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Intercession Every Christian’s Duty by George Whitefield

January 8, 2010 by ADMIN

“Brethren, pray for us.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:25

If we inquire, why there is so little love to be found amongst Christians, why the very characteristic by which every one should know that we are disciples of the holy Jesus, is almost banished out of the Christian world, we shall find it, in a great measure, owing to a neglect or superficial performance of that excellent part of prayer, INTERCESSION, or imploring the divine grace and mercy in behalf of others.

Some forget this duty of praying for others, because they seldom remember to pray for themselves: and even those who are constant in praying to their Father who is in heaven are often so selfish in their addresses to the throne of grace, that they do not enlarge their petitions for the welfare of their fellow Christians as they ought; and thereby fall short of attaining that Christian charity, that unfeigned love to their brethren, which their sacred profession obliges them to aspire after, and without which, though they should bestow all their goods to feed the poor, and even give their bodies to be burned, yet it would profit them nothing.  Since these things are so, I shall from the words of the text (though originally intended to be more confined) endeavor, to show, first, that it is every Christian’s duty to pray for others as well as for himself; secondly, show, whom we ought to pray for, and in what manner we should do it; and thirdly, I shall offer some motives to excite all Christians to abound in this great duty of intercession.

I. First, it is every Christian’s duty to pray for others, as well as for himself.

Now PRYER is a duty founded on natural religion; the very heathens never neglected it, though many Christian heathens amongst us do: and it is so essential to Christianity, that you might as reasonably expect to find a living man without breath, as a true Christian without the spirit of prayer and supplication.  Thus, no sooner was St. Paul converted, but “behold he prayeth,” saith the Lord Almighty.  And thus will it be with every child of God, as soon as he becomes such: prayer being truly called, The natural cry of the new-born soul.  For in the heart of every true believer there is a heavenly tendency, a divine attraction, which as sensibly draws him to converse with God, as the lodestone attracts the needle.

A deep sense of their own weakness, and of Christ’s fullness; a strong conviction of their natural corruption, and of the necessity of renewing grace; will not let them rest from crying day and night to their Almighty Redeemer, that the divine image, which they lost in Adam, may through his all-powerful mediation, and the sanctifying operation of his blessed spirit, be begun, carried on, and fully perfected both in their souls and bodies.

Thus earnest, thus importunate, are all sincere Christians in praying for themselves: but then, not having so lively, lasting, and deep a sense of the wants of their Christian brethren, they are for the most part too remiss and defective in their prayers for them.  Whereas, was the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, and did we love our neighbor in that manner, in which the Son of God our savior loved us, and according to his command and example, we could not but be as importunate for their spiritual and temporal welfare, as for our own; and as earnestly desire and endeavor that others should share in the benefits of the death and passion of Jesus Christ, as we ourselves.

Let not any one think, that this is an uncommon degree of charity; an high pitch of perfection, to which not every one can attain: for, if we are all commanded to “love our neighbor (that is every man) even as ourselves,” nay to “lay down our lives for the brethren;” then, it is the duty of all to pray for their neighbors as much as for themselves, and by all possible acts and expressions of love and affection towards them, at all times, to show their readiness even to lay down their lives for them, if ever it should please God to call them to it.

Our blessed Savior, as “he hath set us an example, that we should follow his steps” in every thing else, so hath he more especially in this: for in that divine, that perfect and inimitable prayer (recorded in the 17th of St. John) which he put up just before his passion, we find but few petitions for his own, though many for his disciples welfare: and in that perfect form which he has been pleased to prescribe us, we are taught to say, not MY, but “OUR Father,” thereby to put us in mind, that, whenever we approach the throne of grace, we ought to pray not for ourselves alone, but for all our brethren in Christ.  Intercession then is certainly a duty incumbent upon all Christians.

II. Whom we are to intercede for, and how this duty is to be performed, comes next to be considered.

1. And first, our intercession must be UNIVERSAL. “I will, (says the apostle) that prayers, supplications and intercessions be made for all men.”  For as God’s mercy is over all his works, as Jesus Christ died to redeem a people out of all nations and languages; so we should pray, that “all men may come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved.”  Many precious promises are made in holy writ, that the gospel shall be published through the whole world, that “the earth shall be covered with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea:” and therefore it is our duty not to confine our petitions to our own nation, but to pray that all those nations, who now sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, may have the glorious gospel shine out upon them, as well as upon us.  But you need not that any man should teach you this, since ye yourselves are taught of God, and of Jesus Christ himself, to pray, that his kingdom may come; part of the meaning of which petition is, that “God’s ways may be known upon earth, and his saving health among all nations.”

2. Next to the praying for all men, we should, according to St. Paul’s rule, pray for KINGS; particularly for our present sovereign King George, and all that are put in authority under him: that we may lead quiet lives, in all godliness and honesty.  For, if we consider how heavy the burden of government is, and how much the welfare of any people depends on the zeal and godly conversation of those that have the rule over them: if we set before us the many dangers and difficulties, to which governors by their station are exposed, and the continual temptations they be under to luxury and self-indulgence; we shall not only pity, but pray for them: that he who preserved Esther, David, and Josiah, “unspotted from the world,” amidst the grandeur of a court, and gave success to their designs, would also preserve them holy and unblameable, and prosper all the works of their hands upon them.

3. Thirdly, you ought, in a more especial manner, to pray for those, whom “the Holy Ghost hath made OVERSEERS over you.” This is what St. Paul begs, again and again, of the churches to whom he writes: Says he in the text, “Brethren, pray for us;” and again, in his epistle to the Ephesians, “praying always, with all manner of supplication; and for me also, that I may open my mouth boldly, to declare the mystery of the gospel.”  And in another place, to express his earnestness in this request, and the great importance of their prayers for him, he bids the church “strive, (or, as the original word signifies, be in a agony) together with him in their prayers.”  And surely, if the great St. Paul, that chosen vessel, that favorite of heaven, needed the most importunate prayers of his Christian converts; much more do the ordinary ministers of the gospel stand in need of the intercession of their respective flocks.

And I cannot but in a more especial manner insist upon this branch of your duty, because it is a matter of such importance: for, no doubt, much good is frequently withheld from many, by reason of their neglecting to pray for their ministers, and which they would have received, had they prayed for them as they ought.  Not to mention, that people often complain of the want of diligent and faithful pastors.  But how do they deserve good pastors, who will not earnestly pray to God for such?  If we will not pray to the Lord of the harvest, can it be expected he will send forth laborers into his harvest?  Besides, what ingratitude is it, not to pray for your ministers!  For shall they watch and labor in the word and doctrine for you, and your salvation, and shall not you pray for them in return?  If any bestow favors on your bodies, you think it right, meet, and your bounden duty, to pray for them; and shall not they be remembered in your prayers, who daily feed and nourish your souls?  Add to all this, that praying for your ministers, will be a manifest proof of your believing, that though Paul plant, and Apollos water, yet it is God alone who giveth the increase.  And you will also find it the best means you can use, to promote your own welfare; because God, in answer to your prayers, may impart a double portion of his Holy Spirit to them, whereby they will be qualified to deal out to you larger measures of knowledge in spiritual things, and be enabled more skillfully to divide the word of truth.

Would men but constantly observe this direction, and when their ministers are praying in their name to God, humbly beseech him to perform all their petitions: or, when they are speaking in God’s name to them, pray that the Holy Ghost may fall on all them that hear the word; we should find a more visible good effect of their doctrine, and a greater mutual love between ministers and their people.  For ministers hands would then be hold up by the people’s intercessions, and the people will never dare to vilify or traduce those who are the constant subjects of their prayers.

4. Next to our ministers, OUR FRIENDS claim a place in our intercessions; but then we should not content ourselves with praying in general terms for them, but suit our prayers to their particular circumstances. When Miriam was afflicted with a leprosy from God, Moses cried and said, “Lord, heal her.”  And when the nobleman came to apply to Jesus Christ, in behalf of his child, he said, “Lord, my little daughter lieth at the point of death, I pray thee to come and heal her.”  In like manner, when our friends are under any afflicting circumstances, we should endeavor to pray for them, with a particular regard to those circumstances.  For instance, is a friend sick?  We should pray, that if it be God’s good pleasure, it may not be unto death; but is otherwise, that he would give him grace so to take his visitation, that, after this painful life ended, he may dwell with him in life everlasting.  Is a friend in doubt in an important matter?  We should lay his case before God, as Moses did that of the daughters of Zelophehad, and pray, that God’s Holy Spirit may lead him into all truth, and give all seasonable direction.  Is he in want?  We should pray, that his faith may never fail, and that in God’s due time he may be relieved.  And in all other cases, we should not pray for our friends only in generals, but suit our petitions to their particular sufferings and afflictions; for otherwise, we may never ask perhaps for the things our friends most want.

It must be confessed, that such a procedure will oblige some often to break from the forms they use; but if we accustom ourselves to it, and have a deep sense of what we ask for, the most illiterate will want proper words to express themselves.  We have many noble instances in Holy Scripture of the success of this kind of particular intercession; but none more remarkable than that of Abraham’s servant, in the book of Genesis, who being sent to seek a wife for his son Isaac, prayed in a most particular manner in his behalf.   And the sequel of the story informs us, how remarkably his prayer as answered.  And did Christians now pray for their friends in the same particular manner, and with the same faith as Abraham’s servant did for his master; they would, no doubt, in many instances, receive as visible answers, and have as much reason to bless God for them, as he had.

5. As we ought thus to intercede for our friends, so in like manner must we also pray for OUR ENEMIES. “Bless them that curse you, (says Jesus Christ) and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.”  Which commands he enforced in the strongest manner by his own example: in the very agonies and pangs of death, he prayed even for his murderers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”  This, it must needs be confessed, is a difficult duty, yet not impracticable, to those who have renounced the things of this present life, (from an inordinate love of which all enmities arise) and who knowing the terrible woes denounced against those who offend Christ’s little ones, can, out of real pity, and a sense of their danger, pray for those by whom such offenses come.

