with itself and all around it, and engaged in a service suited to its taste, and congenial with its feelings?

Let us appeal to that day which is especially devoted to the offices of religion. Do they joyfully avail themselves of this blessed opportunity of withdrawing from the business and cares of life; when without being disquieted by any doubt whether they are neglecting the duties of their proper callings, they may be allowed to detatch their minds from earthly things, that, by a fuller knowledge of heavenly objects, and a more habitual acquaintance with them, their hope may grow more full of immortality?" Is the day cheerfully devoted to these holy exercises for which it was appointed? Do they indeed "come into the courts of God with gladness?" And how are they employed when not engaged in the public services of the day? Are they busied in studying the word of God, in meditating on his perfections, in tracing his providential dispensations, in admiring his works, in revolving his mercies, (above all, the transcendant mercies of redeeming love,) in singing his praises, "and speaking good of his name?" Do their secret retirements witness the carnestness of their prayers and the warmth of their thanksgivings, their diligence and impartiality in the necessary work of self-examination, their mindfulness of the benevolent duty of intercession? Is the kind purpose of the institution of a Sabbath answered by them, in its being made to their servants and dependants a season of rest and comfort? Does the instruction of their families, or of the more poor and ignorant of their neighbours, possess its due share of their time?