Twenty-four Discourses / On Some of the Important and Interesting Truths, Duties, and Institutions, of the Gospel, and the General Excellency of the Christian Religion; Calculated for the People of God of Every Communion, Particularly for the Benefit of Pious Families, and the Instruction of All in the Things Which Concern Their Salvation

by Nathan Perkins

DISCOURSE IV.

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Stated prayer a duty binding on all men.

ACTS ii. 21.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

These words are a quotation from the prophet Joel. And the whole quotation is the text, from which St. Peter preached that powerful Sermon, which was the mean of converting three thousand hearers.—He very pertinently applies the passage from that prophet to the remarkable day and time, in which he speaks; being the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles, who were all in one place, of one accord, were endowed with miraculous gifts, and qualified to carry the good news of the gospel, according to their commission, over all the earth. And the words of the text inform us, in a very concise manner, what we are to do, in order to be saved. The condition of salvation, proposed in them, is as easy as it can be made, consistently with the honour of the law, attributes, and government of God. For he, being infinitely wise and gracious, never requires of any of his rational creatures either what is hard and cruel, or unjust and improper. As he hath been pleased to make us rational creatures and moral agents, so he ever more treats us as rational creatures. In all his laws, commandments, calls, precepts, and requisitions we are considered as being what we are. He never did, and never will, do any thing incompatible either with wisdom and justice, or benevolence and goodness. Indeed, were we to sit down, and in cool and dispassionate reasoning, to propose or desire our own terms of happiness, could we desire or wish for easier, than what are contained in the text. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.——It it so indeed?—May we be saved, if we will but accept of salvation, if we desire, or ask for it?—We certainly may. And it is a glorious truth.—It is a pleasing doctrine. It is a delightful thought.—Call not the Religion of the Gospel, therefore, unreasonable. Object no longer to its offers. No more consider it as requiring impossibilities of man. It is the perfection of beauty. It is reason itself:—divine in its nature:—rich in its promises:—plain in its essential precepts:—and heavenly in its tendency.——

In the sequel, we will consider the condition, upon which Salvation is offered to us, in the text: or show that stated prayer is a duty binding on all men.

The condition upon which Salvation is offered to us, in these words now under consideration, is calling upon the name of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. Calling upon the name of the Lord is, then, the necessary condition of our being saved. How, therefore, the interesting enquiry is, are we to call upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved—or to be intitled to the promised blessing of the text?—The name of the Lord here, and in a great variety of other places of holy Writ, means the attributes of the Supreme Being, his nature, and perfections; or God himself, the only proper object of religious fear and adoration. And calling upon him for help and deliverance, in our troubles and distress, and looking to him for temporal and spiritual blessings, for all needed good for time and Eternity, is repairing to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need, or that we may procure a supply of spiritual provision to aid us, in our journey through life, and to prepare us for everlasting rest. Let us therefore, says the Apostle, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Calling upon the name of the Lord is the usual scripture-phrase for statedly looking to him as the fountain of light, of goodness, of wisdom, of mercy, and of power, by prayer, that we may obtain all the blessings, whether pertaining to the present or future world, which our circumstances and condition may render necessary. And we are to do this, in all the ways of his appointment, and which reason suggests as proper, whether public, social, or private. I say, which reason suggests as proper: for reason is given to us, to be diligently improved in the things of Religion, as well as of the world, in the concerns of our souls, as well as in our temporal interests, and much more so, as our spiritual concerns are infinitely more important than our temporal. To set aside reason in our enquiries about truth and duty, would be no less absurd, than to reject the light of divine revelation itself. Reason is a mortal foe to enthusiastic and visionary schemes of religion. And to deny its use or office in things of a spiritual nature, is not only highly absurd, but introductory to fatal delusions. He who will have nothing to do with reason in religion, is just prepared to admit any extravagance or error, whatever in doctrine and worship.——Reason and scripture never contradict each other. And with respect to the stated duty of prayer as binding on all men, they are perfectly united. Reason pleads for it. Scripture demands it. And that stated prayer hath a happy influence on every christian grace—on every christian temper—and on the whole of Religion has been generally allowed.

Calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, includes the following things; sincerity,—devout affection,—constancy, or on all stated seasons,—perseverance,—penitence,—and correspondent practice. The manner in which the duty is to be performed is of the greatest moment. The temper of heart, with which we come to God, is a capital part of the duty.—Sincerity, therefore, is implied in calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved. This stands in opposition to all hypocrisy, or mere formality. No doubt, many have no more than the mere form; and while pious words and expressions are uttered, and with seeming reverence and devotion, the heart bears no part in the whole, but is wandering with the fool’s eyes to the ends of the earth; goes after its covetousness; indulges vain thoughts; or is unaffected and indevout. The most suitable, pertinent, and happily chosen words may be used, where there is no correspondence of affection. Such merely external performances, or bare lip-service can never ascend with approbation to a holy and omniscient God, who searches the heart and tries the reins of the children of men. External acts of piety, without any devotion of the heart, can be considered in no other light than as hypocrisy and form; and hypocrisy and outward show of religion are most severely reprehended by our Lord, in the words of the prophet Isaiah. Ye hypocrites well did Esaias prophecy of you saying this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Drawing nigh to God as his people, and honouring him with our mouths, while the heart is far from him, cannot be pleasing to him. There must be the fervour and friendship of an upright heart. St. James, likewise, directs us, in our approaches to a holy God, to avoid all hypocrisy and insincerity, or heart-iniquity. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. We must not be double-minded, having one mind for God, and one for the world. Our aim must be to glorify God. Our warmest affections must centre in him, who deserves all love and praise, both of angels and men. We are told, in a most beautiful and affecting manner, by our Lord himself, in his conference with the woman of Samaria, of the absolute necessity of sincerity and devotion of heart in all our addresses to the throne of grace, whether public, social, or private.—But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers, shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. All right and acceptable worship is in spirit and in truth. To worship God in spirit and in truth is to worship him in a spiritual manner. And a spiritual worship is a sincere, holy, and devout worship. To worship God in spirit and in truth, is to worship him by the gracious aids of his spirit, and with a sincere upright heart, or with a devout temper of mind. To suppose that the only true and spiritual worship of the Deity, is in the hidden recesses of the soul, is not only a gross perversion of our Saviour’s words, but to reject all worship of him altogether. To affirm that all true worship is to be performed in the secrecy and retirement or silence of the soul is to exclude all idea of worship, to deny that man is what he is, composed of body and soul, a material and immaterial part.—Calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved is therefore worshipping him in spirit and in truth, or a devout frame of mind. All our religious duties, indeed, in order to meet with the divine acceptance and approbation, must flow from sincerity of heart.——

