August 25
“0 thou that nearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” Psa. 65: 2.
We have no claims upon God, and are not worthy of the least of all his mercies. It is therefore surprising that he should hear prayer at all. But he glories in it, and by nothing is he so much distinguished. He derives his fame, his character from it. “0 thou that nearest prayer.”
And we need not wonder at this, when we consider how constantly he has heard prayer, even ever since men began to call upon the name of the Lord; and how many prayers he has heard. If we are to pray without ceasing, the prayers of one individual would be very numerous. What then is the aggregate multitude that has been offered by all the millions that ever sought his face? And how largely he answers prayer. He gives grace and glory, and withholds no good thing pertaining to life and godliness. And how readily he answers prayer. “Before they call,” says he, “I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” And how certainly he hears prayer. We have his promises, which are firmer than the earth and the heavens. It may not be easy to ascertain when or how he answers us as the God of our salvation; but this we know, that he cannot deny us without denying himself. He cannot lie; and he has said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”
What should be the influence of this glorious truth, “Unto thee shall all flesh come?” If these words had stood separately, we should have taken them as affirming that all flesh would come to him at the last day to be judged. But the reference is not to God on the judgment-seat, but on the mercy-seat; and it is well that we can kneel at the latter, before we stand at the former. The meaning is, that men shall seek to him in prayer. And. not some, but many; not many, but all. Surely here is nothing less than a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles. Not only shall the seed of Jacob his chosen seek unto him, but those also that were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, and without God in the world, crying only unto idols that could not save. The Jews, in latter times, were carnal and selfish, and averse to the extension of their privileges; but the more ancient and spiritual of their nation rejoiced in the prospect of it. And they had intimations from the beginning, that the Gentiles also should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise of Christ by the gospel, “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee.” “My house shall be called the house of prayer for all people.”
If the practice here insured is to result from the character here expressed, the character must be known. “For how can they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe on him of whom they have not heard?” Accordingly it is said, “From the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering.”
And to notice this more personally, we see of what importance it is to entertain encouraging. views of God. Confidence in his mercy and grace will alone draw us into his presence. And therefore the ground of this confidence must be firm and obvious.
Much advantage also, upon this principle, must result from reviews of our own experience of his goodness. All success is animating, especially in prayer. “Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.”
Let me come to him among all those that are coming; and let me come immediately, for there is a time when he will not hear prayer. “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.”