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Use 2. Of exhortation, to persuade us to pray in faith. Now to this end, consider what encouragements there are.
1. Consider what assurance Jesus Christ hath given us : John xvi. 23, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.' There is a note of asseveration, * Verily, verily.' Whatever our doubts and temptations be about it, the word of God is to be tried ; do you think that Christ spake truth when he said, ' Verily, verily.' So John xv. 7, ' If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, yon shall ask what you will, and it shall bo done unto you/ If Christ hath subdued your desires to a submission to God's providence, and to the government of his laws, ask what you will, and it shall be given you ; so John xiv. 13, 14, ' Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.' Christ delighteth
' in despatching the affairs of his people. As the vision was double, and Pharaoh's dream was doubled for the greater assurance and certainty ; so here Christ inculcateth his speech for the greater confirmation of it, that we may be confident he meant as he spake.
2. In all your prayers to God consider how significant the name of Christ is in heaven. If you come in the sense of your own unworthi- ness, and desire alone to be accepted in him, you shall not be slighted or neglected. If you send a child or a servant to a friend for a thing in your name, the request is yours ; and he that denyeth a child or a servant, denyeth you. Jesus Christ hath sent you in his name, Go ask in my name ; so that in effect the request becomes Christ's request. God can no more deny your request in Christ's name than he can deny Christ himself.
3. Consider, how much God loveth you : John xvi. 27, ' For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me ; ' his heart is upon the things you ask for his glory. Now this is a mighty encour- agement ; as when Joab perceived the king's heart was towards Absalom, 2 Sam. xiv. 1, compared with the following verses, he made intercession by the woman of Tekoa. So when your desires are regulated according to his will, and subordinated to his glory, his heart is upon these requests.
4. Consider, the moans of the beasts and other dumb creatures are regarded by him, and will not the Lord hear the prayers and supplica- tions of his people ? Ps. cxlv. 15, 16, ' The eyes of all things wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desires of every living thing.' When the creatures gape for their refreshment, God satisfieth them. Now if the Lord hath respect to them, will he not hear his own children ? Luke xii. 24, ' Consider the ravens : for they neither sow nor reap ; which neither have store-house nor barn ; and God feedeth them : how much more are you better than the fowls ? ' Such is the Lord's overflow- ing love, that all the creatures have their wants supplied by his bounty.
5. Consider what kind of prayers have found acceptance with God. Solomon's dream was pleasing to the Lord, 1 Kings iii. 5, compared with vers. 9-13 ; the workings of his heart in his sleep were pleasing to God. Many times through grief, and the prevalency of our dis- tempers, we are hardly able to put prayer into language ; but then
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faith can send sighs to heaven. Words are but the ontside of prayer ; it is the actings of grace that lieth nearer the heart that is the prayer. A dumb beggar can get an alms at Christ's gate by making signs. If we be not tongue-tied with sin, and carnal liberty hath not brought an indisposition upon us ; nay, a look finds acceptance with God : Ps. v. 3, ' My voice shalt thou hear in the morning ; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.' And the breathing out our souls to God : Lam. iii. 5, 6, ' Thou hast heard my voice ; hide not thine ear from my breathing.' Yea, broken words with spiritual affec- tions will be accepted with God ; nay, chattering, as Hezekiah chat- tered like a crane, Isa. xxxviii. 14. Our desires have a loud sound in God's ears : Ps. x, 17, ' Lord, thou hast heard the desires of the humble.' Desires make no sound with men, but with God they have an audible voice. All this being put together, is a great comfort to the soul that God will accept of a sigh, a groan, a look, a deshe, a dream ; these are more acceptable to him than the pen of a ready writer, more than when we flow in words without spirit, life, and affection.