These Sections teach —

1st. That prayer is a principal part of religious worship. The word " prayer'' is used constantly in a more general and a more specific sense. In its more specific sense it is equivalent to supplication, the act of the soul engaged in presenting its desires to God, and asking God to gratify them and to supply all the necessities of the supplicant. In its general sense, prayer is used to express every act of the soul engaged in spiritual intercourse with God. In this sense the main elements it embraces are (a) adoration, (b) confession, (c) supplication, (d) intercession, (e) thanksgiving. Thus prayer in its wide sense includes all direct acts of worship. And hymns^ and psalms of praise are in their essence only metrical and musically-uttered prayers.

2d. The Confession here asserts that prayer is required of all men. This is absolutely true, even of the heathen who know not God, and of the unregenerate who are morally unable to pray in a manner pleasing to God, because neither our knowledge of moral truths nor our moral ability to do what is right is the measure of our responsibility. The duty of prayer is a natural duty growing out of our natural relations to God, manifested hy the natural conscience, and enjoined in the Scriptures upon all men indiscriminately. 1 Thest v. 17; Acts viii. 22, 23 ; Luke xi. 9-13. We are told not only to pray after we receive the Holy Spirit, but to pray also that we may receive him.

3d. In order that prayer may be acceptable to God and effectual, it is here taught that it is necessary (1) that it should be offered through the mediation of Christ. It has been shown above, under §§ 1 and 2, that all religious worship must be presented through Christ — that is, relying upon his merits, and approaching God through his present personal intercession. Prayer is a kind of religious worship. What, therefore, is true of the class is true of all its elements. Besides, this truth follows from all that is revealed of our redemption through the merits of Clirist, and is directly taught in Scripture. John xiv. 13, 14; xvi. 23, 24. (2.) It must be made by the help of the Holy Ghost. The same word 'paraclete is applied to Christ and to the Holy Ghost; it is translated when applied to Christ advocate (1 John ii. 1), and comforter when applied to the Holy Ghost. John xiv. 16. Thus Christ as our Advocate makes intercession for us in heaven (Rom. viii. 34) ; the Holy Ghost as our Advocate makes intercession within us, inditing our prayers, kindling our desires for that which is according to the will of God, and thus maintaining harmony in the constant current of petition ascending from Christ the head in heaven and his members on earth. Rom. viii. 26, 27. (3.) It is essential to acceptable prayer that th^ heart of the worshipper should be in the proper state, and that his prayer be offered in reverence for the majesty and moral perfections of God; humility, because of our guilt and pollution ; submission to his will; conRELIGIOUS WORSHIP, AND THE SABBATH-DAY. 375

fidence in his ability and willingness to help us, and upon his covenanted grace ; intelligent apprehension of the relitions we sustain, the nature of the service we are engaged in, and the subject-matter of our prayer and objects of petition ; and real earnestness and fervency of heart, corresponding fully to all the words whereby our prayer is expressed, and with importunity and perseverance. Luke xviii. 1-8. And when the prayer is common between two or more persons, it is self-evident that it must be expressed in a language common to all ; otherwise, it must cease to be in any sense the prayer of those who fail to understand it. This point is aimed at the Romish custom of uttering many of her public prayers in Latin, which to the vast majority of her worshippers is an unknown tougue. This is explicitly forbidden. 1 Cor. xiv. 1-40.

4th. As to the objects of petition, we are here taught that they cover the whole ground of things that are at once desirable and lawful. This is self-evident, because we depend upon God for all things, and therefore should ask him for everything we need, yet of course giving a precedence in our desires for the "best things," " seeking ^rs^ the kingdom of heaven and God's righteousness." Desires for unlawful things are of course unlawful desires, and should be laid aside and repented of. Even concerning those things which it is in general lawful for us to desire, there may be in many instances uncertainty whether it is the will of God that we should have them at the time and in the way we desire. In every such case we should, of course, make our petitions conditional upon God's will, as our blessed Lord did in Gethsemane. Luke xxii. 42; 1 John v. 14.

As to the subjects of intercession, we are taught to pray for all men living or to live. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2; John xvii. 20. But not for those already dead, nor for those known to have committed the unpardonable sin.

