I ought to feel that God is infinitely righteous, and might righteously rive my soul with lightning, and send me to instant death. I ought to feel that his infinite mercy has wrought great things to render it consistent for a sinner to pray-devised the way of salvationsent Christ to die-revealed the way-given the encouragement-bestowed the Spirit. Sinners may pray to God by virtue of this amazing system of mercy. But we must feel that it is amazing mercy which allows us to pray. And we must feel that when we are thus allowed to pray, we should improve the allowed liberty, as a favor of the greatest magnitude-to plead for the life of souls to plead as intercessors for others, Illustrate this by a criminal approaching a king-how vile-yet how needy-will he make a merit of it? Endeavor to have and to promote such feelings, How Abraham felt when he approached to plead for Lot and Sodom! What an immense difference between right feelings and the common feelings of men in regard to prayer!"

The sincere and earnest desire of his heart was to maintain intimate communion with God; and when he failed in so doing he felt depressed and cast down, as success in it was ever regarded a cause for gratitude and joy. His earnest desires for such holy intercourse with God, and his enjoyment of such intercourse, are expressed in the following:

1824, June 16. "In secret prayer God seemed to be actually present, and to impress my mind with this, that if we would live, and pray, and speak, and write, and converse, and act, just as though he were by, and we realized it as we do the presence of man that we converse with, it would be our rule of prudence in all things and at all times. Then truth as it is in his word and in fact would prevail. Then duty would rule. Then sin would be put down, because the presence of God would so overawe us, that we should have no fear of man. This view seemed to be an answer to our prayer last evening, for we can not be at a loss before God. We dare not speak anything but exactly agreeable to his truth, in all its extent before him. O that I might always feel this! As this is the commencement of my

PRAYED THREE HOURS A DAY.

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forty-fifth year. O that I might this day and every day of my life, live deeply and fully under this impression. This is walking with God, as Enoch and Noah. This is having God with me as he was with Joseph and others. This is having the fear of God before me all the day long. In this way I shall be wise and holy, and successful, just so far as it may be desirable to be successful. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.' O my God, grant me and all thy servants this grace, Amen.”"

1829, May 1. "Feeling confused, distracted, unprepared for anything, and yet knowing that much is to be done, I devoted this day to special abstinence and prayer. I want to gird up the loins of my mind so as to be the better prepared for my duty. I feel lost when I get away from God, and I need time for recollection, forethought, and contemplation. The Lord's supper is near. This month is also one for my journey. I expect to be much in company. O how much do I need the guidance and influence of the Holy One. O Lord guide and influence me. Having spent the day I am hardly roused from lethargy. Have, however, been thinking about keeping the heart, am but little impressed with divine things. Know but little of myself. preach to myself."

Must

Estimating prayer as he did, it is not to be wondered at that he spent much time in this exercise. He called to mind the practice of the German reformer, of praying three hours in each day, and resolved to practice it himself.

1830, April 1. "Resolved to commence this day endeavoring to spend three of my best hours in prayer, as my ordinary practice.

1. From five to six in the morning, for myself and my friends.

2. From eleven to twelve a. M., for my church and people.

3. From nine to ten in the evening, for all the world. I expect it will be impossible to observe these times always: but I shall observe them as well as I can. I do not include prayer only, but a little reading of the word

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PRAYER A PRIVILEGE.

of God, and meditation on it, and the condition of the subjects of prayer, directly to the point. This reading and meditation may be half the exercise or more. I am not to be always on my knees, but standing, walking, sitting or any suitable posture. At times a Christian friend may be with me when suitable. Indeed I think as much variety as possible consistent with the design, should be studied, that it may be a most profitable and delightful, and intelligent intercourse with God."

How far he was enabled to carry out this design does not appear; but that he was enabled to execute it, at least for a while, with some degree of success, may be seen from what follows.

April 2. "Rose at five and retired soon to my closet. Found so much in myself that was bad, that I hardly found time in my hour to pray for my friends. It seemed that my time was rather too short than too long. God gave me an abasing view of myself. O how deeply am I polluted! I prayed to be washed and cleansed in the blood of the Lamb."

