John xiv. 13, 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
THE Gospel is properly termed " glad tidings of great joy:" it finds men guilty; and reveals to them
a way in which their iniquities may be pardoned : it finds them polluted; and provides means for their restoration to the Divine image : it finds them alto- gether destitute ; and supplies them with every thing that their souls can desire. The words before us are fully decisive on this point: they were addressed, indeed, by our Lord, to his own immediate Disciples only : but they must not be confined to any indivi- duals of any age : they were intended for the whole world. As referring to the persons to whom they were addressed, they may be considered as including a promise of miraculous powers : but, as extending to us, they unequivocally engage that we shall possess all that we pray for; provided we ask for it in Jesus' name.
That we may more fully enter into the scope and meaning of them, we will shew,
I. To what extent Jesus will answer prayer
Our blessed Lord is appointed of the Father to answer prayer —
[It was a part of the reward bestowed on him as Mediator, that he should have the whole universe subjected to his domi- niona. For this end, every thing, upon his ascension to heaven was committed into his hands; that as " a Prince" he might subdue his enemies, and as "a Saviour" he might secure the happiness of his believing people b. He was in a more especial manner constituted "Head over all things to his Church0" and furnished with an inexhaustible fulness of all goodd, that he might communicate to all according to their&respective necessities e. He received gifts himself, in order that he might communicate them unto menf: and he will impart them to°all who pray to the Father in his name.]
Nor is there any limit to his bounty in answering
[In our own name it is impossible to approach God : he is a holy God ; and we are altogether filthy and abominable : and of this our unworthiness we ought to be deeply sensible : but at the same time we should have such a view of Christ's worthiness, as emboldens us to expect the most favourable
a Phil. ii. 6— 11. t> Acts v. 31. cEph. i. 21.
d Col. i. 19. e jonn j_ 1G# Eph> j 22<
f Comp. Ps.lxviii.18. with the Apostle's citation of it, Eph. iv 8