West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-06-08
Willingness of God.
BY REV. c. ADAMS, D. d.

bf KEY. {. ADAMS, d. d.
One thing should never be forgot
ten IN the great matter of PRAYER
to God, and that is, that he needs ~
persuasion Of oars to secure his bleSsina
That great cardinal promise should
be ever kept in mind that, oif We
being evil, know how to give GOOD
gifts unto your children, how much
more shall your Father which is in
heaven give good things to them
that ask him p There can be
nothing fuller or more satisfactory
than this. These are the Savior's
own words and they are either sure
and true, or they are false and vain.
In the one case, all heaven is open
and free to him who prays; in the
other case, all our Christianity and
Christian hopes are a deception and
a lie. There is no third alterna-
tive
With God, then, all things are
ready, and always ready. He ever
waits to be gracious. His great
heart is forever willing, yea, de-
lighted beyond all language hui
man or angelic, to express, beyond
all thought, human or angelic, to
imagine, to give good things to
them that ask him" Such is his
own presentation of this tremendous
matter.
It's true, s'.cc, 'aful and prevail
ing prayer mt be earnest. Often
1t must be aorestling, nd often i'm
Fortunate; sometimes a crying day
and night, with fasting and many
tears. But all this is not, in the
slightest degree, that the great
Father must be persuaded. But it
is rather, and solely, that he who
prays may be drawn into the prop
er attitude of soul to receive the
great gifts and blessings which are
every moment ready to burst upon
him. Jacob wrestlcd all one night
with the angel-Jehovah-but the
wrestling was entirely for the sake
of poor Jacob; and as soon as he
rose up to the full appreciation of
his prodigiors necessity, and to the
grandeur of that faith which
brooked no denial, but declared, II
will not let the go!" the victory
was gained, and the blessings that
had been ready and waiting for him
all night, he reached and grasped
at day-break.
The case of Daniel seemed more
propitious. Once offering special
prayer, the answer thereto was sim
Infamous with the prophets earli-
est words. cat the beginning of
thy applications" said Gabriel,
'the commandment went forth and
| am come" The prayer was brief,
but the angel, "being caused to fly
swiftly" was with Daniel at Baby
Ion Immediately. The supplica-
tions were for minute or two; the
angels flight-the divine answer
was simultaneous. 1t was exactly
as prompt and ready as the prayer.
Indeed, why should itfor moment
be thought to be otherwise? Has
not Christ, the greatest gift in the
universe, been already bestowed?
Have not call things" been promis-
ed to follow? And is it mere ia
BILE that "all things are now
ready ?"
Yes, on the part of the great Civ
er every thing is ready. The will
ingness, the delight to answer is
commensurate with his ability.
"Ask, and receive, that your joy
may be full"
The above view being correct,
namely, that God on his part is ever
ready and waiting and yearning to
give, and that the entire difficulty
in the way of divine answers to
prayer is with him who prays,
there flashes upon us the unuttera-
BILE Importance of being always in
the requisite spiritual condition
for successful prayer. The needfal
sincerity, penitence, humility,
earnestness, faith, and persever-
ance, should never be wanting
should be the settled attitude and
hab, of the soul; and then to such
ere the windows of heaven are
forever open, and blessings such as
eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,