6. Lastly, and to conclude this head, we should intercede for all that are any ways AFFLICTED in mind, body, or estate; for all who desire, and stand in need of our prayers, and for all who do not pray for themselves. And Oh!  That all who hear me, would set apart some time every day for the due performance of this most necessary duty! In order to which, I shall now proceed,

III. To show the advantages, and offer some considerations to excite you to the practice of daily intercession.

1. First, It will fill your hearts with love one to another. He that every day heartily intercedes at the throne of grace for all mankind, cannot but in a short time be filled with love and charity to all: and the frequent exercise of his love in this manner, will insensibly enlarge his heart, and make him partaker of that exceeding abundance of it which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!  Envy, malice, revenge, and such like hellish tempers, can never long harbor in a gracious intercessor’s breast; but he will be filled with joy, peace, meekness, long-suffering, and all other graces of the Holy Spirit.  By frequently laying his neighbor’s wants before God, he will be touched with a fellow-feeling of them; he will rejoice with those that do rejoice, and weep with those that weep.  Every blessing bestowed on others, instead of exciting envy in him, will be looked on as an answer to his particular intercession, and fill his soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Abound therefore in acts of general and particular intercessions; and when you hear of your neighbor’s faults, instead of relating them to, and exposing them before others, lay them in secret before God, and beg of him to correct and amend them.  When you hear of a notorious sinner, instead of thinking you do well to be angry, beg of Jesus Christ to convert, and make him a monument of his free grace; you cannot imagine what a blessed alteration this practice will make in your heart, and how much you will increase day by day in the spirit of love and meekness towards all mankind!

But farther, to excite you to the constant practice of this duty of intercession, consider the many instances in Holy Scripture, of the power and efficacy of it.  Great and excellent things are there recorded as the effects of this divine employ.  It has stopped plagues, it has opened and shut heaven; and has frequently turned away God’s fury from his people.  How was Abimelech’s house freed from the disease God sent amongst them, at the intercession of Abraham!  When “Phineas stood up and prayed,” how soon did the plague cease!  When Daniel humbled and afflicted his soul, and interceded for the Lord’s inheritance, how quickly was an angel dispatched to tell him, “his prayer was heard!”  And, to mention but one instance more, how does God own himself as it were overcome with the importunity of Moses, when he was interceding for his idolatrous people, “Let me alone,” says God!

This sufficiently shows, I could almost say, the omnipotency of intercession, and how we may, like Jacob, wrestle with God, and by an holy violence prevail both for ourselves and others.  And no doubt it is owing to the secret and prevailing intercessions of the few righteous souls who still remain among us, that God has yet spared this miserably sinful nation: for were there not some such faithful ones, like Moses, left to stand in the gap, we should soon be destroyed, even as was Sodom, and reduced to ashes like unto Gomorrah.

But, to stir you up yet farther to this exercise of intercession, consider, that in all probability, it is the frequent employment even of the glorified saints: for though they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, and restored to the glorious liberty of the sons of God, yet as their happiness cannot be perfectly consummated till the resurrection of the last day, when all their brethren will be glorified with them, we cannot but think they are often importunate in beseeching our heavenly Father, shortly to accomplish the number of his elect, and to hasten his kingdom.  And shall now we, who are on earth, be often exercised in this divine employ with the glorious company of the spirits of just men made perfect?  Since our happiness is so much to consist in the communion of saints in the church triumphant above, shall we not frequently intercede for the church militant here below; and earnestly beg, that we may all be one, even as the Holy Jesus and his Father are one, that we may also be made perfect in one?

To provoke you to this great work and labor of love, remember, that it is the never ceasing employment of the holy and highly exalted Jesus himself, who sits at the right hand of God, to hear all our prayers, and to make continual intercession for us! So that he who is constantly employed in interceding for others, is doing that on earth, which the eternal Son of God is always doing in heaven.  Imagine therefore, when you are lifting up holy hands in prayer for one another, that you see the heavens opened, and the Son of God in all his glory, as the great high-priest of your salvation, pleading for you the all-sufficient merit of his sacrifice before the throne of his heavenly Father!  Join then your intercessions with his, and beseech him, that they may, through him, come up as incense, and be received as a sweet-smelling favor, acceptable in the sight of God!  This imagination will strengthen your faith, excite a holy earnestness in your prayers, and make you wrestle with God, as Jacob did, when he saw him face to face, and his life was preserved; as Abraham, when he pleaded for Sodom; and as Jesus Christ himself, when he prayed, being in an agony, so much the more earnestly the night before his bitter passion.

And now, brethren, what shall I say more, since you are taught of Jesus Christ himself, to abound in love, and in this good work of praying one for another.  Though ever so mean, though as poor as Lazarus, you will then become benefactors to all mankind; thousands, and twenty times ten thousands, will then be blessed for your sakes!  And after you have employed a few years in this divine exercise here, you will be translated to that happy place, where you have so often wished others might be advanced; and be exalted to sit at the right hand of our All-powerful, All-prevailing Intercessor, in the kingdom of his heavenly Father hereafter.

However, I cannot but in an especial manner press this upon you now, because all ye, amongst whom I have now been preaching, in all probability will see me no more: for I am now going (I trust under the conduct of God’s most Holy Spirit) from you, knowing not what shall befall me: I need therefore your most importunate intercessions, that nothing may move me from my duty, and that I may not “count even my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God!”  Whilst I have been here, to the best of my knowledge, I have not failed to declare unto you the whole will of God: and though my preaching may have been a savor of death unto death to some; yet I trust it has been also a savor of life unto life to others; and therefore I earnestly hope that those will not fail to remember me in their prayers.

As for my own part, the many unmerited kindnesses I have received from you, will not suffer me to forget you: out of the deep, therefore, I trust shall my cry come unto God; and whilst the winds and storms are blowing over me, unto the Lord will I make my supplication for you.  For it is but a little while, and “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;” where I must give a strict account of the doctrine I have preached, and you of your improvement under it.  And O that I may never be called out as a swift witness, against any of those, for whose salvation I have sincerely, though too faintly, longed and labored!  It is true, I have been censured by some as acting out of sinister and selfish views; “but it is a small matter with me to be judged by man’s judgment; I hope my eye is single; but I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, pray that it may be more so!  And that I may increase with the increase of grace in the knowledge and love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And now, brethren, what shall I say more?  I could wish to continue my discourse much longer; for I can never fully express the desire of my soul towards you!  Finally, therefore, brethren, “whatsoever things are holy, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any consolation in Christ, if any fellowship of the spirit,” if any hopes of our appearing to the comfort of each other at the awful tribunal of Jesus Christ, “think of the things that you have heard,” and of those which your pastors have declared, and will yet declare unto you; and continue under their ministry to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:” so that whether I should never see you any more, or whether it shall please God to bring me back again at any time, I may always have the satisfaction of knowing that your conversation is such “as becometh the gospel of Christ.”

I almost persuade myself, that I could willingly suffer all things, so that it might any ways promote the salvation of your precious and immortal souls; and I beseech you, as my last request, “obey them that have the rule over you in the Lord;” and be always ready to attend on their ministry, as it is your bounden duty.  Think not that I desire to have myself exalted at the expense of another’s character; but rather think this, not to have any man’s person too much in admiration; but esteem all your ministers highly in love, as they justly deserve for their work’s sake.

And now, “brethren, I commend you to god, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified.”  May God reward you for all your works of faith, and labors of love, and make you to abound more and more in every good word and work towards all men.  May he truly convert all that have been convinced, and awaken all that are dead in trespasses and sins!  May he confirm all that are wavering! And may you all go on from one degree of grace unto another, till you arrive unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; and thereby be made meet to stand before that God, “in whose presence is the fullness of joy, and at whose right-hand there are pleasures for evermore!”  Amen!  Amen!

Posted in George Whitefield |

The God of All Grace by A. W. Pink

January 8, 2010 by ADMIN

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).  Though mention is made frequently in the Scriptures of the grace of God and of His being gracious, yet nowhere but in this verse do we find him denominated “the God of all grace.”  There is a special emphasis here that claims our best attention: not simply is He “the God of grace,” but “the God of all grace.”

God’s people personally receive constant proof that He is indeed so; and those of them whose thoughts are formed by His Word know that the benefits with which He daily loads them are the out-workings of His everlasting design of grace toward them.  But they need to go still farther back, or raise their eyes yet higher, and perceive that all the riches of grace He ordained, and of which they are made the recipients, are from and in His very nature. “The grace in His nature is the fountain or spring; the grace of His purposes is the wellhead, and the grace in His dispensations, the streams,” says Goodwin.  It was the grace of His nature that caused Him to form “thoughts of peace” toward His people (Jer. 29:11), as it is the grace in His heart that moves Him to fulfill the same.  In other words, the grace of His very nature, what He is in Himself, is such that it guarantees the making good of all His benevolent designs.

As He is the Almighty, self-sufficient and omnipotent, with whom all things are possible, so He is also an all-gracious God in Himself—lacking no perfection to make Him infinitely benign.  There is therefore a sea of grace in God to feed all the streams of His purposes and dispensations that are to issue there from.  Here then is our grand consolation: all the grace there is in His nature, which makes Him to be the “God of all grace” to His children, renders certain not only that He will manifest Himself as such to them, but guarantees the supply of their every need and ensures the lavishing of the exceeding riches of His grace upon them in the ages to come (Eph. 2:7).

Look then beyond those streams of grace of which you are now the partaker to the God-man, Jesus the Anointed One, who is “full of grace” (John 1:14), and ask for continual and larger supplies from Him.  The straightness is in us and not in Him, for in God there is a boundless and limitless supply.  I beg you (as I urge myself) to remember that when you come to the mercy seat (to make known your requests) you are about to petition “the God of all grace.”  In Him, there is an infinite ocean to draw upon, and He bids you come to Him, saying, “open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10, ital. mine).  Not in vain has He declared, “According to your faith be it unto you.”

