A Lecture
DELIVERED ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1850,
BY THE REV. PROFESSOR FINNEY,
OF OBERLIN COLLEGE, UNITED STATES,
AT THE TABERNACLE, MOORFIELDS.
[Second in a series of three "Lectures on the Conditions of Prevailing Prayer."]
"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."--Matt. vii. 7, 8.
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your
lusts."--James iv. 3.
THE subject to which I spoke last evening I shall continue this evening--The
Conditions of Prevailing Prayer. I noticed last evening several of these
conditions, and announced that this evening I should pursue the subject. I was
speaking of Perseverance being made a condition of prevailing with God.
Sometimes, however, the circumstances are of such a character that there is no
time for perseverance, in any such sense as to protract; if the prayers must
necessarily be repeated, the object cannot be attained at all. But often there
are very good reasons why the supplicant should be left to wrestle and
persevere. God is anxious, by this means, to develope a certain state of mind,
sometimes for the petitioner's benefit, sometimes for the benefit of others, or
both of these together. Some cases of this kind are recorded in Scripture, where
God declined to answer at once, in order that he might develope a certain state
of mind in the petitioner for the benefit of others. I shall instance some cases
of this kind. I noticed last evening that of Jacob as an example of perseverance
in struggling--persisting in supplication, until he prevailed. I noticed, also,
the case of Moses, and was about to mention that of Elijah.
Elijah had the express promise of God that he would send rain upon the earth.
When he had built an altar, slain the prophets of Baal, if you recollect, he
gave himself to prayer, and sent his servant to see if there were any clouds
arising. Elijah commenced praying. The servant went, but saw nothing. Elijah
said, "Go again." I suppose he meant to say, "Keep on going until you see the
approach of rain, for I must not leave this place till the blessing come." He
had a strong desire for rain for the benefit of the people, but there were other
reasons. God expressly promised it should come; he was determined its delay in
coming should be no stumbling-block. He continued to press his suit, until at
length a little cloud about the size of a man's hand was discovered. He did not
go and ask God, and then get up and go away, as is customary with many, who
think that if God has promised anything, to be once reminded of his promise is
sufficient. No, it was not so. The prophet had an urgent spirit--a spirit which
would not let him leave the throne of grace. The servant went and came seven
times, and the last time he said, "There is a little cloud rising, about the
size of a man's hand." Observe the perseverance. Elijah refused to leave his
position until rain came.
Again, take the case of Daniel. We have in Daniel (10th chapter) a very
affecting instance of perseverance. I will read:--"In those days I Daniel was
mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine
in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were
fulfilled" (Daniel x. 2, 3). Then came the answer--I will not read the
intervening verses, but pass on to the 12th,-- "Then said he unto me, Fear not,
Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and
to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
words." Here it appears that a messenger had been sent to answer Daniel, but
that he had been withstood by some agency; indeed, an infernal spirit, here
called the Prince of Persia--for I think, if we read the connexion, it is
manifest that it was an infernal agent--withstood the messenger sent to answer
Daniel, until Michael, one of the chief princes, who was, some have supposed,
the Messiah himself, came to help him. Daniel pressed his suit for the space of
twenty-one days. There was no staying him till he had the answer.
The case of the Syrophoenician woman is another striking and affecting instance.