Again, calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, is to worship him with affection and reverence. When we draw near to God, his dread should fall on us and his excellency make us afraid. All right homage paid to him, is accompanied with reverence and Godly fear. The affections of the soul must correspond with the solemnity and importance of the duty performed. When we commune with God in prayer, we should stand in awe and sin not. In our petitions, supplications, confessions of sin, thankful acknowledgement of mercies, and adorations we ought to feel the deepest reverence and warmth, or fervour of affection. The attention should be composed, the thoughts collected, the affections engaged, and the whole soul solemnized. The words spoken are to be accompanied with devout exercises.—All the divine glories are to be revered. High, exalted and reverential thoughts of the Majesty of heaven and Earth, the great object of adoration and religious praise, are to be entertained. Before him angels bow. The homage of the heavenly world is paid with all lowliness and reverence. The blessed inhabitants, thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, all stand before the throne, and in all the ardour, purity and sublimity of heavenly worship, cry holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Who should not fear thee, O Lord, for thou only art holy is the language of celestial adoration. How can that mind, which has a proper sense of the infinite greatness and infinite Majesty of God, help being filled with the highest reverence? He is the king immortal, eternal, invisible. He dwells in light unapproachable and full of glory. He is the blessed and only Potentate, gracious, merciful, slow unto anger, long-suffering—forgiving iniquity transgression and sin, but will by no means clear the guilty. The heavenly arches resound with his praises. The temple of the universe is filled with his presence. All nature exhibits his glory. This is that which he hath said, he will be had in reverence by all them that draw near to him: and will be sanctified by all the people. If the affections of the heart do not go up to heaven, with our petitions and supplications, they will be all in vain. Let us, says the prophet Jeremiah in his lamentations, lift up our hearts, with our hands, unto God in the heavens. There must be the internal homage of the heart, as well as external. Both are necessary. Both must go together—Again—says the Apostle Paul, I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Holy hands and without wrath and doubting imply the affections and reverence of the heart:—having no malice or bitter passions toward fellow worshippers.—We are directed, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, in this manner, Let us have grace whereby we may serve God, with reverence and godly fear. Deep reverence and pious fear are requisite in all our addresses to a prayer hearing God. We are, moreover farther commanded not to be slothful in business; but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.—Fervour and warmth of affection should attend, therefore, all supplications to the throne of grace. A really pious and devout heart is the chief ingredient in all acceptable worship.

Another particular necessarily implied, in calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, is constancy, or doing it on all stated seasons and proper occasions. He who objects against the stated worship of God on proper seasons, really discards all worship. The rule of worship is the divine word, and not any supposed internal impulse on the soul. We cannot know how or when to worship God, but by his word. And internal, separate from external homage, is not sufficient. The whole man must bow before the God of the whole earth. To present ourselves statedly before him, is only to offer him that homage which reason and nature demand. As the good man is said to be sanctified throughout in soul, in spirit and in body; so it is but fit, in the very reason and nature of things, that he should render unto God homage in all these respects. There must be outward reverence and composure, and proper expressions of the inward fervors of the mind. We are to give others proofs that we worship God. We are to glorify him by social and public prayer. All creation as it were, the heavens over our heads, and the earth on which we dwell, silently worship its glorious author. By men the praises of creation should be rendered vocal. As a Priest in the temple of the Universe, he is to present prayer and praises to the almighty Architect. Shall he be dumb in praising his God, like the mute fish that can only mean his praise? What was the faculty of speech, which so distinguishes man from all the brutal world, given to us for? Why were we made with social powers? was it not, that we might jointly honor, by prayer the Maker of our frame? If so, there must be stated seasons for such divine and heavenly employment. Every work and purpose under the sun must have a stated season. And the more important the work, the greater the need for a fixed season, in which to perform it. If God is to be served at all, there must of necessity be certain fixed seasons in which to serve him. He would not command us to serve him, and allow no fixed time for his service. He is the God of order and not of confusion. He will have every thing done decently and in order. So important and heavenly an employment as that of worshipping and serving him, above all things, must have stated seasons. To deny any stated seasons of worship, is to rebel against reason, scripture, and common sense. Every body, of common sense, knows that if an important work be assigned us to perform, there must be a proper time fixed upon in which to perform it. We are not to consult our own feelings or inclinations, as to the seasons of worship, but when the hour of prayer comes, that is, the stated and fit seasons, we must engage in it, and prepare our hearts to seek the Lord; depending on the assistances of divine grace; knowing that the preparation of the heart and answer of the tongue in man, are both from the Lord. The great original law of worship, is Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. All intelligent creatures are bound, by the most powerful of all ties, to do this. All men, wherever they dwell, are obligated by Creation, to serve the Creator in all the ways, in which they are capable. Preservation in being lays also a solemn bond upon them. The relation of creatures to a Creator does the same. All the glorious excellencies of the divine character make it an indispensable duty to pay him honour divine. Indeed, the adorable attributes of God bind us to worship and serve him. And it is as plain, as any point in moral duty, that there must of necessity be stated seasons, therefore, of worship. Under the law, by God’s own appointment, were the morning and evening sacrifices. Nature herself fixes upon these seasons. The sun in the firmament teaches us the same lesson. The pleasing succession of day and night points out the seasons for family and secret worship. And the Institution of a christian sabbath, specifies the stated periods of public worship.

