lowed Christ-the Saviour made him ||sions, but that they shall so enjoy an apostle-he saw the miracles of them, " as though they possessed Christ-he was one of those to whom them not." 1 Cor. vii, 30. Neither Christ gave power over all devils-do they require that believers shall Luke xix, 1; but when he suffered not "use this world," but that they the love of money again to take pos- shall not abuse it. Ibid. v, 31.session of his heart, then Satan also Christ nor his apostles demand not entered and persuaded him to betray that we shall accept of no place or the Lord Jesus; which when he had honor, but in every such station maindone, he fell into despair, cast the tain an humble heart, They ask not accursed price of blood from him, and that we should entirely neglect the went and hanged himself. Demas body, Col. ii, 23, but that we shall long followed Paul, and assisted him so make provision for the flesh, as not in preaching the gospel; yet after to fulfil the lust thereof. Rom. xiii, all, St. Paul complains of him, 2 14. And as many as are thus mindTim. iv, 10, “Demas hath forsakened, to them we may say, 1 Cor. iii, me, having loved this present world." 21, 22, "all things are yours, wheThe same apostle mentions of others, ther the world, or things present, or 1 Tim. vi, 10, that the love of mo- things to come; all are yours." But ney caused them to err from the faith. at the same time, the things of eterHappy, therefore, are they indeed, nity must continually gain more and who can at length firmly resolve, more the preponderance in our hearts, though it should be difficult at first, and our longing for them become to tear off their hearts from the things more ardent. Though every real of this world; who, when they dis-child of God may not be able to say, cover that there is no alternative, that they must either give up Christ, or forsake those things which are a hindrance to their salvation, choose the latter course, And the very same that has been said of riches, holds good of every other species of earthly things, whether it be honor, ease or pleasure, or whatever else.

with full consent of his heart, like a Paul, "We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body, and be present with the Lord;" or, "I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better;" yet, contrary to such as are carnally minded, it must ever be true of all the children of God, "Ye are not in Believers in Christ Jesus, are, in- the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be deed, not all alike, in respect to this that the spirit of God dwell in you. subject, some having made greater Now, if any man have not the spirit progress therein than others; yet of of Christ, he is none of his." And the very weakest in the faith, who again, we read in Phil. iii, 19, 20, are truly regenerated, we must be of those who are earthly minded, yet able to say, that they "seek first the of believers it is said, "our converkingdom of God, and his righteous-sation is in heaven." Still it is neness." Jesus Christ and his apos-cessary to exhort believers in Christ, tles do not require of believers, that for their continual encouragement: they shall have no earthly posses-"If ye then, be risen with Christ,

Private Prayer.

For the Lutheran Magazine.
PRIVATE PRAYER.

125

This holy exercise is one of the simplest, the plainest, and the strongest evidences of real piety of heart, which we have in all the duties of

seek those things which are above,|| upon us. But thou, says he, when where Christ sitteth on the right thou wouldst pray, retire to thy clohand of God. Set your affections on set; and having shut the door, pray things above, not on things on the to thy Father; and thy Father, to earth." Col. iii, 1, 2. As soon as whom, though he is unseen himself, Moses, Heb. ix, 25, 26, considers nothing is secret, will recompense the recompense of reward (in hea-|| thee. ven) he will no longer be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but rather chooses to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Then the christian. The motives which he esteems the reproach of Christ urge one to practise it, are, either greater riches than the treasures of the conviction of sin, of righteousEgypt. Lord, for this, grant us thy ness, and of judgment to come; or holy spirit! the sincere and unfeigned expressions of the heart to Almighty God, for his goodness and favor towards him. Otherwise he would not take This holy exercise is recommend- so much labor and pains to worship ed to us by the saints of God, in all his God; otherwise he would not reages. Among the venerable patri- tire from the busy scenes of the archs, we especially read of Jacob in world-pour out his complaints and his secret intercourse with God at his sorrows into the bosom of the Bethel, and also at Periel. The pro- Most High, and plead for reconcileaphets also, from Samuel to Malachi, tion and peace with him. 'Tis true, were engaged in this duty of devo- we can pray to God in the true spition: Daniel, in particular, worship-rit of devotion, in the assembly of ped God in his own chamber. And the saints, either in the sanctuary of Christ, our divine teacher, has sanc- the Lord, or at the family altar; but tioned it by his own example, and in both instances, there may be much enjoined it in his sermon on the hypocrisy mingled in our worship. Mount. We are told by Matthew There is more ground for suspicion, that he, on a certain occasion, that our hearts may not be right in having dismissed the multitude, re-the all-seeing eye of Heaven, than tired by himself to a mountain, to when engaged in private devotion. pray, and remained there alone, till Our prayers may be mere lip serit was late. Mark, on another occa- vice-we may attend to them, either sion, informs us, that he, on the mor- out of custom, or wishing not to aprow, having risen before the dawn, pear singular in the company of chriswent out and retired to a solitary tians. But a man, who engages in place, and prayed there. In addi- private devotion-a man, who shuts tion to his example, he himself, in himself up in his closet, or retires to opposition to the hypocrisy of the a place of silence and solitude, and Pharisees, solemly enjoins this duty there wrestles with God in prayer—

There are occasions, when christians should be much in private prayer. For instance, when it goes ill with Zion, and Babylon triumphs— when in times of great affliction and public calamity-when our hearts are cold and languid and lukewarm towards God—when the hand of providence is upon us, either in removing some one out of the circle of our kindred, or when we ourselves are the subjects of much mental or bodi

