31MIVahi I 8. LITTLX VID ACKINNEY Bo CO. Editors and Proprietors. TERMS IN ADVANCE. tsILE SUBSCRIPTIONS 18 CLODS DELIVERED IN EITHER OP VIZ CITIES Fur Tun Dotts.as, ue . will send by mall seventy number Ikrut for ONs DOLLAR', thirty-three numbers. eastore sending us liseNTS subeerlbers and upwards, will thereby entitled to a paper without charge. male ehoUld be prompt, a little before the year expire! Bend payinuMs by tate hands. or by mail. threat all lettere to DAVID WIIINNET a CO, 1 Pi ttsburgh, Pa. For the Presbyterian Banner. Prayer. • I. Prayer it; an immediate address of the soul to .God. It is an emotion of the heart to the Deity. .It is the pouring out of the soul in devout supplication. "It is mit eloquence, but ,earnestness; not figure speech, but compunction of soul." .1-R,he prayer supposes, 1. A sense of want. This is the very soul of prayer; there is rief such thing as real prayer without it. We cannot ask in earnest for that whioh we do not feel the need of. It is the hungry man that longs for food; . the thirsty who is anxious for water; the sick person who longs for health; the wounded man who groans to have his wounds bound up. 2. An eye to -the Saviour. ( 4 looking unto Jesus, is the next thing tdo.l6'e noticed in prayer. A consciousness of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, may lead us into despair. God's justice may appear so ter rible to an awakened conscience, that he - must look to God through the tonement of Christ to prevent despair. We have nothing to satisfy the demands of the holy law of God, but what Christ has done; nothing to silence our guilty conscience but the sprinkling of his blood. God, •the Father, for his sake, opens his hand to give you all you want; pardon for your sins, cleansing for your pollutions, peace for your conscience, strength for your obedience, comfort in your sorrow, grace and holiness fo; life, joy for the present, and hope for the future. 2. The spirit of prayer. This is a spirit of genuine humility and profound se.f-abasement. If you ask the children of God, they will tell you that every day of their life convinces them that a spirit of prayer is eminently a gift from God. " wi 1. pour out upon the. house of .Davidond upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplitation."—Zech. sli : 10. " Likewise the spirit .also help eth our infirmities .* * * with groan jugs that cannot be uttered." You see that those unutterable groanings of .the soul, use desires too bi?. to be , put into words, which sometimes swell the heart of the .be- liever, are all produced by the Spirit of Cod : he is the author of prayer; he teaches to pray; he helps to pray. None can convince of sin but the Spirit of God. Again, hie peculiar office is to "testify of Christ," to " glorify Christ," for said the Sa,. viour, " He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you."—John xv : 26; xvi: 14, 15. This is the -reason why the Apostle Paul speaks of " .praying always with all•prayer and supplication in the spirit," and Jude, in like manner, of " praying in the " Holy Ghost."—Jude 20. IL The encouragements to, .and .advan tages of, prayer are great indeed. Prayer is the key of the Kingdom of heaven. It unlocks the storehouses of Divine grace. Prayer is the keeper of the human -heart. Prayer, like rest or music, brings an even ness and serenity over the mind of the Christian. It calms._ the soul of the be- liever, till it becomes , radiant, tranquil and happy. • Prayer elevates and purifies us. But when the 'saint of God prays for oth ers, the generous emotion of , unbounded love, makes him resemble his dear .Redeem- er and Advocate with the Father. 411 m good man thus goes abroad in his earnest desire for the salvation of others, like .an angel of mercy in his ministrations here below. What bas not prayer ,done? What .mountain of :difficulty has it not, removed? Has not Jehovah often spared a whole city or apeople at the prayer , of one holy man'? Are not God's :dear children the salt of the earth which preserves it from corruption ? Do not the:prayers of the children of God prevent him:from leaving it to dissolve by its own discord ? The prayers of holymen have delayed God's judgment and hasten eth them. Prayer has turned aside his anger, and inflamed it. It has repelled most powerful tempatiohs. It has procured the ministry of angels. For •'sickness it, has brought •health ; for drought, rain ; -for famine, plenty ; for death, life. Prayer has given nerve to the timid and - weak. It has made torments, appear easy; dangers unheeded, and_it has• engendered a courage which qualified.,God's children to kiss the stake to which they were bound by the cords of the.executioner ! And in the exercise of prayer we