had understood, from the prophecies of Jeremiah, that the time for the close of the Babylonish captivity was near at hand : and he set himself to seek more particular instruction from God respecting it, in order that he might be able to take advantage of such circumstances as might occur for the benefit of his nation. " I set my face," says he, " unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God." And now behold the effect! — " And whiles I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God ; yea, while I xoas speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation, and in- formed me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding : at the beginning of thy suppli- cations the commandment came forth ; and I am come to shew thee all that thou didst askk." 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 com- mencement of his suit, his prayer was heard !
More on this subject is unnecessary: yet less could scarcely have been spoken, 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, prevail only for the obtaining of some temporal blessing : they cannot certainly 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 probably in behalf of Saul, and perhaps of some others: but it cannot 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 extrac- tion of which St. Paul cried with such eager importunity removed: but both he and his divine Master were answered in a way more consonant with the purposes of Jehovah. But in some way, and that the best, prayer shall most assuredly be answered to all who cry to God in sincerity and truth1.
k Dan. ix. 3, 4, 20—23. » Jer. xxix. 13.