Of

there pours out his soul to Him, who||which is necessary for the repose of is in secret; reason dictates, that the the night. motives which influence him thus to act and live, thus to think and pray, must originate from the conviction of his sins, and his anxiety of becoming prepared for heaven, through Christ our Redeemer. When the christian approaches God in secret prayer, with such motives, let him accompany his devotion with meditation. We are told in Genesis, that Isaac went out to meditate in the field, in eventide. No doubt, but that his principal object was secret prayer, accompanied ly pain. Christians should be much with meditation on the wonders of in private prayer, when commencing creation and providence. No doubt, some important business, or entering but that he took the advantage of a upon some new calling in life. beautiful evening, and a retired walk, such, we have some striking examto hold communion with God; and ples recorded in holy writ: one in judging from his piety and general the case of Solomon, when the Lord character, that it was his regular ha- appeared to him in Gibeon; he praybit to live, having God always in his ed for an understanding heart, to gomind, whether rising in the morn- vern with discretion the people over ing, whether engaged in his daily whom he was placed: and the other avocation, or retiring at night on his in Jabez, who, when setting out in pillow of sleep. Pious souls love life, called upon the God of Israel, retirement and solitude they there that he might bless him-that he can hold a free and unrestrained in- might enlarge his coast--that his tercourse with their Maker, without hand might be with him, and that having any earthly object to engage he might be kept from evil, so that their attention they there can raise it might not cause him great grief. their thoughts and affections from na- But the particular occasion on ture's works to nature's God. They which christians should be much in have an inexhaustible subject to oc-private prayer, is on the Lord's day. cupy their minds, and fill them with Then it ought to precede, accompany love and gratitude to the great ruler and follow their attendance at the of all. The exercise of such devo- sanctuary of the Most High. They, tion, is the refreshmennt and enter- with the dawn of that hallowed morn, tainment of the christian, after the should commence the religious obhum and business of the day are clo-servance of the same. As the sun sed, to relieve the fatigue of the of the natural world ushers in the same- —to alleviate the mind-to calm sacred day, they should think, that every passion of the heart, and give this was the day on which the sun that peace and serenity to the soul, of righteousness rose triumphant over

death and the grave, scattering the||and honor and eternal life, through shades of that moral darkness, which our blessed mediator. Christians, shrouded our religious horizon, and when the public assembly is dismisgiving life and light to all who are sed, and each one, in solemn silence, willing to be guided by his heavenly returns to his respective home, will light. On this sacred day, chris-retire either to their secret chamtians should call in their wandering bers, or to some solitary place, to thoughts-make an inquiry on the state of their souls, and sit in strict judgment over their own hearts. They should exclude all wordly objects from their view, and retire in themselves—call to mind the number and the heinousness of their sins -place them openly before them—that the sanctifying influence of the go to the fountain, Christ Jesus, and in earnest prayer seek to be washed and sanctified by his blood.

pour out their hearts in sincere gratitude to God, for having blessed them with the means of grace, and given them the institutions and ordinances of his house-they then will ponder in their minds, the great truths they have heard, and pray

holy spirit may accompany the words spoken by the voice of persuasion to every soul within its hearing, that they may become the more enlightened, and fitted for uniting in the great congregation and general as

The works of creation and providence appear, on this hallowed day, to be heightened to a degree of beauty and holiness and grandeur, which|sembly of the first born in heaven. are not observable on the other days; Again-Christians ought at all

this calls forth the warmest and most times, but especially on the Lord's devout aspirations in prayer to God. | day, encircle all mankind in the The din-the noise-the hum of ac-arms of benevolence, and present tivity, has ceased; all around-above||them to God, in their secret approach-beneath, reigns solemn silence, es to Him, that he may come over the save when the church-going bell mountains of their transgressions, and sounds, to invite the worshippers of be near to them-that he may melt God to his temple: then the high their strong hearts into the soft reand the low, the rich and the poor, lentings of godly sorrow for sinthe mighty and the ignoble, are upon that he may lead and guide and dian equality--they mingle their voices rect them in the way everlasting, so together, in chanting hymns of praise that the song of praise and thanksgiv-they unite hearts, in acknowledg-ing may be heard from the "cliffs of ing their dependance on God-they the north, and the isles of the south lament together, their failings and from the shores of the east, and short comings of the commandments the wilderness of the west ;" and all of their heavenly father-they joint- may, in one harmonious strain, like ly supplicate the God of grace, to the sounds of many waters, arise, pardon their sins through the atoning chanting, Hallalujah, for the Lord blood of Christ-they plead with God omnipotent reigneth! But parhumble, though accordant souls, to ticularly, we ought then to remenbecome fitted and prepared for glory|ber those, who are connected to us

jects of God's peculiar care, and that ANNIVERSAries of religiOUS AND

-that he tenderly regards us in our low state, and gives us the privilege of coming before Him, to unbosom ourselves in the greatest confidence,||207. for a blessing on each other's headthat our whole lives may be devoted The meeting was held April 20th, to his cause, and that we may obtain and was attended by great numbers. the salvation of our immortal souls, M. Henry Lutteroth read the report, so that when death shall finally se- which stated that eleven new French parate us here, we may have the tracts, three German, and three handpledge of a happy union in heaven, bill tracts, had been published durthe christian's home. NOEL.ing the year, besides the Almanac