This is recorded in the 15th chapter of Matthew. You will recollect the
circumstances. The woman was not a Jewess, but her daughter was tormented by an
infernal spirit, and she came to Christ to have it cast out. She fell down and
worshipped him, and said, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my
daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." Now, the disciples were with the
Saviour, who was crowded; she followed and made supplication, and wept along the
road after them. They seeing that he took no notice, concluded that he was not
going to answer her, and said, "Send her away, for she crieth after us." He
replied, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now, as
I have said, she was not a Jewess, but a Syro-phoenician; however she was not
discouraged, but continued crying. He at length addressed her--"It is not meet
to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs." "Truth, Lord," says she;
"I ask no such thing. I am willing to be compared to a dog. I do not resent this,
nor do I ask the children's bread; but may not dogs eat of the crumbs which fall
from their master's table?" What a spirit was this! Christ turned and said, "0
woman, great is thy faith; be it unto, thee even as thou wilt!" He had developed
her faith. The disciples saw the spirit of perseverance and faith, and what
confidence she had. With less confidence she might have been at first confounded
or discouraged, when he said he was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel. But she was not to be discouraged by that. Notwithstanding this
apparent discouragement, she would believe that she could get the blessing,
therefore she pressed it still, only increasing in importunity, and would not be
discouraged. Then he said, as if to try the temper of the woman--as every one
can see what he said was calculated to do,--he said, "It is not meet to take the
children's bread, and to cast it to dogs", almost treating her contemptuously;
but she never resented it. "If you are going to treat me in this way," she might
have said, "I won't speak to you any more. I did not come to seek the children's
bread, but might I not have the crumbs which fall from the master's table?" Now,
this is a beautiful instance, not only of perseverance, but of the power and
prevalence of this perseverance.
In the 11th chapter of Luke, we have the case of the unjust judge, who neither
feared God nor regarded man. There are two parables in Luke which are specially
designed by the Saviour to teach the necessity and the power of perseverance,
and the prayer is very striking in both these parables. Take the case of the
unjust judge. "There was in a certain city a judge, who feared not God, neither
regarded man; and there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying,
Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterwards said
within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow
troubleth me, I will avenge her of her adversary." Now Christ did not intend
here to compare God to the unjust judge, but he had to take a strong case, and
therefore to give a strong illustration of the truth enforced. He says,
perseverance in supplication overcame even the unjust judge. She so persevered
that, to avoid her importunity--to avoid being continually troubled by the woman,
he would avenge her of her adversary. Christ tells us here what the unjust judge
says, who neither feared God nor regarded man; and shall not God, who is not
unjust--for this is the idea--"shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day
and night unto him?" Here was a judge who took no interest in the case, who
cared not for the woman or her adversary,--who "neither feared God nor regarded
man", but who, to avoid her importunity, avenged her of her adversary. Now, if
importunity could do this with such an individual, what shall it do with God?
whose elect are dear to his heart, who cares for them and their cause, and when
they importunately cry day and night unto him, shall he not avenge them? When
the unjust judge was overcome by importunity, and with neither interest in the
person or the cause, was moved by importunity, shall not God avenge his own
elect? Yes, "he shall avenge them, and that speedily."
A curious circumstance occurred since I came to England; a party, whose name I
have forgotten, but the circumstance was related to me while I was at
Birmingham--A Christian man called to see me to relate a fact about himself. He
had heard, from time to time, different things about prevailing prayer. He felt,
he said, that it was his duty to state the fact to me, to show me how great was
the faithfulness of God. It was of so extraordinary a character, involving such
a principle, that I have thought of it almost ever since. "Some time back," said
the gentleman, "a neighbour of mine lost his wife. When she was ill and nigh
unto death, my wife went to nurse her, and staid with her till she breathed her
last. After she returned home, I was satisfied that all was not right. Things
kept showing themselves continually. Circumstances occurred to show me that all
was not right between that man and my wife. I told her what I feared. She
confessed her guilt, and not only so, but avowed her determination to quit me,
and to live with him, whatever might come of it. 'What do you say?' exclaimed I.
I could not say anything more to her; but I went to God, and cried day and night
unto him--O God, wilt thou not avenge me of this mine adversary? For two weeks,
I scarcely slept at all, but prayed and wept, sometimes in one position and
sometimes in another. But for two weeks I gave God no rest, but prayed
continually--O God, wilt thou not avenge me of this mine adversary? At the same
time, I let my wife understand, that my arms and heart were open to receive her
if she would return, and I would forgive her all the past. I kept myself in that
position. I wept before God. I prayed, and I cried unto him to avenge me. At the
end of the two weeks, she came back heart-broken, confessing her sin, humbling
herself, and doing all that I could wish her to do; and she has since been all
that I could wish her to be." What a striking case is this! Instead of at once
turning her away, he went to God, and said, "O Lord, thou seest that this man
hath torn away my very wife from my bosom! O God, avenge me of this mine
adversary." If in any one case more than another, a man would feel a
disinclination to make a matter the subject of prayer, it would be in such a
case as this; yet he did, and prevailed in the extraordinary manner I have
described.
