things, surely they were the persons! But their spiritual blindness, and total incapacity to understand the atonement and intercession of Christ, appear in every page of their history. Space is not afforded to illustrate and confirm this, which might be done at length.* That was a dark and dreary dispensation, whose mists were not fully dispelled until the day of Pentecost, when the glory of the Gospel broke upon them. See, next, II. A PERIOD WHEN PRAYER CAN BE HEARD AND ANSWERED, "What ONLY WHEN OFFERED IN THE NAME OF JESUS: soever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you ask, and ye shall receive, that your . . ask, joy may be full.” 1. All prayer must now be presented in the name of Jesus. Familiar, but blessed truth; and the grand peculiarity of the Gospel dispensation: "Through him," that is Jesus, "we both" Jews and Gentiles "have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Ephes. ii. 18.) Where in the Old Testament is there such a revelation as this? The Holy Trinity concerned in the presentation of one prayer! Or where such an exhortation as this? "Let us come boldly," &c. (Heb. iv. 16, and x. 19-22.) But this is now the only way-" in my name!” The Deist's petition and the Unitarian's has no access! It is an abomination-it is Cain's proud sacrifice! In vain the eloquent appeal, impassioned cries, tears, agonies; if they be not in the name of Jesus, they shall be rejected! But the broken sigh, presented through Him, finds access. 2. There is no limit to the blessings promised to prayer when thus offered. "Whatsoever ye shall ask!" How large the promise! "This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us." (1 John v. 14.) There must be a submission to his will, his wisdom, his love, in all we ask; especially in temporal things—we know so little what is good for us. But in spiritual things his power of giving and our capacity for receiving are the only limits! All grace, all pardon, peace, holiness, victory, &c. are ours, if only we ask in faith, and in his name: "All things are yours," &c. (Philipp. iv. 6.) 3. This is absolutely certain! Why? (a) Because of the solemn affirmation of Jesus! "Verily, verily"- Amen, amen"- "So be it" 66 -so it shall be! It See the following passages: Matt. xv. 16; xvi. 6, 12: Luke ix. 43—45 : with Luke xxiv. 25-27, 45; and many similar to them. is my word, will, affirmation, oath, and covenant! Who can doubt it? The word of Him who cannot lie. (b) Because of the disposition of the Holy Father himself: "The Father himself loveth you"-therefore "I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: " he anticipates my desires and your wants: (ver. 26, 27.) He waits. to be gracious-he waits for your prayers! (Luke xi. 11-13.) (c) Because of the command of Christ! Again and again does he bid us pray: "Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find," &c. Would he enforce a useless duty? or bid us cry and pray and seek, if he intended to mock our wants and disappoint our expectations? Every command necessarily implies a promise: so that we may say, "whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him!" (1 John v. 15.) 4. This is a source of unbounded holy joy! "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." Praise and joy are the natural fruits of prayer: prayer is often a sorrowful seed-time-but it yields peace, and often strong consolation. (ver. 33.) If we would "rejoice evermore, we must "pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. v. 16, 17.) If we would “rejoice in the Lord alway," we must make known our requests unto God by prayer and supplication." (Philipp. iv. 4-7.) Thus Christ comforted his sorrowing disciples: he would have them full of prayer, that they might be "full of joy!" Such are the sweet fruits of asking in his name." 66 66 III. BUT THERE IS A PERIOD COMING WHEN PRAYER SHALL NO LONGER BE MADE! "In that day ye shall ask me nothing." What day? Clearly the day of his final return and glory, to which he constantly refers in this discourse: "when he would see them again, and their hearts should rejoice, and their joy none could take from them." (ver. 22.) Even on and after the day of Pentecost there remained much that they did not comprehend, and about which they would have asked him if they could. The time here predicted is still a future one: the day of his glorious second advent, constantly called "THAT DAY!" Then prayer shall cease to be offered! 1. Because there will be no difficulties to be solved. They will not then ask, "What is this? we cannot tell what he saith;" because he has said, "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." (ch. xiii. 7.) "Then shall we know even as also we are known." (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) Therefore there will be no questions to ask-there will be no perplexities, no doubts, no fears:these drive us to prayer now. 2. Because then there will be no want to be supplied. :- Prayer is the language of feebleness, necessity, and sorrow it is the confession of sin, lamentation, penitence. But there will be no sin, nor sorrow, nor weakness, nor weariness in heaven; and therefore no prayer! We do not read of the prayers of angels! and why? Because they have nothing to ask. All is supplied! Their wings never tire in God's ways; nor can they err from them! There is praise and adoration, and worship and joy, but no prayer in heaven! 