Besides these stated seasons appointed and determined by nature and scripture, there are other fit and proper occasions, as Providence may order and overrule things, by either favors or frowns, whether public or private, personal or relative. Upon all fit occasions, as well as fixed and stated seasons, our prayers are to ascend to the Almighty ruler of the Universe.—We are to acknowledge him, in all our ways. But we cannot acknowledge him as a prayer-hearing God, without actually praying to him, in all his appointed ways. We are to own him, as a prayer-hearing God, as well as an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, merciful, glorious, holy, and bountiful God. And no man can devise any way of acknowledging him as a prayer-hearing God, but by actually applying to him, statedly, in prayer. That he is a prayer-hearing God, we are expressly assured, in these remarkable words: O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee all flesh shall come.

It may be, further, observed that stated seasons of calling upon the name of the Lord, are essential parts of the duty of worshipping and owning him. Without stated seasons the duty will die away, and wither, like a plant when the root is materially injured. If man have no stated seasons to worship God, he will either wholly omit, or infrequently practice the important duty, indeed, one of the most important, of human life and of all Religion, or he will negligently or carelessly perform it. In the very reason and nature of the case, there must be, therefore, stated seasons of worship, stated seasons for public worship, stated seasons for family worship, and stated seasons for secret worship. To have no stated seasons, will, in the end, be to reject the duty altogether. In regard to the support of animal life, though the appetites of hunger and thirst be given as directories, still mankind in general have found it necessary, to prevent intemperance and to preserve health to have stated seasons for partaking of food. But in regard to the spiritual life, the preservation of religion in the soul, how much more necessary to have stated seasons for the performance of prayer, which is essential not only to the flourishing state of religion in the soul and in the world, but to its very existence. Such alas! is the deplorable corruption of our nature, that if we will only worship God, when our inclinations direct, or some supposed internal whispering in the recesses of the soul, that we shall soon forget all our obligations to him, who is our Maker, Preserver, and bountiful Benefactor. He who denies the stated seasons of worship cannot be considered, in any other light, than the enemy of all religious adoration and homage.

There must, also, be perseverance in calling upon the name of the Lord, as well as stated seasons, in order to be saved. Perseverance is necessary in order to be successful. It demonstrates sincerity. It evinces engagedness. As to worldly good, perseverance and patience will work wonders. The diligent hand maketh rich. What wise and great achievements have ever been accomplished without perseverance? Would we succeed in our wishes to obtain and secure temporal felicity we must hold on our way. In religion the direction is to go on from strength to strength, to add one degree of grace to another, to be faithful unto the death, would we receive a crown of life. And perseverance in calling upon the name of the Lord alone proves our being in earnest.

To perform the duty only for a short space or infrequently, to begin the practice of it, and then omit it is a fatal symptom of hypocrisy. Hypocrites never persevere in calling upon God, in a serious and devout manner. It is the observation of an eminent Divine, “that Apostacy begins in the omission of prayer.” As the source of all irreligion and wickedness is forgetfulness of God, and not setting him before us; so the first sign of a man’s being disposed to religion and the service of God is betaking himself to prayer; behold he prayeth. And as a religious concern first shows itself in prayer, so the first symptom of declension, the first step to Apostacy is the neglect or careless performance of it. Speaking of the hypocrite, it is said, in the book of Job, Will he always call upon God? As much as if it had been said, it is a mark of the hypocrite that he will not continue to call upon God. He will omit it. He will pretend excuses for the neglect of it. He will profess to disbelieve the obligation of stated worship. Or he will attend only to the duty, in times of trouble and affliction, or under some awakening Providences.