Posted in A. W. Pink |

The Most High: A Prayer-Hearing God by Jonathan Edwards

January 8, 2010 by ADMIN

O thou that hearest prayer – Psalm 65:2

This psalm seems to be written, either as a psalm of praise to God for some remarkable answer of prayer, in the bestowment of some public mercy; or else on occasion of some special faith and confidence which David had that his prayer would be answered.  It is probable that this mercy bestowed, or expected to be bestowed, was some great public mercy, for which David had been very earnest and importunate, and had annexed a vow to his prayer; and that he had vowed to God, that if he would grant him his request he would render him praise and glory. — This seems to be the reason why he expresses himself as he does in the first verse of the psalm: “Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed,” i.e. that praise which I have vowed to give thee on the answer of my prayer, waiteth for thee, to be given thee as soon as thou shalt have answered my prayer; and the vow which I made to thee shall be performed.  In the verse of the text, there is a prophecy of the glorious times of the gospel, when “all flesh shall come” to the true God, as to the God who heareth prayer, which is here mentioned as what distinguishes the true God from the gods to whom the nations prayed and sought, those gods, who cannot hear, and cannot answer their prayer.  The time was coming when all flesh should come to that God who doth hear prayer. — Hence we gather this doctrine that it is the character of the Most High, that he is a God who hears prayers.  I shall handle this point in the following method:

1. Show that the Most High is a God that hears prayer.

2. That he is emintently such a God.

3. That herein he is distingished from all false gods.

4. Give the reasons of the doctrine.

I. The Most High is a God that hears prayer.

Though he is infinitely above all, and stands in no need of creatures, yet he is graciously pleased to take a merciful notice of poor worms of the dust.  He manifests and presents himself as the object of prayer, appears as sitting on a mercy-seat, that men may come to him by prayer.  When they stand in need of any thing, he allows them to come, and ask it of him; and he is wont to hear their prayers.  God in his word hath given many promises that he will hear their prayers; the Scripture is full of such examples; and in his dispensations towards his church, manifests himself to be a God that hears prayer.

Here it may be inquired, What is meant by God’s hearing prayer?  There are two things implied in it.

1. His accepting the supplications of those who pray to him.  Their address to him is well taken; he is well pleased with it.  He approves of their asking such mercies as they request of him, and approves of their manner of doing it.  He accepts of their prayers as an offering to him: he accepts the honor they do him in prayer.

2. He acts agreeably to his acceptance.  He sometimes manifests his acceptance of their prayers, by special discoveries of his mercy and sufficiency, which he makes to them in prayer, or immediately after.  While they are praying, he gives them sweet views of his glorious grace, purity, sufficiency, and sovereignty, and enables them with great quietness, to rest in him, to leave themselves and their prayers with him, submitting to his will, and trusting in his grace and faithfulness.  Such a manifestation God seems to have made of himself in prayer to Hannah, which quieted and composed her mind, and tool; away her sadness. We read (in 1 Samuel 1) how earnest she was, and how exercised in her mind, and that she was I woman of a sorrowful spirit.  First, she came and poured out her soul before God, and spake out of the abundance of her complaint and grief, then we read, that she went away, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad (verse 13) which seems to have been from some refreshing discoveries which God had made of himself to her, to enable her quietly to submit to his will, and trust in his mercy whereby God manifested his acceptance of her. — Not that I conclude persons can hence argue, that the particular thing which they ask will certainly be given them, or that they can particularly foretell from it what God will do in answer to their prayers, any further than he has promised in his word; yet God may, and doubtless does, thus testify his acceptance of their prayers, and from hence they may confidently rest in his providence, in his merciful ordering and disposing, with respect to the thing which they ask. — Again, God manifests his acceptance of their prayers, by doing for them agreeably to their needs and supplications.  He not only inwardly and spiritually discovers his mercy to their, souls by his Spirit, but outwardly by dealing mercifully with them in his providence, in consequence of their prayers, and by causing an agreeableness between his providence and their prayers.

II. To show that the Most High is eminently a God that hears prayer.

This appears in several things.

1. In his giving such free access to him by prayer.

God in his word manifests himself ready at all times to allow us this privilege.  He sits on a throne of grace, and there is no veil to hide this throne, and keep us from it.  The veil is rent from the top to the bottom; the way is open at all times, and we may go to God as often as we please.  Although God be infinitely above us, yet we may come with boldness: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14, 16).  How wonderful is it that such worms as we should be allowed to come boldly at all times to so great a God! — Thus God indulges all kinds of persons, of all nations.  “Unto all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours; grace he unto you” (1 Corinthians 1:2,3).  Yea, God allows the most vile and unworthy; the greatest sinners are allowed to come through Christ.

And he not only allows, but encourages, and frequently invites them; yea, manifests himself as delighting in being sought to by prayer: “The prayer of the upright is his delight” (Proverbs 15:8).  And in the Song of Solomon, we have Christ saying to the spouse, “O my dove, let me hear thy voice; for so sweet is thy voice.”  The voice of the saints in prayer is sweet unto Christ; he delights to hear it.  He allows them to be earnest and importunate; yea, to the degree as to take no denial, and as it were to give him no rest, and even encouraging them so to do: “Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest” (Isaiah 62:6, 7).  Thus Christ encourages us, in the parable of the importunate widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18).  Also, in the parable of the man who went to his friend at midnight (Luke 11:5).

Thus God allowed Jacob to wrestle with him, yea, to be resolute in it; “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”  It is noticed with approbation, when men are violent for the kingdom of heaven, and take it by force.  Thus Christ suffered the blind man to be most importunate and unceasing in his cries to him (Luke 18:38, 39).  He continued crying, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”  Others who were present rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, looking upon it as too great a boldness, and an indecent behavior towards Christ, thus to cry after him as he passed by.  But Christ did not rebuke him, but stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him, saying, “What wilt thou that I should do to thee?”  And when the blind man had told him, Christ graciously granted his request.

The freedom of access that God gives, appears also in allowing us to come to him by prayer for every thing we need, both temporal and spiritual; whatever evil we need to be delivered from, or good eye would obtain: “Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

2. That God is eminently of this character, appears in his hearing prayer so readily.

He often manifests his readiness to hear prayer, by giving an answer so speedily, sometimes while they are yet speaking, and sometimes before they pray, when they only have a design of praying.  So ready is God to hear prayer, that he takes notice of the first purpose of praying, and sometimes bestows mercy thereupon: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).  We read, that when Daniel was making humble and earnest supplication, God sent an angel to comfort him, and to assure him of an answer (Daniel 9:20-24).  When God defers for the present to answer the prayer of faith, it is not from any backwardness to answer, but for the good of his people sometimes, that they may be better prepared for the mercy before they receive it, or because another time would be the best and fittest on some other account: and even then, when God seems to delay an answer, the answer is indeed hastened, as in Luke 18:7, 8: “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you, that he will avenge them speedily.”  Sometimes, when the blessing seems to tarry, God is even then at work to bring it about in the best time and the best manner: “Though it tarry, wait for it; it will come, it will not tarry” (Habakkuk 2:3).

3. That the Most High is eminently one that hears prayer, appears by his giving so liberally in answer to prayer; James 1:5, 6: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not.”  Men often show their backwardness to give, both by the scantiness of their gifts, and by upbraiding those who ask of them.  They will be sure to put them in mind of some faults, when they give them any thing, but, on the contrary, God both gives liberally, and upbraids us not with our undeservings.  He is plenteous and rich in his communications to those who call upon him: “For thou art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous hi mercy unto all that call upon thee” (Psalm 86:5) and “For there is no difference between the few and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him” (Romans 10:12).

Sometimes, God not only gives the thing asked, but he gives them more than is asked.  So he did to Solomon: “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be and among the kings like unto thee, all the days” (1 Kings 3:12,13).  Yea, God will give more to his people than they can either ask or think, as is implied in Ephesians 3:20: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

4. That God is eminently of this character, appears by the greatness, of the things which he hath often done in answer to prayer. Thus, when Esau was coming out against his bother Jacob, with four hundred men, without doubt fully resolved to cut him off, Jacob prayed and God turned the heart of Esau, so that he met Jacob in a very friendly manner (Genesis 32).  So in Egypt, at the prayer of Moses, God brought those dreadful plagues, and at his prayer removed them again.  When Samson was ready to perish with thirst, he prayed to God and he brought water out of a dry jaw-bone, for his supply (Judges 15:18,19). And when he prayed, after his strength was departed from him, God strengthened him, so as to pull down the temple of Dagon on the Philistines: so that those whom he slew at his death were more than all those whom he slew in his life.  Joshua prayed to God, and said, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon;” and God heard his prayer, and caused the sun and moon to stand still accordingly.  The prophet “Elijah was a man of like passion” with us; “and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit;” as the apostle James observes (James 5:17, 18).  So God confounded the army of Zerah, the Ethiopian, of a thousand thousand, in answer to the prayer of Asa (2 Chronicles 14:9).  And God sent an angel, and slew in one night an hundred and eighty-five thousand men of Sennacherib’s army, in answer to Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kings 19:14-19, 35).

5. This truth appears, in that God is, as it were, overcome by prayer. When God is displeased by sin, he manifests his displeasure, comes out against us in his providence, and seems to oppose and resist us; in such cases, God is, speaking after the manner of men, overcome by humble and fervent prayer.  “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).  It has a great power in it; such a prayer-hearing God is the Most High, that he graciously manifests himself as conquered by it.  Thus God appeared to oppose Jacob in what he sought of him, yet Jacob was resolute, and overcame.  Therefore God changed his name from Jacob to Israel; for, says he, “as a prince thou hast power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28).  A mighty prince indeed!   “Yea, he had power over the angel and prevailed: he wept and made supplication unto him” (Hosea 12:4).  When his anger was provoked against Israel, and he appeared to be ready to consume them in his hot displeasure, Moses stood in the gap, and by his humble and earnest prayer and supplication averted the stroke of divine vengeance (Exodus 32:9; Numbers 14:11).

III. Herein the most high God is distinguished from false gods.

The true God is the only one of this character; there is no other of whom it may be said, that he heareth prayer.   Many of those things that are worshipped, as gods are idols made by their worshippers, mere stocks and stones that know nothing.  They are indeed made with ears; but they hear not the prayers of them that cry to them.  They have eyes; but they see not (Psalm 115:5, 6).  Others, though not the work of men’s hands, yet are things without life.  Thus, many worship the sun, moon, and stars, which, though glorious creatures, yet are not capable of knowing any thing of the wants and desires of those who pray to them.  Some worship certain kinds of animals, as the Egyptians were wont to worship bulls, which, though not without life, yet are destitute of that reason whereby they would be capable of knowing the requests of their worshippers.  Others worship devils instead of the true God: “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils” (1 Corinthians 10:20).

