ON PRAYER.

Ask and it shall be given unto you.—St. Matthew vii. 7.

M

ATTHEW HENRY, the Commentator, well said that Prayer should be the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening. And indeed the man who lives without prayer can neither be happy nor safe. Now if you have ever felt the weariness, the wretchedness, the loneliness that sin always brings, you will rejoice at these comfortable words, if only you may pray to be released from guilt, and freed from sin and Satan's power. "Ask and it shall be given you."

1. For what should we ask? For the pardon of our sins-for the peace of God-for His Holy Spirit. And what more encouraging than these words can we have-If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (Luke xi. 13). But may we not also pray for temporal blessings? Yes, for so our Lord teaches us-"Give us this day our daily bread," and though no doubt there lies behind those words a reference to the Bread of life which alone can feed our souls, yet a prayer for daily food must be included in the petition.

You may ask for little things. God cares even for the small concerns of His people. He made the oak, and He made the lily; He made the cedar and He made the violet; He made the lion and He made the sparrow.

You cannot ask too much. He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Eph. iii. 20). You may err in asking too little, but you cannot ask too much.

Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.

But let us never forget it is the Holy Spirit alone who can help our infirmities and teach us how to pray, and what to pray for. Have you ever gone on your knees when you were alone, and no one looking at you, and said in real earnest, O God, give me Thy Holy Spirit for Jesus Christ's sake?

2. When to pray. Are you full of joy to-day, your heart bounding with gladness? Is your body in comfort and your soul in peace? Now is your time for prayer. The days of darkness will come, but the darkness will not frighten you, if so be you are

prepared beforehand by loving communion with your God. Are you in affliction? Still you must pray. Ask that your trouble may be blessed to you, and then if it is sanctified you will say, Sweet affliction that brings Jesus to my soul! Pray then, even when disinclined, and when you cannot pray for yourself, pray for others; and while interceding for others the flame of devotion will be lighted, and ere long you will be able to pray for yourself.

3. And what encouragements there are to those who pray! Take such texts as these, Psalm vi. 9; 1. 15; Matthew xviii. 19; John xvi. 23. And they who know by glad experience the power of prayer are able to say like David, I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live, Encouragement to pray! Surely we have enough when we count up God's promises, and see the calmness, the hopefulness, the peace which communion with Heaven always brings.

4. Difficulties about Prayer. You may say, I have prayed, and do pray, but God does not hear. Let me suggest three possible reasons why He does not answer. First, perhaps you ask nothing definite! You kneel down when you have dressed yourself every morning, and before going to bed at night for a few moments or minutes as the case may be, and you say a few words, but the words to you at least are meaningless, you ask for nothing in particular, and you have not because you ask not! Then again, you pray but you never expect an answer to your petitions, indeed, you would be surprised if God was to grant your request. And a third point-you ask wrong things. You would not give your child a sharp knife to play with-nor will God give you the instruments of self-destruction. Perhaps you ask for riches-now money cannot make you happier or better than you are, and therefore no wonder your prayer for riches is unheard. Pray for God's grace, for His Holy Spirit, for pardon and peace, to be numbered among His saints in Heaven, and fed with food convenient here. Pray for these things, and see if God does not hear you!

But further you may say-God decrees all things: if He has determined that I shall have grace, I shall have it without praying for it. What reply can we make to this? It is true if God has determined you shall have grace, you will possess it, but supposing that besides God has decreed that you shall pray for and seek His grace? For example He has predestined that you shall have a harvest this year, but along with the harvest He has decreed that the rain shall moisten the ground, and the sun shall warm it, and

that you shall sow the seed. So He has purposed that you shall have grace, and that you shall seek it.

5. Let us make our public prayers more.definite. The words are elastic enough. When we say, Forgive us our trespasses, let us think of our own besetting sins, and the sins of the past week; when we say, Graciously look upon our afflictions, let us tell God each one of our troubles and worries; when we pray for "all sick persons," remember some specially, or when we say, "Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants"-let us try to think what our desires and petitions severally are. And thus our Common Prayers will have a new light thrown upon them, and Divine service will become reasonable and intelligent.

And finally, let us pray for each other. If St. Paul had need to say, Brethren, pray for us, how much more do I need and long for your prayers? And, brethren, "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you (1 Sam. xii. 23). You will find my prayer for you if you read Ephesians iii. 17-19. Remember the days of prayer will soon be over, so use them well while you have them, but

Our days of praise will ne'er be past,
While life, or thought, or being last,
Or immortality endures.

MORE ABOUT BROWNLOW NORTH.

I lov'd Thee late, too late I lov'd Thee, Lord;

Yet not so late, but Thou dost still afford

Good proof that thou hast borne, with winning art,
One sinner more upon Thy loving heart:

And may I prove when all this life is past,

Though late I lov'd, I lov'd Thee to the last.

