It is here however supposed^ that we call upon him ''in truth" —
[Prayer must be sincere, in order to find acceptance with God. We cannot hope that it shall prevail, if it proceed " from feigned lips." Of what value in the sight of God can a mere formal recital of words be ? " It is in vain that we draw nigh to him with our lips, if our hearts be far from him." Or, sup- posing that we be earnest in our petitions, how can we hope that God will hear them, if we are hypocritically indulging any secret sins ? David justly says, " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." By the prophet Isaiah, God speaks vet more strongly : " When ve spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you ; vea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear : your hands are full of blood '^." " God is a kSpirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth '^i" and to those who so worship him, is his promise of acceptance confined : ** Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your hearth"]
To this general promise of hearing his people's prayers, is added an assurance,
II. That
Msai. Iviii. 9. '' Jam. iv. 8. " John xiv. 21, 22,
^ Isai. i. 15. & Prov. xxi. 27. • John iv. 24.
' Jer. xxix. 12, 13.
4S8.] god's readines^ to answer prayer. 487
II. That he will hear them even under circumstances that may be supposed most unfavourable to their acceptance with him —
Where there have been much previous meditation, and subsequent fluency of expression, we are in- clined to hope, that our prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts : ])ut where these have been wanting, we are ready to doubt whether God will regard us at all.
But we are assured in our text that he will hear,
1. Our cries unpremeditated —
[There are many occasions that arise so suddenly as to pre- clude a possibihty of previous meditation. Such was the danger to which Jehosaphat was exposed in the very heat of battle, when the Syrians mistook him for king Ahab, whom they were especially commanded to search out and to destroy: they had actually compassed him round about ; and Jehosaphat had only time to cry out to God : yet behold, so instantaneously did God hear and answer, that in a moment " he was helped, and his enemies were moved to depart from him^." Thus by ten thou- sand accidents may we be brought in danger of our lives, or by the devices of Satan be exposed to temptations that threaten to overwhelm and destroy our souls : but prayer M'ill in an instant bring omnipotence to our aid. Look at Peter sinking in the waves: he cries, "Save, Lord; or I perish!" and, behold, the Saviour instantly stretched out his hand, and saved him : and so will that Almighty Friend do to us also, whatever our difficulties or dangers be, according to that blessed promise; " It shall come to pass, that, before they call, I will answer ; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear**."]
2. Our desires unexpressed —
[It is but little that any man knows of his own necessities: and even those who know most of them, are often greatly at a loss to express their wants in prayer. There are times when the best of men feel their spirit straitened, and can utter their desires only in sighs and groans. This, I say, is the case with those whose knowledge is most enlarged, and whose abilities are most eminent. How then must it be with those whose intellec- tual powers are small, and who have never enjoyed the advan- tages of a liberal education ? Will God confine his answer to their immediate requests? No. He knows the language of a sigh or groan, as well as if it were expressed in the most fluent language. He knows that at the very time that his people can say little else, than, " Lord, help me ; God be merciful to me a