CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
The prayers of the Bible: 
 
 ,. 3 1924 031 249 257 
 olin.anx 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031249257 
 
THE 
 
 PRAYEKS OF THE BIBLE: 
 
 THEIR ANSWERS. 
 
 COLLECTED BY 
 
 A CHURCH MEMBER. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY A. S. BARNES & 00. 
 
 1855. 
 
"^''^ The. "'">^ 
 President White 
 
 ■^^, 
 
 Library ^, 
 
 'f/VEO 
 
 <S» 
 
 Rntered acoording to Act cf Congress, in the year 1855, 
 BY A. S. BARNES & CO., 
 
 +» the Clirk*! Office of the Dietiict Court of the United Statesj Tor the :)omhern District c 
 New York. 
 
TO 
 
 THE FRIEND 
 
 WHO SUGGESTED THE IDEA OP THE PRESENT VOLUME 
 
 IT IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED, 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 |]ragcr0 of tlje ©ID Sfstamcnt. 
 
 PAflB 
 
 Snteoduotion , 18 
 
 Prayer of Abram 18 
 
 Prayer of Abraham for the Cities of the Plain 21 
 
 Prayer of Abraham's Servant 24 
 
 Prayer of Jacob for Deliverance from Esau 25 
 
 Israel's Prayer for God's Blessing on Joseph, Ephraim, and Ma- 
 
 nasseh. 29 
 
 Prayer of Moses 82 
 
 Prayer of Moses for Water for the Children of Israel 36 
 
 Prayer of Moses to avert the Divine Anger 36 
 
 Prayer of Moses when the People made the Golden Calf 38 
 
 Prayer of Moses that lie may see the Glory of the Lord 40 
 
 Prayer of Moses on Mount Sinai 48 
 
 Prayer of Moses for the Scattering of the Lord's Enemies 46 
 
 Prayer of Moses when the people Weep for Flesh to Eat 45 
 
 Prayer of Moses as to the manner in which the Lord will give 
 
 the people Flesh to Eat 49 
 
Vi CONTENTS. 
 
 Prayer of Moses for Miriam 62 
 
 Prayer of Moses that the •'"eople may not be SmitteD -with Pes- 
 tilence '/ 5* 
 
 Prayer of Moses that the Lord would set a Man over the Con- 
 
 gration 57 
 
 Prayer of Joshua ;' 60 
 
 Prayer of Hannah 63 
 
 Prayer of Samuel 67 
 
 Prayer of Samuel for a Thunder Storm in time of Wheat Harvest. 69 
 
 Prayer of David under Trying Circumstances "71 
 
 Prayer of David when the Amalekites had invaded Ziklag. ... 72 
 
 Prayer of David and Thanksgiving 74 
 
 Prayer of David as he went weeping up the Mount of Olivet . . 76 
 Prayer of David after his Transgression in numbering Israel and 
 
 Judah 78 
 
 Prayer of Solomon for Wisdom 80 
 
 Prayer of Solomon at the Dedication of the Temple 82 
 
 Prayer of the Prophet for the Restoration of Jeroboam's With ered 
 
 Hand 88 
 
 The Power of Effectual Fervent Prayer. 90 
 
 Prayer of Elijah for the Restoration of the Widow's Son 91 
 
 Prayer of Elijah on Mount Carmel 94 
 
 Prayer of Elisha for his Servant 95 
 
 Prayer of Hezekiah 97 
 
 Prayer of Hezekiah in Sickness 93 
 
 Prayer of Jabez , , 10] 
 
 tTnited Prayer of an Army 102 
 
CONTENTS, VU 
 
 PAOK 
 
 Prayer of Asa 103 
 
 Prayer of Jehoshaphat 105 
 
 Prayer of Hezekiah for those who h' .jten the Passover with- 
 out Purification 107 
 
 Prayer of Manasseh when in Affliction 108 
 
 Prayer of Nehemiah for the Captive i jmnant of Judah 110 
 
 Prayers of Nehemiah while Building the V. alls of Jerusalem. . 113 
 
 Prayer of Job 116 
 
 Prayer of Job after lie had been visited by his Friends 117 
 
 Prayer of Job that God would hide him from his Anger 119 
 
 Prayer of Job that he might feel God's Presence 121 
 
 Job's Prayer for an Answer to his Petitions 123 
 
 Prayer of Job after he had received the Answer 127 
 
 Prayers contained in the Psalms 129 
 
 Prayer of Agur 140 
 
 ^legorical Prayer of the Church 143 
 
 Isaiah's Thanksgiving 145 
 
 Isaiah's Acknowledgment of God's Mercy 146 
 
 Isaiah's Trust in God and Prayer for the Church 148 
 
 Prayer of the Church for Deliverance from her Enemies 161 
 
 Israel's Prayer in Returning to God, and for the Unconverted 
 
 B.emnaut of the People 152 
 
 Prayer of the Prophet Jeremiah 160 
 
 A Voice of Weeping and Supplication from Israel 162 
 
 Jeremiah Prayeth and Teacheth his People how to view Ca- 
 lamity 163 
 
 Jeremiah, Perplexed on account of Conspiracy, Prays 164 
 
VIU CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Jeremiah Intercedes for his People in Time of Famine 166 
 
 A Voice of Weeping and Supplication from Rachel 17S 
 
 The Bemoaninga of Ephraim 174 
 
 Prayer of Jeremiah in Prison 1'7B 
 
 Lament of Jeremiah 182 
 
 Jeremiah Acknowledges the Lord as his Portion 185 
 
 Intercession of Ezekiel 187 
 
 Ezekiel Complains that the People do not Understand 190 
 
 Prayer of Daniel and his Companions that the Lord would In- 
 terpret Nebuchadnezzar's Dream 192 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar Convicted Blesses God 195 
 
 Thanksgiving of Nebuchadnezzar 196 
 
 Prayer of Daniel for the Restoration of Jerusalem 198 
 
 The Prophet Joel's Prayer in Time of Famine 203 
 
 Prayers of Amos that God would Avert the Judgments of the 
 
 Fire and Grasshoppers 204 
 
 Prayer of the Mariners in the Storm , 205 
 
 Prayer of Jonah from the Midst of the Sea 208 
 
 Jonah Prays that God will take his life 210 
 
 Prayer of the Church Complaining of Small Numbers,' and of 
 
 the General Corruption 212 
 
 Prayer of Habakkuk 214 
 
 Habakkuk Prays in prospect of Approaching Trials 217 
 
 Habakkuk's Expectation of Answers to his Prayers 218 
 
 Prayer of Habakkuk upon Shigionoth (or Musical Instrument). 219 
 Prayer of the Jews concerning their Fasts 223 
 
CONTENTS. IX 
 
 IJras^rs of tlje ^m ^tstammt. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Inteodcotion 227 
 
 The Lord's Prayer 233 
 
 The Leper's Prayer ■ 2S6 
 
 Prayer of the Centurion 237 
 
 Prayer of the Disciples in tlie Storm 239 
 
 Prayer of Jairus 241 
 
 Silent Prayer of Faith 244 
 
 Prayer of two Blind Men 246 
 
 Prayer of our Blessed Lord 248 
 
 Prayer of Peter 250 
 
 Prayer of the Syro-Phoenician Woman 263 
 
 Prayer of a Mother for her Sons 255 
 
 Prayer of the Five Foolish Virgins 257 
 
 Prayer of the Disciples at Meat with our Saviour 259 
 
 Prayer of our Saviour 260 
 
 Prayer of our Saviour from the Cross 262 
 
 Prayer of the Man that had been Possessed with a Devil 264 
 
 Prayer of Mary, the Mother of our Saviour 268 
 
 Prayer of Simeon in the Temple 271 
 
 Prayer of Anna 272 
 
 Prayer of Simon Peter 275 
 
 Prayer of Peter on the Mount 276 
 
 Prayer of the Prodigal Son 277 
 
 Prayer of Dives .• 281 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 PAOK 
 
 Prayer of the Ten Lepers 285 
 
 Prayers of the Pharisee and Publican 287 
 
 Prayer of the Young Ruler 290 
 
 Prayer of our Saviour from the Cross 293 
 
 Prayer of the Thief from the Cross 296 
 
 Prayer of a Nobleman 299 
 
 Prayers of Martha and Mary 301 
 
 Prayer of Philip 804 
 
 Prayer of Judas, not Iscariot 307 
 
 Prayer of our Saviour 310 
 
 Prayer of the Apostles SH 
 
 Prayer of the Church 316 
 
 Prayer of Stephen 318 
 
 Prayer of Saul of Tarsus, after hie Conversion 319 
 
 Prayers of the Church for Peter 323 
 
 The Prayers and Praises of Paul and Silas 325 
 
 Prayer of St. Paul in the Temple 328 
 
 Prayers of St. Paul for the Church at Rome 330 
 
 Prayer of St. Paul for the Church at Corinth 333 
 
 Prayer of St. Paul for the Church at Ephesus 335 
 
 Prayer of St. Paul for the Church at Colosse 3317 
 
 Prayer of St. Paul for the Church at Thessalonica 339 
 
" Think ! — the shadow- on the dial, 
 For the nature most undone, 
 Marks the passing of the trial. 
 Proves the presence of the sun. 
 
 " Look ! — ^look up in starry passion. 
 To the throne above the spheres, 
 Leakn ! — the spirit's gravitation 
 Still must differ from the tear's. 
 
 " Hope 1 — with all the strength thou usest 
 In embracing thy despair ; 
 Love ! — the earthly love thou losest 
 Shall return to thee more fair. 
 
 " Work I — make clear the forest tangling 
 Of the wildest stranger land; 
 Trust 1 — the blessed, deathly angels 
 Whisper, ' Sabbath hours at hand.' " 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " Tea, very vaia 
 The greatest speed of all the souls of men 
 Unless they travel upward to thy throne ; 
 There sittest Thou, the satisfying One, 
 With help for sins." 
 
 The hand of tlie Almighty had forever closed the 
 gates of Eden and left there the flaming sword of 
 the cherubim to prevent the return of our guilty 
 first parents. The alluring voice of the tempter had 
 led their souls into sin, and as they wandered forth 
 to inherit the earth, cursed for their sakes, they were 
 troubled in the presence of the Grod whom they had 
 offended, trembling because conscious guilt stood 
 before the perfection of the Almighty. But there 
 was a ray of hope for their despairing hearts. Satan 
 had not, as he fancied, achieved a permanent tri- 
 umph over them, or separated them from God for- 
 ever, for while the wrath of an offended Deity hung 
 over the soul, and justice cursed it, love and mercy 
 lifted it where it might breathe the still air of heav- 
 
14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 en — no chains were to bind the spirit of ruined man 
 in everlasting darkness, for this exiled world and its 
 inmates were objects of God's infinite love, man's 
 restoration bad been a thought hidden in the eternal 
 mind before the world was, and it was breathed 
 into the human soul in that glorious promise which 
 should bruise the head of the serpent, and open a 
 way where man might seek and find the lost favor 
 of his God. 
 
 In that early history of the human race sacrifices 
 were instituted, and on the sacred page we have the 
 accepted and the rejected offering; through the long 
 ages that have rolled away since then, man has held 
 communion with his Maker, " there has been no 
 such curse in the calender of time as a day without 
 prayer " — 
 
 " Earth and heaven hold commune day and night ; 
 There's not a wind but bears upon its wing 
 The messages of God." 
 
 " There is a link of communication between the 
 High, and Holy One that inhabiteth eternity, and 
 the heart of the contrite in which he delighteth to 
 dwell." Between our present earthly and, we trust, 
 our future heavenly home, God has established a 
 telegraph, free to us all ; it bears not to the soul of 
 man sad messages of sorrow to clothe him in sack- 
 cloth and bathe him in tears ; no ! its tidings are 
 from a better land where sin has no entrance and 
 
INTEODUCTION. 
 
 sorrow is unknown; they are answers of a kind 
 father to his children's call for help and strength in 
 their life journey. « 
 
 God has seen fit to preserve in his holy word the 
 prayers of many of his children ; the patriarchs and 
 prophets spake as they were moved by God, but 
 they like us were mortal, sent forward on a long and 
 tedious pilgrimage, called to battle with the same 
 inborn corruptions and outward temptations with 
 which we are called to struggle ; they filled their 
 inch of time, and passed as we are passing, onward 
 to meet our God and Judge. We have carefully 
 gathered from the Bible the "recorded prayers" 
 and their answers ; we would show you where lay 
 the creature's strength — would remind you by them, 
 that the same mercy-seat is now open before you, at 
 which those holy men were so often found. You 
 will learn a lesson here that God dwelleth not in 
 temples made with hands. He whom the heaven of 
 heavens cannot contain is calling each one to his 
 mercy-seat; it is found equally in that house of 
 prayer where with one heart and voice our cloud of 
 incense is wafted upward, and in the cottage of the 
 poor man, where no eye but God's is watching, and 
 no ear but his hears. 
 
 It is then the duty of all to avail themselves of 
 the high and holy privilege of prayer, for we have 
 the promise of the immutable Jehovah, that not in 
 vain shall we enter his council-chamber. We would 
 
16 INTRODDCTIOK; 
 
 draw the attention of all to the recorded prayers of 
 the Bible — to their simplicity and earnestness — and 
 would point out to the believer what God called 
 true devotion ; would lead you to see, by His help, 
 that the poor sacrifice so many of you are now 
 making statedly at his altar, must not be dignified 
 by the name of prayer ; that you may no longer call 
 yourselves in his presence " miserable, blind, and 
 naked," when there is no tear of sorrow, and no 
 sigh over the conceit of your hearts. In the prayers 
 of Abram and Isaac, and all those men who walked 
 with God, you will learn the Almighty accepts no 
 such empty sacrifice as yours. 
 
 " He requires fruits of more pleasing savor, 
 From his seed sown with contrition in the heart." 
 
 The spirit in which most of these prayers are 
 breathed is child-like ; they are uttered thoughts to 
 Him who is not only able but willing to satisfy ; 
 they are the opening of the heart to God with its 
 simplest as well as largest desire, uttered with direct- 
 ness and earnestness. 
 
 Oh, learn from these prayers to walk with God as 
 they walked who have fallen asleep ; learn to live 
 on earth and breathe in heaven. Oh, make the way 
 to his mercy-seat a worn and beaten track talk 
 daily and hourly with God ; then all your desires 
 your hopes, your affections, shall be centered in 
 Him, and as we have sought to purify them by 
 
INTRODUCTION. 17 
 
 prayer, so shall He wlio regardeth. the faintest whis- 
 per in his ear, take us when the scenes of earth 
 have faded, where we shall be satisfied — where all 
 the eager, anxious questions of our thinking minds 
 shall be answered, our desires all gratified, and 
 every care lost in the bosom of God. 
 
THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 €iit (iDlh €tnHmtni 
 
 A PRATER OF ABRAM. 
 
 The life of "the father of the faithful" was 
 chequered and eventful ; although he is not intro- 
 duced to our notice till his seventy-fifth year, yet 
 ■we meet him as the friend of God, and are able to 
 follow him through many sad and bitter trials. At 
 times an exile and wanderer, homeless and house- 
 less, we find him, everywhere and under every cir- 
 cumstance, rearing an altar to God, and calling upon 
 him for strength and support. When the following 
 prayer was made by Abram, he was rich and re- 
 spected, a conqueror over his enemies, a blessing to 
 his friends ; his life's work seemed almost over, and 
 he felt death was not very far "distant. He contem- 
 plated his present position, and as his mind rested 
 upon his wealth, there was no regret in his heart 
 that he must leave it behind him. Oh, no, his treas- 
 
ABRAM. 19 
 
 ure in heaven was far greater to his eye of faith. 
 Still there was a sorrow in his bosom that not one 
 of his own name might inherit his worldly posses- 
 sions, but they must descend to the steward of his 
 household. 
 
 In the language of the prayer, and from what we 
 learn of the character of Abram, we are satisfied his 
 desire was not the merely natural one, for he re- 
 joiced in the coming Saviour, and was ready at the 
 command of God to sacrifice the son for whom he 
 had prayed, and was one who at the call of duty 
 had ever been ready to give up hopie and friends, 
 firmly relying on the . promises of the Almighty. 
 Nothing seemed for any length of time to disturb 
 the steady faith of his soul ; but now and then in his 
 eventful life, we see the slight temptation prevailing 
 when the greater were overcome ; in the firmest be- 
 liever we sometimes see the weakest man. God in 
 his answer to this prayer does not check the ardor 
 or seeming impatience of Abram, but promises a 
 speedy fulfillment of all his wishes, even a son, the 
 progenitor after the flesh of the blessed Saviour. 
 "The sincere Bible reader is always gratified when 
 he remembers, that here is the model of every re- 
 ligious rite that has existed in any age. Many de- 
 scribed by profane writers derived their pattern 
 from those mentioned in the writings of Moses." 
 It would be useless to inquire into the nature of the 
 vision that appeared to Abraham. Every true be- 
 
20 THE PBAYEES OF THE -BIBLE. 
 
 liever feels the presence of God in his heart, and as 
 long as he loves, and serves Him, he is visible to his 
 spiritual eye, and " his ear hears the voice of the 
 Lord." The holy friendship existing between Abra- 
 ham and his heavenly Father, may be ours; he 
 lived like a pilgrim — his whole life proved he was 
 tarrying but a night. All that was earthly of Abram 
 lies now in the dust of yonder cave ; his spirit is in 
 heaven — his prayers stored there, and for us pre- 
 served on the sacred page. The descendants of 
 Abram indeed became strangers in the land of Ca- 
 naan, and were there oppressed and down-trodden ; 
 "a prophecy fore-uttered through the tongues of 
 time, ages of ages." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Genesis xv. 
 
 1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Ahram 
 in a \ision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield and thy 
 exceeding great reward. 
 
 2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing 
 I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of 
 Damascus? 
 
 3 And Abram said. Behold, to me thou has given no seed: 
 and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 
 
 The Answer. — Genesis xv. 
 
 4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 
 This shall not be thine heir ; but he that shall come forth out 
 of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 
 
ABEAHAM. 21 
 
 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now 
 toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number 
 them : and he said unto him. So shall thy seed be. 
 
 7 And he said unto him, I anj the Lord that brought thee 
 out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 
 
 The Prayer continued. 
 
 8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall 
 inherit it ? 
 
 The answer continued. 
 
 9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years 
 old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years 
 old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 
 
 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed 
 shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve 
 them ; and they shall afflict them four hundred years ; 
 
 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge : 
 and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 
 
 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be 
 buried in a good old age. 
 
 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again : 
 for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 
 
 A PRAYER OF ABRAHAM FOR THE CITIES OF THE 
 PLAIN. 
 
 Most nobly had Abram given Lot, the cjioice of 
 his home, and the fertile plain of SodoRarwas now 
 his dwelling-place. Wickedness abounded there, 
 and the Lord had made known his intention to 
 Abraham of destroying the " ci^i^s of the plain." 
 
22 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 Abraham is alarmed at the intimation, and knows it 
 ''is no small sin that has thus called down the terrors 
 of the Almighty. There are precious souls in those 
 doomed cities, and Abram pleads at the throne of 
 the Most High for them. Every circumstance con- 
 nected with the intercession of Abraham is interest- 
 ing to the believer: his unselfishness toward his 
 nephew, his earnest affection for him after his choice 
 of a home in Sodom, unfolds to us the heart of a 
 humble follower of Grod, seeking not his own good, 
 but the glory of the Father and the true welfare of 
 man. Abraham comes to God in prayer, with the 
 assurance that the great Judge of all will do right ; 
 there is a sacred ingenuity in the argument which 
 he uses in his intercession — he does not ask the 
 Lord to spare the wicked for their own sakes, but 
 for the pious souls that are in the cities. The prom- 
 ises made by God to the successively reduced num- 
 ber of the righteous for whom this prayer was made, 
 encourages us in the duty of interceding for others. 
 The effectual, fervent prayer availeth much, and 
 brings to our own hearts a blessing, even if in our 
 View God has not directly answered us. "While 
 Abraham earnestly pleads with God, his soul is full 
 of hufjiility ; I am a mortal in the presence of the 
 great Cre^r, I have nothing to give but all to ask; 
 this is his spirit, as he owns himself but dust and 
 ashes. The intercessory prayers of Christians are 
 destined instruments in the hand of God for bring- 
 
ABRAHAM. 23 
 
 ing on the glorious time wlien all the earth shall 
 know him ; each one as it is breathed in the, ear of 
 God, is dearer to him than the brightest effort of 
 unhallowed genius — although this may be derided 
 by the world as a revery, and the -unbeliever may 
 talk to us of mistaken zeal. 
 
 The Prayer and Us Answer^ as recorded. — Gen. xviii. 
 
 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy 
 the righteous with the wicked? 
 
 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: 
 wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty 
 righteous that are therein? 
 
 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the 
 righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as 
 the wicked, that be far from thee : Shall not the Judge of all the 
 earth do riglit? 
 
 26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous 
 within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 
 
 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have 
 taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and 
 ashes : 
 
 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: 
 wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five ? And he said, If 
 I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 
 
 29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure 
 there shall be forty found there. And ho said, I will not do it 
 for forty's sake. 
 
 30 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. 
 
21 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 31 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 hake. 
 
 32 And he said. Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will 
 speak yet but this once : Peradventure ten shall be found there. 
 And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's salce. 
 
 A PRAYER OF ABRAHAM'S SERVANT. 
 
 Not only was Abraham Limself a man of prayer, 
 but his family and those of his household seem to 
 have breathed his spirit. Isaac his son is mentioned 
 as one who loved to meditate, and we find him at 
 the evening hour communing with God ; " mistrust- 
 ing self, he leaned on heaven." Sarah, the beloved 
 wife of Abraham, slept in death ; grief rested heavi- 
 ly on the heart of Isaac, for his mother was one 
 whom he had loved and cherished. He appealed to 
 his father Abraham for direction and advice, in a 
 matter involving his temporal happiness, and, no 
 doubt, sought the Lord to guide the servant whom 
 Abraham sent to the fair Eebekah. In the choice 
 of a wife for his son, Abraham is not influenced by 
 worldly considerations ; he would choose for him a 
 virtuous and religious companion — with whom he 
 could go down the vale of life, with one prayer 
 
Abraham's servant. 25 
 
 one God, and one heart. The servant ■whom he 
 sends to meet the chosen one is a man fearing the 
 Lord, and in all his ways acknowledging him. 
 While on his journey he prays. Affectionate to his 
 master, faithful to his trust, with the blessing of God 
 he is ready for duty ; and so should it be ever with 
 us — let us do nothing in our own strength ; as long 
 as — 
 
 " Evil walks the ■world uneleeping, 
 Evil sleeps within the soul," 
 
 we need the protection of our heavenly Father ; 
 prayer must nerve us for duty, prayer must teach us 
 to be faithful. Scarcely is the petition made when 
 the servant beholds its answer, in the form of Ee- 
 bekah at the well. In the whole of this scene we 
 see the guiding hand of God. There is no want of 
 modesty in Eebekah — a trait so essential to perfect 
 female character — but all the simplicity of nature. 
 God, in answer to prayer, prepared the hearts of 
 Isaac and Eebekah to realize, when they meet, that 
 union of soul, of which the cold, calculating world 
 knows nothing — a union which only heaven and 
 nature teaches, and God ■will hallow — 
 
 " Making hearts, like double stars, 
 One in their bright eflfect." 
 
 It is not well for man to walk through life aloiR ; 
 Isaac felt the want of gentle companionship — felt the 
 want of his mother's love. " That wild flower, the 
 
26 THE PRAYERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 soul, with its tendrils the affections," needs the 
 training of the planter, and while they twine round 
 the frail supports of earth, must also twine upward ; 
 and, would we make them ready for a purer soil 
 we must bring them where the air of heaven will 
 fan and the dew of prayer moisten. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Genesis xxiv. 
 
 11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city 
 by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that 
 women go out to draw water. 
 
 12 And he said, O Lord God (if my master Abraham, I pray 
 thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my 
 master Abraham. 
 
 13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water ; and the daugh- 
 ters of the men of the city come out to draw water : 
 
 14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall 
 say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and 
 she shall say. Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also : let 
 the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac ; 
 and thereby shtll I know that thou hast showed kindness unto 
 my master. 
 
 The Answer. — Genesis xxiv. 
 
 15 And it came to pass before he had done speaking, that, 
 behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of 
 Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher 
 upon her shoulder. 
 
 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a viro-in, nei- 
 ther had any man known her; and she went down to the well, 
 and filled her pitcher, and came up 
 
JACOB. 27 
 
 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, Let me, I pray 
 thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 
 
 61 And Rebekah arose and her damsels, and they rode upon 
 the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Re- 
 bekah, and went his way. 
 
 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and 
 took Rebekah, and she became his wife ; and he loved her 
 and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. 
 
 A PRAYER OF JACOB FOR DELIVERAKTCE FROM ESAXJ. 
 
 The first impression made by the character of 
 Jacob, as recorded in the Bible, is far from favor- 
 able. There is much enmity existing between him- 
 self and his brother Esau. We meet him under a 
 great variety of circumstances, .the subject of many 
 deep and heavy trials, hated by one who should 
 have been nearer than a brother, an exile and wan- 
 derer, deserted and alone in the plain of Bethel ; 
 when poor, the object of persecution, when prosper- 
 ous, the victim of the envious. There is not one of 
 all the patriarchs whose path lay so thickly strewn 
 with sorrows, many of them, too, the bitter fruits of 
 the seed of his own wild sowing. The plan of 
 divine providence had been imparted to Jacob in 
 that vision of the night, in that dream from which 
 he awoke filled with the presence of the Lord — a 
 holy sense which enabled him to endure with sub- 
 
28 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 mission almost uninterrupted hardship, and made 
 his death a happy and quiet release. 
 
 Jacob was about to meet Esau at the head of an 
 army of four hundred men. Knowing he had given 
 his brother cause for resentment, he had much rea- 
 son to dread the encounter, and has recourse to 
 prayer ; with all his anxiety and evil foreboding he 
 comes to God ; we have reason to infer that a whole 
 night was passed in communion with his Maker; 
 his prayer was earnest and anxious. It is thus God 
 likes to be importuned, and in this prayer we are 
 taught the nature of true, heartfelt petition. God 
 does not answer this prayer as we would be led to 
 suppose ; he does not destroy the gathered hosts, or 
 send some calamity on the brother's head ; he pours 
 into the heart of Jacob a right spirit so that he 
 may turn the wrath of Esau into feelings of peace. 
 There is much wisdom displayed in all the plans of 
 Jacob ; humbled and subdued he uses the language 
 best calculated to pacify his brother ; it is, " Thy 
 servant," and "My lord;" and they meet as friends. 
 The prayer though long and importunate was 
 answered. God requires this spirit, and will finally 
 yield to it. We must be — 
 
 " "Watching, waiting, hoping, yearning. 
 With the lamp well trimmed and burning." 
 
 The sign given to Jacob convinced him of God's 
 approbation of his faith and perseverance, and 
 showed him how frail man was in his own strength. 
 
ISRAEL. 29 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Genesis xxxii. 
 
 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of 
 my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me. Return unto 
 thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee : 
 
 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all 
 the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant ; for with 
 my staff I passed over this Jordan ; and now I am become two 
 bands. 
 
 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, 
 from the hand of Esau : for I fear him, lest he will come and 
 smite me, and the mother with the children. 
 
 12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy 
 seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for mul- 
 titude. 
 
 The Answer. — Genesis xxxiii. 
 
 1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, Esau 
 came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the 
 children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two hand- 
 maids. 
 
 2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and 
 Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. 
 
 3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the 
 ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 
 
 4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on 
 his neck and kissed him : and they wept. 
 
 ISRAEL'S PRATER FOR GOD'S BLESSING ON JOSEPH, 
 EPHRAIM, AND MANASSEH. 
 
 Joseph was the long-expected son of Eachel, the 
 wife of Jacob, or Israel. Ephraim and Manasseh 
 
30 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 were Josepli's ctildren, and tlie scene in whicli the 
 following prayer is introduced is one of peculiar 
 interest to tlie believer, and will teach him to trust 
 more firmly in the promises of God. The feeble- 
 ness of old ^ge had stolen over the form of the 
 patriarch Jacob ; his sight is dimmed by time, but 
 the eyes of his soul look out clearly, through the 
 shadows of the future, far into a "glorious day," in 
 a coming age. The life of the old man is drawing 
 to a close. He had suffered as one suffers to whom 
 God gives deep and strong affections, but through 
 all his trials he had learned, "the foolishness of God 
 was wiser than men, and Ms weakness stronger ;" 
 his hand, like every human hand, had clasped some 
 fleeting shadows, but it rested now where earth 
 could never loosen it, in the firm grasp of the 
 Almighty. Joseph, the wise, the humble, the discreet, 
 the attractive son of the never-forgotten Eachel, has 
 come with his children to receive a father's blessing, 
 a father's parting words ere he sleeps in death. 
 Guided by heaven the hand of Jacob rests first on 
 the head of the younger as he asks the protecting 
 care of God to be over and above the loved ones 
 before him; he prays that they may inherit the 
 privileges and walk in' the footsteps of their pro- 
 genitors, and that the name Israel, that name of so 
 much import, might descend upon them, and they 
 might be raised to their hereditary rank and honor. 
 God guided the spirit of Jacob while he prayed, 
 
ISRAEL. 31 
 
 taught him what to ask for, and how to ask ; thus 
 instructed he knew the will of God respecting those 
 who were to come after him, the children of Rachel 
 now kneeling before him. The patriarch's work 
 is nearly over ; in his dying hours his voice is 
 raised to God, bearing testimony to others that the 
 " angel " had redeemed his soul from evil — as he 
 will the souls of all who call upon him with the 
 faith of Jacob. A Christian deathbed, the last 
 prayers of the dying believer are themes on which 
 we love to linger, as we walk through the world. 
 They strengthen our faith and encourage our totter- 
 ing footsteps over its rough places. Teach us to 
 pray on, pray ever, till our own day draw to a 
 close, and our spirits rest, 
 
 " Like some deep lake upon a mountain summit, 
 High above cloud and storm of life like this, 
 All peace and power" 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Genesis xlviii. 
 
 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my 
 fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all 
 my life long unto this day, 
 
 16 The angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the 
 lads ; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my 
 fathers Abraham and Isaac ; and let them grow into a multitude 
 in the midst of the earth. 
 
 20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel 
 
32 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh : 
 and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 
 
 21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall 
 be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 
 
 PRATER OF MOSES. 
 
 He who came tliis time in prayer was Moses, one 
 wliose spirit rested on God, wlio amidst the corrup- 
 tions of an idolatrous court, and surrounded by 
 worldly allurements, was still the meekest man. 
 There shone a light in the heart of Moses which 
 God had kindled there, one which taught him then 
 as it has taught others since, the emptiness of earth's 
 distinctions, and that true goodness alone is true 
 greatness. Filled with contempt for honors that he 
 knew could never satisfy his soul, trusting in God, 
 Moses had quitted a high station in life, and retired 
 to a quiet retreat, where he might the better culti- 
 vate his friendship towards God, and fulfill the de- 
 signs of Providence in regard to his future. At the 
 age of eighty he is invested with a high commission, 
 and called to an enterprise which it required all his 
 courage and energy to undertake. The burning 
 bush in which the presence of the Lord was mani- 
 fested to Moses at this time was emblematical ; it 
 represented the state of the church in Egypt, in the 
 midst of flames but not consumed, oppressed but 
 
MOSES. 88 
 
 not forgotten by the great / Am. Methinks all 
 rashness in approaching Grod is here discouraged, 
 "while at the same time friendship is tendered to all 
 "who put aside "worldliness, and come as all should 
 who come to talk "with the great Jehovah. The 
 mercy-seat is holy ground; cast off thy jealousies, 
 thy strife, thy pride, thy bitter feelings, and God 
 "will reveal himself to thee. Our friendship "with the 
 Almighty must be cultivated as "was that of Moses ; 
 life is given us that we may not at its close first 
 begin to know Him. "We must learn early to trust, 
 and if we remain steadfast we shall find him a 
 friend who sticketh closer than a brother. Moses, 
 the trembler at Horeb, endured the presence of God 
 forty days and nights in Sinai. As we have come 
 more particularly to notice the nature of his petition 
 at this time, we must carefully examine his feel- 
 ings. There seems to have been a lurking of pride 
 in the good man's breast, which to the careless ob- 
 server might appear like humility ; there is not an 
 entire relinquishment of will to that of God, for 
 perhaps the memory of Moses had treasured the 
 question so rudely put to him forty long years back, 
 by the same people he was now sent to teach, " who 
 made thee a ruler?" He doubts the success of his 
 undertaking, and calls upon his Father in heaven, 
 while laboring under these doubts. At this time he 
 does not seem willing to go out, not caring whither 
 he went, because sent by the great Jehovah — who 
 
34 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 bears with him, and in one short sentence ex- 
 hibits the fullness of the Godhead, "I am that I 
 am ;" for this was the seal he gave to Moses, as he 
 sent him to his afflicted people. The great God 
 bears with our frowardness and often seems to over- 
 come evil with good ; doubting and irresolute, Moses 
 urges difflculty after difflculty in this one thing he 
 is called to perform j but God still showed patience 
 and forbearance, promised to fill his mouth with 
 arguments, and teach him what he should say. In 
 the answer to this prayer we see the mercy of God 
 is far above his judgments, even though his anger 
 was kindled against Moses ; Aaron his brother is 
 brought out of Egypt— of whom it is written that 
 could "speak well;" strengthened and stimulated 
 by each other's prayers, they go on their way toge- 
 ther, with their message from the great Jehovah. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Exodus ill. 
 
 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the 
 children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your 
 fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What 
 is his name ? what shall I say unto them ? 
 
 The Answer. — Exodus iii. 
 
 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM : and he 
 said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath 
 sent me unto you. 
 
MOSES. 35 
 
 PRAYER OF MOSES FOR "WATER FOR THE CHILDREN 
 OF ISRAEL. 
 
 We meet Moses at the time of this prayer march- 
 ing .with the hosts of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, 
 and still looking upward to that God who had led 
 them thus far, whose stores are never exhausted, 
 and whose love is boundless. Peevish and weary, 
 the children of Israel complain bitterly to Moses ; 
 escaped from servitude, supplied with manna, led 
 through the parted waters of the sea, they yet forget 
 God, and now put to a severe trial the meekness 
 and forbearance of their leader. But in this hour 
 Moses forgets not his great Guide ; he has a refuge 
 when every other fails, and the rod which had 
 bruised and broken Egypt is now used to restore 
 the thirsty spirit of those murmuring children. God 
 heard the prayer of Moses ; the stream that flowed 
 from that flinty rock accompanied their whole way 
 through the wilderness ; in it was a type of Him 
 whose precious blood was shed for a dying race — 
 the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Exodus xvii. 
 
 4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do 
 unto this people ? they be almost ready to stone me. 
 
 The Answer. — Exodus xvii. 
 6 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people 
 
86 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 and take with thee of the elders of Israel ; and thy rod, where- 
 with thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 
 
 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in 
 Horeb ; and thou shalt smite the roek, and there shall come 
 water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so 
 in the sight of the elders of Israel. 
 
 PRAYER OF MOSES TO AVERT THE DIVINE ANGER. 
 
 Moses interceded for his people with an agony of 
 mind; he would not descend from the mount till 
 God had promised mercy, although the voice of 
 that Grod had pronounced his people wicked and 
 rebellious. In this prayer there is "the outgushing 
 of a soul that lay near to the throne," the earnest- 
 ness of one who feels the greatness and importance of 
 his desire. With an idea of the possible desertion of 
 the Almighty at this trying time, Moses refers to the 
 promises made to the fathers, especially those which 
 regarded the multitude of their race, and remembers 
 that the Egyptians and the neighboring nations 
 regarded the recent conflict as one testing the power 
 of the God whom Israel trusted. He prays to " The 
 Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long 
 suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; 
 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, 
 transgression, and sin." Moses prayed with a faith 
 that knew no doubt ; his prayer prevailed, if not to 
 
MOSE?. 37 
 
 prevent Grod's displeasure at sin, at least to stay his 
 hand in the punishment. The language in this 
 answer is addressed to the understanding of men : 
 "The Lord repented of the evil which he thought 
 to do unto his people." Let us pause, fellow Chris- 
 tian, over a prayer that is represented as changing 
 the purpose of Omnipotence ; let us look into the 
 heart of him who addresses the Almighty in behalf 
 of his people; let us study and make our own a 
 spirit that could thus move heaven. This is attain- 
 able ; man, puny man, may have power with God, 
 and prevail, when clinging to the mercy -seat. Far 
 above the immediate desire of Moses was a regard 
 for the honor of God's name ; he was willing to be- 
 come as it were noihing, so that the Lord would be 
 honored, and Israel saved : there was a greatness of 
 soul that only true faith could give — & faith which 
 dictated prayers 
 
 " That could rend the clouds, 
 And rising through the dark of space, 
 Reach to God's central throne" — 
 
 a faith which gives to the soul of the believer a 
 feeling of " oneness with God and heaven " 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Exodus xxxii. 
 
 11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, 
 why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, wh'-ch thou 
 hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, 
 and with a mighty hand 1 
 
 3 
 
38 THE PRAYERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For 
 mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, 
 and to consume them from the face of the earth ? Turn from 
 thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 
 
 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to 
 whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I 
 will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land 
 that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall 
 inherit it for ever. 
 
 The Answer. — Exodus xxxii. 
 
 14 And the Lobsj repented of the evil which he thought to do 
 unto his people. 
 
 PRAYER OF MOSES WHEN THE PEOPLE MADE THE 
 GOLDEN CALF. 
 
 The prophet still continues his intercession for 
 his people Israel, after he has descended from the 
 mount, where his last recorded prayer was made. 
 The sound of revelry had struck the ear of the 
 prophet on his way, and as he approached the scene 
 of his people's wickedness, and beheld the golden 
 calf, his heart was filled with a just anger — a holy 
 indignation. Surely, methinks he says within him- 
 self, the Lord will not hear me on behalf of so great 
 sin ; my people merit the wrath of Jehovah — but I 
 know the value of intercession. Moses begins his 
 
MOSES. 89 
 
 petition with great tenderness ; his " Oh, this peo- 
 ple," shows us what was lying near his heart. 
 
 " One stream of light came to him from above, 
 And that was what he saw bj, light of God." 
 
 It guided him to the throne again; it led him to 
 Jehovah. The broken sentence in this petition 
 brings before us the full heart of the prophet ; he 
 remembers the oft-repeated sins of his people ; he 
 bears them in his heart to that God, who is, he knows, 
 a God of justice as well as mercy; he obtains a re- 
 prieve for the rebellious, but feels that iniquity will 
 not go unpunished. It has been supposed by some 
 that Moses was willing to renounce his own hope of 
 salvation for what seemed to be to him the greater 
 glory of God. In the language of another we would 
 explain what we conceive to be the prophet's mean- 
 ing: "Lord, if thy decree against this people may 
 not be reversed, if justice demand their utter exter- 
 mination, let mine eyes be just closed in peace, sub- 
 ject me not to the mortification of surviving all my 
 nation, and of enduring the scorn of our enemies ; 
 rather take me out of the world, where I should 
 lead a life of sorrow heavier than death itself." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Exodus xxxii. 
 
 31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this 
 people have sinned a great sin, and have made them-gods of 
 gold. 
 
 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — ; and if not, blot 
 me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 
 
40 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Answer. — Exodus xxxii. 
 
 33 And the LoKD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned 
 against me, him will I blot out of my boolc. 
 
 34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of 
 which I have spolten unto thee : behold, mine Angel shall go 
 before thee : nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit 
 their sin upon them. 
 
 PRATER OF MOSES THAT HE MAT SEE THE GLORT 
 OF THE LORD. 
 
 Moses still knew and felt the power of importu- 
 nate prayer. Gpd Lad granted favor after favor, 
 and, encouraged, he still prays. God had, hitherto 
 given to Israel that symbol of his presence, the 
 pillar of cloud and fire, but because of theij sin and 
 rebellion he has removed it and left them to choose 
 out their own paths. The thought of being deserted 
 by the Almighty, of being estranged from him who 
 had led them thus far, filled the soul of Moses with 
 sorrow. He knew his people had deservedly lost 
 the favor of God, but he earnestly pleads the return 
 of it, pleads like one who will not be denied ; bis 
 prayer is full of love to Israel and zeal for the honor 
 .of God; it is one that prevailed; his spirit was 
 calmed by the divine answer; the promise, "My 
 presence shall go with thee and I will give thee 
 rest," encouraged Moses; he would still inquire and 
 
MOSES. 41 
 
 implore knowledge of the Most High. The be- 
 lieving soul is never satisfied with present attain- 
 ments in divine life. Moses had not forgotten the 
 glory displayed to him in the bush at Horeb, the 
 still more awful glory at Sinai, his close communion 
 when in the tabernacle ; he had met the Lord as it 
 were face to face, but he has the spirit of an earnest 
 seeker ; he has the desire which angels are not re- 
 proved for indulging — a desire to see more of the 
 glory of the Almighty. Man in his present state 
 could never bear a full discovery of the glory of 
 Grod ; to have been answered according to the letter 
 of his desire would have proved fatal to the prophet. 
 The Lord returns an answer suitable to his condi- 
 tion; he, shows his glory to him by filling" his soul 
 with a sense of his goodness, points out to him what 
 was presumptuous in his prayer and approves what 
 was right God holds back, in compassion to our 
 weakness, the face of his throne, and draws before 
 it his cloud, as if to shield us from its too dazzling 
 glory ; our mortal eyes could never behold it and 
 live. He covers us with his protecting hand while 
 he is passing by, and his presence can only be 
 known by the tokens he leaves in every renewed 
 heart — a heart which will ever be bursting with the 
 desire expressed in this prayer of the prophet, to 
 know more of the glory of the Lord. To enjoy the 
 vision of God's goodness as it passed by, Moses re- 
 ascended the mount to draw Jiigh to God ; he went 
 
42 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 to meet him as a friend — one that could protect him 
 from himself as from his worst enemy. "Man, im- 
 perfect, is momently sinning." There is provided a 
 cleft in the rock for every soul— a refuge of safety; 
 it is a type of Him who is a covert from the tem- 
 pest, and a hiding-place from the storm. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Exodus xxxiii. 
 
 12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, 
 Bring up this people : and thou hast not let me know whom 
 thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by 
 name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 
 
 13 Now therefore, I pray thee. If I have found grace in thy 
 sight, show me now thy way, that 1 may know thee, that I may 
 find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy 
 people. ' 
 
 The Answer. — Exodus xxxiii. 
 
 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will 
 give thee rest. 
 
 The Prayer continued. — Exodus xxxiii. 
 
 15 And he said unto him. If thy presence go not with me 
 carry us not up hence. 
 
 16 For wherein shall it be known here that 1 and thy people 
 have found grace in thy sight ? is it not in that thou goest with 
 us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the 
 people that are upon the face of the earth. 
 
 The Answer. 
 
 17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also 
 that thou hast spoken ; for thou hast found grace in my sight, 
 and I know thee by name. 
 
MOSES. 43 
 
 The Prayer. 
 
 18 And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. 
 
 The Answer. 
 
 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before 
 thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee ; and 
 will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show 
 mercy on whom I will show mercy. 
 
 20 And he said. Thou canst not see my face : for there shall 
 no man see me, and live. 
 
 21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and 
 thou shalt stand upon a rock : 
 
 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that 
 I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my 
 hand while I pass by : 
 
 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my 
 back parts : but my face shall not be seen. 
 
 PRAYER OF MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI. 
 
 According to the com^nand of the Lord, Moses 
 ascended the mount, with the tables of stone. In 
 his haste he had broken those which contained the 
 law, and the first token of God's reconciliation to 
 Israel was his renewal of them. Moses remained in 
 the mount forty days and nights, in close commu- 
 nion with God, who at this time granted him a special 
 manifestation of his holy presence — "And the Lord 
 passed by before him;" the prophet bowed his 
 
44 THE PRAYERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 head to the earth and worshiped. His prayer was 
 affectionate and earnest; his people needed the pres- 
 ence of the Lord ; the prophet implored help and 
 strength from heaven to guide them ; for they had 
 become stiff-necked, and trials and sorrow have ever 
 been lightened by prayer. 
 
 " God, for thy glory only can I act, 
 And for thy creatures' good. 
 When creatures stray 
 Farthest from thee, as these have done, 
 Eemember them in mercy." 
 
 The prophet knew God would not reject his pray- 
 er, though breathed from earthly lips ; he reiriem- 
 bered the promises made to him, but they did not 
 supersede the necessity of prayer, they encouraged 
 and directed him in his approach to the Being who 
 alone could grant the first and greatest desire of his 
 heart. Moses was permitted to hold communion 
 with the Lord for forty days and nights ; it was no 
 wonder he should bear some visible mark of this 
 high and holy fellowship, with the Father of lights. 
 He was himself unconscious that he bore about with 
 him the evidence that he had been with God. It is 
 so in some measure, dear reader, with every prayer- 
 ful person ; we know him when he is near, his face 
 is full of the beauty shining out from a Christian 
 heart; we know him, the friend of God ; the world 
 can never hide him, though his path may be among 
 the meek and lowly. JSTo one can come from com- 
 
MOSES. 45 
 
 nranion witli God without breathing on all around 
 him the sweet breath of charity and gentleness ; his 
 face will shine out with love to his fellow man, and 
 the wicked will not be able to bear the light of his 
 countenance, for it shines brightly with the beauty 
 of holiness. This petition of Moses was granted, for 
 the Lord promised to make a covenant with Israel ; 
 the sun stood still, in its course in the heavens, the 
 waters of Jordan were dried, and marvelous things 
 were done in the earth, according to the answer of 
 the Lord. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Exodus xxxiy. 
 
 8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head towards the 
 earth, and worshiped. 
 
 9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O 
 Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us ; for it is a stiflf- 
 neeked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take 
 us for thine inheritance. 
 
 The Answer. — Exodus xxxiv. 
 
 10 And he said, Behold I make a covenant : before all thy 
 people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the 
 earth, nor in any nation : and all the people among which thou 
 art shall see the work of the Lord : for it is a terrible thing that 
 I will do with thee. 
 
46 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 A PRAYER OF MOSES FOR THE SCATTERING OF THE 
 LORD'S ENEMIES. 
 
 The breatlimg of Moses' desire at this time was 
 prophetical, for the enemies of the Lord were then 
 and ever have been hasting to their own destruction. 
 After the Israelites had remained a year at Sinai, 
 they again commenced their march towards Canaan ; 
 they took with them the ark of the covenant of the 
 Lord, by which their communion with him was to 
 be kept up ; when the ark set forward this "prayer 
 was made by Moses, and followed by another when 
 it rested. The prophet asks of the Lord success for 
 his people abroad, and rest at home, that his power- 
 ful hand may scatter the enemies of his cause, and 
 that all that hate him may flee before him. We are 
 taught the useful lesson in these prayers, to commit 
 our way unto the Lord, and everything in which 
 the church, the Israel of God, is interested, claims 
 the earnest and sincere petition of every Christian. 
 Prayer should precede our going out and should 
 follow our coming in ; then will 
 
 " Our way appear, steps unto heaven : — 
 All that thou sendest us in mercy given," 
 
 and ever, in the changing scenes of life," the cloudy 
 pillar shall be our Guide ; we shall be fed with food 
 
 from heaven, and drink from the smitten rock 
 
 from that stream which alone can satisfy. 
 
