universe stands in need of these ; and on the attainment of it depends our everlasting welfare. Let every one, then, pray, " Quicken me, O Lord ! " Oh! turn me, for thy mercy's sake ! " Turn thou me, and I shall be turned."]
2. The manifestations of his favour —
[We should never rest without an evidence in our own souls that we are the Lord's. While our interest in his favour is doubtful, what happiness can we enjoy ? There must always be a secret fear and misgiving, that ere long we may become monuments of his righteous indignation. We should therefore entreat of God to " lift up the light of his counte- nance upon us," and to give us a spirit of adoption, testifying that we are his. It is not the sun of outward prosperity that we are to desire, but that inward light, by which we can dis- cern our adoption into his family, and our title to his glory. This will make every " yoke easy, and every burthen light."]
But the text itself leads us to consider, III. The fruit and consequence of accepted prayer —
These blessings once obtained, we shall assuredly, possess,
1. Stability in God's ways —
[Thousands there are who " run well only for a season," and who, by turning back from God, make " their latter end worse than their beginning." But real conversion, especially when it issues in a peaceful walk with God, produces a decision of character which nothing can shake. I mean not to say that any man has strength of his own, whereby he can stand : even St. Paul himself needed incessant care and watchfulness, lest, " after having preached to others, he himself should be- come a cast-away." But a sense of God's love in the soul confirms our confidence in him ; and enables us, in dependence on his grace, to hurl defiance at all the enemies of our salva- tion, and to rest assured that "none shall ever prevail to separate us from his love."]
2. The everlasting enjoyment of his favour — [Thrice is this repeated, and each time with increasing
earnestness : " Turn us again, 0 God, and we shall be saved : turn again, O God of Hosts, and we shall be saved : turn us again, 0 Lord God of Hosts, and we shall be saved m." If we commit ourselves truly to the Lord Jesus Christ, " none shall ever pluck us out of his hands ; " but that promise shall be fully verified, " Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an ever- lasting salvation ; ye shall not be ashamed or confounded world without end n."]
m ver. iii. 7, 19. n Isai. xlv. 17.