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mere fashionable accomplishment, or to scenes of gaiety and dissipation? Are not such scenes, at least, a useless waste of time? Do they not banish serious thought? Do they not lead to forgetfulness of God? Do they not nourish feelings and desires unbecoming candidates for eternity? Your children look to you for counsel, they imitate your example, they revere your authority. How solemn, then, your responsibility! O, then, let your counsel, your example, your authority-in a word-your whole influence upon them be such, that when you see them in the dying struggle, they may not upbraid you; and when you meet them at the bar of God, they may not condemn you.-AMEN.

SERMON CLXVI.

BY REV. CORNELIUS EVEREST,

NORWICH,

CONNECTICUT.

THE NATURE AND EFFICACY OF TRUE PRAYER.

MATTHEW XXI. 22.-And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

PRAYER is a subject of vital importance to the souls of men, and one that is exciting at the present day a deep interest in the church of God. Within a few years past a more than ordinary spirit of inquiry has been awakened in many parts of Christendom, revivals of religion have been greatly increased both in number and power, and a multitude of cases have occurred in which prayer was very manifestly answered. And this subject will doubtless yet gain a much stronger hold on the church, as God shall extend her borders, and begin to throw upon the world the light of millenial day.

I propose to show, IN WHAT TRUE PRAYER TO GOD CONSISTS; and WHY

WE MAY EXPECT IT TO BE ANSWERED.

I. IN WHAT DOES TRUE PRAYER CONSIST?

In order to avoid erroneous conclusions, a more extended view of what constitutes acceptable prayer must be taken, than some at first might suppose. It is no small matter for such poor, guilty, imperfect creatures as we are, so to approach the infinite God, as to obtain for ourselves and others the richest blessings immortal souls can enjoy.

1. True prayer presupposes obedience to the known will of God. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." In vain shall we look for an answer, if we are habitually indulging in known sin, and endeavoring to promote by our prayers and efforts any sinister object, and not the glory of God. The language of the apostle John is equally decisive. "Whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." And our Savior has added, "If abide in ye words abide in you, ye and me, my shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Here is presented in substance the requisite preparatory character. We must love and serve God, acquiesce in his government, seek his glory, rely on his promises, and faithfully use all the means adapted, in the divine plan, to bring sinners to a saving knowledge of the truth.

2. It is indispensable to efficacious prayer, that the blessings for which we ask be agreeable to the revealed will of God." This is the confidence that we have in him," saith an apostle, "that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us." Now, what is here meant by the will of God? Are we to call it his sovereign pleasure; meaning by it any of those secret things which, as they are not revealed, belong to God and not to us? Or are we to call it his preceptive will, thereby meaning exclusively what he has revealed? The whole Bible is the revelation of Jehovah's will. It makes known, not merely what he is and what he commands, but what he has promised to do, and the terms on which he will bestow his blessings. The apostle is speaking of prayer, and of the confidence which we may have in God, that he will hear us, if we ask for blessings, and in a manner, according to his revealed will. But if the desired object does not accord with it, we have no promise that meets our case. When James and John made their petition to Christ, "Grant unto us that we may sit, the one on thy right hand and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory," he reproved them, saying, "Ye know not what ye ask." Ye know not the nature of your request, and the consequences of having it granted. Ye ask for what God has not promised to give, and

ye do it also with improper views. Our text then, unlimited as the language seems to be, must evidently mean all things, whatsoever we shall ask, which, in their nature and extent, accord with the system of revealed truth.

3. It is also indispensable to efficacious prayer, that it be offered in Christ's name ;-in the exercise, not merely of a general belief in his character as the Savior, but of a firm and cordial reliance on his merits and mediation alone for acceptance with God. This we are required to do; and by virtue of his mediatorial office and work, our prayers, unless defective in other respects, will assuredly find acceptance before the throne.

4. In addition to the presupposed or implied qualities just named, acceptable prayer includes an earnest desire for the blessing, connected with a deep sense of dependence on God for it, confidence in him to fulfill his mises, and a persevering importunity till the blessing comes.