MOSES. 47 
 
 Earth's cup is ppisoned; 
 Her renown most infamous ; her gold, 
 Seem as it may, ia only dust; 
 Her gain, eternal loss ; her hope, a dream ; 
 Her love, her friendship, enmity with God." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Numbers x. 
 
 35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses 
 said, Rise up, Lokd, and let thine enemies be scattered ; and let 
 them that hate thee flee before thee. 
 
 36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lokd, unto the 
 many thousands of Israel. 
 
 PRAYER OF MOSES WHEN THE PEOPLE WEEP FOR 
 FLESH TO EAT. 
 
 The history of Israel is truly the history of hu- 
 man nature in all ages of the world ; man is ever 
 peevish and complaining till his own stubborn will 
 is brought into submission with that of his God. 
 Moses, weary and sorrowful at the ingratitude of his 
 people, again poured his grief into that ear which is 
 ever open. In their di^ontent the people are look- 
 ing back to Egypt, and forward with distrust to the 
 promised land ; their souls had no relish for what 
 they called the light food which Grod had in kind- 
 ness bestowed ; the stream that followed them from 
 the rock was to them no water at all, and Israel shed 
 tears of discontent and passion, Moses at tliig time 
 
48 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 seems to feel ttat his people are -unfitted for the 
 vocation to which they have been called, and there 
 is a more than usual fainting of his strong spirit ; his 
 resource is the one never failing, ever calming ; it is 
 prayer ; there is in his heart no distrust of Ood, but 
 a consciousness of his own weakness in guiding this 
 people. The Almighty showed great pity towards 
 Moses, heard every sigh, saw every tear, sympa- 
 thized with him in his weakness, and sent to his aid 
 seventy elders, upon whom was poured a portion of 
 that spirit which had led the prophet thus far in his 
 way. 
 
 " God is great and God. is just, 
 He knowetli the hearts of 
 The children of dust : 
 He is the helper ; in Him I trust." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded, — Numbers xi. 
 
 11 And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou 
 ^afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in 
 
 thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me 1 
 
 12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, 
 that thou shouldest say unto tne, Carry them in thy bosom, as a 
 nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which 
 thou swarest unto their fathers ? 
 
 13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people 1 
 for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. 
 
 14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is 
 too heavy for me. 
 
 15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of 
 hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my 
 wretchedness. 
 
MOSES. 49 
 
 The Answer. — Numbers xi. 
 
 16 And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy 
 men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowestto be the elders 
 of the people, and officers over them ; and bring them unto the 
 tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with 
 thee. 
 
 17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I- 
 will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon 
 them ; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee 
 that thou bear it not thyself alone. 
 
 18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against 
 to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh : for ye have wept in the ears 
 of the Lord, saying. Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was 
 well with us in Egypt : therefore the Lokd will give you flesh, 
 and ye shall eat. 
 
 19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, 
 neither ten days, nor twenty days : 
 
 20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nos- 
 trils, and it be loathsome unto you : because that ye have des- 
 pised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, 
 saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? 
 
 PRATER OF MOSES AS TO THE MANNER IN WHICH THE 
 LORD WILL GIVE THE PEOPLE FLESH TO EAT. 
 
 God had promised in answer to fhe last prayer of 
 Moses to send a sufficient quantity of food to supply 
 Ms people ; the largeness of his promise startles 
 Moses, for the supply was not for a day, or even ten, 
 
50 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 but for a wtiole month, and this too for six hundred 
 thousand footmen. We will quote from an intelli- 
 gent traveler a short passage, for it will the better 
 enable us to comprehend the spirit in which the 
 prayer now under consideration was made: "No 
 reflection forced itself upon me so often or so urgent- 
 ly as the -utter and universal inaptitude of that 
 country for the sustenance of animal life ; it really 
 seemed to possess no element favorable to human 
 existence besides a pure air, and no present appear- 
 ances favor the idea that it was ever any better. I 
 am filled with wonder that so many travelers should 
 task their ingenuity to get clear of the miracles 
 which, according to the narrative of Moses, were 
 wrought to facilitate the journey of that vast host, 
 for they could not have subsisted three days without 
 supernatural resources." The quiet and mild re- 
 buke to Moses, in the Lord's- answer, encourages us 
 to come to him with every desire, however impossi- 
 ble it may seem in its fulfillment, so long as it 
 springs from love to God ; " His arm is not short- 
 ened that it cannot save." Let us ask great things, 
 then, for Israel. Are his people hungering and 
 thirsting ? the Lord has plenty and to spare. Are 
 they languishing- and drooping ? the Lord's spirit 
 can revive them. Prayer, persevering prayer, will 
 come from a heart that truly feels for the afliicted 
 people of God ; we have only to implore the great 
 Giver, as did Moses, and the supply will be forth- 
 
MOSES. 51 
 
 coming. The cHldren of Israel had inordinately- 
 desired the meat the Lord promised to give; he 
 therefore made it by its quantity loathsome to them. 
 It is ever thus with man, in his desires greedily pur- 
 suing a fancied good, covetous and over-anxious to 
 acquire this or that, and if he obtain, and find the 
 possession cloys, yet he turns to another object, 
 still to pursue, still to be disappointed. 
 
 "Sweet world! 
 We all EtiU cling to thee, though thou thyself 
 Passest away." 
 
 The spirit severed from its God is ever longing, ever 
 restless, for some imagined good, forgetful that "the 
 heart must shed its pleasures, as the eye its tears." 
 Let our desires come, then, from a heart fall of love 
 to God, but let the measure of them and their fulfill- 
 ment be of the Lord. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Numbers xi. 
 
 21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six 
 hundred thousand footmen ; and thou hast said, I will give them 
 flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 
 
 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to sufiice 
 them ? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for 
 them, to sufiice them ? 
 
 The Answer. — Numbers xi. 
 
 23 And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Loed's hand waxed 
 short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass 
 unto thee or not. 
 
52 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 PRATER OF MOSES FOR MIRIAM. 
 
 The sister of Moses, for wlioni this prayer was 
 made, was a person of much interest, although 
 under the present circumstances her conduct was 
 highly blamable, and called forth the indignation of 
 Grod. The part she enacted in the preservation of 
 Moses, in his infancy, from the waters of the Nile, 
 her tenderness and care attach us to her. We sup- 
 pose Miriam a woman of much personal beauty — 
 the " chief lady of Israel," but possessed of vehe- 
 mence of spirit and much vanity. The affliction for 
 which Moses prayed had been sent upon her as a 
 punishment in speaking rashly of the prophet of the 
 Lord. Her heart was filled with jealousy towards 
 Zipporah, whom Moses had chosen for a wife, and 
 whom Miriam feared might usurp her rights or rule 
 over her. Aaron was guilty of the same sin as his 
 sister, but' she was the first in the transgression, and 
 no doubt excited him by her rashness. God pun- 
 ished Miriam in a way which made her feel more 
 deeply than anything else could have done, and as 
 we hear nothing further of her history, we infer' her 
 days were passed in the only true sphere of woman, 
 in quiet. We are led to confess that woman is capa- 
 ble of doing far more good and far more evil than 
 man ; even when she is imagined pure and spotless, 
 her heart, more than man's, may be the home of the 
 
MOSES. 63 
 
 very worst as well as the best passions. Men are, 
 to outward appearance, either the one thing or the 
 other — good or bad ; a keen observer is seldom de- 
 ceived ; a woman to the world's eye is always good, 
 till by some outward, flagrant act she proves herself 
 otherwise. This prayer of Moses exhibits a spirit of 
 meekness and forbearance which everywhere in his 
 history stamps his character. In the jealousy shown 
 by his brother and sister he suffered one of the most 
 bitter trials with which God's children are called to 
 strive ; he had hitherto been supported in all his 
 movements by his own family, but he is now the 
 subject of resentment from- those nearest to him, but 
 the Lord heard it, heard all their taunts, and stood 
 ready to defend the prophet ; he says to them, 
 " Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against 
 my servant Moses?" In this leader of Israel we 
 have an instance of continuance in well-doing ; we 
 find him pursuing the path of duty, "enduring, 
 as seeing him who is invisible," "choosing rather to 
 suffer affliction with the people of God, than to en- 
 joy the pleasures of sin for a season," holding close 
 communion with his Maker, and drawing strength 
 to fulfill, with meekness and submission, his duties, 
 from that source which alone can supply it, submit- 
 ting to insult, returning good for evil, and praying 
 for those who so despitefully used him ; yes, in his 
 own words,- "his mother's children were angry," 
 those, too, who were eminent in religion, bitterly 
 
54 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 assailed Mm. "We are here taught another lesson of 
 the frailty of human nature, its liability to be drawn 
 into sin ; it should teach us to cultivate the spirit of 
 Moses, to bear with the faults of God's children, nor 
 to condemn or speak rashly of those whom He has 
 called — remembering we are all sinful, erring beings. 
 Let us take with us that charity which seeks rather 
 to hide than to expose the weaknesses of others. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Numbers xii. 
 
 13 And Moses cried unto the Loed, saying, Heal her now, O 
 God, I beseech thee. 
 
 The Answer. — Numbers xii. 
 
 14 And the Loed said unto Moses, If her father had but spit 
 in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days ? let her be 
 shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be re- 
 ceived in again. 
 
 15 And Miriam wa.s shut out from the camp seven days; 
 and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. 
 
 PEAYEE OP MOSES THAT THE PEOPLE MAY NOT BE 
 SMITTEN WITH PESTILENCE. 
 
 This humble intercession of Moses exhibits him 
 still as a type of Christ, praying and pleading for 
 his persecutors. The prophet does not oifer any ex- 
 cuse for the sins of his people, but he feels that if 
 the Lord consume them, the story of their destruc- 
 
MOSES. 55 
 
 tion would not,- by those who knew not God, be at- 
 tributed to him as an act of justice, but gloried in as 
 a shortening of that arm that had hitherto delivered 
 them; he is jealous for the glory of God ; he would 
 not have the power of the Almighty questioned ; 
 hence his plea, "Let the power of my Lord be 
 great." Three of the attribxites of Jehovah are 
 brought up by the prophet to urge him to listen to 
 his request — his goodness, his mercy, and his will- 
 ingness to forgive, all of which had been shown in 
 times past towards his sinful people. His fervent 
 prayer prevailed with God, who had threatened at 
 this time to destroy them with pestilence, and make 
 of Moses himself a mighty nation ; their doom is 
 respited in answer to the fervent appeal. "They 
 were indeed to perish in the wilderness, but not yet; 
 forty years were the adults to wander, and gradually 
 -die out, never to enter or see the promised land; 
 cowardly, distrustfal, and enfeebled by bondage, the 
 fathers should be succeeded by their children, train- 
 ed up under the institutions God had given them, 
 moulded under them into a nation, and strengthen- 
 ed into manly character under the freedom which 
 had been so triumphantly won for them."* The 
 only survivors of -all ihe children of Israel who 
 were to live to enter Canaan were Caleb and Joshua. 
 The spirit of the former is particularly spoken of 
 
 * Dr. Kitto. 
 
56 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 as a new spirit, one whicli led him to " follow the 
 Lord fully ;" he was assured of inheriting the prom- 
 ise, "Him will I bring in due time into the land 
 whereinto he went ;" — it was a spirit differing, from 
 that which loves the world and the fleeting things 
 of it — a spirit which leads to prayer. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Numbers xiv. 
 
 13 And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall 
 hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from 
 among them ;) 
 
 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for 
 they have> heard that thou Lord art among this people, that 
 thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth 
 over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a 
 pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 
 
 15 Now if thou shaltkill all this people as one man, then the 
 nations which have heard the fame of thee shall speak, saying, 
 
 16 Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into 
 the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them 
 in the wilderness. 
 
 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be 
 great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 
 
 18 The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving 
 iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, 
 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the 
 third and fourth generation. 
 
 19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people accord- 
 ing unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven 
 this people, from Egypt even until now. 
 
MOSES. 57 
 
 The Answer. — Numbers xiv. 
 
 20 And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy 
 word : 
 
 21 Bat as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled vpith the 
 glory of the Lord. 
 
 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my 
 miracles, which 1 did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have 
 tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my 
 voice; 
 
 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto 
 their fiithers, neither shall any of them tliat provoked me see it : 
 
 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with 
 him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring, into the land 
 whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 
 
 PRAYER OF MOSES THAT THE LORD WOULD SET A 
 MAN OVER THE CONGREGATION. 
 
 Moses was now under sentence of condemnation ; 
 he was not permitted to pass over Jordan; from 
 tlie hour he fell under the displeasure of God, and 
 which shortened the date of his life, we realize that 
 he is not only a prophet but a man of like passions 
 with ourselves ; sometimes we hear him entreating 
 the Lord to permit him to pass into the goodly land, 
 and then again quietly resigning himself to the will 
 of God, now manifesting a love of life, and then 
 vindicating the righteous judgment of God in the 
 punishment of his transgression. The prayer under 
 
58 THE PRAYEBS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 our present notice was no personal appeal ; the soul 
 of tlie prophet was full of desire for Israel ; lie seems 
 to lose sight of self, and prays as one who earnestly- 
 wished the advancement of God's cause, and the 
 eternal welfare of his people. Humble-minded, he 
 seems willing to see himself abased and others ex- 
 alted, if so be the glory of the Lord is acknow- 
 ledged. Joshua, a man'of unshaken fidelity and 
 singular piety, is brought before us ; in answer to 
 the prophet's prayer, God was pleased to appoint 
 him as the leader of Israel, to finish the work 
 of Moses, and introduce his children to their in- 
 heritance. There is no murmuring word from the 
 prophet as he sees his dignity about to rest upon 
 another ; he prays for one that might lead his flock 
 as a faithful shepherd. Joshua was taken to his 
 heart as a friend and brother. How unlike the spirit 
 of the world is that displayed by the prophet ; how 
 rarely do we see one who can rejoice over the exal- 
 tation of inferiors, even when such advancement is 
 for the glory of God! How will jealousy exhibit 
 itself to one who knows the evil of his own natural 
 heart, when its possessor is unconscious of it ! How 
 it breathes itself in the bitter sarcasm, the whispered 
 reproach, the fault-finding spirit, towards the exalt- 
 ed one, who, instead of being taken to the heart as 
 a better instrument in working for God, is cast aside 
 and hated as an enemy ! Moses, in the answer to 
 his prayer, is commanded to cause Joshua to stand 
 
MOSES. 59 
 
 before Eleazar the priest; the form of laying on of 
 hands was one recommended by divine authority, 
 and of significant simplicity. The words, "Thou 
 shalt put some of thine honor upon him," imply that 
 Moses should be associated with Joshua and enjoy the 
 satisfaction of beholding one who would, acting with 
 him and with the same spirit, conduct the affairs of 
 the people. In this petition of Moses we have again 
 a striking exhibition of his meekness. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Numbers xxvii. 
 
 15 And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, 
 
 16 Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh; set a man 
 over the congregation, 
 
 17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in 
 before them, and which may lead them out, and which may 
 bring them in ; that the congregation of the Lord be not as 
 sheep which have no shepherd. 
 
 The Answer. — Numbers xxvii. 
 
 18 And the Lord said unto Moses, talie thee Joshua the son 
 of Nun, a man in whom ia the spirit, and lay thine hand upon 
 him; 
 
 19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the 
 congregation ; and give him a charge in their sight. 
 
 20 And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that 
 all the congregation of the children of Israel may .be obedient. 
 
 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall 
 ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the 
 Lord : at his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they 
 come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even 
 all the congregation. 
 
60 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 PRAYER OF JOSHUA. 
 
 Josliua was anointed witli the unction of the 
 Divine spirit, and, like Moses, sought for strength 
 and guidance from God, to fit him for the right dis- 
 charge of the duties of the high station to which he 
 had been called. The Lord, in infinite justice, had 
 sent defeat to the hitherto successful arms of Israel, 
 and as a punishment for the covetousness of Achan, 
 had caused them to flee before the men of Ai; 
 their loss was comparatively small, yet as a military 
 man Joshua felt the effects of the defeat deeply ; he 
 also knew it was a rebuke from God ; the people 
 felt it also, and, in the expressive language of Scrip- 
 ture, " The hearts of the people melted and became 
 as water." Joshua with bowed head inquired of the 
 Lord, while he expressed sorrow and humiliation 
 for the present condition of his charge. Dejected, 
 he lay before the ark in prayer, till evening, when 
 he was informed that Israel could not prosper while 
 "the accursed thing remained among them, and is 
 told the way and means of its discovery.' Achan 
 acknowledges his sin — he had for the goodly gar- 
 ment and the wedge of gold, brought trouble upon 
 Israel, and exposed his own soul to danger. The 
 conduct of Joshua on the discovery of Achan's sin, 
 as well as his prayer, is worthy of our serious 
 notice; there is no bitter denunciation in his wordsj 
 
JOSHUA. 61 
 
 no harsliness of manner, but sorrow for his sin : 
 "Why hast thon troubled us?" he says, and leads 
 him to acknowledge the justice of God, in punishing 
 those who sinned against Israel. When he ap- 
 proaches him it is tenderly, and the words " My son, 
 tell me what thou hast done," methinks, should be 
 borne in the heart and on the lips of all Christian 
 ministers at the present day ; human nature is per- 
 verse and resistant ; the bitter denunciation will 
 never lead a man to confess his sins, even if they 
 are clear to his eye and lie heavy on his soul. One 
 of our old poets has said, " When man ceases to 
 justify himself, then it is the last extremity of evil." 
 Conceit is the last passion that dies out in the soul 
 when God's love enters it ; its death too is gradual — 
 so gradual, that often in the heart of the believer, we 
 see it welling up and troubling the clear waters of 
 truth. Go, then. Christian teacher, tenderly to the 
 sinner; remember the pit from which thou hast 
 been taken ; go gently to warn, to admonish, to 
 caution ; teach that God is a Father, a Friend ; im- 
 'plant this feeling, and the heart will learn to fear as 
 well as love him. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Joshua vii. 
 
 6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his 
 face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the 
 elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 
 
 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast liiou 
 at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the 
 
 4 
 
62 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 hand of the Amorites, to destroy us ? would to God we had 
 been content, and dwelt on the other side of Jordan ! 
 
 8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel tnrneth their backs 
 before their enemies ! 
 
 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall 
 hear of it, and shall environ us round and cut off our name 
 from the earth : and what wilt thou do unto thy great name ? 
 
 The Answer. — JosLua vii. 
 
 10 And the Lokd said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore 
 liest thou thus upon thy face? 
 
 1 1 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my 
 covenant which I commanded them : for they have even taken 
 of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissemblea also, 
 and they have put it even among their own stuff. 
 
 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before 
 their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, be- 
 cause they were accursed: neither will I be with you anymore, 
 except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 
 
 13 Up, sanctify the people, and say. Sanctify yourselves 
 against to-morrow : for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, 
 There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel : thou 
 canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the 
 accursed thing from among you. 
 
 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according . 
 to your tribes : and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lokd 
 taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the 
 family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; 
 and the household which the Lohd shall take shall come man 
 by man. 
 
 15 And it shall be, tliat he that is taken with the accursed 
 thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath : because 
 he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he 
 hath wrought folly in Israel. 
 
HANNAH. 63 
 
 PRA.YER OF HANNAH. 
 
 An all-wise Jehovah sees fit to try his children in 
 the school of affliction ; these trials are as varied as 
 their disposition and temperament; each one is 
 brought through the waters by the way best fitted 
 to purify his or her heart, and is attacked in those 
 desires which separate him from his God. There 
 are few even of those who are the professed children 
 of the Most High, but are still waiting for, still pur- 
 suing some object which they fancy will increase 
 their happiness. God does not reprove us for these 
 desires, if their attainment is the advancement of his 
 glory; he rather encourages us to express to him 
 every want of our hearts. The prayer before us is 
 a striking example of clearness and precision in the 
 subject matter, of confidence and reliance on the 
 great Hearer ; it was made by Hannah, the memo- 
 rials of whose life comprehend but a few years, in- 
 deed embrace only this prayer and its answer, with 
 the attendant circumstances. The wife of a distin- 
 guished servant of God, who loved and appreciated 
 her, and surrounded by comfort and competence, she 
 was conscious of one desire ungratified, a want in 
 her bosom ungratified— a want which was rendered 
 a hitter sorrow by the taunts of a rival, . who tri- 
 umphed over her with the evil spirit of an enemy ; 
 human nature is weak and erring, and we see this 
 
64 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 godly -woman disturbed in mind, her devotional 
 feelings ruffled and fretted by her adversary. "We 
 doubt not but Hannah had made her peculiar trial 
 a frequent subject of prayer; but we observe much 
 selfishness mingled in her desires, and perhaps she 
 had a rebellious feeling against the will of the 
 Almighty. We remark, however, under all the 
 disturbed feelings of Hannah a quiet, steady walk in 
 the path of duty, and we read of her going up year- 
 ly with her household, to offer the required sacri- 
 fices to Grod at the appointed Shiloh. The discip- 
 line through which she passed purified her spirit, 
 and taught her to bear her burden o£ sorrow in 
 silence. As she sat quietly during the feast in 
 Shiloh, her tears flowed fast and free, and afterward 
 she poured out her soul to God in prayer. A de- 
 scendant of Abraham, one in whom all the famihes 
 of the earth were to be blessed, she had the coven- 
 ant of Abraham to plead ; this strengthened the 
 particular desire of her heart — a desire she possessed 
 in common with all Hebrew women. She came 
 with earnestness to God, and asked for a son, not 
 that she might rid herself of the taunts of her rival, 
 or enjoy him selfishly, but that she might dedicate 
 him to the worship and service of the God of Israel, 
 not for a time, but for his life ; to the prayer is added 
 her vow to consecrate him whom God would send, 
 to a life of purity and holiness. A trial awaited 
 Hannah even at her hour of prayer, for, unmind- 
 
HANNAH. 65 
 
 ful of the presence of man, and communing with 
 heaven, she poured out her full soul into an ear 
 that always listens ; hers was the language of strong 
 faith in and hope towards God, the exertion of a 
 soul struggling to free itself of a burden that was 
 oppressing and overcoming it ; and well was it that 
 God saw not as man saw, else the heart of Hannah 
 would not have been full of the peace with which 
 she rose from that prayer. The charge of Eli was 
 not even repelled in anger, gross as it was to the 
 sensitive mind of Hannah ; calm, in conscious inno- 
 cence, she felt as every true believer always feels 
 when charged falsely. " If God justifieth, who is 
 he that condemneth." Her soul was fortified by 
 prayer, and she stood ready for any attack; the joy 
 in her heart shone out in all her after conduct, " and 
 she was no more sad." There is great fullness in 
 the expressions in this prayer ; God is addressed as 
 the Lord of Hosts, who has the universe with its 
 myriads at his sovereign disposal; there is in it 
 deep humility — not the language of one who fancies 
 himself heard for his much speaking, but the feeling 
 of a sinner in the presence of a just God. The de- 
 sire of Hannah's heart was gratified, and a son was 
 granted. Prayer does not always bring, as it did 
 with this godly woman, the blessing solicited, but it 
 brings its best answer in a will perfectly submissive 
 to that of the Almighty. Were our specified desires 
 always granted they might bring many a sorrow 
 
THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 now happily averted. While, then, we are encour- 
 aged by this prayer to whisper our wants in the ear 
 of God, let us leave them to his wisdom, let us he 
 careful to have them regulated by his love, and he 
 satisfied with the hope, that all things work together 
 for good to them that love God. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Samuel i.- 
 
 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the 
 LoKD, and wept sore. 
 
 1 1 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lokd of hosts, if thou 
 wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and re- 
 member me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto 
 thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lokd 
 all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his 
 head. 
 
 The Answer. — 1 Samuel i. 
 
 20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come 
 about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and 
 called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of 
 the Lord. 
 
 27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my 
 petition which I asked of him: 
 
 28 Therefore also I have lent him tjD the Lord; as long as 
 he liveth he shall be lent unto the Lord. 
 
SAMUEL. 67 
 
 PRATER OF SAMUEL. 
 
 The child Samuel, the memoml of a mother's 
 prayer, the living witness of the blessed trath, that 
 God will hear and answer sincere and earnest peti- 
 tion, is now an old man, and through his whole 
 character we trace the wisdom and fortitude im- 
 parted to him by the guidance of his excellent and 
 godly mother. The time has come with Samuel 
 when the 
 
 " Eye dims, the lithe limbs stiffen, 
 The sunhued locks thin themselyea 
 Off, or whitely wither." 
 
 But his heart is quick to feel, and his prayers as 
 fervent as when first he lisped them to his God. 
 He cannot now as formerly watch over the inter- 
 ests of the whole country, or make his accustomed 
 circuit through the land; he therefore appointed 
 his sons to relieve him, and put them in his place at 
 Bathsheba. At the time of this appointment they 
 were no doubt fitted for it, for we hear no word 
 of censure from God or man, but we find them 
 afterward wandering from their father's ways, their 
 hearts bound with "the leaden chains of that dull 
 lust, a love of gain." The elders of Israel plead 
 this sin as an excuse for their request to Samuel to 
 give them a king. It is not because a holy God is 
 grieved by the sin of the sons of Samuel, but it is 
 
THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 because of the injury done their temporal interests 
 that they make this request. Samuel, who had 
 been faithful over Israel and an instrument in God's 
 hand of much good, was grieved at the ingratitude 
 of the people, but does not attempt to answer them 
 in his own strength, or rely on his own judgment ; 
 he prays to the God of wisdom to guide him in his 
 reply. The people do not murmur or even propose 
 the name of any to fill the place ; and this is indeed 
 a noted fact, for it is the only recorded instance of a 
 public determination to appoint a king, and no 
 name proposed. We know these people were sure 
 the law of Moses was from God, but it is probable 
 they were tired of being ruled by those raised by 
 God to reform religion, and though they respect 
 Samuel, their desire to be great and powerful in the 
 eyes of other nations seems to be their motive in 
 asking of Samuel a king to reign over them. The 
 answer of the Lord to Samuel's prayer leads us to 
 infer the request of the people was improper. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Samuel viii. 
 
 1 And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made 
 his sons judges over Israel. 
 
 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel : and the name of 
 his second, Abiah : they were judges in Beer-sheba. 
 
 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after 
 lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. 
 
 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, 
 and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 
 
SAMUEL. 
 
 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons 
 walk not in thy ways : now make us a king to judge us like all 
 the nations. 
 
 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said. Give us 
 a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. 
 
 7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice 
 of the people in all that they say unto thee : for they have not 
 rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign 
 over them. 
 
 8 According to all the works which they have done since the 
 day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, 
 wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do 
 they also unto thee. 
 
 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice : howheit yet pro- 
 test solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the 
 king that shall reign over them. 
 
 PRAYER OF SAMUEL FOR A THUNDER STORM IN 
 TIME OF WHEAT HARVEST. 
 
 A shower of rain was an uncommon occurrence 
 in that country during wheat harvest, and the an- 
 swer to the following prayer was calculated to pro- 
 duce conviction, and alarm the people. Terrified 
 with the power of God displayed in the thunder- 
 storm, and fearful of some immediate judgment of 
 Grod, they saw, in answer to Samuel's prayer. 
 
70 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 " The sky grow darker ; then came booming on 
 The deep-voiced thunder, while at distance rolled 
 The wild wind's dirge like and yet tempest tone ; 
 And lightning's evanescent sheets of gold 
 Burst in their anger from the cloud's dark fold." 
 
 With one united cry tlie people call upon Samuel 
 to pray to the Lord God Almighty. Pray, say they, 
 that we die not ; pray, for we have added sin to sin ; 
 we have desired a king when God hath chosen other 
 government for us ; but we acknowledge the power 
 of the God who speaks in the thunder and rides 
 upon the storm. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Samuel xii. 
 
 16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the 
 Lord will do before your eyes. 
 
 17 Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto the Lord, 
 and he shall send thunder and rain ; that ye may perceive and 
 see that your wickedness is great, vi^hich ye have done in the 
 sight of the Lord, in asking you a king. 
 
 18 So Samuel called unto the Lord. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. 
 
 18 And the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the 
 people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. 
 
DAVID. 71 
 
 PRAYER OF DAVID UNDER TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES. 
 
 David was at this time an inspired writer of the 
 Holy Scriptures ; yet the Lord spoke to him by his 
 prophet and then by the high priest, for the honor 
 of his own institutions. Saul had neglected the 
 protection of Israel, and the depredations of the 
 Philistines were extremely distressing. David is 
 called in the Scriptures the man after God's own 
 heart ; and it is with feelings of peculiar interest we 
 review his prayers ; they are songs from the "sweet 
 singer of Israel," and come from the heart of hjm 
 whose life was one of deep devotedness to God and 
 his cause. In his youth he says, "Thou art my 
 trust," and in age, "Now when I am old and gray- 
 headed, Lord, forsake me not." A man of prayer, 
 we find him always at the mercy-seat in times of 
 trial or of rejoicing. Erom the throne of God came 
 down the strength that filled this good man's heart. 
 When David could not divine clearly his duty, as 
 in the present instance, he called to the high priest 
 to put on the Urim and Thummim, and by him 
 asked God to direct him in all his decisions. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Samuel xxiii. 
 
 1 Then they told David, saying, Behold the Philistines fight 
 against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors. 
 
 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go 
 and smite these Philistines ? 
 
72 THE PRAYBES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 1 Samuel xxiii. 
 
 2 And the Lokd said unto David, Go, and smite the Philis- 
 tines, and save Keilah. 
 
 David continues his prayer. — 1 Samuel xxiii. 
 
 10 Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath 
 certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy 
 the city for my sake. 
 
 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? 
 will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard ? O Loed God 
 of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 1 Samuel xxiii. 
 i 1 And the Loed said, He will come down. 
 
 Bavid still prays. — 1 Samuel xxiii. 
 
 12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and 
 my men into the hand of Saul 1 
 
 Hie Lords Answer. — 1 Samuel xxiii. 
 12 And the Loed said. They will deliver thee up. 
 
 PRAYER OF DAVID "WHEN THE AMALEKITES HAD 
 INVADED ZIKLAG. 
 
 Ziklag was distant from the camp of tlie Philis- 
 tines about three days' march, and David did not 
 receive an authentic account of the battle at Gilboa 
 till two days after his return thither. The Lord 
 
DAVID. 73 
 
 had delivered him from his ensnaring connection 
 with Achish, but his conduct had not been entirely 
 free from deceit while connected with him; he 
 found it difficult to avoid all insincerity, and from 
 fear or courtesy had been disingenuous in his inter- 
 course with the king. God severely rebuked him 
 for his conduct, by the calamity that befell Ziklag 
 in his absence. David's fear of offending Achish 
 had induced him to leave the city without placing a 
 proper guard over the inhabitants ; but the Amal- 
 ekites were wonderfully restrained from destroying 
 any of them, after the example which David had set 
 them ; in this God showed his intention to rebuke 
 David alone, but protect his family and friends. 
 His wives were led into captivity, and David and 
 the people shed bitter and sorrowful tears over the 
 destruction made in the city by the devouring flame. 
 In this deep sorrow David remembers the Lord his 
 God — remembers the promises and encouragements 
 he gives to his children to call upon him in trouble, 
 and immediately consults him by the high priest. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Samuel xxx. 
 
 8 And David inquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue 
 after this troop 1 shall I overtake them 1 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 1 Samuel xxx. 
 
 8 And he answered him, Pursue : for thou shall surely over- 
 take them, and without fail recover all. 
 
74 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 PEAYER OF DAVID AND THANKSGIVING. 
 
 One of the first acts of David's reign was to place 
 the ark in the tabernacle in the presence of all the 
 people ; it was he that collected, the priests and 
 Levites, and bade them, morning and evening, re- 
 member the Lord their God, and offer their daily 
 sacrifices to Him who had created and sustained 
 them ; it was he who first taught them unitedly to 
 chant his praises in the tabernacle, and in every 
 house and cottage in Israel were sung the hymns of 
 David. The time will come when it may be said of 
 their sweet strains — 
 
 "Their line is gone oat through all the earth, and their words to 
 the end of the world." 
 
 In this prayer he seems to remember God's con- 
 tinued goodness to him, and how wonderfully he 
 has been led from the " mountain fold "' to the royal 
 throne. As he sits in the tabernacle whither he had 
 gone to pray, he tells the Lord the thoughts of his 
 heart, and pours out his thanksgiving to him; he 
 also reiterates God's promises to him, by which the 
 Lord had connected the glory of his own truth with 
 the establishment of David's family, that those who 
 came after him might walk in the path of salvation, 
 and work for the cause of God in the world 
 
DAVID. 75 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Samuel vii. 
 
 18 Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and 
 he said. Who am I, O Lord God 1 and what is my house that 
 thou hast brought me hitherto ? 
 
 19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; 
 but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great 
 while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God ? 
 
 20 And what can David say more unto thee ? for thou, Lord 
 God, knowest thy servant. 
 
 21 For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, 
 hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know 
 tbem. 
 
 22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God : for there is none 
 like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all 
 that we have heard with our ears. 
 
 23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even 
 like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, 
 and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and 
 terrible, for thy land, before thy people, whieh thou redeemedst 
 to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 
 
 24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be 
 a people unto thee for ever : and thou. Lord, art become their 
 God. 
 
 25 And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken 
 concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it 
 for ever, and do as thou hast said. 
 
 26 And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying. The Lord 
 of hosts is the God over Israel : and let tlie house of thy serv- 
 ant David be established before thee. 
 
 27 For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed 
 to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house : therefore 
 hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. 
 
76 THE PKAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 28 And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words 
 be true, and thou hast promised tl\is goodness unto thy servant: 
 
 29 Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy 
 servant, that it may continue for ever before thee : for thou, O 
 Lord God, hast spoken it : and with thy blessing let the house 
 of thy servant be blessed for ever. 
 
 PEAYER OF DAVID AS HE WENT WEEPING UP THE 
 MOUNT OF OLIVET. 
 
 AMtTiopliel, wlio is mentioned in this prayer, was 
 a man of great ability. David feared more from him 
 than from the whole number of Absalom's followers ; 
 he had just heard of his uniting himself to the con- 
 spirators, and his heart is grieved. This feeling is 
 caught by the people, and a mourning, weeping 
 multitude are slowly ascending the mountain. 
 David felt himself guilty in God's sight for the 
 misery he had brought on himself and people, and, 
 humbled under the hand of Grod, his expressions of 
 sorrow are deep, while with bowed head and tearful 
 eyes he makes the request contained in his prayer. 
 He knows the God of Israel can turn the wisdom of 
 the wise man into foolishness, and render the might 
 of the strong man powerless. Hushai was an in- 
 timate friend of David's ; he was from Archi, a 
 town on the southern border of Ephraim; he is 
 made the instrument in defeating the counsel of 
 Ahithophel, in answer to the prayer of David. 
 
DAVID. 77 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Samuel xv. 
 
 30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and 
 wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went 
 barefoot : and all the people that was with him covered every 
 man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. 
 
 31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the 
 conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray 
 thoe, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 2 Samuel xv. 
 
 32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the 
 top of the mount, where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the 
 Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon 
 his head : 
 
 33 Unto whom David said. If thou passest on with me, then 
 thou shalt be a burden unto me : 
 
 34 But if thou return to the city and say unto Absalom, I 
 will be thy servant, O king ; as I have been thy father's servant 
 hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant : then mayest thou 
 for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. 
 
 2 Samuel xvii. 
 
 14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said. The counsel 
 of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. 
 For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of 
 Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon 
 Absalom. 
 
78 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 PRAYER OF DAVID AFTER HIS TRANSGRESSION IN 
 NUMBERING ISRAEL AND JUDAH. 
 
 When we consider the character of David, and 
 hear him spoken of as " the man after God's own 
 heart," we are apt to forget he was, like ourselves, 
 human and imperfect. In some of the acts of 
 David's life, even after his conversion, there is sad 
 evidence of natural corruption; pride, vanity, and 
 deceit are still in his heart. We know these hateful 
 passions were not nourished by him, and cannot be 
 by one who, like him, daily waits on his God. This 
 is an encouragement to Christians struggling with 
 the deep-rooted malady in their own hearts, and 
 ought to fill them with a joyful hope that at the last 
 they will come off more than conquerors through 
 him who loved them. It should awaken for the 
 whole world that loving charity which "thinketh no 
 evil," and though all about us there are wandering 
 children from the fold of God, yet they may, like 
 David, be struggling in prayer, their lives be a war- 
 fare against sin and Satan, and theirs that sorrow 
 for which nothing but prayer, deep and fervent, is 
 an antidote. Now what was the sin David commit- 
 ted in numbering the people ? Some have thought 
 it a contempt of God's promise that they should be 
 innumerable, and that, as in the days of Moses he 
 should have been expressly commanded by God to 
 
DAVID. 79 
 
 do this ; but we think it an evidence of pride in 
 David. Elated with the prosperity and extent of 
 his dominion^, he evinced a complacency natural to 
 those who have been eminently successful; there 
 seems to be also an ambitious curiosity to discover 
 how many of his people were fit for service ; and 
 with the like feeling, indulged by many an aged 
 man, after a life of prosperity and success, he would 
 have it said he had left a populous and flourishing 
 kingdom to posterity. But these feelings of David 
 called forth the displeasure of his God ; pride and 
 worldly ambition were still in his heart, and by 
 chastisement from the Lord they must be subdued. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Samuel xxiv. 
 
 10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered 
 the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned great- 
 ly in that I have done : and now I beseech thee, O Lord, talje 
 away the iniquity of thy servant ; for I have done very foolishly. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 2 Samuel xxiv. 
 
 11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the 
 Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 
 
 12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee 
 three things ; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto 
 thee. 
 
 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, 
 Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land ? or 
 wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they 
 pursue thee ? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? 
 now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent 
 me. 
 
80 THE PBATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us 
 fall now into the hand of the Lord ; for his mercies are great : 
 and let me not fall into the hand of man. 
 
 15 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morn- 
 ing even to the time appointed: and tliere died of the people 
 from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 
 
 16 And v^fhen the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusa- 
 lem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said 
 to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough : stay now 
 thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing- 
 place of Araunah the Jebusite. 
 
 PKAYER OF SOLOMON FOR WISDOM. 
 
 Solomon the son of David had succeeded his 
 father as ruler of Israel. Being young and inex- 
 perienced, he had, no doubt, felt his need of great 
 wisdom, to fill with honor and justice the position 
 in which he was placed ; his mind had been filled 
 with his own weakness, so that when the Lord ap- 
 peared to him in a vision at Gibeon and asked the 
 desire of his heart, Solomon was ready to ask for a 
 supply of heavenly wisdom such as God only could 
 bestow on man. The spirit of this prayer is com- 
 mended by God, and is especially worthy of note 
 to those who are in high places of position or 
 power ; Solomon asks not for wealth, long life or 
 particular earthly distinction, but wisdom to guide 
 and direct his people in the fear of that God whom 
 
SOLOMON. 81 
 
 his father David had so much loved and honored. 
 He would be "strong in the spirit," " deep-thought- 
 ed," clear-eyed, 
 
 " To walk step for step, with an angel beside, 
 On the heaven heights of truth." 
 
 From that fountain of living waters, "the wish to 
 know, that endless thirst," must be satisfied ; as the 
 fountain is pure, so will the waters be ; and would 
 you be wise, come hither and drink. 
 
 " The clouds may drop down titles and estates. 
 Wealth may seek us, but wisdom must be sought" 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Kings iii. 
 
 5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by 
 night : and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 
 
 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant 
 David my father great mercy, according as he walked before 
 thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart 
 with thee ; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that 
 thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 
 
 7 And now, O Lqkd my God, thou hast made thy servant 
 king instead of David my father : and 1 am but a little child : I 
 know not how to go out or come in. 
 
 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou 
 hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted 
 for multitude. 
 
 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge 
 thy people, that 1 may discern between good and bad : for who 
 is able to judge this thy so great a people 1 
 
82 THE PEATEBS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Answer. — 1 Kings iii. 
 
 1 1 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this 
 tiling-, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast 
 asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies ; 
 but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment: 
 
 12 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. 
 
 13 And I liave also given thee that which thou hast not ask- 
 ed, both riches and honor : so that there shall not be any among 
 the kings like unto thee all thy days. 
 
 1 Kings iv. 
 
 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding ex- 
 ceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is 
 on the sea shore. 
 
 30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the 
 children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 
 
 31 For he was wiser than all men. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF SOLOMON AT THE DEDICATION OF 
 THE TEMPLE. 
 
 " It seemed as if a temple rose 
 Before me brightly there, 
 And in the depths of its repose. 
 My soul o'erflowed with prayer.'' 
 
 " Be mute who will, who can. 
 Yet I will praise thee with impassioned voice. 
 
SOLOMON. 83 
 
 Me didst thou constitute a priest of thine, 
 In such a temple as we now behold, 
 Reared for thy presence ; therefore am I bound 
 To worship." 
 
 About a year after the completion of tiie temple, 
 the ark of the covenant was placed in it, so that in 
 a peculiar manner it heca'me the abode of Jehovah 
 in the midst of Israel. It was now to be dedicated 
 to the service and worship of the living God. A 
 large multitude of worshiping Israelites, and of the 
 chiefs and heads of the tribes had assembled to wit- 
 ness the scene, and unite in the solemn prayer of 
 Solomon. The temple was the visible pledge of 
 God's presence with his people, as long as they 
 adhered to his ordinances and loved his com- 
 mandments. In pleading with God in this prayer 
 Solomon was a type of Christ. The Lord has said, 
 " The silver and the gold are mine," and freely had 
 it been brought to the temple, to add to its beauty 
 and enlarge its walls; but Solomon reminds the 
 people, that heaven, with its boundless shore, could 
 not contain the Lord of all, much less this temple 
 made with hands ; the ark might abide within its 
 walls, and God would be in the midst of those who 
 came thither to worship and love him, but his 
 presence would still fill immensity, and " God be 
 everywhere."- In the "temple" He has however 
 "recorded his name," and tlie Israelites were to 
 advert to it in all their prayers; when they jour- 
 
Qi THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 neyed far distant from Jerusalem their faces were 
 turned to it, as an evidence their hearts were with 
 its worshipers ; and when near it they forsook not 
 the assembling of themselves together. This prayer 
 of Solomon's is one of the most heartfelt and beauti- 
 ful in the Bible, and the spiritual reader will find it 
 highly suggestive. We are satisfied it was an out- 
 pouring of Solomon's spirit to God, suggested by 
 the occasion. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Kings viii. 
 
 22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lokd in the 
 presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his 
 hands toward heaven : 
 
 23 And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like 
 thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest cov- 
 enant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with 
 all their heart : 
 
 24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that 
 thou promisedst him : thou spakest also with thy mouth, and 
 hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 
 
 25 Therefore now, Lokd God of Israel, keep with thy servant 
 David my father that thou promisedst him, saying. There shall 
 not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; 
 so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk 
 before me as thou hast walked before me. 
 
 26 And now O God of Israel, let thy word,- 1 pray thee, be 
 verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father. 
 
 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the 
 heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee ; how much 
 less this house that I have builded 1 
 
 28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and 
 
SOLOMON. 85 
 
 (o his supplication, O Lokd my God, to hearken unto the cry 
 and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to- 
 day: 
 
 29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and 
 day, even toward the place of which thou hast said. My name 
 shall be there : that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which 
 thy servant shall make toward this place. 
 
 30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and 
 of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place : 
 and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place : and when thou 
 hearest, forgive. 
 
 31 If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be 
 laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before 
 thine altar in this house : 
 
 32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, 
 condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and 
 justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the ene- 
 my, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again 
 to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication 
 unto thee in this house : 
 
 34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy peo- 
 ple Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest 
 unto their fathers. 
 
 36 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because 
 they have sinned against thee ; if they pray toward this place, 
 and confess thy name and turn from their sin, when thou afflict- 
 est them : 
 
 36 Then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of thy serv- 
 ants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good 
 way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, 
 which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. 
 
 5 
 
THE PKAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blast- 
 ing, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar ; if their enemy- 
 besiege them in the land of their cities ; whatsoever plague, 
 whatsoever sickness there be ; 
 
 38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any 
 man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man 
 the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward 
 this house : 
 
 39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, 
 and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose 
 heart thou knowest : (for thou, even thou only, knowest the 
 hearts of all the children of men ;) 
 
 40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the 
 land which thou gavest unto our fathers. 
 
 41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people 
 Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake ; 
 
 42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong 
 hand, and of thy stretched out arm ;) when he shall come and 
 pray toward this house ; 
 
 43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according 
 to all that the stranger calleth to thee for : that all people of 
 the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people 
 Israel ; and that they may know that this house, which I have 
 builded, is called by thy name. 
 
 44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whither- 
 soever thou shall send them, and shall pray unto the Lord to- 
 ward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that 
 I have built for thy name : 
 
 45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplica- 
 tion, and maintain their cause. 
 
 46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinrieth 
 not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the 
 enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of 
 the enemy, far or near ; 
 
SOLOMON. 87 
 
 47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither 
 they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication 
 unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, 
 We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed 
 wickedness ; 
 
 48' And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with 
 all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them 
 away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou 
 gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and 
 the house which I have built for thy name : 
 
 49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in 
 heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their cause. 
 
 60 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and 
 all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against 
 thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them 
 captive, that they may have compassion on them : 
 
 61 For they be thy people and thine inheritance, which thou 
 broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of 
 iron: 
 
 52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy 
 servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to heark- 
 en unto them in all that they call for unto thee. 
 
 53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people 
 of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the 
 hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers 
 out of Egypt, O Lord God. 
 
 ' 64 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of 
 praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose 
 from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees 
 with his hands spread up to heaven 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 1 Kings ix. 
 
 3 And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and 
 thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hal- 
 
THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 lowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name 
 there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there 
 perpetually. 
 
 4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father 
 walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do accord- 
 ing to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my stat- 
 utes and my judgments : 
 
 5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon 
 Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying. There 
 shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. 
 
 THE PROPHET'S PRATER FOR THE RESTORATION OF 
 JEROBOAM'S "WITHERED HAND. 
 
 Jeroboam had neglected to worstiip God at the 
 temple, and -wickedly built another altar at Bethel, 
 and while a prophet — " a man of God out of Judah," 
 ■was prophesying against the altar, the king stretch- 
 ed forth his hand to lay it violently upon him, and 
 by a sudden interposition of Providence it became 
 ■withered. The suffering man thus th-warted in his 
 resolve, entreats that the prophet would pray that 
 his hand might be restored; he would have him 
 pray to the Lord his God. We see by this request 
 his confidence in his idols and his self-invented sac- 
 rifices was shaken. The sudden judgment and the 
 rending of the altar had produced conviction in him, 
 and he knows nothing but prayer to the Lord God 
 of the prophet will avail. After the prayer and 
 
JEROBOAM. 
 
 restoration we hear no thankful strain from Jero- 
 boam's lips to the God who had restored him; a 
 sense of gratitude to the prophet is evinced by his 
 offer of hospitality for the present, and a reward in 
 the future ; here let the reader pause for a moment, 
 and consider how like the world is the conduct of 
 Jeroboam, how often, like him, is one the recipient 
 of God's favor, but no word of thankfulness is heard. 
 One is, perhaps the object of God's mercy in sgme 
 special deliverance from evil, but there is no upward 
 glancing of the eye, no lifting of the voice of thanks- 
 giving to heaven. " Pensioner of God be grateful ; 
 let thy full heart pour out its treasure of thanks to 
 Him who has sent the blessing." 
 
