607.] Sin A Preventive To Acceptance Of Prayers. 489

[A throne of grace is now open to us; and "we may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us." God assumes to himself the very title of "a God that heareth prayer," And he bids us to open our mouths wide, that he may hll them. Moreover, " we have an Advocate with the Father, even the Lord Jesus Christ himself," " whom the Father heareth always ;" and who has so loved us, as to " give himself a pro- pitiation for our sins." O, what might we not receive, if only we were upright before God ! for '* the prayer of the upright is his delight." Suppose now at this time we had all been really praying to God, in the very spirit of the prayers which we have offered ; what blessings would not be flovnng down into our souls, even as " showers of blessings," as God him- self has promised ! Verily, if our eyes were opened to see what was passing, we should behold Almighty God taking loads of guilt from multitudes amongst us, and casting it all into the very depths of the sea. We should see the Holy Spirit resting on the heads of all, as on the day of Pentecost, for the purpose of enlightening, comforting, and sanctifying otur souls. We should see angels ascending and descending upon us, in order to receive from God, and execute for us, their several commis- sions adapted to our necessities. I do not hesitate to say, that, if we had all been as much in earnest in our prayers as our words have given reason to expect, this very place would resem- ble the temple of old, when the glory of God so filled it, that the priests could no longer abide there to minister before the Lord. Yes, our souls would be too full for humanity to sus- tain it. Dear Brethren, why should we not behold at least a measure of this sacred effusion, and taste a measure of this heavenly grace ? God is willing to renew the Pentecostal scenes, if only we were in a state to receive them. It is in ourselves that we are straitened : we are not straitened in our God : he is as able as ever, yea, and as willing too, "to do exeeding abundantly for us, above all that we can ask or think." Truly, if we were even one half as earnest as we have professed to be, he would fill every hungry soul, and replenish every sorrowful soul, with his richest communications of grace and peace. Let us arise and call upon our God : and let not " our prayer go forth out of feigned lips." And let us remem- ber, for our comfort, that it is not the existence of sin in the soul that vnll prevent the acceptance of our prayers, (for who then would ever be heard ?) but the indulgence of it. Seek truly to have the whole body of sin mortified within you : seek to be " pure, as God is pure," and " holy, as God is holy." Then will God delight himself in you ; and you, according to your measure, shall " be filled with all the fulness of your God."]