PRAYER SHOULD BE IN EARNEST SINCERITY, WITH BELIEVING EXPECTATION.

And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.—Genesis xviii. 30, 31.

And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.-2 Kings xix. 15, 16.

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight : thou hatest all workers of iniquity.-Psalm v. 1-5.

And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.-Matthew xx. 31-34.

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.-Luke xviii. 10-14.

PRAYER, WITH PROMISES AND ENCOURAGEMENTS TO ALL PEOPLE, OLD AND YOUNG.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.-2 Chronicles vii. 14, 15.

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High and call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.-Psalm 1. 14, 15.

:

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.-Proverbs viii. 17.

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.-Song of Solomon ii. 14.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.-Matthew vii. 7, 8.

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.-Matthew xviii. 19, 20.

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.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.-Romans x. 13.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews iv. 15, 16.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.-1 John v. 14, 15.

PRAYERS ANSWERED: EXAMPLES SELECTED.

And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.—Genesis xxxii. 26-28.

Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.—1 Kings iii. 12, 13.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.—1 Chronicles iv. 10.

And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God..—2 Chron. xxxiii. 12, 13.

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.-Matthew xv. 28.

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.—Luke xxiii. 42, 43.

And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.—Acts x. 31.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken : and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.-Acts xvi. 25, 26.

PRAYER NEGLECTED OR DESPISED IS DISHONOURING TO GOD, AND DANGEROUS TO THE SINNER.

Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?Job xxi. 14, 15.

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.-Psalm ix. 17.

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts.-Psalm x. 4.

Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.-Psalm 1. 22.

And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.-Psalm lxxiii. 11, 12.

Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.-Jeremiah x. 25.

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?-

Malachi i. 6.

Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. -Malachi iii. 13-15.

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.-Acts xiii. 40, 41.

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ : whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.-Philippians iii. 18, 19.

PRIDE, VANITY, AND KINDRED EVILS ARE HATEFUL TO GOD, AND DANGEROUS TO THE SINNER.

Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.—1 Samuel ii. 3.

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.-Psalm x. 3, 4.

These six things doth the Lord hate : yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief.-Proverbs vi. 16-18.

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord : though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.—Proverbs xvi. 5.

Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.-Isaiah iii. 16, 17.

And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.-Hosea vii. 10.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.-Luke xviii. 11, 12.

And

And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. -Acts xii. 21-23.

For

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.-1 John ii. 15-17.