SERMON IV.

YOU SHOULD PRAY TO GOD.

PRAY TO THY FATHER.

CHILDREN, I believe that you like to hear me speak to you of the excellent things of religion; and it gives me great pleasure to teach you what I think will be useful to you. I ask you to listen to me again.

It was the wise King Solomon, who said, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." It was a greater than Solomon, who said, "Pray to thy Father." It was Jesus Christ who spoke those words to his disciples, or scholars, when he was teaching them how they should pray; as you may find by turning to the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, and the sixth verse. By "Father,"

he meant your heavenly Father, or God; and God is called your Father, because he made you, and takes care of you, and is kind to you, and loves you. I have already spoken to you about remembering your Creator; I will now speak to you about praying to your Father.

Praying to your Father, is speaking to him, and asking of him whatever is needful and good, for yourselves and for others. And it is right that you should speak to him. It is right that a child should speak to his father. Does not a child take pleasure in speaking to his earthly father, asking him for gifts, and thanking him for daily kindness? Why then should you not speak to your heavenly Father, and ask him for his good and perfect gifts, and thank him for the loving kindness which he shows to you every day and every hour? It is true that you cannot see your heavenly Father; but that is no reason why you should not speak to him. It is not necessary that should see him. If he sees you, and hears you, then you can speak to him, and ought to speak to him. And does he not hear you? Certainly he does. I told you in my last sermon, that God always sees you, and now I tell you that he always hears you. Who made your ears, and caused you to hear? It was God. And

you

That

"he who made the ear, shall he not hear?" is a question which is asked in the Bible; and every child can answer, yes; he who could make the ear, must certainly be able to hear. He does hear all you say, if it is with ever so low a voice, and in ever so lonely a place. You cannot say a word that he does not hear. And yet more than this, you cannot think a thought that he does not hear; for he knows what it is, and that is the same as hearing it. He who made all things is every where. He who takes care of all things, never sleeps. He sees all, hears all, knows all. So you will perceive, that so far from its being difficult to make God hear you, you cannot help his hearing you. He always hears you.

And now I want to ask, whether it is not proper that your heavenly Father should sometimes hear you speak to him? Is it right that he should hear you speak to every body but him, and hear you think of every thing but him? Shall he be near to

you all the time; shall he be watching over you by day while you are waking, and by night while you are sleeping; shall he guard you from danger, and hold you in life, and surround you with blessings, and be listening to you all the while, and yet not hear you say one word to him with your lips or

with your heart? You cannot suppose this to be right.

There is no doubt that God wishes you to speak to him, to pray to him. In the Old Testament and in the New Testament we are told to pray to God; and all the good persons whom we read of there, did pray to God. "I cried unto God with my voice," says one of them, "even unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me." Moses, and Aaron, and Samuel, "they called upon the Lord, and he answered them." Our Saviour Jesus Christ prayed to God, and he has told us to pray to God, who is his Father and our Father. And in many other ways we may learn that God wishes us to pray to him. Have you never, when you have behaved well, and have been very happy, had a feeling in your bosom as if you ought to thank some one, though you could hardly tell whom? That feeling in your bosom is a voice from God, which tells you that you ought to thank him, who is the Author of your happiness. Have you never, when you have been in sickness or sorrow, had a feeling as if you wanted very much to lean upon some one who could help you out of trouble better than any one you knew? That feeling is a voice from God, which tells you that you should lean upon him, and

ask him to help you. And when you have done wrong, have you not felt uneasy and unhappy, as if you longed to be forgiven, not only by your parents, but by some one else. That uneasy feeling is a voice from God, which tells you to ask forgiveness of him, that he may pardon you. Children! a great many voices call upon you to speak to God and pray to him. The good old men of old times, and the good children too; and Jesus Christ your Saviour; and the feelings in your bosom, when you are either happy or unhappy, all tell you to pray to God your heavenly Father. You hear these voices not with your outward ears, but with your soul. They make no noise in the air; but they speak without noise, in your heart. When you hear

them, you should attend to them.

what is true.

They tell you

But perhaps you may think, that as you are children, and not able to speak very well, you are not able to pray to God. But you are able; for it is an easy thing to pray to God, if you really think of him when you pray. It is not necessary that you should be nice in your words when you speak to God, if you are only sincere, and humble, and serious. The simplest and plainest words are the best. you wanted bread of your earthly father, you

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