. Lectures to young people:. the other ; and by thuscommuning with your own heart, you will be preparedfor close and particular communion with God. In re-viewing a given period, do you find that you have beenbetrayed into levity of conversation or deportment; orthat you have remained silent, where you ought to havedropped a word in behalf of the cause of Christ ? Doyou find that your thoughts have been wandering on for-bidden objects ; or that you have yielded to the influenceof some evil passion—have indulged in discontent, envy,pride, or revenge; or that, from the want of vigilance,you have
. Lectures to young people:. the other ; and by thuscommuning with your own heart, you will be preparedfor close and particular communion with God. In re-viewing a given period, do you find that you have beenbetrayed into levity of conversation or deportment; orthat you have remained silent, where you ought to havedropped a word in behalf of the cause of Christ ? Doyou find that your thoughts have been wandering on for-bidden objects ; or that you have yielded to the influenceof some evil passion—have indulged in discontent, envy,pride, or revenge; or that, from the want of vigilance,you have been overcome by some sudden temptation ?Let all this be a matter of distinct and solemn confessionin your closet. Or have you received some signal mani-festation of Gods kindness in preserving you from temp-tation, or strengthening you for arduous duties, or im-parting new vigor to your religious affections, and thusbrightening your hope of heaven ? Let these, and allother private blessings, be a subject of devout thanks-. 235 giving in your closet. Or do you find that you haveeasily besetting sins ; or that duties await you, whichmust involve great self-denial; or that temptations areabout to throng upon you, which mere human resolutioncan never successfully oppose ? In the closet you are toseek for grace accommodated to these and all other exi-gencies of your spiritual condition. In short, here youare to unburden your whole soul with the confidence ofa child. You have sins, and sorrows, and wants, whichit might be neither desirable nor proper that you shouldbring before the world: but there is not a sin of whichyou are guilty, which you are not encouraged here toconfess: not a sorrow can agitate your breast, but youmay venture here to tell it to a compassionate God : nota want can you feel, but you may here ask with confi-dence to have it supplied. Let the exercise of privateprayer be conducted in the manner which has now beendescribed, and it cannot fail to exert a powerf
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