These though beings of great powers, have not knowledge necessary to capacitate them fully to understand the state, circumstances, necessities, and desires of those who pray to them.  But the true God perfectly knows the circumstances of every one that prays to him throughout the world.  Though millions pray to him at once, in different parts of the world, it is no more difficult for him who is infinite in knowledge, to take notice of all than of one alone.  God is so perfect in knowledge, that he doth not need to be informed by us, in order to a knowledge of our wants, for he knows what things we need before we ask him.  The worshippers of false gods were wont to lift their voices and cry aloud, lest their gods should fail of hearing them, as Elijah tauntingly bid the worshippers of Baal do (1 Kings 18:27).  But the true God hears the silent petitions of his people.  He needs not that we should cry aloud; yea, he knows and perfectly understands when we only pray in our hearts, as Hannah did (1 Samuel 1:13).

Idols are but vanities and lies, in them is no help.  As to power or knowledge, they are nothing; as the apostle says, “An idol is nothing in the world” (1 Corinthians 8:4).  As to images, they are so far from having power to answer prayer, that they are not able to act, “They have hands, and handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through their throat.”  They, therefore, that make them and pray to them, are senseless and sottish, and make themselves, as it were, stocks and stones, like unto them: Psalm 115:7-8 and Jeremiah 10:5: “They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go.  Be not afraid of them for they cannot do evil; neither also is it in them to do good.”

As to the hosts of heaven, the sun, moon, and stars, although mankind receives benefit by them, yet they act only by necessity of nature; therefore they have no power to do any thing in answer to prayers.  And devils though worshipped as gods, are not able, if they had disposition, to make those happy who worship them, and can do nothing at all but by divine permission, and as subject to the disposal of Divine Providence.  When the children of Israel departed from the true God to idols, and yet cried to him in their distress, he reproved them for their folly, by bidding them cry to the gods whom they had served, for deliverance in the time of their tribulation (Joshua 10:14). So God challenges those gods themselves: “Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods, yea, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed and behold it together.  Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought, an abomination is he that chooseth you” (Isaiah 12:23, 24).  These false gods, instead of helping those who pray to them cannot help themselves.  The devils are miserable tormented spirits, they are bound in chains of darkness for their rebellion against the true God, and cannot deliver themselves.  Nor have they any more disposition to help mankind, than a parcel of hungry wolves or lions would have to protect and help a flock of lambs.  And those that worship and pray to them get not their good-will by serving them: all the reward that Satan will give them for the service which they do him, is to devour them.

IV. To give the reasons of the doctrine, which I would do in answer to these two inquiries: first, Why God requires prayer in order to the bestowment of mercies, and secondly, Why God is so ready to hear the prayers of men?

Inquiry 1. Why doth God require prayer in order to the bestowment of mercies?

It is not in order that God may be informed of our wants or desires.  He is omniscient, and with respect to his knowledge unchangeable.  God never gains any knowledge by information. He knows what we want, a thousand times more perfectly than we do ourselves before we ask him.  For though, speaking after the manner of men, God is sometimes represented as if he were moved and persuaded by the prayers of his people; yet it is not to be thought that God is properly moved or made willing prayers; for it is no more possible that there should be any new inclination or will in God, than new knowledge.  The mercy of God is not moved or drawn by anything in the creature; but the spring of God’s beneficence is within himself only; he is self-moved; and whatsoever mercy he bestows, the reason and ground of it is not to be sought for in the creature, but in God’s own good pleasure.

It is the will of God to bestow mercy in this way, viz. in answer to prayer, when he designs beforehand to bestow mercy, yea, when he has promised it; as Ezekiel 36:36, 37: “I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it.  Thus saith the Lord, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.”  God has been pleased to constitute prayer to be antecedent to the bestowment of mercy, and he is pleased to bestow mercy in consequence of prayer, as though he were prevailed on by prayer.  When the people of God are stirred up to prayer, it is the effect of his intention to show mercy; therefore he pours out the spirit of grace and supplication.

There may be two reasons given why God requires prayer in order to the bestowment of mercy, one especially respects God, and the other respects ourselves.

1. With respect to God, prayer is but a sensible acknowledgment of our dependence on him to his glory. As he hath made all things for his own glory, so he will be glorified and acknowledged by his creatures; and it is fit that he should require this of those who would be the subjects of his mercy.  That we, when we desire to receive any mercy from him, should humbly supplicate the Divine Being for the bestowment of that mercy, is but a suitable acknowledgment of our dependence on the power and mercy of God for that which we need, and but a suitable honor paid to the great Author and Fountain of all good.

2. With respect to ourselves, God requires prayer of us in order to the bestowment of mercy, because it tends to prepare us for its reception. Fervent prayer many ways tends to prepare the heart.  Hereby is excited a sense of our need, and of the value of the mercy which we seek and at the same time earnest desires for it, whereby the mind is more prepared to prize it, to rejoice in it when bestowed, and to be thankful for it.  Prayer, with suitable confession, may excite a sense of our unworthiness of the mercy we seek; and the placing of ourselves in the immediate presence of God, may make us sensible of his majesty, and in a sense fit to receive mercy of him.  Our prayer to God may excite in us a suitable sense and consideration of our dependence on God for the mercy we ask, and a suitable exercise of faith in God’s sufficiency them so we may be prepared to glorify his name when the mercy is received.

Inquiry 2. Why is God so ready to hear the prayers of men.

1. Because he is a God of infinite grace and mercy. It is indeed a very wonderful thing, that so great a God should be so ready to hear our prayers, though we are so despicable and unworthy: that he should give free access at all times to every one: should allow us to be importunate without esteeming it an indecent boldness, should be so rich in mercy to them that call upon him, that worms of the dust should have such power with God by prayer; that he should do such great things in answer to their prayers, and should show himself, as it were, overcome by them.  This is very wonderful, when we consider the distance between God and us, and how we have provoked him by our sins, and how unworthy we are of the least gracious notice.  It cannot be from any need that God stands in of us; for our goodness extendeth not to him.  Neither can it he from any thing in us to incline the heart of God to us; it cannot be from any worthiness in our prayers, which are in themselves polluted things.  But it is because God delights in mercy and condescension.  He is herein infinitely distinguished from all other gods: he is the great fountain of all good, from whom goodness flows as light from the sun.

2. [Because] we have a glorious Mediator, who has prepared the way, that our prayers may he heard consistently with the honor of God’s justice and majesty. Not only has God in himself mercy sufficient for this, but the Mediator has provided that this mercy may be exercised consistently with the divine honor.  Through him, we may come to God for mercy, he is the way, the truth, and the life; no man can come to the Father but by him.  This Mediator hath done three things to make way for the hearing of our prayers.

(1) He hath by his blood made atonement for sin; so that our guilt need not stand in the way, as a separating wall between God and us, and that our sins might not be a cloud through which our prayers cannot pass.  By his atonement, he hath made the way to the throne of grace open.  God would have been infinitely gracious if there had been no Mediator; but the way to the mercy-seat would have been blocked up.  But Christ hath removed whatever stood in the way.  The veil which was before the mercy seat “is rent from the top to the bottom,” by the death of Christ.  If it had not been for this, our guilt would have remained as a wall of brass to hinder our approach.  But all is removed by his blood (Hebrews 10:17).

(2) Christ, by his obedience, has purchased this privilege, viz. that the prayers of those who believe in him should be heard.  He has not only removed the obstacles to our prayers, but has merited a hearing of them.  His merits are the incense that is offered with the prayers of the saints, which renders them a sweet savor to God, and acceptable in his sight.  Hence the prayers of the saints have such power with God; hence at the prayer of a poor worm of the dust God stopped the sun in his course for about the space of a whole day; hence Jacob as a prince had power with God, and prevailed.  Our prayers would be of no account, and of no avail with God, were it not for the merits of Christ.

(3) Christ enforces the prayers of his people, by his intercession at the right hand of God in heaven.  He hath entered for us into the holy of holies, with the incense which he hath provided, and there he makes continual intercession for all that come to God in his name; so that their prayers come to God the Father through his hands, if I may so say; which is represented in Revelation 8:3, 4: “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne.  And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God, out of the angel’s hand.”  This was typified of old by the priest’s offering incense in the temple, at the time when the people were offering up their prayers to God; as Luke 1:10: “And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.”

Application

Hence we may learn how highly we are privileged, in that we have the Most High revealed to us, who is a God that heareth prayer.  The greater part of mankind are destitute of this privilege.  Whatever their necessities are, whatever their calamities or sorrows, they have no prayer-hearing God to whom they may go.  If they go to the gods whom they worship, arid cry to them ever so earnestly, it will be in vain.  They worship either, lifeless things, that can neither help them; nor know that they need help or wicked cruel spirits, who are their enemies, and wish nothing but their misery; and who, instead of helping them, are from day to day working their ruin, and watching over them as a hungry lion watches over his prey.

How are we distinguished from them, in that we have the true God made known to us; a God of infinite grace and mercy a God full of compassion to the miserable, who is ready to pity us under all our troubles and sorrows, to hear our cries, and to give us all the relief which we need, a God who delights in mercy, and is rich unto all that call upon him!  How highly privileged are we, in that ye have the holy word of this same God, to direct us how to seek for mercy! And whatever difficulties or distress we are in, we may so to him with confidence and great encouragement.

What a comfort may this be to us!  And what reason have we to rejoice in our privileges, to prize them so highly, and to bless God that he hath been so merciful to us, as to give us his word, and reveal himself to us; and that he hath not left us to cry for help to stocks and stones, and devils, as he has left many thousands of others.

