necessities, and with the nature of the thing desired, as makes it appear a blessing and desirable to him. These circumstances

imply some moral qualification to receive and profit by the blessings prayed for, and thus evince the suitableness of prayer as the condition of their bestowment. Even if prayer were not appointed by God as such condition, it appears that it would be morally unfit in him to grant these blessings to any others than those who possess the qualifications involved in prayer.

The appointment of prayer is abundantly taught in scripture; nor are examples wanting of the most interesting and striking answers to it. The earnest supplication of Bartimeus arrested the attention of the passing Saviour and secured him his sight. The cry of the publican, "Lord be merciful to me a sinner" exerted a justifying influence in the chancery of heaven. In answer to prayer the bitter waters of the desert were made sweet; the liquid stream issued from the rock in the wilderness; the dead were recalled to life; and the sun itself in the firmament arrested in its course !2

Such then being the nature and efficacy of prayer, how important is it, that both saints and sinners should avail themselves of its influence, not only in securing the favor of God on their own souls, but also in drawing down from heaven the same blessings on their relatives, their friends, their enemies and the whole family of man! Christian, doth not thy heart condemn thee for neglecting thy interest at a throne of grace? Sinner,

1 Matth. 7: 7. Ask, and it shall be shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 26: 41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. James 5: 16. The fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. Philip. 4: 6. In every thing by prayer and supplication-let your requests be made known to God. Matth 6: 9. After this manner, therefore, pray ye: our father who art in heaven &c. Luke 18: 1.

2 Exod. 15: 25. And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. Josh, 10: 13. So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hastened not to go down about a whole day.

poor wandering sinner, on the path-way to endless death, art thou aware of the fact, that even for thee, there is still hope, if thou wilt come in God's appointed way? Hear then and heed the voice of mercy : "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Whether those events and influences which God produces in answer to prayer, are always mediately effected through the instrumentality of second causes, or whether the Ruler of the universe sometimes changes the natural train of events which would otherwise have taken place, has been disputed. If the former be the case, events thus produced are not the less real answers to prayer; because the train of causes to produce them, must have been selected with infinite wisdom to accomplish this specific end. Yet it may be true, as has been supposed, that in some cases, there would be an absolute impossibility or self-contradiction in the nature of things involved. In such instances doubtless the divine answers to prayer are effected by immediate interference with the order of the physical or intellectual world; exerted however in such a manner as will not in the least degree impair the freedom of moral agents. We must beware of regarding these acts of interference as unexpected to God; they were foreseen and determined on in eternity and formed as much as any thing else, a part of his plan for the government of the world. The scriptures seem to favour the latter view. Nor is its truth at all impaired by the fact, that in the train of causation so far as known to us, we perceive no instances of such deviation. The universe may be compared to a chain, of which the last few links only are visible to us; and the other end of which reaches to the throne of a prayerhearing and prayer-answering God. In a few instances, recorded in scripture, he has touched the chain within our observation, and these events are termed miracles. But how often, and

when, he lays his hand on the higher and invisible links we know not. Yet here his influence would not be less effectual: and here it probably is that prayers frequently find their answer. Here it probably is, that the hand of Jehovah, unseen by mortal eye, oft times diverts the current of events into new channels, and originates new trains of causes, which whilst they confirm the faith and accomplish the prayers of believers, advance the purposes of heaven, and exhibit the whole machinery of the universe as sympathizing with the moral government of God.

ARTICLE VI.

CONCERNING NEW OBEDIENCE, (OR A CHRISTIAN LIFE.)

They likewise teach, that this faith must bring forth good fruits; and that it is our duty to perform those good works which God has commanded, because he has enjoined them, and not in the expectation of thereby meriting justification before him. For, remission of sins and justification are secured by faith; as the declaration of Christ himself implies: "when ye shall have done all those things, say, we are unprofitable servants."

This article together with the XIIth and XXth, contain all that the Confessors deemed it necessary to say on the subject

of repentance and faith. cuity to our discussion, we under the general head of,

In order if possible to give perspishall treat of these several subjects

I. The Changes wrought in the sinner by the Holy Spirit through the means of Grace.

In commenting on this subject we shall have some reference to the terms usually employed by Lutheran divines in common with others, in the explanation of it.

1. The call, or vocation, is that invitation given to man by God, either mediately or immediately, to forsake his evil ways and accept the offers of mercy. The immediate call, is that which is given miraculously, of which the case of Paul is an example. The mediate, or ordinary call, is that invitation to reformation which God gives us through his word, the external circumstances of our situation, and the incidents of his Providence. This is the only call which men can now expect, it is given with equal sincerity to all who live in a gospel land, and brings salvation within the reach of them all, by tendering to them those means of grace which they have the ability to use with sincerity,1 and the sincere use of which, the Holy Spirit will sooner or later make effectual to the conversion of the soul.

This view of the call, manifestly pre-supposes the acknowledged doctrines of the church, that man, if left to himself, neither would nor could turn to God; and that the means of grace, though wisely adapted to the end for which they were designed, are not able to convert the soul, without the additional influence of the Holy Spirit.

2.

Illumination is that mediate act of God, by which, through the instrumentality of the means of grace, he imparts to the inquiring sinner correct and spiritual views of divine

1 See pp. 141. 142.

things. No one, who perseveringly and entirely disregards the call of God, ever becomes the subject of illumination. Because this disregard includes in it the refusal to use the means of grace prescribed in scripture, through which alone the Holy Spirit illuminates the mind. On the other hand, if the sinner give heed to the call of God, to attend to the things pertaining to his peace; that is, if he sincerely search the scriptures, inquiring "Lord what wilt thou have me to do" and earnestly striving to conform to the will of God; he will find his views of divine things remarkably changed. His ideas of the moral excellence, especially the holiness and benevolence of God, of the extent, spirituality and justice of the divine law, of the evil of sin in general, and of his own sinfulness in particular, will become vastly more clear, correct and practical. This state of the sinner's mind is also sometimes termed a state of illumination.

3. But this change of views, which is the first effect of divine illumination, will be accompanied by another and equally striking alteration in the state of his feelings. Viewed in this clearer and more spiritual light, the moral excellence of the divine character excites in the illuminated sinner, feelings of love and adoration; the law in all its extent and spirituality appears just, salutary and lovely; whilst the depth of his own depravity, the multitude and aggravation of his sins, and his liability to the just displeasure of God, excite in him new feelings of remorse, sorrow and fear. These two effects of divine illumination, are produced in a more or less gradual manner, and usually keep pace with each other. Sometimes both these effects are designated by the term conviction, whilst at others, this name is applied only to the changed views of the sinner, whilst his new feelings are denominated penitence, or repentance in its limited sense.

Conviction, in the popular sense of the term, may therefore be defined to be the new and spiritual views of the awakened