'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'—Hosea 4:6
Q. How else doth it operate?—A. It giveth the soul peace with
God through Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1).
Q. Surely Christ is of great esteem with them that have this faith in him, is he not?—A. Yes, Yes. Unto them therefore which believe he is precious, precious in his person, precious in his undertakings, precious in his Word (1 Peter 2:7, 1:18,19; 2 Peter 1:3,4).
Q. Can these people then, that have this faith, endure to have this Christ spoken against?—A. O! No! This is a sword in their bones, and a burden that they cannot bear (Psa 42:10; Zeph 3:19).[17]
Q. Doth it not go near them when they see his ways and people discountenanced?—A. Yes, and they also choose rather to be despised and persecuted with them, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (Heb 11:24,25).
Q. Do they not pray much for his second coming?—A. Yes, yes; they would fain see him on this side the clouds of heaven, their conversation is in heaven, from whence also they look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ' (Phil 3:20).
Q. And do they live in this world as if he were to come presently?—A. Yes, for his coming will be glorious and dreadful, full of mercy and judgment. 'The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness' (2 Peter 3:10,11).
Of Prayer.
Q. Well, I am glad that you have shown me that I must worship
God by confession of sin, and faith in Jesus Christ: Is there any
other thing a part of the true worship of God?—A. Yes, several;
I will mention only two more at this time.
Q. What are they?—A. Prayer and self-denial.
Q. Is prayer then a part of the worship of God?—A. Yes, a great part of it.
Q. How do you prove that?—A. 'O come let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker' (Psa 95:6).
Q. Is there another scripture that proves it?—A. Yes, 'Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me' (Matt 15:25).
Q. What is prayer?—A. A sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God in the name of Christ for what God hath promised (Prov 15:8; Jer 31:18,19; Psa 42:2-5; John 14:13,14; 1 John 5:14).
Q. Doth not everybody pray?—A. No, 'The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts' (Psa 10:4).
Q. What will become of them that do not pray?—A. They do not worship God, and he will destroy them; 'Pour out thy fury [said the prophet] upon the heathen,—and upon the families that call not on thy name' (Jer 10:25; Psa 79:6).
Q. But seeing God knoweth what we want, why doth he not give us what we need, without praying?—A. His counsel and wisdom leadeth him otherwise. 'Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them' (Eze 36:37).
Q. Why will God have us pray?—A. Because he would be acknowledged by thee, that he is above thee, and therefore would have thee come to him as the mean come to the mighty. Thus, Abraham came unto him (Gen 18:27, 30).
Q. Is there another reason why I should pray?—A. Yes. For by prayer thou acknowledgest, that help is not in thine own power (2 Chron 20:6,12).
Q. What other reason do you have why I should pray?—A. By prayer thou confessest that help is only in him (Psa 62:1).
Q. What other reason have you?—A. By prayer thou confessest thou canst not live without his grace and mercy (Matt 14:30; Heb 4:16).
Q. Are all those who pray heard of the Lord?—A. No; 'They looked,' that is prayed, 'but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not' (2 Sam 22:42).
Q. To what doth God compare the prayers which he refuseth to answer?—A. He compares them to the howling of a dog (Hosea 7:14).
Q. Who are they whose prayers God will not answer?—A. There are those who think to be heard for their much speaking, and vain repetition (Matt 6:7).
Q. Is there any other whose prayer God refuseth?—A. Yes, there are those who ask and have not, because what they ask, they would spend upon their lusts (James 4:3).
Q. Is there any other whose prayer God refuseth?—A. Yes, 'If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me' (Psa 66:18).
Q. Is the regard for sin in our hearts such a deadly hindrance to prayer?—A. 'Son of man,' saith God, 'these men have set up their idols in their heart, and have put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face; should I be enquired of at all by them? I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb. And I will cut him off from the midst of my people' (Eze 14:3,8).
Q. Whose prayers be they that God will hear?—A. The prayers of the poor and needy (Psa 34:6; Isa 41:17).
Q. What do you mean by the poor?—A. Such as have poverty in spirit
(Matt 5:3).
Q. Who are they that are poor in spirit?—A. They that are sensible of the want and necessity of all those things of God, that prepare a man to the kingdom of heaven.
Q. What things are they?—A. Faith, hope, love, joy, peace, a new heart, the Holy Ghost, sanctification. See James 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; Ezekiel 36:26,27.
Q. What do you mean by the needy?—A. Those whose souls long and cannot be satisfied without the enjoyment of these blessed things (Psa 63:1, 119:20).
Q. Will God hear the prayers of such?—A. Yes, 'For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness' (Psa 107:9).
Q. How shall I know that I am one of those to whom God will give these things?—A. If thou seest a beauty in them beyond the beauty of all other things (Psa 110:3).
Q. How else shall I know [that] he heareth me?—A. If thou desirest them for their beauty's sake (Psa 90:14,17).
Q. How else should I know I shall have them?—A. When thy groanings after them are beyond expression (Rom 8:26).[19]
Q. How else should I know, and so be encouraged to pray?—A. When thou followest hard after God in all his ordinances for the obtaining of them (Isa 4:1,3, 64:5).
Q. How else should I know?—A. When thou makest good use of that little thou hast already (Rev 3:8).
Q. Are all the good signs here that my prayers shall be heard?—A.
No, there is one more without which thou shalt never obtain.
Q. Pray, what is that?—A. Thou must plead with God, the name and merits of Jesus Christ, for whose sake only God giveth thee these things. If we ask anything in his name, he heareth us, and whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, saith Christ, I will do it (John 14:13,14).
Q. Doth God always answer presently?—A. Sometimes he doth, and sometimes he doth not (Isa 30:19; Dan 10:12).
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