shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? ech. xxi. 22. Mark xi. 24. Luke xi. 9, 10; & xviii. 1. John xiv. 13; & xv. 7; & xvi. 23, 24. Jam. i. 5, 6. 1 John iii. 22; & v. 14, 15.-f Pro. viii. 17. Jer. xxix. 12, 13.-g Luke xi. 11, 12, 13.-h Gen. vi. 5 ; & viii. 21. READER. In these "gracious gracious words" of our blessed Saviour the nature and benefits of prayer are most strikingly set forth.-The state of mind in which a true suppliant approaches the throne of grace, and the merciful reception which he finds at the hands of his heavenly Father, are brought before our minds in a manner capable of affording at once direction and encouragement. Ask. This implies a sense of want. It is the man who practically feels his need of anything that is disposed to ask for it, to prefer a suit or petition to another who may be able to confer the desired benefit. It is the child who feels hunger that asks his parent for a piece of bread. And so, before there can be real prayer there must be a sense of our want of the bounty which God is able to bestow. How deep was this consciousness of need in Bartimæus, when he said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight;"-in the woman of Canaan, when she cried, "Lord, help me;”—and in the lame man at the gate of the temple, when he " gave heed unto" Peter and John, "expecting to receive something from them!" Such a sense of want, spiritual and temporal, mingles in the fervent and effectual prayer of a righteous man. And asking implies, moreover, hu mility of mind. A man may feel his need, but at the same time he may be too proud to confess it, and to ask for relief. "I cannot dig," said the unjust steward in the parable, "to beg I am ashamed." So it is with the proud heart in the presence of God. It endeavours to stifle and keep out of sight a consciousness of deficiency, misery, and want, rather than to acknowledge its helplessness, and cast itself in deep humility before him who alone can administer relief. But the man who asks, as a child of his parent, as a beggar at the hands of a rich man, and in that temper of mind to which the promise is annexed, is one of those concerning whom it has been declared, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Seek. This implies earnestness and diligence ;-a sense of the value of that which is desired, and a fixed determination to lose no opportunity of obtaining it. "We must not only ask, but seek; we must second our prayers with our endeavours; we must, in the use of appointed means, seek for that which we ask for, else we tempt God. When the dresser of the vineyard asked for a year's respite for the barren fig-tree, he added, I will dig about it;' Luke xiii. 7, 8. God gives knowledge and grace to those that search the Scriptures, and wait at Wisdom's gate; and power against sin to those that avoid the occasions of it." Knock. This denotes perseverance and importunity. Humble, earnest, importunate prayer is indeed a knocking at the gate of heaven. And they who feel that they are making application at their Father's house, will knock again and again, and not be easily repulsed. It was thus with the widow of Canaan in her supplications to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was thus, in earlier times, with the patriarch Jacob.-" Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. . . . . And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and men, and hast prevailed;" Gen. xxxii. 24, 26-28. -In like manner our blessed Saviour assures us that true prayer shall not be unsuccessful; He says, which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him!-How powerful the argument, how consolatory and cheering the assurance, which our Lord conveys to us by placing before our minds the tenderness and compassion of an earthly parent towards his children, and then declaring that the goodness and lovingkindness of God towards those that fear him, and his readiness and ability to answer their petitions, are far greater! How much more! God is, in the highest sense, the Father of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom they have received the adoption. And with the much more of this place we may well connect that of the Apostle St. Paul in the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans,-"If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." It shall be given you;-ye shall find-it shall be opened to you.How plain and positive is this precious word of promise! And lest any individual should find room to doubt "The effectual fervent prayer of a of the success of his petitions on ac- righteous man availeth much." Jas. count of his peculiar circumstances v. 16.—" By the infallible testimony or trials, our Lord adds, Every one of Heaven we are authorised to affirm that asketh receiveth.-No one that constantly that there is an efficacy in truly prays, in a manner consistent the prayer of faith, which, though with the word of God, can pray in inexplicable by our feeble undervain. The words of the Lord Jesus standings, must, throughout all ages, recorded in this passage 66 are as continue to avail as much as it did strongly binding on the side of God in the days of those patriarchs, proas 'Thou shalt do no murder' is on phets, and righteous men who, as the side of man. Bring Christ's word, princes, had power with God, when, and Christ's sacrifice, with thee; and receiving a kingdom which cannot not one of heaven's blessings can be be moved, they had grace to serve denied thee." him acceptably with reverence and How much more shall your Father godly fear. The Lord is ever nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit, when, taking with them the words which inspired wisdom has taught them to utter, they lift up their desires at his footstool, not seeking great things for themselves, or panting after the dust of the earth, or sighing for the vain delights of the sons of men, but thirsting and longing for the blessedness of the man whose transgression is forgiven, and who, being justified by faith, has peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have no encouragement to hope that by taking thought for temporal satisfactions we shall find grace in the sight of the Lord; but if we aspire after the best gifts which are the heritage of the faithful, seeking first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, we believe, and are sure, that his Divine power will give us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us unto glory and virtue. Though our Father in the heavens knoweth