The doctrine of the Romish Church concerning prayers for the dead is a dependent part of their doctrine concerning the state of the souls of men after death. They hold that those who are perfect at the time of death go immediately to heaven. TJiose who are iniidels or die in mortal sin go immediately to hell. But the great mass of imperfect Christians go to purgatory^ where they must stay until they get fit for heaven. Concerning purgatory, the Council of Trent teaches — (a.) That there is a purifying fire through which imperfect Christian souls must pass, (b.) That the souls temporarily suffering therein may be materially benefited by the prayers of their fellow-Christians and the masses offered up in their behalf on earth.*

But if there is no purgatory, as will be shown under Chapter xxxii., there can be no prayers for the dead, since those in heaven need no intercession, and for those m hell none can avail. It is as presumptuous as it is futile to assail the throne of God with supplications " when once the master of the house has shut to the door." Luke xiii. 25. The Scriptures teach of only two states of existence beyond death, and a great, impassable gulf fixed between. Luke xvi. 25, 26. Besides, the practice of praying for the dead has no warrant, direct or by remote implication, in Scripture.

Our Confession having given a general description of religious worship, in regard to its object, and the manner in which it ought to be performed, proceeds now to give a more particular account of the several parts of religious worship; and, in the sections under our consideration, it treats of prayer, which is one special part of that worship we owe to God. Prayer, when taken in its most extensive sense, includes adoration, or a devout celebration of the perfections of God, and of his works, in which they are displayed; confession of our sins to God; thanksgiving for the favours which Ave have received from him; and petition for the blessings of which we stand in need. But prayer, in the strict sense of the word, consists in petition alone; and in this light we shall view it in the observations we have to offer in illustration of the statements of the Confession.

I, Prayer is a duty incumbent on all men. As dependent creatures we owe this homage to God. " In him we live, and move, and have our being ;" and " from him cometh every good gift, and every perfect gift." What, then, can be more reasonable than to acknowledge our constant dependence on him, and make daily application to him for the supply of our wants ?

That God knows our wants before we tell him of them, and that his infinite goodness will prompt him to bestow what is conducive to our happiness, have been sometimes urged as arguments against the necessity and utility of prayer. But, although prayer is certainly not necessaiy to give information

to God, and is not intended to excite the divine benevolence, yet it does not follow that it is superfluons; because there may be other reasons of great importance for which it is required. It may be designed to impress our own minds more deeply with a sense of our wants, and to bring them into that state in which alone it is proper that the blessings we solicit should be bestowed upon us. Besides, prayer is the divinely appointed means of obtaining from our heavenly Father the blessings we need. He has commanded us to ask, and promised we shall receive. — Matt. vii. 7. He has given us many exceeding great and precious promises, and he has said : " For this will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them." — Ezek, xxxvi. 37.

It has also been alleged, " that wicked and unregenerate men ought not to pray unto God at all." This error was broached by certain sectaries, at the very period when our Confession was compiled ;* and it has been revived in our own day. It is maintained that, because unbelievers cannot pray acceptably, they ought not to pray at all. It will be readily admitted that the prayer of faith can alone be acceptable ', still we must hold that all men are bound to pray to God. —

1. Prayer is a duty required by the mere light of nature, and must, therefore, be incumbent on all men. — Jonah i. 5, 6, 14.

2. Prayer is a duty enjoined upon men indiscriminately, and universally in the Word of God. — Ps. Ixv. 2 ; Phil. iv. 6 ; 1 Thess. V. 17. 3. If unbelievers, or unregenerate men ought not to pray, then their omission of prayer would not be their sin ; but their neglect of prayer is always represented in Scripture as highly criminal. — Ps. x. 4 ; Jer. x. 25. 4. The Apostle Peter required Simon Magus to pray unto God, though he was then " in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." — Acts viii. 22, 23. 5. Prayer is an appointed means of grace which all men ought to improve. Though it is not for our praying, yet it is in the way of prayer, as God's instituted order, that we may expect any blessing from him. — Matt. vii. 7. Every one that needs and desires any good thing from God is, therefore, bound to ask it by prayer, 6. Though the prayer as well as the ploughing of the wicked be sinful, because not done by them in a right manaer, yet the matter of it being lawful and good in itself, their aeglect of it is a greater abomination, — Prov. xv. 8, xxi. 4. For these reasons we must maintain, agreeably to our Conession, that " prayer is by God required of all men."

II. Prayer is to be made for things that are lawful, or accordng to the will of God. As our petitions ought to be regu- * Edward's Gangraena, part i., p. 27.

220 CONFESSION OF FAITH. [ciIAP XXT.

lated by the revealed will of God, his "Word must be the rule of prayer. Nor by this rule are our prayers circumscribed within narrow limits; for nothing really necessary for us can be pointed out which is not contained in some diAdne declaration or promise. We are warranted to ask temporal mercies of God ; for " our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of these things" (Matt. \i. 32) ; but spiritual mercies ought to have the preference in our requests ; for thus saith our Saviour : " Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." — Matt. vi. 33. If we regulate our petitions by the Word of God, then we may feel the utmost confidence that there is an entire harmony between his will and our desires ; and we may take the full encouragement of that beautiful and comprehensive promise : " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." — John xv. 7 ; see also, 1 John v. 14.