 " A wicked man scorneth prayer ; in the shallow sophistry of 
 reason, 
 
 He derideth the silly hope that God can be moved by suppli- 
 cation ; 
 
 But I knew that his reasonings were false, for the promise of 
 the Scripture is true" 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Kings xiii. 
 
 6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, 
 Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, 
 that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God 
 besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, 
 and became as it was before. 
 
 7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with 
 me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. 
 
 8 And the man of God said unto the king. If thou wilt give 
 me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I 
 eat bread nor drink water in this place. 
 
90 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 THE POWER OF EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRATER. 
 
 He who makes the following prayer is Elijah the 
 Tishbite ; his name signifies "The Lord my God is 
 He." He was raised up under the reign of the 
 most wicked king of Israel, and his introduction to 
 our notice on the Scripture page is rather abrupt. 
 .Ajjiab had probably been repeatedly warned by Eli- 
 jah to forsake his idols and worship God, but he 
 scorned the admonition. To show him the power 
 of prayer, and give him an uncontrovertible proof 
 that he would be heard and answered, he asks that 
 the Lord will send neither dew nor rain for the 
 space of some years, and not until he again prayed 
 for it, should it come upon the earth. We find the 
 answer to this prayer recorded in the New Testa- 
 ment. Doubtless the prophet was instructed by the 
 Lord to offer this petition ; and to some it may seem 
 a strange request to make in prayer. The glory of 
 God and the interests of true religion were concern- 
 ed in it, however, and there is much of wise zeal as 
 well as true benevolence in it. The benefit of the 
 calamity on the minds of apostate Israel would far 
 outweigh the misery attending it. Elijah was a 
 most distinguished servant of God, and endowed 
 with extraordinary gifts for the purpose of exciting 
 a hardened generation. 
 
ELIJAH. 91 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Kings xvii. 
 
 1 And Elijah said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israe^ 
 liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain 
 these years, but according to my word. 
 
 The Answer. — James v. 
 
 17 And it rained not by the space of three years and six 
 moKths. 
 
 18 And Elijah prayed again, and the heaven gave rain; ^nd 
 the earth brought forth her fruit. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF ELIJAH FOR THE RESTORATION OF 
 THE WIDOW'S SON. 
 
 Never before had a prayer like tHs ever been 
 made and answered ; and well might the mother, as 
 the good man called upon Him who only could 
 answer, be confirmed in her faith, and praise the 
 Lord God of Israel. There lay all that remained 
 of one who was once dear; the soul, the living, 
 breathing power, that had once dwelt in it, was no 
 longer there ; and the expression in the prayer of 
 the prophet, "Let the soul come into this body 
 again," proves to us its complete separation at 
 death. It is when gazing at such a scene as the 
 prayer presents, that we are furnished with an argu- 
 ment, the hardest and most unbelieving are forced 
 to admit, for the immortality of the human soul. 
 
92 THE PRATEES OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 The mother for whose child Elijah prays was a 
 widow, and he had dwelt with her and been miracu- 
 lously sustained during the famine consequent upon 
 the dry weather which followed his prayer. It ap- 
 pears he was in the house of this woman when her 
 son died. She had been a worshiper of Baal in by- 
 gone days, but seems to have been convinced of 
 God's power, as manifested in the drouth in answer 
 to prayer, and from her language to Elijah we infer 
 she imagined this heavy affliction was sent upon her 
 in consequence of her sin, and that he was in some 
 way involved in the death of her child. The "loft" 
 where Elijah carried the body to pray over it, was 
 an upper room dedicated to communion with God 
 and meditation ; the word in the Greek has this 
 meaning attached to it, and no doubt it was the 
 place of holy, sacred, and sweet communion, be- 
 tween the prophet and the High and Holy One. 
 Like many a similar occurrence in our own time, 
 there was mystery hanging round this afflictive dis- 
 pensation. Here was a woman who loved God and 
 entertained his prophets, bowed down in grief the 
 deepest, saddest, earth can know. Elijah cannot 
 understand it, and he seems to expostulate with 
 God in his prayer, 
 
 " Death all eloquent ! you only prove 
 What dust we dote on when 'tis man we love." 
 
 " Oh ! what a shadow o'er the heart is flung, 
 When peals the requiem of the loved and young." 
 
ELIJAH, 93 
 
 God, in the miracle of restoring life to him who lay 
 then in that " deep stillness, in that dreamless sleep," 
 intended a greater display of his. glory and more 
 peculiar favor to this wido-w than the mere sparing 
 of his life could have been. He was dead, but God 
 heard Elijah's prayer, and then sank deep in this 
 widowed heart the lesson that God was the author 
 and giver, the hearer and answerer. How does this 
 prayer encourage us to plead for all who are in sor- 
 row ! It is true we cannot work miracles, but we 
 can implore the blessing of God on an affliction, 
 so that the sorrowing heart may rejoice like this 
 widow's. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Kings xvii. 
 
 19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took 
 him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he 
 abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 
 
 20 And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lokd my God, 
 hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I so- 
 journ, by slaying her son ? 
 
 21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and 
 cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let 
 this child's soul come into him again. 
 
 The Zord's Answer. — 1 Kings xvii. 
 
 22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah ; and the soul of 
 the child came into him again, and he revived. 
 
 24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that 
 thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy 
 mouth is truth. 
 
94 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF ELIJAH ON MOUNT CARMEL. 
 
 Elijali seems distressed at the wavering conduct 
 of his people ; sometimes they worship Jehovah and 
 then again turn back to their idols or to Baal. He 
 calls upon them to decide whom they will serve — if 
 Baal be the true Grod, he exhorts them to worship 
 him, but if not, he would implore them to worship 
 the Creator of the world. The prophet's language 
 is full of sarcasm, and even pours ridicule upon 
 them, while they are going through ceremonies as 
 absurd as they prove fruitless ; and then he requests 
 them to come with him, at the evening hour, to call 
 upon the God he served. Before them stood the 
 altar, and upon it the burnt offering prepared for 
 the worship of Baal, the god to whom the people's 
 prayers had been offered; but in the expressive 
 language of Scripture, " There was no voice, or any 
 that answered." In this prayer Elijah beseeches 
 God to show to his people, that he was indeed the 
 God of their fathers and their nation, and that all 
 he had done, even in regard to the famine, was in 
 direct obedience to the command of the Almighty. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Kings xviii. 
 
 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the eve- 
 ning sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lokd 
 God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day 
 
ELISHA. 85 
 
 that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that 
 I have done all these things at thy word. 
 
 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know 
 that thou art the I^okb God, and that thou hast turned their 
 heart back again. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 1 Kings xviii. 
 
 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt 
 sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked 
 up the water that was in the trench. 
 
 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces : 
 and they said, The Lord, he is the God ; the Lord, he is the 
 God. 
 
 A PRAYER OF ELISHA FOR HIS SERVANT. 
 
 God had given most extraordinary powers to 
 Elista, both, in working miracles and in curing the 
 sick ; but whenever we see an exhibition of them, 
 they are nearly always preceded by prayer. The 
 servant for whom the prophet now prays had suc- 
 ceeded Grehazi, who by falsehood had secured the 
 present which Naaman would have bestowed on 
 Elisha, in remembrance of the wonderful cure he 
 had performed upon him. In consequence of this 
 sin Gehazi was seized with leprosy, and forfeited his 
 place as servant to the prophet. Benhadad perhaps 
 remembered the fire from heaven which had con- 
 sumed the small companies which marched against 
 
96 THE PRAYERS OE THE BIBLE. 
 
 Elijali, and, as thougli there would be strength in 
 numbers, he had marshaled a large army to appre- 
 hend Elisha. When the servant of the prophet saw 
 the host which compassed the city — 
 
 " The troubled blood through big pale face was seen 
 To come and go, with tidings from the heart, 
 As it a running messenger had been." 
 
 The prophet reminds him that God is on their side ; 
 with the eye of faith he sees the hosts of heaven 
 gathered for his defence, and, strong in the might 
 of God, he prays that the eyes of his servant may 
 be opened to behold what was even now before his 
 mortal vision. 
 
 " Fear not, I am with thee. be not dismayed, 
 For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid. 
 I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, 
 Upheld by my mighty, omnipotent hand." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Kings vi. 
 
 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us arc 
 more than they that be with them. 
 
 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee open his 
 eyes, that he may see. 
 
 The Answer. 
 
 17 And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and 
 he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and 
 chariots of fire round about Elisha. 
 
HEZEKIAH. 97 
 
 PRAYER OF HEZEKIAH. 
 
 Hezekiali tad just received a letter from Sen- 
 nacherib, the king of Assyria, wlio, having invaded 
 and laid waste much of the kingdom of Judah, was 
 contemplating an attack on the capital. Hezekiah 
 proposed to capitulate on certain terms, but was 
 answered by a most insolent letter from Sennacherib, 
 This haughty king had dared to raise his voice 
 against the Most High, his heart was filled with 
 pride and ambition, and he laughed to scorn the 
 counsels of the God who could crush him as a' moth. 
 Hezekiah goes into the house of God to consult him 
 by prayer in this matter. His mind is stayed on 
 the Almighty, and his prayer is fervent and heart- 
 felt. "Jehovah, the God of Israel who dwells be- 
 tween the cherubim on the mercy-seat, had been 
 regarded by Sennacherib as the local deity of a small 
 region, but Hezekiah implored the Lord to make 
 himself known as the Creator of all things, -the God 
 of the heaven and the earth." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Kings xix. 
 
 14 And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the mess- 
 engers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up Into the house of 
 the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 
 
 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord 
 God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art 
 
98 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth' 
 thou hast made heaven and earth. 
 
 16 Lord, bow dovi^n thine ear, and hear: open, Lokd, thine 
 eyes, and see : and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath 
 sent him to reproach the living God. 
 
 17 Of a truth. Lord, the kinga of Assyria have destroyed the 
 nations and their lands, 
 
 18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no 
 gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone : therefore 
 they have destroyed them. 
 
 19 Now therefore, O Lord, our God, I beseech thee, save 
 thou us out of his hand, that .nil the kingdoms of the earth may 
 know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only. 
 
 The Answer, hy Isaiah. — 2 Kings xix. 
 
 20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, 
 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast 
 prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 
 
 PRAYER OF HEZEKIAH IN SICKNESS. 
 
 "How full of dread, how full of hope, loometh inevitable death, 
 Of dread, for all have sinned ; 
 
 The dread is drowned in joy, the hope is filled with immortal- 
 ity." 
 
 Prostrate on a bed of languishiDg and pain lies 
 Hezekiah, the man who had walked before God in 
 uprightness of heart, and used his influence to pro- 
 mote his worship during many years of a useful life 
 
HEZEKIAH. 99 
 
 Death is hovering over his dwelhng, and "sickness 
 sits caverned in his hollow eye." And what are 
 the thoughts of this good man in view of the ap- 
 proach of the "king of terrors." The son of Amoz 
 had come with the message of the Lord, for him to 
 "set his house in order," for his death was inevita- 
 ble, to make without delay a full and final settle- 
 ment of domestic and civil affairs, and prepare for 
 that event which must come to all — 
 
 " The knell, the shroud, the mattock, and the grave. 
 The deep, damp vault, the darkness, and the worm." 
 
 As if to shut out the world, Hezekiah turns his face 
 to the wall of his chamber, and prays not* for com- 
 posure to meet the last great adversary — no ! for the 
 "king of terrors would be to him the prince of 
 peace" — but he "wraps the drapery of his couch 
 around him," and, in communion with the Al- 
 mighty One, who holds in his hand the keys of 
 life and death, prays for life. Hezekiah had lived 
 " in deeds, not years, in thoughts, not .breaths, in 
 feelings, not in figures on a dial;" and his reluctance 
 to die must be ascribed to the state of his nation 
 and family, for whose interests he had labored in 
 the love and fear of God. It will be remembered 
 at the time of Hezekiah's sickness he had no son ; 
 Manasseh was not born till three years after; by 
 his death, therefore, this branch of David's family 
 would have become extinct. He therefore desired 
 
100 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 restoration to life and healtli, tliat lie might work a 
 little longer for tlie sake of true religion ; and his 
 prayer is to this effect. Tears flow freely ■with his 
 words ; each drop of sorrow is itself a prayer, and 
 Grod gathers them into his treasury, as he asks for 
 "the life of heart and life of soul mingled with life 
 for the body." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Kings xx. 
 
 1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the 
 prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, .nnd said unto him, 
 Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt 
 die, and not live. 
 
 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the 
 Lord, saying, 
 
 3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked 
 before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done 
 that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — 2 Kings xs. 
 
 4 And it came to pass, before Isaiah was gone out into the 
 middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 
 
 6 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people. 
 Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard 
 thy prayer, I have seen thy tears : behold, I will heal thee : on 
 the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 
 
 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years ; and I will de- 
 liver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; 
 and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my serv- 
 ant David's sake. 
 
JABEZ. 101 
 
 PRATER OF JABEZ. 
 
 Nothing is recorded of tlie parentage or family of 
 this man of prayer, except that he was eminent for 
 wisdom, valor, and piety. His prayer is full of 
 earnest faith, and like Jacob, he seems to wrestle, 
 and will not depart without a blessing. He is led 
 into war with the Canaanites, but conducts it not in 
 his own strength, but in faith and prayer. In the 
 land of Canaan believers under the Old Testament 
 dispensation, saw a type of heaven, and in their 
 wars the conflict of Grod's people with their spiritual 
 enemies. 
 
 " Restraining prayer, we cease to fight ; 
 Prayer makes the Christian's armor bright; 
 And Satan trembles when he sees 
 The weakest saint upon his knees." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Chronicles iv. 
 
 10 And Jabez called en the God of Israel, saying, Oh that 
 thou wouldst 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 ! 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — 1 Chronicles iv. 
 10 And God granted him that which he requested. 
 
102 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 THE UNITED PRAYER OP AN ARMY. 
 
 Tlie army that was marshaled for action number- 
 ed four and forty thousand and seven hundred and 
 three score. The conflict is with the Hagarites, or 
 Ishmaelites — a nation of plunderers. The war was 
 a just one and undertaken in the fear of God. 
 
 " Dream not of their fight as of a duel 
 Or the local wounds of head and heel." 
 
 Oh no ; the Lord of battles was on their side, and 
 their united prayer, as it ascended to his high and 
 holy throne, was heard and answered. The multi- 
 tude that were taken prisoners by them, may con- 
 vey an idea of the superiority of numbers among 
 the enemy. A firm trust on the Almighty will 
 always be expressed in humble, heartfelt prayer; 
 anywhere and everywhere God will listen to his 
 children when they cry ; the remembrance that the 
 "race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the 
 strong," should encourage us to be instant in season, 
 and always in a prayerful spirit. There is some- 
 thing impressive apd affecting in the united cry of 
 these prayerful soldiers, each one of whom was en- 
 gaging in a spiritual conflict, which nerved him for 
 this battle with the Hagarites. God is with them, 
 and victory is theirs. 
 
ASA, 103 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Chronicles v. 
 
 18 The sons of Reuben and the Gadites, and half the tribe 
 of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and 
 sword, and to shoot with bow, and sl^illful in war, were four and 
 forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to 
 the war. 
 
 19 And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, with 
 Nephish, and Nodab. 
 
 20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites 
 were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them : for 
 they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them ; 
 because they put their trust iu him. 
 
 PRATER OF ASA. 
 
 Asa was son and successor of Abijam, on the 
 throne of Judah, and employed the first part of his 
 reign, which was peaceful, in the furtherance of re- 
 ligion and peaceful overthrowing of idolatry. At 
 the time this prayer was made, Asa was character- 
 ized by exemplary piety, and his prayer was one of 
 faith and dependence on God. Zerah, an Ethiopian 
 king, came into his territories with "a host of a 
 thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots;" 
 Asa met him with six hundred thousand, and de- 
 feated him; the Ethiopians were entirely over- 
 thrown and dispersed, and the spoil which had been 
 deposited in Gerar, of the Philistines, and in other 
 
104 THE PRATERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 cities of the vicinity was taken. Here the whole 
 man, the whole army, is given over to the care and 
 guardianship of Grod ; there is a call for help, the 
 confession that just such a protector is needed, as 
 God would be in the fierce battle before Asa and 
 his hosts. Experience has taught him that God has 
 never yet failed to hear prayer, and the future is 
 filled with hope drawn from the promises of a God 
 of truth and mercy. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Chronicles xiv. 
 
 1 1 And Asa cried unto the Loed his God, and said, Lord, it 
 is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them 
 that have no power: help us, O Lokd our God; for we rest on 
 thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Loed' 
 thou art our God ; let not man prevail against thee. 
 
 The Ijord's Answer. — 2 Chronicles xiv. 
 
 12 So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before 
 Judah ; and the Ethiopians fled. 
 
 13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued 
 them unto Gerar : and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that 
 they could not recover themselves ; for they were destroyed be- 
 fore the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very 
 much spoil. 
 
JEHOSHAPHAT. 105 
 
 PRAYER OF JEHOSHAPHAT. 
 
 Jehoshapliat was a king of Judah and tlie succes- 
 sor of Asa. He was a man of distinguislied piety, 
 and enjoyed a long reign of twenty -five years. 
 It is said of him, that the more his riches and hon- 
 ors increased, the more "his heart was lifted up in 
 the ways of the Lord." During his reign the king- 
 dom of Judah was invaded by the Moabites and 
 others ; and so great were their forces, that the king 
 and people were thrown into consternation. It was 
 a time to call upon the Lord, a time of danger and 
 peril, and Jehoshaphat assembled the people at Je- 
 rusalem, proclaimed a fast, and made the following 
 remarkable prayer, which was almost immediately 
 answered by the promise of certain victory. " This 
 was an instance of a fast observed in obedience to 
 the proclamation of a chief magistrate, who acted 
 with the power his station gave, and not by the 
 spirit of prophecy." The Lord's answer came by a 
 Levite descended from Asaph, and not by a high 
 priest. The language of this prayer is full of hum- 
 ble and genuine faith. Jehoshaphat feels his own 
 inability to combat against the powerful forces of 
 the enemy, relies on God for help, appealing to him 
 as to the justice of his cause. One expression of the 
 prayer strikes us as remarkably expressive ; it is — 
 " Neither know we what to do ; but our eyes are 
 Tipon thee." How it tells of man's weakness and 
 
106 THE PEAYBRS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 God's strengtli, and in one short sentence expresses 
 tlie feelings of every child of God. We would 
 recommend especial attention to the reading of the 
 chapter in which this prayer is recorded; it is full 
 of interest, and is one of the most striking instances 
 of prayer heard and answered that the Scripture 
 contains. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Chronicles xx. 
 
 5 And Jehoshapliat stood in the congregation of Judah and 
 Jerusalem, in the house of the Lokd, before the new court, 
 
 6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in 
 heaven? "and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the hea- 
 then ? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that 
 none is. able to withstand thee? 
 
 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants 
 of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed 
 
 ■■■ of Abraham thy friend for ever ? 
 
 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary 
 therein for thy'name, saying, 
 
 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or 
 pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy 
 presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in 
 our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 
 
 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and 
 mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when 
 they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, 
 and destroyed them not; 
 
 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us 
 out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 
 
 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no 
 might against this great company that cometh against us ; nei- 
 ther know we what to do : but our eyes are upon thee. 
 
HEZEKIAH. 107 
 
 The Lord's Answer.- — -2 Chronicles xx. 
 
 14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of 
 Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the 
 sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the 
 congregation ; 
 
 15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhahitants of 
 Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord 
 unto you. Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great 
 multitude ; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 
 
 16 To-morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come 
 up by the cliff of Ziz ; and ye shall find them at the end of the 
 brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 
 
 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle : set yourselves, 
 stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O 
 Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to-morrow 
 go out against them : for the Lord will be with you. 
 
 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the 
 ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell 
 before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 
 
 PRAYER OF HEZEKIAH FOR THOSE WHO HAD EATEIST 
 THE PASSOVER WITHOUT PURIFICATION. 
 
 It was the custom for the people to assemble at 
 Jerusalem some days before the Passover, and pre- 
 pare themselves, by removing all false altars and all 
 abominations from the city.. Many of the ten tribes 
 had come up at a very short notice and had no time 
 for the customary preparation, and were therefore 
 considered ceremonially unclean. Hezekiah prays 
 
108 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 that God ■will pardon every omission, as tlieir hearts 
 are in tlie observance. To tlie prayer is granted a 
 favorable answer, and tbey were allowed to eat the 
 Passover when the Levites had killed it for them. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Chronicles xxx. 
 
 18 But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord 
 pardon every one 
 
 19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of 
 his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purifica- 
 tion of the sanctuary. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — -2 Chronicles xxx. 
 
 20 And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the peo- 
 ple. 
 
 PRATER OF MANASSEH WHEN IN AFFLICTION. 
 
 If we confine our attention strictly to the history 
 of Manasseh as recorded in the book of Kings, we 
 should infer that a career of wickedness had been 
 followed out by him to the end of his long reign of 
 fifty-five years ; but in the second book of Chron- 
 icles we find a heart-broken, humble prayer from 
 the lips of a man whose former life had been stain- 
 ed with every vice, for' it is said of him, "He did 
 evil in the sight of the Lord, like the abominations 
 of the heathen." In the sixth verse of this chapter 
 a sin of his is mentioned which caused the Lord to 
 
m'anasseh. 109 
 
 be angry with hini ; and we speak of it here be- 
 cause it is one that is prevalent in our own days, 
 and is leading many away from the simple faith 
 of the Bible ; to all such we would call attention to 
 the repentance and prayer of Manasseh. When 
 Manasseh and his people became violent in their 
 opposition to G-od, he brought upon them the As- 
 syrians, and gave them success in their invasions, 
 permitting them to follow out their own worldly 
 ambition, in order to chastize Manasseh, who was 
 taken prisoner, loaded with fetters, and sent to 
 Babylon. 
 
 " High walls and huge the body may confine, 
 And iron gates obstruct the prisoner's gaze, 
 The massive bolts may baffle his design. 
 And vigilant keepers closely watch his ways ; 
 Tet scorns the immortal mind this base control. 
 No chains can bind it, and no cells inclose ;' 
 Swifter than light it flies from pole to pole, 
 Or, in a prayer, from earth to heaven it goes !" 
 
 By the especial grace of God solitude and affliction 
 brought reflection to Manasseh — 
 
 " Through the shadowy past. 
 Like a tomb-searcher Memory ran, 
 Lifting each shroud that time had cast." 
 
 Every act of sin seems like a serpent's sting, and is 
 imbued with fresh bitterness; there is a burden 
 weighing down his stricken heart. He betakes him- 
 self to prayer in his extremities, and the soul that 
 
110 THE PEAYEES OF fHE BIBLE. 
 
 lay in darkness is lifted up to heaven ; and at last, 
 we trust, lie found an entrance there. And this, my 
 reader, is neither more nor less than "to be born 
 again." There are those who love to hang around 
 this " change of heart," a dark veil of mystery ; 
 heed it not, but read in this faith and repentant 
 prayer the secret of your own salvation. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 2 Chronicles xxxiii. 
 
 12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his 
 God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 
 
 13 And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and 
 heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem, 
 into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was 
 God. 
 
 PRATER OF NEHEMIAH FOR THE CAPTIVE REMNANT 
 OF JUDAH. 
 
 Nehemiah was a Jew of great piety, and occupied 
 the station of cupbearer to Artaxerxes the king of 
 Persia. The whole of this book is a record of his 
 actions, of his zeal and disinterestedness for the ad- 
 vancement of the true religion. His station in the 
 Persian court had prevented him from going to Je- 
 rusalem, but he expressed a godly concern about 
 the condition of his brethren in Judea, and the 
 temple of God. Jerusalem lay without walls or 
 
NEHEMIAH. Ill 
 
 gates of defence, and had done so since its devasta- 
 tion by the Chaldeans. Nehemiah, on hearing of 
 the sad state of his brethren was troubled, and the 
 impulse of his heart was to go over and help them, 
 if he could only secure the patronage of the king. 
 In this perplexity he remembers a God who reigns 
 king over all, blessed forevermore, in whose hand 
 are the hearts of even the highest of earthly rulers, 
 and he calls upon him in prayer. No circumstances 
 should ever render the Christian careless of the in- 
 terests of the church of God; like Nehemiah he 
 should be concerned for her welfare, and like him 
 pray that God would build her walls and strengthen 
 her borders. He should improve his talents and 
 take advantage of every circumstance to add to her 
 numbers, and even when far separated from her, his 
 efforts for her prosperity, though in his own sight 
 feeble, God may bless, and make eminently power- 
 ful in spreading the cause of truth in the world. 
 
 " Till, filled with light and joy and loye, 
 Thy courts below, like those above, 
 Triumphant hallelujahs raise. 
 And heaven and earth resound thy praise." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Nehemiah i, 
 
 4 And it came to pass when I heard these words, that I sat 
 down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and 
 prayed before the God of heaven, 
 
 5 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great 
 
112 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 and terrible God, that keepetli covenant and mercy for them 
 that love him and observe his commandments : 
 
 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that 
 thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before 
 thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, 
 and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have 
 sinned against thee : both I and my father's house have sinned. 
 
 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not 
 kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, 
 which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. 
 
 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou command- 
 edst thy servant Moses, saying. If ye transgress, I will scatter 
 you abroad among the nations : 
 
 9 But if ye turn unto me and keep my commandments, and 
 do them ; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost 
 part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will 
 bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name 
 there. 
 
 10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou 
 hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. 
 
 1 1 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to 
 the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who 
 desire to fear thy name : and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant 
 this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I 
 was the king's cupbearer. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Nehemiah ii. 
 
 1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, [or April,] in the 
 twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before 
 him : and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now 
 I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 
 
 2 Wherefore the king said unto me. Why is thy countenance 
 sad, seeing thou art not sick 1 this is nothing else but sorrow 
 of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 
 
NEHEMIAH. 113 
 
 3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why- 
 should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of 
 my fathers' sepulchers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are 
 consumed with fire 1 
 
 4 Then the king said unto me. For what dost thou make re- 
 quest 1 So I prayed to the God of heaven. 
 
 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy 
 servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send 
 me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchers, that I 
 may build it. 
 
 6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) 
 For how long shall thy journey be 1 and when wilt thou return ? 
 So it pleased the king to send me ; and I set him a time. 
 
 7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let 
 letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they 
 may convey me over till I come unto Judah; 
 
 8 And a letter unto Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest' 
 that he may give me timber to maie beams for the gates of the 
 palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the 
 city and the house that 1 shall enter into. And the king granted 
 me according to the good hand of my God upon me. 
 
 PRAYERS OF NEHEMIAH WHILE BUILDING THE 
 WALLS OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 Sanballat, the governor of the Samaritans, and 
 other enemies of the Jews, endeavored by every 
 means to overthrow the attempts of Nehemiah and 
 his followers to rebuild the temple ; they laughed 
 him to scorn, and ridiculing the idea of his being 
 
114: THE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 able to procure tlie necessary materials, with tte 
 most bitter sarcasm endeavored to dissuade him 
 from the work. The Jews were at this time the 
 church of God, and were employed in his worship, 
 and for this they were hated by their enemies. 
 They had need of much prayer in the midst of such 
 violent opposition, and we find the petitions of 
 Nehemiah recorded in the fourth, fifth, and sixth 
 chapters of this book. To some readers the second 
 recorded prayer may appear tinctured with conceit 
 and a boasting spirit, but we would refer such to 
 the language of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corin- 
 thians; of whom he would take nothing, that he 
 might stop the mouths of false apostles and covet- 
 ous people. 
 
 The Prayers as recorded. — Nehemiah iv. 
 
 4 Hear, O our God ; for we are despised : and turn their re- 
 proach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the 
 land of captivity: 
 
 5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blot- 
 ted out from before thee : for they have provoked thee to anger 
 before the builders. 
 
 Nehemiah. v. 
 
 19 Think upon me, my .God, for good, according to all that 
 I have done for this people. 
 
 JN'eliemiah vi. 
 9 O God, strengthen my hands. • 
 
JOB. 115 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Nehemiali vi. 
 
 15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of 
 the month Elul, [August,] in fifty and two days. 
 
 16 And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard 
 thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, 
 they were much east down in their own eyes : for they perceiv- 
 ed that this work was wrought of our God. 
 
 Nehemiah vi. 
 16 Remember me, O my God, for good. 
 
 PRAYER OF JOB. 
 
 The book of Job has been regarded by some 
 ■writers as a mere fiction or parable, but this notion 
 has been refuted by eminent divines ; and the opin- 
 ion now entertained by most Bible readers, is that 
 so ably presented by Dr. Kitto, who says: "We 
 have the testimony of the sacred writers themselves 
 to the reality of Job's person and history. We 
 are told in the fourteenth chapter of Ezekiel that 
 though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in such a place 
 they should deliver but their own souls by their 
 righteousness ; from the context, and the manner in 
 which this is introduced the characters here named 
 seem to be taken as real; for first Job is joined 
 with Noah and Daniel, who were certainly real 
 characters; and these are spoken of as real and 
 
116 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 living men. In the New Testament are allusions 
 to tlie patience of Job and his character as one be- 
 longing to a real person. St. Paul and James both 
 speak of him. We cannot suppose the Holy Spirit 
 would make a reference to a feigned history for an 
 example of faith and patience and its ultimate re- 
 ward, if the person, the faith, and its recompense, 
 were alike unreal." The prayers of Job must not 
 then be regarded as fanciful pieces of composition, 
 but as the " thanksgivings, complaints, and commu- 
 nings of one, human like ourselves," whose submis- 
 sion, faith, and patience, through the grace of God, 
 acquired by prayer, made him triumphant over 
 bodily weakness, over -calamity, and the trials of a 
 " vale of tears." He was an eminent saint of God, 
 although we often see in reading his history an evi- 
 dent struggling of the human and mortal with the 
 spiritual. The afflictions of Job were heavier and 
 the circumstances more aggravated than usually fall 
 to the lot of mankind ; his cup was indeed full of 
 deep and bitter sorrow, but it was the Lord who 
 had mingled it ; in the manner in which he drank it 
 we see the strength of his faith and submission. 
 One messenger after another had borne to Job the 
 evil tidings of his swift and sudden trials, and when 
 the last great sorrow, the loss of all his numerous 
 family, is communicated to him, he is bowed to the 
 earth with " the weight of the heavy heart in his 
 bosom, '- and breaks forth in words that will live as 
 
JOB. 117 
 
 long as time and sorrow last, and wliile a God of 
 love and justice reigns. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Job i. 
 
 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, 
 and fell upon the ground, and worshiped, 
 
 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and 
 naked shall I return thither : the Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
 taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord. 
 
 PRAYER OF JOB AFTER HE HAD BEEN VISITED BY 
 HIS FRIENDS. 
 
 Job, as usual in cases of affliction, had many so 
 called sympathizers ; three are mentioned particu- 
 larly as conversing with him and treating his suffer- 
 ings and his character with contempt. In the da- 
 guerreotypes of Job's friends are features familiar to 
 all the children of suffering and affliction ; and there 
 are few who are not painfully acquainted with Zo- 
 phar, Eliphaz, and Bildad. In obedience to the 
 command "to weep with those that weep," there are 
 many, very many, of the good and kind who would 
 and do change the sentence into talking with those 
 that weep ; not that words of sympathy and kindly 
 advice should remain unuttered, but that they 
 should be. "words fitly spoken, like apples of gold 
 in pictures of silver," that they should be forcible 
 
118 THE PRAYEES OF THB BIBLE, 
 
 and riglit. We can imagine how, under his deep 
 and heavy affliction, and after the conversation of 
 his friends, Job was led to inquire so particularly 
 into the cause of his trials, and we can almost ex- 
 cuse the passionate strain in which he speaks ; he 
 regards himself as a mark for the arrows of the 
 Almighty ; to use his own words : " Thou writest 
 bitter things against me." He desires to clear away 
 the clouds and darkness hanging round these trials, 
 and know of God a reason for them. He says, in 
 bitterness but in dependence, "My friends scorn me, 
 but my eye poureth out tears unto God." He asks 
 for the love of God in his heart, for fear seems to 
 have taken possession of it. It is right for us to 
 wait patiently God's time, and though in deep sor- 
 row we see nothing but the frown of Providence, 
 the knowledge that there is behind it a smile, will 
 be sweet to our souls ; and though heavy and se- 
 vere be our trials, we may, by patience, be led with 
 Job to exclaim : " Though he slay me, yet will I 
 trust in him." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Job xiii. 
 
 20 Only do not two things unto me : then will I not hide ' 
 myself from thee. 
 
 21 Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread 
 make me afraid. 
 
 22 Then call thou, and I will answer : or let me speak, and 
 answer thou me. 
 
 23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to 
 know my transgression and my sin. 
 
JOB. 119 
 
 24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine 
 enemy ? 
 
 25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro ? and wilt thou 
 pursue the dry stubble ? 
 
 26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me 
 to possess the iniquities of ray youth. 
 
 27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest nar- 
 rowly into all my paths ; thou settest a print upon the heels of 
 my feet. 
 
 PRATEE OF JOB THAT GOD WOULD HIDE HIM FROM 
 HIS ANGER. 
 
 Job feels that death must soon release him from 
 his suffering ; he is willing to wait till the last great 
 change shall come, but he prays that God will hide 
 him till his displeasure pass away. In some verses 
 of the prayer there is much of faith and hope, in 
 others a feeling of deep despondency. "Job seems 
 to have an affecting view of the miseries of human 
 life, and pleads its brevity as a reason why man 
 should be exempted from constant or extraordinary 
 sufferings. Job believed dimly in a future exist- 
 ence, and in the immortality of the soul, but there 
 is no evidence to show that either he or his friends 
 had any distinct ideas of a place of future retri- 
 bution. The dif&culties with which Job labored, 
 having, as -he did, contracted views of the Divine 
 plans, and under which the good labored before our 
 
120 THE PEAYEES, or THE BIBLE. 
 
 blessed Lord brouglat in a 'better hope' — these 
 diiEcullies should teach us properly to appreciate 
 the better conception of the spiritual world which 
 the gospel has enabled us to realize."* 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Job xiv. 
 
 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou 
 wouldest keep me secret until thy wrath be past, that thou 
 wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me ! 
 
 14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my ap- 
 pointed time will I wait, till my change come. 
 
 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a 
 desire to the work of thine hands. 
 
 16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch 
 over my sin ? 
 
 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest 
 up mine iniquity. 
 
 18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to naught, and 
 the rock is removed out of his place. 
 
 19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the 
 things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou de- 
 stroyest the hope of man. 
 
 20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth : 
 thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. 
 
 21 His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and 
 they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. 
 
 22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul with- 
 in him shall mourn. 
 
 • KUto. 
 
JOBi 121 
 
 PRAYER OF JOB THAT HE MIGHT FEEL GOD'S PRES- 
 ENCE. 
 
 In perusing the history of Job no doubt many 
 have felt that his sorrows were greater than he 
 could possibly have deserved, and with Job himself 
 they have inquired, "How many were his iniquities 
 and sins that it was necessary for him to endure 
 such a ' burden of trial ?' We must not lose sight 
 of the fact that Job was a righteous man ; he knew 
 and felt that his afflictions were from the hand of 
 God. How differently they were received from their 
 Author by Job, than they are by men who have no 
 love for that great Being in their hearts! All over 
 the world we see the mourning of unbelievers unat- 
 tended by religious benefit. God oftener tries and 
 purifies the heart of the good man, by affliction, 
 than he does that of the unbeliever. The good and 
 the bad both mourn in tears, yet there is a sorrow 
 that worketh repentance, and leads to prayer ; and 
 there is a sorrow of the world that worketh death. 
 Overcome, but not cast down utterly. Job is willing 
 to leave himself in the hands of God. He feels that 
 his faith is being tried, and in his prayer seems to 
 look forward to that glorious time when he shall 
 come forth from all his trials purified and refined. 
 Those of our friends who have felt what it is to 
 have a conflict between faith and unbelief, hope and 
 
122 T'HE PEAYER3 OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 despondency, a desire to be submissive, and the 
 self-will opposing, enduring heavy trial and heavier 
 temptations to sin, may easily account for the ap- 
 parent changes in the character of Job; but his 
 vehement desires and passionate protestations were 
 quieted when he reflected that it was God's will he 
 should be afflicted so bitterly, that it was the way 
 appointed for him; and with these convictions he 
 prays, assured that the judgment of God will be 
 according to truth. It is thought, by the "judge " 
 in this prayer, Eliphaz the Temanite is meant, for 
 he had fearfully misjudged Job and brought in 
 many accusations against him. In an hour of gloom, 
 when he could get no fixed views of God's presence 
 as his deliverer. Job prays. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Job xxiii. 
 
 3 Oh that I knew where I might find him ! that I might come 
 even to his seat ! 
 
 4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth 
 with arguments. 
 
 6 I would know the words which he would answer me, and 
 understand what he would say unto me. 
 
 6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but 
 he would put strength in me. 
 
 7 There the righteous might dispute with him ; so should I 
 be delivered for ever from my judge. 
 
 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, 
 but I cannot perceive him : 
 
 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold 
 him : he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him : 
 
JOB. 
 
 123 
 
 10 But he knoweth the way that I take : when he hath tried 
 me, I shall come forth as gold. 
 
 11 My foot has held his steps, his way have I kept, and not 
 declined. 
 
 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his 
 lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my 
 necessary food. 
 
 13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what 
 his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 
 
 14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me : 
 and many such things are with him. 
 
 15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence : when I consider, 
 I am afraid of him. 
 
 16 For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troub- 
 leth me : 
 
 17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither 
 hath he covered the darkness from my face. 
 
 JOB'S PRATER FOR AN ANSWER TO HIS PETITIONS. 
 
 That tlie prayers of Christians are not immediate- 
 ly answered ought never to discourage or disheart- 
 en, we must " pray on, pray ever," remembering the 
 promise, that God will hear and answer in his own 
 good time. The ways of the Almighty are not as 
 our ways, neither are his thoughts like ours ; his 
 plans and purposes with regard to us are concealed, 
 and the Christian should find it " sweet to lie passive 
 in his hands, and know no will but God's." How- 
 
124 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE, 
 
 ever dark the dispensations of Providence, however 
 cold and bleak our path, in life may have become, 
 •when the loved are buried and the idol taken, we 
 should remember there is a source of comfort ; it is 
 earnest, heartfelt prayer ; it is this which will lead 
 us under the heaviest trial to say with the poet — 
 
 " Nearer, my God, nearer to thee, 
 E'en though it be a crosa 
 That bringeth me, 
 Wearer my God, nearer to thee I 
 Then let my way appear 
 
 Steps unto heaven. 
 All that thou sendeat me. 
 
 In mercy given. 
 Nearer, my God, to thee, 
 Nearer to thee 1" 
 
 Job's distress was great that he could receive no 
 answer to his prayers, and he therefore infers rashly 
 that God is cruelly afflicting him. He forgot in his 
 present terrible condition — for his body is wasted 
 by disease, and sorrow deep and heavy is in his 
 heart — that " God prepares the ear to hear ;" he 
 seems impatient for the Lord's answer. This spirit 
 is reproved in that answer. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Job xxx. 
 
 20 I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me : I stand up, 
 and thou regardest me not. 
 
 21 Thou art become cruel to me : with thy strong hand thou 
 opposest thyself against me. 
 
JOB. 125 
 
 22 Thou liftest me up to the wind ; thou causest me to vide 
 upon it, and dissolvest my substance. 
 
 23 For IJjnow that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the 
 house appointed for all living. 
 
 24 Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave , 
 though they cry in his destruction. 
 
 26 Did not I weep for Iiim that was in trouble ? was not my 
 soul grieved for the poor 1 
 
 26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me : and 
 when I waited for light, there came darkness. 
 
 27 My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction 
 prevented me. 
 
 28 I went mourning without the sun : I stood up, and I cried 
 in the congregation. 
 
 29 ] am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owts. 
 
 30 My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with 
 heat. 
 
 31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into 
 the voice of them that weep. 
 
 The Lord's Answer to Job's Prayers. — Job xxxviii. 
 
 1 Then the Lokd answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 
 
 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without 
 knowledge ? 
 
 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man ; for I will demand of 
 thee, and answer thou me. 
 
 4 Where wast thou when 1 laid the foundations of the earth 1 
 declare, if thou hast understanding. 
 
 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest 1 or 
 who hath stretched the line upon it? 
 
 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened ? or who 
 laid the corner stone thereof; 
 
 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of 
 God shouted for joy ? 
 
126 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth as 
 if it had issued out of the wombi 
 
 9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick 
 darlcness a swaddling band for it, 
 
 10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and 
 doors, 
 
 11 And said. Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and 
 here shall thy proud waves be stayed 1 
 
 12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days ; and 
 caused the dayspiing to know his place ; 
 
 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the 
 wicked might be shaken out of it 1 
 
 14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a gar- 
 ment. 
 
 15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the 
 high arm shall be broken. 
 
 16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the seal or hast 
 thou walked in the search of the depth ? 
 
 17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast 
 thou seen the doors of the shadow of death 1 
 
 18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if 
 thou knowest it all. 
 
 19 Where is the way where light dwelleth ? and as for dark- 
 ness, where is the place thereof, 
 
 20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that 
 thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? 
 
 21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or be- 
 cause the number of thy days is great ? 
 
 22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or 
 hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, 
 
 23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against 
 the day of battle and war ? 
 
 The Lord's Answer is continued through this chapter, and the 
 Thirty-Ninth, Fortieth, and Forty-first. 
 
JOB. 127 
 
 THE PRAYER OF JOB AFTER HE HAD RECEIVED THE 
 
 ANSWER. 
 
 Before the Lord vouchsafed an answer to Job, we 
 perceive something of conceit and self-righteousness 
 in his words, but all now is humble acquiescence. 
 " Poor in spirit, meek in heart," Job acknowledges 
 he has been rash in his language, and passionate 
 and vehement in his desires. However wise in our 
 own conceit, however great the stores of our know- 
 ledge attained in the schools of human learning, 
 man is never allowed to call himself truly wise till 
 he is lowly in heart, poor in spirit, and dead to 
 the world; 
 
 '' Simple, teachable, and mild. 
 Changed into a little child : 
 Pleased with all the Lord provides 
 Weaned from all the world besides ;" — 
 
 till, in the language of Job in the following prayer, 
 we can "abhor ourselves and repent in dust and 
 ashes;" then afflictions, pains, temptations, waves, 
 and storms may come, yet we will not be discour- 
 aged nor cast down, for our deliverance is near. 
 His promises, and oath even, are engaged for our 
 preservation, and 
 
 " Who shall pretend to teach him skill 
 Or guide the counsels of his will ? 
 His wisdom, like a sea divine, 
 Flows deep and high beyond our line." 
 
128 THE PEATEE3 OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Job xlii. 
 
 1 Then Jot answered the Lord and said, 
 
 2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought 
 can be withholden from thee. 
 
 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? there- 
 fore have I uttered that I understood not ; things too wonderful 
 for me, which I knew not. 
 
 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak : I will demand of 
 thee, and declare thou unto me. 
 
 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now 
 mine eye seeth thee. 
 
 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes., 
 
 7 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words 
 unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is 
 kindled against thee, and against thy two friends : for ye have 
 not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job 
 hath. 
 
 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven 
 rams, and go to my servant Job, and oifer up for yourselves a 
 burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him 
 will I accept; lest I dealwith you after your folly, in that ye 
 have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant 
 Job. 
 
 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zo- 
 phar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord com- 
 manded them : the Lord also accepted Job. 
 
 10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed 
 for his friends : also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he 
 had before. 
 
 11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his 
 sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, 
 did eat bread with him in his house : and they bemoaned him, and 
 and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought 
 
. DAVID. 129 
 
 « ~- — I I' ' • — ■• ■■ : ~ 
 
 upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and 
 every one an earring" of gold. 
 
 12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his 
 beginning : for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thou- 
 sand cainelsi and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she 
 asses. ' '■ 
 
 13 He had alsb seven sons and three daughters. 
 
 14 And he called the namq of the first Jemima; and the 
 name of the second, Kezia ; and the name of the third, Keeren- 
 happuch. 
 
 15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the 
 daughters of Job : and their father gave them inheritance among 
 their brethren. 
 
 16 After this lived Job a hundred and forty years, and saw 
 his soils, and his sons' sons, even four generations. : 
 
 17 Sp Job died, being old and full of days. 
 
 THE PRATERS CONTAmED IN THE PSALlitS. 
 
 As, tkese prajers have been .referf^fi! to in a 
 former' part of, this work, and as it is.notwitHin the 
 limit of the present volume, to comment upt>n or 
 write each one of them out in order^ we shall only 
 allude, tO; someof :the more important: .among, them, 
 making,. as it were, an index for the reader, which 
 we trust will lead to an examination of .t-hb pxayers 
 as they.; are , recorded in God's word. , :Weifihd in 
 the prayers,,, CiQntaincd ...in, the . bo.ok ..of ,.. .Psalms the 
 language of every heart awakened to a sense of its 
 
130 THE PRATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 obligations to God. Here is mourning for sin, 
 thirsting after God and rejoicing in him ; here is 
 the language of the soul borne down by sorrow and 
 grief, struggling against the temptation of a wicked 
 world, and the " song of triumph " and hope of de- 
 liverance ; indeed there is a prayer for every possi- 
 ble frame of feeling which, can belong to any peni- 
 tent under any circumstances. The Psalms have 
 been called an epitome of the Bible adapted to the 
 purposes of devotion. " They present religion to us 
 in its most engaging dress, communicating truths 
 which philosophy could never investigate, in a style 
 which poetry could never equal, while history is 
 made the vehicle of prophecy, and creation lends all 
 its charms to paint the glories of redemption."* 
 They are called the "Psalms of David," as he was 
 undoubtedly the writer of the greater part of them, 
 and he was warranted in saying of them, "The 
 spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in 
 my tongue." In some of the prayers there is ap- 
 parently a spirit of private resentment, and Scott, in 
 remarking upon this says, these must be considered 
 as direct prophecies or divinely inspired declara- 
 tions of the certain doom awaiting all opposers of 
 Christ and his cause and people. We mention this 
 here, to disabuse the mind of an objection often 
 offered against some of these petitions, and would 
 
 * Bishop Home. 
 
DAVID. 131 
 
 recommend a prayerful spirit witli their careful pe- 
 rusal. The answers to many of them will be scat- 
 tered throughout the Old as well as New Testament. 
 
 Prayer of David when he fled from Absalom. — Psalm iii. 
 
 1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me ! many are 
 they that rise up against me. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm iii. 
 
 4 I cried unto the Lokd with my voice, and he heard me out 
 of his holy hill. Selah. 
 
 Prayer of David in Sickness. — Psalm vi. 
 
 1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me 
 in thy hot displeasure. 
 
