Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org

nature and the promise of his grace bind him to hear the prayers they offer
unto him, and to grant them all that salvation which he has led them by
his promise and Spirit to request.
He who does not pray is not humble; and an un-humbled searcher after
truth never yet found it to the salvation of his soul.
God never inspires a prayer but with the design to answer it. What
goodness is there equal to this of God?—to give not only what we ask,
and more than we ask, but to reward even prayer itself!
The only return that God requires is, that we ask for more! Who is like
God? One reason why we should never more come to a fellow mortal for
a favour is, we have received so many already. A strong reason why we
should claim the utmost salvation of God is, because we are already so
much in debt to his mercy. Now, this is the only way we have of
discharging our debts to God; and yet, strange to tell, every such attempt
to discharge the debt only serves to increase it. Yet, notwithstanding, the
debtor and Creditor are represented as both pleased, both profited, and
both happy in each other! Reader! pray to Him, invoke his name; receive
the cup; accept the abundance of salvation which He has provided thee,
that thou mayest love and serve him with a perfect heart.
It is a modern refinement in theology which teaches that no man can
know when God hears and answers his prayers but by an induction of
particulars, and by an inference from his promises. And on this ground,
how can any man fairly presume that he is heard or answered at all? May
not his inductions be no other than the common occurrences of
providence? And may not providence be no more than the necessary
occurrence of events? And is it not possible that, on this skeptic ground,
there is no God to hear or answer? True religion knows nothing of these
abominations; it teaches its votaries to pray to God, to expect an answer
from him, and to look for the Holy Spirit to bear witness with their spirits
that they are the sons and daughters of God.