III. Prayer is to be made in the name of Christ. Our Saviour frequently enjoins us to ask all things in his name, and assures us that all our lawful desires and requests, presented

'in his name, shall be granted. — John xiv. 13, 14; xvi. 23, 24. It is not enough, however, that we merely introduce the name of Christ into our prayers, or that we conclude them with the bare words : " All that we ask is for Christ's sake." To pray in the name of Christ, is to draw all our encouragement to pray from Christ alone, to engage in this duty in dependence upon his strength, and to rely upon his merit and intercession alone for access to God, and for acceptance and a gracious answer to our prayers.

IV. Prayer is to be made in dependence upon the assistance of the Holy Spirit. This is frequently mentioned in Scripture as requisite to acceptable prayer, — Eph. vi. 18 ; Jude 20. We know not what to pray for as we ought, so that, without the assistance of the Spirit, we are in danger of asking amiss in regard to the matter of our requests. Neither do we know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit is promised to help our infirmities, by enlightening our minds in the knowledge of our needs, bringing to our remembrance the promises which are our encouragement to ask of God the supply of our wants, and exciting within us those affections and graces which are necessary to acceptable prayer. — Rom. viii. 26, 29.

V. If we would have our prayers accepted of God, they ~must be offered up in a right manner, which includes a variety of things. We must pray — 1. With understanding (Ps. xlvii. 7); with some knowledge of God, the alone object of

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prayer ; of our wants, the subject-matter of prayer ; of the person and work of Christ, the alone medium of acceptable prayer; and of the promises, which are our encouragement in prayer. 2. With reverence (Heb. xii. 28), arising from a deep sense of the infinite majesty and unspotted holiness of God. 3. With humility (Gen. xviii. 27), arising from a deep impression of our own unworthiness and sinfulness. 4. With fervency (James v. 16), arising from a lively apprehension of our own wants, and of the invaluable nature of the blessings which we ask of God. 5. With faith (James i. 6), believing that we shall receive what we ask according to the will of God. 6. With love (1 Tim. ii. 8), cherishing an ardent desire after God's presence with us, and an affectionate regard to all those for whom we ought to pray. 7. With importunity and perseverance (Matt. xv. 22-28 ; Eph. vi. 18), pressing our suit, and renewing our petition again and again, until a gracious answer is obtained. 8. Hopefully, waiting upon God, with submission to his will, and looking for an answer to our supplications. — Ps. v. 3 ; Mic. vii. 7.

VI. Prayer, at least when public and social, ought to be offered up in a known tongue. This condemns the doctrine and practice of the Church of Rome, which maintains that it is not needful that public prayers be in a known tongue, and sj-ill continues to perform her service in the Latin language, which has ceased to be vernacular for a thousand years. This practice is so contrary to common sense, that no argument can be necessary to support the statement of our Confession in opposition to it. It is sufficient to observe, that the Apostle Paul occupies nearly the whole of the 14th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians in showing that public prayers ought to be offered up in the vulgar tongue. He would rather speak: five words which the people could understand, than ten thousand in an unknown tongue. He lays down this general rule : " Let all things be done unto edifying." But how can the people be edified by worship performed in a language which they do not understand ?

VII. Prayer is to be made " for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter ; but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death." We ought to pray " for the whole Church of Christ upon earth — for magistrates and ministers ; our brethren, yea, our enemies."* And as Chi'ist prayed for those that should afterwards believe on him (John xvii. 20), so we should pray for the advancement of his kingdom in the world until his second coming. — Ps. cii. 18.

* The Larger Catechism, Quest. 183.

222 CONFESSION OP FAITH. |^CHAP. XXI.

The statement that we are not to pray for the dead is levelled against the Church of Rome, which maintains that prayers and masses ought to be performed for departed souls, and may really profit them. In Scripture we find no precept requiring us to pray for the dead, nor any promise that God will hear our prayers for them, nor any example of prayer being offered on their behalf ; for when Paul prayed that " Onesiphorus might find mercy of the Lord in that day" (2 Tim. i. 18), it cannot be proved that Onesiphorus was then dead. David ceased praying for his child when once it was removed by death. — 2 Sam. xii. 22, 23. The state of the dead is unalterably fixed, and therefore our prayers cannot profit them. — Luke xvi. 22-26.

The statement, that we are not to pray for those who are known to have sinned the sin unto death, is founded on the express words of the Apostle John : " If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death : I do not say that he shall pray for it." — 1 John v. 16. The sin unto death most probably is the sin against the Holy Ghost, which alone is pronounced to be xmpardonable; and the irremissible nature of that sin is evidently the reason why prayer is forbidden for the person who is known to be guilty of it.