Let me now present an instance of importunity for others, which is recorded in
the 11th chapter of Luke. The Syrophoenician prayed for a blessing for herself.
Christ gives a parable illustrative of the power of importunity in praying for
others. It was a case where an individual went to the house of a friend in the
night, and said, "Friend, lend me three loaves;" but he would not do it. He and
his children were in bed, and he could not rise to give him what he wanted. The
man, however, continued knocking and knocking, resolved to keep knocking all
night; so he might as well get up first as last, or make up his mind to be awake
all night. So much was he set on providing for the necessities of his friend who
called upon him, that he would stand knocking like this; and though the
individual would not get up because of his friend, yet because of the constant
knocking, in that way, with such importunity, he got up and gave him as many as
he pleased. Here, then, is an illustration of the great value of importunity
when seeking blessings for our friends--those upon whose salvation we set our
hearts. Here was an individual who wanted a blessing for his friend, and who
would not suffer his other friend, from whom he could not get this blessing, to
rest till he obtained it. The fact is, that cases oftentimes occur in which it
appears as if God kept silence, and suffered individuals to importune with the
greatest perseverance and solicitude, until a state of mind was developed, which
is so striking as to be very edifying to all who see it, and particularly so to
the petitioner himself.
Oftentimes, also, a condition of prevailing seems to be a great degree of
solicitude, amounting almost to unutterable agony of mind. Blessings very great,
which are sought, do not come, until we are so strongly excited in mind, as to
be thrown into great agony--to travail in soul before God. Many professors of
religion do not understand what this "travail of soul" is. It is spoken of
repeatedly in the Bible as a state of mind to which great blessings are promised.
The Apostle speaks of "travailing in birth for those to whom he preached at
Galatia." He says, "My little children have backslidden." To reclaim them gave
him such agony of mind. When the Prophet speaks of seeing a man in a vision, he
says, "Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child. Wherefore do I
see every man with his hands on his loins as a woman in travail, and all faces
are turned into paleness?" Have you examined your Bible with marginal references,
or a concordance, to see what that book really says on the subject? What is
promised to that state of mind which amounts to agony and travail of soul? This
is a delicate subject, yet it is so often dwelt upon in the Bible that persons
should search not only what the Scriptures say, but be willing just to
sympathize with God so deeply, that their souls travail in birth until other
souls are born to God. I do not say now, or suppose that in all instances, this
spirit is indispensable to prevail. But it often is. On the first establishment
of Christianity, it was so common, that the Apostle speaks of it as a thing well
known to Christians. He says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities;
for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself also
maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans viii.
26).
My hearers, do you know what this is? In the great revivals that prevailed in
America some years since, some striking instances of the prevalence of prayer
occurred, as also in the days of President Edwards, as well as in Scotland. In
various parts of Great Britain, too, where revivals prevailed, there was a
remarkable spirit of prayer. I have witnessed much of this myself. An aged
minister, well known by name to many of you, mentioned this fact to me. He had
not at that time been in those revivals much, but two of his daughters had grown
up in impenitence. He told me the great exercise of mind he had had previous to
their conversion, and when I told him that it was a thing perfectly common to
revivals, he felt surprised that he should have so long overlooked what the
Bible says on this subject. The man was so exercised that he could not sleep. So
great was the weight upon him that he struggled until he said he told the Lord
that "he must die or his daughters must be converted." He felt that his soul was
loaded with such an unutterable agony, that he really must die unless that
petition was granted. He was literally in travail of soul for them. Often when I
have seen Christians in this state--in expressing the state of their minds to
me, they have used the very language of Scripture. They have said again and
again, "My soul travaileth day and night, I cannot live unless I see the
salvation of God." Such persons, when in such a state of mind, are generally not
disposed to see company, or to go anywhere, more than they can help. They want
to be with God as much as possible. They have deep seasons of sighing unawares--seeking
to be alone with God; and could you but hear and see how they wrestle with God,
you might, perhaps, feel astonished at the holy boldness and confidence such a
soul would manifest in its intercourse with God. You would hear such expressions,
and see such a mighty wrestling as you would probably never forget. I have known
such things, that where I am a stranger I have been afraid to tell them, lest
the people should think them untrue. I have often witnessed things in revivals
of religion, of a character so extraordinary--I have often seen answers to
prayer bordering so closely upon the miraculous, that I feel afraid to tell them
where I am unknown. The fact is, that the answers to prayer which have come
under my notice, have been most wonderful, both in America and in this country,
to the great astonishment of those who have not understood them.
