God has

holiness; why cannot less content you? given you commission to ask what you will, not to the one half, but the whole of his kingdom; the kingdom you shall have, if no less will serve your turn.

Christians, be thankful for every little you receive, but look for much: be thankful for every little, every little received from God is much. A drop from that fountain is worth the world, yet content not yourselves with some drops, when, if you will, the fountain may be yours. The King of glory loves to give like a king, and will never say, This is too much either for a king to give, or a beggar to receive; since he has given you leave, spare not to speak in full your desires. God has promised you, and therefore you may promise yourselves; whatever you ask, that is good for you, you shall not ask in vain. O if we had so much in our eye when we come before the throne of grace, we should be oftener there, and yet still return with our load. Well, Christians, remember this whenever you come to beg-look to receive, come not to prayer as to an empty cistern that will yield no water.

III. Learn the skill to PLEAD WITH GOD in prayer. Though the Lord be willing to give to those that ask, yet he will have them first prove they are in earnest. Great store of arguments he has furnished us with to press him withal, but he will have us use them: we must strive with God if we will prevail, and the best striving is with his own weapons. The counsel I give you in this is, Plead hard with God, but plead with him upon his own arguments: there are, among many others, these four grounds on which to found

your plea-on God himself; on Christ; on the promises; on experiences.

1. On God himself. And there are two special things from which you may plead here.

(1.) His gracious nature. Draw your arguments by which you plead with God for mercy, from the same source whence he originally drew his arguments for showing mercy-from his own compassion, from his gracious nature, from his natural goodness, and gracious inclination to mercy: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." John 3:16. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself.” Eph. 1:5-9. Here we have heaped up in a few words the riches of mercy which God hath bestowed on his people. Christ his beloved, redemption through Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, the adoption of children, acceptance in his sight, the revelation of the mystery of his will, or the discovering or making known these glorious mercies to us.

But whence is all this? Who is it, or what was it, that persuaded the Lord to this abundant kindness? Why, all this arose from himself. He pur

posed it in himself. He consulted no other argument but what he found in his own heart. It was from his love, the good pleasure of his will, his grace, the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded towards us. Hosea 11:8, 9. "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee up, Israel? I cannot do it, I will not do it. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not destroy Ephraim." But why wilt thou not be angry, Lord; why wilt thou not destroy Ephraim? "O," says the Lord, "my heart is turned within me; my heart says, Spare him; my compassion says, Destroy him not. I am God, and not man. I love him, and my love is the love of a God. I have compassion on him, and my compassion is the pity of a God: I will bear with him, I am a God of patience: love is my nature; pity and mercy and compassion are my nature: I cannot destroy Ephraim, but by denying mine own nature." Love and pity and mercy and goodness are essential to God. He can as soon cease to be God, as to be gracious, and this is the fountain of all our mercy; hence Christ sprung, hence the gospel came, and all the unsearchable riches of mercy prepared for poor lost and undone creatures.

When you come to pray, draw your arguments hence. Plead with the Lord upon his own nature, his natural love, grace, and goodness. Thus we find the apostle Peter praying for the Christians to whom he wrote: "The God of all grace make you perfect; stablish, strengthen, settle you." 1 Pet. 5:10. Plead with the Lord in your prayers, as the psalmist pleads

with himself in his affliction: "Will the Lord cast off for ever, and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever; doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious; hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies ?" Psa. 77:7-9. That men should be merciless, that men should forget their friends in their low estate, is no such wonder. But hath God, who is all grace, all mercy, all pity, hath God forgotten? Doth mercy cease to be merciful, grace cease to be gracious? Do compassions cease to be pitiful? Hath God not only forgotten his servant, but forgotten himself? Remember thyself, Lord; thine own heart, thine own soul, and according to it, remember me.

(2.) Plead his glorious name. The Lord's nature is to be gracious, and according to his nature, such is his name: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." Exod. 34:6. This is an argument which the Lord puts into the mouths of his people, telling them, "I had pity for my holy name; I do not this for your sakes, but for my holy name's sake." Ezek. 36:21, 22. And upon this argument we find them frequently pleading with him: "For thy name's sake, lead me and guide me." Psa. 31:3. "Do not abhor us; for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory remember, break not thy covenant with us." Jer. 14:21. Go you and do likewise.

2. Found your plea on Christ. And there are four things from which you may plead with God upon this account.

The Lord's giving Christ to you as your Lord and your Saviour. Upon which gift, you may call him your own.

The purchase of Christ, who has bought from the hands of the Father all that you stand in need of. He has bought your lives: "Ye are bought with a price." 1 Cor. 6:20. He has bought you a livelihood, has purchased an inheritance and possession for you. 1 Peter, 1.

The interest that Christ has in the Father, being the Son of God, the Son of his love, the Servant of God, in whom his soul delights: "Behold my servant whom I have chosen, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth," Isa. 42:1, whose name is so precious and powerful with the Father, that it will carry any suit, obtain any request: "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." John 16:23.

The interest that you have in Christ. As he is precious to his Father, so you are precious to him; as the Father can deny him nothing, so he can deny his people nothing: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do." John 14:13. He gives you commission to put his name upon all your requests, and whatsoever prayer comes up with this name upon it, he will procure it an answer.

Now when you are praying for any mercy, especially for any soul-mercy, make use of all these arguments: "Lord, hast thou given Christ unto me, and wilt thou not with him give me all things I stand in need of? Hast thou given me the fountain, and wilt