We are commanded to persevere in the duty. And he spake a parable to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Men are never to relinquish the practice of devotional duties, under any temptation or pretext. They are to be continued as long as life continues. While life and breath last, our prayers or devotional exercises are to be attended upon, at the stated seasons. The Apostle speaks of rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. To be instant in prayer is to attend upon it, in all proper ways, and upon all fit occasions, and also to be fervent in it. And to continue instant in it is to persevere in the practice of devotional duties as long as it shall please God to prolong our probationary existence. He who relinquishes or infrequently attends upon prayer is either in a delusion, or in an unconverted state, whatever may be his pretext. A really good man who has experienced a work of renewing grace on his heart, cannot long deny or omit stated devotional exercises. For prayer is the very breath of the new Creature. It is recorded of St. Paul as soon as he was converted, Behold he prayeth. This is equally true of all regenerated persons. They will be punctual and constant in their addresses to heaven, at the stated seasons. You cannot keep them from the throne of grace. They would not be hired to keep from it, for immense treasures, or even worlds. The holy heart will no more drop the duty of calling upon the name of the Lord statedly than it will cease breathing. It is a delusion to relinquish so important a duty as stated prayer, in its various forms, because we may have heretofore been insincere or indevout, careless or formal in it. That spirit, which leads any to undervalue or to neglect prayer—to deny or turn away from the due seasons or methods of it, is not from heaven, but is the spirit of error and impiety. Only hear how plain the scripture is on this point. Pray, says the Apostle to the Christians at Thessalonica, without ceasing: that is, continue and persevere to the end of life, in calling upon the name of the Lord: ever maintain a devotional frame of mind: pray on all proper occasions and fit and stated seasons. Again—says he, pray with all manner of prayer. This, in all reason, must include every kind of prayer, public, social and secret. What, can we comply with this express command, and yet neglect family-worship in our houses—or public stated worship on the Lord’s day—or religious retirement? No words can enjoin stated family worship, if these do not. He who can deny family religion or prayer, in the face of this passage of inspired truth, must have a wonderful talent at perverting scripture, and wilfully close his eyes upon a light, which nothing, but high criminal prejudice, can prevent our discerning.—The happy influence of calling upon the name of the Lord, statedly, morning and evening, in our dwellings is indeed very great. “While a desire of imitation is confessedly a strong principle of action, one bright domestic pattern, in a person of superior character and authority, in calling his family to devotion, every morning and evening, will have more effect upon all beneath and about him, than a thousand dry instructions.”—I shall here take leave to repeat some weighty and judicious sentences from an excellent and pious Author. “If,” says he, “you neglect the duty of family prayer it will encourage and authorize their neglect. They may omit it in their families; and their Children’s, Children may omit it; so that perhaps before the end of the world, there may be hundreds, and even thousands, descended from you, who have in effect learnt irreligion and impiety in your houses, and from your example; or at least have never learnt religion there. Yea, perhaps, Christ when he cometh to judgment, may find some of your descendants among the wicked, who shall be burnt up as stubble; and their wickedness and misery may be traced up as high as your neglect of family worship, and be in some degree, charged to your account. Now, can you say this is not probable? And if it be probable, is it not very shocking? You had a thousand times better have your families beggars, than leave them enemies to God and strangers to prayer. Whereas by a faithful care in this duty, you may leave a sweet savour behind you; a praying seed, that shall be the support of religion in every future age, and your joy and crown of rejoicing at the appearance of Jesus Christ. I firmly believe, there will not be a heavier article in any man’s charge at the great Day, than this, that he cut off the entail of religion in his family; suffered it to die in his hands, after it had been conveyed down to him by his pious ancestors; and left an ungodly Seed to be the reproach of Christianity, and spread impiety and irreligion through all succeeding generations to the end of the world.” But the careless omission, in point of heinous guilt, is not to be compared with the wilful denial of family-worship. What can we think of those, who upon a pretended internal impulse or principle, deny and vilify the duty, and exert all their efforts to induce families to discontinue the practice of it? They are given up to strong delusion to believe a lie. What a bitter enemy to religion is that man who denies it to be duty, and refuses to call upon the name of the Lord in his dwelling! Even were the evidence of the duty of family worship, much weaker than it is, we should suppose every good man would statedly perform it; because such a high privilege, and happiness.—Calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, is doing it perseveringly—in all the ways appointed, in God’s holy word, in public—in the family—and in secret.

