come with boldness to the throne of grace: it is erected for sinners, even the chief of sinners. Come to it then, and wait at it, till you obtain mercy and find grace to help you in time of need. Those who expect most from God are likely to receive most. The desire of the righteous, let it be ever so extensive, shall be granted. II. Consider the import of the promise: Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.-Ask, and ye shall receive: seek, and ye shall find.-Particularly, 1. If we open our mouths to God in prayer, he will fill them more and more with suitable petitions and arguments. When we attempt to open the mouth, God will open it still wider. Thus he dealt with Abraham when he interceded for Sodom: the longer he prayed, the more submissive and yet the more importunate he became. By praying we encrease our obility to pray, and find a greater facility in the duty. To him that hath shall be given, und he shall have more abundantly. While on the contrary, those who decline in the gift of prayer, decline also in the practice of it: and thus, from him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath. 2. God will fill the mouth with abundant thanksgivings. Many of David's psalms begin with prayer, and end with the most animated praises. No mercies so dispose to thankfulness as those which are received in answer to prayer; for according to the degree of desire will be the sweetness of fruition. For this child I prayed, says Hannah; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth: he shall be lent to the Lord. Thus what was obtained by prayer was gratefully given back again. When Hezekiah received the message of death, he turned his face towards the wall and prayed: but how soon was that mouth filled with thanksgiving which there had been opened in prayer! The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day. He was as willing to pay the tribute as to receive the blessing; and no sooner did his almighty Preserver lift him up from the pit of destruction than he lifted up his heart to him in praise and adoration. 3. We shall be filled with those blessings we pray for, if they are calculated to promote our real good and the glory of God. Do we desire fresh communications of grace, and manifestations of divine love; a renewed sense of pardoning mercy, and an application of the blood of Christ? Do we want holiness, peace and assurance? Do we want to hear from God, to see him, and be like him? The promise is, My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. iv. 19.) You shall have what you desire, and be satisfied: it shall be enough, and you shall think it so. The Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. III. Notice the limitations with which the promise requires to be understood. 1. Though God answers prayer, yet he will do it. in his own time, and not always when we expect it. Answers are sometimes given immediately. At the beginning of thy prayer, says the angel to Daniel, the commandment came forth. At other times they are delayed; not because God is unwilling to give, but we are unfit to receive. Hence he is said to wait, that he may be gracious; that is, he delays for a time that which he intends to do, in order to shew his sovereignty, encrease the ardour of our prayers, convince us of some sins which we have committed, excite to some duties which we have neglected, and at length to encrease the fervour of our praises. If the Lord were to answer us as soon as we pray, and continue so to do, we might be in danger of ascribing too much to our prayers, and so of not feeling our dependence on him, and our obligations for the mercies received. Hence it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 2. He seldom answers prayer in the manner we expect. We are apt to prescribe rules, but he will not be bound by them; to point out the way in which he should walk, but he will take a different path. When we are humble, melted and broken, we think ourselves proper objects of mercy; but the Lord sees that we are least prepared for it when we think ourselves most so. Sometimes we must have the very thing we pray for, and no other; but he withholds it, and gives a better in its stead. Paul prayed that the thorn in the flesh might depart from him; but the affliction was continued, while strength was given to support him under it, and grace to improve it. The souls under the altar that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held, cried with a loud voice, saying, Oh Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Their request however was not immediately granted, but white robes were given unto every one of them, and this was more than a compensation for the delay. (Rev. vi. 10, 11.) Thus God may fulfil his own promises, and yet disappoint our expectations. He may also appear to reject our plea, and yet comply with it at last, as he did that of the Woman of Canaan. 3. The Lord sometimes answers prayer gradually, and not all at once. His work will be perfect at last, but it may require time to render it so. He will mortify our corruptions, cast out our enemies, strengthen our graces, and ripen us for glory; but he will do this by almost insensible degrees. He will leave us in a state of want that we may seek him the oftener, and not shew us all his glory lest we should be overwhelmed with it. He will leave the Canaanite in the land that we may be on our guard, and not take us up into the mount of transfiguration lest we say, It is good to be here. He deals out both the bitter and the sweet as our state may require, and our strength will bear. 4. It is not our performance of duty, but the inviolable faithfulness of God that binds him to the fulfilment of his promises. They that seek shall find, and to them that ask it shall be given; yet it is not for seeking, nor for asking that the blessing is given, but for the sake of Him in whom all the promises are yea and amen. Previous obligations and recommendatory qualifications are contrary to the whole scheme of the gospel, and nothing has a greater tendency to render duties abortive than to make an idol of them. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, oh house of Israel. Yet I will for this be enquired of by the house of Israel todo it for them. God's distributions are perfectly. free, notwithstanding the fervency of our prayers, or the earnestness of our pursuits; nor is the gift less a gift because we ask for it. If I had called, says Job, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened to my voice. This might be the language of unbelief; but it seems rather to be that of humility. He would give all the glory to free grace, and not impute his success to his prayers. From the whole we may infer, (1.) It is no wonder that many continue in a destitute and hopeless state: they live without prayer, and so without supplies of mercy. Ye have not, because ye ask not. The mouth is not opened, and therefore we are not filled. There is enough in God to supply our wants, did we but make our requests known to him. I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you: and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jer. xxix. 11-13. (2.) If God thus fills the souls of unnumbered millions, how full must he himself be! The sea is not fuller of water than God is of goodness and mercy. Bring your empty vessels therefore till there is not one left; and be they ever so many, God can fill them all. Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! (3.) Let us, according to our measure, be followers of God; ready to distribute, willing to communicate. Let us draw out our soul, and deal out our bread to the hungry; saying to him that is ready to perish, Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. So shall we be perfect, even as our Father who is in heaven is perfect. "Soon as I heard my Father say, Should friends and kindred near and dear, My God would make my life his care, And all my need supply. Wait on the Lord, ye trembling saints, And keep your courage up; |