SERMON I.

THE EXHORTATION TO PRAYER.

PHIL. iv. 13.

"I can do all things through CHRIST which strengtheneth me."

AFTER the Creed and the Ten Commandments, the Catechism wisely and beautifully introduces the subject of Prayer. For as a tree, though it be planted ever so carefully, will assuredly die unless it be watered by the rains and dews from Heaven, and sustained by the sun; so, although we be born again in Baptism, yet that new life can only be supported by the constant help of GOD, which is to be obtained by Prayer. It is so with our natural life: a child must die if it has not the aid of others; and the child of God in like manner will perish, if God does not sustain its heavenly and spiritual life. It is a sense of this our utter helplessness without GOD, which the Catechism would first of all have impressed upon us: Know this"—or be fully persuaded of this great truth-" that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the commandments of GOD, and to serve HIM, without His special grace." It is as our LORD HIMSELF declares, "Without ME, ye can do nothing'." And it seems almost as if it were in allusion to these our LORD's words, that St. Paul afterwards testifies of his own experience; "I can do all things through CHRIST which strengtheneth me.” And these two truths here declared by the Catechism,-our inability to do any good of ourselves, and our sure confidence in

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1 John xv. 5.

B

GOD'S power to enable us "to do all things,"-may be found to run through all the Collects of our Church, expressed in various ways, more or less fully as in that for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity, Grant to us, LORD, we beseech Thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will." And in that for the First Sunday after Trinity, "Because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without Thee, grant us the help of Thy grace, that in keeping of Thy commandments we may please Thee both in will and deed."

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But there is no use in our knowing these things, except it be, as the Catechism here warns us, that we should "at all times call for" that grace "by diligent Prayer." At all times"- -as we must at all times serve God, as our very thoughts depend upon HIM, so we must at all times pray. Prayer is as constantly needful for the life of the soul, as bread is for that of the body: by Prayer it breathes forth its desires, and receives in return the gracious inspiration of GOD. This expression of the Catechism is like that of St. Paul's, "Pray without ceasing." And as in another place he says, "In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto GOD3." Indeed, the Christian state is spoken of as a state of continual Prayer. The Prophet in describing it beforehand, says, "It shall come to pass in that day, I will pour upon the house of David the spirit of grace and supplications." And our LORD HIMSELF speaks of it as the true fulfilment of Jacob's vision, when the Heavens shall be opened, and the angels shall be seen ascending and descending on the Son of MAN :" that is to say, that there will be such an intercourse opened between earth and Heaven, that it will all be like the continual going up of Prayers, and the coming down of marvellous blessings. And doubtless all that is described by such and the like expressions, is found to be fulfilled in the experience of a heavenly-minded and self-denying Christian. He finds that beyond all that words can convey, or heart can understand, is the love and the good

21 Thess. v. 17.
4 Zech. xii. 9, 10,

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3 Phil. iv. 6.

5 John i. 51.

ness of GOD, with which he holds unceasing intercourse and communion by Prayer. Inasmuch as thereby he obtains strength to do his duty, and is thus brought more and more near to God. He finds in his own case that mountains are thereby removed", which seemed to hinder his Christian course. Indeed, the very perfecting of his joy and crown is through those evils and temptations which he overcomes by Prayer. Thus was it with St. Paul, he had a thorn in the flesh;" some painful infirmity which greatly troubled him; he calls it the messenger of Satan" given "to buffet him." "For this thing," he says, "I besought the Lord thrice," i. e. he prayed very often, "that it might depart from" him. And though this thorn was not removed from him, yet, through his frequent Prayers, it was so altered by HIM, Who for our sakes wore a crown of thorns, that it contributed very largely to his spiritual perfection. "And HE said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of CHRIST may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities"." Now all this wonderful change in St. Paul-that the very thing which had distressed him, and appeared to be hindering his Christian progress, should become so altered as to be the subject of his glory and rejoicing,—all this was brought about by what he terms praying thrice, i. e. by Prayer, frequent and earnest.