It may be, added, with evident propriety, that calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved, implies doing it, penitently, believingly, and through the mediation and atonement of the son of God. Without true penitence, or godly sorrow, without a Gospel faith—without offering all our desires and requests to heaven in the name of Christ, we cannot be saved. What are the sacrifices of God—such sacrifices as he will be well-pleased with and own! The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, he will not despise.—To whom does he look with a propitious smile? To the humble—the penitent—the believing—the poor and contrite in spirit. We are to seek the Lord while he may be found—to call on him while he is near. We are to ask in faith. We must go to a prayer-hearing God in a believing manner.—We are to seek the needed blessings, both temporal and spiritual, in the name of Christ. And whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the father by him. All our prayers—petitions for mercy—confessions of sin—and thanksgiving must be in his name, on his account, and through his sacrifice and mediation. Our father who is in heaven, can hear us only through him. The prayers of faith will be heard—and when heard, answered in that time and way, which, upon the whole, shall be best, most for the divine glory and our good. In all our wants and distresses divine favourable interpositions may be hoped for, if sought in faith. Our Lord himself says, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name believing, ye shall receive—receive in such a manner—and such measures—and at such times, as infinite wisdom sees meet; if not the very identical or individual mercy sought, still what, all things considered, is best. Christ, farther, informs us in regard to the duty of prayer in these most encouraging words, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the son.—Again, If ye shall ask any thing, in my name, I will do it: that is, all your prayers shall have a gracious audience and acceptance. That shall be done for you, by a wise and merciful God, which shall be most for his glory and your good, though, at present, painful to you, or even ever so contrary to your wishes or hopes.——

To call upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved is then to call on him, in deep repentance—unfeigned Gospel-faith—and through the merits, righteousness, and mediation of his ever-well beloved son.——

Finally, calling upon the name of the Lord so as to be saved is to walk and conduct agreeably to our prayers. He who goes to the throne of grace in a right manner, and so as to be accepted by a gracious and holy God, will live and converse, in a virtuous, prudent, and meek way: that his practice and prayers may not contradict each other. No one can be sincere or in earnest in his devotional exercises, who does not aim to live accordingly. To pray fervently for the pardon of sin, and not to be sorry for our offences is absurd. To implore of God his grace to sanctify us, and not to use all the means of sanctification, is to trifle. To ask for his restraining power to preserve us from vice and temptation, and at the same time, to indulge ourselves in sin, and go in the way of temptations is hypocrisy. To implore the gracious aids of the holy Ghost to purify our souls, to enlighten our understandings—to subdue our stubborn wills—to enable us to cultivate the benevolence, meekness, and humility—the peaceableness, forgiving, condescending temper of Christianity, and not, at the same time, endeavour to act up to those glorious principles, is to show that we are but feigned petitioners for the blessings we devoutly crave. It is essential to all acceptable prayers, that we live according to them. To supplicate the throne of grace to have all sin subdued in us, and not to take all possible care to avoid all the occasions and ways of sin is but mockery. When we seek to God for his grace and power to convince us—to sanctify us—to reclaim us from our sinful wanderings—to guard us from false principles—to remove prejudice from us—to build us up in holiness and faith unto his heavenly kingdom—to enable us to do all his will, to submit to his government—to comport with his Providential dispensations, we are to improve all our best endeavours to live and act accordingly. Can he be pleased with any prayers, unless the deportment and conduct be answerable, in the supplicants? The prayer of the upright is God’s delight. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to him. If we love vice, and live in the commission of known iniquity, our prayers, however many we make, or however long, or seemingly devout, cannot be pleasing to a holy and sin-hating God. The Psalmist says, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Such as are impenitent—unbelieving—profane and vicious God will not own and graciously hear, though they offer many and long prayers to him. We must act agreeably to our petitions for mercy, if we would be saved. None can be saved, who will not statedly call upon the name of the Lord, as they are able: and, at the same time, practice according to their prayers. An unholy person cannot be saved while such. A prayerless person cannot be saved as such. To omit stated prayer, in its various forms, allowedly, is to bar against ourselves, the gates of heavenly blessedness. It is to thrust ourselves out of the kingdom of glory. It is to plunge ourselves into misery. That our hearts and practice must correspond with our prayers, in order to meet with the divine acceptance, or be graciously answered, is plain from the following passages of Scripture.—And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.—If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.—Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth.—If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.—Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.—The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.—Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. Many more texts, which speak the same language, might easily be collected. But these are deemed amply sufficient to convince every mind which can be convinced at all, that our hearts and lives must correspond with our prayers—must be of the same tenour or the latter will not be heard, or the blessings implored, be granted, or the mercies sought, be imparted.—Thus have I considered the condition of salvation, specified in the text, calling upon the name of the Lord; or that stated prayer is a duty binding on all men.

