be opened.' How gracious is that merciful Father, who by these examples teaches us to continue praying; and how inexcusable will it be, if, after such an encouragement, we do not persevere in asking for his blessing! 10. BE HUMBLED AND SELF-ABASED. This spirit should mark all your prayers. The foundation of prayer," says Paley, "in all 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 great mistake of is, not praying as the weakness of your nature." prayer," says the Rev. Mr. Adam, poor and destitute creatures; but thinking that we are and have already in some degree what we pray for." God forgeteth not the cry of the humble. Ps. ix, 12; x, 17. Even when the wicked king Manasseh humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him, we read that God was entreated of him. 2 Chron. xxxiii, 12, 13. The Saviour himself says, not my will but thine be done. If one grace more than another has God's special approbation, and is attended with multiplied spiritual advantages, it is that of humility. The humble man, being deeply sensible of his own need, the more he receives, the more he feels his indigence: he expects all from mere mercy, and pleads nothing, but his own worthlessness and necessity; and, having a broken and contrite spirit, he waits with patience till God have mercy, thinking the smallest blessing above his deserts. Cultivate, then, a spirit of humility: When we pray for any grace, let us be ready to confess our faultiness in that particular, and acknowledge our utter inability of ourselves to work it in our hearts. Let us remember what an awfully great and holy Being He is, and how sinful we are at the best! and how the glorified spirits veil their faces, fall down and worship before God. Rev. v, 8-14. Many are the advantages of humility; 'Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.' James iv, 10. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.' Ps. xxxiv, 18. The tears of the penitent avail much with him. When Hezekiah wept sore, (2 Kings xx, 4.), his prayer was heard. It is said of the people of God returning to Zion, They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them.' Jer. xxxi, 9. The showers of heaven run off the high and steep hills, leaving them dry and barren, while the lowly vallies are saturated with the refreshing rain, and become fruitful. Go to the throne of grace, not in the spirit of the selfconceited Pharisee, fancying yourselves better than others; but in the humility of the publican, crying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Bishop Wilkins justly observes, "our most enlarged devotions are nothing worth without the fruit of humble and upright conversation, and with this consequent, our coldest and most restrained prayer may be looked upon as successful." The High and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, dwells with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit.' Isa. lvii, 15. It is by going in this spirit, relying on the merits, obedience, and intercession of the Saviour, that we shall find acceptance with God. Observe how humble are the prayers of God's servants. See those of Abraham, (Gen. xviii, 27.) Jacob, (Gen. xxviii, 17, 18.) David, (Ps. li.) Job, (xl, 4; xlii, 6.) Isaiah, (vi, 1.) Ezra, (ix, 6.) and even the Lord Jesus Christ, (Heb. v, 7.) We may abase ourselves more than we ought before man, but we cannot be too humble when we come before God; and the nearer access we have unto his glorious majesty, the more humble we shall be. 'Let us have grace, then, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.' Heb. xii, 28.* In conclusion, we are led to remark, that even a cursory view of these rules is calculated to shew us how defective, in every one of them, our prayers have been and still are. If we examine our past prayers by them, we may learn the reason why we have derived so little benefit from prayer; we may see more of our fallen condition; and be led to apply without delay, for an interest in the only atonement for sin, and for that divine strength which alone can enable us to overcome sin and serve God acceptably. *Having given the preceding general rules as principally necessary to be attended to, I sum up in a note what might farther be said, by extracting from an old writer the following Rules of Practice. 1. Before Prayer. Meditate on the promises and presence of God. Ask his gracious help, and the evidence of his Spirit. Remember thy own vileness, and God's awful majesty. 2. In Prayer. Lift up thy heart with thy hands, and place before thee Christ and his merits. Watch over thy thoughts. Recover thyself from distractions, and improve them to thy further humiliation and watchfulness. 3. After Prayer. Thank the Lord for any degree of liberty or enlargement. Mark answers to prayer when God gives thee Greater confidence in his love, More cheerfulness of spirit, Grace to persevere in the face of many denials, A spirit of self examination and circumspection : and when he gives thee thy requests, let it stir thee up to thankfulness, and quicken thee in his way. But be not discouraged by the strictness here recommended, and think that the work of prayer is altogether impracticable, because you cannot discharge it perfectly. Aim high, and you are more likely to attain to a good degree in Christian grace, with that humility which ever marks the Christian character; besides, let us never forget what a fountain of spiritual life, what a powerful, gracious, and glorious Saviour we have; a sun whose rays can warm the coldest heart, and whose beams can enliven the dullest spirit. You will find, that nothing is impossible to those united to him by living faith, and abiding in him. CHAP. XIV. An Exhortation to Constant Prayer. PRAYER RAYER being at the root of every other good, marking the commencement of the Christian life, being the pulse by which its strength and vigour may be known, or the hands by which its daily nourishment is obtained and ministered, the reader will bear with me while I attempt still farther to impress this duty on the conscience. There are two things which will ever bring the Christian to the throne of grace a sense of his own wants; and a desire to enjoy the presence of God.. God having promised to supply all his wants, his prayers are the importunate wrestling of the soul with God for the blessings of infinite moment. And God being the portion of his soul, he finds in his presence, the sweet and unspeakable repose of the soul on God, his exceeding great reward. "Prayer," says Bishop Taylor, "is the effect and the exercise, the beginning and the promoter of all graces. A holy life is a continual prayer. Prayer is the peace of our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, the rest of our cares, the calm of our tempest." 1. Yet there are many WHO HAVE NEGLECTED PRAYER, and this in all, or at least in some of its branches. Such persons will often be dissatisfied, complaining of others; and though in the midst, perhaps, of abundance of earthly good things, yet, would they declare their real state, they would be found discontented And is this to be wondered at? God is and unhappy. your Creator. He is the Governor of the Universe. He makes men happy; when he leaves them they are miserable; and you neglect to seek him. You do not pursue his plans. You do not follow the directions which he has given you for obtaining his blessings, and therefore you have them not. But can you think that you will always have an opportunity of seeking him? Ono! remember, that there is an accepted time, a day of salvation, and that it is our highest duty and our plainest interest, to seek the Lord, while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. But, perhaps, you defer seeking God to the close of life,. or to a period of sickness. O most dangerous delusion! To be careful about the temporal enjoyment of a day, and to suspend eternal happiness on the most improbable of all chances! It is almost certain that if you do from day to day put off the duty prayer, deceiving yourself with the intention of calling on God in such a period, God will not, in that day, give you either grace or ability to pray to him. You will perish in your sins. |