 2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord ; for I am weak : O Lokd, 
 heal me ; for my hones are vexed. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xxix. 
 11 The Lord will give strength unto his people. 
 
 Also Psalm vi. 
 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication ; the Lord will re- 
 ceive my prayer. 
 
 A Prayer of David in the midst of the Wicked. — Psalm x. 
 
 1 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord 1 why hidest thou 
 thyself in times of trouble 1 
 
 The Answer. — ^Psalm x. 
 
 17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble : thou 
 wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. 
 
182^ THE PEAYEES' OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 Prayer of David that God will deliver him from his 
 enemy. — Psalm xiii. 
 
 1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Loed? for ever? how 
 long wilt thoa hide thy face from me 1 
 
 The Answer. — Isaiah liv. 
 
 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee ; but with great 
 mercies will I gather thee. 
 
 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; 
 but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith 
 the Lord thy Redeemer. 
 
 Prayer of Ddvidfor the Salvation of Israel.^— V^a^m xiv. 
 
 7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion ! 
 
 The Answer. — John viii. 
 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free 
 indeed. 
 
 Prayer of David for God^s Protection. — Psalm xvii. 
 
 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow 
 of thy wings. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xci. 
 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings 
 shalt thou trust : his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 
 
 Prayer of David that he may be heard always. — Psalm xix. 
 
 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my 
 heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Loed, my strength, and my 
 redeemer. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xxxvii. 
 
 4 Delight thyself also in the Loed ; and he shall giye th»e 
 the desires of thine heart. 
 
DAVID. 
 
 Prayer of David for Protection. — Psalm xxv. 
 
 1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 
 
 2 O my God; I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not 
 mine enemies triumph over me. 
 
 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed : let them be 
 ashamed which transgress without cause. 
 
 4 Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. 
 
 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for ihou art the God 
 of my salvation ; on thee do I wait all the day. 
 
 » The Answer. — Psalm xxv. 
 
 9 The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meeic will he 
 teacih his way. 
 
 1 John iv. 
 
 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them : 
 because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 
 
 Prayer of David that God will he his Judge. — Psalm xxvi. 
 
 I Judge me,0 Lord; for 1 have waliced in mine integrity; I 
 have trusted also in the Lord ; therefore I shall not slide. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xxxii. {Also Komans xiv. 4.) 
 
 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou 
 shalt go : I will guide thee with mine eye. 
 
 Prayer of David to he taught of the Lord. — ^Psalm xxvii. 
 
 II Teach me thy way O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, 
 because of mine enemies. 
 
134 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xxv. 
 
 8 Good and upright is the Lord : therefore will he teach 
 sinners in the way. 
 
 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he 
 teach in the way that he shall choose. 
 
 Prayer of David to he led in the Way of the Lord. — Ps. xxxi. 
 
 3 For thou art my rock and my fortress ; therefore for thy 
 name's sake lead me, and guide me. 
 
 The Answer. — Jeremiah xxxi. 
 
 9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will 
 I lead them : I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters 
 in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble : for I am a 
 father to Israel. 
 
 Prayer of David in great Grief. — Psalm xxxi. 
 
 9 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble : mine 
 eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. 
 
 10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sigh- 
 ing. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xxxii. 
 
 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he that trust- 
 eth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. 
 
 Isaiah xl. 
 
 29 He giveth power to the faint ; and to them that have no 
 might he increaseth strength. 
 
DAVID. 135 
 
 Prayer of David that God would defend Mm in his Fight 
 against his Enemies. — Psalm xxsv. 
 
 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after 
 my soul : let them be turned back and brought to confusion 
 that devise my hurt. 
 
 5 Let them be as chaff before the wind : and let the angel of 
 the Lord chase them. 
 
 6 Let their way be dark and slippery : and let the angel of 
 the Lord persecute them. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xxxiv. 
 
 21 Evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righte- 
 ous shall be desolate. 
 
 Psalm xxxvi. 
 
 12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen : they are cast 
 down, and shall not be able to rise. 
 
 Prayer of David for Light and Truth. — Psalm xliii. 
 
 3 O send out thy light and thy truth : let them lead me ; let 
 them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. 
 
 The Answer. — Proverbs iv. 
 
 18 The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth 
 more and more unto the perfect day. 
 
 Prayer in which David confesses original depravity. — ^Ps. li. 
 
 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving 
 kindness : according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies 
 blot out my transgressions. 
 
 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me 
 from my sin. 
 
136 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions : and my sin is ever 
 before me. 
 
 4 Against tliee, tliee only, have I sinned, and done this evil 
 in thy sight: that thou mightest he justified when thou speak- 
 est, and be clear when thou judgest. 
 
 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity ; and in sin did my mother 
 conceive me. 
 
 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts : and in the 
 hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 
 
 7 Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean : wash me, and 
 I shall be whiter than snow. 
 
 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which 
 thou hast broken may rejoice. 
 
 9 Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. 
 
 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right 
 spirit within me. 
 
 {This Prayer is continued through the Psalm.) 
 
 The Answer. — 1 John i. 
 7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin. 
 
 Jeremiah iii. 
 22 I will heal your baekslidings. 
 
 Jeremiah xxxi. 
 
 3 I have' loved thee with an everlasting love ; therefore with 
 loving kindness have I drawn thee. 
 
 Prayer of David in Terror from his Enemies. — Psalm Iv. 
 
 1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from 
 my supplication. 
 
 2 Attend unto me, and hear me : I mourn in my complaint, 
 and make a noise; 
 
DAVID. 137 
 
 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppres- 
 sion of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in 
 wrath they hate me. 
 
 4 Bly heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of 
 death are fallen upon me. 
 
 5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror 
 hath overwhelmed me. 
 
 The Answer. — John xvi. 
 
 33 These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might 
 liave peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation : but be of 
 good cheer; I have overcome the world. 
 
 Prayer of David that (xod will not forsake him in Old 
 Age. — Psalm Ixxi. 
 
 18 Now also, when I am old and gray-headed, O God, for- 
 sake me not ; until I have showed thy strength unto this gen- 
 eration, and thy power to every one that is to come. 
 
 19 Thy righteousness, also, O God, is very, high, who hast 
 done great things : O God, who is like unto thee ! 
 
 The Answer. — Isaiah xlvi. 
 
 3 Hearken unto, me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant 
 of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, 
 which are carried from the womb : 
 
 4 And even to your old age I am he ; and even to hoar hairs 
 will I carry you: I have made and I will bear; even I will 
 carry and will deliver you. 
 
 Prayer of David that Affliction may he sanctified. — Ps. xc. 
 
 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast 
 afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. 
 
138 THE PRATEKS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Answer. — Psalm xciv. 
 
 12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Loed, and 
 teachest him out of thy law; 
 
 13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adver- 
 sity. 
 
 David in tlie next prayer, is a type of Christ, and 
 complains of the malice, deceit, and slander, of his 
 enemies ; he prays for relief, and praises God. 
 
 Psalm cix. 
 
 25 I became also a reproach unto them : when they looked 
 upon me they shaked their heads. 
 
 26 Help me, O Lord my God : O save me according to thy 
 mercy : 
 
 27 That they may know that this is thy hand ; that thou, 
 Lord, hast done it. 
 
 28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let 
 them be ashamed ; but let thy servant rejoice. 
 
 Prayer for spiritual Life. — Psalm cxix. 
 
 17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live and 
 keep thy word. 
 
 18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things 
 out of thy law. 
 
 19 I am a stranger in the earth : hide not thy commandments 
 from me. 
 
 The Answer. — John xii. 
 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believ- 
 eth on me should not abide in darkness. 
 
 John viii. 
 12 I am the light of the world : he that followeth me shall 
 Dot walk in darkness. 
 
DAVID. 139 
 
 Prayer of David that he may he delivered from the deceit- 
 ful. — Psalm cxx. 
 
 2 Deliver my soul, O Loed, from lying lips, and from a de- 
 ceitful tongue. 
 
 3 What shall be given unto thee 1 or what shall be done 
 unto thee, thou false tongue ? 
 
 4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper. 
 
 There are two instances in the sacred record of 
 David hiding in a cave, or conceahng himself from 
 his enemies ; on one he is driven from the court of 
 Achish, on the other from Saul, who was seeking 
 him. It is supposed by commentators that this 
 prayer was made on one of these occasions: 
 
 Prayer of David from the Cave of Adullam. — Psalm cxlii 
 
 1 I cried unto the Lokd with my voice ; with my voice unto 
 the Lord did I make my supplication. 
 
 2 I poured out my complaint before him ; I showed before 
 him my trouble. 
 
 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou 
 knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked, have they 
 privily laid a snare foi: me. 
 
 4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no 
 man that would know me : refuge failed me ; no man cared for 
 my soul. 
 
 5 1 cried unto thee, O Lord : I said. Thou art my refuge and 
 my portion in the land of the living. 
 
 6 Attend unto my cry ; for I am brought very low : deliver 
 me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. 
 
 7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name : 
 the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal 
 bountifully with me. 
 
140 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 PRAYER OF AGUR. 
 
 Among the writings of one who was full of 
 sublime devotion as well as practical piety, the 
 " extemporizer of the loftiest litany in existence," as 
 he has been called — in the midst of his pungent 
 proverbs, we find this prayer of Agur. It is placed 
 in this brilliant setting, that the most careless may 
 be attracted to it, and that the Bible student may 
 read and examine the prayer of an humble follower 
 of Grod. Agur was a teacher of Israel, and the 
 names of his two pupils, Ithiel, (God with us,) and 
 Ileal, (a mighty one,) lead us to suppose them both 
 remarkable for learning and piety. It is not un- 
 reasonable to lis to infer that he to whom they came 
 for lessons in wisdom, should have excelled them, 
 and was himself a man of eminent learning and 
 piety. His prayer is full of that humility which 
 marks the Christian, and is the offspring of true 
 love to God. Agur seems to have been contem- 
 plating the works of the Creator, and we feel satis- 
 fied he had looked from Nature up to Nature's God ; 
 he feels his littleness and dependence, and from the 
 depths of his heart pours out his prayers. His re- 
 flections have left in his soul two great desires, one 
 regarding his temporal interests the other his spirit- 
 ual, both involving the earnest wish to become a 
 humble follower of God, by walking in the path the 
 
AGUE. 141 
 
 righteous have chosen — one equally removed-from 
 the alluring vanities of life, and from the tempta- 
 tions incident to the path of extreme poverty. 
 Agur asks not the "flagon of oil or the widow's 
 cruse," neither does he canonize want into a Chris- 
 tian grace, or debase wealth to a bitter evil. "We 
 suppose him a man of observation ; he had probably 
 seen but few of God's devoted followers among the 
 very wealthy, and perhaps quite as few among the 
 extremely poor — both situations bringing an atten- 
 dant train of evils tending to lead the soul away 
 from the path of life. In much wealth there is much 
 danger, and though it may become a great blessing, 
 it may be " kept by the owner, to his hurt," and 
 become a curse to. wither the brain, and turn to ice 
 a heart that once may have been the home of love 
 and charity. Agur had seen a crown, " golden in 
 show, yet but a wreath of thorns, bring trouble, 
 care, and sleepless nights." The desires in his 
 prayer came from the heart, and were the result, 
 of his reflections ; with his eye fixed on that safe 
 resting spot midway on the road to fortune, and 
 beyond which one loses the capacity for enjoyment, 
 he asks a moderate amount of temporal good, so 
 that in the gift he may not forget the Giver, and 
 with Pharaoh ask, " "Who is the Lord?" So on the 
 other hand, he would be delivered from the anxie- 
 ties, toils, and temptations incident to a state of 
 extreme poverty, and chooses that middle path from 
 
142 THE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 whicli lie may tlie better lay up his treasures in 
 heaven, and fix his affections there. 
 
 " Give me enough, eaith 'Wiadoin ; 
 For he feareth to ask for more ; 
 Giye me enough, and not less, 
 For want is leagued with the tempter." 
 
 We would have the reader ponder over this prayer, 
 for in this gold-seeking, gold-loving age, it is sel- 
 dom brought to the throne of grace. If God in his 
 providence has given us wealth, may the petition of 
 Agur warn us of danger, and may we become, by 
 the blessing of him who has bestoTyed it, the hon- 
 ored instrument of relieving many who are in that 
 state of poverty from which the teacher of Israel 
 prayed to be delivered. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — ^Proverbs xxx. 
 
 1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy ; 
 the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, 
 
 2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the 
 understanding of a man. 
 
 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the 
 holy. 
 
 4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who 
 hath gathered the wind in his fists ? who hath bound the waters 
 in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the eatth? 
 what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? 
 
 5 Every word of God is pure : he is a sliield unto them that 
 put their trust in him. 
 
 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove tfiee, and 
 thou be found a liar. 
 
SOLOMOX. 143 
 
 7 Two things have I required of thee ; deny me them not 
 before I die : 
 
 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies : give me neither pov- 
 erty nor riches ; feed me with food convenient for me : 
 
 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord ? 
 or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in 
 vain. 
 
 AN ALLEGORICAL PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 "We would call the attention of the believer to the 
 prayer in the first of Solomon's Songs. We would 
 have him remember it is the Holy Spirit speaking 
 by the " wise man." It is full of that love which 
 brought the Son of God to bleed and die for man, 
 and of that love 'which he entertains for his chosen 
 people, towards whom he manifests himself as he 
 doth not unto the world. In the prayer the Church 
 is represented as the spouse of Christ, desiring earn- 
 estly an evidence of God's love, and close fellowship 
 with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ As we 
 advance in the prayer the strain becomes still more 
 ardent, and, as if not satisfied, the Church begs re- 
 peated expressions of God's favor; she would be 
 led as a flock, be guarded from those who would 
 lead her astray, and be continued steadfast in that 
 love which was now more precious than wine. 
 The force and beawty of this allegory can only be 
 
144 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 appreciated by tlie truly spiritual — tliose who are 
 the humble children of God, who have struggled 
 and striven with sin, and whose hearts are the abode 
 of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Solomon's Songs i. 
 
 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth : for thy love 
 is better than wine. 
 
 3 Because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as 
 ointment poured forth, tlierefore do the virgins love thee. 
 
 4 Draw me, we will run after thee : the king hath brought 
 me into his chambers : we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we 
 remember thy love more than wine : the upright love thee. 
 
 5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as 
 the tents of Kedar, the curtains of Solomon. 
 
 6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun 
 hath looked upon me : my mother's children were angry with 
 me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own 
 vineyard have I not kept. 
 
 7 Tell me, O thou, whom my soul loveth, where thou feed- 
 est, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon; for why 
 should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy com- 
 panions ? 
 
 There is a continuation of the same prayer in the 
 fourth chapter of Solomon's Songs, and the Church 
 still keeps up her imploring song for God's love and 
 favor: — 
 
 16 Awake, O north wind ; and come, thou south: blow upon 
 my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my be- 
 loved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. 
 
ISAIAH. 145 
 
 ISAIAH'S THANKSGIVING. 
 
 We miglit almost call Isaiah's thanksgiving a 
 song of praise; it is closely connected with the 
 prophecy in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, and 
 predicts that the converted nation of Israel, reflect- 
 ing on their sufferings, the expression of God's 
 anger for their rejection of the Messiah, "vvill, when 
 this wrath is taken from them, break out in the 
 strains of the prophet. The deliverance of Israel 
 was a shadow of the deliverance of the Church from 
 the galling yoke of Satan. The effects of the Holy 
 Spirit are often beautifully shadowed forth by the 
 emblem of clear and springing water, purifying and 
 fertilizing whatever it flows upon; so the Spirit, 
 when he enters the heart, changes its vile nature, 
 washes away its stains of guilt and sin. Thig figure 
 alludes to a custom among the Jews. On the last 
 day of their feast of tabernacles, water was brought 
 from the fountain of Siloah, at the side of Mount 
 Zion, and after being mixed with wine, was poured 
 upon the sacrifice as it lay upon the altar. Ho, 
 every one that thirsteth, come draw from the foun- 
 tain of living water ; come with faith and prayer, 
 and our souls will be satisfied, and one and all 
 make this the song of our thanksgiving, till we rest 
 on the bank of that river which flows by the throne 
 of the Eternal. 
 
146 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE, 
 
 - * 
 
 IsaiaKs Song of Thanksgiving, as recorded. — Isaiah xii. 
 
 1 And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: 
 though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, 
 and thou oomfortedst me. 
 
 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be 
 afraid : for the Loed JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; 
 he also is become my salvation. 
 
 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of 
 salvation. 
 
 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Loed, call upon 
 his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention 
 that his name is exalted. 
 
 6 Sing unto the Loed; for he hath done excellent things: 
 this is known in all the earth. 
 
 6 Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion: for^reatis 
 the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. 
 
 ISAIAH'S AOKNOWLEDGMEIfT OF GOD'S ME.ROY. 
 
 In his most lofty and poetic strains the prophet 
 extols the Divine perfection, and praises <3od in 
 prospect of the accomplishment of the prophecies he 
 had just delivered. Isaiah had himself witnessed 
 the fulfillment of many prophecies. Egypt in all 
 her strength and beauty had been laid waste that 
 Israel might be delivered 5 the cities of Canaan had 
 been destroyed that the Israelites might possess their 
 inheritance; Babylon the Great and Tyre, with 
 their splendid palaces and ghttering domes, would 
 
ISAIAH. 147 
 
 be desolated, -while Jerusalem the "holy city," 
 would become a "palace of strangers." These and 
 all other changes relating to the ruin of all anti- 
 Christian opposers of the gospel, were the burden 
 of the prophet's thought. God has always protect- 
 ed his Church, and guarded well her bulwarks ; 
 though at times her numbers have been small, the 
 prophet has predicted that all nations shall be gath- 
 ered unto her. By the term " strangers," is meant 
 heathen, and, as St. Paul calls them, "aliens to the 
 commonwealth of Israel." In the sixth, seventh, and 
 eighth verses, there is a prophecy of the sufferings 
 of our Savior, and the glory which should follow, 
 from the time of his coming on earth till the heav- 
 ens shall be rolled away as a scroll and time be no 
 longer. In the last verses there is an allusion to 
 the joy of heaven, the home of the redeemed. How 
 wonderfully in these latter days is God removing 
 " the veil that is spread over all nations," as the 
 prophet so poetically expresses it, and the banner 
 of Jehovah has not only been raised in the islands 
 of the sea, but God is fast fulfilling the predictions 
 of this inspired prophet, and making to himself a 
 " feast of fat things of wine on the lees well refined." 
 
 IsaiaKs Achnowledgment, &c., as recorded. — Isaiah xxv. 
 
 1 O Lord, thou art my God ; I will exalt thee, I will praise 
 thy name ; for thou hast done wonderful things ; thy counsels 
 of old are faithfulness and truth. 
 
 2 For thou hast made of a city a heap ; of a defenced city a 
 
148 THE PBAYEES OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be 
 built. 
 
 3 Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of 
 the terrible nations shall fear thee. 
 
 4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the 
 needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from 
 the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against 
 the wall. 
 
 5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat 
 in a dry place ; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud : the 
 branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. 
 
 6 And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto 
 all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of 
 fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 
 
 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the cover- 
 ing cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all na- 
 tions. 
 
 8 He will swallow up death in victory: and the Lord God 
 will wipe away tears from off all faces; "and the rebuke of his 
 people shall he take away from off all the earth : for the Lokd 
 hath spoken it. 
 
 ISAIAH'S TRUST IN GOD AND PRAYER FOR THE 
 CHURCH. 
 
 Many and often were the propliet's prayers offer- 
 ed at the throne of the Eternal, the silent night 
 watches and early morning hour found him engaged 
 in this high communing, and it is no wonder his 
 heart was the abode of that peace the world knows 
 not of, or that the trust and confidence he expresses 
 
ISAIAH. 149 
 
 should in so large a measure be enjoyed by bim. 
 The prayer following is full of that victory God 
 gives to his people over their foes. The day spoken 
 of in the iirst verse refers to that point in the future 
 when the New Testament Babylon shall be destroy- 
 ed; then shall the Church break forth with this 
 prayer or thanksgiving. The ruin of Kome will 
 prepare the way for the establishment of the church 
 of God. "The foot of the poor and needy" God 
 will make a powerful instrument in carrying out his 
 mighty plans. The "righteous nation," instead of 
 being confined to Judea will be finally extended to 
 all the ends of the earth. In Israel, the very land 
 of righteousfiess, were many hardened and impeni- 
 tent ; this seems to cause great grief in the prophet's 
 heart, and he bewails bitterly their blindness. 
 
 Prayer of the Church as recwded.— Isaiah xxvi. 
 
 1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah ; 
 We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and 
 bulwarks. 
 
 2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth 
 the truth may enter in. 
 
 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed 
 on thee : because he trusteth in thee. 
 
 4 Trust ye in the Loeb for ever : for in the Loed JEHOVAH 
 is everlasting strength : 
 
 5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high ; the lofty 
 city, he layeth it low ; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he 
 bringeth it even to the dust 
 
150 THE PEATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and 
 the steps of the needy, 
 
 7 The way of the just is uprightness; thou, most upright, 
 dost weigh the path of the just. 
 
 8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we wait- 
 ed for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the 
 remembrance of thee. 
 
 9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with 
 my spirit within me will I seek thee early : for when thy judg- 
 ments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn 
 righteousness. 
 
 10 Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn 
 righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, 
 and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. 
 
 H Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but 
 they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people ; 
 yea the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. 
 
 12 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast 
 wrought all our works in us. 
 
 13 O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had do- 
 minion over us : but by thee only will we make mention of thy 
 name. 
 
 14 They are dead, they shall not live ; they are deceased, 
 they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed 
 them, and made all their memory to perish. 
 
 15 Thou hast increased the nation O Lord, thou hast in- 
 creased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it 
 far unto all the ends of the earth. 
 
 16 Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a 
 prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 
 
 17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of 
 her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we 
 been in thy sight, O Lord. 
 
ISAIAH. 151 
 
 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have 
 as it were brought forth wind ; we have not wrought any de- 
 liverance in the earth ; neither have the inhabitants of the world 
 fallen. 
 
 19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body 
 shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for 
 thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the 
 dead. 
 
 PEAYER OF THE CHURCH FOR DELIVERANCE FROM 
 
 HER ENEMIES. 
 
 In the first part of the chapter of which this 
 prayer forms a part, are many assurances of help 
 and protection; and the Church, encouraged by 
 these, offers her petition. By the " arm of the Lord," 
 is meant his power, and by " the ancient days," the 
 former generations of Israel. As the Jews of old 
 returned from Babylon to Zion with songs of joy, so 
 that nation will be delivered and restored to the 
 promised land. The Church reposes in confidence 
 in God's promises ; from every land the voice of 
 prayer for her prosperity enters the ear of the Al- 
 mighty. "The Lord's portion is his people; Jacob 
 is the lot of his inheritance ; he found him in a desert 
 land, h-e led him about, he instructed him, he kept 
 him as the apple of his eye." For the safety of his 
 chosen people, and for their deliverance from oppres- 
 sion, God has overthrown nations and destroyed 
 
152 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 kings. There is a light in every page of history 
 to the spiritual vision of the child of God ; he reads 
 in its records the annals of Infinite Wisdom and 
 Mercy as blended and developed in the great work 
 of human redemption. Let not the children of God 
 faint and grow weary, for " the pillar of cloud and 
 of fire," guards them as safely as it did of old ; " the 
 vine brought out of Egypt " can never be uprooted, 
 for the " Christian Church is the favorite child of an 
 ever-watchful Providence." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Isaiah li. 
 
 9 A.wake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Loed ; awake, 
 as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not 
 it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? 
 
 10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the 
 great deep ; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the 
 ransomed to pass over 1 
 
 1 1 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and 
 come with singing unto Zion ; and everlasting joy shall be upon 
 their head : they shall obtain gladness and joy ; and sorrow and 
 mourning shall flee away. 
 
 ISRAEL'S PRAYER IN RETURNING TO GOD, AND IfQE 
 THE UNCONVERTED REMNANT OF THE PEOPLE. 
 
 In the following prayer the jDrophet has given us 
 the wo~rds that penitent Israel shall use in returning 
 to the Lord, The prayer is preceded by a thankful 
 
ISAIAH. 153 
 
 commemoration of Grod's former mercies, and an 
 earnest inquiring whetlier tkey are forgotten by 
 the Most Higlr; thougli all should disown them, 
 yet they earnestly beseech him to remember them, 
 acknowledging humbly there is help in no other. 
 There is a beautiful allusion to the frailty of human 
 hopes, represented by the figure of the fading leaf, 
 so also an expression of the willingness of God's 
 chosen people to be entirely submissive, even as the 
 clay in the hands of the potter. The " beautiful 
 house" alluded to was the temple of Jerusalem, 
 now desolated. But this prayer of Israel will be 
 heard ; she hath not been cast off forever, nor is she 
 to be always trodden down by the Grentiles. In the 
 beautiful imagery of this prophet, a voice will say 
 to the oppressed and fallen ones, " Arise shine, for 
 thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is arisen 
 upon thee." We know not the precise instrumen- 
 tality Grod will employ to call these wanderers from 
 every island and shore on which they are scattered, 
 but we believe that the north shall give up and 
 the south keep not back, and the sons and daugh- 
 ters of Israel shall be gathered from far, for the 
 voice of the Almighty has spoken it. God will hear 
 the prayer of penitent Israel, and of his chosen 
 children, for her welfare and restoration. The re- 
 ligion of Jesus, so long despised, will yet become 
 theirs, and every hill-top and valley of Judea shall 
 echo the song, "Glory to God in the highest; 
 
154 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 peace on earth, and good will to men." "We are 
 taught by the prophet in this prayer to put no trust 
 whatever in our own merits, that our supplications 
 must be earnest, that God may be approached as a 
 Father, and that all who, come in this way will pre- 
 vail; and though God chooses his own time, and 
 his people are sorely afflicted, yet all who trust in 
 his mercy shall be accepted, and inherit, in the lan- 
 guage of this prayer, the joy that no eye but God 
 hath seen. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Isaiah Ixiii & Ixir. 
 
 15 Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation 
 of thy holiness and of thy glory : where is thy zeal and thy 
 strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward 
 me ? are they restrained ? 
 
 16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be igno- 
 rant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not : thou, O Lord, art 
 our father, our redeemer ; thy name is from everlasting. 
 
 17 O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, 
 and hardened our heart from thy fear ? Return for thy servants' 
 sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 
 
 18 The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little 
 while : our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. 
 
 19 We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they 
 were not called by thy name. 
 
 Isaiah Ixiv. 
 
 1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou would- 
 est come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy 
 presence. 
 
 2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters 
 
ISAIAH. 155 
 
 to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the 
 nations may tremble at thy presence ! 
 
 3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, 
 thou earnest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. 
 
 4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, 
 nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, be- 
 side thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. 
 
 6 Thou meetest him that rejoicJeth and worketh righteous- 
 ness, those that remember thee in thy ways : behold, thou art 
 wroth ; for we have sinned : in those is continuance, and we 
 shall be saved. 
 
 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous- 
 nesses are as filthy rags ; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our 
 iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 
 
 7 And there is none that galleth upon thy name, that stirreth 
 up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from 
 us, and hasi consumed us, because of our iniquities. 
 
 8 But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, 
 and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 
 
 9 Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity 
 for ever : behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 
 
 10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, 
 Jerusalem a desolation. 
 
 11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers 
 praised thee, is burned up with fire : and all our pleasant things 
 are laid waste. 
 
 12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord? wilt 
 thou hold thy peace and afflict us very sore ? 
 
 The hordes Answer. — Isaiah Ixv & Ixvi. 
 
 1 I am sought of them that asked not for me ; I am found of 
 them that sought me not : I said. Behold me, behold me, unto 
 a nation that was not called by name. 
 
156 THE PEAYEES OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 2 I have spread out, my hands all the day unto a rebellious 
 people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their 
 own thoughts ; 
 
 3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my 
 face ; thatsaorificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars 
 of brick ; 
 
 4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monu- 
 ments, which eat swine's fleslj, and broth of abominable things 
 is in their vessels; 
 
 5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I 
 am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that 
 burneth all the day. 
 
 6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, 
 but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, 
 
 7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, 
 saith the Lokd, which have burned incense upon the mountains, 
 and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore wilH measure 
 their former work into their bosom. 
 
 8 Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the 
 cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so 
 will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all. 
 
 9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of 
 Judah an inheritor of my mountains : and mine elect shall in- 
 herit it, and my servants shall dwell there. 
 
 10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of 
 Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that 
 have sought me. 
 
 11 But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my 
 holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that fur- 
 ish the drink offering unto that number. 
 
 12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall 
 all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did 
 not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before 
 mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. 
 
ISAIAH. 157 
 
 13 Therefore thus saitli the Lord God, Bahold, my serviints 
 shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall 
 drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, 
 
 •but ye shall be ashamed : 
 
 14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye 
 shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of 
 spirit. 
 
 15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen : 
 for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by an- 
 other name : 
 
 16 That he who blesscth himself in the earth shall bless him- 
 self in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall 
 swear by the God of truth ; because tlio former troubles are for- 
 gotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. 
 
 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth : and 
 the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. , 
 
 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create : 
 for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a 
 
 joy. 
 
 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: 
 and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor 
 the voice of crying. 
 
 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an 
 old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die a 
 hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old 
 shall be accursed. 
 
 21 And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and thoy 
 shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 
 
 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not" 
 plant and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of 
 my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their 
 hands, 
 
 23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; 
 
 8 
 
158 THE FEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their otf- 
 spring with them. 
 
 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will 
 answer ; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 
 
 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the Kon 
 shall eat straw Kke the bullock : .ind dnst shall be the serpent's 
 meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy moun- 
 tain, saith the Lokd. 
 
 Isaiah Ixvi. 
 
 1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the 
 earth is my footstool : where is the house that ye build unto 
 me 1 and where is the place of my rest l 
 
 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those 
 things have been, saith the Lord : but to this man will I look, 
 even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth 
 at my word. 
 
 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man ; he that sacri- 
 ficeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck ; he that offereth an 
 oblation, as if he offered swine's blood ; he that burneth incense, 
 as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, - 
 and their soul delighteth in their abominations. 
 
 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears 
 upon them ; because when I called none did answer ; when 1 
 spake, they did not hear : but they did evil before mine eyes, 
 and chose that in which I delighted not. 
 
 5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; 
 Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's 
 sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to 
 your joy, and they shall be ashamed. 
 
 6 A vofce of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a 
 voice of the Lord that rendereth recompense to his enemies. 
 
 7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain 
 came she was delivered of a man child. 
 
ISAIAH. 159 
 
 8 Who hath heard such a thing ? who hath seen such things 1 
 Shall the earth he made to bring forth in one day ? or shall a 
 nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed she 
 brought forth her children. 
 
 9 Shall- 1 bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? 
 saith the 'Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the 
 womb ? saith thy God ? 
 
 10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye 
 that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for 
 her: 
 
 1 1 That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her 
 consolations ; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the 
 abundance of her glory. 
 
 12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to 
 her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing 
 stream : then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, 
 and be dandled upon her knees. 
 
 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort 
 you ; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 
 
 14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your 
 bones shall flourish like an herb : and the hand of the Lord 
 shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward 
 his enemies. 
 
 15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his 
 chariots lilie a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his 
 rebuke with flames of fire. 
 
 16 For by fire and by hissword will the Lord plead with all 
 flesh : and the slain of the Lord shall be many. 
 
 17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in 
 the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, 
 and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, 
 saith the Lord. 
 
 18 For t know their works and their thoughts : it shall come 
 
160 THE PRAYERS Of THE BIBLE. 
 
 that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, 
 and see my glory. 
 
 19 And I will set a sign' among them, and I will send those 
 that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish,Pul, andLud, 
 that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, 
 that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and 
 they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 
 
 20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto 
 the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots and in 
 litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy 
 mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel 
 bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 
 
 21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, 
 saith the Lord. 
 
 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will 
 make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your 
 seed and your name remain. 
 
 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to an- 
 other, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to 
 worship before me, said the Lord. 
 
 24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of 
 the men that have transgressed against me : for their worm 
 shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they 
 shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. 
 
 PRATER OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 
 
 Jeremiali was one of the chief of the Hebrew 
 prophets, the son of Hilkiah, and of the sacerdotal 
 race. When he was called to prophecy by the Lord, 
 
JEREMIAH. 161 
 
 Jerusalem was in a distressed condition, and being 
 very young, he seems afraid to undertake the great 
 work before him — a feeling clearly expressed by his 
 prayer. But he was the "chosen of the Lord," and 
 through the long period of forty-two years, was a 
 faithful and devoted servant — in the midst of severe 
 persecution faithful in prayer and in denouncing 
 Grod's judgments upon his guilty nation and the 
 devoted city of Jerusalem. It is the opinion of 
 many Bible students that he finally died a martyr 
 to the cause to which his life had been devoted. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Jeremiah i. 
 
 4 Then t|ie word of the Loeb came unto me, saying, 
 
 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee ; and before 
 thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I 
 ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 
 
 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God ! behold, I cannot speak : for I 
 am a child. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Jeremiah i. 
 
 7 But the LoED said unto me, Say not, I am a child; forthoa 
 shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I com- 
 mand thee thou shalt speak. 
 
 8 Be not afraid of their faces ; for 1 am with thee to deliver 
 thee, saith the Lord. 
 
 9 Then the LoEDput forth his hand, aud touched my mouth. 
 And the Loed said unto me. Behold, I have put my vp'ords in 
 thy mouth. 
 
 10 See, I have this day set thee Over the nations and over 
 the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, and to destroy, and 
 to throw down, to build, and to plant. 
 
162 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 A VOICE OF WEEPING- AND SUPPLICATION FROM 
 ISRAEL. 
 
 The prophet in most touclimg and tender strains, 
 represents Israel as weeping over their sad condi- 
 tion, confessing that they are suffering the conse- 
 quences of gross sin and departure from God, ac- 
 knowledging that from their youth, up they have 
 disobeyed the voice of the Almighty. In carefully 
 reflecting on the beautiful language of the prophet, 
 we find it teaching a lesson of deep significance to 
 every heart. We cannot be truly penitent without 
 being conscious of our depravity, and of the iniquity 
 of even our most holy things, and while Grod invites 
 us to come to his mercy-seat with all this guilt upon 
 us, and thus glorifies the abundance of his own 
 grace, he requires the knowledge and humble con- 
 fession of our sin. In this frame of mind the great- 
 est transgressor has nothing to fear. God offers 
 everything to the penitent and nothing to the pre- 
 sumptuous. There are tears mingled in this peti- 
 tion; for the prophet tells us it was a "voice of 
 weeping and supplication." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Jeremiali iii. 
 
 21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and 
 supplications of the children of Israel : for they have perverted 
 their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God. 
 
 22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your back 
 
J'EREMIAH. 1()3 
 
 .slidings. Behold, we come unto thee ; for thou art the Lokd 
 our God. 
 
 23 Truly in vain ia salvation hoped for from the hills, and 
 from the multitude of mountains ; truly in the Lohd our God is 
 the salvation of Israel. 
 
 24 For shame hath devoured the labor of our fathers from 
 our youth ; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their 
 daughters. 
 
 26 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion eovereth 
 us ; for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our 
 fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obey- 
 ed the voice of the Lord our God. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Jer«miali w. 
 
 1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto 
 me : and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my 
 eight, then shalt thou not remove. 
 
 2 And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judg- 
 mont, and in righteousness ; and the nations shall bless them- 
 selves in him, and in him shall they glory. 
 
 JEEEMIAH PBAYETH AND TEACHETH HIS PEOPLE 
 HOW" TO VIEW" CALAMITY. 
 
 Eebellious "under trial, and disinclined, tlie people 
 are invited by tlie prophet to God's throne in prayer, 
 to the only source of strength and power. They 
 had indeed great need of support, for grievous were 
 their present troubles. The haughty Nebuchadnez- 
 zar hearing of Zedekiah's rebellion, came with all 
 
164 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 his power against Jerusalem, and his forces were too 
 strong to be resisted. The Egyptians on whom the 
 Jews had relied for help failed to assist them; the 
 Chaldeans were marching directly to Judea; this 
 explains the phrase, " the noise of the bruit." The 
 prophet prays that God would remember them in 
 love. The phrase " They have eaten up Jacob," re- 
 fers to the idolatrous natior^ who had oppressed 
 Jacob his people. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Jeremiah, x. 
 
 23 O LoKD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: 
 it is not in man that wallieth to direct his steps. 
 
 24 O LoHD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine 
 anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 
 
 25 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, PERPLEXED ON ACCOUNT OF CONSPIRACY, 
 PRAYS. 
 
 The prophet's heart is troubled on account of the 
 prosperity of the wicked about him, and the success 
 of their conspiracies. Anathoth was a city of the 
 tribe of Benjamin, near Jerusalem, and it was from 
 the men of this place the prophet feared much, and 
 in his own judgment supposed if the Lord would 
 
JEREMIAH. 165 
 
 but pour out his fury on them, tlie ruin of his nation 
 might be prevented. This is the theme of the 
 prophet's prayer. He knows the Lord is righteous 
 in all his dealings, but he would "talk with the 
 Lord," to use his own language, " of his judgments." 
 He exercises a degree of impatience which in the 
 Lord's answer is gently reproved. We are taught 
 by this prayer that God's ways are not our ways, 
 and that although his dealings with us are often 
 mysterious, He, the All- wise, is making our path 
 for us ; guiding every event for our good, and will 
 eventually deliver us from all trials. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Jeremiah xii. 
 
 1 Righteous art.thou, O Lokd, when I plead with thee : yet 
 let me talk with thee of thy judgments : Wherefore doth the 
 way of the wicked prosper ? wherefore are all they happy that 
 deal very treacherously ? 
 
 2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root : they 
 grow, yea, they bring forth fruit : thou art near in their mouth, 
 and far from their reins. 
 
 3 But thou, O Lokd, knowest me : thou hast seen me, and 
 tried mine heart toward thee : pull them out like sheep for the 
 slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. 
 
 4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every 
 field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein ? the 
 beasts are consumed, and the bh'ds ; because they said. He 
 shall not see our last end. 
 
 The Lord''s Ansioer. — Jeremiah xii. 
 
 5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied 
 thee, then how canst thou contend with horses 1 and if in 
 
166 THE PBATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 the land of peace wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, 
 then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? 
 
 6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even 
 they have dealt treacherously with thee ; yea, they have called 
 a multitude after thee : believe them not, though they speak 
 fair words unto thee. 
 
 JEREMIAH INTERCEDES FOR HIS PEOPLE IN TIME OP 
 FAMINE. 
 
 The land of Judali . was mourning, her hills and 
 valleys -were parched, and her people suifering from 
 the effects of famine. The highest in the land as 
 well as the poorest were alike panting for water, 
 and the children of the nobles returned from the 
 dry fountains with their pitchers empty. The 
 animal creation too joined in the universal cry of 
 distress and sorrow, and a wail was heard through 
 all the land; the prophet pleads with God with 
 more zeal than knowledge, as the Lord's answer 
 leads us to infer ; he would have him show to the 
 Gentiles he was ready to save, that the honor of his 
 name — his goodness— laid him, as it were, under 
 obligations to succor his people. But the Lord says, 
 in reply to the prophet, he will punish them for 
 their sins, as they do not forsake them through love 
 or fear to him ; the prayer is not accepted. Here 
 again is the Christian reader taught a useful lesson, 
 that he must forsake his sins and love God, would 
 
JEREMIAH. 167 
 
 he have his prayers answered ; if there is secret sin 
 cherished, in vain will he call upon Him, Such 
 petitions are an " abomination." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded, — Jeremiah xiv. 
 
 7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it 
 for thy name's sake : for our baclcslidings are many ; we have 
 sinned against thee. 
 
 8 O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, 
 why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a way- 
 faring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? 
 
 9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man 
 that cannot save ? yet thou, O Losd, art in the midst of us, and 
 we are called by thy name ; leave us not. 
 
 The Lordh Answer. — Jeremiah xiv. 
 
 10 Thus saith the Lord unto this people. Thus have they 
 loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore 
 the Lord doth not accept them; he will now remember their 
 iniquity and visit their sins. 
 
 1 1 Then said the Lord unto me. Pray not fox this people for 
 their good. 
 
 12 When they fast I will not hear their cry; and when they 
 offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them : but 
 I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine and by 
 the pestilence. 
 
 As if convinced the Lord was right and just in 
 thus dealing with them, the prophet seems at a loss 
 to know what to plead further for his people ; he 
 remembers that false prophets have given them 
 repeated assurances of the favor of God ; but the 
 prophet is met here by the answer of the Lord, in 
 denouncing these prophets as fake. 
 
168 THE PRAYERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 13 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold the prophets say 
 nnto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have 
 famine ; but I will give you assured peace in this place. 
 
 The Lord'' a Answer. 
 
 14 Then the Lord said unto me. The prophets prophecy lies 
 in my name : I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, 
 neither spake unto them : they prophecy unto you a false vision 
 and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their 
 heart. 
 
 15 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets 
 that prophecy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say. 
 Sword and famine shall not be in this land ; by sword and fam- 
 ine shall those prophets be consumed. 
 
 16 And the people to whom they prophecy shall be cast out 
 in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword ; 
 and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor 
 their sons, nor their daughters : for I will pour their wickedness 
 upon them. 
 
 17 Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them ; Let mine 
 eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease : 
 for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great 
 breach, with a very grievous blow. 
 
 The Prophet still pleads earnestly for his people. 
 
 Hath, the Lord cast off Judah ? By this he means 
 the visible church in which the promised Messiah 
 should be raised up. The temple in which he mani- 
 fested his especial presence above the mercy-seat, 
 was- the " throne of his glory," would it not be dis- 
 graced if heathen were allowed to enter and profane 
 it? 
 
JEEEMIAH. 169 
 
 Jeremiah xiv. 
 
 19 Hast thoa utterly rejected Judah ? hath thy soul loathed 
 Zion ? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us ? 
 we looked for peace, and there is no good : and for the time of 
 healing, and hehold trouble ! 
 
 20 We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the in- 
 iquity of our fathers : for we have sinned against thee. 
 
 21 Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the 
 throne of thy glory : remember, break' not thy covenant with us. 
 
 22 Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can 
 cause rain ? or can the heavens give showers ? art not thou he, 
 O Lord our God 1 therefore we will wait upon thee : for thou 
 hast made all these things. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Jeremiah xv. 
 
 1 Then said the Lord unto me. Though Moses and Samuel 
 stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people : 
 east them out of my sight, and let them go forth. 
 
 2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither 
 shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them. Thus saith the 
 Lord ; such as are for death, to death ; and such as are for the 
 sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine to the 
 famine ; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. 
 
 3 And I will appoint over them four kinds, -saith the Lord: 
 the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the 
 heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. 
 
 4 And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of 
 the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of 
 Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. 
 
 5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem ? or who 
 shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou 
 doest ? 
 
 6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord. 
 
170 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 Jeremiah, not yet satisfied with the Lord's Answer, still 
 pleads. 
 
 Jeremiali felt as many a child of God has felt, 
 and there "are but few who cannot sympathize with 
 the prophet as he continues to plead. We think, 
 with the aid about us, we may look into his mind 
 for a moment as he pours out his prayer, and see 
 him reasoning with himself, and wondering, no 
 doubt, at the Lord's answers to him. He feels him- 
 self hated, despised, and rejected by the world — the 
 fearful lot of many of God's chosen, and he cannot 
 yet understand why all these afflictions may not be 
 removed ; he seems to review his own life, to exam- 
 ine his own heart as he prays to the Almighty ; he 
 is not conscious of holding back the truth, but he 
 knows he has proclaimed the whole counsel of God. 
 Is it for any sin he has committed ? In deep grief 
 the prophet pours out his petition and reminds God 
 of his promises. 
 
 The Prayer continued, as recorded. — Jeremiali xv. 
 
 15 O Lord, thou knowest : remember me, and visit me, and 
 revenge me of my persecutors ; take me not away in thy long- 
 suffering : know tliat for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 
 
 16 Thy words were found, and I did «at them ; and thy word 
 was unto me the joy and reg'oicing of mine heart: for lam 
 called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. 
 
 17 1 sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I 
 sat alone because of thy hand : for thou hast filled me witli 
 indignati'on. 
 
JEREMIAH. 171 
 
 18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, 
 which refuseth to be healed ? wilt thou be altogether unto me 
 as a liar, and as waters that fail ? 
 
 The LoroCs Answer. 
 
 19 Therefore, thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will 1 
 bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me : and if thou 
 take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth : 
 let them return unto thee ; but return not thou unto them. 
 
 20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen 
 wall : and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not pre- 
 vail against thee : for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver 
 thee, saith the Lokd. 
 
 21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the vcicked, and 
 I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. 
 
 Jeremiah still prays. 
 
 He pleads for calmness of mind, for peace and 
 composure, and to be saved from tlie power of his 
 enemies, who continued to treat his predictions with 
 contempt. The prophet spake as moved bj God, 
 or rather God spake by the prophet, and those who 
 forsook him forsook the Lord. Would not the 
 memory of such be soon blotted out or become in- 
 famous — their names be "written in the earth," 
 as the prophet expresses it in this prayer? He re- 
 minds the Lord he would not have chosen the path 
 that he had appointed him to walk in, neither had 
 he desired this " woful day." There is much con- 
 fusion in his mind on account of his great troubles, 
 and some apprehension of God's displeasure towards 
 him. 
 
172 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 Jeremiali xvii. 
 
 13 O LoED, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be 
 ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the 
 earth, because they have forsaken the Loed, the fountain of 
 living waters. 
 
 14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed: save me, and I 
 shall be saved : for thou art my praise. 
 
 15 Behold, they say unto me, where is the word of the Lord? 
 let it come now. 
 
 16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to 
 follow thee: neither have I desired the woful day; thou know- 
 est : that which came out of my lips was right before thee. 
 
 17 Be not a terror unto me, thou art my hope in the day of 
 evil. 
 
 18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not 
 me be confounded : let them be dismayed, but let not me be 
 dismayed : bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them 
 with double destruction. 
 
 The LorcPs Answer. 
 
 19 Thus said the Lord unto me; Go and stand in the gate 
 of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come 
 in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jeru- 
 salem ; 
 
 20 And say unto them hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings 
 of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 that enter in by these gates : 
 
 21 Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear 
 no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of 
 Jerusalem ; 
 
 22 Neither carry forth the burden out of your houses on the 
 sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath 
 day, as I commanded your fathers. 
 
JEREMIAH. 173 
 
 24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto 
 me, saith the Loed, to bring in no burden through the gates of 
 this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do 
 no work therein ; 
 
 25 Then shall there enter into this, city the gates of the kings 
 and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in. chariots 
 and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah,and the 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem : and this city shall remain for ever. 
 
 26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from 
 the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and 
 from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, 
 bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and 
 incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the 
 Lord. 
 
 27 But if ye will not hearken uuto me to hallow the sabbath 
 day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of 
 Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the 
 g.ites thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and 
 it shall not be quenched. 
 
 A VOICE OF WEEPING AND SUPPLICATION FROM 
 RACHEL. 
 