Objection

I have often prayed to God for certain mercies, and he has not heard my prayers. — To this I answer,

1. It is no argument, that God is not a prayer-hearing God, if he gives not to men what they ask of him to consume upon their lusts. Oftentimes when men pray for temporal good things, they desire them for no good end, but only to gratify their pride or sensuality.  If they pray for worldly good things chiefly from a worldly spirit; and make an idol of the world; It is no wonder that God doth not hear their prayers: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, to consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).  If you request him to give you something of which you will make an idol, and set up in opposition to him — or will use as weapons of warfare against him, or as instruments to serve his enemies — no wonder that God will not hear you.  If God should hear such prayers, he would act as  his own enemy, inasmuch as he would bestow them to serve his enemies.

2. It is no argument that God is not a prayer-hearing God, that he heareth not insincere and unbelieving prayers. How can we expect that he should have any respect to that which has no sincerity in it!  God looketh not at words, but at the heart, and it is fit that he should do so.  If men pray only in words, and not in heart, what are their prayers good for?  And why should that God who searches the heart, and tries the reins, have any respect to them?

Sometimes men do nothing but dissemble in their prayers, and when they do so, it is no argument that God is the less a prayer-hearing God, that he doth not hear such prayers, for it is no argument of want of mercy.  Sometimes they pray for that in words which they really desire not in their hearts, as that he would purge them from sin, when at the same time they show by their practice, that they do not desire to be purged from sin, while they love and choose it, and are utterly averse to parting with it.  In like manner, they often dissemble in the presence and show, which they make in their prayers, of dependence on God for mercies, and of a sense of his sufficiency to supply them.  In our coming to God, and praying to him for such and such things, there is a show that we are sensible we are dependent on him for them, and that he is sufficient to give them to us.  But men sometimes seem to pray, while not sensible of their dependence on God, nor do they think him sufficient to supply them; for all the while they trust in themselves, and have no confidence in God.

They show in words as though they were beggars; but in heart they come as creditors, and look on God as their debtor.  In words they seem to ask for things as the fruit of free grace; but in heart they account it would be hard, unjust, and cruel, if God should deny them.  In words they seem humble and submissive, but in heart they are proud and contentious; there is no prayer but in their words.

It doth not render God at all the less a prayer-hearing God, that he distinguishes, as an all-seeing God, between real prayers and pretended ones.  Such prayers as those which I have just now been mentioning, are not worthy of the name in the eyes of him who searches the heart, and sees things as they are.  That prayer which is not of faith, is insincere; for prayer is a show or manifestation of dependence on God, and trust in his sufficiency and mercy.  Therefore, where this trust or faith is wanting, there is no prayer in the sight of God.  And however God is sometimes pleased to grant the requests of those who have no faith, yet he has not obliged himself so to do, nor is it an argument of his not being a prayer-hearing God, when he hears them not.

3. It is no argument that he is not a prayer-hearing God that he exercises his own wisdom as to the time and manner of answering prayer. Some of God’s people are sometimes ready to think, that he doth not hear their prayers, because he doth answer them at the times when they expected, when indeed God doth hear them, and will answer them, in the time and way to which his own wisdom directs.  The business of prayer is not to direct God, who is infinitely wise, and needs not any of our directions; who knows what is best for us ten thousand times better than we, and knows what time and what way are best.  It is fit that he should answer prayer’s and, as an infinitely wise God, in the exercise of his own wisdom, and not ours.  God will deal as a father with us, in answering our requests.  But a child is not to expect that the father’s wisdom be subject to his nor ought he to desire it, but should esteem it a privilege, that the parent will provide for him according to his own wisdom.

As to particular temporal blessings for which we pray, it is no argument that he is not a prayer-hearing God, because he bestows them not upon us; for it may be that God sees the things for which we pray, not to be best for us.  If so, it would be no mercy in him to bestow them upon us, but a judgment.  Such things, therefore, ought to always to be asked with submission to the divine will.  God can answer prayer, though he bestow not the very thing for which we pray.  He can sometimes better answer the lawful desires and good end we have in prayer another way.  If our end be our own good and happiness, God can perhaps better answer that end in bestowing something else than in the bestowment of that very thing which we ask.  And if the main good we aim at in our prayer be attained, our prayer is answered, though not in the bestowment of the individual thing which we sought.  And so that may still be true which was before asserted, that God always hears the prayer OF FAITH.  God never once failed of hearing a sincere and believing prayer; and those promises forever hold good, “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you: for every one that asketh, receiveth and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”

Another use of this doctrine may be, of reproof to those that neglect the duty of prayer.  If we enjoy so great a privilege as to have the prayer hearing God revealed to us, how great will be our folly and inexcusableness if we neglect the privilege, or make no use of it, and deprive ourselves of the advantage by not seeking this God by prayer.  They are hereby reproved who neglect the great duty of secret prayer, which is more expressly required in the word of God than any other kind.  What account can those persons give of themselves, who neglect so known a duty?  It is impossible that any among us should be ignorant of this command of God.  How daring, therefore, is their wickedness who live in the neglect of this duty and what can they answer to their Judge, when he shall call them to an account for it?

Here I shall briefly say something to an EXCUSE which some may be ready to make for themselves.  Some may be ready to say, If I do pray, my prayer will not be the prayer of faith, because I am in a natural condition, and have no faith.

This excuses not from obedience to a plain command of God.  The command is to all to whom the command shall come.  God not only directs godly persons to pray, but others also.  In the beginning of the second chapter of Proverbs, God directs all persons to cry after wisdom, and to lift up their voices for understanding, in order to their obtaining the fear and knowledge of God; and in James 1:5, the apostle says, “If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God.”   Also Peter directed Simon Magus to repent, and pray to God, if perhaps the thought of his heart might be forgiven him (Acts 8:22).  Therefore when God says, do thus or thus, it is not for us to make excuses, but we must do the thing required.  Besides, God is pleased sometimes to answer the prayers of unbelievers.  Indeed he hears not their prayers for their goodness or acceptableness, or because of any true respect to him manifested in them, for there is none; nor has he obliged himself to answer such prayers; yet he is pleased sometimes, of his sovereign mercy, to pity wicked men, and hear their cries.  Thus he heard the cries of the Ninevites, (Jonah 3) and the prayer of Ahab, 1 Kings 21:27, 28.  Though there be no regard to God in their prayers, yet he, of his infinite grace, is pleased to have respect to their desires of their own happiness, and to grant their requests.  He may, and sometimes does, hear the cries of wicked men as he hears the hungry ravens, when they cry (Psalm 147:9) and as he opens his bountiful hand, and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16).  Besides the prayers of sinners, though they have no goodness in them, yet are made a means of a preparation for mercy.

Finally, seeing we have such a prayer-hearing God as we have heard, let us be much employed in the duty of prayer: let us pray with all prayer and supplication: let us live prayerful lives, continuing instant in prayer, watching thereunto with all perseverance; praying always, without ceasing, earnestly, and not fainting.

Posted in Jonathan Edwards |

Prayer by John Calvin

January 8, 2010 by ADMIN

Faith And Prayer

From those matters so far discussed, we clearly see how destitute and devoid of all good things man is, and how he lacks all aids to salvation.  Therefore, if he seeks resources to succor him in his need, he must go outside himself and get them elsewhere.  It was afterward explained to us that the Lord willingly and freely reveals himself in his Christ.  For in Christ, he offers all happiness in place of our misery, all wealth in place of our neediness; in him he opens to us the heavenly treasures that our whole faith may contemplate his beloved Son, our whole expectation depend upon him, and our whole hope cleave to and rest in him.  This, indeed, is that secret and hidden philosophy which cannot be wrested from syllogisms.  But they whose eyes God has opened surely learn it by heart, that in his light they may see light (Psalm 36:9).

But after we have been instructed by faith to recognize that whatever we need and whatever we lack is in God, and in our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the Father willed all the fullness of his bounty to abide (cf. Colossians 1:19; John 1:16) so that we may all draw from it as from an overflowing spring, it remains for us to seek in him, and in prayers to ask of him, what we have learned to be in him.  Otherwise, to know God as the master and bestower of all good things, who invites us to request them of him, and still not go to him and not ask of him—this would be of as little profit as for a man to neglect a treasure, buried and hidden in the earth, after it had been pointed out to him.  Accordingly, the apostle, in order to show that true faith cannot be indifferent about calling upon God, has laid down this order: just as faith is born from the gospel, so through it our hearts are trained to call upon God’s name (Romans 10:14-17).  And this is precisely what he had said a little before: the Spirit of adoption, who seals the witness of the gospel in our hearts (Romans 8:16), raises up our spirits to dare show forth to God their desires, to stir up unspeakable groanings (Romans 8:26), and confidently cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15).

Now we must more fully discuss this last point, since it was previously only mentioned in passing and, as it were, cursorily touched upon.

The Necessity Of Prayer

It is, therefore, by the benefit of prayer that we reach those riches which are laid up for us with the Heavenly Father.  For there is a communion of men with God by which, having entered the heavenly sanctuary, they appeal to him in person concerning his promises in order to experience, where necessity so demands, that what they believed was not vain, although he had promised it in word alone.  Therefore we see that to us nothing is promised to be expected from the Lord, which we are not also bidden to ask of him in prayers.  So true is it that we dig up by prayer the treasures that were pointed out by the Lord’s gospel, and which our faith has gazed upon.

Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable.  Surely, with good reason the Heavenly Father affirms that the only stronghold of safety is in calling upon his name (cf. Joel 2:32).  By so doing, we invoke the presence both of his providence, through which he watches over and guards our affairs, and of his power, through which he sustains us, weak as we are and well-nigh overcome, and of his goodness, through which he receives us, miserably burdened with sins, unto grace; and, in short, it is by prayer that we call him to reveal himself as wholly present to us.  Hence comes an extraordinary peace and repose to our consciences.  For having disclosed to the Lord the necessity that was pressing upon us, we even rest fully in the thought that none of our ills is hid from him who, we are convinced, has both the will and the power to take the best care of us.

