2. A reasonable duty —
[Man is a dependent creature; and it is but reasonable that he should acknowledge that dependence at a throne of grace, and ask for those mercies which he stands in need of. The very heathens have felt the propriety of supplicating their deities, and have established ordinances whereby they might conciliate the favour of their gods. It is true, that God knows our necessities before we ask : yet is it highly proper that we should spread them before him, in order that we ourselves may be humbled under a sense of them, and that God's mercy in relieving them may be more clearly seen.]
3. A necessary duty —
[Though God cannot be prevailed upon by dint of impor- tunity'1, yet he has appointed prayer as the means of obtaining his blessings. He has said, " I will be inquired of to do it for theme." There is no room therefore left for us to speculate upon the use of prayer: it is quite sufficient that God has required it as means to an end : and if we will not comply with his injunctions respecting it, it is utterly in vain for us to expect his blessings.]
4. An acceptable duty —
[Prayer offered to the Deity without any respect to the mediation of Christ, is not acceptable : but when presented in a humble dependence on his atonement, and intercession, it comes up before God as incense, and prevails beyond the utmost extent of our conceptions. It is to prayer offered in this manner, that the promise in the text is given f. And this has been the qualification of all acceptable prayer from the beginning. Abel was heard on account of his sacrifice g. The penitents under the law obtained mercy in no other wayh. The Jews, when unable, by reason of their captivity, to offer their accustomed sacrifices, were to look towards the temple, which was a type of our incarnate God1. And to that same Jesus must we look, trusting in him as " our Advocate with the Father, and as the propitiation for our sinsV Nor did any one ever ask in this manner without obtaining a supply of all his wants.]
To counteract the backwardness of our hearts to this duty, let us consider,
d The expressions, Luke xviii. 7, 8. must not lead us to think of God as though he were wrought upon as we are.
e Ezek. xxxvi. 37. f ver. 23, 24. s Heb. xi. 4.
h Heb. ix. 22. ' 1 Kings viii. 47, 48. Dan. vi. 10.
k 1 John ii. 1,2.