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served  notice,)  I  proceed  to  state  the  particular
duties  which  relate  to  the  doctrine  of  spiritual  as-
sistance. And  the  first  of  these  duties  is  to  pray
for  it.  It  is  by  prayer  that  it  is  to  be  sought ;  by
prayer  that  it  is  to  be  obtained.  This  the  Scrip-
tures expressly  teach.  "-How  much  more  will
your  Heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to
them  that  ask  him?"  The  foundation  of  prayer,
in  ail  cases,  is  a  sense  of  want.  No  man  prays
in  earnest  or  to  any  purpose  for  what  he  does  not
^feel  that  he  wants.  Know  then  and  feel  the
weakness  of  your  nature.  Know  the  infinite  im-
portance of  holding  on,  nevertheless,  in  a  course
of  virtue.  Know  these  two  points  thoroughly,
and  you  can  stand  in  need  of  no  additional  mo-
tive (indeed  none  can  be  added.)  to  excite  in  you
strong  unwearied  supplications  for  Divine  help ;
'  not  a  cold  asking  for  it  in  any  prescribed  form  of
prayer,  but  cryings  and  supplications  for  it,  strong
and  unwearied.  The  description  in  the  Epistle
to  the  Hebrews,  of  our  Lord's  own  devt>tion,  maj'
serve  to  describe  the  devotion  of  a  Christian,  pray-
ing, as  he  ought,  for  the  Spirit;  that  is,  praying
from  a  deep  understanding  of  his  own  condition,
a  conviction  of  his  wants  and  necessities.  "  He
oflered  up  pra^'ers  and  supplications  with  strong
crying  and  tears  unto  him  that  was  able  to  save
him  from  death  ;  and  was  heard  in  that  he  feared."
This  is  devotion  in  reality.
There  are  occasions  also,  which  ought  to  call
forth  these  prayers  with  extraordinary  and  pecu-
liar force.
