views and desires as were unknown to him before; and then was begun the work of faith, which God will carry on to perfection. Regeneration puts every faculty of the human mind into the state which is requisite for the performance of right actions..

The renewed person, however, does not always think that his conviction of his own helplessness and depravity, his discovery of Christ's character, and his desire of deliverance by him alone, imply fath in the Lord Jesus. Ye to desire Christ for a Saviour, to confide in him as such, and will to be saved by him, are the same, as fleeing to him for help, as receiving him, looking to him, going to him, and trusting in him; which are some of the principal acts of saving faith, and always proceed from the spiritual belief of the fact, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

In the infancy of faith, the young Christian desires to be converted, and wonders how regenerated hearts feel. He prays that God would convince him of sin, make him feel his own misery, and give him a new heart. God answered him before he asked assistance, or the sinner would never have received this Spirit of prayer. God has given him a new heart, and it is that new heart which cries for the graces of the Spirit, humiliation, penitence, and faith. Without admitting that they have any effectual belief of the truth, the

language of those who have lately passed from death to life is, "O Lord, increase our faith; make us believe firmly thy word make us rely on the promises of thy grace."

Believers, who have grown in the knowledge of God, and know that they have some faith, frequently address the same petition to heaven. They can say, "Lord, we believe; pardon our remaining unbelief, and make us strong in faith, giving glory to God."

Such

prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit, who teaches us to pray, and makes intercession for every believer. Such prayers will assuredly be answered; for He is faithful who has said, "ask and it shall be given you;" "draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you," they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my people,' and they shall say, 'The Lord is 66 God.""* Yes, my ry one, that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened."

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No prayer, which came from a new heart, and which was excited by the Holy Spirit, was ever disregarded. Those who pray for grace have some grace already, and shall have more. The petition, "Lord, increase our faith," never proceeded from the heart in vain. God does give grace for grace, and faith for faith. He honours the work of the

Matt. vii. 7, 8. Janies iv. 8. Zech. xiii. 9.

Spirit, who makes the heirs of glory cry, "Abba, Father."

In what manner God will answer the sup plication for faith cannot be previously deter mined by any Christian, because the divine resources are inexhaustible, and his application of them various. The means, however, by which God commonly increases faith, are described in the holy Scriptures, and are well known to skilful Christians. They have sought to know them as the benevolent phy sician seeks for healing plants, or the miser for hidden treasure, and having found them, are desirous of imparting their information for the benefit of others.

Let the weak in faith know, then, that God is able to make them stand; that if they pray, "increase our faith," he will make them flourish, ultimately, in every grace. They are "trees of righteousness," whose leaves shall never fade, whose branches shall never wither, whose fruits shall ripen and endure for ever. To accomplish this the suitable means are made effectual.

Christ usually in

creases the faith of his people,

I. By training them to devotional habits. No sooner is a sinner renewed than he feels a disposition to pray, from a knowledge of his own wants, and of the divine fulness. He is persuaded that he wants much, and that God has much to give; for he hears the commandment and promise, "open thy mouth

wide, and I will fill it." He wants pardon, peace, joy in the Holy One, and all the blessings of heaven. These God has to bestow.

The first petition usually offered, is similar to that of the contrite publican, who, standing afar off, smote upon his breast, crying, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Before convicviction and regeneration this same sinner may have repeated the words of supplication, and may have desired natural good; but he never desired spiritual blessings before God made him a spiritual person. Once, praying was mere formality, the result of fear, or of a pious education; but now, the youth who formerly said prayers to please an earthly parent, prays from a desire to please our Heavenly Father. He who had no desires after God, now wishes God to be his friend and Christ his Saviour. The soul is constrained to cry unto God, from a sensation of need, and a belief that he can supply all our wants. It is Jesus who gives such convictions and such feelings, and by continuing them, causes us to acquire the habit of prayer.

HABIT is formed by repeated use; and because God convinces his children that they ought always to pray, and causes them to experience satisfaction and profit in praying, they continue in supplications till they form the habit of drawing near to him. The young Christian resolves, that by divine assistance he will be devout, will

call on God, and will make prayer a part of the business of every day. Some are induced to form the habit of praying in particular places, and some, of addressing short petitions to God in almost every place. The regular occurrence of stated seasons for devotional exercises has a very desirable effect and I may venture to affirm, that almost every believer, acquires the habit of calling on his God, at least, in the morning and evening.

By going to God in prayer, we at the same time obtain the habit of trusting in him; even as children acquire strong confidence in a parent by habitually presenting to him their requests. In prayer God is pleased to meet us, and make us know him more perfectly. The habit of prayer, is such a state of mind as predisposes us to thoughts of God, of his relation to us, of our necessities, of his mercies, and to suitable addresses to the throne of grace. These thoughts of God are the means of our believing more firmly his word; for the more we think of him, the more we shall know of the divine faithfulness, which is the sole foundation of faith in his testimonies. The truth of these remarks will not be doubted by any believer, who seriously looks back upon the time when he began to learn how to pray in sincerity. Then he felt as a child, he thought and spake like a child; but now he has more freedom in prayer, because God answered his infant cries, by increasing

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