not being straitened in our petitions ; but " opening- our mouths wide, in order that they may be filled.") And now mark the success of his prayer : behold, without the delay of a moment, he is enabled to add, *' I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving." (Such is the suc- cess which we also may hope for, if we pray in humi- lity and faith.) And was God displeased with this holy boldness ? No : David adds, " This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs," yea, better than the cattle upon a thousand hills. Now mark the improvement we are to make of this : " The humble shall see this, and be glad : and (whoever ye be) your heart shall live that seek God ; for the Lord heareth the poor (wherever they may be found), and despiseth not his prisoners," however low or abject their condition.
Now, to encourage you, my Brethren, from this example, I will proceed (in the simplest way ima- ginable, and not with any artificial arrangement), to address you on the subject before us.
I trust that many of you are " seeking after God" —
[It can scarcely be, that after having so long had the Gospel faithfully ministered unto you, there should be the same indifference amongst you as in the ignorant ungodly world. I hope and trust there is amongst you some desire after God, some hope in the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and some endeavour to flee from the wrath to come — ]
And, if you are seeking him aright, God promises that " your heart shall live" —
[Doubtless it is necessary that you seek after God in earnest : for " the kingdom of heaven sufFereth violence, and the violent must take it by force." You may seek to enter in, and not be able:" you must therefore not only seek, but " strive." Moreover, you must strive in God's ajypointed ivay. To win a race, you must not only run, but run lawfully ;" that is, agreeably to the laws prescribed for 3'^ou : and the only way by which any of you can succeed, is, by renouncing all dependence on yourselves, and founding your hopes altogether on the Lord Jesus Christ, even on his meritorious death and
passion, as an expiation for your sins
Now, if you are indeed fleeing to him for refuge, you shall assuredly find mercy of the Lord, or, as my text expresses it,