And the three remaining, more immediately respect our own personal wants; temporal and spiritual. Give us this day our daily bread.' And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.' 3. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.' The four first of these petitions are for the obtaining of good, and the two last for the averting of evil. III. A CONCLUSION, not only acknowledging the perfections of God, but most powerfully pleading them as a reason why our prayers should be heard. 'For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, Every part of prayer is comprehended in this pattern. Confession is plainly implied in every request, for the requests suppose either our weakness or our sinfulness in the particulars desired.. Petition forms the main substance of this prayer. Intercession is also involved in the whole; in the three first petitions more directly, and in the remaining petitions by their being in the plural number--give us,--forgive us,-lead us, &c. Thanksgiving is expressed in the conclusion, and there is in the petitions an implied acknowledgment, of all the great perfections of God. This prayer is too generally used as a vain repetition. It is worthy of remark, that at the very time our Lord gave it, he expressly warned his disciples against vain repetitions. Matt. ́vi, 7. Many things may be learned respecting prayer, from this pattern. 1. The filial confidence and reverence with which we ought to approach God. 2. The expediency of method and order in our prayers. 3. The necessity of seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 4. The lawfulness of then asking for temporal bless ings. 5. The importance of the temper in which we pray; an unforgiving temper obtains not God's forgive ness. 6. The duty of praying much for others. 7. The excellence of simplicity of expression. 8. The powerful pleas with which we may urge our petitions. In this prayer we are not taught to ask in the name of Christ; and the reason may be, that when it was given, Christ's atonement had not actually taken place, nor his intercession as a risen Saviour begun. Therefore our Lord says, hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name at that day ye shall ask in my name. John xvi, 23. SECT. VII.-On Answers to Prayer. Our too general neglect of looking for answers to what we ask, shews how little we are in earnest in our petitions. "None ask in earnest," says, Trail, "but they will try how they speed. There is no surer and plainer mark of trifling in prayer, than when men are careless what they get by prayer."-A husbandman is not content without the harvest; a marksman will observe whether the ball hits the target; a physician watches the effect of the medicine which he gives; one who writes or applies to another for any temporal good eagerly expects the answer; and shall the Christian be careless about the effect of his labour? Every prayer of the Christian, made in faith according to the will of God, for that which God hath promised, offered up in the name of Jesus Christ, and under the influence of his Spirit, whether for temporal or for spiritual blessings, is, or will be, fully answered.God always answers the general design and intention of his people's prayers in doing that which, all things considered, is most for his own glory, and their spiritual and eternal welfare. As we never find that Jesus Christ rejected a single supplicant who came to him for mercy; so we believe that no prayer made in his name will be in vain. "The answer of prayer may be approaching, though we discern not its coming. The seed in winter that lies under ground, is taking root in order to a spring and harvest, though it appear not above ground, but seems dead and lost." The time, or the mode of granting the request, may vary indeed from our wishes; but yet the prayer made as above stated, is heard, the desire so put up is fulfilled. Bishop Taylor observes, "As for those irregular donations of good things which wicked persons ask for, and have, they are either no mercies, but instruments of cursing and crime; or else they are designs of grace, intended to convince them of their unworthiness, and so, if they become not instruments of their conversion, they are aggravations of their ruin." In asking for SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS, for repentance, faith, humility, holiness, love, &c. we are sure of having the particular request granted, for this is the will of God even your sanctification. Yet in these things K the way of granting the request may, at first sight, seem like a denial. Remarkable, sometimes, are the ways in which prayers for spiritual blessings are answered. We pray for an increase of faith, patience, resignation, or other Christian graces: and our trials, instead of being removed, seem greatly aggravated. The clouds grow darker and darker. But the secret supports of the Holy Spirit being afforded, we do not sink under our burden. And in the midst of all these trials, the very things which we asked, are given. There is no exercise for faith when all is smooth; no room for patience and resignation when there is no suffering; the very graces which we sought, need difficulties, sorrows, and trials, in order to be manifested, exercised, and granted. Often the very sentence of death is put upon all our hopes, before they are realized. The extremity of suffering is the point of our deliverLet the tried Christian, then attend to Cowper's exhortation: ance. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take! It is the main desire of every Christian, in a proper state of mind, that the will of God be done; and when he asks for TEMPORAL BLESSINGS, he does it with full purpose of heart, not to have his own wishes accomplished, farther than as they concur with the will of God, which will, he is assured, ever designs his supreme happiness. Delight thyself in the Lord, and he will give thee the desire of thy heart. If you are really delighting in the Lord, the desire of your heart will be mainly for spiritual things; and for temporal things it will be with the reservation, thy will be done. This petition, whether expressed, or only understood, may often be a prayer that your previous requests for temporal good may not be granted, and thus there may be an opposition in your requests. We lose not by the denial of meaner petitions, when God sets them aside to give greater blessings. This appears to be the meaning of the following passages. He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God. Rom. viii. 27. And again, this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will; he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John v, 14, 15. No Christian wishes for the answer which the carnal Israelites received. He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. Ps. cvi, 15. If then the Christian be denied the particular request, his real prayers may receive an express answer in his own sanctification, and in the accomplishing of God's holy will; just as a sick man's real desire is accomplished, if he be ultimately made well, even though the medicine or the mode of cure expose him to things which he dislikes. But perhaps you ask, How may I know whether my prayers have been answered or not? Sometimes the case is so obvious that it cannot be mistaken-Jehoshaphat prays, and he is delivered from his enemies; Hezekiah prays, and is delivered from sickness;.. Jonah prays, and he is delivered from the belly of the whale; the Church prays, and Peter is delivered from Herod. The following, among many others, are examples of answers to particular requests. Gen. xxv, 21; 1 Chron. v, 20; 2 Chron. xxxiii, 13; Ezra viii, 23. At other times prayers are answered, rather in the increase of grace to bear the affliction, than in its K 2 |