The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-09-12
FIRST COyGREGATIONALIST CHURCH.
s'God's Uniformity in Answering Prnycr',-
Necessity of Diligence and importantly in
Prnyer-Christ's Mercies Determined by
Human Requests.

''GoUs uniformity IN Answering Praycr,,-
Necessity OF Diligence and importantly in
Prnyer-Christ's Mercies Determined by
Human Requests.
WASHINGTON, Sept. ii, 1870.
Rev. DR.. l. e. Rankin, pastor Of the First Congre-
gational church, delivered this morning discourse
on the subject OF Goods Uniformity IN Answering
Prayer" from the text '.Ask and IL shall be given
you"-Matthew vii, 7, s. In the physical world the
operations OF the Almighty are characterized by
Inarkabe uniformity and even human life, the
most uncertain OF all uncertainties continues
and terminates in accordance with certain fixed
principles already well developed, classified ana
acted upon by man. This confidence IN the uni
formity of Gods works lies at the foundation Of
human peace and progress and Is thoroughly esiab-
lished In Gods natural government, and the same
principle Of uniformity the Holy Spirit has intro
duced into the text encouraging to pray, because
God uniformly hears and an swers prayer. The text
contains repeated ana intensified exhortations to
prayer, enforced by assurances that
PRAYER WILL BE ANSWERED.,
and Is designed to teach that have n strong aver.
sion to the duty OF prayer and that God will have
faith, diligence, perseverance and Importantly In
prayer. IL POUNDS Its cNhortattons and encourage
nents upon Gods uniform fathfuness. EVERY
one that asketh receiveth; he that seeketh ndeth,
| and to MIN that knocketh 1t shall be opened" II
this statement were made upon any other subject
there would be no hesitation or diricQlty
| time and harvest, and ne that panteth panteth In
hope, looking for his return as insured him by the
sure w , ana G cSyenant OF Jehovah" The state
Is literally true In the largest and fullest sense.
Humble. contritc prayer to which the Saviour
hOrts and encourages us IN the text ''does prevail
with God" Christ intends 70 teach that the power
OF prayer Is left with him that offers 1t. Failure or
fulness In answer to prayer always accompanies
markabe faithfulness In prayer, and successful
prayer IL only falling In with Gods method OF
FULFILLING HIS OWN ETERNAL couNsELs.
The KIND OF prayer referred to I'm the text Is speci
hc prayer. There Is no such thing as prayer with
out sense OF need. II o man should come TO us
with petitions wordcd IA we sometimes word our
prayers, should we not be competed to say well.
kind encouraged in the text. It not improper to
believe that God never answers In any
It does not meet the promise, TASK and I''y ye
shall receive" We receive another thing aud not
| that for which we ask; another door and not that
against which we knock IL opened. But, you say,
.perhaps our request Is not according TO the will OF
Cod, Then II Is not the kind OF prayer OF which
| such IN Its object and manner that II pleases
God and hence 1t Pleases Him to answer 1t Just
uniformly answers prayer is abundant. Abraham
prays for the salvation OF Sodom and Of Lot out OF
s9dc cn h God promises the me arst upon condition
meet He grants the last The prayer OF the same
patriarch removes the curse Of the Almighty from
Ablmelech and his household. Ehezer Abraham's
servant, when commissioned TO select q wife for
Isaac. prays that God Will direct him by sign, ana
even before he done praying Rebecca comes our
OF tne CITY Win pitcher on her shoulder. The
prayer OF Moses
oUESCHEs THE FIRE OF THE LORD,
which burned among the Israelitee In Taberah-
When Joshua prays, the sun and moon stand SIN
until Gods people avenge themselves upon their
enemies. In answer to the prophet samuel, thunder
and rain appear In the hot months or the wheat
| harvest AT the suppcatiOn OF his servant Jehovah
| heals the withered nand or Jereboam. When
| Elisha aROnizes in his behalf he brings
| TO life tho child or the Shunamite and
while the prophet Daniel Is yet speaking God sends
an angel 10 assure him that his prayer Is granted.
| In the days or Christ this uniformity no less
remarkable. His whole ministry to the aficted
and sinful was In answer TO prayer. II He went
about doing good The direction OF His Offices OF
mercy determined by human requests. There
may be some exceptions to this law, but
they are only apparent. Prayer is not de-
signed by God simply as channel through
which He may bestow such blessings as men think
they need and many OF the requests made By Gods
servants ana denied are really contrary TO His will.
But the prayer OF faith, 'the efiectuai fervent
prayer or the righteous, 4" God uniformly hears aud
answers. We douot not Goas covenant In
nature. and yet He has never sealed this
IN the blood or His Son. We arc
not skepticaI here; why should We doubt
Gods covenant in gracoS Shall we not hereafter
pray, not with the thought that Goa sometimes
answers prayer, but that He always doesY Let our
prayers be III the spirit OF the text, and our expert
ence VIII demonstrate that every one that asketh
rcceveth, and he that seeketh lndeth, and 10 him
that knocketh t shall he opened.r