Objection: Is Prayer Not Superfluous?  Six Reasons For It

But, someone will say, does God not know, even without being reminded, both in what respect we are troubled and what is expedient for us, so that it may seem in a sense superfluous that he should be stirred up by our prayers—as if he were drowsily blinking or even sleeping until he is aroused by our voice?  But they who thus reason do not observe to what end the Lord instructed his people to pray, for he ordained it not so much for his own sake as for ours.  Now he wills—as is right—that his due be rendered to him, in the recognition that everything men desire and account conducive to their own profit comes from him, and in the attestation of this by prayers.  But the profit of this sacrifice also, by which he is worshiped, returns to us.  Accordingly, the holy fathers, the more confidently they extolled God’s benefits among themselves and others, were the more keenly aroused to pray.  It will be enough for us to note the single example of Elijah, who, sure of God’s purpose, after he has deliberately promised rain to King Ahab, still anxiously prays with his head between his knees, and sends his servant seven times to look (1 Kings 18:42), not because he would discredit his prophecy, but because he knew it was his duty, lest his faith be sleepy or sluggish, to lay his desires before God.

Therefore, even though, while we grow dull and stupid toward our miseries, he watches and keeps guard on our behalf, and sometimes even helps us unasked, still it is very important for us to call upon him.

  1. First, that our hearts may be fired with a zealous and burning desire ever to seek, love, and serve him, while we become accustomed in every need to flee to him as to a sacred anchor.
  2. Secondly, that there may enter our hearts no desire and no wish at all of which we should be ashamed to make him a witness, while we learn to set all our wishes before his eyes, and even to pour out our whole hearts.
  3. Thirdly, that we be prepared to receive his benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving, benefits that our prayer reminds us come from his hand (cf. Psalm 145:15-16).
  4. Fourthly, moreover, that, having obtained what we were seeking, and being convinced that he has answered our prayers, we should be led to meditate upon his kindness more ardently.
  5. And fifthly, that at the same time we embrace with greater delight those things which we acknowledge to have been obtained by prayers.
  6. Finally, that use and experience may, according to the measure of our feebleness, confirm his providence, while we understand not only that he promises never to fail us, and of his own will opens the way to call upon him at the very point of necessity, but also that he ever extends his hand to help his own, not wet-nursing them with words but defending them with present help.

On account of these things, our most merciful Father, although he never either sleeps or idles, still very often gives the impression of one sleeping or idling in order that he may thus train us, otherwise idle and lazy, to seek, ask, and entreat him to our great good.  Therefore they act with excessive foolishness who, to call men’s minds away from prayer, babble that God’s providence, standing guard over all things, is vainly importuned with our entreaties, inasmuch as the Lord has not, on the contrary, vainly attested that “he is near… to all who call upon his name in truth” (Psalm 145:18).

Quite like this is what others prate: that it is superfluous for them to petition for things that the Lord is gladly ready to bestow, while those very things which flow to us from his voluntary liberality he would have us recognize as granted to our prayers.  That memorable saying of the psalm attests this, and to it many similar passages correspond: “For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears toward their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12).  This sentence so commends the providence of God—intent of his own accord upon caring for the salvation of the godly—as yet not to omit the exercise of faith, by which men’s minds are cleansed of indolence.  The eyes of God are therefore watchful to assist the blind in their necessity, but he is willing in turn to hear our groanings that he may the better prove his love toward us.  And so both are true: “that the keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4) and yet that he is inactive, as if forgetting us, when he sees us idle and mute.

Posted in John Calvin |

The Golden Key Of Prayer by C. H. Spurgeon

January 8, 2010 by ADMIN

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” — Jeremiah 33:3.

Some of the most learned works in the world smell of the midnight oil; but the most spiritual, and most comforting books and sayings of men usually have a savor about them of prison-damp.  I might quote many instances: John Bunyan’s Pilgrim may suffice instead of a hundred others; and this good text of ours, all moldy and chill with the prison in which Jeremiah lay, hath nevertheless a brightness and a beauty about it, which it might never have had if it had not come as a cheering word to the prisoner of the Lord, shut up in the court of the prison-house.  God’s people have always in their worst condition found out the best of their God.  He is good at all times; but he seemeth to be at his best when they are at their worst.

“How could you bear your long imprisonment so well?” said one to the Landgrave of Hesse, who had been shut up for his attachment to the principles of the Reformation.  He replied, “The divine consolations of martyrs were with me.”  Doubtless there is a consolation more deep, more strong than any other, which God keeps for those who, being his faithful witnesses, have to endure exceeding great tribulation from the enmity of man.  There is a glorious aurora for the frigid zone; and stars glisten in northern skies with unusual splendor.  They who dive in the sea of affliction bring up rare pearls.  You know, my companions in affliction, that it is so.  You whose bones have been ready to come through the skin through long lying upon the weary couch; you who have seen your earthly goods carried away from you, and have been reduced well nigh to penury; you who have gone to the grave yet seven times, till you have feared that your last earthly friend would be borne away by unpitying Death; you have proved that he is a faithful God, and that as your tribulations abound, so your consolations also abound by Christ Jesus.

My prayer is, in taking this text this morning, that some other prisoners of the Lord may have its joyous promise spoken home to them; that you who are straitly shut up and cannot come forth by reason of present heaviness of spirit, may hear him say, as with a soft whisper in your ears, and in your hearts, “Call upon me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”

The text naturally splits itself up into three distinct particles of truth.  Upon these let us speak as we are enabled by God the Holy Spirit.  First, prayer commanded — “Call unto me;” secondly, an answer promised — “And I will answer thee;” thirdly, faith encouraged — “And shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”

I. The first head is PRAYER COMMANDED.

We are not merely counseled and recommended to pray, but bidden to pray.  This is great condescension.  An hospital is built: it is considered sufficient that free admission shall be given to the sick when they seek it; but no order in council is made that a man must enter its gates.  A soup kitchen is well provided for in the depth of winter.  Notice is promulgated that those who are poor may receive food on application; but no one thinks of passing an Act of Parliament, compelling the poor to come and wait at the door to take the charity.  It is thought to be enough to proffer it without issuing any sort of mandate that men shall accept it.  Yet so strange is the infatuation of man on the one hand, which makes him need a command to be merciful to his own soul, and so marvelous is the condescension of our gracious God on the other, that he issues a command of love without which not a man of Adam born would partake of the gospel feast, but would rather starve than come. In the matter of prayer it is even so.  God’s own people need, or else they would not receive it, a command to pray.

How is this?  Because, dear friends, we are very subject to fits of worldliness, if indeed that be not our usual state.  We do not forget to eat: we do not forget to take the shop shutters down: we do not forget to be diligent in business: we do not forget to go to our beds to rest: but we often do forget to wrestle with God in prayer and to spend, as we ought to spend, long periods in consecrated fellowship with our Father and our God.  With too many professors, the ledger is so bulky that you cannot move it, and the Bible, representing their devotion, is so small that you might almost put it in your waistcoat pocket.  Hours for the world!  Moments for Christ!  The world has the best, and our closet the parings of our time.  We give our strength and freshness to the ways of mammon, and our fatigue and languor to the ways of God.  Hence it is that we need to be commanded to attend to that very act which it ought to be our greatest happiness, as it is our highest privilege to perform, viz. to meet with our God.  “Call upon me,” saith he, for he knows that we are apt to forget to call upon God.  “What meanest thou, oh, sleeper? arise and call upon thy God,” is an exhortation which is needed by us as well as by Jonah in the storm.

He understands what heavy hearts we have sometimes, when under a sense of sin.  Satan says to us, “Why should you pray?  How can you I hope to prevail?  In vain, thou sayest, I will arise and go to my Father, for thou art not worthy to be one of his hired servants.  How canst thou see the king’s face after thou hast played the traitor against him?  How wilt thou dare to approach unto the altar when thou hast thyself defiled it, and when the sacrifice which thou wouldst bring there is a poor polluted one?”  O brethren, it is well for us that we are commanded to pray, or else in times of heaviness we might give it up.  If God command me, unfit as I may be, I will creep to the footstool of grace; and since he says, “Pray without ceasing,” though my words fail me and my heart itself will wander, yet I will still stammer out the wishes of my hungering soul and say, “O God, at least teach me to pray and help me to prevail with thee.”

Are we not commanded to pray also because of our frequent unbelief?  Unbelief whispers, “What profit is there if thou shouldst seek the Lord upon such-and-such a matter?”  This is a case quite out of the list of those things wherein God hath interposed, and, therefore (saith the devil), if you were in any other position you might rest upon the mighty arm of God; but here your prayer will not avail you.  Either it is too trivial a matter, or it is too connected with temporals, or else it is a matter in which you have sinned too much, or else it is too high, too hard, too complicated a piece of business, you have no right to take that before God!  So suggests the foul fiend of hell.

Therefore, there stands written as an every-day precept suitable to every case into which a Christian can be cast, “Call unto me — call unto me.”  Art thou sick?  Wouldst thou be healed?  Cry unto me, for I am a Great Physician.  Does providence trouble thee?  Art thou fearful that thou shalt not provide things honest in the sight of man?  Call unto me!  Do thy children vex thee?  Dost thou feel that which is sharper than an adder’s tooth — a thankless child?  Call unto me.  Are thy griefs little yet painful, like small points and pricks of thorns?  Call unto me!  Is thy burden heavy as though it would make thy back break beneath its load?  Call unto me!  “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”  In the valley — on the mountain — on the barren rock-in the briny sea, submerged, anon, beneath the billows, and lifted up by-and-by upon the crest of the waves — in the furnace when the coals are glowing — in the gates of death when the jaws of hell would shut themselves upon thee — cease thou not, for the commandment evermore addresses thee with “Call unto me.”  Still prayer is mighty and must prevail with God to bring thee thy deliverance.  These are some of the reasons why the privilege of supplication is also in Holy Scripture spoken of as a duty: there are many more, but these will suffice this morning.

We must not leave our first part till we have made another remark.  We ought to be very glad that God hath given us this command in his word that it may be sure and abiding.  You may turn to fifty passages where the same precept is uttered.  I do not often read in Scripture, “Thou shalt not kill;” “Thou shalt not covet.”  Twice the law is given, but I often read gospel precepts, for if the law be given twice, the gospel is given seventy times seven.  For every precept which I cannot keep, by reason of my being weak through the flesh, I find a thousand precepts, which it is sweet and pleasant for me to keep, by reason of the power of the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in the children of God; and this command to pray is insisted upon again and again It may be a seasonable exercise for some of you to find out how often in scripture you are told to pray.  You will be surprised to find how many times such words as these are given; “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee” — “Ye people, pour out your heart before him.”  “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near.”  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” — “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”  “Pray without ceasing” — “Come boldly unto the throne of grace,” “Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.”  “Continue in prayer.”  I need not multiply where I could not possibly exhaust.  I pick two or three out of this great bag of pearls.  Come, Christian, you ought never to question whether you have a right to pray: you should never ask, “May I be permitted to come into his presence?”  When you have so many commands, (and God’s commands are all promises, and all enablings,) you may come boldly unto the throne of heavenly grace, by the new and living way through the rent veil.

