of prayer, a baseless fancy. But these were written that men might believe assuredly that God hears and answers prayers. Nor is it to be alleged that though great things may have been done through prayer in days of old, such is not the case now-that prayer no longer has the power that it had then. The utterances of our blessed Lord and his inspired apostles, enjoin the abiding practice, and that involves and teaches the abiding power of prayer. Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you." "He spake a parable to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint." He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." The inspired apostles one after another speak in like manner-" continuing instant in prayer”—“ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit "-"I will that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."-"This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." If these scriptures have any meaning, the privilege and duty of prayer, and the power of prayer, have neither been withdrawn nor diminished. There are very many things that go by the name of prayer, that have little or nothing at all of prayer in them—nothing either of desire for the things pro fessed to be asked, or of expectation of receiving them. These can have no power. But there are true prayers-prayers full of desire, and of humble expectation of an answer. There is great power in these prayers. Christ's church and people often discern and acknowledge an answer to prayer— betimes a remarkable answer, involving great interests. An unbelieving, godless world little thinks of how many of the things that are being transacted in it are linked on to the prayers of God's people, and are the fruit of these prayers-little dreams of the world's indebtedness to prayer. And even Christ's Church and people themselves seem but little to realise, how largely prayer is a power in bringing about, and regulating the events that are taking place from day to day all around-how much the affairs of our world, and the interests temporal and eternal of the human race, are affected and influenced by prayer. Verily, prayer is a great power-a power far greater, and more extensive, than an unbelieving world, and a half believing church at all think it to be. GOD'S OWN TESTIMONY TO PRAYER. THE PRAYERS OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND THE ANSWERS THERETO. GENESIS. Abram regarding an heir. Answered immediately. Genesis xv.-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 hast given no seed and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 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. 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. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. Note.-God is well pleased when his people carry his promises to him, and humbly remind him of them, and press for their performance. Abram did so in this instance, regarding a previous promise of children (ch. xii. 2, 7), and to his contentment he receives a repetition of the promise in more distinct terms. General Note.-It will be observed that the many answers to prayer that we find recorded in the Scriptures, are chiefly answers to particular requests. Let us learn an important lesson from this. It is right, in our stated prayers in public and family worship, and in our stated private devotions, to ask a variety of things in the same prayer. But besides this, let us go often to God with special requests. Let us carry to God the events, and duties, and trials, and hopes, and expectations, and desires, and difficulties of life, as they arise, by a brief special prayer, referring directly to the matter in hand: let us study to acquire the gracious habit of at once telling God about it. When we thus carry each matter that concerns us, at once, and by itself, to God, our desires will be more real, and our expectations of an answer will be truer and more direct, than when a whole string of matters are included in the same prayer. For it is difficult to have real earnest desire for all the different things that are often brought forward in our stated prayers; and perhaps still more difficult, in any appreciable degree, to expect an answer to all the different requests made in these prayers. But it is very different when, deeply feeling our dependence on God, and believing in his care of us, we carry at once each matter in our lot as it arises, to God, tell him about it, it may be humbly express our own desires about it, and then leave it with him. This is mainly the Scripture way of prayer; and it is one of the lessons that we are to learn from studying the prayers of the Scriptures. In such prayers answers are really looked for, and that not in vain. And such a gracious habit of special prayer is the way to secure the soul's peace. For then we shall have peace whether we get or do not get what we ask, because in both cases we are sure that we are receiving from God what is best for us, and most for his glory, whether he grants or refuses our requests. For is not this just what the Word says? "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. iv. 6, 7. Abram regarding his inheriting Canaan. immediately. Answered Genesis xv.-7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 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 turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 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. 17 And it came to pass, that when : |