The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 155

God will be the habit of the soul, and will include vastly more than the asking for specific objects. So that we must regard the apostle here e.s not covering the whole ground of prayer, but as simply indicating one direction tha.t pra.yer may take (in the next homily a still further limitation is noted), We may freely "ma.ke our requests known unto God." Faith, reverence, and love will, however, regulate this boldness in prayer. "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears 'llll," Even so. God'11 will is infinitely wiser than ours. And our faith in him will lead us to offer all our petitions subject to that will. 'l'his is not, however, a fetter upon our freedom, It is a safeguard to it. Otherwise the greater the freedom the greater the peril, III. SUCH REQUESTS WILL CERTAINLY DE GRANTED. There are two issues of such a prayer. 1. We know that he hears m. The lo.v in ver. 15 docs not indicate any uncerta.inty. If we know, as we certainly do, that he hears us, 1 our petitions are not wasted breath ; they go not forth to empty air (Ps. I. 15). This follows from the truth in Ps. ciii. 13. 2. We know that we have the petitions we desired of him. Tc al-r-nµa-ra, if not 'Tc aJ.,-71Mv.,-a. "The substance of the requests, if not necessarily the actual things asked for," sa_,·s Canon Westcott, be..utifully. 'l'he mother of Augustine prayed earnestly that he might not go to Rome, fearing it would be his bane. Her son, how- ever, went to Rome; but his going wa.8 one of the steps which led to his conversion, As Augustine himself said afterwards, God regarded the hinge of the petition. So it ever is. God hears the prayer, but answers it according to his hlfinite wisdom rather than according to our limited foresight. Note: Though this at first sight seems a restriction upon prayer, yet it is precisely this which makes UB free to pray. Were it otherwise, we could not open our lips to ask anght which we deemed a boon, should 'the gift asked for be granted even though it would prove a bane. God, in his love, buries our mistakes in prayer, and gives us just what we should most desire could we see as he sees. Vers. 15-17.-Intercessoryprayer: its sphere and its issues. Oonnecting link: We have freedom in prayer. That freedom will show itself in making interceusion for others. At once there is suggested our topic-Intercessory prayer, There are six matters here requiring notice. L HERE IS AN OUTLOOK PBESEl>'TED. We are surrounded with brethren-not only Christian brethren, whether those that are really or those that are nominally such; but with "brethren" in the world, those of our own race, of our own flesh and blood, owned u "brethren" by him who took human nature on himself, and certainly not to be disowned as such by his followers.' Such may be seen giving w~v to sin. Sins are of two kinds-those " unto death" and "sin not unto death." Inasmuch as all sin persisted in and unrepented of is •• unto death," we seem to be shut up to the inference that there is a state of sinning 'fhich is beyond the boundary-line of hope; while there are also sins which by no means involve a.ny such sad conclusion. The case they present may be grievous, bnt it is by no means hopeless. It is to be hoped that the absolutely hopeless cases are rare indeed. "All injustice is sin; " it stains the soul, but need not destroy it. II. .A CABE SUPPOSED. A believer sees a brother sin a sin which is not unto death (for of the hopeless cases we do not just now speak). Such a case may fall under one of three heads. 1. It may be the case of a real Christian surprised into a fault (Gal. vi. 1). 2. It may be that of a nominal Christian who says he has faith, but has not works. 3. It may be that of one entirely outside the Christia.a camp-who is (1) alienated from God; (2) sunk in the mire of uncleanness; (3) entangled in temptation; (4) bewildert!d with doubt; (5) hardened, careless, dead. In all suoh instances there is cause for grief, there is urgent need of laying the case before God; but there is no need for despair. III. .A OOUBBE ADOPTED. "He will ask," 4.e. he will plead for such a one with God. The apostle does not lay this down as au injunction ; he says " he will" do it, as if by the instinctive promptings of an earnest spirit, It is not said for what he will 1 See • Speaker's Commentary,' in l.oo. • The cont.en seems deci.llive age.inst any limitation of the term" brethren" to Christians, II.nee no Ohmtie.n brethren would be aeen sinning a deadly sin. According to rer. 18, and allo oh. iii. 9 1 that ill not pouible, en. v. 1-21.] 'l'HE FlltS'r 'mPtSTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. 153