II. How to secure the attainment of it —
" We must ask in faith, nothing wavering." Here it will be proper for me to shew,
1 . What is that faith which we are called to exer- cise—
[It has not respect to that individual thing which we may chance to ask ; for we may possibly be asking for something which God sees would be injurious to us, or, if not injurious, yet inconsistent with the ends which he has determined to ac- complish. When our blessed Lord prayed for the removal of the bitter cup, and Paul for the removal of the thorn in his flesh, neither the one prayer nor the otlier was granted literally ; though both were answered in the way most satis- factory to the suppliants, and most conducive to God's honour. So the specific thing which we. ask, may be w ithheld : but we shall be sure of receiving something better in its stead : and it is with this latitude only that our faith must be exercised, except where there is an express promise for us to plead : and then we may assuredly expect that very thing to be granted to us.
Now respecting such a measure of wisdom as shall ulti- mately guide us through all our difficulties, we may ask with the fullest possible assurance : and in asking it, we should have no more doubt of its being given to us, than of our own ex- istence : we should " ask in faith, nothing wavering." If Ave doubt at all, our doubt must arise, either from not being fiilly persuaded of the power of God to help us, or from some su- spicion of his willingness. But to limit his power is sinful in tlie extreme : and to doubt his willingness is, as St. John ex- presses it, " to make God a liar :" for the promise in the text is to every creature under heaven who asks in faith. I well know that persons pretend to found their doubts on their own unworthiness : but this is a mere fallacy : for every man is un- worthy : and, if unworthiness be such a disqualification as de- prives a man of all right to expect the blessing in answer to his prayers, then no man living has any right to expect the l)lessing; and the promise of God is a mere nullity. Our need of wis- dom is supposed in the very petition that is ofiered for it : and the more deeply we feel our need of it, the more willingly and more largely will God confer it upon us. In praying for it therefore, we are to ask, not on the ground of any fancied worthiness in us, but on the sole ground of its having been freely ])roinised to us : and, in that view, we must lift up our hands, "as without wrath, so also without doubting"."]
2. Its certain efficiency to the desired end —
[In ° 1 Tim. ii. 8.