namely, the will of God : and if the desire be within that limit, every believer may rest assured, that God either has answered his prayers, or will answer them in due time0.]
Learn then from hence,
1. The true nature of prayer —
[It is thought by men in general to be a duty: and a duty it certainly is in some point of view ; but it should rather be regarded as a privilege. In what light did Hagar view access to a fountain, when she and her child were perishing with thirst ? In what light did the man-slayer view his liberty of running to the city of refuge ? Or in what light would any poor person consider the knocking at our door, when he was bidden to come for a supply of all his wants ? O that we viewed aright God's invitations to a throne of grace ! We should not come then, as too many do, to perform a task ; to offer peti- tions which we neither expected nor desired to have answered ; and which, if God should offer to grant them, we would pray back again with ten times more fervour than was put forth in offering them : No : we should come as children to a father, " delighting ourselves in him as our God," and saying with David, " At morning and evening and at noon-day will I pray;" or with the Apostle, " Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."]
2. The folly of unbelief—
[Unbelief builds a wall, as it were, between God and us: it effectually prevents all access to him, and as effectually prevents
the communications of his grace to us It may be
thought, that if God has decreed to give us his blessing, our unbelief shall not prevent it ; nor need we be solicitous about praying for it. But are we not told that Jesus " could not do many mighty works at Nazareth because of their unbelief?" Do we not remember that the Apostles failed in their attempts to cast out an unclean spirit " because of their unbelief?" Yea, are we not told, that, " notwithstanding a promise was given to the Israelites that they should enter into Canaan, they entered not in because of unbelief ?" When God gave the most absolute promises, he said, " Yet will I be inquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them p." And, when he declared by his Prophet, that he had " thoughts of peace towards his people to give them an expected end," he particu- larly added, that " then they should go and pray unto him, and should find him, when they should search for him with their whole heart q." Let us guard then against this most pernicious evil, and go unto our God, saying, " Lord, I believe : help thou my unbelief."
0 1 John v. 14, 15. p Ezek. xxxvi. 37. *J Jer. xxix. 11 — 13.