But, let me say again: that all the hindrances of prevailing prayer, may be
summed up in one, which is one of the greatest, if not the greatest of the
difficulties--I refer to a want of sympathy with God. How can people hope to
prevail with God, unless they sympathise with him? When men really sympathise
with him in such a manner as not to stickle at self-denial--when they are imbued
with the spirit that led Christ to make the atonement--that led Christ to deny
himself, and to do all that he did--to have such a state of mind is a great
difficulty. Christ needs his Church to sympathise with him, and while they do
not sympathise with him, and are not in a state of mind to deny themselves of
even trifling gratifications, for the sake of doing good to the worldly-minded,
how can they expect to prevail with God?
This leads me to say again, a state of mind which will not grieve the Spirit of
God, but will watch against everything which does grieve the Spirit of God, is
indispensable to the true spirit of prayer. No man can prevail with God who does
not bridle his tongue. In these days, people talk a great deal too much to pray
well. They grieve the Holy Ghost by their much talking, and their bad talking.
People speak harshly of their brethren. Now, such a state of mind is not
congenial to prayer, and if you wish to prevail with God, you must take care and
keep yourselves in the love of God, by praying in the Holy Ghost. In order to
prevail with God, Christians must have the spirit of love, and walk therein;
they must have a spirit tender for the reputation of Christ, and live in such a
state towards sinners, as to be willing to make any sacrifices for them. My dear
friends, I should last night have done what I now intend to do,--ask, as I go
along, do you fulfill these conditions? Are you living in such a sympathy with
God and Christ that you are willing to deny yourselves, and to walk before God
in such a manner as to give yourselves up to the great work of saving souls? I
don't mean by this, that you should forsake your necessary employments, and go
about to do nothing else but talk and pray; but are you in such a state of mind,
as not to stickle at self-denial? Are you willing to live, and be used up, body,
property, and everything, for the promotion of the glory of God, and the
salvation of the world? Or, would you stickle at some trifling gratification?
Can a man offer prevailing prayer, who is unwilling to make sacrifices for the
sake of doing more good? Who that has looked at this subject as it is, has not
been agonized often, to see the want of sympathy with God? What was the secret
of Paul's usefulness? He says, "I speak the truth in Christ, I lie not, my
conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. That I have great
heaviness and continual sorrow of heart. For I could wish that myself were
accursed from Christ--for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." He
meant to say, he could forego anything personally--he could make any personal
sacrifice, if by so doing he could save his kindred according to the flesh. I
know that there has been much speculation upon this passage. I have wondered at
this. Paul's language is strong, but I have mentioned the purport of his
intentions. He would make any sacrifice so far as his own happiness was
concerned. He could give up anything they could name. No doubt he did not intend
to say that he was willing to go to hell, but that there was no personal
sacrifice he would not make. He was willing to hang on the cross, or to suffer
anything, so that the world might be saved. Now, I myself know a man who said
this, and finally went so far in his sympathy with Christ, as to say, "O Lord
Jesus, not only am I willing to hang upon the cross, but till the end of time,
if necessary." Now, this is saying much, but it is only expressing the vehement,
the agonising feeling of a man ready to suffer any conceivable thing, if, by so
doing, Christ could be honoured, and souls could be saved. Such is the spirit to
prevail with God--a spirit willing to enter into his sympathies, a spirit which
will not hesitate to make any necessary and personal sacrifice, in order to save
the souls of men.