But there are times when God not only commands his people to pray in the Bible, but he also commands them to pray directly by the motions of his Holy Spirit.  You who know the inner life comprehend me at once.  You feel on a sudden, possibly in the midst of business, the pressing thought that you must retire to pray.  It maybe, you do not at first take particular notice of the inclination, but it comes again, and again, and again — “Retire and pray!”  I find that in the matter of prayer, I am myself very much like a water-wheel which runs well when there is plenty of water, but which turns with very little force when the brook is growing shallow; or, like the ship which flies over the waves, putting out all her canvas when the wind is favorable, but which has to tack about most laboriously when there is but little of the favoring breeze.  Now, it strikes me that whenever our Lord gives you the special inclination to pray, that you should double your diligence.  You ought always to pray and not to faint; yet when he gives you the special longing after prayer, and you feel a peculiar aptness and enjoyment in it, you have, over and above the command which is constantly binding, another command which should compel you to cheerful obedience.

At such times, I think we may stand in the position of David, to whom the Lord said, “When thou hearest a sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then shalt thou bestir thyself.”  That going in the tops of the mulberry trees may have been the footfalls of angels hastening to the help of David, and then David was to smite the Philistines, and when God’s mercies are coming, their footfalls are our desires to pray; and our desires to pray should be at once an indication that, the set time to favor Zion is come.  Sow plentifully now, for thou canst sow in hope; plough joyously now, for thy harvest is sure.  Wrestle now, Jacob, for thou art about to be made a prevailing prince, and thy name shall be called Israel.  Now is thy time, spiritual merchantmen; the market is high, trade much; thy profit shall be large.  See to it that thou usest right well the golden hour, and reap thy harvest while the sun shines.  When we enjoy visitations from on high, we should be peculiarly constant in prayer; and if some other duty less pressing should have the go-bye for a season, it will not be amiss and we shalt be no loser; for when God bids us specially pray by the monitions of his spirit, then should we bestir ourselves in prayer.

II. Let us now take the second head — AN ANSWER PROMISED.

We ought not to tolerate for a minute the ghastly and grievous thought that God will not answer prayer.  His nature, as manifested in Christ Jesus, demands it.  He has revealed himself in the gospel as a God of love, full of grace and truth; and how can he refuse to help those of his creatures who humbly in his own appointed way seek his face and favor?  When the Athenian senate, upon one occasion, found it most convenient to meet together in the open air, as they were sitting in their deliberations, a sparrow, pursued by a hawk, flow in the direction of the senate.  Being hard pressed by the bird of prey, it sought shelter in the bosom of one of the senators.  He, being a man of rough and vulgar mould, took the bird from his bosom, dashed it on the ground and so killed it.  Whereupon the whole senate rose in uproar, and without one single dissenting voice, condemned him to die, as being unworthy of a seat in the senate with them, or to be called an Athenian, if he did not render succor to a creature that confided in him.

Can we suppose that the God of heaven, whose nature is love, could tear out of his bosom the poor fluttering dove that flies from the eagle of justice into the bosom of his mercy?  Will he give the invitation to us to seek his face, and when we as he knows, with so much trepidation of fear, yet summon courage enough to fly into his bosom, wilt he then be unjust and ungracious enough to forget to hear our cry and to answer us?  Let us not think so hardly of the God of heaven.

Let us recollect next, his vast character as well as his nature.  I mean the character which he has won for himself by his past deeds of grace.  Consider, my brethren, that one stupendous display of bounty — if I were to mention a thousand I could not give a better illustration of the character of God than that one deed — “He that spared not his own Son, but freely delivered him up for us all” — and it is not my inference only, but the inspired conclusion of an apostle — “how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”  If the Lord did not refuse to listen to my voice when I was a guilty sinner and an enemy, how can he disregard my cry now, that I am justified and saved!  How is it that he heard the voice of my misery when my heart knew it not, and would not seek relief, if after all he will not hear me now that I am his child, his friend?  The streaming wounds of Jesus are the sure guarantees for answered prayer.  George Herbert represents in that quaint poem of his, “The Bag,” the Savior saying,

“If ye have anything to send or write

(I have no bag, but here is room)

Unto my Father’s hands and sight,

(Believe me) it shall safely come.

That I shall mind what you impart

Look, you may put it very near my heart,

Or if hereafter any of friends

Will use me in this kind, the door

Shall still be open; what he sends

I will present and somewhat more

Not to his hurt.”

Surely, George Herbert’s thought was that the atonement was in itself a guarantee that prayer must be heard, that the great gash made near the Savior’s heart, which let the light into the very depths of the heart of Deity, was a proof that he who sits in heaven would hear the cry of his people.

You misread Calvary, if you think that prayer is useless.  But, beloved, we have the Lord’s own promise for it, and he is a God that cannot lie: “Call upon me in, the day of trouble and I will answer thee.”  Has he not said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believe that ye shall have it and ye shall have it.”  We cannot pray, indeed, unless we believe this doctrine; “for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them, that diligently seek him;” and if we have any question at all about whether our prayer will be heard, we are comparable to him that wavereth; “for he who wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed; let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.”

Furthermore, it is not necessary, still it may strengthen the point, if we add that our own experience leads us to believe that God will answer prayer.  I must not speak for you; but I may speak for myself.  If there be anything I know, anything that I am quite assured of beyond all question, it is that praying breath is never spent in vain.  If no other man here can say it, I dare to say it, and I know that I can prove it.  My own conversion is the result of prayer, long, affectionate, earnest, importunate.  Parents prayed for me; God heard their cries, and here I am to preach the gospel.  Since then I have adventured upon some things that were far beyond my capacity as I thought; but I have never failed, because I have cast myself upon the Lord.

You know as a church that I have not scrupled to indulge large ideas of what we might do for God; and we have accomplished all that we purposed.  I have sought God’s aid, and assistance, and help, in all my manifold undertakings, and though I cannot tell here the story of my private life in God’s work, yet if it were written it would be a standing proof that there is a God that answers prayer.  He has heard my prayers, not now and then, nor once nor twice, but so many times, that it has grown into a habit with me to spread my case before God with the absolute certainty that whatsoever I ask of God, he will give to me.  It is not now a “Perhaps” or a possibility.  I know that my Lord answers me, and I dare not doubt, it were indeed folly if I did.  As I am sure that a certain amount of leverage will lift a weight, so I know that a certain amount of prayer will get anything from God.  As the rain-cloud brings the shower, so prayer brings the blessing.  As spring scatters flowers, so supplication ensures mercies.  In all labor, there is profit, but most of all in the work of intercession: I am sure of this, for I have reaped it.  As I put trust in the queen’s money, and have never failed yet to buy what I want when I produce the cash, so put I trust in God’s promises, and mean to do so till I find that he shall once tell me that they are base coin, and will not do to trade with in heaven’s market.

But why should I speak?  O brothers and sisters, you all know in your own selves that God hears prayer; if you do not, then where is your Christianity?  Where is your religion?  You will need to learn what are the first elements of the truth; for all saints, young or old, set it down as certain that he doth hear prayer.

Still remember that prayer is always to be offered in submission to God’s will; that when we say, God heareth prayer, we do not intend by that, that he always gives us literally what we ask for.  We do mean, however, this, that he gives us what is best for us; and that if he does not give us the mercy we ask for in silver, he bestows it upon us in gold.  If he doth not take away the thorn in the flesh, yet be saith, “My grace is sufficient for thee,” and that comes to the same in the end.  Lord Bolingbroke said to the Countess of Huntingdon, “I cannot understand, your ladyship, how you can make out earnest prayer to be consistent with submission to the divine will.”  “My lord,” she said, “that is a matter of no difficulty.  If I were a courtier of some generous king, and he gave me permission to ask any favor I pleased of him, I should be sure to put it thus, ‘Will your majesty be graciously pleased to grant me such-and-such a favor; but at the same time though I very much desire it, if it would in any way detract from your majesty’s honor, or if in your majesty’s judgment it should seem better that I did not have this favor, I shall be quite as content to go without it as to receive it.’  So you see I might earnestly offer a petition, and yet I might submissively leave it in the king’s hands.”  So with God.  We never offer up prayer without inserting that clause, either in spirit or in words, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt; not my will but thine be done.”  We can only pray without an “if” when we are quite sure that our will must be God’s will, because God’s will is fully our will.

III. I come to our third point, ENCOURAGEMENT TO FAITH, “I will shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”

Let us just remark that this was originally spoken to a prophet in prison; and, therefore, it applies in the first place to every teacher, and, indeed, as every teacher must be a learner, it has a bearing upon every learner in divine truth.  The best way by which a prophet and teacher and learner can know the reserved truths, the higher and more mysterious truths of God, is by waiting upon God in prayer.  I noticed very specially yesterday in reading the Book of the Prophet Daniel, how Daniel found out Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  The soothsayers, the magicians, the astrologers of the Chaldecs, brought out their curious books and their strange-looking instruments, and began to mutter their abracadabra and all sorts of mysterious incantations, but they all failed.

What did Daniel do?  He set himself to prayer, and knowing that the prayer of a united body of men has more prevalence than the prayer of one, we find that Daniel called together his brethren, and bade them unite with him in earnest prayer that God would be pleased of his infinite mercy to open up the vision.  “Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hannriah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.”

And in the case of John, who was the Daniel of the New Testament, you remember he saw a book in the right hand of him that sat on the throne — a book sealed with seven seals which none was found worthy to open or to look thereon.  What did John do?  The book was by-and-by opened by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who had prevailed to open the book; but it is written first before the book was opened, “I wept much.”  Yes, and the tears of John which were his liquid prayers, were, as far as he was concerned, the sacred keys by which the folded book was opened.

