The notes are these : —
Obs. 1. That the trial of a true prayer is the faith of it. Cursory requests are made out of fashion, not in faith ; men pray, but do not consider the bounty of him to whom they pray : prayer is a means, not a task ; therefore, in prayer there should be distinct reflections upon the success of it. Well, then, look to your prayers ; see you put them up with a particular hope and trust ; all the success lieth on that : ' 0 woman ! great is thy faith ; be it to thee as thou wilt,' Mat. XV. 28 : God can deny faith nothing ; ' Be it to you as you will' So Mark xi. 24, ' Whatsoever things ye desire Avhen ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them.' Mark that, ' Be- lieve, and ye shall have.' God's attributes, when they are glorified, they are exercised, and by our trust his truth and power is engaged. But you will say, How shall we do to pray in faith ? I answer — There is something presupposed, and that is an interest in Christ. But that which is required in every prayer is : —
1. An actual reliance upon the grace and merits of Jesus Christ : Eph. ii. IS, ' Through him we have access with confidence unto the Father.' We cannot lift up a thought of hope and trust but by him. If you have not assurance, yet go out of yourselves, and look for your acceptance in his merits. Certainly this must be done ; none can pray aright but believers. How can they comfortably be persuaded of a blessing, that have never a promise belonging to them ? Therefore, at least you must honour Christ in the duty : you must see that such worthless creatures as you may be accepted in him : Heb. iv. 16, ' Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find help in time of need.' Through Christ we may come freely and boldly : I am a sinner, but Jesus Christ, my intercessor, is righteous. Men will say, they do not doubt of God, but of them- selves : I am a wretched sinner, will the Lord hear me ? I answer —
1 ' Turbo quidam animos nostros rotat, et involvit fugientes petentesque eadem, et r.unc in sublime allevatos, nunc in infima allisos rapit' — Seneca de Vita Beala.
48 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 6.
This is but Satan's policy to make us say we doubt of ourselves, not of God ; for, in effect, it is a doubting of God ; of his mercy, as if it were not free enough to pardon and save ; of his power, as if it were not great enough to help. We must come humbly ; we are sinners : but we must come in faith also ; Christ is a Saviour : it is our folly, under colour of humbling ourselves, to have low thoughts of God. If we had skill, we should see that all graces, like the stones in the building, have a marvellous symmetry and compliance one with another; and we may come humbly, yet boldly in Christ.
2. We must put up no prayer but what we can put up in faith : prayer must be regulated by faith, and fliith must not wander out of the limits of the word. If you have a promise, you may be confident that your requests will be heard, though in God's season : you cannot put up a carnal desire in faith. The apostle's words are notably perti- nent to state this matter : 1 John v. 14, ' This is the confidence that we have concerning him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.' AH things are to be asked in faith; some things absolutely, as spiritual blessings, — I mean, as considered in their essence, not degree. Degrees are arbitrary. Other things condition- ally, as outward blessings. Let the pra3'er be according to the word, and the success will be according to the prayer.
3. The soul must actually magnify God's attributes in every prayer, and distinctly urge them against the present doubt and fear. Usually we do not doubt for want of a clear promise, but out of low thoughts of God; we cannot carry his love, power, truth, above the present temptation, and believe that there is love enough to justify us from so many sins, power enough to deliver us from so great a death or danger, 2 Cor. i. 10 ; and bounty enough to bestow so great a mercy. This is to pray in faith, to form proper and right thoughts of God in prayer, when we see there is enough to answer the particular doubt and exigency : as Mat. viii. 28, 29, Jesus saith to the two blind men, ' Believe ye that I am able to do this ? and they said, Yea, Lord : then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you.' Christ asked first whether they had a right estimation of his power, and then, in the next place, he calleth it faith, and gave them the blessing. Those that come to God had need conceive rightly of him ; Christ requireth nothing more of the blind man but a sealing to the greatness of his power. ' Believest thou that I am able ? ' ' Yea, Lord ; ' and that was all. But you will say, Tell us more dis- tinctly, what faith is required in every prayer ? I answer — The ques- tion has been in a great part already answered.