But, let me say again: Prevailing prayer is, after all, rather a state of mind
than a particular exercise. By this I mean, that a man to prevail, must live in
a prescribed state of mind. Prayer is not the mere going aside and praying, but
a perpetual yearning of the mind, an habitual presenting of the mind in a spirit
of importunity. This is the true idea of prevailing prayer. You see sometimes in
this world's matters, that men have a great burden on their minds about their
business. Men get into such a state of mind as this,--they are intensely anxious--they
fear bankruptcy. The changes which they expect to come over them, cause such
anxiety, that it becomes the burden of their life. They are quite borne down by
the continuance of this struggle in their minds. Sometimes men get into such a
state of mind as this about religion. They see the Churches are not prospering--that
the hand of the Lord is not revealed--that the Church does not understand its
whereabouts--that the professors are worldly minded, and not aware of it--that
professors of religion are getting into a spirit rather of justifying themselves,
than of confessing their sins. They see the difficulty, and betake themselves to
God, literally besieging his throne, as Daniel did; even in their dreams they
pray; all their waking hours they pray, until they are really borne down. Such
is the state of mind in which Christians begin to mourn over the condition of
Sion, to take pleasure in her stones, and to favour the dust thereof. You hear
them confessing their sins and those of the people, with much weeping--then may
you understand that the spirit of grace and supplication is poured out--that
this spirit of grace and supplication will prevail, and is always indispensable
to prevailing prayer.
Again, clean hands is another necessary condition. The Psalmist. says, "I will
wash my hands in innocency; so will I compass thine altar, O Lord!" Now, if this
is not the case, you cannot prevail with God; and if a man has wronged his
neighbour, whether in character, property, or person, if he has spoken against
him in a manner injurious to his character, if he has wronged him in any way, he
can expect no good to arise till this be set right. "If thou bring thy gift to
the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave
there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come offer thy gift" (Matthew v. 23, 24). Don't offer it, and
then say, "Lord, remember I have spoken against such a one. Pray give me a heart
to repent of it." No--repent first; before you can prevail, your hands must be
clean. You must be reconciled to your brother. Have you in any way unnecessarily,
in any unjustifiable manner injured the feelings, or injured in any respect any
of your brothers or neighbours? Go and be reconciled to the brother. Make peace
with him, and then come and offer the gifts. When this in not the case, you can
never expect to prevail.
But this leads me to say again: the spirit of forgiveness is another condition
of prevailing prayer--the spirit of forgiveness, where you have been wronged.
Christ says in Matthew vi.,--Except "ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." My dear friends, are you sure
your hands are so clean, that when you come to God, you can say, "Lord, thou
knowest that I have taken no man's money, goods, or property, without an
equivalent. Lord, thou knowest that I have wronged no man--that I have injured
no man in character, in property, or in anything whatever." Or if you have done
so, can you say, "Thou knowest, O Lord, that I have made restitution--I have not
suffered this iniquity to cleave to my hands, and that, O Lord, thou knowest."
How is this? Many of you, perhaps, have offered many prayers, but you are not
conscious of having prevailed. Perhaps you have prayed a multitude of times
without ever really calling up the question whether you are answered or not!
I was conversing in one of the great cities of America, some years since, with a
brother, in the presence of a lady richly dressed, with many artificial and
other ornaments common to ladies of her class. I sat talking with the brother on
the subject of prayer. I talked for some considerable time. At length, the lady
began to pay attention to my conversation. I said I believed the Christians of
that day did not really expect to be answered when they prayed. I observed she
was running it over and over. At length she became so uneasy, that she finally
broke out, "She did not believe persons were so bad." "I do, then," said I. I
tried to reply to her as mildly as I could. I asked her, "Do you obtain the
things you ask for?" "Yes, she did; if she did not, she would not pray." I went
on--"Are you a married woman?" "Yes." "Is your husband a Christian?" "No, sir."
