[Such persons are as devoid of reason as they are of piety. What madness is it to neglect heaven when it may be obtained by such means! And how will such thoughtless sinners ere long bewail their folly ! We cannot but address them as the mariners did the sleeping prophet p — .]
2. Those who pray only in a formal manner —
[Formal services are far from being pleasing and acceptable to God : they tend, for the most part, only to deceive our own souls. God requires us to worship him in spirit and in truth q. Let us then remember the awful declaration of our Lordr — .]
3. Those who, after praying for a season, become
remiss again —
[See whether it be not the love of earthly things that hath hindered you. If so, repent and do your first works, and turn unto your Gods: but perhaps you faint merely through the discouragements you meet with*. Let the remembrance of the importunate widow revive your hopes. Justify God, as the Psalmist did in similar circumstances11, and renew your appli- cation to him in dependence on his gracious promise x.]
4. Those that have received gracious answers to prayer —
[Let not the goodness of God to you become an occasion of pride. God was not first moved by any worthiness in your petitions ; but he stirred you up to ask, because he had before determined to give. If this view of things be humiliating, it also affords much encouragement. Every believing prayer may be considered as a pledge of the blessings asked y. Adopt therefore the pious resolution of the Psalmist2 — ; so shall your prayers terminate in everlasting praises.]
p Jonah i. 6. q John iv. 23, 24. r Mark vii. 6, 7.
s Rev. ii. 5. * Ps. lxxvii. 1 — 9. Prov. xiii. 12.
u Ps. xxii. 2, 3. * Hab. ii. 3. y Ps. vi. 9.
z Ps. cxvi. 2.