Few of us are to be found without some secular taint, some savouring of the things that be of men. Our spiritual necessities are not sufficiently felt, and consequently our prayers are unapt and vague, a sort of solemn impertinence; were we sensible of being those necessitous creatures which we profess to be, those pardon-needing sinners which, in words at least, we acknowledge as our character, and did we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, as heaven's bountiful provision for the supply of our necessities, both the matter and the form of our prayers would be different; with such convictions fastened upon our minds, we should wrestle where now we faintly move, we should glow and burn where now we are lukewarm, we should become importunate beggars instead of feeling rich and increased with goods.

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