 Each el was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, 
 and a large proportion of her descendants now in- 
 habited Israel; the prophet in a figure represents 
 her as rising from her grave, which was in Eamah, 
 or between it and Bethlehem, and weeping over the 
 desolation made among her descendants. The Lord 
 in his answer promises that those who are scattered 
 
174 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 sHall finally return, and that her labor in rearing 
 them shall eventually be rewarded. 
 
 RacheVs Supplication, as recorded. — -Jeremiah xxxi. 
 
 15 A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter 
 weeping ; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be com- 
 forted for her children, because they were not. 
 
 The Iiord^s Answer. 
 
 16 Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, 
 and thine eyes from tears : for thy work shall be rewarded, saith 
 the Lord ; and they shall come again from the land of the ene- 
 my. 
 
 17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy 
 children shall come again to their own border. 
 
 THE BEMOAOTNGS OF EPHRAIM. 
 
 Ephraim represents here the ten tribes of Israel. 
 Eebellious under Grod's chastisements they had been 
 impatient and unsubmissive, but convinced of the 
 depth of their guilt, astonished at their great in- 
 gratitude, and deeply penitent like the prodigal son, 
 they are represented as coming to themselves, or to 
 a knowledge of their position, as one of danger, and 
 seeking God as their portion. In his answer the 
 Lord assures them he has followed them in all their 
 wanderings, waiting to be gracious, and now that 
 they are sensible of their sin and Grod's justice, they 
 
JEREMIAH. 175 
 
 shall surely find merey. Let the unconverted man, 
 as he reads the bemoanings of Ephraim, draw from 
 them the great lesson God has written here for the 
 salvation of his soul. 
 
 The Bemoanings of JEphraim as recorded. — Jeremiah xxxi. 
 
 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus : 
 Thou hast chastised me, and I wa_s chastised, as a buUoclj un- 
 accustomed to the yolie : turn thou me, and I shall be turned ; 
 for thou art the Lokd my God. 
 
 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that 
 I was instructed, 1 smote upon my thigh : I was ashamed, yea, 
 even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 
 
 The Zord's Answer. 
 
 20 Is Ephraim my dear son ? is he a pleasant child ? for since 
 I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still ; there- 
 fore my bowels are troubled for him ; I will surely have mercy 
 upon him, saith the Loed. 
 
 THE PKAYER OF JEREMIAH IN PRISON. 
 
 The prophet had been confined in the court of 
 the prison, that he might not deliver his predictions. 
 Zedekiah and his princes were determined to silence 
 this man of God,' and to hold out to the very last 
 extremity against the superior power of the Chal- 
 deans. In prison the prophet coxild still pray ; no 
 circumstance could shut him away from this privi- 
 
176 THE PEAYEES OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 lege ; thus far had. lie been faithful to his high com- 
 mission. 
 
 " Servant of God, well done ! Well hast thou fought 
 The better fight, who singly hast maintained 
 Against revolted multitudes the cause 
 Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms ; 
 And for the testimony of truth hast borne 
 TTniversal reproach, far worse to bear 
 Than violence ; for this' was all thy care. 
 To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds 
 Judged thee perverse." 
 
 The Lord made known to the prophet that Hana- 
 meel would come to sell him a field which he must 
 buy. All the land was now already in the hands 
 of the Chaldeans, and during the famine the field 
 was offered for the small price of about forty shil- 
 lings; the prophet found it inconvenient to part 
 even with so small a sum, and could not possibly in 
 his own judgment, at present, reap much advantage 
 from the purchase. The Lord was esphcit in direc- 
 tions with regard to the deeds, and ordered them 
 preserved in such a manner that they would not 
 be liable to decay or loss. The prophet in his prayer 
 seems perplexed ; he cannot understand' why the 
 command should clash with the predictions, he had 
 been sent to deliver, and he seems to inquire of the 
 Lord respecting the matter in this prayer. "The 
 mounts " signifies anything that is cast up — a ram- 
 part — and is also used for engines of war laid on a 
 high place to be ready for an attack on a city 
 
JEREMIAH. 177 
 
 The prophet seems to mourn deeply, for he had, 
 no doubt, a secret hope that the " city" -would be 
 spared. Why had the Lord been so particular, about 
 the purchase of this field, so exact about the wit- 
 nesses and deeds, if the land was to be inhabited by 
 his enemies. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Jeremiah xxxii. 
 
 16 Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase 
 unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying, 
 
 17 Ah Lord God ! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the 
 earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is 
 nothing too hard for thee ; * 
 
 18 Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recom- 
 pensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their chil- 
 dren after them : the Great, the Mighty God, the Lokd of hosts, 
 is his name. 
 
 19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work ; for thine eyes are 
 open upon all the ways of the sons of men ; to give every one 
 according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings ; 
 
 20 Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 
 even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men ; and 
 hast made thee a name, as at this day; 
 
 21 And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land 
 of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, 
 and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror : 
 
 22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to 
 their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey ; 
 
 23 And they came in and possessed it ; but they obeyed not 
 thy voice, neither walked in thy law ; they have done nothing of 
 all that thou commandedst them to do : therefore thou hast 
 caused all this evil to come upon them : 
 
178 THE PEATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 24 Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take 
 it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that 
 fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of 
 the pestilence : and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; 
 and, behold, thou seest it. 
 
 25 And thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, Buy thee the 
 field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into 
 hand of the Chaldeans. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Jeremiali xxxii. 
 
 26 Then came the word of the Loed unto Jeremiah, saying, 
 
 27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh : is there any 
 thing too hard for me ? 
 
 28 Therefore thus saith the Loed ; Behold, I will give this 
 city into the hand of the Chalddhns, and into the hand of Nebu- 
 chadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it : 
 
 29 And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come 
 and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose 
 roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink 
 offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. 
 
 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have 
 only done evil before me from their youth : for the children of 
 Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their 
 hands, saith the Loed. 
 
 31 For this city has been to me as a provocation of mine 
 anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto 
 this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 
 
 32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the 
 children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, 
 they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, 
 and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 
 
 33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the 
 face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, 
 yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. 
 
JEEEMIAH. 179 
 
 34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is 
 called by my name, to defile it. 
 
 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the 
 valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their 
 daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech ; which I com- 
 manded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they 
 should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 
 
 36 And now therefore, thus saith the Lokd, the God of Israel, 
 concerning this city, whereof ye say it shall be delivered into 
 the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the fam- 
 ine, and by the pestilence; 
 
 37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I 
 have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great 
 wrath ; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will 
 cause them to dwell safely : 
 
 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God : 
 
 39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they 
 may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their chil- 
 dren after them : 
 
 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that 
 I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will 
 put mjr fear in iheir hearts, that they shall not depart from me. 
 
 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will 
 plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart, and with 
 my whole soul. 
 
 42 For thus saith the Lord ; Like as I have brought all this 
 great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the 
 good that I have promised them. 
 
 43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say. It 
 is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of 
 the Chaldeans. 
 
 44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences 
 and seal them, and take witnesses in the. land of Benjamin, and 
 in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in 
 
180 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 the cities of the mountains, and. in the cities of the valley, and in 
 the cities of the south : for I will cause their captivity to return, 
 saith the Loed. 
 
 The Lord's Second Answer to Jeremiah, in Prison. 
 Jeremiah xxxiii. 
 
 1 Moreover the word of the Lokd came unto Jeremiah the 
 second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the pris- 
 on, saying, 
 
 2 Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that' 
 formed it, to establish it ; the Lord is his name ; 
 
 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great 
 and mighty things, which thou knowest not. 
 
 4 For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the 
 houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of 
 Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the 
 sword ; 
 
 5 They come to fight wtth the Chaldeans, but it is to fill 
 them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine 
 anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid 
 my face from this city. 
 
 6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, 
 and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. 
 
 7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of 
 Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. 
 
 8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby 
 they have sinned against me ; and I will pardon all their iniqui- 
 ties, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have trans- 
 gressed against me. 
 
 9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honor 
 before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good 
 that I do unto them : and they shall fear and tremble for all the 
 goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it. 
 
JEREMIAH. 181 
 
 10 Thus saith the Lord ; again there shall be heard in this 
 place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without 
 beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusa- 
 lem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, 
 and without beast, 
 
 11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of 
 the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them 
 that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts ; for the Lord is good ; 
 for his mercy endureth for ever : and of them that shall biing 
 the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will 
 cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the 
 Lord. 
 
 13 Thus saith the Lord of hosts ; Again in this place, which 
 is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities 
 thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks 
 to lie down. 
 
 13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, 
 and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and 
 in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall 
 the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them , 
 saith the Lord. 
 
 14 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform 
 that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel, 
 and to the house of Judah. 
 
 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch 
 of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute 
 judgment and righteousness in the land. 
 
 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall 
 dwell safely : and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, 
 The Lord our righteousness. 
 
 17 For thus saith the Lord ; David shall never want a man 
 to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel ; 
 
 18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before 
 
 9 
 
182 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to 
 do sacrifice continually. 
 
 19 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, 
 
 20 Thus saith the Lokd ; If ye can break my covenant of the 
 day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not bo 
 day and night in their season; 
 
 21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my 
 servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; 
 and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 
 
 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the 
 sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David 
 my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. 
 
 23 Moreover the word of the Loed came to Jeremiah, saying, 
 
 24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, say- 
 ing. The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even 
 cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they 
 should be no more a nation before them. 
 
 ' 25 Thus saith the Lokd ; If my covenant be not with day 
 and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven 
 and earth ; 
 
 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David 
 my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be 
 rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob : for I will 
 cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them. 
 
 LAMENT OF JEREMIAH. 
 
 After Israel was carried captive and Jerusalem 
 desolated, the prophet mourned, or as has been said, 
 "bewailed this wailing." The whole of this book 
 
JEREMIAH. 183 
 
 of Lamentations might be called a poem, for it is 
 not only Highly poetical in its language, but there 
 is much order as well as rythm in it. There are 
 twenty-two stanzas in each chapter ; each verse in 
 the first two begins with a letter of the Hebrew 
 alphabet in regular order. The affliction, the deso- 
 lation and distress, surrounding the prophet, are 
 represented by such images and language as convey 
 to lis the magnitude and religious importance of the 
 great calamities he weeps over. The Jews have 
 called this book of the prophet, " Kinnoth," or tears. 
 In the annexed prayer Jerusalem, or Zion, is repre- 
 sented as a sorrowful female bereft of her children, 
 deserted, /'sitting solitary," — adversaries surround- 
 ing her — ^but in the midst of trouble acknowledging 
 Grod is just ; her sense of guilt is intolerable to her ; 
 from friends she finds no relief, her appeal is then 
 made to God, who alone can help, and who will 
 deal with his enemies and friends according to his 
 eternal justice. This prayer is peculiarly applicable 
 to the case of every convinced sinner. In this cold 
 world there is little of comfort. Sin, the "fruit 
 of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste brought 
 death into our world and all our wo," has taken 
 deep root in the human heart, has marred the glory 
 and beauty of our moral nature. Tears, floods of 
 tears, should be shed by us, as with the "sorrowing 
 female " of the prophet we weep over the desolation 
 that vice has spread around us. But there is a 
 
184 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 mercy-seat, an ear open to hear our "complaint," 
 and to it we may have access, if we but acknow- 
 ledge with the prophet we have grievously rebel- 
 led ; if we find the earth " a vale of tears," we may 
 call upon a God of love. 
 
 To the mourner he is pointing 
 
 To a home of light above, 
 Where sorrow is forgotten 
 
 And all is joy and love. 
 Hia ready hand will wipe away 
 
 Your penitential tears, 
 Will heal your wounded broken heart, 
 
 And banish all your fears. 
 
 Lament of Jeremiah as recorded. — .Lamentations i. 
 
 18 The Lord is righteous ; for I have rebelled against his 
 commandment : hear, 1 pray you, all people, and behold my 
 sorrow : my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. 
 
 19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests 
 and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought 
 their meat to relieve their souls. 
 
 20 Behold, O Lord ; for I am in distress : my bowels are 
 troubled ; mine heart is turned within me ; for I have grievous, 
 ly rebelled : abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as 
 death. 
 
 21 They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort 
 me : all mine enemies have heard of my trouble ; they are glad 
 that thou hast done it : thou wilt bring the day that thou hast 
 called, and they shall be like unto me. 
 
 22 Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto 
 them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions : for 
 my sighs are many, and my heart is faint. 
 
JEREMIAH. 185 
 
 JEREMIAH ACKNOWLEDGES THE LORD AS HIS 
 PORTION. 
 
 The prophet in this prayer shows us the benefit 
 of affliction, and in the chapter in which it is con- 
 tained seems to consider his own personal sorrow, 
 and sympathizes deeply with others under similar 
 circumstances with himself. We are expressly told 
 by the prophet not only to lift our hands but our 
 hearts to God ; not to come in formality, but after 
 searching our ways, to acknowledge our sin, and 
 that God, who doeth right in afflicting the children 
 of men, will hear such prayer. In the words of the 
 hymn suggested by the prayer of the prophet, we 
 shall find it 
 
 " Sweet to look inward and attend 
 The whispers of his love ; 
 Sweet to look upward to the place 
 Where Jesus pleads above. 
 
 " Sweet in the confidence of faith 
 To trust his firm decrees, 
 Sweet to lie passive in his hand, 
 And know no will but his." 
 
 JeremiaKs Acknowledgment, dx., as recorded. — Lam. iii. 
 
 24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will 1 
 hope in him. 
 
 25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul 
 that seeketh him. 
 
186 THE PKAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait 
 for the salvation of the LoED. 
 
 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 
 
 28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath 
 borne it upon him. 
 
 29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be 
 hope. 
 
 30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him : he is filled 
 full with reproach. 
 
 40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the 
 Lord. 
 
 41 Let U8 lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the 
 heavens. 
 
 42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not 
 pardoned. 
 
 43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us : thou 
 hast slain, thou hast not pitied. 
 
 44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer 
 should not pass through. 
 
 45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the 
 midst of the people. 
 
 46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. 
 
 47 Fear and a snare is come upon lis, desolation and de- 
 struction. 
 
 48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the de- 
 struction of the daughter of my people. 
 
 49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any 
 intermission, 
 
 50 Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven. 
 
 51 Mine eye aflfecteth mine heart because of all the daugh- 
 ters of my city. 
 
 52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause, 
 
 53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone 
 upon me. 
 
EZEKIEL. 187 
 
 6-1 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off. 
 
 55 I called upon thy name, O Lokd, out of the low dungeon. 
 
 56 Thou hast heard my voice : hide not thine ear at my 
 breathing, at my cry. 
 
 57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thoe 
 thou saidst. Fear not. 
 
 58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou 
 hast redeemed my life. 
 
 59 O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou ray cause. 
 
 60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imagina- 
 tions against me. 
 
 61 Thou hast heard tlieir reproach, O Lord, and all their 
 imaginations against me ; 
 
 62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their de- 
 vice against me all the day. 
 
 63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up ; I am their 
 music. 
 
 64 Render unto them a recompense, O Lord, according to 
 tlie work of their hands. 
 
 65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. 
 
 66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heav- 
 ens of the Lord. 
 
 THE INTERCESSION OF EZEKIEL. 
 This prophet seems to have been raised up by 
 God especially, by his predictions and prayers to 
 animate and encoiirage the pious remnant of his 
 people. There is something in his vehement ener- 
 getic style, which strikes us with awe and astonish- 
 ment; we feel it is no common man who prays, but 
 a servant chosen of God, and bearing a high and 
 
188 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 sacred commission. The language of many parts of 
 the book of Ezekiel is very figurative. The scope 
 of his predictions was very similar to Jeremiah's. 
 His writings contain several visions representing the 
 calamities of the Jews, reproofs of their wickedness, 
 God's anger as well his mercy. In the verses in im- 
 mediate connection with the prophet's address to 
 God the Lord is represented as leaving his " mercy- 
 seat" to denounce judgment on the people, to with- 
 draw from his temple at Jerusalem, and give them 
 to the power of their enemies. He then gives an 
 order to "the man clothed with linen" — the second 
 person of the trinity, to set a mark on the forehead 
 of all, that sighed continually, or that protested 
 against sin. This alludes to a custom among eastern 
 nations, whose servants were marked in their fore- 
 heads These the Lord tells the executioners of his 
 vengeance not to spare, but slay without mercy all 
 others. The prophet seeing the great destruction 
 about him intercedes for his people. Left alone as 
 it were in the court of the temple ; the ten tribes 
 had been entirely destroyed or dispersed, a very 
 small remnant of Judah remained, and the prophet's 
 heart seems full of fear lest not one should be left. 
 
 The Intercession of EzeTciel as recorded. — Ezekiel ix. 
 
 8 And it came to pass, while tliey were slaying them, and I 
 was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord 
 God ! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring 
 out of thy fury upon Jerusalem 1 
 
EZEKIEL. 189 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Ezekiel ix. 
 
 9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel 
 and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and 
 the city full of perverseness : for they say, The Lord hath for- 
 saken the earth, and the Lord seeth not. 
 
 10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither 
 will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their 
 head. 
 
 The further Intercession of Esehiel. — Ezekiel xi. 
 
 While the prophet was delivering the message of 
 the Lord to the princes, one of them was cut off at 
 Jerusalem very suddenly by death. The prophet 
 seems to be alarmed. 
 
 Ezekiel xi. 
 
 13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Peletiah the 
 son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried 
 with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God ! wilt thou make a 
 full end of the remnant of Israel? 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Ezekiel xi. 
 
 14 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 
 
 15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of 
 thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto 
 whpm the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from 
 the Lord : unto us is this land given in possession. 
 
 16 Therefore say. Thus saith the Lord God; Although I 
 have cast them far oif among the heathen, and although I have 
 scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a 
 little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 
 
 17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even 
 
190 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the coun- 
 tries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land 
 of Israel. 
 
 18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all 
 the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof 
 from thence. 
 
 19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new 
 spirit within you ; and I will take the stony heart out of their 
 flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 
 
 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordi- 
 nances, and do them : and they shall be my people, and I will 
 be their God. 
 
 EZEKIEL COMPLAINS THAT THE PEOPLE DO NOT 
 UNDERSTAND. 
 
 As God had cliosen this prophet to become the 
 vehicle of the most extraordinary series of prophe- 
 cies concerning his people, he also teaches him to 
 employ figures to illustrate his meaning. Some of 
 which are very peculiar, and to the careless reader 
 no doubt as incomprehensible as they were to some 
 of those to whom the prophet spoke. It will be 
 well here to enumerate some of the most striking 
 figures used by the prophet ; although not immedi- 
 ately connected with this prayei', they may serve to 
 give us a just appreciation of the prophet's meaning. 
 He speaks of a "wheel," or a sphere made of a 
 wheel in the middle of a wheel ; this vision was 
 
EZEKIEL. 191 
 
 emblematic of Providence. Of a "cloud" out of 
 ■which are the likenesses of four living creatures, 
 with attributes denoting wisdom, strength, swiftness, 
 and obedience, they move "straight forward;" these 
 are the ministers of Providence, turning not to the 
 right or left, directed by one mind, for whither "the 
 spirit went they went;" the " wheel " had four faces 
 looking every way, moving every way, and connect- 
 ed with the living creatures — "full of eyes," repre- 
 senting the omniscient and omnipresent God. The 
 "height of the wheels was dreadful." "Such is 
 Grod's providence — a scheme for carrying out pur- 
 poses high as heaven, and lasting as eternity. God 
 is the soul of providence."* In the Lord's answer 
 to this prayer the prophet is told to make his lan- 
 guage plainer, and drop these figures, which word 
 we shall see the prophet obeys. 
 
 JEzekieVs Complaint, &c., as recorded. — EzeMel xx. 
 
 49 Then said I, Ah Lord God ! they say of me, Doth he not 
 speak parables 1 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Ezekiel xxi. 
 
 1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 
 
 2 Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy 
 word toward the holy places, and prophecy against the land of 
 Israel, 
 
 3 And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord ; Be- 
 hold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of 
 
 Read. 
 
192 THE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 his sheatl), and will cut off from thee the righteous and the 
 wicked. 
 
 4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and 
 the wicked, therefore shall ray sword go forth out of his sheath 
 against all flesh from the south to the north : 
 
 5 That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth 
 ruy sword out of his sheath : it shall not return any more. 
 
 6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy 
 loins ; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. 
 
 7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Whei'efore sigh- 
 est thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it 
 cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be 
 feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak 
 as water : behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith 
 the Lord God. 
 
 THE PRATER OF DANIEL AND HIS COMPANIONS THAT 
 THE LORD WOULD INTERPRET NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S 
 DREAM. 
 
 ISTebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken 
 away Daniel and his friends, and in the second year 
 of his reign had the remarkable dream, the subject 
 of Daniel's prayer. The king's heart was troubled, 
 for " a vision of the night had left a weight upon 
 his waking thoughts;" it was from the Lord, and so 
 ordered as to bring Daniel into notice — to make 
 known his glory as Israel's God, and the God of the 
 whole earth. This vision consisted of a description 
 of four monarchies which would continue to the end 
 
DANIEL. 193 
 
 of the world, and one of them till the kingdoms of 
 the world should become the kingdoms of " his son," 
 whose right it is to reign in the armies of heaven 
 and among the children of men. Man's feeble know- 
 ledge could not satisfy the king, the magician's art 
 had failed, and the monarch's heart was restless — 
 his harsh' decree is issued. There is a never failing 
 source of knowledge, Daniel has often been at 
 the mercy-seat; and though, man! in thy own 
 strength frail and erring, in prayer — ■ 
 
 " Tby momentary breath can still the raging waters, 
 Thy hand can touch a lever that may move the world ; 
 O Merciful, we strike eternal covenant with thee.'' 
 
 For man may take for his ally the "King who 
 ruleth kings." Daniel seeks his companions to call ■ 
 with them upon the Almighty. Can we not imagine 
 this prayer-meeting? Are not two or three met 
 here for the purpose of communing with their 
 Maker ? Here we have high authority for perseve- 
 ring in the practice of meeting for social prayer. 
 God has promised to be in the midst of the little 
 company, to reveal to his children knowledge the 
 world knows not of. Daniel, high in power in 
 Nebuchadnezzar's court, surrounded by all the 
 temptations that wealth and royalty could give, was 
 humble-minded and spiritual, prayerful and devoted 
 to the end of life. 
 
194 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Daniel ii. 
 
 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he 
 would give him time, and that he would show the king the in- 
 terpretation. 
 
 17 Tlien Daniel went to his house, and made the thing 
 known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions : 
 
 18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven con- 
 cerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not per- 
 ish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Daniel ii. 
 
 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vis- 
 ion. Tlien Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 
 
 Daniel returns Thanks. — Daniel ii. 
 
 20 Daniel answered and said. Blessed be the name of God 
 for ever and ever : for wisdom and might are hia: 
 
 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth 
 kings, and setteth up kings : he giveth wisdom unto the wise, 
 and knowledge to them that know understanding : 
 
 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth 
 what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 
 
 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, 
 who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known 
 unto me now what we desired of thee : for thou hast now made 
 known unto us the king's matter. 
 
DANIEL. 195 
 
 NEBUCHADEZZAR CONVICTED BLESSES GOD. 
 
 In the prayers of this monarch we have a striking 
 instance of the. difference of conviction and con- 
 version. In this petition we see the king's heart 
 touched with the power of truth. He had beheld 
 the firm faith, "that vital principle," making his 
 servants, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, calm 
 under the most trying circumstances, serving a God 
 of power and might, who had delivered them un- 
 harmed from the devouring flame. Captives, and 
 far from the land of God and his ordinances, in the 
 hands of a proud monarch, these three children of 
 God had dared to be "singular;" they obeyed the 
 Lord of heaven and earth rather than man, they felt 
 not their bonds, their spirits knew no yoke, and 
 fearless they stood before the king. 
 
 " He is a freeman ■whom the truth makes free, 
 And all are slaves beside." 
 
 They felt this, and " strong in trust, endured the 
 fire." Terrified as well as astonished at the miracle 
 he witnessed, the king is convinced there is a power 
 stronger than his own, a will mightier than man's, 
 and for a time retains these impressions. His prayer 
 is impulsive ; there is no humbling of that proud 
 heart, no change in it ; there is an acknowledgment 
 of God's power, but there is yet no passing from 
 
196 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 death unto life — no confession of sin. God has trials 
 sore and deep before that proud will becomes sub- 
 dued. 
 
 N'ebuchadnessar's Prayer. — Daniel iii. 
 
 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God 
 of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his an- 
 gel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have 
 changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they 
 might not serve nor vs-orship any god, except their own God. 
 
 29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, 
 and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of 
 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and 
 their houses shall be made a dunghill : because there is no other 
 God that can deliver after this sort. 
 
 THE THANKSGIVING OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR. 
 
 One short year has rolled away, and with its 
 hurried flight had borne the convictions of the mon- 
 arch's heart. We behold him as he paces his lofty 
 terrace overlooking the splendid city, and we hear 
 from Holy Writ his musings as he contemplates the 
 splendor and magnificence around him : "Is not this 
 great Babylon that I have built?" — ^these palaces 
 with all their beauty, are they not mine? How 
 great is my power ! and am I not a king ? In the 
 few fleeting months that have passed he has forgot- 
 ten the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 
 
DANIEL, 197 
 
 " the Lord of lords and King of kings." Self is ex- 
 alted, self is the object of his homage. Daniel has 
 been to him a faithful friend, but the wise counsels 
 of " the prophet of God " have been disregarded by 
 the king. God had listened to Daniel's prayers, had 
 met him at the mercy-seat, and in his own way 
 would yet humble the proud heart of Nebuchad- 
 nezzar. Deep and bitter were his trials, but they 
 brought him to his God. They gave him a know- 
 ledge that opened his eyes to see his own strength 
 weakness ; his pride was humbled, and a spirit of 
 deep humility pervades his thanksgiving. 
 
 DanieVs Thanksgiving. — Daniel iv. 
 
 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of 
 the kingdom of Babylon. 
 
 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that 
 I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my 
 power, and for the honor of my majesty ? 
 
 31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice 
 from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is 
 spoken. The kingdom is departed from thee. 
 
 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling 
 shall be with the beasts of the field : they shall make thee to 
 eat grass as oxen, and seven limes shall pass over thee, until 
 thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, 
 and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 
 
 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchad- 
 nezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, 
 and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were 
 grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. 
 
 34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up 
 
198 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto 
 me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored 
 him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting 
 dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation : 
 
 35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: 
 and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and 
 among the inhabitants of the earth ; and none can stay his hand, 
 or say unto him, What doest thou ? 
 
 36 At the same time my reason returned unto me ; and for 
 the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned 
 unto me; and my counselors and my lords sought unto me ; 
 and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was 
 added unto me. 
 
 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the 
 King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judg- 
 ment ; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF DANIEL FOR THE RESTORATION OF 
 JERUSALEM. 
 
 It is 'said of Daniel that three times a day he 
 entered his closet to commune with God ; though 
 surrounded with cares and anxieties, as chief presi- 
 dent of the kingdom, he sought relief from them all 
 where only relief could come, he sought that wis- 
 dom which stamped his career as a man of God and 
 a ruler. In the chapter preceding this particular 
 prayer, we are told of these stated devotions, and 
 also that upon his knees, with his windows open 
 toward Jerusalem, he sought God's favor. With 
 
DANIEL. 199 
 
 every token of sorrow, humiliation, and love, Daniel 
 has come to pray at this time for God's promised 
 mercy to his afflicted people. There is deep confes- 
 sion of his own sin and the sin of his people, that 
 the punishment is justly deserved, but that even the 
 most guilty might hope in God ; he alludes to the 
 fact, that many, very many of the Jews had failed 
 to call upon the Most High, or sought to be turned 
 from their iniquities, but his desire that God would 
 restore his temple, and cause his face to shine upon 
 his sanctuary, was earnest and heartfelt. While he 
 pleads with God his prayer is answered, for we are 
 told that a " holy visitant," one sent from God, but 
 in the form of a man, comes to instruct Daniel con- 
 cerning the Lord's designs, with regard to the sub- 
 ject of his prayer. He has repeated assurances of 
 the Lord's favor and is called by the angel the "be- 
 loved." In the angel's answer to Daniel we have 
 one of the most striking and undeniable prophecies 
 of the coming and salvation of Christ which is con- 
 tained in the Old Testament ; this is one of the rea- 
 sons why the Jews refused to recognize Daniel as a 
 true prophet — the " seventy weeks " are four hun- 
 dred and ninety years ; and to this day the rabbini- 
 cal teachers withhold it from their people. 
 
 • 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Daniel ix. 
 
 3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer 
 and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes : 
 - 4 And I prayed unto the Lokd my God, and made my confes- 
 
200 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 sion, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the 
 covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that 
 keep his commandments ; 
 
 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have 
 done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy 
 precepts and from thy judgments : 
 
 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, 
 which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fa- 
 thers, and to all the people of the land. 
 
 7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us 
 confusion effaces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to 
 the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, 
 and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast 
 driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed 
 against thee. 
 
 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to 
 our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against 
 thee. 
 
 9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, 
 though we have rebelled afrainst him ; 
 
 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, 
 to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the 
 prophets. 
 
 1 1 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by depart- 
 ing, that they might not obey thy voice ; therefore the curse is 
 poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the Iftw of 
 Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against 
 hini. 
 
 12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against 
 ua, and gainst our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us 
 a great evil : for under the whole heaven hath not been done as 
 hath been done upon Jerusalem. 
 
 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come 
 upon us : yet made we not our prayer before the Loed our 
 
DANIEL. 201 
 
 God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy 
 truth. 
 
 14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and 
 brought it iipon us : for the Lord our God is righteous in all 
 his works which he doeth : for we obeyed not his voice. 
 
 15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people 
 forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast 
 gotten thee renown, as at this day ; we have sinned, we have 
 done wickedly. 
 
 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, 
 let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jeru- 
 salem, thy holy mountain : because for our sins, and for the 
 iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become 
 a reproach to. all that are about us. 
 
 17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy ser- 
 vant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon 
 thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. 
 
 18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, 
 and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy 
 name : for we do not present our supplications before thee for 
 our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 
 
 19 O Lord, hear ; O Lord, forgive ; O Lord, hearken aiid do; 
 defer not, for thine own sake, O my God : for thy city and thy 
 people are called by thy name. 
 
 The Answer. — Daniel ix. 
 
 20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing 
 my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my sup- 
 plication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my 
 God; 
 
 21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Ga- 
 briel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being 
 
202 THE PRAYERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening 
 oblation. 
 
 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O 
 Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understand- 
 ing. 
 
 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment 
 came forth, and I am come to show thee ; for thou art greatly 
 beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the 
 vision. 
 
 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon 
 thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end 
 of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in 
 everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and pro- 
 phecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 
 
 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth 
 of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto 
 the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threeseoro 
 and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, 
 even in troublous times. 
 
 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut 
 off, but not for himself : and the people of the prince that shall 
 come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end 
 thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war deso- 
 lations are determined. 
 
 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one 
 week : and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice 
 and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomi- 
 nations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, 
 and that determined sliall be poured upon the desolate. 
 
JOEL. 203 
 
 THE PROPHET JOEL'S PRATER IN TIME OF FAMINE. 
 
 lu most beautiful and pathetic strains this prophet 
 represents all nature joining in a universal lament, 
 even the beast of the field, the "lowing herd," and 
 grazing sheep in the valleys, are dying and falling 
 thickly around for want of sustenance. Verily it is 
 a time to call uppn him who bringeth summer and 
 winter, seed time and harvest, in his own good time, 
 and the prophet calls upon high and low, the rich 
 and poor, to unite with him in prayer to the Al- 
 mighty, for in his own poetic language, " The vine 
 is dried up, and the fig-tree languisheth ; the pome- 
 granate tree, the palm tree, also are withered; be- 
 cause joy is withered away from the sons of men." 
 He also calls upon the ministers who kept the 
 watches at the temple, to gather their people togeth- 
 er on this distressing occasion, to unite in his cry to 
 Grod, to let it be loud and universal from saint and 
 sinner, to lament like a virgin girded with sack- 
 cloth for the husband of her youth, a striking figure 
 of the deepest sorrow of earth. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Joel i. 
 
 19 O Lord, to thee will I cry: for the iire hath devoured the 
 pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the 
 trees of the field. 
 
 20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee : for the rivers 
 of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures 
 of the wilderness. 
 
204 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Joel ii. 
 
 12 Therefore also now, saitli the Lord, turn ye even to me 
 with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with 
 mourning: 
 
 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn 
 unto the Lord your God : for he is gracious and merciful, slow 
 to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 
 
 PRAYERS OF AMOS THAT GOD WOULD AVERT THE 
 JUDGMENTS OF THE FIRE AND GRASSHOPPERS. 
 
 Amos was a simple herdsman; his words "I am 
 no prophet or son of a prophet," seem to distinguish 
 him from those who were educated in the schools of 
 Samuel. The Lord had shown him in a vision the 
 judgments he would bring upon Israel. His first 
 prayer relates to the grasshoppers which should con- 
 sume the beauty and verdure of the land, and the 
 next to a desolating fire. Both of these petitions 
 are heard and answered. They encourage us to 
 regard and mention in our own prayers the evils 
 about us. God's arm is not shortened that it can- 
 not save, and though our own petitions may seem 
 but a feeble instrument in removing great calamity, 
 yet we know that " prayer is the slender nerve that 
 moveth the muscles of Omnipotence," and it is 
 grounded on the promise of the Eternal Jehovah." 
 
JONAH. 205 
 
 The Prayers of Amos as recorded. — Amos vii. 
 
 2 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of 
 eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, 
 I beseech thee : by whom shall Jacob arise ? for he is small. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Amos vii. 
 
 3 The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the 
 Lord. 
 
 Second Prayer of Amos. 
 
 4 Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me : and, behold, 
 the Lord God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the 
 great deep, and did eat up a part. 
 
 5 Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee : by whom 
 shall Jacob arise ? for he is small. 
 
 The Answer. 
 
 6 The Lord repented for this : This also shall not be, saith 
 the Lord God. 
 
 PRAYER OF THE MARINERS IK THE STORM. 
 
 The whole of the narrative of the ancient prophet 
 Jonah is full of interest, and suggestive of salutary- 
 reflection; the prayers are peculiarly so. In his 
 character of a prophet he had received directions 
 10 
 
206 THE PBATEE3 OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 from God to go to Nineveli, a city full of idolatry 
 and wickedness, to announce its ruin. Jonah, fear- 
 ful of rebuke and insult, and, perhaps, of death, 
 resolved to disobey the command of Grod, and em- 
 barked in a ship bound for Tarshish. But there 
 was an eye that "never slumbers or sleeps," and 
 that eye saw his transgression. He "that bringeth 
 the wind out of his treasures," that holdeth the 
 waters in the hollow of his hand, is Lord of the 
 elemeniB, and caused them to do his pleasure. The 
 sky, so serene when the prophet embarked, is sud- 
 denly overcast, and the storm rages about the frail 
 vessel " like a giant in his fury." The crew of this 
 bark were idolaters, each man apparently having a 
 different deity, for it is said in a former verse, " The 
 mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his 
 god. They had probably been idolators from child- 
 hood, and in this moment of peril, each called upon 
 the being he had been taught to worship. Their 
 case is desperate, and they seek Jonah, who, like 
 too many inactive Christians, lay quietly sleeping. 
 From the shipmaster he receives a rebuke for his 
 apathy in this time of danger, and it must have 
 been most cutting and severe to a servant of Jeho- 
 vah, that an idolator should rouse and urge him to 
 duty. Jonah, conscious of his guilt, and aware that 
 the storm is the wrath of an angry Grod, confesses 
 his nation, his profession, and his sin. In vain do 
 the hardy crew, overcome no doubt by Jonah's 
 
JONAH. 207 
 
 words, use every exertion to reach the shore. It is 
 at this moment that the mariners' prayer ascends to 
 the God of Jonah. While the waves are beating 
 and dashing angrily around them, they cast the 
 prophet, according to his own request, into the 
 sea, and the waves are calm, the waters cease their 
 raging. The mariners perceiving the power of the 
 Almighty, cast aside their gods, and worship the 
 God of heaven and earth. 
 
 The Mariners' Prayer as recorded. — Jonah i. 
 
 14 Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We be- 
 seech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this 
 man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood : for thou, O 
 LoRB, hast done as it pleased thee. 
 
 The Answer. — Jonah i. 
 
 15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea : 
 and the sea ceased from her raging. 
 
 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a 
 sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. 
 
 17 Now the Lord had prepared a great iish to swallow up 
 Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and 
 three nights. 
 
208 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF JONAH FROM THE MIDST OF THE 
 
 SEA. 
 
 We must not regard, as some have done, the 
 present position of Jonah in a figurative sense, for 
 we have full proof of its reality in the words of our 
 blessed Lord himself, who repeatedly speaks of it in 
 terms too plain to be mistaken by us. God, in judg- 
 ment for disobedience, had mercy upon him, and even 
 from the belly of the fish heard and answered his 
 prayer. The prophet was placed in a position where 
 he felt his sin, and this led him to prayer ; but where 
 is the solitude that God cannot fill ? and where is 
 the spot on earth or in the seas where his eye does 
 not rest, and from which the voice of prayer may 
 not ascend ? In this remarkable event in the life 
 of the prophet Jonah, we may see a type of Christ's 
 death, burial, and resurrection. His prayer is earn- 
 est, and the state of his mind rendered his position, 
 as he says, like the "belly of hell," or like the state 
 of the wicked in death, from whose torment there is 
 no escape. So it seemed, no doubt, to the prophet, 
 there was no ray of light, except as the love of God 
 in his heart lit up his prison-house, and from that 
 dark abode of the praying prophet, 
 
 " Pure thoughts were borne, 
 Like fumes of eacred incense o'er the clouds, 
 And wafted thence on angela' wings through ways 
 Of light to the bright Source of all." 
 
JOSTAH. 209 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Jonah ii. 
 
 1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lokd his God out of the fish's 
 -belly, 
 
 2 And said, I cried by reason of mine afiliction unto the Lord, 
 and he heard me ; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou 
 heardest my voice. 
 
 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the 
 seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and 
 thy waves passed over me. 
 
 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight ; yet I will look 
 again toward thy holy temple. 
 
 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul : the 
 depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about 
 my head. 
 
 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth 
 with her bars was about me for ever : yet hast thou brought up 
 my life from corruption, O Lord my God. 
 
 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord : 
 and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 
 
 8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 
 
 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiv- 
 ing ; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the 
 Lokd. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Jonali ii. 
 
 10 And the Lokd spake unto the fish, and it vomited out 
 Jonah upon the dry land. 
 
210 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 JONAH PRATS THAT GOD "WILL TAKE HIS LIFE. 
 
 We should expect to find tlie prophet ^.fter such 
 a merciful preservation humble and submissive, but 
 such was not the case. In obedience to the will of 
 God, after his deliverance from the deep, Jonah 
 went to the city of Nineveh; the burden of his 
 prophecy to them was their utter destruction, unless 
 they repented and turned to the Lord. But the 
 ears of the Ninevites were opened, and they listened 
 eagerly to the prophet's words. The fame of the 
 works God had wrought amongst the Jews had 
 reached them, and they heard Jonah with eagerness, 
 for we are told that from the king to his lowest 
 subject there was fasting and prayer to God, and 
 "turning from every evil way," Ought not the 
 success of his mission to inspire Jonah with joy and 
 gratitude ? Instead of this his heart is ruffled, and 
 he is angry at his success. It will be remembered 
 that the Israelites held an unfounded prejudice to- 
 ward the Gentiles, and the prophet no doubt, in his 
 own mind, encouraged this feeling ; he might also, 
 in the language of another, " have had a mistaken 
 zeal for the honor of God, and feared that as he was 
 sent to predict destruction, it might cast an imputa- 
 tion on the cause in which he was engaged." We 
 find him angry and rebellious, and calling upon 
 
JONAH. 211 
 
 God in this frame of mind. He seems to hasten 
 away from the citj lest he should witness the turn- 
 ing of the people, and retiring to a booth or tent 
 he had raised, waited there till he should see what 
 became eventually of the city. The winds in those 
 hot countries are often very suffocating, as they 
 sweep over the deserts, and come laden with its 
 sand and heat, and this, with the fretted, impatient 
 spirit the prophet had nourished in his heart, made 
 him angry and despairing. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Jonah, iv. 
 
 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very an- 
 gry. 
 
 2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O 
 LoKD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country 1 
 Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish : for I knew that thou art 
 a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kind- 
 ness, and repentest thee of the evil. 
 
 3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from 
 me : for it is better for me to die than to live. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — Jonah iv. 
 
 4 Then said the Lord, Doest thou well lo be angry? 
 
212 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 PEATER OF THE GHUECH COMPLAINING OF SMALL 
 NUMBERS, AND OF THE GENERAL CORRUPTION. 
 
 The prophet Micah was of the kingdom of Judah, 
 and cotemporarj with Isaiah and Hosea. 
 
 " Micah, admired through every age. 
 The babe of Bethlehem crowns thy page 1 
 "With what precision dost thou trace 
 The then obscure, now honored place," 
 
 His authority as a prophet is twice alluded to in the 
 New Testament, (Matthew ii. 5, 6, and John vii. 42.) 
 It was given to this prophet to predict a glorions 
 High Priest. " The clouded ark of God," for whose 
 peace and prosperity this prayer is made, this 
 servant of God knew was yet to be enshrined in 
 a glorious jiving temple; it had the promise of 
 Heaven that — 
 
 " He to his own a Comforter will send 
 The promise of the Father, who shall dwell 
 His spirit within them, and the law of faith. 
 Working through love, upon their hearts shall write, 
 To guide them in all truth, and alao arm 
 With spiritual armor." 
 
 After lamenting over the general corruption of the 
 Church, the prophet alludes to his iirm confidence 
 and trust in God, to the poor broken friendships of 
 earth, and the friend who knows no changing, and 
 in forcible language speaks of the punishment of the 
 wicked and their sudden fear. 
 
MIOAH. 213 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Micah vii. 
 
 1 Woe is me ! for I am as when they have gathered the sum- 
 mer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage ; there is no 
 cluster to eat : my soul desired the firstripe fruit. 
 
 2 The good man is perished out of the earth : and there is 
 none upright among men : they all lie in wait for blood ; they 
 hunt every man his brother with a net. 
 
 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince 
 aaketh, and the judge asketh for a reward : and the great man, 
 he uttereth his mischievous desire : so they wrap it up. 
 
 4 The best of them is as a brier : the most upright is sharper 
 than a thorn hedge : the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation 
 cometh ; now shall be their perplexity. 
 
 6. Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide : 
 keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 
 
 6 For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up 
 against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in 
 law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 
 
 7 Therefore I will look unto the Loed ; 1 will wait for the 
 God of my salvation : my God will hear me. 
 
 8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : when I fall, I shall 
 arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto 
 me. 
 
 9 I will bear the indignation of the Lokd, because I have 
 sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judg- 
 ment for me : he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall 
 behold his righteousness. 
 
 10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall 
 cover her which said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God ? 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Micah vii. 
 
 15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of 
 Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things. 
 
214 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might . 
 they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be 
 deaf. 
 
 17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move 
 out of their holes like worms of the earth : they shall be afraid 
 of the LoED our God, and shall fear because of thee. 
 
 18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and 
 passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ? 
 he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in 
 mercy. 
 
 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he 
 will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into 
 the depths of the sea. 
 
 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to 
 Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days 
 of old. 
 
 THE PRiTER OF HABAKKUK. 
 
 The prayer with, which the writings of this He- 
 brew poet and prophet open is full of lamentation 
 and mourning for Zion; that few come to her 
 solemn feasts grieves the heart of this chosen and 
 devoted one. This prophet predicts the Chaldean 
 invasion, and its terrible effects, bewails in this 
 prayer the wickedness of the invaders, mourns deep- 
 ly the decay of religion; his heart is fall of grief, 
 and he has come to the mercy-seat, weary of the 
 wickedness, to ask of God how long sin must abound 
 
HABAKKUK. 215 
 
 and the love of many wax cold. He sorrows for 
 the poor wlio are abused and oppressed. He has 
 brought his troubles and sorrows to Grod ; his heart 
 heavy with its, weight of wo, is poured into an ear 
 ever ready to answer the complaints of his loved 
 ones. As He was to the prophets, a " Guardian," a 
 " Mystery," and a " Gruide," such he is to this chosen 
 people now, as he heard and answered their peti- 
 tions because " Zion mourned," as he was ever with 
 his people even when with weeping and lamentation 
 the prophets plead for her, so he is with her still to 
 listen to the lament of his poorest and most humble 
 follower. The "Shepherd of Israel" is watching 
 his flock with his all-seeing eye ; and who are his 
 flock? All, whoever and wherever, on mountain, 
 hill-side, or valley, in whatever or whenever they 
 worship the " Shepherd Jehovah," trust in him, and 
 are saved by his grace. He encourages his children 
 to pray for his little flock, if she is scattered and 
 clouds hang heavy about her, for he has promised to 
 gather his lambs in his bosom, and gently lead his 
 erring ones. He has through his prophets predicted 
 days of gloom, but through them he has shown us 
 the Sun of Eighteousness. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Habakkuk i. 
 
 1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. 
 
 2 Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear ! even 
 cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save ! 
 
216 ■ THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 3 Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold 
 grievance ? for spoiling and violence are before me : and there 
 are that raise up strife and contention. 
 
 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go 
 forth : for the wicked doth compass about the righteous ; there- 
 fore wrong judgment proceedeth. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Habakkuk i. 
 
 5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder 
 marvellously : for I will work a work in your days, which ye 
 ■will not believe, though it be told you. 
 
 6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty na- 
 tion, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to pos- 
 sess the dwellingplaces that are not their's. 
 
 7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their 
 dignity shall proceed of themselves. 
 
 8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are 
 more fierce than the evening wolves : and their horsemen shall 
 spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; 
 they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. 
 
 9 They shajl come all for violence ; their faces shall sup up 
 as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand. 
 
 10 And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be 
 a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for 
 they shall heap dust, and take it. 
 
 11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and 
 offend, imputing this his power unto his god. [Belus or Nebo.] 
 
HABAKKUKV 217 
 
 HABAKKUK PRAYS IN PROSPECT OF APPROACHING- 
 TRIALS. 
 
 As an Israelite and representing the nation, tlie 
 prophet addresses God as the everlasting Jehovah, 
 and his Portion forever. He had been full of the 
 hope that God would deal lightly with the people, 
 and his corrections would not be so heavy as God 
 caused him to predict they would be ; he is assured, 
 by the word of Him who is Truth, that heavy and 
 dire calamities were to be poured out, and in pros- 
 pect of these he prays. His language is figurative in 
 some degree, and weak and powerless become the 
 peoplein the hands of the wicked; like the "creeping 
 thing of the earth," or like the " fish of the sea," easily- 
 taken in the net. He alludes to the helpless Jews 
 in the hands of the victorious Chaldeans. He shows 
 how the successful in victory would become foolish 
 in prosperity, and make sacrifices to vain, empty, 
 and unsatisfying gods. He asks of God if he will 
 permit all this. This is the theme of the prophet's 
 prayer; he wonders the Almighty will keep silence 
 in the midst of what seems to him unjust oppression. 
 God worketh by means, and doeth his pleasure in 
 the armies of heaven and among the children of 
 men. "As thy day so shall thy strength be," he 
 has whispered to his children's hearts. God will 
 prepare his "own" for every trial however bitter, 
 
218 THE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 even heavy as those in prospect of which Habakkuk 
 prayed. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Habakkuk i. 
 
