Seeing, then, that the promise is made to God's people in every age, let us consider,
II. What it speaks to us — It plainly declares,
1. How wonderful is the condescension of Almighty God—
[When God promised to dwell in the temple which Solo- mon had built, the pious monarch exclaimed, " Will God in very deed dwell with man on the earth ? " And well may we utter a similar exclamation, in reference to the subject before us : " Will God indeed hear and answer the prayers of such insignificant and sinful worms as we ? " To this I answer, that he surely will : nor shall the meanest or most unworthy sup- pliant in the universe be spurned from his footstool. " Though he is high above all creatures, yet will he have respect unto the lowly." Yes, " though he is the High and Holy One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, yet will he dwell with him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite :" nor shall all the angels in heaven so occupy his attention, but that " he will look through all their shining ranks to the poor and contrite man, who trembles at his word." Nor is it the prayer only of the contrite that he will listen to ; he will not despise their desire : their very sighs shall enter into his ears, and their tears be treasured up in his vials. What amazing con- descension is this ! Were it but an earthly monarch that so humbled himself, the whole world would sound with his praises : but He, of whom these things are spoken, is King of kings, and Lord of lords. What praises, then, should we render unto him? Never will his grace be fully appreciated, till we shall see the infinite distance which there is between him and us, and the unworthiness of those to whom this mercy is vouchsafed.]
2. How inconceivable is the folly of prayerless men —
[Thousands, who imagine that they pray, do nothing but deceive their own souls. For what is their prayer, but a so- lemn mockery of their God ? Let those who never pray, but according to some form which they either read out of a book or repeat from memory, inquire what has been the frame of their minds in prayer ; and they will find that they have, for the most part, " drawn nigh to God with their lips, whilst their hearts have been far from him." I mean not to say that persons may not pray with, as truly and fervently as without, a form : for they who have ever entered into the spirit of the