need no eloquence but that of the unfortu .nate and needy beggar. ,A sigh may con .;tain a prayer, ‘a :groan, a tear, a cast of the 'nye, may each• , iwrap up a petition. The ~current of the thought is like the limes , sant flowing of gi mighty river. :Oh! how niggardly the .soul, that cannot 'afford few , drops. , But some prayers are like the sluggish nd creeping mists that hang over the 'stag nant marsh. They are not-aufficiently rani fled , by holy fire. They proceed from for mal professors. They are as unpleasant breath in , the nostrils of God. , :.He smells na sweet savor of faith, and love, !and eon rition and hope,in them. They turn back ,upon the unbelieving -suppliant without ever reaching the skies. What can an indifferent , prayer do ?. Can it save a soul from death? Can it even vampish. a sinful passion, or obtain -a . ,piece of bread ? If men must•be in earnest to bespeak effectually benefits from men, 'bow much more from God? If the non -earns of life be worth fervency and impor tunity, how much more •the one thing needful. . . God hates a cold prayer worse than none at all. For it is pouring contempt upo n tf use things on *hi& he himself has put ift..ifr value by the death of his' Son,.than hath p . utupori the 'crowns; and sceptres of imperial kings—upon 'the hidden trees ' urea of golden mountains;:or the pomp and • fame of 'conquest; • • 'Do the statements we- hive made over rate the 'power of prayer No. Elijah carried, for years, the key of the Visible and 'cloudy heaven, but prayer pitices heaven l'far higher and more refulgent: Reader, , see 'yourself encompassed with 'cloud of witnesses to its singular exploits. Jacob, '.who by wrestling in prayer, had. power with God 'and prevalled—the man'Of God at the Red Sea—David, in regard to Abitiophel's teaohing—Nehemiah, • while ministering in hid office at a critical •mo - ment before •an earthly prince—the' 'con science-smitten Publican—the dying thief —all "Abraham's spiritual ,seed." And is not his ear as quick as ever to listen, and his hand as strong to save 7 But, there is a pattern, nobler still, which has all the force of a motive and a law. Think of the Xing of saints—of his midnight wreetlings on the mountains—of the incense of grate r ful adorations that rose from his lips—of .01.50 . 1.23 2.00 VOL. X., NO. 41. his strong crying and,tears in the prospect of his dying anguish ; and of his prayers for his murderers while he hung upon the Cross. Meek and immaculate sufferer! may we drink into thy Spirit, and tread in thy steps I But, reader, do not think that we are about to rest Christian peace and hope to ward God, on any of the instruments or fruits of holy living—or anywhere else than where Divine justice found, rest—the death and righteousness of the Son of God. " Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' Our motto, our only motto, must be—" Looking unto Jesus." To' hear his, voice and obey him, " abide in me." This is •religion , — this is happiness. He is invusted with the• whole dispensation of the Spiit, who alone can touch the springs and move the wheels. of prayer. His blood of, atonement has a voice whose omnipotent Amen, "Father, will," mingling with the voice of your : --pe.- titions cannot but prevail. Thep, believer, obedient believer, " Be notfaithleas but be lieving." And never forget, that, prayer and praise are the lungs, of a Christian. GAMMA. Pittsburgh, Pa., June 16, 1862. For the Presbyterian Banner Half-flour's .Chat.; on. Election. Dropping into elder• Goodman's shop one morning, I found hinrengaged with one of the students, in an interesting conversation; the substance of. which is here given. "You Presbyterians -are the most enig matical people I ever saw," said the young man. " Ever since I attended school -in Silvertown, I have been trying to under.. stand you, but can't." "In what respect, Charles ?" said the elder. " Oh !'those awful doetrines.! you send to perdition poor infants not a span long; you drag the elect to heaven whether they will or not, and the poor reprobate, in spite of his struggles, is refused an interest in Christ! "But, why do you call us enigmatical?" " Because, first, the more I learn about you, the more I am convinced you are the most intelligent denomination in this whole region; why should you believe such un scriptUral doctrines? Secondly, as regards Christian deportment and deep-toned piety, you seem also to excel; but men are sanc tified through truth, not such errors as these. Lastly, why should you be so loth to defend your doctrines if they admit of defence, or discard them if 'they do not ? Mr. Parsons never advanCes one of them." "This` problem is easily solved. We never held =eh, doetrinei. • Our ministers never