HOMILETICS, Ver. 5.-Tlie safeguai·ds -of prayer. "The Lord fulfil all thy petitions." An amazingly bold wish I Especially if you read it in the light of ver. 4, "Grant thee thy heart's desire!" It might be the worst wish we could express-even for a good man-that God would grant him all he desires. It is wriLten of the rebe!Eous, ungrateful Israelites, "He gave them their own desire." But it was their ruin (Pa. lxxviii. 29). We may be conscious of desires springing up in our own heart, even dwelling deep there, which, though we do not know them to be wrong, we ourselves would scarcely venture to put into our prayers. Nevertheless, this bold wish is not larger than our Saviour's promise to prayer (Matt. xxi. 22; John xiv. 13, 14). The text, therefore, suggests- L GoD's IKFI:KITE POWEB TO ANSWER PB.AYER. Nature, with its innumerable forms, mighty forces, all-comprehending laws, undisclosed secrets, is his. He designed, created, controls it. All hearts and lives are in his hand. All holy creatures do his will. With God all things are possible (Rom. viii. 28). 'l'o some minds, amazing difficulty and doubt beset this glorious fact, that God hears and answers prayer. The special stumbling-block, the objection most frequently urged, is that God works by law-governs all nature by unchanging law. Of course he does. So does man work by law; and, instead of governing, is governed by, the laws of nature. What then? This does not hinder men from answering prayer-granting, every minute, the requests of children, friends, customers, clients. Can anything, seriously considered, be more absurd than to suppose that God cannot do what he has enabled us to do ?-that he bas so made his universe that he cannot manage it; though, so far as our needs require, we can 1 Or is it anything less than childish narrowness of thought to suppose that, because we do not understand how the thing asked for can be done-the healing of a dinease, e.g., or averting a danger, or giving a prosperous wind to a ship, or converting a sinner-therefore God does not know how to effect it 1 If there is one lesson the discoveries of modern eciecce should teach, it is that our ignorance is not the measure of possibility. It is co business of ours to scheme how God can grant our prayers; only to see to it, as far as we can, that they are such as he can wisely, justly, and for our true welfare, grant. Infinite power, guided by infinite wisdom and love, suffices. 'l'his brings us to speak of- II. 'l'HE LIMITS AND SAFEGUARDS OF PnA YER. " All thy petitions" .vould be too bold aud rash a wish, were there no tacit limitation, no fence of safll'l,y in the back- ground. \Ve cannot possibly be certain what is best for ourselvos, ev,n in the near future; still less how the granting of our petition would affect others. Much more ignorant are we of far-off results. Many a Christian looks back on the unwise prayers he offered, with shuddering thankfulness that hill req ucst was denied. Yet, at the time, it seemtd so reasonable. In this ignorance we should not do.re to pray-the hazard would be too great-if we knew that Gud would give what we asked, whether it were wise or foolish, right or wrong. "With GoJ all things arc possible;" but it is certain he will do nothing but what is wise and good. He will not grant his child's request to bis ruin, or to the breaking o[ of his own gracious purpose (Pa. cxxxviii. 8). It is PS, XX, 1-9.] THE BOOK 011' PSALMS. 141
ours to ask, his to judge, Therefore we may ask boldly, never forgetting," Not as I will, but as thou wilt." Ill. 'l'HE PLEA AND WARRANT OIi' OUB PRAYERS IS THE ALL-PREVAILING I!lTElt• OEBB~ON OF C';!RIST, The tit.le "Anointed" (ver. 6)-" Messiah "-though often applied to David and his descendants, suggests a higher application (as in Ps. ii. 7, 8), So the best Jewish as well as Christian interpreters (comp. John ii. 41, 42). His prayers must always be in perfect accord with both the mind and the will of God, his wisdom and his goodness. When he says to the weakest disciple," I have prayed for th,ee" (Luke xxii. 32), _tha~ disciple cannot perish .. Our weak, unworthy prayers are mighty and acceptable rn his Name (John xv. 7; xvi. 23, 24). The glory of heaven is waiting to fulfil his prayer (John xvii. 20-24).