what things we have need of before we ask him, and though the purposes of his everlasting kindness are often fulfilled more substantially by withholding than by granting the desires which we naturally cherish, it is only to them who worship Him in spirit and in truth that He has promised to do exceeding abundantly above all that they ask or think; and we have no more solid ground to expect that we shall receive without asking, or that we shall find without seeking, than the husbandman has to look for an abundant harvest springing up in the fields which he has neither planted nor watered, or than the merchant has to calculate on receiving his own with usury for the talent which has been tied up in a napkin, or buried in the earth." HYMN. What shall we ask of God in prayer? Father of all our mercies;-Thou And answer, and forgive. When bound with sins and trespasses From wrath we fain would flee, Lord, cancel our unrighteousness, And set the captives free. When harass'd by ten thousand foes When dire temptations gather round, When age advances, may we grow When earthly joys and cares depart, In Thee may we have peace. When flames these elements destroy And worlds in judgment stand, May we lift up our heads with joy And meet at thy right hand. MONTGOMERY. § XXV. CHAP. VII. 12. 12 Therefore all things 'whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them for this is the law and the prophets. i Tob. iv. 15. Luke vi. 31. k Lev. xix. 18. ch. xxii. 4. Rom. xiii. 8, 9, 10. Gal. v. 14. 1 Tim. i. 5. READER. This great precept deserves a very attentive consideration; and I am induced to adopt it as the single subject for our present contemplation, especially as I am desirous of bringing before your minds some valuable remarks which have been made, by men of deep piety and sober judgment, in connection with this comprehensive rule of Christian morality. Therefore. Since God is ready to be so good and bountiful towards yourselves, be ye also ready to be just and kind to your neighbours. Since you have received this encouragement to offer up prayers to your heavenly Father in hope of a gracious answer, take care that while you present your petitions you are in charity with all men,-who, like yourselves, are children of the universal Parent. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.-This has been called the Saviour's golden rule. It is indeed a precept which applies to all the duties which we owe to our neighbours. And even a heathen emperor was so struck with admiration at the substance of its meaning that he caused it to be written (negatively) in letters of gold, over the gate of his palace. -Let us pray that it may be written and engraven, by the Holy Spirit, on the tables of our hearts! "The equity of this rule," says one, "is so visible, that it needs no proofs; the universal reason of mankind agrees to it in theory, although their appetites and passions may cause them to neglect it in practice."-"It commends itself, ast soon as heard, to every man's conscience and understanding; insomuch that no man can knowingly offend against it, without carrying his condemnation in his own breast." "It may be understood in either a positive or negative sense. If understood in a negative sense, the meaning is Whatever ye would not that men should do to you, do ye not unto them.' Here is a plain rule, always ready at hand. In all matters relating to your neighbour, make his case your own. Suppose the circumstance to be changed and yourself to be just as he is now. And then beware that you indulge no temper or thought, that no word pass out of your lips, that you take no step, which you would have condemned in him, upon such a change of circumstances.-If understood in a direct or positive sense, the plain meaning of it is, 'Whatsoever you could reasonably desire of him, supposing yourself to be in his circumstances, that do, to the utmost of your power, to every child of man.' "To apply this in one or two ob vious instances. It is clear to every man's own conscience, that we would not that others should judge us, should causelessly or lightly think evil of us. Much less would we that any should speak evil of us, should publish our real faults or infirmities. Apply this to yourself. Do not unto another what you would not he should do unto you; and you will never more judge your neighbours, never causelessly or lightly think evil of any one. Much less will you speak evil; you will never mention even the real fault of an absent person, unless so far as you are convinced it is absolutely needful.” 66 'Again, we would that all men should love and esteem us; and that they should behave toward us according to justice, mercy, and truth. And we may reasonably desire that they should do us all the good they can do, without injuring themselves; yea, that in outward things (according to the known rule) their superfluities should give way to our conveniencies, their conveniencies to our necessities, and their necessities our extremities. Now then, let us walk by the same rule; let us do unto all as we would that they should do to us. Let us love and honour all men. Let justice, mercy, and truth govern all our minds and actions. Let our superfluities give way to our neighbour's conveniencies (and who then will have any superfluities left?), our conveniencies to our neighbour's necessities, our necessities to his extremities." In few words:-" As you may gather by your own love to your chil dren what love God hath to you; so, if you would have God overrule the hearts and actions of men to love you and do you good, see that you first love them and do them good,and that is the most probable way to obtain it. It is desirable that all men should use you with justice and charity; do you therefore so use all men. Not that a man who hurts himself, or would have another hurt him, by temptation or sin, may therefore hurt another. But, be more forward to do good than to expect it from others; and put yourself in their case, and do to them whatever (prudently and justly) you would have them do to you, supposing your case and theirs were exchanged." For this is the law and the prophets. -The whole duty of a Christian includes also his disposition and conduct towards God, nor does our Saviour mean to say that a man is required to do no more than observe the rule of equity just described. But what he says is this, "that it is the sum or substance of all that the prophets have laid down, with respect to the commandments of the second table, our duty towards our neighbour." |