April 3. "Attended to my seasons of devotion, and found generally much more of a spirit of prayer than

usual.'

The fact is that Dr. Yale's closet seasons were among the most precious of his life. It was when thus engaged that he drew near to God, and his soul was not unfrequently fired up with feelings of pious ardor. He was not among those who regard prayer as a task, but a precious, a delightful privilege.

1828, March 16. "Tried to preach this day on depravity, and on the unwillingness of sinners to accept of mercy and salvation. Some solemnity. After returning home I tried to pray. The thought occurred how shall I know when I have prayed enough? The question reproved me. Prayer is too apt to appear as a duty to be performed, out of regard to which God bestows his favors. False! Altogether false! It is a favor which he allows us, and we have asked enough only when we have obtained the blessing."

THE TESTIMONY OF HIS CLOSET.

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Yet, though he prized prayer so much, and performed it so conscientiously, there were times when he mourned over his coldness, and felt deeply humbled because of his conscious imperfections.

1827, Aug. 5. "Am fully convinced that I do not pray as I ought, and that the blessings of God delay, because our prayers delay. O God, move my heart in this sacred and holy exercise."

On the 10th of April 1836, in his own peculiar manner, he entered upon his memorandum what he called the testimony of his closet. It is as follows: "I felt much more than common, the great and precious blessing of the Father's promise of the Holy Spirit. Surely I must seek the Spirit as the great agent. Surely prayer is the great means of revival. May my closet no more bear witness against me, for the very little real prayer which I offer in it, before God. It does testify against me now. Now let me record its testimony.

For thirty-five years and more, says my closet, you have generally been on your knees twice a day, and sometimes oftener. At some seasons you have found prayer very interesting and profitable, and have prayed much. But many, many, many times you have prayed more as a ceremony, than as a serious business, a duty to honor God, and a privilege to procure benefits to your own soul. For a long time past you have made secret prayer a very formal and superficial business. As you have not allowed it much time, so it has not much engaged your deep affections. But in particular the following things are true concerning you.

1. Your prayers are very short. A few minutes, probably not more than five on an average, will measure the length of your prayers each time.

2. Your prayers are crowded by other business or avocations. Business or avocations take up the time before you commence. And before you are really engaged, you are arrested by some call, or by the hour of repose.

3. Your prayers are interrupted by unseasonable thought. Very often such thoughts intrude upon your mind, and lead it away after other subjects, while your words are praying and your knees are bended.

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HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

4. Your prayers are generally dry and heartless. However fervent the expressions, your feelings are not much interested, and your frame of mind is often such as God can not approve and accept.

5. Your prayers generally leave your mind in darkness. It is difficult to tell when any clear light has shone into your mind, or when you have derived any sensible benefit from prayer.

6. Your prayers receive no answer. It is a long time since you have so clearly obtained any blessing in answer to prayer, that it is doubtful whether the Lord hears you at all.

These are some of the items in the testimony of my closet in regard to secret prayer. How truly, then, am I in a deplorable condition!"

In his seasons of devotion, he frequently had the most abasing views of himself, and was at times almost "overwhelmed with a sense of his imperfections and sins." His langauge at one time was: "I appeared to myself so much like nothing that I should be, that I was almost led to despair of hope."

Yet, while thus abased in view of his own unworthiness he always had the strongest confidence in God, and in the efficacy of prayer.

1826, June 18. "At the rising of the sun I began to contemplate our situation: saw that I did not really pray with earnestness and hope for my people at this consecrated hour. I kneeled on my knees before God, acknowledged my unworthiness, guilt, pollution, poverty, and helplessness; but being encouraged by the 55th of Isaiah, which was in my mind last evening, and by other parts of scripture, I asked God to bestow, not for anything in me or my people, but for what there is in him.

Wouldst thou invite us to a fountain and then refuse to give us water, because we are thirsty and have none, and are unworthy and ill-deserving? Wouldst thou invite us to thy table, richly spread and abundantly furnished, and then refuse to give because we are hungry, and have no food, and are unworthy of any? Wouldst