 12 Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine 
 Holy One ? we shall not die, O Lord, thou hast ordained them 
 for judgment: and, O mighty God, thou hast established them 
 for correction. 
 
 13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not 
 look on iniquity : wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal 
 treacherously, and boldest thy tongue when the wicked devour- 
 eth the man that is more righteous than he ? 
 
 14 And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping 
 things, that have no ruler over them ? 
 
 15 They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them 
 in their net, and gather them in their drag : therefore they re- 
 joice and are glad. 
 
 16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense 
 unto their drag ; because by them their portion is fat, and their 
 meat plenteous. 
 
 17 Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare con- 
 tinually to slay the^nations? 
 
 HABAKKUK'S EXPECTATION- OF ANSWERS TO HIS 
 PRAYERS. 
 
 Like a faithful watchman at his post the prophet 
 waits further instructions from the Lord, that he 
 might know what answer to make to those who had 
 
HABAKKUK. 219 
 
 rebelled and contended against Ms former predic- 
 tions. 
 
 " Let Zion's -watchmen all awake, 
 And take th' alarm they give ; 
 Now let them from the mouth of God, 
 Their awful charge receive." 
 
 Habakkuk ii. 
 
 1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, 
 and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall 
 answer when I am reproved. 
 
 The Loril's Answer. — Habakkuk ii. 
 
 2 And the Loed answered me, and said, Write the vision, 
 and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 
 
 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end 
 it shall speak, and not lie ; though it tarry, wait for it ; because 
 it will surely come, it will not tarry. 
 
 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him : 
 but the just shall live by his faith. 
 
 PEAYER OF HABAKKUK UPON SHIGIONOTH, (or musical 
 instrument.) 
 
 This prayerful hymn of the prophet is full 
 of fervor and deep piety, and is of peculiar inter- 
 est to all, especially to those who have been tried 
 in the furnace of affliction, and over whose path 
 many clouds have rested. "Eemember thou art 
 
220 THE PRATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 a heritor of evil, witb. a riglit to notliing good." 
 Wait, claild of hope, and yours may be the faith of 
 Habakkuk, and with him, in the midst of trial, you 
 " may joy in the God of salvation." Thy sorrows 
 may humble thee, and the furnace of affliction re- 
 fine thy soul, and with the prophet you too may 
 know 
 
 " 'Tis sweet to feel that he who tries 
 The silver, takes his seat 
 Beside the fire that purifies, 
 Lest too intense a heat, 
 Raised to consume the base alloy, 
 The precious metal too destroy. 
 But ah I how much of earthly mould 
 Dark relics of the mine, 
 Lost from the ore must he behold. 
 Ere in the silver he can trace 
 The first faint semblance to his face." 
 
 In this prayer the prophet speaks of God as coming 
 from Teman — Mount Seir — and Paran, to meet 
 them on Mount Sinai, that hallowed place. The 
 "brightness" alluded to was an emblem of God's 
 glory, the "coals" of the Shekinah; the "tents of 
 Cushan" were the dwelling-places of several tribes 
 — the Midianites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Ara- 
 bians; the " curtains " were the hangings of these 
 tents ; the " bow " often represented all the weapons 
 of war, and its being made naked signified it was 
 ever ready. , The Eed Sea and the smitten rock are 
 alluded to, and God is represented as marching 
 
HABAKKUK. 221 
 
 through the land of Canaan in great wrath, " wound- 
 ing the neck," or cutting off the chief person in the 
 famiHes of the enemies of Israel. This prayer will 
 not only attract the Christian, but him who is 
 only a lover of poetry, and while we know God 
 looks at the heart, and men are not heard for their 
 much speaking, we must admire the chosen language, 
 and the words of the inspired man as he addresses 
 the Most High Grod. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Habakkuk ill. 
 
 2 LoED, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid ; O Lord, 
 revive thy worli in the midst of the years, in the midst of the 
 years malje known ; in wrath remember mercy. 
 
 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount 
 Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth 
 was full of his praise. 
 
 4 And his brightness was as the light ; he had horns coming 
 out of his hand : and there was the hiding of his power. 
 
 6 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went 
 forth at his feet. 
 
 6 He stood, and measured the earth : he beheld, and drove 
 asunder the nations ; and the everlasting mountains were scat- 
 tered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everhisting. 
 
 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in afHiction : and the curtains of 
 the land of Midian did tremble. 
 
 8 Was the Loed displeased against the rivers'! was thine an- 
 ger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou 
 didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation ? 
 
 9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of 
 the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth 
 with rivers. 
 
222 THE PBATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the over- 
 flowing of the water passed by ; the deep uttered his voice, and 
 lifted up his hands on high. 
 
 1 1 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation ; at the 
 light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glit- 
 tering spear. 
 
 12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou 
 didst thresh the heathen in anger. 
 
 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even 
 for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundest the head out 
 of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto 
 the neck. Selah. 
 
 14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his 
 villages : they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me ; their re- 
 joicing was as to devour the poor secretly. 
 
 15 Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through 
 the heap of great waters. 
 
 16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at 
 the voice : rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in 
 myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble : when he cometh 
 up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. 
 
 17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit 
 be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields 
 shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and 
 there shall be no herd in the stalls : 
 
 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of 
 my salvation. 
 
 19 The LoED God is my strength, and he will make my feet 
 like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high 
 places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. 
 
ZECHAEIAF. 223 
 
 PRAYER OF THE JEWS CONOERNIITG THEIR FASTS. 
 
 Sherezer and Regem-melech were probably men 
 of distinction among the remnant of Jews at Baby- 
 lon, and were sent to the temple to inquire of the 
 prophets and priests concerning their fasts. They 
 kept an annual fast in the fourth month in remem- 
 brance of the breaking down of the wall of Jerusa- 
 lem, one for the burning of the temple in the fifth 
 month, another in the seventh month on the day 
 Gedeliah was slain, and one at the time of the siege 
 of the city commenced in the tenth month. They 
 had wept and mourned over their sins and had 
 fasted often, separating themselves from the world, 
 and denying themselves ordinary food; weary of 
 these fasts they make it a subject of special prayer. 
 It is evident from the answer to it they had not 
 fasted with the right spirit ; although not of divine 
 appointment, it would have been of spiritual benefit 
 to them had they uprightly observed it ; they ex- 
 hibited no humility and no deep sorrow for sin, and 
 these " appointed times " were kept as a mere matter 
 of form ; there was no heart work in it, and such a 
 service was not acceptable although appointed by 
 high authority. Is there not much fasting which is 
 not "unto the Lord," even in these latter days? 
 Where is the hunger and thirst of the spirit for 
 
224 THE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 heavenly food tliat should accompany an acceptable 
 fast? We fear it is sometimes forgotten in the 
 formality of the service, or in the " customary 
 prayer," or lip devotion, that so often attracts the 
 heart where grace has never entered, and wh^re the 
 love of Grod is not the living, moving, acting, prin- 
 ciple. Let no deluded worshiper come with such a 
 "vain oblation," for by the Lord's answer to this 
 prayer of the Jews, we know it will not be accepta- 
 ble. Cease, too, thy weeping, for thy tears are not 
 those Grod measures in his sacred bottle. There is a 
 fasting of the spirit which he alone can satisfy, and 
 there are prayerful tears, like those of Moses ; silent 
 and unexpressed as was the desire of his heart, when 
 the Lord said I have heard thy crying." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Zeohariali vii. 
 
 2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and 
 Regem-melech, and their men to pray before the Lord, 
 
 3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of 
 the LoKD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep 
 in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so 
 many years ? 
 
 The Zord's Answer. — Zechariah vii. 
 
 4 Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, say- 
 ing, 
 
 6 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, 
 saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh 
 month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even 
 to me ? 
 
ZECHAEIAH. 225 
 
 6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drinli, did not ye 
 eat for yourselves, and drinli for yourselves ? 
 
 7 Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by 
 the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited aiid in 
 prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men 
 inhabited the south and the plain ? 
 
 8 And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, 
 
 9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying. Execute true 
 judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his 
 brother : 
 
 10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stran- 
 ger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his 
 brother in your heart. 
 
 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoul- 
 der, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 
 
 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they 
 should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts 
 hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets : therefore came 
 a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. 
 
 13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they 
 would not hear ; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the 
 Lord of hosts : 
 
 14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the na- 
 tions whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after 
 them, that no man passed through nor returned : for they laid 
 the pleasant land desolate. 
 
 The Lord's further Answer. — Zeobariali viii. 
 
 18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying^ 
 
 19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth 
 month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and 
 the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and 
 
226 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and 
 peace. 
 
 20 Thus saith the Lord of hosts ; It shall yet come to pass, 
 that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities : 
 
 21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying. 
 Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the 
 Lord of hosts : I will go also. 
 
 22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek 
 the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. 
 
^m^txn nf tlie Mm €uimtnt 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 But a part of our pleasant task is accomplislied ; 
 but we trust we have gathered that " hidden fire " 
 from the hearts of the patriarchs and prophets 
 which sheds a halo of glory over the Old Testament, 
 and we trust will kindle to a brighter glow the flame 
 of devotion in the Christian heart, while it lightens 
 the path of the wanderer to the mercy-seat and cross 
 of Calvary. We will go softly for the ground is 
 holy ; we have come to glean in a field which the 
 men who spake as moved by God saw only through 
 the vail of prophecy. "We have come to gather into 
 the Christian granary a rich harvest — the Prayers 
 of the New Testament. The wall of partition be- 
 tween Gentile and Jew is now broken away, and 
 the vail that covered the most holy place is severed. 
 
228 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 He whom Israel waited for — ^the theme of the lofti- 
 est, hohest strains of patriarchs and prophets — has 
 come, treading the same earth, breathing the same 
 air with ourselves, a perfect God and' perfect man, 
 and as we tremble at the mystery, and read of the 
 incarnation, atonement, and sanctification by the 
 Spirit, our hearts are melted in love, for we know 
 we have an Intercessor pleading for us at the right 
 hand of God. It is our precious privilege to review 
 the wanderings of the -meek and lowly Jesus with a 
 few of earth's humble children as his followers ; we 
 watch him as he listens to the inward struggle with 
 sin, the groan for mercy, the first whispered desire 
 of the penitent, the wail of the lonely and broken- 
 hearted, the sob of the aiSicted, and the call of the 
 terror-stricken, we hear his gentle encouragement to 
 the weak, his mild rebuke to the proud, his caution 
 to the self-righteous, his admonition to the worldly 
 and covetous, his soothing words to the sad and 
 sorrowing. We follow him from the low manger 
 where slept in infancy the "God omnipotent," while 
 on his vesture and thigh his name is written, "King 
 of kings and Lord of lords." We see his humble 
 parents bearing not the crown or scepter of Judah — 
 no, the Saviour came to pour contempt on the pride 
 of man, to .bring him a beggar to the mercy-seat, 
 that every knee might bow befoje him, and every 
 tongue confess him "Lord of all." We may go 
 with him 
 
IN'TEODUCTIOM'. 229 
 
 " When slipping from his mother's eye, 
 He went alone into the temple, 
 Among the gravest rabbis disputant." 
 
 We see liim in the wilderness, and on the wave, 
 homeless and houseless, at the mountain side, always 
 ready, and never weary of listening to and answer- 
 ing the prayers of his loving children. 
 
 Our Saviour has ascended to heaven, but he has 
 not left us comfortless, for from his holy home above 
 he is calling each one of us to follow him. He 
 knows that in our infirmity we cannot struggle 
 alone ; his almighty arm is therefore stretched out 
 to help, and he would have us daily ask for strength 
 to battle with our inborn sin and corruption. He 
 struggled with the waves of life that we too might 
 breast the current ; as he found the world a vale of 
 tears so every Christian will find it ; he tells us to 
 
 "Lean not on earth, 'twill pierce thee to the heart, 
 A broken reed at best, but oft a spear. 
 On its sharp point peace bleeds and hope expires." 
 
 Our blessed Lord has established a throne of grace, 
 at which we may hold as immediate communion 
 with him as did his followers when he was made 
 flesh and dwelt among them ; the star in the East is 
 ever guiding to the new and living way, and with 
 the same unerring light as when it first brightened 
 the plains of Judea, and will lead each one as truly 
 as it did the eastern magi to where the Saviour lies. 
 11 
 
230 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 While we take Christ as our great exemplar in 
 our journey homeward and heavenward, it becomes 
 us Christians to search the Scriptures to examine 
 well and closely the lives and characters, and more 
 particularly the prayers of those who were associated 
 with our Saviour on his earthly career, that Ave may, 
 from their petitions and his approving answer or 
 gentle rebuke, be guided in our own prayers at the 
 mercy-seat. We see a company of men, mortal as 
 we are, subject to like passions, some leading lives 
 of faith and holiness, some proud and covetous, 
 some following closely in the footsteps of the 
 Saviour, and others following afar off; each one of 
 us may here find a daguerreotype of his own heart, 
 in some one of the many who came to Jesus in 
 prayer. In the eye of the world we may not all be 
 self-denying and devoted as Paul, or faithful and 
 loving as John, yet we may follow the injunction of 
 the one to pray without ceasing, and strive for the 
 name of the other, the "loved disciple of the Lord." 
 At the throne of grace the rich and the poor man 
 may meet together; the Lord is the Maker of us 
 all, no matter what our name or profession among 
 men. We are called to the mercy -seat, and, through 
 this waste howling wilderness, we need aid from 
 above to guide us. If to any God has given earthly 
 power, and yours is an exalted station among your 
 fellow men, trust not in your own strength, go to 
 your Creator for wisdom, encourage in your heart 
 
INTRODUCTION. 231 
 
 no longer the ambition that makes you forget to 
 pray, or leads you to be satisfied with the poor 
 crumbling crown earth can bestow. Seek at the 
 mercy-seat that which can be found only there, a 
 crown of immortality, which you may wear forever 
 in heaven. 
 
 . God rules among the armies of heaven ; and to the 
 soldier he is calling from the tented field and amid 
 the din of battle, to lift up his spirit in prayer, 
 strengthened by it he will be nerved for every con- 
 flict, for there is for him a shield of faith, a sword of 
 the Spirit. Under the banner of the King of kings 
 victory is sure ; in the good fight he will be able to 
 subdue his last great enemy, and enter as a con- 
 queror a land, where garments dyed in blood are 
 rolled away and rumors of war never reach the 
 earg of the ransomed. In the dark house of the 
 body our souls must struggle with our nature's base 
 desires, and m.an has many temporal as well as 
 spiritual interests ; but these interests with all their 
 cares and anxieties should be brought before the 
 mercy-seat, and committed to the guidance of that 
 Grod who marks the sparrow's fall. Let the way to 
 the mercy seat be a worn and beaten track, and 
 whether your work be little or great, you will do it 
 with your might, for beyond your toil and care you 
 will see a home of rest in heaven. If to any have 
 been given the light of genius or the pen of ready 
 writers, forget not the mercy-seat, depend not on 
 
232 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 your own strength to guide you in tlie use of such 
 great and good gifts ; consecrate them to your God. 
 He who placed within you the light of mind, would 
 have you go where its flame may burn purely, 
 fanned by the Holy Spirit, that its beams may soft- 
 en, and warm the hardened heart, and lead some 
 convicted sinner to kneel with you before the Lord. 
 Beware lest it be said of you in the sarcasm of the 
 prophet, " Ye were wise to do evil." Your works 
 will live long after you are at rest in the shadowy 
 valley, and if written without prayer they may draw 
 from the worldly a voice of praise, but from God a 
 withering curse. 
 
 In this volume of prayers mothers will see that 
 parents brought their little ones to Jesus. Oh, bring 
 yours to him, he is ever ready to welcome you, 
 and those he has given you. Angels are at the 
 mercy-seat to bear your prayers upward. Teach 
 your children to hold communion with their heav- 
 enly Father, whose kind care will be, over them 
 when earthly parents are sleeping in death, and 
 early instill the lesson, that there is naught in all 
 this hollow world to lighten sorrow but prayer. 
 
 "We are able to point out to the poor man as he 
 struggles with the ills of life a rich treasure ; we 
 have "a golden key to the wicket of mercy;" if 
 you use it yours may be gifts that cannot be bought, 
 for the price of them is far above rubies ; he who 
 died that you might win this treasure was a man of 
 
MATTHEW. 233 
 
 sorrows and acquainted with grief, poor and reject- 
 ed with no resting place ; weep not then over thy 
 poverty, for Christ himself was poor. "Heaven 
 wept that man might smile." 
 
 " Therefore pray, creature, for many and great are thy wants ; 
 Thy mind, thy conscience, and thy being — 
 Thy rights, commend thee unto prayer. 
 The care of all cares, the grand panacea for all woes; 
 Doubt's destroyer, ruin's remedy, the antidote to all anxieties." 
 
 " Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." 
 
 OOLOSSIANS iv. 2. 
 
 " Thou shalt call and the Lord shall answer ; thou shalt cry, and 
 he shall say. Here I am." — John xv. 1. 
 
 THE LORD'S PRAYER. 
 
 There were two occasions on which the Lord de- 
 livered this form of prayer. The one before our 
 notice was his sermon on the mount at the time of 
 Pentecost, the other some months after. In our 
 own mind there is no doubt the Lord intended this 
 form of prayer to be used in both our public and 
 private devotions; we infer this from the circum- 
 stances connected with its delivery both the first and 
 the second times. The Jews, in their merely peti- 
 tionary prayers never used the " amen " at the close, 
 but where there were expressions of thanksgiving 
 
234 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 and benediction always ; we will remark this in the 
 prayers of the Psalms, and also of the apostles. We 
 do not for a moment suppose our blessed Lord in- 
 tended us to confine ourselves solely to this form or 
 any other, but has given it to us as a guide — a high 
 and holy model. It is a ray from the Sun of righte- 
 ousness to lead us in the right road to the mercy- 
 seat. Coming as it does from lips that spake as 
 never man spake, it bears the seal of heaven the 
 stamp of the Almighty. We are taught in the 
 verses preceding this prayer what was meant by a 
 high and holy communion with the " hearer and 
 answerer." On our approach to our Saviour in 
 prayer, we are to bid adieu for that hallowed hour 
 to earth with her thousand cares, and to close the 
 door of these wandering hearts; in such a frame we 
 may erect an altar, and here and there and any- 
 where make known our requests unto Grod, and to 
 all such secret communion we are promised an open, 
 full reward from the great Giver of all good. 
 
 We find expressed in the Lord's Prayer every 
 desire of the Christian heart, every wish of the spirit 
 struggling for a home on high. One has beautifully 
 remarked of this prayer, " that however, in the full- 
 ness of our hearts, we may depart from this model, 
 in the choice of our expressions, into whatever lami- 
 n£e we may expand the pure gold of which it is 
 composed, yet we will find the general principles of 
 our own enlarged application to God substantially 
 
MATTHEW. 235 
 
 contained in this brief compendium." We will not 
 now attempt to divide the links of this sacred chain, 
 or comment on its several parts. A circle of bright 
 and shining jewels, each brilliant and full of light in 
 itself, it is a blaze of glory when taken as a whole, 
 and is the richest treasure in the Christian cabinet 
 of sacred relics. Through the long ages that have 
 rolled away since it was first dictated to the ears of 
 the listening multitude, it has been breathed from 
 every Christian heart, and been the " pure incense " 
 from the lips of infancy, and the last prayer from 
 the soul of the aged. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew vi. 
 
 9 After this m.inner therefore pray ye : Our Father which art 
 in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 
 
 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is 
 in heaven. 
 
 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 
 
 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 
 
 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil : 
 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for 
 ever. Amen. 
 
 THE LEPER'S PRATER. 
 
 Our Saviour had just finished his blessed sermon, 
 on the mount, and returning is met by one borne 
 down with sickness and distress. An outcast and 
 lonely, he is separated from those he loves, for he is 
 
236 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 the poor victim of a loathsome and inctirable dis- 
 ease. Human means in this hour of agony are un- 
 availing, and he knows no arm but one is sufficient 
 to succor him ; shunned as he is by the world, avoided 
 even by the crowd who eagerly follow the Saviour, 
 he fears not to pour out his complaint in an ear he 
 believes is open to the cry of the sorrowing ; and 
 was not this faith? Pure, simple, trusting faith, it 
 burned brightly in that leper's heart, 
 
 "The bulb enshrouds the lily, and within 
 The moat unsightly form may folded 
 Lie the white wing of an angel." 
 
 As this leper came to Jesus to be healed of his 
 malady, so every soul must come. "Degraded, 
 weak, and blind of sin, and darkened by the leprous 
 scales " — just as you are, in all your uncleanness and 
 pollution ; if you are in sorrow, come ; if you are 
 despised and rejected of men, come; if you feel 
 your own vileness, come in simple faith as the leper 
 came ; the Spirit and the Bride say come, and 
 
 The angela watch are keeping, 
 In their holy home.' of light. 
 Above poor sinners weeping — 
 There is joy at such a sight. 
 To you they're loudly calling, 
 Saying, Come ! to one and all. 
 While round the Saviour falling 
 Ye are listening to the call, 
 Come all the sick and suffering 
 To the great physician there ; 
 Come kneel in simple, humble faith, 
 And breathe the " leper's prayer." 
 
MATTHEW. 237 
 
 The Leper's Prayer as recorded. — Matthew viii. 
 
 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, say- 
 ing, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — Matthew viii. 
 
 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, 
 I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was 
 cleansed. 
 
 PRATER OF THE CENTURION. 
 
 It is with feelings of peculiar interest we review 
 the petition of this Eoman soldier, for we regard 
 him as the first Gentile convert to the religion and 
 faith of Jesus. Endowed with authority in the 
 army, the mere expressing of his will producing 
 obedience, he comes to the meek and lowly Sa'viour 
 to ask his blessing. He does not at this time crave 
 it for himself — he comes for another. The boon he 
 seeks is for one lying in sickness in his dwelling. 
 He is deeply sensible of his own unworthiness, and 
 his heart is full of that heaven-born virtue, humility, 
 which ever becometh man in his converse with his 
 Creator. Well might the Saviour call his faith the 
 greatest he had seen, even in Israel. There were 
 many alluring temptations in his position to fill his 
 soul with pride, for his path in life was one of 
 worldly honor and distinction. Safe in the midst of 
 
238 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 the world's false lights, this Eoman officer is shielded, 
 for he hath the breastplate of righteousness ever 
 raised between his heart and the world. Such faith 
 cannot be shaken. The poor sick servant in his 
 dwelling is to him an object of interest, and in love 
 and faith he brings him to the " Healer." And have 
 you, reader, no "sick servant," no " diseased soul," 
 among those whom your heart loves, for whom you 
 too may seek the " Healer ?" Is there not one lying 
 " sick " in your dwelling whose malady you have 
 never once remembered at the mercy seat? Are 
 you a "soldier of the cross," a follower of the Lamb, 
 and will you put up no plea for the sin-sick around 
 you? 
 
 " Man was made to wrestle, not to reign," to plead 
 for others as well as for himself, to remember the 
 poor and desolate, the untaught and forsaken, the 
 sick and the dying, and the Christian's prayer takes 
 in the world ; it is full of that faith so strikingly 
 manifested by the Centurion in his appeal to the 
 Saviour. 
 
 The Centurion's Prayer. — Matthew viii. 
 
 6 And when Jesus was entered into Capernauai, there came 
 unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 
 
 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the 
 palsy, grievously tormented. 
 
 The Lord''s Answer. — Matthew viii. 
 
 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 
 
MATTHEW. 239 
 
 The Centurion still praps. — Matthew viii. 
 
 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy 
 that thou shouldest come under my roof: but spealt the word 
 only, and my servant shall be healed. 
 
 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me : 
 and I say to this man. Go, and he goeth : and to another, Come, 
 and he cometh ; and to my servant. Do this, and he doeth it. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — Matthew viii. 
 
 10 When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that 
 followed. Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, 
 no, not in Israel. 
 
 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east 
 and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Ja^ 
 cob, in the kingdom of heaven, 
 
 12 But the children of the Icingdom shall be cast out into 
 outer darkness : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
 
 13 And Jesus saii unto the centurion. Go thy way; and as 
 thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And hia servant 
 was healed in the selfsame hour. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF THE DISCIPLES IN THE STORM. 
 
 Above the noise of the tempest, and sounding 
 over the waves of the troubled Sea of Tiberias, 
 comes the wail of the terror-stricken disciples. 
 
 Fear is within the tossing bark, 
 
 The stormy winds grow loud, 
 
 And waves come rolling high and dark, 
 
 And the frail mast is bowed. 
 
240 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 In that open vessel the Saviour of the world lies 
 quietly sleeping. He, of whom the holy man has 
 said "the sea is his and he made it," is not disturbed 
 by the tempest, or wakened by the waves. To the 
 voice of prayer his ear is opened, and he is ready 
 to listen when his alarmed disciples cry. He gently 
 rebukes their want of faith, quiets their alarm, 
 
 " And slumber settles on the deep, 
 And silence on the blast ; 
 As when the righteous falls asleep, 
 When death's fierce throes are past." 
 
 And are we not all tossed by the waves of the 
 stormy sea of life ? are we not in great danger if 
 Christ is not at the helm to rebuke the raging bil- 
 lows? Lord, as he is, of the elements, so that he 
 bringeth the wind out of his treasures, and causeth 
 the waters of the sea to roll calmly on in their chan- 
 nel, so he will bring repose to the tempest-tossed 
 soul, when the waves are the highest. We are 
 taught by this rebuke to the disciples that Christ 
 would have our faith grow stronger, our trust firmer, 
 though heavy clouds are round about us, and we 
 see no light. There is one that will break away these 
 clouds, and show you far in the distance a port of 
 peace and safety — a home of light and love, 
 
 " Though rocks and quicksands deep 
 Through all our passage lie, 
 Tet thou wilt safely keep, 
 And guide us with thine eye." 
 
MATTHEW. 241 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew viii. 
 
 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples fol- 
 lowed him. 
 
 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, inso- 
 much that the ship was covered with the waves : but he was 
 asleep. 
 
 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying. 
 Lord, save us ; we perish. 
 
 The Lord''s Answer. — Matthew viii. 
 
 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of lit- 
 tle laith ? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea ; 
 and there was a great calm. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF JAIRUS. 
 
 Come with us, reader, for earth is full of such 
 scenes of sorrow. Death, with its dark wing, is 
 hovering in that chamber of luxury and beauty, 
 there are tears in that stern ruler's eyes, for he weeps 
 by the bedside of a loved and cherished one. Wealth 
 with its thousand resources in that dark hour cannot 
 soothe one pang, or lessen the grief in that father's 
 heart. 
 
 " ! earth ye have no sorrow, 
 So withering or so deep 
 As that within the hearts of those 
 Who o'er the child must weep ; 
 
242 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 When love so strong and deathless, 
 From the fountain is unsealed, 
 There is naught in all this hollow world 
 Can augbt of comfort yield." 
 
 The spoiler is fast setting his seal of silence on 
 those pallid lips, and even while the death damps 
 are gathering on the brow, there is a ray of light 
 and hope that beams in on the dark heart of the 
 ruler, " there is a mercy seat " where prayer may be 
 made, there is a balm in Gilead — a great physician 
 there. Feeble as was the ruler's faith, it led him to 
 the Saviour. He can change the '' minstrel's mourn- 
 ful requiem to hymns of gladness," and stay the 
 flitting breath of the dying. Sorrow deep and heavy 
 God often brings on his children, to bow the proud 
 head and bend the stiffened knee in prayer. The 
 gentle teachings that are everywhere breathing a 
 lesson of God's omnipotence, may and do often fall 
 unheeded on the ear, and man may be as hard and 
 unbelieving as though there were no God, and he 
 were not immortal ; but when from stout hearts the 
 mighty Euler uproots affections which have twined 
 into their very core, when he changeth the counte- 
 nance of the loved one, and "sendeth it away," 
 must it not bring the soul to a recognition of an 
 Almighty will. There are few even among the 
 most doubting who can lay the form of a child in 
 the cold, dark earth, without a prayer, and as we 
 1 ook upward in faith, be the spark ever so feeble,. 
 
MATTHEW.' 243 
 
 our Father in heaven will see it ; in the hour of 
 loneliness he will whisper to our spirits — " She is not 
 dead but sleepeth." 
 
 " The Saviour raised 
 Her hand from off her bosoto, and spread out 
 The stiffened fingers in his palm and said : 
 Maiden, arise I and suddenly a flush 
 Shot o'er her forehead, and along her lips, 
 And through her cheek, the rallied color ran, 
 And the still outline of the cherished form 
 Stirred in the linen vesture, and she clasped 
 The Saviour's hand, and fixing her dark eyes 
 FuU on his heavenly face, arose." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew ix. 
 
 18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there 
 came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter 
 is even no«r dead : but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she 
 shall live. 
 
 19 And Jesua arose, and followed him, and so did his disci- 
 ples. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — ^Matthew ix. 
 
 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the 
 minstrels and the people making a noise, 
 
 24 He said unto them. Give place: for the maid is not dead, 
 but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 
 
 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took 
 her by the hand, and the maid arose. 
 
244 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 THE SILENT PRAYER OP FAITH. 
 
 On his way to the house of the ruler Jairus, our 
 Saviour was followed by a pressing crowd, but 
 his sacred foosteps are arrested, and a cry that no 
 human ear might hear enters his heart. It is the 
 silent breathing of the spirit of a sick and lonely 
 one. She dares not attract the passing multitude ; 
 the world will turn coldly upon her, and cannot 
 satisfy her want. Conscious of her need and the 
 Saviour's power, if she " can but touch the hem of 
 his garment " she may be healed ; but will he turn 
 aside from his errand to the ruler's dwelling, to 
 notice or listen to this lonely one ? Hers though 
 silent was a prayer of holier, humbler, deeper faith, 
 than that of the ruler, and our Saviour's halting 
 footsteps, methinks, were to sow precious seed in 
 the hearts of the witnessing multitude, and teach us 
 a lesson which each of us should treasure. Humility 
 raises the soul from the dust, and brings it into con- 
 tact with the spirit of the Saviour. 
 
 " Though no sweet hymn ascended, 
 No murmur of prayer, 
 Yet He knew that the spirit 
 Of worship was there." 
 
 He saw that this humble one had fled from every 
 other hope and trusted in him alone to heal her in- 
 firmity ; he turns aside to listen to and answer hCp 
 
MATTHEW. 245 
 
 silent prayer. God knows the heart; its secret 
 wishes, its earnest desires cannot be hidden from 
 that eye that never slumbers or sleeps. The lowli- 
 est and most obscure of earth's children may hold 
 as high and sweet communion with God as the most 
 lofty and elevated. The moment a sinner will trust 
 as this woman trusted salvation is his ; he has only 
 to touch' the hem of the robe of righteousness, and 
 his pollution and infirmity are gone. The " multi- 
 tude " cannot keep us from the observation of the 
 Saviour; he knows all our wants, he remembereth 
 our frame and he knoweth we are but dust. Do we 
 fear to kneel at his mercy-seat ? Have we no words 
 to express the anxious desire to become a Chritrtian, 
 to be healed of the infirmity which has been in our 
 hearts for many long years ? We have only to read 
 of this woman's silent prayer. 
 
 " Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, 
 TJnuttered or expressed, 
 The motion of a hidden fire 
 That trembles in the breast. 
 
 " Prayer is the burden of a sigh, 
 The falling of a tear, 
 The upward glancing of an eye 
 "When none but God is near.'' 
 
 The Silent Prayer of Faith. — Matthew ix. 
 
 20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue 
 of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem 
 of his garment : 
 
246 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his gar- 
 ment, I shall be whole. 
 
 The LortTs Answer. — Matthew ix. 
 
 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he 
 said. Daughter, be of good comfort ; thy faith hath made thee 
 whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF TWO BLIND MEN. 
 
 Our Saviour on his return from tlte ruler's house, 
 is met by two afflicted ones. They are blind ; the 
 world with all its varied scenes is shut out from 
 their view ; they cannot even gaze on the blessed 
 form of Jesus, in whom is centered all their hope. 
 Though all is dark outwardly faith is shining clear 
 and bright in their hearts; Jesus is to them the 
 " Son of David," the promised Saviour, the King of 
 Israel ; they have come in blindness and in sorrow 
 to seek him, for they know he will restore them. 
 The prophets had predicted many times that the 
 Saviour would perform the miracle of unsealing 
 the eyes of the blind, and this is the first recorded 
 fulfillment of the prophecy. Our Lord had given 
 repeated proofs of his power to the " multitude," 
 and, as if satisfied for the present, goes away from 
 the crowd to the house of Andrew or Peter, and 
 would then quietly draw from these blind men the 
 
MATTHEW. 247 
 
 confession of their faith. It is evident they had 
 a knowledge of the Scriptures, and believed the 
 Saviour could open their eyes, and would answer 
 prayer. Oh that the blinded and deluded around 
 us would follow their example and offer their prayer. 
 God alone can perform the miracle of opening the 
 eyes of the spiritually blind. As our Saviour was 
 the only one who had ever performed the miracle 
 recorded in connection with this prayer, so can they 
 who are blind in sin be restored only by Him. He 
 hath said, "He that folio weth after me shall not 
 walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life," 
 and he is ever ready to fulfill this gracious promise. 
 The moral light which beams in on the soul of the 
 once blinded is but the reflected light of heaven. It 
 is drawn there by the earnest petition, the sincere 
 desire, and such was the prayer of "these blind 
 men." The more earnest we are, the brighter the 
 light beaming into the soul ; our eyes are opened, 
 and prayer illuminates the darkened understanding 
 with a halo of glory. The convicted sinner ex- 
 claims, " Once I was blind, but now I see ;" once 
 with my soul it was 
 
 " dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon ; 
 
 Irrevocably dark 1 total eclipse ;" 
 
 « 
 
 but day has dawned, and hope and faith have led 
 me to the mercy-seat ; there is no film before my 
 moral vision ; the eyes of my soul look over the 
 
248 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 thorny and rugged places of this wilderness, for be- 
 yond I see " the King in his beauty, and a place 
 where is no darkness, for there is no night there, 
 where they need no candle, neither light of the sun, 
 for the Lord God giveth them light." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew ix. 
 
 27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men f. 1- 
 lowed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy 
 on us. 
 
 28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men 
 came to him : and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am 
 able to do this ? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Matthew ix. 
 
 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying. According to your 
 faith be it unto you. 
 
 30 And their eyes were opened ; and Jesus straitly charged 
 them, saying. See that no man know it. 
 
 A PRAYER OF OUR BLESSED LORD. 
 
 It is when our Saviour prays that every Christian 
 heart is drawn closely to him. We feel he is " our 
 elder brother," and we walk in the "way of the 
 mercy-seat," following where his precious footsteps 
 have led us, to seek comfort and blessing, strength 
 and light. Oh! when we weep over dissourage- 
 ments and murmur at disappointments, we forget 
 
MATTHEW". 249 
 
 the Saviour prayed ; when our path in life seems so 
 dark we can see no " silver lining " to the clouds 
 that thickly gather, we forget the Saviour prayed ; 
 but it is that we might not forget this that we see 
 the Son of God looking upward while wandering 
 upon this desert waste. Oh ! does not the privilege 
 grow dearer to our souls when we think of this? 
 The prayer which we notice at present reveals the 
 wonderful truth that Grod's spirit dwells in the heart 
 of the true Christian. This our Saviour tells us 
 himself in the prayer. We have divine testimony 
 of a truth whose simplicity the wisdom of earth 
 cannot fathom, and yet whose power the simplest, 
 most unlettered child of Grod may comprehend and 
 feel. He attempts not to explain this great truth, 
 but simply tells of it, and resolves it all into the 
 will of " our Father in heaven." We have it from 
 our Saviour's lips, recorded in the word of life in 
 characters of living fire, sacred to all who believe 
 
 " To the humble disciple it is bread, but a stone to the proud and 
 
 unbelieving, 
 A scorner shall find nothing but the husks wherewith to feed his 
 
 hunger ; 
 But for the soul of the simple it is full of plenty and ripe wheat ; 
 Religion taketh by the hand the humble pupil of repentance, 
 And teacheth him lessons of mystery ; 
 Solving the questions of doubt, 
 She maketh man worthy of himself, 
 Of his high prerogative of reason, 
 Threadeth all the labyrinths of thought. 
 And leadeth him to his God." 
 
250 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 A Prayer of our Blessed Lord. — Matthew xi. 
 
 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O 
 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these 
 things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto 
 babes. 
 
 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 
 
 THE PRATER OF PETER. 
 
 If there are any wlio feel coDfident that nothing 
 can disturb their faith, learn from the prayer of a 
 man devoted to the Saviour, excitable in tempera- 
 ment, but unacquainted with his own heart, a lesson ; 
 learn to cast your all upon Christ, for in time of 
 trial your faith may waver like Peter's, and unless 
 your Saviour rescue you, you may sink in the sea 
 of despair. Alone in the mountain, our Saviour 
 had been engaged in prayer, and at the hour of sun- 
 rise hastened to join his disciples, whom he had 
 sent a little in advance of him in a ship. It was a 
 frail, open vessel, and exposed to the fury of the 
 waves, for the winds were contrary. But a cheer- 
 ing, peaceful voice is sounding over the waters, and 
 a form of light and love is treading them beneath 
 his feet. It is a voice assuring the disciples that 
 help is nigh at hand, and that the Saviour has come 
 to rescue them ; from their troubled spirits he would 
 
MATTHEW. 251 
 
 drive away all fear, and bids them trust in him. 
 Peter, confident in his faith, and trusting in it, is 
 upheld for a time as the waves bear him towards 
 the Lord; but as they dash around him he beoomes 
 fearful. Then comes his wild cry for help. As long 
 as his faith was fixed on the power of Christ he was 
 firm and supported, but the angry billow drew him 
 away, and he began to sink. He knows, however, 
 though the storm staggered his faith, his great de- 
 liverer is near. His prayer proves that Peter knew 
 where his safety lay, and where to flee in time of 
 danger. 
 
 Our Saviour bid him come to show him his weak- 
 ness, and to teach every humble follower of his since 
 the lesson, that would we walk firmly on the waves 
 of life's troubled ocean, we must never lose sight of 
 the Saviour, or become deaf to the declaration, "It 
 is T, be not afraid." We are frail beings, tossed and 
 easily overcome by the billows, but if God is our 
 strength we need not fear ; there is a land of peace 
 and beauty which no eye hath seen. This land can 
 only be reached by crossing a boisterous sea. If the 
 waves of sorrow seem about to engulf you, trust in 
 the Saviour to sustain you ; if one after another of 
 those you love fall around you, and you are in dan- 
 ger of sinking under the waters of affliction, go to 
 Jesus ; he will strengthen you that you may stand 
 upright on those waters, and you will be comforted 
 by the truth that " they who sleep in Jesus will God 
 
252 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 bring witli him " Is it the loss of property which 
 threatens to shake your dependence on the Almighty ? 
 listen to the voice " It is I " — in heaven is a more 
 enduring substance. Is it broken friendships, the 
 scattering of cherished hopes, the failure of plans, 
 which "like a sea of trouble" threatens to over- 
 whelm you, and lead you to forget the Saviour ? re- 
 member your "light afflictions " are working for you 
 a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 
 and after battling with the waves, Christ will gently 
 lead you to a heaven of rest — the winds will cease, 
 and the waves stop their moaning, for you will have 
 safely walked over the Avaters, and with outstretched 
 arms your Saviour waits with the joyful words, " It 
 is I, be not afraid. " trust not in your own strength, 
 or think your faith too strong to waver, till God has 
 tried you as he did Peter. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew xiv. 
 
 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus wont unto 
 them, walliing on the sea. 
 
 26 And when the disciples saw him waliiing on the sea, they 
 were troubled, saying, It is a spirit : and they cried out for fear. 
 
 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good 
 cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 
 
 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid 
 me come unto thee on the water. 
 
 29 And he said. Come. And when Peter was come down 
 out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 
 
 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and 
 beginning to sink, he cried, saying. Lord, save me. 
 
MATTHEW. 253 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Matthew xiv. 
 
 31 And immediately Jesus stretoiied forth his hand, and 
 caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore 
 didst thou doubt ? 
 
 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind 
 ceased. 
 
 THE PRATER OF THE SYROPHCEIflCrAN WOMAN. 
 
 Our Saviour, after denouncing tlie Scribes and 
 giving offence to them by exposing their delusions, 
 retired to the most remote part of the land in the 
 borders of Tyre and Sidon ; but his fame has reach- 
 ed this quiet place, and a mother a descendant of 
 the Oanaanites, a remnant of whom were settled in 
 Tyre, comes to him with a prayer for her afflicted 
 and diseased child. There has been a diversity of 
 opinion as to the precise nature of the malady; 
 some supposed it a nervous disease like epilepsy ; 
 others that Satan had such full possession of the 
 faculties as to produce a state of mind entirely sub- 
 servient to his will ; but whatever it was, we know 
 it was the cause of deep grief to the mother, and in- 
 duced her prayer to the Saviour. Filled with great 
 desire for the cure of her child, she is not diverted 
 from her purpose, though the Saviour apparently 
 does not hear her first petition ; he is trying her 
 
 12 
 
254 THE PKATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 faith, as lie often does that of his children now, and 
 "we would earnestly beg attention to the importunate, 
 resolute manner of this mother. The apparently 
 strange answer of our Saviour cannot divert her — 
 she is determined. Our Lord's answer that he is 
 sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel refers 
 to her Gentile origin. The Jews frequently called 
 them dogs. Satisfied that he was the Son of David, 
 the Messiah who was to come, she is sure he has the 
 power of casting out devils, and is therefore con- 
 vinced if she perseveres he will hear and answer 
 her, O learn from her to be earnest ; though God 
 delay the answer to our prayer, learn from this wo- 
 man to persevere. 
 
 " There are God and heaven above thee — 
 Wilt thou languish in despair ? 
 Tread thy woes beneath thy feet — 
 Scale the walls of heaven with prayer." 
 
 Be anxious to obtain a blessing ; ask often, and 
 do not weary. As God heard this mother so will 
 he hear you. "His arm is not shortened that he 
 cannot save, nor his ear heavy that he cannot hear." 
 However great the boon you crave you will receive 
 it, if you ask believingly and importunately. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew xv. 
 
 21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of 
 Tyre and Sidon. 
 
 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same 
 
MATTHEW. 255 
 
 coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, 
 thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a 
 devil. 
 
 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came 
 and besought him, saying, Send her awayj for she crieth after 
 us. 
 
 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost 
 sheep of the house of Israel. 
 
 25 Then came she and worshiped him, saying. Lord, help 
 me. 
 
 26 But he answered and said. It is not meet to take the chil- 
 dren's bread, and to east it to dogs. 
 
 27 And she said. Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the 
 crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Matthew xv. 
 
 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great 
 is thy faith : be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daugh- 
 ter was made whole from that very hour. 
 
 THE PRATER OF A MOTHER FOR HER SONS. 
 
 There is a dream of ambition in that mother's 
 heart as, with her sons, James and John, she comes 
 to the Saviour. Her petition is full of worldly 
 ambition. She asks for a high seat for her sons 
 among the wealthy and powerful of earth's children. 
 And what mother, as she reads this, will not say — 
 I, too, have made this prayer. Let them read it 
 carefully, with its connection and circumstances, as 
 
256 THE PRATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 well as tlie rebuking answer of our precious Lord, 
 for it will teacli a lesson that involves tlie eternal 
 happiness of those so near and dear to them. This 
 mother thought, with many others, that our Saviour's 
 reign on earth would be one of worldly triumph, of 
 pomp and power, and with a heart filled with pride 
 would exalt her sons to a high seat in Christ's earthly 
 kingdom. Their temporal position is filling her 
 heart, and is the burden of her prayer. Our Saviour 
 mildly rebukes her, and gently tells her she knows 
 not what she is asking. And does not this, too, 
 teach us how short-sighted and feeble is our knowl- 
 edge in regard to our own best interests ? When 
 we have this or that desire, and flee to the great 
 Giver, should we not say " Not my will by thine be 
 done ?" Attempt not to make out your own path, 
 for you will stumble on many a dark landing-place, 
 when all seemed light before you. Mothers dedi- 
 cate your little ones to God, guide them to his mercy- 
 seat, let him do whatsoever seemeth good in his 
 sight, let their spiritual interests be your great end 
 in training them, and God will be the arbiter of their 
 destiny, both for time and eternity. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew xx. 
 
 20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with 
 her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 
 
 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto 
 him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right 
 hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 
 
MATTHEW. 257 
 
 The LorcCs Answer. — Matthew xx. 
 
 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. 
 Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be 
 baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ? They say 
 unto him, We are able. 
 
 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, 
 and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with : but 
 to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, 
 but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Fa- 
 ther. 
 
 THE PEATEE OF THE FIVE FOOLISH VIEGINS. 
 
 The short prayer contained in this forcible parable 
 is full of deep meaning and vital interest to every 
 soul. Ere we pass it by, would it not be well for us 
 to examine ourselves as to which class we belong — 
 to the wise or the foolish ? Have we oil in our 
 lamps, and are they trimmed and burning, or are 
 we slumbering in darkness? In one of these classes 
 each of us has taken his position, and it becomes us 
 to see what answer will be made when we offer the 
 petition, " Lord open unto us." If we are not on 
 the side of the wise, in vain will be our cry ; if we 
 are not watching, with our lamps trimmed and burn- 
 ing, we will find no entrance into the kingdom of 
 our blessed Lord ; but we have a promise, sure be- 
 cause it is Jehovah's, that if we are ready we may 
 
258 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 enter in. There are many about us wtio are bearing 
 tlieir lamps, but we fear tbey are empty. In igno- 
 rance, it may be, tbey are carrying tbem without 
 oil, and they are neither trimmed nor burning. Some 
 who are bearing the name of Christian, some who 
 have enlisted under the "Captain of Salvation," 
 but who are resting in darkness, shall find when 
 they reach the shadowy valley there will be no light 
 to guide them through its mazes — the door of that 
 city, whose builder and maker is God, will be closed 
 upon them forever. Oh ! how earnestly we would 
 plead with the careless to look at and ponder over 
 this prayer. There is a deep meaning in its figura- 
 tive language. Let every Christian weigh well this 
 meaning ; let him see to it his own lamp is trimmed 
 and burning, that others, seeing his light, may be 
 led to the path which he has chosen — a path of 
 peace and righteousness, and one that leads to 
 
 " That land, and that alone, 
 Where tears are all forgotten. 
 And sorrow is unknown." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew xxv. 
 
 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, 
 open to us. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Matthew xxv. 
 
 12 But he answrered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know 
 you not. 
 
 IS Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the 
 hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 
 
MATTHEW. 259 
 
 THE PEAYER OF THE DISCIPLES AT MEAT WITH OUB 
 SAVIOUR. 
 
