Yes, though under the Christian economy the infinite object of our adoration does not manifest His peculiar presence by the miraculous appearance of devouring fire, as He did to Moses in the bush and to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, yet those divine properties, His absolute purity, His burning jealousy, and His punishing justice, which were signified by the terrific, fiery emblem (Deuteronomy 4:23-24; 9:3), are still the same. For His immutability forbids our supposing that He is less pure in His nature, less jealous of His honor in the worship which He requires, or less disposed to execute justice upon transgressors now than under the Mosaic dispensation. It is a great mistake, therefore, for anyone to suppose that when God is denominated a consuming fire it has regard to sinners considered merely as destitute of a mediator. This is because the application and improvement of that divine character by the apostle evidently respects real Christians equally with others. If then we approach the Most Holy with acceptance, it must be through faith in the blood of Jesus by the aid of the sacred Spirit (Ephesians 2:18; 3:12), and with profound reverence. For where there is no reverence, there is no devotion. In proportion as we address God under a divine influence, we shall pray with knowledge and with faith, with liberty and with delight.

1. With fervor

This adverbial and expressive term (amen) suggests that, when addressing God according to His revealed will, we should pray with holy fervor. Yes, as by the concluding word amen we epitomize all the foregoing requests, it manifestly denotes earnestness in our ap- plication to the Fountain of mercies and the Friend of man. For with what propriety or to what purpose do we briefly repeat our petitions if we be not fervent in prayer—if we be not in earnest with God to obtain the blessings we supplicate? Without this, our amen loses its emphasis and becomes a superficial formality or a mere word of course.

1. With expectation

Once more, we are taught by this expressive and solemnly concluding term (amen) that we should pray with expectation of a gracious audience of the King Eternal. For why do we pray, and why has Jesus taught us to conclude our petitions with an emphatical, “So be it,” if we have no ground of expectation that God will condescendingly hear and graciously answer our various requests by subjoining His own efficacious amen? It is of high importance, my brethren, in every devotional exercise, that we approach God with expectation. For where there is no expectation of a gracious audience and of receiving benefits from His liberal hand, there is either no sense of want, and it is a merely formal service, or it is under a conviction of obligation to adore God while oppressed with slavish fear. And in each case, the animating principle is wanting, which is faith operating in the way of expectation.

To the enjoyment of this expectation, however, in drawing near to God, it is necessary that persons be sensible of their spiritual wants in connection with a view of revealed mercy; for, destitute of that sensibility, they have scarcely any errand at the throne of grace. They may pray, indeed, in their own way; but, not feeling their various necessities, they have no specific objects in view for which to supplicate the divine Father. Their prayers are by rote and in compliance with religious custom. But in proportion as anyone is convinced of his numerous wants, believes in Jesus, and regards the gracious promises, will expectation operate in his daily supplications. Nor is this animating expectation confined to peace of conscience and spiritual joy. No, it will be very much directed to divine communications of spiritual instruction, of necessary re- proof, of support under trials, and of sanctifying influence in its various application to the human heart.

As a means of exciting this expectation, we should consider and endeavor to realize the gracious characters under which the great Object of our devotion stands revealed, in connection with those divine declarations, precepts, and promises, which have a special regard to prayer.

His gracious characters. Such, for instance, as the following: “Our Father which art in heaven…the God of all grace…the God of all comfort…the Father of mercies…The LORD…forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…thou that hearest prayer” (Matthew 6:9; 1 Peter 5:10; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 65:2).

Declarations, precepts, and promises. The following are a specimen: “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it…Ask, and ye shall receive…Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…We have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him [Christ]…Let us…come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need…Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Psalm 81:10; John 16:24; Matthew 7:7; Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:19-22).

These and similar characters of Him Whom we adore - these and similar sayings of inspiration - together with numerous recorded facts relative to the success of prayer, fully warrant our expectation of a gracious answer in due season when drawing near to the divine Father in the name of Jesus. Nay, such is the provision which sovereign grace has made to animate prayer with hope that the vilest wretch upon earth has reason to expect the divine amen to his prayer, when from the heart he cries, “God be merciful through the atonement to me a sinner!”

Here, however, to prevent mistakes, I would subjoin the following cautions. Let none imagine that their obligation to pray arises merely from the reason there is to expect that God will graciously answer their petitions. No, for though that reason of expectation be a delightful encouragement and the grand motive to pray, it is far from being the ground of obligation to bow at our Maker’s footstool. The infinite excellence of God, His absolute dominion over us, and our entire dependence upon Him for life, blessedness, and being constitute the ground of obligation to worship Him. Are we indulged with solid reason to expect the amen of God Himself to our prayers? It is of His mere, sovereign mercy, which might have been entirely withheld from us without in the least enfeebling the true ground of our obligation to adore Him as the Creator and moral governor of the universe. Awful, therefore, is the state of that man who has the exercise of his rational powers and yet lives without prayer! He is a practical atheist.

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