INCE the account of the conversion of Brownlow North in the July number of " Wayside Words" was so interesting to some of our readers, we append a few more extracts from his life. Here are

SIX SHORT RULES FOR YOUNG CHRISTIANS.

1. Never neglect daily private prayer; and when you pray, remember that God is present, and that he hears your prayers (Heb. xi. 6).

8. Never neglect daily private Bible-reading; and when you read, remember that God is speaking to you, and that you are to believe and act upon what He says. I believe all backsliding begins with the neglect of these two rules (John v. 39).

3. Never let a day pass without trying to do something for Jesus. Every night reflect on what Jesus has done for you, and then ask yourself, what am I doing for Him? (Matt. v. 13-16).

4. If ever you are in doubt as to a thing being right or wrong, go to your room, and kneel down and ask God's blessing upon it (Col. iii. 17). If you cannot do this, it is wrong (Rom. xiv. 23).

5. Never take your Christianity from Christians, or argue that because such and such people do so and so, that therefore you may (2 Cor. x. 12). You are to ask yourself, How would Christ act in my place? and strive to follow Him (John x. 27).

6. Never believe what you feel, if it contradicts God's Word. Ask yourself, can what I feel be true, if God's Word is true? and if both cannot be true, believe God, and make your own heart the liar (Rom. iii. 4; 1 John v. 10, 11). Here too is a striking little story:

Not long since, a lady came to me in much anxiety, with this complaint: "Mr. North, it is said, 'Unto you who believe He is precious.' Now I am afraid He is not precious to me, so I cannot be a believer." "Well, madam," said I, (for I knew her very well), "You are not very rich; if He is not precious to you, would you sell Him for ten thousand pounds?" "Oh, Mr. North, how could you propose such a thing? I would not part with Him for the whole world." "Then madam, He is precious to you." So the dear soul went away comforted, to think He was much more precious to her than she had been aware of, till this strange proposal was made to her.

Apparently soon after Mr. North became a preacher of the Gospel, one evening he was entering the vestry of a Church in the north where he was going to preach, when a stranger came hurriedly up to him and said, "Here is a letter for you of great importance, and you are requested to read it before you preach to-night." He thought it might be a request for prayer, but it was nothing of the kind for at the end were these words-" How dare you, being conscious of the truth of all the above, pray and speak to the people this evening, when you are such a vile sinner?" He put the letter in his pocket, but before speaking to the people, he produced it and informed them of its contents, and then added, "All that is here said is true, and it is a correct picture of the degraded sinner that I once was; and oh how wonderful must the grace be that could quicken and raise me up from such a death in

trespasses and sins, and make me what I appear before you to-night, a vessel of mercy, one who knows that all his past sins have been cleansed away through the atoning blood of the Lamb of God."

On another occasion when relating the story of his conversion to a friend and noticing his astonishment, he said, "I see you are filled with wonder, but why should He not? why should He not lift the vile thing out of the dunghill?"

'Let us add one more extract:

Of his first appearance as an Evangelist in Huntly, where he had spent some of his godless years, the Rev. Mr. Williamson writes: "The first time he spoke at Huntly, I well remember. The Duchess of Gordon had asked him to visit her, and he agreed to address my weekly meeting for prayer. The attendance was very large, from anxiety to see one who had been so notable in all the ways of folly in the neighbourhood in other days. When he stood up, he was greatly moved, and said, 'My friends, you all know me; you know how I have lived in other days; but God

Here he was so overcome that he had to sit down, and was overwhelmed with a flood of emotion. After a little he twice tried again to speak, and failed, and indeed was unable to address the meeting. Towards the close of the meeting he led in prayer, thanking God for His wonderful mercy to us all, and especially to himself."

Wonderful was the blessing the Holy Spirit gave to his labours throughout Scotland and England, and we can only adore that mighty grace of God which made him to differ. "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight."

The conversion of Brownlow North reminds one of St. Augustine's. Till he was thirty-two did Augustine live in sin feeling its wretchedness and torment, but not knowing where to flee from himself. Let us quote his own words from the celebrated "Confessions." "Thou, O Lord, didst turn me round towards myself, taking me from behind my back where I had placed me, unwilling to observe myself; and setting me before my face, that I might see how foul I was, how crooked and defiled, bespotted and ulcerous. And I beheld and stood aghast; and whither to flee from myself I found not.......... .Not indeed in these words, yet to this purpose, spake I much unto Thee: and Thou, O Lord, how long? how long, Lord, wilt Thou be angry, for ever? Remember not our former iniquities, for I felt that I was held by them. I sent up these sorrowful words; How long? how long? "To-morrow, and tomorrow.' Why not now? Why not is there this hour an end to my uncleanness? So was I speaking, and weeping in the most