 At table the disciples of our Saviour are seated. 
 He has just announced a sorrowful truth which has 
 left its impress of sadness on the countenances of 
 each, and caused the short and earnest prayer now 
 under consideration. Knowing their love to Jesus, 
 as he announces that one among them is a betrayer, 
 they, like true Christians, examine their own hearts ; 
 they would be satisfied with their present position ; 
 and as the united prayer is made to Jesus, there is 
 one tongue silent — it is that of the betrayer. As if 
 conscious of the great truth, that the eyes of the 
 Lord are upon all, and that nothing can be conceal- 
 ed, and yet to deceive the disciples, his inquiry is 
 made after their prayer. Judas, notwithstanding his 
 plausible conduct, was a hypocrite and a dishonest 
 man ; sin had a full and firm possession of his heart, 
 and Satan's deep, dark teachings, were listened to 
 by him and guided him. As we read in the holy 
 word of God, his sacred will, and the denunciations, 
 so deep and heavy against every class of sinner, oh 
 let us go to Jesus with the inquiry, with the deep 
 earnestness of prayer, " Lord, is it I?" Let us give 
 no rest to these bodies or souls, until an approving 
 conscience and inward feeling of sin pardoned, and 
 peace with God is ours, until we can feel our Fa- 
 
260 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 ther's smile is on us, when he whispers to our spirits 
 in the hour of prayer, " There is now therefore, no 
 more condemnation to them who are in Christ," 
 "for he has given his angels charge over thee, to 
 keep thee in all thy ways." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew xxvi. 
 
 21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that 
 one of yon shall betray me. 
 
 22 And they were exceeding sorrowfu}, and began every one 
 of them to say anto him, Lord, is it 1? 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Matthew xxvi. 
 
 23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with 
 me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 
 
 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him : but wo 
 unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed ! it had 
 been good for that man if he had not been born. 
 
 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, 
 Master, is it I ? 
 
 The Lord's Answer. 
 25 He said unto him, Thou hast said. 
 
 A PRAYER OF OUR SAVIOUR. 
 
 Dr. Chalmers on this subject says, (and we prefer 
 to quote the words of this sainted man,) "I know I 
 am treading on the confines of mystery ; I cannot 
 tell the battle our Saviour fought, I cannot compute 
 
MATTHEW. 261 
 
 the terror or the strength of his enemies, I cannot 
 say, for I have not been told, how it was that they 
 stood in marshaled and hideous array against him ; 
 nor can I measure how great the firm daring of his 
 soul, when he tasted that cup in all its bitterness, 
 which he prayed might pass away from him ; when 
 with the feeling that he was forsaken by his God, 
 " he trod the winepress alone." With his three dis- 
 ciples, Peter, James, and John, in the garden of 
 Gethsemane, our Saviour is exceeding sorrowful in 
 view of his sufferings and death. Oh the deep 
 mystery of those tears — the mystery of those pray- 
 ers ! Could nothing else but these, man, lift up 
 thy ruined, withered soul to heaven ? Could nothing 
 but the groan, the sigh, the agony, of God's only 
 Son, restore thee to his love and favor ? Let us not 
 dare to tread where an angel's desire may not be 
 gratified, but listen in awe, and reverence to the 
 Saviour's prayer. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew xxvi. 
 
 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and 
 prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass 
 from me : nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 
 
 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, 
 my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I 
 drink it, thy will be done. 
 
 The Answer. — Luke xxii. 43. 
 
 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, 
 strengthening him. 
 
262 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 " It passed not, though the stormy wave 
 
 Had sunk beneath his tread ; 
 It passed not, though to Him the grave 
 
 Had yielded up its dead. 
 But there was sent him from on high 
 
 A gift of strength for man to die. 
 And was his mortal hour beset 
 
 With anguish and dismay ? 
 How may we meet our conflict yet, 
 
 In the dark narrow way ? 
 How but through Him that path who trod ? 
 
 ' Save or we perish 1' Son of God." 
 
 PRAYER OF OTJR SAVIOUR FROM THE CROSS. 
 
 It was tlie design of the Atonement — deep and 
 unfatliomable though the mystery — that our blessed 
 Lord should endure all that was possible for human 
 nature to suffer, both spiritually and physically. 
 In the touching language of Isaiah, " He bore our 
 griefs and carried our sorrows ; he was wounded for 
 our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was 
 laid upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." 
 Darkness deep and heavy brooded over the earth for 
 the space of three hours. " During the time the dark- 
 ness lasted, our Lord appears to have relapsed into 
 his garden agony. It seems to have been part of 
 the Divine plan, that he should again labor under 
 the hiding of the Father's face, and again be op- 
 pressed by the consciousness of the weight and bur- 
 
MATTHEW. 263 
 
 den of that sin in man for whioli he laid down his 
 life."* Terror deep and heavy is in the hearts of 
 the witnessing multitude, and the rending rocks and 
 trembling earth proclaim, that if 
 
 " A God bleeds, he bleeds not for a worm.'' 
 
 In agony the depth of which no finite mind cai 
 fathom — for it was the wrath of God on milliow 
 concentrated on our great Saviour's head — the mys 
 terious prayer is made. Angels are about him ir 
 that hour, but 
 
 " I feel the farthest stars 
 Are all stricken and shaken, 
 And I know a shadow sad and broad 
 Doth fall— doth fall 
 On the vacant thrones in heaven. 
 Voice from the cross — My God, my God, 
 Why hast thou me forsaken I" 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Matthew xxvii. 
 
 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the 
 land unto the ninth hour. 
 
 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice 
 saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani] that is to say. My God, mj 
 God, why hast thou forsaken me ? 
 
 Kitto. 
 
264 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 PRAYER OF THE MAW THAT HAD BEEN POSSESSED 
 "WITH A DEVIL. 
 
 Quieted and calmed by the power of Jesus, the 
 once diseased but now healed person comes to our 
 Lord with a prayer. Like too many, he would 
 mark out a line of duty for himself, or live quietly 
 on in the presence of the Saviour, without spreading 
 the go od news of his remarkable cure. He earnest- 
 ly asks to be admitted into the ship where our 
 Saviour was ; but there was work for this healed 
 man to do. " He was born to wrestle not to reign." 
 He was to lead others to the great physician who 
 had restored him, and spread abroad the wisdom 
 and the power of Jesus. Tell, Christian, those 
 who are going on in carelessness, what God hath 
 done for you ; if you are the subjects of his grace. 
 This is not your place of rest ; labor, labor still, labor 
 on for Grod. You have a work to do while life lasts ; 
 that night is coming when you can work no longer. 
 Never grow weary in well doing, but " sow beside 
 all waters ;" let not an aching wearied heart deter 
 you, for in sickness you can work ; your sweet and 
 patient example, your smile of submission, may lead 
 some disturbed and forsaken soul to trust in the 
 " God of your love." In health, when the arm is 
 strong and the intellect vigorous, you can work 
 mightily to " the pulling down the strongholds of 
 
MARK. 265 
 
 sin and Satan," prayer will strengthen your arm for 
 the battle, your fingers for the fight. Then too 
 there is a field in which every Christian must serve 
 a severe warfare, in the silent, secret world within 
 him, that others may see the kingdom of God that 
 cometh not with observation is indeed set up there. 
 Is it not labor to struggle and strive against the re- 
 bellious thoughts, the sinful desires, the wicked im- 
 pulses, which make their way in every breast, and 
 yet this is your labor, which is indeed in vain, if 
 your prayer for strength goes not up with it. He 
 that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a 
 city, and it is only he that can work for God who 
 can govern himself — a government which can only 
 be accomplished by much and earnest prayer. Let 
 God guide you in your requests, place yourself in 
 his hands, commend yourselves to him, that you 
 may show to others, as well as feel yourself, the 
 good he hath done for your soul. Oh, we fear there 
 are many who are entering the ship where Christ is, 
 thinking to rest in the light of his presence, without 
 working for the advancement of his cause and king- 
 dom in the world. Such have forgotten to pray — 
 
 " Father above, in tender mercy look 
 On us thy children. Through the o'ershadowing cloud 
 Of sorrow and mortality send aid. 
 Save, or we perish. We would pour our lives 
 Forth, as a joyous offering to thy truth ; 
 But we are weak. We, the bruised reeds of earth, 
 Are swayed by every gust." 
 
266 TEE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 But prayer will make us strong ; prayer will fill our 
 hearts with an energy which God alone can give, 
 and which he requires of every created being. There 
 is a nice distinction, and one which God makes, be: 
 tween the religion of action and the religion of sen 
 timent. There are many who love the beautiful in 
 religion, whose tears flow freely at the tale of wo, 
 whose hearts are trained to the emotions of be- 
 nevolence, but the sympathy of such a one is 
 quicker to be spoken of than acted upon. His 
 sensibilities are easily disgusted, and he is careful 
 his field of action shall never lead him beyond what 
 is refined and of good report. We speak of this 
 class at present because the world is full of just such 
 persons ; there are so few who have professed to be 
 the followers of Christ who are living religously, 
 according to the rules laid down in the inspired vol- 
 ume. Eeligion is not in word and in tongue only, 
 but in deed and in truth ; not mere feeling, but prin- 
 ciple ; not some mysterious change, which at some 
 time may have raised you to the seventh heaven of 
 rapture, to let you fall deeper into the depths of 
 sloth and inactivity : no, the "change of heart, the 
 new birth," wakens every nerve into activity in the 
 service of God. You must, in the language of Chal- 
 mers, " go to the poor man's cottage, though no ver- 
 dure flourish around it, and no rivulet be nigh to 
 delight you with the gentleness of its murmurs.". 
 There is a feeling in the hearts of many, which 
 
MARK. 267 
 
 steals upon them under the semblance of virtue ; it 
 is supported by the delusive coloring of imagination 
 and poetry ; it has all the graces of literature to re- 
 commend it; yet by it vanity is soothed, and con- 
 science lulled to repose. Oh, beware 1 it is nothing 
 else but a "dream of feeling." "Go home to thy 
 friends," every human being, the poor, the blind, 
 the wretched, the loathsome ; the black and the 
 white are all included in the class, and methinks as 
 these words came from the Saviour's lips, in answer 
 to the healed man's prayer, there was a depth of 
 meaning, which should fill our hearts with love to 
 every human soul, which would lead us in very 
 truth to tell all and every one how great compassion 
 the Lord hath shown to us. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Mark v. 
 
 18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been 
 possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 
 
 The Lordh Answer. — Mark v. 
 
 19 Howbeit Jesus sufTered him not, but saith unto him, Go 
 home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord 
 hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 
 
268 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 THE PRATER OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF OUR 
 SAVIOUR. 
 
 As a part of the mysterious work of redemption, 
 a part of the grand, the awful, and merciful plan of 
 salvation, the mother of our blessed Lord was chosen 
 from the humblest of earth's cliildren to become the 
 "blessedest of women;" lowliest, but most glorified 
 — chosen of heaven to guard with her love and care 
 the helpless infancy of the Eedeemer. Oh, mystery ! 
 deep and strange, 
 
 " Mother, teara were mingled 
 "With thy costly blood-drops, 
 In the shadow of the atoning cross." 
 
 And the Saviour, the Captain of our salvation, 
 the Judge of the world, the Son of God himself, 
 was "born of a virgin;" his mother, "Mary, the 
 poor maiden of Nazareth." This prayer, or rather 
 hymn, is full of poetry as well as piety and thank- 
 fulness for God's mercy in thus choosing her from 
 among women to be the mother of the Saviour. A 
 sweet strain in it refers to her ancestors, and that 
 battle between Saul and David, when the " slight 
 stripling of the mountain -fold " displaced and took 
 the throne of the proud monarch. It was because 
 the Lord had regarded her low estate, it was because 
 " He that is mighty hath done to me great things, 
 and holy is his name." It was all the Lord's doing, 
 
MAEK. 269 
 
 marvelous in her eyes, and to him she gives all the 
 glory. There are no reflections in her own mind 
 as to the cause of this great distinction ; had there 
 been, she would have shown herself unworthy. Her 
 thoughts go out from herself, and what he has done 
 for her engages her soul. '' It is not in me, but it is 
 in thee," is the burden of all her reflections. Her- 
 self a sinner, her mind contemplates the great bene- 
 fit conferred on a ruined world, aud she rejoices in 
 God her Saviour, in the fulfillment of the promise 
 to Israel, and the blessing infinite to future genera- 
 tions. Mary's soul is full of humility, 
 
 " I am not proud — not proud ; 
 Albeit in my flesh God sent his Bon, 
 Albeit over him my head is bowed 
 As others bow before him, still mine heart 
 Bows lower than their knees. 0, centuries 
 That roll in vision, yi.ur futurities 
 My future grave athwart, 
 Whose murmurs seem to reach me 
 While I keep watch o'er this sleep, 
 Say of me as the heavenly said. Thou art 
 The blessedest of women — blessedest. 
 Not holiest, not noblest." 
 
 There is but little revealed to us on the sacred 
 
 page regarding the youth of Jesus, and from the 
 
 time we see him a babe upon his mother's bosom, 
 
 " A king without regalia, 
 A God without the thunder, 
 A child without the heart to play, 
 Aye, a Creator rent asunder," 
 
270 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 until we meet him in the temple, disputing with the 
 learned and wise, there is silence concerning him. 
 
 Here, then, is the prayer of the mother of the 
 Saviour, a part of that "free service which is all in 
 all to heaven," a " voice of praise and thanksgiving " 
 to the Great God of All for the gift of his son to a 
 lost, a perishing world. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke i. 
 
 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify tiie Lord. 
 
 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 
 
 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden ; 
 for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me 
 blessed. 
 
 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and 
 holy is his name. 
 
 60 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation 
 to generation. 
 
 61 He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered 
 the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 
 
 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and ex- 
 alted them of low degree. 
 
 63 He hath filled the hungry with good things ; and the rich 
 he hath sent empty away. 
 
 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his 
 mercy ; 
 
 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed 
 for ever. 
 
LUKE. 271 
 
 THE PRATER OF SIMEON IN THE TEMPLE. 
 
 After the "custom of tlie law," Mary and Joseph 
 had brought the infant Jesus to the temple. Simeon, 
 a man of great piety, residing at Jerusalem, had re- 
 ceived a divine intimation that he should live to see 
 the Eedeemer, and it is in the temple he meets him 
 ■with his parents. He had long waited for the " con- 
 solation of Israel," the coming of the promised 
 Messiah, and now his prayers were answered ; the* 
 desire of his waiting, anxious heart gratified, the old 
 man is permitted to enfold the Saviour in his arms, 
 and lift his soul to heaven in gratitude. By his 
 prayer we infer he was especially endued with the 
 spirit of prophecy, and his mind stretches far be- 
 yond the narrow Jewish point of view. He sees 
 the kingdom of the Redeemer extending not over 
 one nation or people, but filling the earth with its 
 blessings ; not only a glory to the Jew, but a light 
 to the Gentile also. He tells the mother of our 
 Lord, "with the clear, sharp tongue of prophecy," 
 of the sword that should pierce through her own 
 soul. 
 
 Dr. Kitto says of this remark of Simeon, and the 
 one preceding it, " It is an important addition to his 
 prayer, for we learn by it that he believed that Is- 
 rael would be eventually glorified in the Messiah, 
 
272 THE PRAYEKS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 yet that at first he would be to them a stone of 
 stumbling, and a rock of offence." 
 
 Simeon calls the child Jesus, the " Salvation of 
 Grod," because in his person all the purposes and 
 promises of salvation are centered ; in him are grace, 
 mercy, and peace, from God the father and the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. The old man's work is done ; he is 
 ready to obey his Father's call, ready to lie down in 
 peace, ready for his home in heaven. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke ii. 
 
 27 And he came by the spirit into the temple : and when the 
 parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the cus- 
 tom of the law, 
 
 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and 
 said, 
 
 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, accord- 
 ing to thy word : 
 
 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 
 
 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 
 
 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy peo- 
 ple Israel. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF ANNA. 
 
 The union of old age and piety is always attract- 
 ive. It is a peaceful twilight after a long and busy 
 day ; life mellowed into ripeness ; the " start and the 
 flush, and the idle dream all over," and a temporary 
 calm for the soul ere it takes its journey toward its 
 
LUKE. 273 
 
 everlasting home. The sketch of the character and 
 life of Anna in the Bible furnish materials for an 
 interesting biography, and to the Christian one of 
 peculiar attractiveness. Lonely and desolate, and 
 yet not lonely and desolate, although for many years 
 a widow, she had chosen that Friend for her guide 
 who is the " God of the widow, and father of the 
 fatherless." Anna was a woman of prayer, living 
 near to the temple, and as we are not told of her 
 having any family, we find her devoting herself to 
 God, free from the vexations incident upon domes- 
 tic duties. It does not seem to have been necessary 
 for her to be careful and anxious about anything but 
 the spiritual welfare of herself and people, not that 
 these things should exempt any from the duties they 
 owe to God, for there are few who cannot imitate 
 Anna in her daily stated times of prayer, and though 
 domestic duties may crowd and press us sometimes, 
 like the traveler who stops to take necessary rest 
 and food, we may still keep on our journey, if we 
 gather daily strength for it from prayer. This de- 
 voted Christian came into the temple at the time of 
 Simeon's prayer ; her eyes were permitted to gaze 
 on the " Hope of Israel," the infant Saviour. Like 
 an active Christian she spake of him to the pious 
 remnant of her people ; spoke of redemption and 
 its wondrous plan — " out of the abundance of the 
 heart the mouth speaketh." It is but a poor, 
 paltry excuse the Christian offers that he has no 
 
274 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 gift of speech in this matter, that his tongue is sealed 
 in silence, when careless sinners are all around them. 
 Is your soul full of love to your God, and can you 
 not tell of it to the dying, perishing children of men? 
 Is your heart bursting with the riches of his grace, 
 which He has poured into your otherwise ruined 
 soul, and are your lips sealed, and that grace a se- 
 cret you are shutting within the portals of your own 
 heart? We have some excuse to make for natural 
 dif&dence, but the grace of God will make the " righ- 
 teous as bold as a lion." Learn timid Christian to 
 fear your God, not man — ^poor, puny worm of the 
 dust, bound to an eternity of misery or happiness. 
 Oh ! it is time the closed lips of the Christian should 
 be unsealed. Ye, who are young, look at the aged 
 Anna. Tell me not of experience and years in her 
 case fitting her more than you for God's work ; there 
 is no such thing as age in Christian life. The mo- 
 ment a sinner believes, he has a heart full of rich 
 treasures God bids him dispense among the famish- 
 ing and hungry. Anna had been a working, active, 
 devoted, prayerful Christian all her life long; this 
 brought her a serene and quiet old age. Life was 
 full of pleasant memories — her prayers were stored 
 in heaven. Would you be like Anna imitate her 
 example ; neglect not the little circle where two or 
 three are gathered to worship God ; neglect not the 
 holy sanctuary, neglect not the duties of the closet 
 — and your experience will be sweet; "Age cannot 
 
LUKE. 275 
 
 wither you;" and when "thy summons comes," like 
 "one who wraps the drapery of his couch about 
 him," you shall " lie down to pleasant dreams." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke ii. 
 
 36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of 
 Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser : she was of a great age, and had 
 lived with an husband seven years from her virginity ; 
 
 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, 
 which departed not from the temple, but served God with fast- 
 ings and prayers night and day. 
 
 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto 
 the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemp- 
 tion in Jerusalem. 
 
 THE PRATEE OF SIMON PETER. 
 
 On the calm bosom of a peaceful lake, in a boat 
 near the shore, are a few poor fishermen ; they have 
 toiled all day, and as yet have taken nothing. They 
 are loved by the Saviour, and as the eager crowd 
 press closely after him, he enters the vessel-of Simon, 
 to talk with him and make there an exhibition of 
 his power. Their boat is pushed lightly a little far- 
 ther from the shore, in obedience to the command 
 of Jesus, arid the nets let down into the water; but 
 so great is the weight of fish in them they can 
 scarcely be brought up again. Overcome by the 
 
276 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 words and the miraculous power of the Saviour, 
 Simon Peter in deep humility prostrates himself at 
 his feet, confesses his own sinful nature and weak- 
 ness. His prayer is full of the feeling of unworthi- 
 ness expressed by every truly convicted and con- 
 verted person. Scott says, this miracle itself was 
 emblematic of many things relative to the preaching 
 of the gospel, and especially of Peter's great success 
 on the day of Pentecost. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke v. 
 
 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, 
 saying, Depart not from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Luke v. 
 
 10 And Jesus said unto Simon, Pear not; from henceforth 
 thou shalt catch men. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF PETER ON THE MOUNT. 
 
 It is the hour of prayer, for our Saviour has taken 
 with him his three disciples, Peter, James, and John, 
 for the especial object of devotion, and we are ex- 
 pressly told they went up into a mountain to pray. 
 It was on this occasion the wonderful scene of the 
 transfiguration of Christ occurred, and the amaze- 
 ment created by it in the mind of Peter bewildered 
 him so that he scarcely knew what he was saying. 
 
LUKE. 277 
 
 Two angelic beings were near the Saviour, talking 
 witli him. They were the glorified spirits of Blias 
 and Moses. Peter's prayer seems prompted by a 
 fear that these beings would disappear. Dr. Kitto" 
 says Moses and Blias were the chiefs of the law and 
 the prophets, who came, as it were, to give testi- 
 mony and homage to the Consummator, who had in 
 these latter days appeared, to finish the work which 
 they had in their day been employed to advance 
 and prepare. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke ix. 
 
 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter 
 said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here : and let us 
 make three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, and 
 one for Elias : not knowing what he said. 
 
 The Answer.— Ijoke ix. 
 
 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshad- 
 owed them : and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 
 
 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is 
 my beloved Son : hear him. 
 
 86 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. 
 
 THE PEATER OF THE PRODIGAL SOIf. 
 
 A wanderer from his father's love, his home and 
 friends, the prodigal is in a state of abject servitude 
 and misery. The world with its thousand syren 
 
 13 
 
278 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 voices, had lured him from the path of virtue ; dis- 
 sipation in its most bitter form had made him 
 wretched ; his eyes had been dazzled by the attrac- 
 tive light of a "wasting, consuming fire, and he is 
 ready to perish. In his present forlorn condition, 
 the poor man, in the expressive phrase of Scripture, 
 " came to himself," he has all along acted against 
 reason, judgment, and conscience ; sin has blinded 
 him, but now deep and bitter reflections awaken 
 him to a sense of degradation and misery; but 
 there is something to be done if he would be re- 
 lieved — he must resolve. Observe the promptness 
 of his resolution after he sees his true state ; perhaps 
 his father will hear him although he has despised 
 his authority and wasted his substance. There is a 
 hope — a "beam of comfort like the moon through 
 clouds ; " it inspires him to " arise and go to his fa- 
 ther," and while he is yet a great way off, that 
 father forgives him, has compassion on him, falls on 
 his neck as he comes to him, and receives him as a 
 child. God is willing to receive every sinner just 
 as this father did his son, if " coming to himself," 
 he resolve in prayer to seek him. 
 
 " The greatest attribute of heaven is mercy ; 
 And 'tis the crown of justice, and the glory, 
 Where it may kill with right. 
 To save with pity." 
 
 There is a general and intellectual conviction of 
 sin which remains as it were shut up in the heart or 
 
LUKE. 279 
 
 understanding, qpd there is another which controls 
 all the affections and acts, which makes a man a 
 Christian; it leads him to prayer, and makes him 
 prompt in serving God. David was a man in whose 
 life we see distinctly these two states of feeling, one 
 before JSTathan came to him and the other after. 
 The latter was the feeling of the prodigal. We do 
 not find him remaining where he is, but active in 
 using the means to ameliorate his condition, he goes 
 to his father. Eeader, have you done this? Are 
 you often at the mercy-seat confessing your sin 
 against heaven? We know that many have felt 
 themselves sinners, their convictions have been deep, 
 billows may have rolled over the soul mountains 
 high, and yet the waters may not have washed 
 away one sin, or cleansed it from its deep pollution. 
 You must go with the spirit of the prodigal ; your 
 heavenly Father will come to meet you at your first 
 resolve to seek him. There is joy through all the 
 shining courts of heaven when one repenting sinner 
 comes to the mercy -seat. 
 
 " Satan trembles when he eeea 
 The weakest saint upon hia knees." 
 
 But Q-od, his Father and his Friend, is there to 
 meet him. It may be said by some who have no 
 idea of God's justice, no conception of his broken 
 law, our own case and this prodigal are entirely dis- 
 similar ; our course has not been one of recklessness 
 and folly ; to such we would say, sin has made you. 
 
280 THE PEATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 like him, miserable and wretched; sin has made 
 you a wanderer from your Father's heart and love, 
 and the words of living fire on the page of Holy 
 Writ tell you, "If a man say he hath no sin he de- 
 ceiveth himself" All have sinned and come short 
 of the glory of God. As long as you do not arise 
 and go to the Father whom you have offended, you 
 are in a state of abject misery; however brightly 
 the world may smile upon you, you are feeding on 
 husks. Oh, be warned in time! We would lead 
 you to return with the prodigal, we would show 
 you the affectionate embrace of the Father, the 
 hearty welcome ; and the peace of that restored 
 heart. His prayer is simple but ef&cacious ; it enters 
 the father's heart, and so will yours if you will go 
 with him. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke xv. 
 
 20 And he arose, and eame to his father. But when he was 
 yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and 
 ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 
 
 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against 
 heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called 
 thy son. 
 
 The Answer. 
 
 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best 
 robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes 
 on his feet : 
 
 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it ; and let us 
 eat, and be merry : 
 
 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, 
 and is found. 
 
LUKE. 281 
 
 THE PRAYER OF DIVES. 
 
 The following prayer is a wail of agony from the 
 depth of that hell to which all the impenitent are 
 destined ; the day of mercy with that soul is over, 
 and the time for prayer to God passed away forever. 
 Through the long ages of a "limitless future" will 
 tha;t wail come up deeper and louder to tell of the 
 agony of a ruined soul. Our Saviour in his teach- 
 ings to the multitude has introduced this parable of 
 the rich and poor man, which, in its grand outlines, 
 is being continually acted out under the eye of even 
 the most careless observer at the present time. The 
 earthly and spiritual condition of the two men are 
 forcibly delineated, and the final result is given to 
 show us the destiny of all who must come under 
 either one of the classes these two men so strikingly 
 represent. We shall be particular in our notice of 
 this prayer, hoping we may, by our plainness of 
 speech, arrest the eye of the mere worldling. He 
 who makes it, it will be observed, is not guilty 
 of the grosser vices ; his were sins we may call 
 "popular sins," fashionable among those whom 
 the world worships, and whose favor many are so 
 earnestly seeking. The rich man was of the stock 
 of Abraham, a Jew, and we may infer had a form 
 of godliness also. He fared sumptuously — all that 
 wealth could bring in the way of luxury was 
 
282 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 his; but these were not enumerated as sins, he 
 might have had all these and been a devoted child 
 of Grod. We cannot think him a miser, for his ta- 
 ble was sumptuous, and no doubt he entertained 
 those who were congenial to him ; but we may infer 
 safely they were not the lowly followers of Christ, 
 or Lazarus would not have been despised. Me- 
 thinks I hear some reader ask. What, then, was this 
 man's sin ? and to such we would reply. In not using 
 his wealth to the glory of God — he had forgotten 
 the poor and the sick, the miserable and dying beg- 
 gar. Grace was a stranger to his heart ; that grace 
 which brings with it a tenderness of spirit that en- 
 ables its possessor to feel that earth's poorest and 
 most miserable children are brethren ; that will 
 not permit him to hear one sigh of the distressed 
 without relieving it, and will keep ever in his hand 
 "the cup of cold water" which he, as a Christian, 
 dare not or will not withhold. There are many, 
 dear reader, who are living as this rich man lived, 
 many who can weep over imaginary wo, but 
 never see the real misery which they may lighten ; 
 many of ou.r own , loved friends whose hearts 
 beat quicker when told of this or that scene of 
 sorrow, but who will not go with you to the 
 midst of it ; there is many a poor beggar lying at 
 their gates, whom they are despising and sending 
 empty away. God forbid you should ever be brought 
 to the misery of Dives ! Ere the echo of his sor- 
 
LUKE. 283 
 
 rowing wail dies away on your ear, be warned of 
 your own danger. I tell you of it in the voice of 
 Christian love, the gay and worldly are singing to 
 your listening ears a sweet song that is lulling you 
 into a dangerous sleep, and no word of condemna- 
 tion comes from the world about you to show you 
 your condition ; you are not desolate and forsaken, 
 for "the rich have many friends," yet the few chosen 
 of God's children are asking you to go with them ; 
 they are praying for you, and beseeching you to 
 save yourself from the fate of Dives. This prayer, 
 and indeed the whole parable, is figurative, and 
 "Abraham's bosom," according to Scott, means a 
 place near that "father of the faithful," that occu- 
 pied by the beggar, and is intended to shadow forth 
 the joy of the believing soul after death ; the posi- 
 tion of the rich man exhibits a vivid picture of the 
 misery of the lost. The latter part of the narrative 
 furnishes the true Christian with a powerful argu- 
 ment against those false doctrines which the holy 
 word predicts shall deceive the very elect ; it tells 
 the tormented spirit "one shall not rise from the 
 dead to minister to his brethren in holy things." 
 God has his own shining hosts to camp about the 
 good man's tent, but they are not the souls of those 
 who have entered the pit of despair. Angels form 
 a quiet ministry to those who are the heirs of salva- 
 tion ; how, or when, or where, it is not given to man 
 to know, for they belong to the army of God, who 
 
284 THE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 does his own will among tlie sttining troops before 
 his everlasting throne ; his ways are not our ways, 
 neither are his thoughts our thoughts. We know 
 his children are guarded and watched while they 
 are lingering near his mercy-seat. We have Moses 
 and the prophets, the voice of justice and of tender 
 compassion ; we have the warnings of earthly friends, 
 and a vivid picture of the eternally happy and 
 eternally miserable ; and is not this enough ? God 
 in his answer would and does say, enough ! 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke xvi. 
 
 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was car- 
 ried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also 
 died, and was buried; 
 
 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and 
 seeth Abraham afar oif, and Lazarus in his bosom. 
 
 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on 
 me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in 
 water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 
 
 The Answer. — Luke xvi. 
 
 25 But Abraham said. Son, remember that thou in thy life- 
 time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil 
 things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 
 
 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great 
 gulf fixed : so that they which would pass from hence to you 
 cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would come from 
 thence. 
 
 Continuation of Dives' Prayer. — Luke xvi. 
 
 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou 
 wouldest send him to my father's house : 
 
LUKE. 285 
 
 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, 
 lest they also come into this place of torment. 
 
 The Answer. — Luke xvi. 
 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the 
 prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from 
 the dead. 
 
 PRATER OP THE TEN LEPERS. 
 
 On tlie borders of Samaria or Galilee, a company 
 of men suffering with leprosy, having heard of the 
 fame of Jesus, and his ability to cure this hopeless 
 disease, have come to beseech him to heal them. 
 Lepers are among the last who are mentioned as 
 seeking the aid of Jesus, and when his great power 
 was spoken of by those who followed him, many 
 said, he hath not yet healed a leper. The ten ac- 
 knowledge the power of Jesus, their disease is the 
 same, their prayer for help the same, but in the 
 spirit of but one is that heaven-born feeling, grati- 
 tude. Christ had listened to their prayer and healed 
 them, and sent them to their priests to obtain from 
 them a formal attestation of their cure — to perform 
 the rite of purification according to law. All were 
 healed, but there is only one who returns thanks for 
 the benefit received. Our Saviour's question as to 
 where are the nine, methinks ought to startle the 
 
286 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 heart of every careless Christian, for there are many, 
 very many, who have received daily and hourly 
 mercies, and have forgotten with these nine to give 
 thanks to God. Jesus commends the faith of the 
 grateful-hearted man, as he falls in thankfulness at 
 his feet. It is probable the one who returned and 
 glorified God, alone of all of them really believed 
 in Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. 
 This faith in his heart caused his thanksgiving, for 
 we are told the others went back to the temple, and 
 it may be there returned thanks to God ; but their 
 gratitude was not the offspring of faith — the spon- 
 taneous outbreak of a Christian heart, and thanks- 
 giving to Jesus as their immediate benefactor ; else, 
 why does the Saviour commend so particularly the 
 conduct of this one leper ? It would be well for 
 the reader to refer to the few verses following the 
 leper's prayer. It will more distinctly show him 
 the difference between them, and open the heart of 
 the one leper, in whom the " kingdom of God " was 
 indeed set up. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke xvii. 
 
 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him 
 ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off; 
 
 13 And they lifted up their voices, "and said, Jesus, Master, 
 have mercy on us. 
 
 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show your- 
 selves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they 
 went, they were cleansed. 
 
LUKE. 287 
 
 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned 
 back, and with a loud voice glorified God. 
 
 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: 
 and he was a Samaritan. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — Luke xvii. 
 
 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed ? 
 but where are the nine ? 
 
 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, 
 save this stranger. 
 
 19 And he said unto him. Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath 
 made thee whole. 
 
 THE PBAYERS OF THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN 
 
 We will not separate these two prayers, for, con- 
 nected like the light and shadow in a picture, the 
 effect is more startling, and may make a deeper im- 
 pression on the heart. Here are two men going up 
 into the temple to pray, just as we all go at the sound 
 of the Sabbath bell, and a few at the hour for social 
 prayer. There is nothing in the exterior of these 
 two men that would particularly attract our atten- 
 tion, for both have gone there to pray. It is after 
 they enter we observe the difference. The one with 
 drooping eyes comes like a grateful almsman and 
 humbly begs his bread; the other is like one "the 
 music of whose own vain tongue doth ravish like 
 enchanting harmony." One is "poor, and blind, 
 
288 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 and naked," the other full, proud, and satisfied. One 
 Las seen himself with the eye of faith a lost and 
 ruined soul, and seeks the only remedy ; the other's 
 heart still nurses that deadly passion which blinds 
 him to his sin, and brings before his deluded vision 
 his imagined virtue. One would exalt, the other 
 abase himself, when communing with the Omnipo- 
 tent Jehovah. Let us examine well these two pray- 
 ers, for they represent two large classes in this world 
 of ours. The Publican knew himself — the Pharisee 
 did not. This knowledge made the one humble, 
 and the want of this filled the heart of the other 
 with pride. 
 
 " Acquaint thee with thyself, man ! so shalt thou be humble ; 
 The hard, hot desert of thy heart shall blossom with the lily and 
 
 and the rose ; 
 The frozen cliffs of pride shall melt as an iceberg in the tropics." 
 
 All that thou hast done, all thou canst ever do in 
 thy own poor, puny strength, can never win for thee 
 the crown in heaven. God has to do with thy heart. 
 All its secret springs, its hidden desires, its unseen 
 emotions, are naked and open to that all-seeing eye, 
 which knows no sleeping. Then, wherefore wouldst 
 thou boast? frail worm of the dust, a withering 
 flower, a fading leaf, ^ morning vapor, or an even- 
 ing cloud ! Be wise— fight against thy pride ; with 
 humble prayer thou canst subdue the evil, hateful 
 passion. 
 
LUKE. 289 
 
 " Mark, amid all hia transformations, 
 Tlae complicate deceitfulness of pride ; 
 And the more he striveth to elude thee, 
 Bind him the closer in thy toils. 
 Prayer is the net that snareth him; 
 Prayer is the fetter that holdeth him. 
 Thou canst not nouiish pride, while 
 Waiting as an almsman on thy God." 
 
 Would we have our prayer acceptable, we must 
 remember the humble Publican — remember God 
 himself hath uttered the eternal truth, "There is 
 not one good ; no, not one." This is difficult for 
 the merely moral man to comprehend ; he may, like 
 the Pharisee, give " tithes of all he possesses," but he 
 has never yet laid the offering of his heart, broken 
 and contrite, on God's altar. He cannot, until God 
 takes the film from his blind eye, see the deep, dark 
 shadow of his indwelling corruption ; nor will he, 
 till he can make from his heart the prayer of the 
 poor Publican. Oh ! there are many among those 
 we love who know not the deep sin of their hearts ; 
 circumstances have made them refined, society with 
 the good has made them winning and gentle, but 
 beneath all this, behind this soft and silken curtain, 
 which the world so much admires, is a human heart, 
 " deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." 
 We would, with a gentle hand, draw aside this cur- 
 tain ; we would show you just such a heart as your 
 own, for such was that of the Pharisee, and yet it is 
 not I who can do this, it is the reader of the secrets 
 
290 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 of all hearts. I may point out tlie way to tlie mer- 
 cy-seat, and tell you there, and there alone, is your 
 remedy ; the spirit in which you may come, learn 
 for yourself in the narrative below, and may God 
 give you strength to come in humility. 
 
 The Prayers as recorded. — Luke xviii. 
 
 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a 
 Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
 
 11 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. 
 
 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I pos- 
 sess. 
 
 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so 
 much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, say- 
 ing, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — Luke xviii. 
 
 14 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. 
 
 THE PEAYER OF THE YOUNG RtTLER. 
 
 It is with feelings of peculiar interest we read 
 the prayer of this young man, for we regard him 
 as strikingly representing in his outward circijm- 
 stanceSj as well as in the' state of his heart, a large 
 class of the young and attractive about us. LovCfj 
 
LUKE. . 291 
 
 and courted, occupying a high station, and sur- 
 rounded by all the luxuries wealth could procure ; 
 trained religiously — for he seems to have an ac- 
 quaintance with the law of God, a theoretical know- 
 ledge of his duty — his outward observances were, 
 no doubt, strictly gone through with, and yet when 
 he comes to Jesus, he seems surprised that his heart 
 was not right, that that eye whose power extended 
 into the hidden recesses and windings of his soul, 
 saw the dark plague-spot blackening the otherwise 
 attractive character. The young ruler's wealth had 
 made him covetous ; 
 
 " The lust of gold, unfeeling and remorseless, 
 The last corruption of degenerate man,'' 
 
 had made him forgetful that God had given these 
 riches merely as a loan to be paid back with inter- 
 est in the prayers of the poor man, in the grateful 
 acknowledgment of the sick and suffering he should 
 have relieved, in the rays of light shining out from 
 the darkened soul he had been the instrument of 
 opening to God's truth, in the smile of the op- 
 pressed he had unburdened, and in the clear laugh 
 of the freed prisoner to sin, whose chain he had un- 
 loosened. Young man, these were works you might 
 have done, and deep and heavy the weight of your 
 sins of omission following on in the train of the one 
 thing thou lackest. And the world is full of the 
 young who are walking in your footsteps, who 
 
292 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 know not their own hearts, who are living on and 
 dreaming on, burying in this or that cherished sin, 
 all that is good and lovely, useful or attractive about 
 them. Are you covetous, you are not a Christian; 
 else, why all over the sacred page, do we see such 
 bitter denunciations against this sin ? Are you for- 
 getful of the poor, you cannot be accepted; it was 
 the sin that sent the young man away sorrowing. 
 If there is in thy heart one shadow of this soul-ruin- 
 ing sin, oh, fall at the mercy-seat ! oh, see what good 
 thing thou lackest to make thee acceptable! oh, 
 give your early years to God ! There is a glorious 
 promise for all that do this — " Those that seek me 
 early shall find me." Life is fleeting fast away ; one 
 year follows quickly upon another, and it is soon, 
 soon over, with its toils, its cares, its joys, and sor- 
 rows. A hope, a smile, a tear, these are all; and 
 then, oh God! thou knowest, "Every muffled drum 
 is beating funeral marches to the grave;" we see the 
 young and loved falling around us, many as attract- 
 ive to the world as this young ruler, but in whose 
 hearts we fear one thing is lacking ; it is not enough 
 that you should be steady and regular in the per- 
 formance of stated religious duties, your heart must 
 be right in the sight of God, you must often enter 
 the closet for self-examination and prayer ; without 
 this no one can be in the world and not of it, with 
 it he can mix with men and breathe the atmosphere 
 of heaven, can walk in the dust and mire and never 
 
LUKE, 293 
 
 be soiled or polluted, for his spirit is soaring in a 
 purer, holier air, where prayer bears up his wings, 
 and will bear them upward, till they soar unfettered 
 in worlds where sin is forever banished, and all is 
 purity and joy. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Lute xviii. 
 
 18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what 
 shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 
 
 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good ; 
 none is good, save one, that is God. 
 
 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adul- 
 tery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, 
 Honor thy father and thy mother. 
 
 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Luke xviii. 
 
 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, 
 Yet lackest thou one thing : sell all that thou hast, and distrib- 
 ute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and 
 come, follow me. 
 
 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, 
 How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom 
 of God! 
 
 THE PRAYER OF OUR SAVIOUR FROM THE CROSS. 
 
 " Helplessly, heavily — 
 On the cheek that waxeth colder, 
 Whiter ever — and the shoulder — " 
 
 Where the government was laid, death is slowly 
 creeping ; but will the great heart still beating there 
 be full of pity- for a world, and show no pity for it- 
 self? "Will it not unearth this cross? Is there 
 
294 THE PRAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 no prayer to the Father that his own place be re- 
 stored to him? Oh, no. Far above the voice of 
 trembling, saddened nature, rises the prayer. Father, 
 forgive them, above the taunts and jeers, above the 
 contempt and scorn, these blessed words are heard. 
 
 " No rod, no sceptre, is 
 Holden in his fingers pale — 
 They close instead upon the nail." 
 
 And still the prayer — words of mercy, words of 
 hope to lost and ruined man. Oh, as we ponder 
 over them, methinks they would drive from every 
 heart each feeling of hatred, every thought but that 
 of love to God and all his creatures. If those you 
 love have turned coldly upon you, remember this 
 prayer, " Father, forgive them;" they are the dying 
 accents of a Saviour who died to redeem those who 
 hated him. If for your tears of pity you have a 
 frown of ingratitude, remember the precious words ; 
 if you look for sympathy, and meet with the heart- 
 less and unfeeling, still remember them ; if you 
 would lead the gay and thoughtless to the mercy- 
 seat, and your endeavors are treated with bitterness 
 and scorn, let your prayer be. Father, forgive them. 
 Oh, methinks it is dearer, richer, holier than any on 
 the sacred page ; in it is the Christian's joy, the Chris- 
 tian's hope, for daily we sin against the pure and holy 
 God ; but above our call at the mercy-seat we hear 
 the sweet words of a pleading intercessor, they are 
 the never-dying echo of the prayer of the Saviour 
 
LUKE. 295 
 
 from the cross, " Father, forgive them," and every 
 bowed spirit at the " throne of grace " makes new 
 notes of joy from "the unworn string of an eternal 
 worshiping." ''Father, forgive them," is sounding 
 yet above the song of seraphs, and the music of these 
 words will never die away, till all the ransomed are 
 gathered into their homes of light above. Without 
 this prayer man would be eternally lost, no ray of 
 hope would light up the dark, the fathomless abyss 
 before him ; but this prayer of a bleeding, dying Sa- 
 viour is his salvation. No sooner is our own knee 
 bent in worship, than in accents of love and tender- 
 ness the words of Christ, our great intercessor, are 
 heard in the prayer, " Father, forgive them, for they 
 know not what they do ;" know not, for they cannot 
 conceive the depth of the smallest sin against infi- 
 nite love and mercy ; sin, that sent the Son of God 
 to bleed and die that man's ruined soul might be 
 lifted to the clear, still air of heaven. Will you, 
 then, be a prayerless being, when Christ is pleading 
 for you? will you not pray for yourself? No mat- 
 ter what your situation among men, despised, and 
 poor, and sick, and miserable, you may be sure that 
 Jesus is pleading for you ; your prayer, if sincere, 
 will enter his ear. Give to him the homage of your 
 heart, "render strong praise and benediction from 
 your feeble, mortal lips," for " incense-smoke out of 
 a little censer may fill heaven." At the mercy-seat 
 God has given you a place ; be there often, be there 
 
296 THE PEAYERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 much, and whisper in the ears of others that Christ 
 is there, and as you kneel together, in music sweeter 
 than the ear hath heard, the echo of these words 
 will linger in your hearts, "Father, forgive them. ' 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke xxiii. 
 34 Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 
 
 THE PRAYER OP THE THIEF FROM THE CROSS. 
 
 "I see 
 Beyond the city croeaee three, 
 And mortals three that hang thereon, 
 Ghast and silent to the sun ; 
 And round them blacken, and welter, and press, 
 Staring multitudes, whose father 
 Adam was, whose brows are dark 
 With Cain's corroded mark." — Browning. 
 
 On either side of the Saviour were crucified with 
 him two malefactors ; one of them seems to be se- 
 riously affected by his position, for from his rebuke 
 to the other we know he was satisfied that the Sa- 
 viour was suffering innocently, and that he was the 
 Messiah, the king of Israel. Overcome by his con- 
 victions, and led by the immediate teaching of the 
 Holy Spirit, he becomes repentant, and prays to the 
 suffering Saviour. 
 
LUKE. 297 
 
 " The moment a sinner believes, 
 And trusts in his crucified God, 
 His pardon at once he receives. 
 Redemption is full through his blood." 
 
 " T'is faith that still leads us along. 
 And lives under pressure and load ; 
 That makes ua in weakness more strong. 
 And leads the soul upward to God." 
 
 It is true, the case of this thief is a peculiar one, 
 for -when we consider his position we might be led 
 to imagine it an unusual exhibition of Grod's mercy 
 to so great a sinner; but it furnishes encouragement 
 to all to come io Jesus, however guilty they may 
 have been, and the same mercy and forgiveness 
 shown to the repenting malefactor will be given to 
 others. All God requires of any is this turning in 
 faith to him, this relinquishing of self, and throwing 
 ourselves upon him who is mighty to save, and 
 strong to deliver; his pierced hands are still stretched 
 out to lay gentle hold on every soul, as on that of 
 the departing thief. This guilty man had only to 
 feel himself a sinner, and come to Jesus. So you 
 must come, sinner; you may not have been a male- 
 factor, but you have broken God's holy law. and 
 there is no remedy but in Jesus. Come, then, "just 
 as you are," without one plea, save that the Lord 
 hath died for thee, and thine shall be the glory and 
 the crown of paradise. We cannot leave this prayer 
 without considering an argument that many would 
 draw from it in favor of death-bed repentances. 
 
298 THE PEATEE3 OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 This is ttie only instance of the kind in the sacred 
 page, and while it encourages the most vile to hope 
 in God's mercy, it offers not the shadow of an ex- 
 cuse to any for putting off the making of their peace 
 with Grod. " Now is the accepted time, the day of 
 salvation," and, reader, as your eye rests on these 
 words of God, you know there is danger in delay. 
 Eemember the foolish virgins sought no oil till alarm- 
 ed at the bridegroom's approach. Oh, come now to 
 God, when you are warned ; your soul is full of the 
 dark and troubled waters of sin, continually casting 
 up mire and dirt, " yet a spirit- wind may blow white 
 those waters," and wash your soul in the blood of 
 the crucified Jesus. Ten thousand voices are calling 
 you to come. This poor thief may have never 
 been told of God; your case is not like his; light is 
 all around you, friends are whispering to you come, 
 the fresh made graves of those you love speak in a 
 soft voice to your soul, be ye ready ; and the Saviour 
 is whispering, in this "story of the cross," I am 
 waiting for thee, waiting for thee in paradise ! Oh, 
 turn believing unto Jesus. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Luke xxiii. 
 
