3. Against unbelief in prayer —
[It is our duty not only to pray, but to pray in faith. We are to draw nigh to God as " a Father," and as " our " Father. It is our privilege to " have access to him with boldness and with confidence by faith in the Lord Jesus." We " should lift up holy hands to him, without doubting." We are told that " if we waver in our minds, we must not expect to receive any thing at his hands''." Let us then come to him with enlarged hearts : let us " open our mouths wide, that he may fill them." Let us ask, whatever we feel that we stand in need of: and, when
s Acts ix. 11. 1' Ps. xiv. 4. i Jer. x. 25. ^ jj^^i. i. G, 7.
1313.] HALLOWING GOD's NAME. 181
we have asked all that we are able to express, let us think what unsearchable gifts he has further to bestow : and when we have exhausted our store of words and thoughts, let us remember that he is " able to give us exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.'''' Petitions offered in such a frame as this, will never be unacceptable : such addresses will never be considered as " vain repetitions," even though they were offered every hour in the day. Indeed, such a frame as this is intended by the Apostle, when he bids us to " pray without ceasing :" and such devotions will surely bring with them a rich reward : even in this world will God "reward" them, and " openly''' too, by the manifestations of his love and the commvmications of his grace : and, in the world to come, he will say concerning us, as of Nathanael of old, " Behold an Israelite indeed," a man of prayer : " I saw him under the fig-tree," and in other places whither he retired for prayer ; and I now, in the presence of the assembled universe, bear testimony to him as a faith- ful servant, that shall inherit the kingdom, and possess the glory which I have prepared for him.]