would reduce a fellow-being to a pallet of straw. By no moral principle, can such conduct be approved; but his person need not, must not be hated; his soul must be loved, and his well-being pursued. "There are two kinds of love," observes a writer, "involving the same general feeling, or springing from the same fountain of good-will to all mankind; but differing still so far, as to admit of separation in idea. The one, is that feeling, by which we approve of the conduct of another, commonly called the love of complacency; the other, by which we wish well to the person of another, though we cannot approve his conduct. This is the love of benevolence; and this love we are to bear towards our enemies." "It is impossible," continues the same writer, "to love the conduct of a man that curses and reviles us, and injures our person and property, or that violates the laws of God. But, though we may hate his conduct, and feel deeply that we are affected by it, yet we may still wish well to his person. We may pity his madness and folly; we may speak kindly of him, and to him; we may aid him in time of trial, and seek to do him good here, and promote his eternal welfare." "Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." To use one despitefully, is wantonly and unjustly to accuse, or injure in any way. To persecute one, is to vex or oppress one on account of his religion. For such, the law of Jesus Christ is, to pray. And, as acceptable prayer can proceed only from a sincere and honest heart, the rule is, honestly and sincerely to desire God to forgive, favor, and bless those who may have injured us in any manner, or who have vexed or oppressed us on account of our religious faith and practice. Such an exposition of the divine law went counter to the interpretation of the Jewish doctors; such a sentiment is not to be found in all the profane writings of antiquity. Rules they had for the subjugation of the passions, and the endur ance of the evils of life with fortitude. But the essence of these rules was stoical indifference: men were taught to have no feeling. But Christianity admits of deep feeling-a sense of insult and injury; but bids its professors triumph over it, and, at the same time, wish well, and do good, and pray for the person who injures. In the doctrine of the Stoics, there was nothing generous and compassive; in that of Christianity, there is all that is noble and disinterested. "Love your enemies," says Jesus Christ; "bless" them— "pray" for them-"that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." God does as he requires of man. Upon a world of sinners, who are perpetually in hostile attitude against him, and whose hatred would dethrone him, he sends the blessings of his providence and grace; they flow as wide as that world, and as incessantly as the minutes that roll. I might here speak of the love and prayers of Jesus for his enemies-all in perfect accordance with his directions to mankind; but, reserving remarks on this subject for another place, let me conclude by putting the inquiry-Reader! have you the evidence which springs from love to, and prayer for, your enemies, of your adoption into the family of God? Nothing is more like God than a spirit of forgiveness. Nothing is more like Jesus Christ than prayer for enemies. "He that can meet a man kindly who is seeking his hurt; who can speak well of one that is perpetually slandering and cursing him; that can pray for a man that abuses, injures, and wounds him; and that can seek heaven for him that wishes his damnation, is in the way of life. This is religion, beautiful as its native skies; pure, like its source; kind, like its Author; fresh, like the dews of the morning; clear and diffusive, like the beams of the rising sun; and holy, like the feelings and words that came from the bosom of the Son of God. He that can do this, need not doubt that he is a Christian. He has caught the very spirit of the Savior, and he must inherit eternal life." MATTHEW. DIRECTIONS OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO PRAYER. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, &c.-Matt. vi. 5-8. "THERE is in the nature of man, or in the circumstances in which he is conditioned," says the author of the "Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation"" there is something, which leads him to recognize and worship a superior being." "Man is a religious being: he will worship." Equally true is it that man will pray. And with the same propriety that he has been denominated a "religious being," may he be styled a "praying being." It is obvious that he is in no such sense religious, as to please his Maker, as a matter of course; but there is that in his nature which recognizes some being as superior to himself, and to whom, at times, and under certain circumstances, he pays his homage. They So, also, in relation to prayer. Men will pray. will pray either to the true God, or to some idol. There is, perhaps, not that human being, who has attained to manhood, who has not offered some form of prayer. It may have been sudden, brief, a whisper, a sigh, but it was prayer; or the natural, instinctive call of a needy and dependent nature upon some being, supposed to possess the power to aid. Cast a man-it matters not who he is, or what may be his creed, or his professions, or previous determinationscast him into sudden and extreme peril, or cause him to experience violent and excruciating agony-place him on the deck of some foundering bark, or on the roof of some burning habitation, and will he not pray? Let him realize that death and eternity are immediately before him, and nature will speak out. As well might you hope to chide the raging elements to repose, as to silence his cries in this hour of his extremity. In his directions, in relation to prayer, our Saviour proceeded in exact accordance with these principles of our nature. In none of his discourses, does he attempt to prove prayer to be a duty. He gives ample instructions as to the manner—the frequency—the importunity of prayer; but the duty was too obvious to require any authoritative injunction from him. It was a dictate of nature; perhaps "a constitutional instinct, inwrought by the Maker;" or, if not that, it was a natural effort at relief, growing out of a sense of want and dependence. Men would pray. They might be instructed how to pray with more certainty of success; they might be taught the importance of more frequency, and greater importunity; but they needed no clearer proof of the duty itself than that furnished by the light of nature. Hence, observe how our Savior introduces the subject to his disciples, in his memorable sermon on the mount: "When thou prayest," &c. He takes it for granted that they would pray. Not a single sentence does he utter in regard to the duty, but proceeds at once to give directions as to the manner in which that duty should be performed. It is apparent, from the sacred narrative, that, at this time, the Jews were not obnoxious to the charge of neglecting prayer. On the contrary, they abounded in prayer. "They loved to pray." They made many and long prayers. But, in this service, which, of all other acts of worship, should be characterized by sincerity and humility, they were hypo critical and ostentatious. "They loved to pray, standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, to be seen of men." They seem not to have had regard to the honor and glory of God. They seem not to have been burdened with a sense of spiritual want. Their object-supremely selfish-was to receive honor from men; to obtain a great reputation for the length, fervency, and, perhaps, eloquence of their prayers. It was the design of the Savior, in thus rebuking the hypocrisy and ostentation of the Jews, to convey to his disciples juster views of the nature of acceptable prayer. While, therefore, he is not to be considered as condemning prayer in the synagogue, but only that which was offered to be seen or heard of men, he is to be understood as recommending, and even enjoining, that such prayers as are offered by individuals, which are of a private or secret character, should be offered strictly in secret. "Every Jewish house had its place for secret devotion. Over the porch, or entrance of the house, was a small room, of the size of the porch, raised a story above the rest of the house, expressly appropriated for the place of retirement. Here, in secrecy and solitude, the pious Jew might offer his prayers, unseen by any but the Searcher of hearts. To this place, or to some similar place, our Savior directed his disciples to repair, when they wished to hold communion with God." What pious heart has not often thanked the Savior for this divine injunction? "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door,"-shut out the world and its disturbing cares-"pray to thy Father, which is in secret and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." Yes, the closet! The calm retreat, the silent shade, |