It includes an earnest desire for the blessing. This desire is something more than what is ordinarily felt by the people of God respecting the interests of his kingdom and the salvation of souls. Is a revival of religion the desired blessing? The Christian's mind is now dwelling on the subject. His heart is pained by the surrounding coldness and death. He sees the impenitent in the way to ruin. And he asks with trembling solicitude, Can no relief be found? Is there no help, no hope? He sends up his cries to God: O Lord, revive thy work." Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." His desire is strong, and earnest, and ardent. His heart is firmly fixed in its purpose. He is thirsting, and panting, and pouring out his soul to God for a blessing.

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Both the cause and intenseness of this desire are strikingly presented by St. Paul in his epistle to the Romans. "Likewise the Spirit also help. eth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession according to the will of God." Hence it appears that the prayer, which prevails with God, is indited by the Holy Spirit, under whose intercessory influences there are groanings which cannot be uttered. These groanings imply such earnest longings for the blessing as words cannot express,

But with this desire is connected a deep sense of dependence on God for it. The praying Christian, though faithful in the discharge of his various duties, and ardently desirous for the salvation of souls, is aware of the current and force of human depravity, of the imminent danger of sinners, and of the utter inefficiency of human efforts to convert men, without the special influence of the Holy Ghost. His language is, "My soul, wait

thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him."

Essential also to prevailing prayer is humble confidence in God. This confidence is what our Savior principally meant by the term believing. And what we are to believe, which is the main point here to be determined, can be ascertained from collateral passages of Scripture. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Faith, in prayer, then, must be exercised in respect both to the character and promises of God. We must believe that he is just what he has revealed himself to be, the only living and true God, a Being of infinite wisdom and holiness, and that he will cordially accept and abundantly reward all that come to him in the way of his appointment. And what says the apostle James? "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." Stronger language could not be used to show the indispensable necessity of firm reliance on the truth of God, and on his power and faithfulness to fulfil his promises. In acceptable prayer, then, the Christian takes hold of the divine testimony, believes that God means just what he says, and expects an answer.

comes.

True prayer includes also a persevering importunity till the blessing This importunity is, in other words, a continued wrestling, be lieving, hoping, and expecting. It is a continued pleading with God, with an unwillingness to be denied, and with those groanings which cannot be uttered. It is what God requires in prayer, and which at last obtains the blessing.

II. WHY MAY WE EXPECT SUCH PRAYER TO BE ANSWERED?

We We may expect it to be answered, because God has recorded in his holy word various cases in which it was answered, and has given the most positive assurance that he will answer it.

Jacob, feeling his need of a divine blessing, wrestled with the Angel of the covenant, until the breaking of the day. As a prince he had power with God, and with men, and prevailed. He prayed in faith, persevering amid delays, alarms, discouragements, and opposition from every side. So ardent was his desire and so strong his faith, that he held on, saying, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me."

The Syrophenician woman, in her address to Christ, was humble, pressing, and importunate, beseeching him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. Now mark her earnestness and ardor, in connection with her sense of dependence; "She came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me." Mark the strength of her faith, expressed in our Savior's reply; "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." She thus persevered in her plea through every discouragement, and prevailed.

Look at the apostles in reference to the great revival on the day of Pentecost. Christ commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but "to wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me." And what was it to wait for the Father's promise? It was to continue in prayer, earnestly desiring, confidently expecting, and perseveringly importuning, till the promise was fulfilled in the out-pouring of his Holy Spirit.

These are a few of the many cases in which true prayer, with its marked characteristics, was offered, and the desired blessing obtained. And is there no encouragement, no deeply interesting and heart-cheering encouragement, to be derived from them? Were they not recorded for the benefit of God's people in subsequent ages?

But our reliance is not merely on examples. We have the most positive assurance that God will answer prayers. Said Moses to the Israelites, "What nation is there so great, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?" The Israelites were the ancient church of God, but they had wandered from him in unbelief. And the object of Moses was, to excite them to return, and to pray in faith for the mercies which they needed, assuring them, that the Lord their God was ready to bless abundantly, in all things for which they called upon him.

Notice the language of David in his address to the Most High. "0 thou that hearest prayer," "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

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