 42 Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Lute xxiii. 
 
 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day 
 shalt thou be with me in paradise. 
 
LUKE, 299 
 
 THE PRATER OF A NOBLEMAN. 
 
 Our blessed Saviour had lingered in his wander- 
 ings at Cana of Gralilee, where he had exhibited to 
 many his miraculous power. While there he was 
 besought by a nobleman of Herod's court to heal his 
 son, who lay dangerously ill at Capernaum, which 
 was a considerable distance from where the Saviour 
 now was. The faith of the nobleman is weak, like 
 a small spark it lay in his heart ready to be kindled. 
 He seems to imagine that the Saviour must go with 
 him to the dying bed ; but in the prayer and answer 
 we are taught a useful lesson — Grod is everywhere, 
 his presence is about and around us, he is the om- 
 niscient, omnipresent Jehovah ; in proportion as we 
 feel this in our hearts, our faith is strong or weak. 
 There are times in the lives of all Christians when 
 Jesus is especially near ; and then, again, in the lan- 
 guage of Job, they are led to exclaim, " 0, that I 
 knew where I might find him, I would come even 
 to his seat." Christ is always present. when the 
 prayer is earnest, heartfelt, believing, the eye of 
 the spirit sees him, and the calmed soul is sure of his 
 presence Our Lord, in order to increase the faith 
 of this nobleman, orders him to go home ; he is obe- 
 dient to the command; and as the servant meets him 
 with the joyful news of his son's recovery, he gives 
 thanks to the Lord. There is in that nobleman's 
 
300 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE, 
 
 house a believing family circle — all love the Lord 
 Jesus. This side of heaven there is no picture so 
 full of beauty and interest to the Christian as this 
 household presents ; no dark line mars its harmony, 
 for they are one in Christ, with hearts united by a 
 chain of the Saviour's forging — spirit-links to bind 
 those hearts through time and eternity. 
 
 United on earth, and united forever, 
 Death cannot part, death cannot sever ; 
 Hands knit in love, are hands never parted, 
 One in Christ Jesus are all the true-hearted ; 
 Pure spirits on earth, wUl be spirits in heaven. 
 For spirits in heaven are spirits forgiven. 
 Tou here sound the key note, above is the song 
 The ransomed will sing in the bright happy throng. 
 Now children in knowledge, then children no longer, 
 For faith there is perfect, here faith groweth stronger. 
 One in your worship, and one in your love. 
 One in your praises, with angels above. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Joliii iv. 
 
 46 And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at 
 Capernaum. 
 
 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into 
 Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would 
 come down, and heal his son : for he was at the point of death. 
 
 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my 
 child die. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Jolm iv. 
 
 48. Then Jesus said unto him, Except ye see signs and won- 
 ders ye will not believe. 
 
JOHN. 301 
 
 60 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth. And 
 the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and 
 he went his way. 
 
 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, 
 and told him' saying, Thy son liveth. 
 
 52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to 
 amend, and they said unto him, yesterday, at the seventh hour 
 the feVer left him. 
 
 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in the 
 which Jesus said unto him, thy son liveth, and himself believed 
 and his whole house. 
 
 THE PRAYERS OF MARTHA AND MARY. 
 
 In fhe small village of Bethany, on the soutlieast 
 side of the Mount of Olives, lived Mary and Mar- 
 tha, and their brother, Lazarus. They were a godly 
 family, and seem to have been especially beloved by 
 the Saviour, as their house was his frequent resort. 
 We would suggest to the reader a careful perusal of 
 this whole chapter. The characters of these two 
 women are simply yet vividly drawn — both differ- 
 ent, yet both loving the Lord Jesus. 
 
 When Lazarus was taken ill, the anxious sisters 
 had sent a message to our Saviour, and it may ap- 
 pear strange to the casual reader, that attached as 
 he was to this family, he did not hasten immediately 
 to them, or then use his power to prevent the death 
 of Lazarus. It will be seen that after the message, 
 14 
 
302 THE PKAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 " He whom thou lovest is sick," two days elapsed be- 
 fore the departure of the Saviour for Bethany. This 
 delay was to make the miracle the greater, for the 
 body had lain in the grave and corrupted, when the 
 sisters came out to meet Jesus. If he had been 
 there, as the sisters say to him, and prevented the 
 death, or suffered him to die and raised him, there 
 would then have been an appearance of ostentation 
 in the act, which nowhere stamps the movements 
 of Jesus. According to a Jewish custom, Mary 
 and Martha were surrounded by comforters, who 
 were wont to weep seven days with those who 
 were in affliction, and they were thus situated when 
 the message was given to Martha that Jesus had 
 arrived; in great haste she rose to meet him, not 
 even delaying long enough to tell Mary the glad 
 news, who "sat still in the house." 
 
 " One grief, one faith, oh, sisters of the dead, 
 Was in your bosoms. 
 
 And which to Him, the All-seeing and AU-just, 
 Was loveliest, that quiclj zeal, or lowly trust 3" 
 
 Oh, mortal ! question not, for we are told he loved 
 Mary and her sister Martha, and they found sym- 
 pathy, full and satisfying, in the Saviour's heart and 
 tears. The answer of our Saviour to Martha is 
 somewhat vague to her understanding, and we infer 
 from her words to him that she addresses him as a . 
 prophet, and not as the Incarnate Son of Grod. He 
 reminds her that life is in Him, and is imparted to 
 
JOHN". 303 
 
 the faithful by union with Him, and as if to impress 
 the truth upon her, questions her closely and con- 
 vincingly of her belief in Him as the Messiah. It 
 is then that she awakens to a knowledge of the 
 truth, and hastens to call her sister, who uses the 
 same language; they do not ask a restoration to life 
 for their brother — they know not what they need; 
 they know Jesus can do all things, and in sorrow 
 and grief they come to him. 
 
 The Prayers as recorded. — John xi. 
 
 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, 
 went and met him, but Mary sat still in the house. 
 
 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been 
 here my brother had not died. 
 
 22 But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of 
 God, God will give it thee. 
 
 The hordes Answer. — John xi. 
 
 23 Jesus saith unto her, thy brother shall rise again. 
 
 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in 
 the resurrection at the last day. 
 
 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the Life, he 
 that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. 
 
 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall neVer die. 
 Believest thou this ? 
 
 27 She saith unto him. Yea, Lord, I believe thou art the 
 Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 
 
 Mary's Prayer. — John xi. 
 32 Then when Mai-y was come where Jesus was, and saw 
 him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou 
 hadst been here, my brother had not died. 
 
80i' THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — John xi. 
 35 Jesus wept. 
 
 The Prayer of Jesus at the grave, as recorded. — John xi. 
 
 41 And Jesus lifted up his eyes and siiid, Father I thank tliee 
 that tiiou hast heard mo. 
 
 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always : but because of 
 the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that 
 thou hast sent me. 
 
 The Answer. — John xi. 
 
 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, 
 Lazarus, come forth. 
 
 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot 
 with grave clothes, and liis face was bound about with a napkin. 
 
 THE PRATER OF PHILIP. 
 
 Philip seems to have possessed rather confused 
 ideas with regard to the divinity of the Saviour ; we 
 infer this from not only the prayer, but the gentle 
 rebuke of Jesus in reply to it. It seems the simple 
 announcement of the truth that he was one with the 
 Father, was not suf&cient for Philip, but he wished 
 some remarkable demonstration of it ; and are therfe 
 not many Philips now ? many who are not willing 
 to accept this mystery simply because it is the truth 
 of God. Shall a man comprehend his Maker? or 
 finite fathom infinity ? 
 
JOHN". 305 
 
 If Grod be notliing more than one, a child can 
 compass the thought. But seraphs fail to unravel 
 the wondrous unity of three. 
 
 "It is written, and so we believe, 
 Waiting not for outward proof, 
 Inasmuch as mysteries inscrutable 
 Are the clear prerogatives of Godhead." 
 
 Christ's answer to Philip is full of love, and his 
 explanation of the union of believers with himself 
 and the Father, is clear and comforting to the Chris- 
 tian heart. However weak your faith, or burdened 
 your spirit, you have here a gentle word of encour- 
 agement. In view of his separation from his disci- 
 ples, Jesus seems to pour out a large and full meas- 
 ure of those precious promises which have cheered 
 the path of many a lonely and broken-hearted one, 
 many a timid and struggling child, to the arms of 
 that "friend that sticketh closer than a brother." 
 We have here, too, another announcement of that 
 sacred truth, that Jesus is our intercessor and advo- 
 cate with the Father, that though the world see him 
 not, yet his children see him, and he is ever present 
 to comfort and guide them. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — John x^v. 
 
 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it suffi- 
 ceth us. 
 
306 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — John xiv. 
 
 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have 1 been so long time with you, 
 and yet hast thou not Itnown me, Philip ? he that hath seen me 
 hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the 
 Father? 
 
 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father 
 in nie ? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: 
 but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 
 
 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: 
 or else believe me for the very works' sake. 
 
 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the 
 works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these 
 shall he do : because I go unto my Father. 
 
 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will 1 do, 
 that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
 
 14 If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. 
 
 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 
 
 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another 
 Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
 
 17 Even the spirit of truth ; whom the world cannot receive, 
 because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : but ye know 
 him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 
 
 18 I will not leave you comfortless : I will come to you. 
 
 19 Yet a little while, and the world seelh me no more; but 
 ye see me : because I live, ye shall live also. 
 
 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye 
 in me, and I in you. 
 
JOHK. 307 
 
 THE PRAYER OF JUDAS, NOT ISCARIOT. 
 
 This prayer and its answer furnishes a satisfying 
 evidence to all believers that Christ is ever present 
 with them. Our Saviour, in reply to Judas, as to 
 how he would manifest himself when the time of his 
 departure came, reminds him that a disposition to 
 obey his commandments and love him would always 
 be a proof of his presence with them. As a pre- 
 cious remembrance he promised peace that the warld 
 know not of, peace and joy in believing. Let not 
 your hearts be troubled, he says, but rejoice; my 
 day of humiliation is over ; I have taken upon my- 
 self the form of man ; have been made flesh and 
 dwelt among you; my Father is, in one sense, 
 greater than I — Scott says, as an ambassador is equal 
 in nature, but is inferior in office, to the prince that 
 commissioned him, so Christ, in humbling himself, 
 and leaving the Father, as God manifest in the flesh, 
 has made the words that occur in the answer to this 
 prayer appropriate. Our Saviour has promised 
 peace to all that love him and keep his command- 
 ments ; no doubts or fears should find a home in the 
 hearts of those who follow him ; nothing but joy, 
 whose tide swells broader and deeper as they trust 
 in the promises, and seek the mercy-seat. We can- 
 not refrain from dwelling a moment on a sin com- 
 mon among Christians, and indulged by those who 
 
308 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 no doubt are the followers of Christ, but they 
 know not how many they are keeping away from 
 those paths of pleasantness and peace in which they 
 have been permitted to walk ; it is the sin of clothing 
 the joyful religion of Jesus in a dark robe of gloom, 
 and in wearing upon the countenance the forbidding, 
 repulsive look of sorrow. This is not the index of 
 that joy and peace which may be the Christian's, 
 that spirit which the Saviour promised to the pray- 
 ing Judas, and which he has left as a legacy to his 
 children. Christ came in love, and not with a rod ; 
 let us then imitate his blessed example, when we 
 would win others to walk with us in the "green 
 pastures, and by the side of still waters." If we 
 have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, if our 
 eyes have been opened to see ourselves as sinners, 
 and we have been washed in the blood of Jesus, and 
 are clinging to his cross ; if the promises, and the 
 full and sufficient sacrifice, are ours, have we not 
 reason, above all others, to rejoice? If we cannot, 
 the fault is not in our religion, it is in ourselves, and 
 somewhere in a dark corner of our hearts sin is 
 still treasured. We regard it a sin to be gloomy ; 
 the Christian may have tears to shed over his wan- 
 derings, and sighs to heave over the wickedness about 
 him, but these belong to the hidden sanctuary of his 
 own chamber, and not to the world. We regard it 
 as a Christian duty sHvajs to be cheerful; much 
 may here be said of natural temperament, and the 
 
JOHN. 309 
 
 great influence of tte body over the mind, but 
 prayer is a panacea for every kind of weakness, 
 either mental, spiritual, or physical ; the whole 
 man is brought under its power, and the weak one 
 may forget his pains, the nervous be quieted, the sick 
 may rejoice, as long as he lingers near the Saviour, 
 trusts in the promises, and loves the mercy-seat. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — John xiv. 
 
 22 And Judas saith unto him (not Iscariot), Lord, how is it 
 that thou wilt manifest thyself unto ijs and not unto the world 1 
 
 Thg Lord^s Answer. — John xiv. 
 
 23 Jesus ^answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he 
 will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will 
 come unto him and make our abode with him. 
 
 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings, and the 
 word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent 
 me. 
 
 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present 
 with you. 
 
 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the 
 • Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and 
 
 bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said 
 unto you. 
 
 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you : not as 
 the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be 
 troubled, neither let it be afraid. 
 
 28 Te have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come 
 again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I 
 said, I go unto the Father : for my Father is greater than I. 
 
310 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 29 And now I have told you before it came to pass, that, 
 when it is come to pass, ye might beheve. 
 
 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you : for the prince 
 of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 
 
 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and 
 as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let 
 us go hence. 
 
 A PRAYER OF OUR SAVIOUR. 
 
 This prayer has been the foundation of the church 
 of God from the creation of the world, is now, 
 and ever will be, to the consummation of all things. 
 Through all the instructions of our Saviour to his 
 apostles, he addressed them as the Incarnate Son of 
 God, but when he comes to the mercy-seat in pray- 
 er, he comes as a man imploring of his Father. He 
 asks of God to glorify his Son, to restore him that 
 place in heaven which he had with the Father be- 
 fore the world was. " In the beginning was the 
 word, and the word was with God, and the word 
 was God." This prayer was not only made for the 
 eleven apostles, but included the seventy disciples, 
 and the whole church of God, the whole body of 
 believers, no matter what their name or station, rank 
 or of&ce, among all generations of men. Lift up 
 your hearts, ye poor and forsaken ones. If ye have 
 
JOHN. 811 
 
 been born again, the Father hath given you to the 
 Saviour. Tliis prayer is yours — your hope, your 
 comfort, your consolation, your all. Our Saviour 
 by it consecrates himself as the great atoning sacri- 
 fice for lost and ruined man ; he tells us the world 
 will hate those that love him, because they are not 
 of the world, and prays that the Father may sancti- 
 fy them by his truth — his word is truth. By the 
 " son of perdition," is meant Judas, the betrayer of 
 his Lord and Master. The Saviour's words, in the 
 few concluding verses, should encourage unity among 
 Christians, take away every wall of partition that now 
 separates the church of God, and should make all true 
 believers one in Christ Jesus. In the language of 
 another, we would say here, "The religious profes- 
 sions and opinions of some have too much of mere 
 machinery in their composition. If every wheel, 
 pivot, chain, spring, cog, or pinion, be not exactly in 
 its place, or move not precisely according to a favor- 
 ite and prescribed system, the whole is rejected as 
 unworthy of regard. Ye who are so warmly striv- 
 ing for your rights as churchmen, and churchwomen, 
 in vain do you try to narrow the limits of these 
 world-covering words of the Saviour's prayer; ye 
 may not, ye cannot, ye dare not, when ye read and 
 ponder over them. Christ loves us all ; in the lan- 
 guage of scripture, " The Lord knoweth them that 
 are his," his seal is upon all those who name the name 
 
312 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE, 
 
 of Christ and depart from iniquity ; we are all one 
 in the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, on earth, and 
 will all be gathered into one fold, under one Shep- 
 herd, in heaven. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — John xvii, 
 
 1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, 
 and said, Father, the liour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy 
 Son also may gloriTy thee : 
 
 2 As thou hast given' him power over all flesh, that he should 
 give eternal life to as many as thoii hast given him. 
 
 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only 
 true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 
 
 4 I have glorified thee on the earth : I have finished the work 
 which thou gavest me to do. 
 
 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self 
 with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 
 
 6 I have manifested, thy .name unto the men which thou 
 gavest me out of the world :■ thine they were, and thou gayest 
 them me ; and they have kept thy word. 
 
 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast 
 given me are of thee. 
 
 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest 
 me; and they have received them, and have known surely that 
 I came out from thee, and they havti believed that thou didst 
 send me. 
 
 9 I pray for them : I pray not for the world, but for them 
 which thou hast given me; for they are mine. 
 
 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine ; and I am glo- 
 rified in them. 
 
 1 1 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the 
 world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine 
 
JOHK. 813 
 
 own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may bo 
 one, as we are. 
 
 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy 
 name ; those that thou gavest me I havakept, and none of them 
 is lost, but the son of perdition ; that the scripture might be 
 fulfilled. 
 
 13 And now come I to thee ; and these things I speak in the 
 world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 
 
 14 I have given them thy word ; and the world hath hated 
 them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the 
 world. 
 
 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, 
 but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 
 
 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 
 
 17 Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. 
 
 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also 
 sent them into the world. 
 
 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might 
 be sanctified through the truth. 
 
 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which 
 shall believe on me through their word 5 
 
 21 That they all may be one; as thou. Father, art in me, and 
 I in thee, that they also may be one in us ; that the world may 
 believe that thou hast sent me. 
 
 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; 
 that they may be one, even as we are one : 
 
 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect 
 in one ; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, 
 and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 
 
 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, 
 be with me where I am ; that they may behold my glory, which 
 thou hast given me ; for thou lovedst me before the foundation 
 of the world. 
 
314 THE PEATEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee : but 
 I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent 
 me. 
 
 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare 
 it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, 
 and I in them. 
 
 A PRAYER OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 It was the custom of the followers of our Saviour, 
 while he was yet on earth, to meet for conference and 
 prayer. On an occasion of this kind Peter stood up 
 to address the meeting on the subject of appointing 
 some one of their number to fill the place of Judas, 
 the betrayer of our Lord, who had taken his own 
 life, and died a horrible death. Peter proposes that he 
 shall be chosen from among those who had attended 
 upon the Saviour's teachings from the very begin- 
 ning of his ministry, so that he niight teach the 
 truths taught him, and be with the rest a witness 
 of the resurrection. Two are selected, and the mat- 
 ter is made a subject of prayer. To God, their great 
 guide and counsellor, the choice is left, and when 
 the lots are drawn, Matthias is the chosen one. There 
 is no special power or authority granted to one more 
 than the other, not even to Peter, as some have 
 claimed; for Paul, in Gal. ii. 11, withstood Peter be- 
 cause he was to be blamed ; he therefore was not in- 
 
ACTS. 315 
 
 fallible, although he was honored by being the first 
 to preach the gospel to Jew and Gentile. God's 
 chosen ministers have a high commission, and should 
 be selected for their holy office with prayer for guid- 
 ance in the choice — we are taught this lesson by the 
 prayer of the apostles ; but the only apostolic mark 
 God requires them to bear is that which is stamped 
 by the Holy Spirit in their hearts ; they should be 
 men of prayer, men following closely the footsteps 
 of the Saviour, and like Enoch of old, walking with 
 God ; such have a passport from on high to the bap- 
 tismal font, the marriage altar, to the house of God, 
 and the gate of heaven. - 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Acts i. 
 
 24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knoweth 
 the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast 
 chosen, 
 
 25 That he may take part of this ministry, and apostleship, 
 from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his 
 own place. 
 
 The Zord''s Answer. — Acts i. 
 
 26 And they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Mat- 
 thias ; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 
 
816 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 THE PRAYER OP THE CHURCH. 
 This prayer is made by a company of the Saviour's 
 followers, probably the hundred and twenty hereto- 
 fore mentioned. They speak of a prophecy here 
 which God had before spoken by his prophet David, 
 concerning the Messiah. Before our Lord's cruci- 
 fixion the apostles had overlooked every prediction 
 of this kind, but now they are part of the knowledge 
 of each heart. Scott says : "The language used in 
 applying this prophecy to the ' child Jesus,' may re- 
 fer' to his immaculate conception by the Holy Spirit, 
 this unction of the spirit preserved him holy through 
 all the trials and temptations to which he was ex- 
 posed ; this aggravated the guilt of Pilate, the pro- 
 fessed idolator, his attendants, Herod, the king, and 
 the bulk of the Jewish nation, who treated him with 
 cruelty and contempt." This is a united prayer, the 
 whole company are influenced by the spirit of Jesus ; 
 it alludes to God's foreknowledge and determination 
 of things future ; they ask for boldness to proclaim 
 the word of truth, for they had been injured, and 
 threatened by those who had crucified the Saviour, 
 and had need of the aid of the Holy Spirit to de- 
 fend and help them, in spreading the knowledge of 
 God in the world. Their prayer is answered, their 
 hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit, they are now 
 no more in bondage to sin, for grace hath set them 
 free ; all and everything they possess is given to 
 
ACTS, 317 
 
 their Maker; one spirit of, love and union pervades 
 the whole company, and they speak with boldness 
 the word of God. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Acts iv. 
 
 23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and 
 reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 
 
 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voices to 
 God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast 
 made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is : 
 
 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said. Why 
 did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things 1 
 
 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were 
 gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 
 
 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou 
 hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontiua* Pilate, with the Gen- 
 tiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 
 
 . 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel deter, 
 mined before to be done. 
 
 27 And now. Lord, behold their threatenings : and grant un- 
 to thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 
 
 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal ; and that signs and 
 wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 
 
 The Answer.— Ads iv. 
 
 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where 
 they were assembled together ; and they were all filled with the 
 Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 
 
 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart 
 and of one soul; neither said any of them that aught of the 
 things which he possessed was his own ; but they had all things 
 common. 
 
318 THE PRAYEKS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the 
 resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon tliem 
 all. 
 
 THE PRATER OF STEPHEN. 
 
 Stephen is usually known as the first martyr, he 
 was also one of the seven " men of honest report," 
 who were elected to relieve the twelve apostles of a 
 certain class of their labors. He was a man full of 
 faith and the Holy Spirit. In the chapter in which 
 his prayer is recorded, we read of his defense against 
 false and cruel charges, his powerful exhibition of 
 the truth, and its effect on the people, among whom 
 was Saul of Tarsus. The people were so maddened 
 and excited by his words, that they drove him be- 
 yond the walls of the city, and there stoned him to 
 death. In the petition of the expiring Stephen is 
 the same gentle spirit of forgiveness shown by 
 the Saviour toward his enemies; a spirit, which 
 nothing but the grace of God in the heart can pro- 
 duce, and which none but the true Christian pos- 
 sesses. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Acts vii. 
 
 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying. 
 Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 
 
 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, 
 lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he 
 fell asleep. 
 
ACTS. 319 
 
 THE PRAYER OF SAUL OF TARSUS, AFTER HIS CON- 
 VERSION. 
 
 "Behold, lie prayeth." He who had breathed 
 out threatenings and slaughter, had persecuted the 
 church, despised and ahused the followers of Christ, 
 now breathes the vital breath of a Christian, and 
 through all his subsequent life inculcates the doc- 
 trine. of repentance towards God, and faith in the 
 Lord Jesus, and enjoins, more than all the sacred 
 writers, the duty of always "praying, with all pray- 
 er and supplication in the spirit, and watching there- 
 to with all perseverance." And what has caused this 
 great change in Saul of Tarsus ? The ardent, zeal- 
 ous persecutor is a child of God, the Holy Spirit, 
 with his enlightening, purifying influence, has caused 
 him to renounce all confidence in his own virtues; 
 his strong will is now submissive to that of his Ma- 
 ker ; he seeks to be justified not by his own merits, 
 but by the Saviour ; to use his own forcible words, 
 it has been "given him to believe." All this revo- 
 lution in the mind and heart of Saul must be attrib- 
 uted, then, to the divine infusion of faith in his 
 heart ; it is not a mere conviction of his understand- 
 ing, but a new life-giving principle, which fills his 
 whole soul with new motives, new desires ; its nature 
 is spiritual, and the holy spark is only kept alive by 
 spiritual communion with the great God who first 
 
820 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 kindled it in tlie soul. "It gathers energy as it pro- 
 ceeds ; the more advanced are its attainments, the 
 more prospective are its views. The nearer it ap- 
 proaches to the invisible realities to which it is 
 stretching forward, the more their dominion over it 
 increases, till it almost makes the future present, and 
 the unseen visible." Its light becomes brighter, its 
 flame purer, its aspirations stronger, as life advances, 
 and it approximates to its great object. This faith 
 is an active principle, hence the prayer of Saul ; the 
 will of God was henceforward to guide him, not his 
 own desires, or the sinful corruptions of his natural 
 heart. God hath taken away that stony heart, and 
 hath given a heart of flesh ; he is born again ; and 
 now what is his work on earth, what will the Lord 
 have him to do. Chosen as the apostle to the Gen- 
 tiles, to tell of the riches and freeness of the grace of 
 our God and Saviour, his soul was filled with inces- 
 sant desires to advance the cause of the Eedeemer. 
 And is this he Avho so short time ago courted the 
 favor of the intolerant Sanhedrim, who hailed men 
 and women to prison, and who bitterly persecuted 
 the followers of Christ ? It is Saul of Tarsus, but 
 over his heart has come- that change, without which 
 no child of Adam can be saved. This doctrine, so 
 plainly exemplified in the case of Saul, is jeered at 
 by the learned, the wise, the foolish, and the weak ; 
 but the Church of God, and the whole body of faith- 
 ful followers of Christ, since Saul trembling and as- 
 
ACTS-. 321 
 
 tonished made this prayer, will bear testimony to 
 its truth. In the language of another v,-e would say, 
 " Let not the timid Christian be discouraged, let not 
 his faith in this doctrine be shaken, though he may 
 find that the principle to which he trusts his eternal 
 happiness is considered false by him who knows 
 nothing of its truth, that the change,- of which the 
 sound believer exhibits so convincing an evidence, 
 is derided as absurd by the philosophical skeptic, 
 treated as chimerical by the superficial reasoner, or 
 silently suspected as incredible by the decent moral- 
 ist." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Acts ix. 
 
 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus : and sud- 
 denly there shined round about him a light from heaven : 
 
 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 
 Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? 
 
 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord ? 
 
 The Lord^s Answer. — Acts ix. 
 
 5 And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest ; it 
 is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 
 
 Oontinnation of the Prayer. — ^Acts ix. 
 
 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou 
 have me to do ? 
 
 The LorWs Answer. — Acts ix. 
 
 6 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and 
 it shall be told thee what thou must do. 
 
322 THE PRATERS OP THE BIBLE. 
 
 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, 
 hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 
 
 8 And Saul arose from the earth ; and when his eyes were 
 opened, he saw no man : but they led him by the hand, and 
 brought him into Damascus. 
 
 9 And he was there three days without sight, and neither' did 
 eat nor drink. 
 
 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named An- 
 anias ; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he 
 said, Behold, I am here. Lord. 
 
 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street 
 which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for 
 one called Saul, of Tarsus : for, behold, he prayeth, 
 
 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming 
 in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 
 
 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of 
 this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jeru- 
 salem. 
 
 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind 
 all that call on thy name . 
 
 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for he is a cho- 
 sen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and 
 kings, and the children of Israel : 
 
 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for 
 my name's sake. 
 
 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house ; 
 and putting his hands on him, said. Brother Saul, the Lord, even 
 Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath 
 sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been 
 scales, and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was bap- 
 tized. 
 
ACTS. 323 
 
 THE PRATERS OP THE CflUROH FOR PETER. 
 
 Enter with us, reader, the same dark prison in 
 which the apostles have been chained before. There, 
 between two soldiers, oppressed in body by the 
 heavy chains, lies Peter, watched by a vigilant sen- 
 tinel. How is it possible an escape can be made ? 
 " God giveth his beloved sleep." Nothing disturbs 
 the mind of Peter, although the next day he may 
 lay down his life for the Lord. There is a feeling 
 of firm trust in Peter's heart that all will be well, 
 and perhaps a conviction drawn from the words of 
 the Saviour to him, that his death would not occur 
 till he was more aged. 
 
 " Sleep's calm wing is on his brow, 
 And thoughts of peace his spirit lull." 
 
 There is a united prayer from God's children as- 
 cending to heaven for Peter, that these bars and 
 bolts which bind him may be broken, and that body 
 and soul may be free : the Church prays, and God 
 hears and answers. There is, too, in the house of 
 Mary, the sister of Barnabas, a prayer-meeting that 
 night, and Peter in bonds, Peter in prison, is not 
 forgotten at the throne of grace. The effectual, fer- 
 vent prayer availeth much : we must not only pray 
 for ourselves, but for others. God's love enlarges 
 man's heart, and fills it full of sympathy, it makes 
 
324 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 the eye of tlie Christian -watoliful over the true in- 
 terests of others ; are any in bonds, we are exhorted 
 to pray for them ; are any sick, or in prison, we must 
 still pray on ; we must pray as individuals, pray as 
 a church. Prayer was made without ceasing for 
 Peter. This is the strong language of scripture — 
 the example is for us as Christians. Peter slept 
 sweetly and well, for not even the strong light that 
 filled that prison cell, nor the presence of the angel 
 aroused him, till smitten and awakened by the words 
 of the spirit, "Else up quickly;" his fetters are all 
 unloosed, and Peter knows it is the work of the 
 Lord. And was not his deliverance an answer to 
 sincere, earnest prayer ? 
 
 The Prayers as recorded. — Acts xii. 
 
 6 Peter, therefore, was kept in prison : but prayer was made 
 without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 
 
 12 And when he had considered this thing, he came to the 
 h luse of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, 
 where many were gathered together praying. 
 
 The Answer. — Acts xii. 
 
 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same 
 night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two 
 ohainsj and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 
 
 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a 
 light shined in the prison ; and he smote Peter on the side, and 
 raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off 
 from his hands. 
 
ACTS. 325 
 .„ . _ _• 
 
 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird th3rself, and bind on thy 
 sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy gar- 
 ment about tliee, and follow me. 
 
 THE PRAYERS AND PRAISES OF PAUL AND SILAS. 
 
 "There be three chief rivers of despondency, sin, sorrow, fear. 
 
 Sin is the deepest, sorrow hath its shallows, and fear is a noisy rapid." 
 
 la the hearts of Paul and Silas is joy that the 
 world knows not of, "joy and peace in believing." 
 Sin is forgiven, sorrow hath flown away, and there 
 fear has no resting place. Within the gloomy walls 
 of that prison are heard " songs in the night," pray- 
 er to the God of Israel : they are not captives ; man 
 cannot bind their spirits, it is only the poor cla/ ten- 
 ement he has cruelly imprisoned, their souls are free. 
 Chained in that low dungeon, suffering from the 
 chastisement of the preceding day, instead of the 
 groan of pain, the curse against the magistrates who 
 had caused them to suffer for spreading and teaching 
 the truth, the prisoners, who are confined with them, 
 are awakened at the hour of midnight by the voice 
 of prayer, and the hymn of praise. Paul and Silas 
 are singing in that prison cell ; it is music hallowed 
 to God's service, sweet breathings of the spirit, 
 whose strains are caught by waiting angels, and car- 
 ried to heaven, to swell the chorus which is sung 
 
 15 
 
326 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 there to tlie praise of God and the Lamb for ever. 
 And why are their fellow prisoners lost in wonder 
 as their midnight praises reach their ears ? Why 
 does the world look on in astonishment, as it sees a 
 smile lightening up the face of the suffering Chris- 
 tian, the child of God, calm in the midst of trial, rich 
 in poverty, singing in prison, and filled with hope ? 
 Oh, they see, but they know not what is swelling 
 the harmony in these calm hearts of Paul and Silas. 
 It is a spirit born of heaven ; its holy source, the 
 great God himself; it is the moon that lights this 
 little night of time, the night before a glorious 
 morning. Paul and Silas realize what David, the 
 sweet singer of Israel, expresses so beautifully: 
 " The Lord will command his loving kindness in 
 the day time, and in the night his songs shall be with 
 me."' And, reader, the spirit of Paul and Silas may 
 be yours. You, too, may through all your trials, 
 and the clouds that gather so thickly over you, may 
 look up and pray; instead of the tears that now 
 bathe your sorrow-worn cheeks, the light of joy may 
 be there ; but before you can realize all this 
 
 " Your hearts must cast off their slough of darkness, 
 Their eclipse of hell and sin." 
 
 Your spirit, bound to earth, must be unloosened 
 from its fetters here, would you breathe with Paul 
 and Silas the pure air of heaven. God will take 
 away all that is bearing your spirits downward, all 
 
ACTS. 327 
 
 that is binding them to deceitful, unsatisfying earth. 
 Ere you wait to see the idol mouldering to ashes, 
 the phantom fading away, give your heart and its 
 affections to Grod ; your spirit then will sing a purer, 
 holier song than the world has ever charmed you 
 with ; and in the prison house of earth your spirit 
 may be free. Is your head bowed by the weight of 
 sorrow in your heart, and the thousand strings of 
 that " harp " shattered and broken, God's spirit can 
 bring from them strains of heavenly music ; hymns 
 at morning, hymns at midnight; man cannot do 
 this — earth, with all its wealth, cannot give your 
 spirit rest — none but God, none but God, giveth 
 songs in the night. 
 
 The Prayers and Praises as recorded. — Acts xvi. 
 
 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises 
 unto God : and the prisoners heard them. 
 
 The Zord^s Answer. — Acts xvi. 
 
 26 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 hands were loosed. 
 
 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, 
 and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and 
 would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had 
 been fled. 
 
 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying. Do thyself no 
 harm : for we are all- here. 
 
328 THE PRATEKS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came tremb- 
 ling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. 
 
 30 And brought them out, and said. Sirs, what must I do to 
 to be saved ? 
 
 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
 shalt be saved, and thy house. 
 
 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all 
 that were in his house. 
 
 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed 
 their stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 
 
 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set 
 meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his 
 house. 
 
 THE PRATER OF ST. PAUL m THE TEMPLE. 
 
 The Lord had chosen Saul, the persecutor, as his 
 apostle, to be a witness of the resurrection to men 
 of all nations, and to teach the wonderful truths of 
 God ; to tell what he had himself seen and heard ; to 
 set forth to them the first elements of the gospel as a 
 new development of the most ancient faith known 
 to men; as a "chosen vessel" he was permitted 
 visions of "that just one," who came to die and suf- 
 fer for man. Some time after his conversion, while 
 worshiping in the court of the temple, he is thrown 
 into a trance, and in this state of ecstacy he is per- 
 mitted to realize the immediate presence of the Lord 
 
ACTS. 329 
 
 Jesus, and his prayer is there made to him. Paul 
 seems to be fearful that the people -will not receive 
 his testimony, remembering, as they did, his former 
 life, and his presence at the stoning of Stephen, as 
 well as the part he had performed in his death ; he 
 reminds the Lord of all this, and would know his 
 will concerning him. St. Paul seems to realize how 
 difficult it will be for the worldling to comprehend 
 the change in his heart, in his life, and doctrine, 
 caused by his conversion, and his words are very 
 suggestive, and full of deep meaning, " the putting 
 off the old man with his deeds," the becoming a 
 " new creature," were truths he could not proclaim 
 in his own feeble strength. St. Paul prays like one 
 that could feel for others, like one familiar with the 
 weaknesses of our nature, who could allow for dis- 
 trust, for misapprehension, who expected abuse and 
 unbelief; he had not forgotten the deep pit out of 
 which he had been taken, and he knew that the people 
 still remembered him as Saul, the persecutor ; how, 
 then, would they receive him as the advocate of a 
 cause on which he had once trampled ? 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Acts xxii. 
 
 17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Je- 
 rusalem, even while I prayed in the tem"ple, I was in a trance. 
 
 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee 
 quickly out of Jerusalem ; for they will not receive thy testi- 
 mony concerning me. 
 
830 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat 
 in every synagogue them that believed on thee : 
 
 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, 1 
 also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept 
 the raiment of them that slew him. 
 
 The Lord's Answer. — Acts xxii. 
 
 21 And he said unto mo, Depart: for I will send thee far 
 hence unto the Gentiles. 
 
 PRATERS OF ST. PAUL FOR THE CHURCH AT ROME. 
 
 St. Paul, like all who feel an interest in tiie cliurcli 
 of God, ever remembered her at the mercy-seat. 
 The church at Eome was large, and among her 
 numbers were persons of consideration, as well as 
 young converts; he longs to commune with, and to 
 encourage them, and in his earnest love for them 
 exhibits a tenderness and watchful care that shows 
 itself more particularly than in anything else, in his 
 constant prayer for their spiritual welfare ; " thus 
 feeding the Church of God," in his absence, with 
 food from heaven. He seems to feel in his inmost 
 soul the great price that has been paid to purchase 
 souls, and watches with a prayerful, intense interest, 
 the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him 
 overseer, calling often upon that God for her wel- 
 fare, " who had brought him out of darkness into 
 marvelous light." St. Paul's faith was constantly 
 
ROMANS. 331 
 
 kept bright by continuing in prayer. This is the 
 reason he so constantly urges this duty upon the 
 Church, assuring them that the spirit will help all . 
 infirmities, and teach each to pray aright. As a con- 
 sequent upon these unceasing devotions, Paul tells 
 us we shall grow in grace, and in the knowledge of 
 the truth, and each heart shall be full of that love, 
 which, in his own forcible language, is described as 
 surpassing knowledge. Every Christian should pray 
 often and much for the Church of God, not for this 
 or that particular branch of it alone, but for the 
 whole Church ; Paul prayed for it, and condemns, 
 through all his writings, a spirit of favoritism -or par- 
 tiality, and is ready to preach the gospel of Jesus 
 Christ to all, and to pray for all. He says, " For by 
 one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether 
 we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free ; 
 and have all been made to drink into one spirit. But 
 now are there, many members, but one body." — 
 1 Cor., xii. For each of these members or branches 
 we are enjoined to pray, to cultivate for each that 
 spirit of charity which thinketh no evil, and is not 
 easily provoked, to quell every feeling which should 
 lead the eye to say to the hand, I have no need of 
 thee, or the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 
 If this member or that branch of the Church of God 
 is suffering, let every other branch suffer with it, and 
 pray for it. These are the lessons Paul would teach, 
 VIZ., unity of spirit, and Christian charity. 
 
382 THE PRATERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Eom. i. 
 
 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, 
 that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 
 
 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the 
 gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you 
 always in my prayers. 
 
 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might 
 have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto 
 you. 
 
 - 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some 
 spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 
 
 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by 
 the mutual faith both of you and me. 
 
 Another Prayer. — Eom. x. 
 
 1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is; 
 that they might be saved. 
 
 Another Prayer. — Rom. xv. 
 
 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to bo 
 likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 
 
 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, 
 even the I'^ther of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in 
 believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 Another Prayer. — Rom. xv. 
 
 30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's 
 sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with 
 me in your prayers to God for me. 
 
COEINTHIANS. 333 
 
 31 That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in 
 Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be 
 accepted of the saints ; 
 
 32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, 
 and may with you be refreshed. 
 
 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. 
 
 THE PRAYER OF ST. PAUL FOR THE CHURCH AT 
 CORINTH. 
 
 There was no branch of the Church of God 
 which had fallen into so many errors as that of 
 Corinth, for there were contentions, divisions, and 
 strifes among the people. St. Paul laments over 
 these in prayer, while at the same time he thanks 
 God for his gifts conferred on Christians in the 
 church "established there, and asks for an increase of 
 this grace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. His affectionate and pathetic prayers for the 
 Corinthians are intermingled with exhortations and 
 directions to them. Prayer with St. Paul was not a 
 solitary, independent exercise, but an exercise incor- 
 porated with many, and inseparably connected with 
 that golden chain of Christian duties, of which, when 
 so connected, it forms the most important link. St. 
 Paul acted as well as prayed. This quickened his 
 spiritual pulse, increased his ardor, made him watch- 
 ful and anxious for the welfare of the Church. 
 
334 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 Prayer was the great motive power which moved 
 the machine ; prayer kept him supplied with work ; 
 it made him "keen-sighted, clear-eyed;" he was ena- 
 bled to survey the whole Church, to see clearly the 
 temptations with which she was surrounded in this 
 licentious city of Corinth ; he saw the influence of 
 false teachers on the minds of the people ; saw the 
 effect of the "enticing words of man's wisdom;" 
 hence he comes to them with prayer, and the simple 
 story of the cross ; prays for them " with the spirit 
 and the understanding;" he would confirm them to 
 the end of their course in the faith and hope of the 
 gospel. St. Paui's first letter to the Corinthians, in 
 which this prayer is recorded, is filled up with vin- 
 dications of his own character against the calumnies 
 which had been heaped upon it by his opposers, and 
 contains, also, the most perfect and triumphant ar- 
 gument for the doctrine of the resurrection. 
 
 Tlie Prayer as recorded. — 1 Cor. i. 
 
 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and 
 from the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of 
 God which is given you by Jesus Christ. 
 
EPHESIANS. 335 
 
 THE PRAYEE OF ST. PAUL FOR THE CHURCH AT 
 EPHESUS. 
 
 This prayer is a part of St. Paul's letter to the 
 Church at Ephesus, written while he was a prisoner 
 at Eome, and forwarded by Tychicus, who is called 
 a beloved brother and faithful minister. Ephesus 
 was at this time the metropolis of Asia ; the worship 
 of the goddess Diana was the prevailing religion ; 
 here, was the temple reared for her followers ; here, 
 too, the Theatre, the largest structure of the kind 
 ever erected by the Greeks — the ruins still remain, 
 and are of interest as identifying the scene of one of 
 Paul's most perilous conflicts. But the Church of God ' 
 had been planted here through the instrumentality of 
 Paul, and this prayer is made for its growth and 
 welfare. Confined within the walls of a prison, his 
 desire for their prosperity is unabated, and he seeks 
 the throne of grace that they might be strengthened 
 by God's spirit. The religion of Jesus Christ had 
 many powerful opposers at Ephesus ; the worship of 
 the goddess Diana furnished employment to many in 
 the manufacture of shrines and ornaments for the 
 temple ; it was also the seat of the black art, so that 
 the public mind was familiarized with the pretension 
 to supernatural gifts, "and Ephesian charms," and 
 thus the people were hardened against the due effects 
 of miracles. This art was not alcne j)racticed by 
 
336 THE PEAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 the low and ignorant, but studied as a science by 
 the learned philosophers of the age, as well as men 
 of letters ; these books sold for immense sums, and 
 were a source of wealth to the people. These were 
 a few of the many powers acting against the ad- 
 vancement of the simple religion of Jesus — that 
 Jesus, whose name afterward turned the cheeks of 
 the sorcerers to a pallid hue, and their books to 
 ashes. St. Paul prays, he cannot now go to the 
 Church, but he can, in his prison cell, bow low the 
 knee in prayer, and lift up his voice to God for the 
 prosperity of his children ; they were dear to the 
 heart of Paul, and he asks for them a heavenly- 
 father's care, a heavenly father's blessing. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Eph. iii. 
 
 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 15 Of whom the whole fiimily in heaven and earth is named, 
 
 16 Tliat he would grant you, according to the riches of his 
 glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner 
 man ; 
 
 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, 
 being rooted and grounded in love, 
 
 18 Maybe able to comprehend with all saints what is the 
 breadth, and length, and depth, and height: 
 
 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, 
 that ye might be filled with the fullness of God. 
 
 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly 
 above all that we ask or think, according to the power that 
 worketh in us. 
 
COLOSSIANS. 387 
 
 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesua through- 
 out all ages, world without end. Amen. 
 
 THE PRATER OF ST. PAUL FOR THE CHURCH AT 
 COLOSSE. 
 
 The letter in -wliicli mention is made of Paul's 
 earnest prayer for the Church at Colosse, is some- 
 what similar to that sent by him to the Ephesians, 
 and exhibits his love and zeal for the success of 
 Grod's cause. This branch of the Church is supposed 
 to have been founded by Epaphras, who was sent 
 there by Paul, and it is not recorded that the apostle 
 had ever visited it. This church, at this time, seems 
 to have been in a flourishing condition, for " his dear 
 fellow servant," as Epaphras is called by St. Paul, 
 had assured him of their love to Christ, and to him 
 for Christ's sake. Heretical sects had sprung up at 
 this time, and philosophy, under different names. 
 Aristotelian, or Platonic, prevailed to a great extent 
 in that age ; and mixed up, as it was, with Judaism, 
 and Jewish tradition, it had assumed rather a reli- 
 gious form, and had crept into Colosse. St. Paul 
 feared its effects on the Church ; he warns Christians 
 against its wily doctrines, a warning as necessary in 
 every age of the Christian Church as then ; a warn- 
 ing needed as long as men, in things of religion, 
 
338 THE PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 take philosophy rather than Grod's holy written 
 word, as their guide. 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — Col. i. 
 
 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at 
 Colosse : Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father 
 and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesua 
 Christ, praying always for you, 
 
 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the 
 love which ye have to all the saints, 
 
 5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof 
 ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel ; 
 
 6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world ; and 
 bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye 
 heard of it, and knew the gmce of God in truth : 
 
 7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow-servant, 
 who is for you a faithful minister of Christ: 
 
 , 8 Who also declared unto us your love in Ihe Spirit. 
 
 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not 
 cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with 
 the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual under- 
 standing ; 
 
 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, 
 being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the know- 
 ledge of God; 
 
 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious 
 power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness; 
 
 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet 
 to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light : 
 
 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and 
 hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son : 
 
THESSALONIANS. 839 
 
 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the 
 forgiveness of sins: 
 
 16 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of 
 every creature ; 
 
 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, 
 and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be 
 thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all things 
 were created by him, and for him. 
 
 PAUL'S PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH AT THESSALONIOA, 
 
 The good tidings of the love and devotedness of 
 his brethren in the city of Thessalonica, filled the 
 heart of Paul with thankfulness, and comforted him 
 in his heavy trials, for he says: " Now we live if ye 
 stand fast." Every message concerning the success 
 of the gospel among the people of God, filled the 
 soul of Paul with joy, and his lips with praise. In 
 this petition there is expressed no desire for wealth, 
 fame, or even an increase of converts, but that he 
 may meet them again, and that not alqjie for the 
 pleasure he would realize in beholding those for 
 whom so often his prayers had risen to God, but 
 that he might aid them spiritually, and perfect that 
 which was lacldng in their faith. It is the prayer 
 of one risen with Christ, of " one whose spirit was 
 so large in its affections, so high in its object, of a 
 man who had so much of heaven in his friendships, 
 
840 THE PEAYEES OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 SO much of soul in his attachments, that he thought 
 time too brief, earth too scanty, worldly blessings 
 too low, to enter deeply into his prayers for those 
 for whom life itself would so soon be no more." 
 
 The Prayer as recorded. — 1 Thess. iii. 
 
 10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see 
 your face, and might perfect that which is lacliing in your fiaith ? 
 
 11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, direct our way unto you. 
 
 12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love 
 one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward 
 you: 
 
 13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in 
 holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 
 
 " This truth io all your hearts receive : 
 That all the saints unite with care, 
 To prove the omnipotence of prayer ; 
 Oh, then pray on, 'twill clear the way — 
 Chiefly for God's own Spirit pray : 
 There you shall 6ud, if there you seek, 
 'Wealth for the poor, strength for the weak ; 
 Soundness for sickness, life for death. 
 Derived from this inspiring breath.'' 
 
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