(Is^.) That we ask righteously according to the matter. So you have the limitation: 1 John v. 14, 15, 'And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us : and if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.' All the business is, what is the meaning of these words, 'According to his will ' ? Ans. With conformity to his revealed will, and with submis- sion to his secret will. Surely with conformity to his revealed or com- manding will, that we ask notliing unjust, or sinful, and seek to bring God to our lure, as Balaam, when he built altars, and sought to God for leave to curse his people. And that we ask nothing but what is agreeable to his secret will. Many things are lawful, yea, and com- manded, as for parents to ask the conversion of their children, and it is our duty to use the means in order to it, but we must refer the success to God ; God must be judge what shall be most for his glory. In short, we must ask according to his commanding will, with due respect to his
68 SERMON UPON 2 SAMUEL VII. 27.
decreeing will : John xiv. 13, ' Whatever ye ask the Father in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. What- ever belongetli to our duty and the glory of God we must do ; but for the event, how God will be glorified by either, we must submit it to God. So for lawful things : grace puts a restraint upon the will of a renewed man, that he seeketh nothing but what may be for the glory of God and his good. If he asketh other things and to other ends, he is prompted thereunto by his fl.esh, which maketh him lust after vain, empty, carnal satisfactions, to please his flesh.
(2d) The next limitation is to the manner. If we ask them fer- vently, and with that life and seriousness which finding a prayer in the heart doth require. So Mat. vii. 7, ' Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you ? ' Prayers are not answered if the spirit of prayer be wanting, or that liveliness which is necessary to make it prayer, thougli the form and fashion of it be kept up. Men may pray, but that life which their necessity calletli for may be far to seek. When we set our face to seek the Lord God with prayer and supplication : Dan. ix. 3, * I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication ; ' Jer. xxix. 13, 'Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.' This sets the spirit of prayer a- work.
(3d) The next qualification is of the person, as in the text, ' Thy servant ; ' so in other places : 1 John iii. 22, ' And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandmerits, and do those things which are pleasing in his sight ; ' that is, we are as certain we shall receive as if we had it already. If prayer should be performed with the greatest earnestness, and the greatest faith and confidence, yet if the consciences of men reprove them of any looseness and lightness of spirit, or that they have served God by halves, and are off and on with him in their practice, and look for good things from God, while they neglect their own duty and what is required of them, they cannot think that God should do it for them ; they cannot look that God should be engaged any further than he hath engaged himself. So John XV. 7, ' If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.' If you be solicitous about the word of Christ, and the matters of duty contained therein, you have a great advantage at the throne of grace. So Ps. Ixvi. 18, ' If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.' Many that pray are as ice, a little thawed above, but hard at bottom ; they have not such a strong settled resolution to walk more closely and orderly with God ; but allow some secret lust, and so mar their own audience and accep- tance with God.
Secondly, For reasons.
1. With respect to God — (1.) His observance ; (2.) His acceptance.
[1.] With respect to God's observance. He is an all-seeing spirit, and therefore will not be mocked with a vain appearance or a little bodily exercise ; but the prayers we make to him we must find them in our hearts : 1 Sam. xvi. 7, ' For God seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart.' We may act the parrot before men, but God looks to what there is in the heart : 1 Chron. xxviii. 9, ' Know thou the God of thy father, and