vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation, and informed me,and said^ O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and under- standing: at the bt'ii nii'ing of tluj siippitcal'ions the command- 'me)it cuirie foilli; and I am come to shew thee all that thou didst ask ''." See what expedition was used, by God's special command, to answer whilst in the very act of prayer ; and to let him know, that, at the very commencement of his suit, his prayer was heard!
More on this subject is unnecessary : yet less could scarcely have been spaken, if we would in any degree do justice to it.]
2. For ourselves — [I mention this last, because it is, in reality, the greatest : for the prayers which are offered in behalf of others, only pre- vail for the obtaining of some temporal blessing : they cannot procure for men the salvation of their souls: for, if they Could, no creature would ever perish. When Stephen prayed, " Lord, lay not this sin to their charge," it prevailed proba- bly in behalf of Saul, and perhaps of some others : but it can- not be supposed that it succeeded in behalf of all. But for a man's own-self his prayer is sure to prevail. There is no limit to the benefits which he shall receive, provided only he ask according to the will of God. He may not be answered in the particular way that he may desire. The cup, for the removal of which the Lord Jesus Christ himself prayed, was not taken out of his hands ; nor was the thorn for the extraction of which St. Paul cried with such eager importunity removed : but both he and his divine Master were answered in a way more con- sonant with the purposes of Jehovah. But in some way, and iliat the best, prayer shall most assuredly be answered to all who cry to God in sincerity and truth '. Whatever they ask in Christ's name, shall be given them'". Let them " open their mouth ever so wide, it shall be filled"." They may ex- haust all the powers of language in their petitions, and may then extend their thoughts to the utmost limit of a finite con- ception ; and they shall not only have all, but more than all, yea, " abundantly above all that they can ask or think °."]
The assertion in our text deserves the most atten- tive consideration on its own account; but more especially on account of,
II. The insight which it gives us into truths of the greatest importance —
From
* Dan. ix. 3, 4, 20—23. ' Jer. xxix. 13.
"John xiv. 13, 14. & xv. 7.&xvi. 23. & 1 John iii.22. & v. 14, 15.
» P^. Ixxxi. 10. " Kph.iii.20.