The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 281

Ver. 17 (last clanse, "My prayer is pure ").-Purity of prayer. The impure prayer cannot be beard by God. It may be earnest, passionate, vehement, yet it must fall back rejected and confounded. Let us, then, consider in what purity of prayer consists. L REALITY. The prayer that is not felt and meant in the heart is an impure offer- ing of hypocrisy. Though it be uttered in the becoming phrases of devotion, it is to God as the howling of blasphemous demons. If t~ere be no other sin in our prayer, insincerity is fatal. But it is not easy to be always true and real, especially in public acts of devotion, when a multitude of people are expected to be joining in the same prayer at the same moment. If, however, the heart is set on truly seeking God, he will not count the wandering thought of casual distractions as a mark of insincerity. The spirit may be willing while the flesh is weak (Matt. xxvi. 41), and God looks to the heart. What is essential is a true purpose and effort to worship God, who is a Spirit, in spirit and in truth (John iv. 24). II. PENITENCE. We are all sinners, and therefore can only come to God as sup- pliants confessing our sin. Any other method of approach is false to our character and deeds. In the parable of the publican and the Pharisee it is just the contrition of the publican that meets with God's approval. If we hold to our sin we cannot be received in our prayer. Though we may forget the ugly thing, or suppose that we have left it behind us, it is with us in the very house of God ; it is even standing between us and God, a black and impenetrable barrier. . III. F .AITB. We cannot pray purely till we trust God. The prayer of unbelief is a wild cry in the darkness wrung from a eonl by its utter distress. Surely God will pity such a cry, and in bis infinite compassion he will do what is possible to save his benighted child. But the strength of communion with God that comes in prayer is only possible when we can trust God as our Father and completely confide in him. It is by believing, by trusting God, that we win great blessings in prayer. · IV. 8UBMI88ION. If our prayer is a self-willed mandate claiming certain things Crom God which must be just according to our mind, it is defiled by impurity. We have not to dictate to God what he is to do for us. Our duty is to lay our case before God and then to leave it with him. He must do what he thinks best, not what we demand. The pure prayer will be submissive, saying, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt." V. UNSELFISH~"'ESS. Eveu in our submission we may still be selfish, for we may be convinced that it is best for ourselves that God should do with us what he thinks best, and may think of nothing else. Such prayers as "Bless 'TM; save me; comfort 'TM; fill me with good things," are narrow, and when they stand alone they are selfish. Christ's model prayer is in the plural number," Owr Father, ... give '11,8," etc. We need to enlarge our petitions with intercession for our brethren, and to include the wants of the world in our prayers. 'l'he purest prayer is one that chiefly seeks the glory of God-Christ's prayer, "Father, glorify thy Name."-W. F. A. Vers. 19, 20.-Th£ Witrieas in heaven. Job turns from man to God, On earth he f!8, X'VI, 1-22.J THE BOOK OF JOB. 293