The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-06-26
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Do the Unregenerate ever Pray?

Do the unregenerate ever fray!
Yes, many wicked men believe in
God of nature and providence. They be
lieve that health, riches and honor are goo
gifts which come down from the Fathe
of lights. There are blessings which the.
earnestly desire, and they may, and d
often ask for them. Ungodly men whel
Frustrated by sickness, or when over
taken at sea by storm, or when abou
to rush into the deadly conflict of battle
have prayed to God for deliverance
The Ninevites and the mariners
prayed to the God of Jonah, and HI
answered their prayers. A man ma,
sincerely ask God for whatever Lawful
thing he desires, when he believes tina
God is able to grant his request.
But do the unregenerate ever pray fol
the salvation revealed in the Gospel
This question may be answered by an
swering another: Do they desire it
If they do, they can pray for it. d.
they ever hate sin? Then they can pray
to be delivered from it. Do they love
holiness? Then they can ask to be made
holy. Do they ever desire the fulness oi
joy and the pleasures forevermore that
are at the right hand of God-the rest
Of Heaven, which is an eternal Sabbath
consisting in the worship, and service,
and enjoyment of God and the Lamb
Then they can ask for these exalted
blessings; and every one that asketh,
receiveth.
But those who hare such desires are
not anregenerate. Such persons give
good evidence that they have been born
again. 1t is very evident that an unre-
generate man can pray for the salvation
Christ has secured for sinners, Just as
easily as he can believe in Christ, repent
of sin, love God and be subject to His
law. But faith, repentance, love to God,
&c., are the effects of regeneration. The
carnal mind is enmity against God, and
is not subject to His law, neither indeed
caI be. The work of regeneration is
Gods making sinners willing to receive
the salvation offered in the Gospel as a
free gift.
The Publican may have gone to the
temple with an unregenerate, that is, an
unbelieving, impenitent heart, but at was
not soith such heart that he prayed
"God be merciful to me a sinner" E"
When it is said that he went down to his
house justified, it cannot be supposed
that his faith or his prayer was the cause
of his regeneration. The difference in
the result of the prayers of the Publ
can and the Pharisee arose from the diff
ference in the state Of their hearts
Of Cornelius it is said that he was a
"devout man, and one that feared God; ;"
and it was under the influence of such
oSsatieps that he "praged to Cod s',.'s =. IS
and gave much aims to the people.
Who can suppose that the thief on the
cross prayed to the despised Nazarene,
his fellow sufferer by his side, with the
same impenitent, unbelieving heart which
he had but moment before, when, with
his wicked companion, he mooked the
dying Son of God as one unable to save
himself? That soondetul change in the
state of his heart, which led him to offer
that wonderful prayer, was the nea0 birth,
and was proof of the almighty power
and sovereign grace of Christ.
To pray always, to believe in Christ,
to repent of sin, to love God, are duties
which all men are required to perform ;
and God cannot excuse any because their
hearts are not right in his sight-but un-
til men who by nature are dead in tres
passes and sins, are quickened by the
Spirit, they walk according to the course
of this world. And while their moral
obligations should be pressed upon un-
converted men, it should also be impressed
upon their minds with equal force, that
the sinfulness of their estate consists in
the corruption of their whole nature, -
whereby they are "utterly fndisposed,
disabled, and made opposite to all good,
and wholly inclined to all evil" That
is, they should be constantly taught that
they are LOST, When we withhold a part
of the truth in relation to the sinners
lost condition, thinking thus to encourage
him to seek the salvation of his soul, ana
fearing that God might not, or would
not convert him by means of HIS Oacn
selected truth, we are expecting too much
from man; we forget that he is depraved
and that God is the only Saviour; /; anc
we are apt to bring about a spurious con
version. One reason why there are sc
many spurious conversions in some revi,
vals of religion is, that some sentiments
are taught, or allOwed to be held, which
coincide with the feelings of the unre
generate heart, in opposition to truth
which the Spirit uses to convince th'
sinner of his lost condition.
When will the Christian world learl
that the truth which is repugnant to tn
carnal heart, which makes men cavil, ant
which, without the Spirit, they wrest t
their own destruction, is the very trutl
which the Spirit uses to bring sinners t
Christ? 7, !, +,
RULES FOR GROWING Old al
now an old man. have seen nearly