And now it may in the next place be observed, that the Catechism here speaks not only of calling upon GOD "at all times" for this His grace, but it makes mention also of diligence ;- 'by diligent Prayer." This, indeed, implies something more than "at all times," it requires likewise earnestness and perseverance. For a man may be at work at all times, and yet not work with diligence. The two things together seem often expressed by our LORD, when HE unites watching with prayer : "Watch ye therefore, and pray always." This word "watching" implies more than any other term or description could express; it means, being fully awake, and in earnest, so as to know what we ought to pray for "at all times;" to be looking out for the points of danger and difficulty, like soldiers on the watch in the midst

6 Mark xi. 23.

7 2 Cor. xii. 7-10.

8 Luke xxi. 36.

of enemies, so as to bring Prayer at all opportunities to bear upon them, with all that seriousness and importunity which matters of eternity require from us.

But it is not only in single expressions and particular precepts that our LORD has taught us this great necessity of unceasing and earnest Prayer. He has set the same before us also by many instructive incidents, and some engaging parables. Such is that of the man who goes to his friend at midnight, saying, "Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut." But afterwards, "because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth'." By this selfish man in bed, who at first refuses his friend, our LORD would represent to us those cases of our need in which, in our unbelief, Gop at first appears as if He heard us not, as if He cared not for us and our requests; and when our weak hearts are almost inclined to turn away and give up the matter in despair; but when, in fact, GOD is only waiting to be gracious, if we will be persevering and importunate. And here the man who needs the three loaves wants them not for himself, but for a friend on his journey it is, as it were, for a work of charity. Now this may serve to represent to us those cases in which we are in some perplexity and distress, not on account of our own great need of the Bread of life, but for some one else, some friend on his heavenly journey, overtaken by the midnight of unbelief, and ready to fail. A father anxious for a child, who appears to have little regard for religion, and beyond all human power of correction; or a son for a father, sinking into his grave in forgetfulness of God; or, it may be, a master for his servants, or one friend for another. In cases of this kind we are often apt to despair, more than in our own. And yet, no doubt, that Almighty Friend withdrawn within the veil, and as it were at rest with His Saints, will, if we persevere in Prayer, arise and give us as much as we need. The "door is indeed shut" in the Parable, but to this our Lord adds, Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." The friend within seems indifferent to his

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9 Luke xi. 5-8.

request, but our LORD proceeds after the parable to speak of GoD as good, beyond all goodness that we can conceive. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?" "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly FATHER give the HOLY SPIRIT to them that ask HIM?" HE is, indeed, at all times more willing to hear than we to ask; ready to give more than we can desire. It is our impatience, our unwillingness to pray, our slowness to believe makes it appear otherwise.

There is another memorable Parable much to the same effect, that of the importunate Widow'. Our LORD had been speaking of the coming of the last Day, and of men being found unprepared for it, as they had been in the days of Noah and of Lot, to which is added, And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Here the widow may evidently represent the soul which feels itself bereaved and desolate, yet "trusting in GOD;" and when sore beset by the great enemy of souls, she seeks to be delivered from his power. And if in such a case by her persevering entreaties she is able to prevail with an unjust judge, who is regardless of GOD and man, how much more shall the GOD of justice and mercy hear those whom He hath chosen and loved, when they "cry day and night unto HIM :" when, as the Catechism says, they "call for His special grace at all times with diligent prayer?”

But as CHRIST has been pleased thus to represent God's dealings with us in His parables, as waiting for our Prayers, and withholding good that He may give it more abundantly, so are the same represented to us on many occasions throughout the Scriptures. It is in urging us to pray for the souls of our brethren, that St. James refers to the case of Elijah, who was, says, a man subject to like passions as we are3;" yet, in order to bring about the conversion of others," 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 Heavens gave rain." To this we may add the remarkable case of Hezekiah, when, as in the two parables, where the request is first denied and afterwards granted, so God had actually declared

he

1 Luke xi. 11. 13.

2 Luke xviii. 1-7.

3 James v. 17, 18.