3. Because even the mediation and intercession of Christ himself will then have ceased. He, too, will then have nothing to ask! "He has seen of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied." All his redeemed are there—his work is done-his purposes are accomplished -and all is finished! Glorious consummation ! ~ Faith swallowed up in sight! Prayer in praise! Expectation in enjoyment! Christ gives up his "kingdom to God, even the Father and God is all in all!" (1 Cor. xv. 24, 28.) Brethren! do you pray? Do you ask in the name of Jesus? 1. How great is their loss who live without prayer!— -What comfort, blessedness, peace, hope, and joy now! No blessing can be had without prayer: what comfort then can you have in time-what hope for eternity? 2. How great is their guilt who neglect prayer. This is in itself a wilful sin of great magnitude. It is daily, habitual disobedience to a positive command of God. He invites us to it by his word and spirit and providenceand we proudly and presumptuously refuse. 3. Let the affecting thought sink into our hearts, that now is our only time for prayer! There is no prayer in heaven, because there there is neither want nor sin; there is no prayer in hell, because there there is no door of hope: -in heaven it is not neededin hell it is of no avail! But now-now in this life, in this Gospel day-now is the time for prayer-now we may ask, seek, knock. May God give us the disposition to avail ourselves of this unspeakable privilege, ere "the door is for ever de shut;" and then shall we begin to knock, but in vain- XXIX. GLORIFYING GOD. 1 Corinthians x. 31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. "THE GLORY OF GOD!"-Who can comprehend it-describe it? That which fills all heaven-dazzles the eyes of angels-is spread over the face of the earth and the wide sea-is displayed in all created things-and shines resplendent in the face of Jesus Christ!" it is higher than heaven, what can we do? deeper than hell, what can we know?" What is it to us? we can neither add to it, nor diminish ought from it! Can we not? The Apostle says we can!-Let us, in humility and prayer, attend to his words, and consider I. THE WONDERFUL TRUTHS IMPLIED IN HIS EXHORTA TION. II. THE INSPIRING MOTIVES OF OBEDIENCE SUGGESTED. I. THE TRUTHS IMPLIED. 1. It is implied that God is glorified in his people. How wonderful!--What! can the glory of the great God be augmented by any thing we can do? How impossible it seems ! We could conceive this to be the case in heaven by glorious and holy angels; or even on earth by great nations, bodies, masses of men, and churches; or perhaps by a few illustrious and distinguished persons of rank, talent, station, wealth, on a grand scale; or by here and there an eminently holy man, as Abraham or Moses; or by distinguished martyrs and missionaries: but we are here taught more than this; viz. That God may be glorified by all, even by the most obscure of his people, and in their most ordinary and meanest offices! "Whether ye eat or drink," &c. So that whatsoever they "do, in word or deed," &c. (Col. iii. 17.) Realize this by examples: by royal David and Naaman's little maid; by Solomon and "the hewers of wood;" 2. But it necessarily follows that he may be dishonoured in them, and that his glory may be tarnished by them. Wonderful-certain-fearful!-How can this be? By merely nominal Christians; as by the nominal Jew: "the name of God is blasphemed among the heathen through you!" (Rom. ii. 23, 24.) Alas, by many! By the profanethe vicious-the covetous-the drunkard-the dishonestthe careless-irreligious: here at home, such are a scandal to Christianity, and a reproach to Christ. How much more abroad-in India-in the colonies? "Massa, no God!" is the expression of the heathen. Awful national guilt, and individual responsibility! the By false professors: the hypocrite-the backslider· inconsistent-the lukewarm-the undecided; all these cast reflection on religion and on God himself: He is dishonoured in them. By the faults and failings of sincere believers: "wounded in the house of his friends;" as by the simulation of Abraham, (Gen. xii. 18, and xx. 9); the falls of David and Peter; the cowardice of all the disciples, (Matt. xxvi. 56.) Here the mirror is tarnished: "the enemies take occasion to blaspheme;" the Church is ashamed: how sad and humbling! But let us take another view of these words; and see in them II. MOST INSPIRING MOTIVES OF OBEDIENCE. 1. The spiritual Christian desires nothing so much as God's glory! |