Calling upon the name of the Lord is the common language of scripture for addresses to the mercy-seat of God by prayer, in all its forms, public, social, or secret. One must be included as well as the other. All must be equally included. For if we may lawfully shut out one, we may the others, with as much propriety. When such general expressions are employed, in the sacred writings, the only just and true way of interpreting them, is to extend them to all the parts or branches of the duty enjoined;—and farther, none can rationally hope to enjoy the blessings promised, unless they perform, in its true meaning and spirit, the condition upon which the blessings or good promised, are suspended. Thus, if we would be saved, we must call upon the name of the Lord, according to the true meaning, extent, and spirit of this duty. And all that do, shall be saved. There will not be one exception. God’s word of promise is sure; never will fail. If we perform the condition as required, the event—our salvation is as certain, as the word of God can make it.—

It may be subjoined, here, before we close the discourse, that calling upon the name of the Lord, may include a sincere engagement in the whole of Religion—not the duties of piety and devotion only—but of sobriety and righteousness and service of God, in an upright manner, believing his truths—studying his will—obeying his laws, comporting with his Providence—and living as his obedient children.——

As the conclusion of the whole, we cannot but be highly delighted with the easiness of the terms of salvation. They are as easy as they could be consistent with the law, character and attributes of the Supreme Being; as they could be, and be compatible with his holiness and sovereign mercy.—Herein, the wisdom and the goodness of the Maker of all things shine with a conspicuous Lustre. He always acts, indeed, with the highest wisdom, and with perfect benevolence. He requires of us only what is reasonable to be required. And the reasonableness of the Christian system is among the most satisfactory and powerful evidence of its truth and divinity.—It is divine in its nature—pure in its laws—rich in its promises—plain in its duties—pleasing in its hopes—sublime in its prospects—supporting in its consolations—grand in its offers—and in its rewards, glorious beyond all that can be imagined in the perfect state.—We are to call upon the name of the Lord, in a right and pious manner, and be saved.—And to this duty of calling upon the name of the Lord we are bound by the strongest of all ties—by our creation—by our preservation—by our redemption—by all the favours of Providence—by our dependence on God—by his glories—by his goodness—by his omniscience—by his omnipresence—by his faithfulness—by our own interest—by our innumerable wants, for soul and body, for time and Eternity. And may we be saved, if we will do it, in that manner, in which we ought?—Certainly we may. And could we desire mercy upon any lower condition?—If we murmur and complain of this, we discover the basest and vilest temper: and deserve everlasting exclusion from the blissful presence of a holy and gracious God. We must be speechless, if condemned forever.