preached them, and our books never contained them." "Why, then, do others, preachers too, charge you with holding them? I sup posed there was no doubt - about it" "Some have done it through a misunder standing of oar views and others, be cause they wished to build up their own party at our expense. So far are we from holding 'infant damnation,' that here is a tract—(No.. 132,) published by the Board of Publication, of our Church, against it. As to the other doctrines you mentioned, do we not give the most cordial invitation to everytinner to come .to Christ, with the assurance that he will'be received ? The Saviour puts our views on the whole sub 'eat of Election in a single sentence, as fol- owe, 'All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me, and him'that cometh to me I will in nowise cast ont."—John vi :.37. " I suppose you refer to certain persons being given to Christ, but has not every person been given to him ?" " Then, according to the text, every person would come to him and all would be saved." " I see. That is not, -only unseriptural, but contrary to what we observe; most men never - come to Christ But may this passage not mean, that that come' to' Christ are given to him, and those that do not come, are not?" " That interpretation —turns the whole passage wrong-end foremost, and destroys the meaning; , itdoes not.rean diall that come shall be given, but .all thaV.are given shall come." " Yes, that is true. But why does the Saviour use that expression ?" "He ,epoke at a time ,when the Jews were rejecting him, and _When many, of his disciples were returning to the world. In that tad hour his, only, consoling thought was this, I shall see of the travail of .my soul and be satisfied; if the world forsakes me, still this guarantee remains, all that my' Father gave me as an inducement to under take the work of Redeutption, shall come, unto me." "It certainly were a blessed thing if, God could thus insure him a seed, else all his sufferings might have been in vain. All might have rejected him." "Rather say, all would ,have rejected. him. Men are dead in sin,' to them,. Jesus has no form nor comeliness; they' hate his holiness, and will not come unto him for life until they-are begotten anew, - born again." "It mere sad, indeed, for Jesus to Shed his precious blood, and yet not ,a single Soul come to that fountain to.be cleansed; ',but how could God bring , them.without de stroying their free-agency?" ',;',He tellsus, Eck. xi :.19, that he changes their dispositions, gives them sweet .views of qhrist; fills them with love, to ,Christ r enables them to see their own sinfulness and loathsomeness, and then his people are willing in the day of his power.'" " I can Only, say "Tuns the saute love that ,spread the feast, That sweetly drew ms in, Else I had still refused to taste, And perished in my sin.' • " But is it not the opinion of your Church, that while God thus' gives some to - Christ, he hinders others from coming ?" "Not at all, sir. The merits of Christ are sufficient for the whole world. 'Hence all are invited to come, and if they would come, he would 4 in nowise cast them out.' God's giving some to Jesus, in.ne manner keeps others away : if they perish; it is, be cause they chose death of themselves." "But, then, does not God do mere for some than others ?" "Hovr does daily experience answer' that question ? He has given you eyes, while Nellie Saunders was born blind. Bro. Sciib, there, has a rational mind while Tom Lit tle was born an idiot. We all are children of pions parents, surrounded with Gospel privileges, while others are taught to wor ship •idols and are shut 'out from the light of the Gospel. God ,gave the world a violin. he never offered the devils one. Af- it . . ciL? - .. , . • , t . tI n ' a .' cu b r , ~,,,, .0 •, , . ~, ~ ~ „.„..... ~,,,,i;„.i it' '-‘ ' '' - ~. ter he gives us oar due, we can demand no more.—Matt. xi: 15. If all are disposed to reject him, he has a right to bring some to Christ. Jesus cannot die in vain." " Is there any truth in the saying, if a man be given to Christ, he will be saved, do what he will ?" "In one sense there is; but then the text tells us what he will do; he will come to Christ; that is, he will forsake his sins, believe on Jesus, and lead a godly life." "'But, will not God's purpose to save him render the use of means unnecessary?" " No, sir. This is the only reason why we should use means. Prof. Kingsley has determined the Ae.ademy shall prosper; so he uses every means to this end. Fernier Janes has determined to raise a crop; so I see him through the window planting his . corn. A year ago Dr. Sharp determined to cure you of your sickness; so he gave you medicine. Now, this is the reason Christ