who loathed himself as much as the Pharisee disdained him, and who, not daring to come near, or "to lift up his eyes unto heaven, smote upon his "breast and said, God be merciful to me a sinner! "went down to his house justified," rather than he who deemed it presumption in such a wretch Even the short petition of the dying to pray. thief, 66 Lord, remember me when thou comest in "thy kingdom," received an immediate answer full of astonishing grace. Nor is there one instance upon record of a single prayer being rejected, except for the hypocrisy, wickedness, and unbelief with which it was presented. To all these encouragements we may add the frequent commendations bestowed on importunity, frequency, and fervency in prayer;' and the testimony of all the servants of God to his readiness to hear and save them, from the most tremendous depths into which their sins had cast them, whenever they were brought to cry unto him, and say, “O Lord, "I beseech thee, deliver my soul." If then the vilest sinner, from the first moment when he desires to pray, is warranted to come with humble hope of being heard and answered; the same considerations should much more enlarge the expectations, and confirm the confidence, of those who"continue" (or persist,)" in prayer" from day to day; pleading with persevering importunity all the promises, in the Redeemer's name, and 'Luke xviii. 1-13. earnestly seeking for that wisdom, strength, grace and consolation, which may enable them to live to the glory of God; as well as for the pardon of their sins and the salvation of their souls. "We have not, because we ask not;" we are straightened in ourselves, not in the Lord; and did we more enlarge and multiply our requests, with greater fervency and importunity, we should be enabled to exchange many of our complaints for joyful praises. This is evident in a great degree from our own experience, if we are indeed experimentally acquainted with the life of faith and prayer: for who can deny that his inward supports and comforts, his strength to resist temptation and to endure labour and suffering, have born some proportion to his frequency and fervency in prayer? The word of God contains the most decisive and emphatical language on this subject. The apostle says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a "righteous man availeth much;" yet the only righteous men on earth are penitent believing sinners; and we are in many passages encouraged to expect the most abundant and surprizing answers to the prayers of faith.'-Many curious questions have indeed been started concerning the efficacy of prayer; for "vain man would be wise," but "the Lord taketh the wise in their own craftiness;" and such difficulties speedily vanish from the Matt. xviii. 19. Mark xi. 24. Jam. i. 5-7. Jer. xxix. 11-13. xxxiii. 3. serious humble mind. Yet the Saviour himself reminds us, that "our Father knoweth what things "we have need of before we ask him :" and it is I obvious that prayer cannot be requisite for the information of Omniscience, or to dispose the God of all grace to supply our wants. But, when seriously engaged in, it tends directly to increase our acquaintance with ourselves, with our own character and wants; to lead our attention to the promises of God; to abstract the mind from all selfish and carnal confidences: and thus to bring us into that humble, dependent, and waiting frame of spirit, which is the preparation for duly receiving and using every divine blessing. To pray in a suitable manner is in effect to say, 'Lord, we are poor, vile, helpless, wretched creatures; we have 'no other refuge to flee to, "we know not what to do, but our eyes are unto thee;" because we be lieve that thou art ever ready to forgive and save 'all who call upon thee.' As, therefore, the parent requires the child to ask those things which he intends to give, that the child may feel his dependence and obligation, and be brought to a proper disposition towards the parent: so the Lord requires us "to make our requests known to him," that we may be prepared to receive his intended benefits with thankfulness, to notice his hand in them, and to give him the glory of them. And when our prayers accord to his precepts, are 'Matt. vi. 5-8. grounded on his promises, imply submission to his providence, and spring from a supreme desire of spiritual blessings; when we pray for those things that are truly good for us, conducive to the advantage of our brethren, or in any way honourable to his name; we cannot expect too much in answer to them; for "He is able to do exceeding "abundantly, above all that we ask or think." 2 The Scripture abounds with examples of the efficacy of prayer. Abraham ceased to ask, even in behalf of Sodom, before the Lord refused to answer him; and "God remembered Abraham," in preserving Lot from the overthrow.' Jacob "wrestled with God, and prevailed" with him; and then Esau's heart was softened, and his rage disarmed: he set out an enemy, yet met him as a brother. When Moses prayed, Amelek was discomfited: and when he pleaded for Israel, the Lord said, "Let me alone, that I may destroy them;" as if his intercession formed an obstacle to the infliction of deserved vengeance. The time would fail to speak of David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, and many others. Doubtless the conversion of Saul was an answer to the prayer of dying Stephen: and we may suppose that the believers at Damascus were heard in their cries for protection from that cruel persecutor, in a manner beyond their own most enlarged expectations; as * Gen. xviii. 17-33. xix, 29. * Gen. xxxii, xxxiii. were also those at Jerusalem, when they prayed for Peter's deliverance from Herod.' But indeed, except in the case of miraculous interpositions, the same is still experienced, and the more any man has made the trial, the fuller will be his assent to this truth. The christian who has been frequent, fervent, and particular in his supplications, for a length of time, has doubtless found, that many of his petitions (defective and defiled as he knows them to be) have been manifestly answered, both in his own temporal and spiritual concerns, and in behalf of others; often beyond his expectations, and contrary to apparent probability. Some requests have been granted, not exactly in his meaning, but in a far more desirable way. He has prayed for the removal of the "thorn in the "flesh:" but the Lord hath answered him by shewing the sufficiency of his grace, and employing the trial to "humble and prove him, and to do "him good at the latter end;"" so that the things which seemed the most against him, have most effectually promoted his highest interest. Or he has found his prayers answered, by feeling his mind wonderfully reconciled to a denial, from a conviction that "he knew not what he asked;" or by a calm serenity in waiting the Lord's time for those things which he had impatiently desired. causes of his perturbation and anxiety remain, after his prayers have been presented before God; but 'Acts. xii. 22 Cor. xii. 1-10. The |