"Are you the mother of children?" "I am." " Are they converted?" "No, sir." "Is
there a revival in the church where you belong?" "No, sir." "Have you had any
since your connexion with it?" "We have not." "Then what can you have been
praying for? You say you have received what you prayed for. Now, as you have a
husband unconverted, children unconverted, no revival in your church, and have
not had any since your connexion with it, what can you have been praying for
that you have received? Have you prayed for these golden chains and other
ornaments? These are among the things that you really have, and perhaps they are
what you have been praying for;" and so on. Before we left the room, she burst
into deep grief, confessing that she didn't think in reality she ever had
prayed! She said she had often gone over certain forms of prayer, but now she
felt confident that she had never been heard. In fact, she had prayed without
ever asking if she had been heard. She had prayed rather as a task, or a duty.
No man ever does his duty by praying in such a manner. It should be done in
faith, with a full expectation of receiving what is prayed for, and not as a
mere duty. Are you, and am I,--have we, in this sense, clean hands, that we can
compass God's altar, and that he can receive us honourably to himself? Have we
actually forgiven our enemies? Why, I have known individuals to keep up the
forms of religion in the same church, while in such a state of mind, that they
would not speak to each other. Abomination! abomination! Why, such persons
deserve to be excommunicated, I had almost said, for ever praying, under such
circumstances! They pray that God would forgive their trespasses, as they
forgive those that trespass against them, and in so doing they tempt God.
Persons praying in such a state of mind, that they can really rise above the
injuries they have received, and pray to God, heartily, to forgive them, and
exercise a forgiving spirit, are in a proper state of mind to pray; if they are
not in such a state of mind; how can they expect to prevail? With feelings of
ill-will, and a spirit that cannot speak peacefully of certain individuals--if
you feel so towards any one, even wicked men, you are not in a proper state of
mind to offer prayer. Angels--the great Archangel Michael,--would not bring a
railing accusation even against the devil,--and angels have no right to exercise
any other than benevolent feelings, even towards the wickedest of beings. It is
impossible to restore individuals to our confidence while they remain wicked. We
are not expected to do this, but we are expected to be in such a state of mind,
as to have no disposition to retaliate. We are expected to be in such a state of
mind as not to wish them evil, but to wish them all good, and pray for them
honestly and earnestly--to pray God that he would bless them. We are to do this
with all our hearts, as opposed to the spirit that would pray God to curse them.
Unless we have this spirit, we have no sympathy with Christ, who, when we were
his enemies, so great was his compassion that he hesitated not to die for us.
Some of you are harbouring an improper state of mind towards your brethren. Can
you go home to-night, and pray God literally to forgive you your trespasses as
you have forgiven those that trespassed against you? You have no right to expect
God to hear you or to answer you, unless you can honestly say this-- "O Lord,
forgive me, as I have forgiven them." No matter how much they have injured you.
That is not the question. Persons have not done much who have only treated well
those who have treated them well; but no man can prevail with God in such a
spirit as that. He must be willing to pour out his heart in honest, earnest
supplications for his very enemies. Without this, he does not sympathise with
Christ. "Love your enemies," says Christ. "Bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute
you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the
just and on the unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye?
Do not even the publicans the same?" To prevail with God, you must "love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you
and persecute you." Unless you are in this state of mind, you need not expect to
prevail with God. Oh! that we could see this spirit prevail--that Christians
would really do this-- bless them that curse them, and pray for those that
persecute them, and humble themselves before God! The prayer of the man who
prays for his enemy, has a mighty power with God. Job's friends greatly abused
him, misunderstood, and reviled him--accused him of being a hypocrite. Job
prayed for them. God turned his captivity and blessed him with a double portion.
While Job prayed that they might be forgiven, God was pleased, and smiled upon
them and upon him too.