thousand talents of silver; and that of Tiglath-pileser, who took several cities, and carried away the inhabi- tants captives to Assyria f. But, without entering into the history of these events, I wish to fix your attention on the repeated intercessions of the prophet, (for the repetition of them in the same words, and the repeated answer to them in the same words, render them pecu- liarly deserving of our attention ;) and to shew you from them these blessed truths ;
I. That the judgments we fear may be averted by prayer —
Judgments of the heaviest kind are denounced against its —
[Temporal judgments, such as those referred to in the passage before us, would be very terrible : yet are they nothing, in comparison of what we have cause to fear. " The wicked," says David, " shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget Godg." In another psalm he is more ex- plicit still : " Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest : this shall be the portion of their cuph." Who amongst us has not forgotten God, days without number? and who, therefore, has not reason to tremble at these awful declarations ?]
But they may all be removed by fervent and be- lieving prayer —
[Look into the Scriptures, and see the wonderful efficacy of prayer ! If ever there was a person that had reason to fear his prayers could not be heard, it was David : because he had long known the Lord; had received the most distinguished favours at his hands ; and yet committed adultery and murder, and continued impenitent for a long period, till his sin was charged home upon him by the Prophet Nathan : yet, behold, he, the very instant he acknowledged his transgressions, was forgiven. " I have sinned against the Lord," says he : and instantly the prophet replies, " The Lord hath put away thy sin : thou shalt not die1." Hear the prayers which he offered on the occasion : " Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." " Deliver me from blood- guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvationM" Hear with what confidence he prayed: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow '."
f 2 Kings xv. 19, 29. s Ps. ix. 17. h Ps. xi. 6.
1 2 Sam. xii. 13. k Ps. li. 2, 14. J Ps. li. 7.