Brethren in the ministry, you who are teachers in the Sabbath school, and all of you who are learners in the college of Christ Jesus, I pray you remember that prayer is your best means of study: like Daniel you shall understand the dream, and the interpretation thereof, when you have sought unto God; and like John you shall see the seven seals of precious truth unloosed, after that you have wept much.  “Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up the voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”  Stones are not broken, except by an earnest use of the hammer; and the stone-breaker usually goes down on his knees.  Use the hammer of diligence, and let the knee of prayer be exercised, too, and there is not a stony doctrine in Revelation which is useful for you to understand, which will not fly into shivers under the exercise of prayer and faith.  “Bene orasse est bene studuisse” was a wise sentence of Luther, which has been so often quoted, that we hardly venture but to hint at it.  “To have prayed well is to have studied well.”

You may force your way through anything with the leverage of prayers.  Thoughts and reasoning may be like the steel wedges which may open a way into truth; but prayer is the lever which forces open the iron chest of sacred mystery, that we may get the treasure that is hidden therein for those who can force their way to reach it.  The kingdom of heaven still suffereth violence, and the violent taketh it by force.  Take care that we work away with the mighty implement of prayer, and nothing can stand against you.

We must not, however, stop there.  We have applied the text to only one case; it is applicable to a hundred.  We single out another.  The saint may expect to discover deeper experience and to know more of the higher spiritual life, by being much in prayer.  There are different translations of my text.  One version renders it, “I will show thee great and fortified things which thou knowest not.”  Another reads it, “Great and reserved things which thou knowest not.”  Now, all the developments of spiritual life are not alike easy of attainment.  There are the common frames and feelings of repentance, and faith, and joy, and hope, which are enjoyed by the entire family: but there is an upper realm of rapture, of communion, and conscious union with Christ, which is far from being the common dwelling-place of believers.  All believers see Christ; but all believers do not put their fingers into the prints of the nails, nor thrust their hand into his side.  We have not till the high privilege of John to loan upon Jesus’ bosom, nor of Paul, to be caught up into the third heaven.  In the ark of salvation, we find a lower, second, and third story; all are in the ark, but all are not in the same story.  Most Christians, as to the river of experience, are only up to the ankles; some others have waded till the stream is up to the knees; a few find it breast-high; and but a few — oh! how few! — find it a river to swim in, the bottom of which they cannot touch.  My brethren, there are heights in experimental knowledge of the things of God which the eagle’s eye of acumen and philosophic thought hath never seen; and there are secret paths which the lion’s whelp of reason and judgment hath not as yet learned to travel.  God alone can bear us there; but the chariot in which he takes us up, and the fiery steeds with which that chariot is dragged, are prevailing prayers.

Prevailing prayer is victorious over the God of mercy “By his strength, he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth-el, and there he spoke with us.”  Prevailing prayer takes the Christian to Carmel, and enables him to cover heaven with clouds of blessing, and earth with floods of mercy.  Prevailing prayer bears the Christian aloft to Pisgah and shows him the inheritance reserved; ay, and it elevates him to Tabor and transfigures him, till in the likeness of his Lord, as he is, so are we also in this world.  If you would reach to something higher than ordinary groveling experience, look to the Rock that is higher than you, and look with the eye of faith through the windows of importunate prayer.  To grow in experience then, there must be much prayer.

You must have patience with me while I apply this text to two or three more cases.  It is certainly true of the sufferer under trial: if he waits upon God in prayer much he shall receive greater deliverances than he has ever dreamed of — “great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”  Here is Jeremiah’s testimony: — “Thou drawest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not O Lord , thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.”  And David’s is the same: — “I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place…. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.”  And yet again: “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.”  “My husband is dead,” said the poor woman, “and my creditor is come to take my two sons as bondsmen.”  She hoped that Elijah would possibly say, “What are your debts? I will pay them.”  Instead of that, he multiplies her oil till it is written, “Go thou and pay thy debts, and” — what was the “and?” — “live thou and thy children upon the rest.”

So often it will happen that God will not only help his people through the miry places of the way, so that they may just stand on the other side of the slough, but he will bring them safely far on the journey.  That was a remarkable miracle, when in the midst of the storm, Jesus Christ came walking upon the sea, the disciples received him into the ship, and not only was the sea calm, but it is recorded, “Immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.”  That was a mercy over and above what they asked.  I sometimes hear you pray and make use of a quotation which is not in the Bible: — “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or even think.”  It is not so written in the Bible.  I do not know what we can ask or what we can think.  But it is said, “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or even think.”  Let us then, dear friends, when we are in great trial only say, “Now I am in prison; like Jeremiah I will pray as he did, for I have God’s command to do it; and I will look out as he did, expecting that he will show me reserved mercies which I know nothing of at present.”  He will not merely bring his people through the battle, covering their heads in it, but he will bring them forth with banners waving, to divide the spoil with the mighty, and to claim their portion with the strong.   Expect great things of a God who gives such great promises as these.

Again, here is encouragement for the worker.  Most of you are doing something for Christ; I am happy to be able to say this, knowing that I do not flatter you.  My dear friends, wait upon God much in prayer, and you have the promise that he will do greater things for you than you know of.   We know not how much capacity for usefulness there may be in us.  That ass’s jaw-bone lying there upon the earth, what can it do?  Nobody knows what it can do.  It gets into Samson’s hands, what can it not do?  No one knows what it cannot do now that a Samson wields it.  And you, friend, have often thought yourself to be as contemptible as that bone, and you have said, “What can I do?”  Ay, but when Christ by his Spirit grips you, what can you not do?  Truly you may adopt Paul’s language and say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.”

However, do not depend upon prayer without effort.  In a certain school, there was one girl who knew the Lord, a very gracious, simple-hearted, trustful child.  As usual, grace developed itself in the child according to the child’s position.  Her lessons were always best said of any in the class.  Another girl said to her, “How is it that your lessons are always so well said?”  “I pray God to help me,” she said, “to learn my lesson.”  “Well,” thought the other, “Then I will do the same.”  The next morning when she stood up in the class she knew nothing; and when she was in disgrace she complained to the other, “Why I prayed God to help me learn my lesson and I do not know anything of it.  What is the use of prayer?”  “But did you sit down and try to learn it?”  “Oh, no,” she said, “I never looked at the book.”  “Ah,” then said the other, “I asked God to help me to learn my lesson; but, I then sat down to it studiously, and I kept at it till I knew it well, and I learned it easily, because my earnest desire, which I had expressed to God was, help me to be diligent in endeavoring to do my duty.”  So is it with some who come up to prayer meetings and pray, and then they fold their arms and go away hoping that God’s work will go on. Like the woman singing, “Fly a broad, thou mighty gospel,” but not putting a penny in the plate; so that her friend touched her and said, “But how can it fly if you don’t give it wings to fly with?”  There be many who appear to be very mighty in prayer, wondrous in supplications; but then they require God to do what they can do themselves, and, therefore, God does nothing at all for them. “I shall leave my camel untied,” said an Arab once to Mahomet, “and trust to providence.”  “Tie it up,” said Mahomet, “and then trust to providence.”  So you that say, “I shall pray and trust my Church, or my class, or my work to God’s goodness,” may rather hear the voice of experience and wisdom which says, “Do thy best; work as if all rested upon thy toil; as if thy own aim would bring thy salvation;” “and when thou hast done all, cast thy self on him without whom it is in vain to rise up early and to sit up late, and to eat the bread of carefulness; and if he speed thee give him the praise.”

I shall not detain you many minutes longer, but I want to notice that this promise ought to prove useful for the comforting of those who are intercessors for others.  You who are calling upon God to save your children, to bless your neighbors, to remember your husbands or your wives in mercy, may take comfort from this, “I will shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”  A celebrated minister in the last century, one Mr. Bailey, was the child of a godly mother.  This mother had almost ceased to pray for her husband, who was a man of a most ungodly stamp, and a bitter persecutor.  The mother prayed for her boy, and while he was yet eleven or twelve years of age, eternal mercy met with him.  So sweetly instructed was the child in the things of the kingdom of God, that the mother requested him — and for some time he always did so — to conduct family prayer in the house.  Morning and evening, this little one laid open the Bible; and though the father would not deign to stop for the family prayer, yet on one occasion he was rather curious to know “what sort of an out the boy would make of it,” so he stopped on the other side of the door, and God blessed the prayer of his own child under thirteen years of age to his conversion, said, The mother might well have read my text with streaming eyes and said, “Yes, Lord, thou hast shewn me great and mighty things which I knew not: thou hast not only saved my boy, but through my boy thou hast brought my husband to the truth.”  You cannot guess how greatly God will bless you.  Only go and stand at his door, you cannot tell what is in reserve for you.

If you do not beg at all, you will get nothing; but if you beg he may not only give you, as it were, the bones, and broken meat, but he may say to the servant at his table, “Take thou that dainty meat, and set that before the poor man.”  Ruth went to glean; she expected to get a few good ears: but Boaz said, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and rebuke her not;” he said moreover to her, “At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.”  Nay, she found a husband where she only expected to find a handful of barley.  So in prayer for others, God may give us such mercies that we shall be astounded at them, since we expected but little.  Hear what is said of Job, and learn its lesson, “And the Lord said, My servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job…. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

Now, this word to close with.  Some of you are seekers for your own conversion.  God has quickened you to solemn prayer about your own souls.  You are not content to go to hell, you want heaven; you want washing in the precious blood; you want eternal life.  Dear friends, I pray you take this text — God himself speaks it to you — “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”  At once take God at his word.  Get home, go into your chamber and shut the door, and try him.  Young man, I say, try the Lord.  Young woman, prove him, see whether he be true or not.  If God be true, you cannot seek mercy at his hands through Jesus Christ and get a negative reply.  He must, for his own promise and character bind him to it, open mercy’s gate to you who knock with all your heart.  God help you, believing in Christ Jesus, to cry aloud unto God, and his answer of peace is already on the way to meet you.  You shall hear him say, “Your sins which are many are all forgiven.”  The Lord bless you for his love’s sake.  Amen.

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