have been an acceptable request, for it was immediately answered, and that in a very gracious manner. It is as if he had said, Lord, thou art perfectly acquainted with our necessities, and hast ever shewn thyself willing to relieve them. To thee we have often applied, and when enabled to do it in a proper way, never applied in vain. Thou hast taught us many things; O teach us to pray. Here we shall first show what is implied in the request, and then take notice of the propriety of it, as made to Christ. I. This request implies, 1. A consciousness of the importance and necessity of prayer. Daily prayer is as necessary as our daily bread; and as our natural life cannot be supported without the latter, so neither can our spiritual life without the former. It has been called the breath of the new-born soul; and as the man cannot live without breathing, so neither can the Christian without praying: dependant, needy creatures ought to be praying creatures. Prayer softens our affections, sweetens our enjoyments, and is the principal means of keeping up an intercourse with heaven; it exercises every grace, fits for every duty; God approves of it, and the soul is every way benefited by it; trouble drives to it, comfort leads to it, and there is no state or condition that exempts from it. 2. A sense of weakness and inability, and that this duty cannot be performed aright without Divine assistance. "Without me," says Christ, "ye can do nothing." The apostle, in one place, extends this to the internal actings of the mind. "We are not sufficient," says he, "to think any thing of ourselves;" and in another place to the duty of prayer: "The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought." So ignorant are we of our true interests, that if left to ourselves we should often beg a curse instead of a blessing; nay, we are sometimes so burdened with guilt, harassed by temptations, and overwhelmed with trouble, that we know not how to pray at all. "I am so troubled," says David, "that I cannot speak;" yet this only added weight to his afflictions, for says he elsewhere, "Whilst I kept silence, my bones waxed old." It requires great wisdom and grace either to speak of God, or to him, as we ought. "Teach us," says Elihu, the friend of Job, "what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness." 3. It also implies, that those who are appointed of God to instruct others, will, among other things, teach them to pray. Thus John taught his disciples; and this the disciples of Christ allege as a reason of their application to him, and urge as an argument why he should comply with their request. Thus, when David says, "Come up, ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord;" it is probable that by fear he may mean the worship of the Lord, one particular and essential part of which is prayer. All Christ's other teachings would avail but little to his disciples if he did not teach them to pray. To preach and work miracles might be for the benefit of others, but would not contribute to their own comfort so much as an ability to pray the former might be a means of converting others, but the latter would be an evidence of their own conversion; and as Christ knew the expediency of this request, how readily did he grant it! Let us then make it ours: "Lord, teach us to pray," secretly and publicly, in our closets, families, and in the house of God. The vilest sinners are not below, nor the most eminent saints above, the practice of prayer. II. Let us notice the propriety of this application, as made to Christ. 1. None ever prayed like Christ—so pertinently, fervently, and effectually. In the garden he mingled his prayers with his sweat, and on the cross with his blood. As he surpassed in every other duty, so also in this; he loved it, so that he spent whole nights in it; and as he was intimately acquainted with the Divine will, so his prayers were always agreeable to it. He ever approached God with a filial boldness, and had no doubt of acceptance. I know," says he, 66 "that thou hearest me always." His incense was pure, and sent up a sweet perfume. 2. As none ever prayed, so none ever taught like Christ. He was a teacher sent from heaven, and had every qualifi cation for his work, and that in the most eminent degree. He taught in the most familiar and condescending manner, bearing with the dulness, and stooping to the capacities of his scholars. He also taught the most prudently, choosing the most proper seasons for that purpose, and keeping back that which might be a stumbling-block, and not edifying. "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." His teachings were always effectual; a divine power went with them, so that they not only reached the ear, but the heart; from hence appears the propriety of this request, "Teach us to pray." None pray like those who are taught of Christ; nay, none pray aright till they are taught of him. No sooner had the Apostle Paul been in this school, but it is said, "Behold, he prayeth." 3. It was Christ that taught John to pray, else he could not have taught his disciples. He teaches them who are teachers of others. Parents should teach their children to pray; ministers should teach their people to pray; but neither the one nor the other can pray themselves, unless they are taught of Christ. The disciples of Jesus had therefore a much better master than the disciples of John; one more capable, and every way better qualified. John could only teach words of prayer, but Christ could give a heart to pray. From hence we may learn, 1. That it is not so easy a matter to pray acceptably as some imagine. The same may be said of prayer as the eunuch said of understanding the divine word: "How can I, except some man should guide me?" Those who know most of prayer, know most of the difficulty of it. It is easy to say over a form of words to God, either with a book or without one, but it is not so to put up a prayer to him. "I will pray," says the apostle, "with the spirit, and with the understanding also;" and none but such pray aright. 2. That incapacity is no sufficient excuse for the neglect of prayer, either in the closet, family, or house of God, since we have so excellent an instructor to apply to. If we cannot pray of ourselves, we should pray that Christ would teach us; and a sense of inability is the first step towards obtaining relief. Christ is as willing to teach as ever; and He who spake to his disciples upon earth, now speaks to us from heaven. Let him hear our voice entreating, and we shall hear his voice directing; for being touched with the feeling of their infirmities, this great Prophet of the Church knows how to have compassion upon the ignorant, and them that are out of the way. Neither our application nor his instruction will be out of the way. There is a throne of wondrous grace, To him I'll send my fervent prayers, Will spread my guilt before his face, Remind him what the Saviour did, Not only seek, but patient wait, Until an answer's given; The secret sighs, on earth unknown, |