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A Sermon by Alexander Comrie (2)

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A Sermon by Alexander Comrie (2)

11 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

After Comrie has explained who they are who are not destitute, he explains who is meant in this text, where the poet says, “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer” (Psalm 102:17).

He gives several marks of such a supplicant. What a blessing it would be if we would not be strangers of these things! The Lord looks for truth in the inward parts, and this precious promise is applicable to those who have nothing to plead upon in themselves. The marks are as follows.

1. One who is destitute has cast himself before God's countenance as one who is entirely helpless and unable to perform any religious work, however small it may be, and thus is especially unfit for the work of prayer. For such a destitute one knows that God must be served with the heart, in spirit and truth, and his experience has taught him his total inability. He is not even able to have a good thought in order to please the Lord. This destitute one realizes not only his inability but also his blindness and ignorance of how to pray as he ought. He understands what Paul says in Romans 8:26, “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.”

2.The prayer of a truly destitute one is a prayer out of the depths. Psalm 130:1, “Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O LORD.” He is like an emptied vessel. He cries out of the depth of his misery, which he sees and which gives him distress. There are so many depths from which he cries: depths of blindness and deadness; rebellious depths of helplessness and unwillingness; depths of the power of corruption. Comrie relates his own experiences. In December 1727, when he was at sea aboard a ship, a terrible storm arose. More than forty boats around them perished. No one on board Comrie's ship read a form-prayer; they all bowed their knees and cried to the Lord. Thus, when we are in great need, we will not utter formal prayers but cry with many pleadings before the Lord.

3. The prayer of one who is entirely destitute is a prayer in which the petitioner is utterly ashamed. Read Ezra 9:6: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to Thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” Then we are like the publican, who dared not to lift up his face. We say with the prophet in Jeremiah 3:25, “We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day.” Then we do not cover our shame, like Adam, with fig leaves, but shame itself covers us. Therefore one who is entirely destitute sees his nakedness and comes before the Lord as one who is ashamed of himself and his sins.

4. The prayer of such a destitute one is one in which the petitioner abstains from all his own righteousness. He rejects this as a ground of acceptance for obtaining any gracious gifts from the Lord. He sees that there is nothing in his prayer that can serve to make him more acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. This is something against our nature, which is inclined to work-holiness. Our heart, if it is not humbled and broken down to the foundations, will rebel, because it cannot accept that there is nothing in us that can please the Lord. We read in Psalm 143:2, “And enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.” We need Christ's blood to wash even our best works. Read Daniel 9:18: “For we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousness, but for Thy great mercies.” Therefore, when we conclude our prayers, we confess that there are no reasons in us, but we ask that the Lord will hear us by grace, for Christ's sake only.

5. The prayer of such a destitute one, who has no ground in himself, is an earnest supplication. It is a cry to God that he might be delivered from his guilt, which makes him distressed and confounded. We can read this also in the short but powerful prayer of Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:14, “O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.”

6. Such a prayer is a supplication in which his heart is melted like wax. He laments himself. God heard Ephraim bemoaning himself. We read in Jeremiah 31:18, “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn Thou me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art the LORD my God.” Such a beggar has a deep insight into his misery, his foolishness, blindness, ingratitude, and total depravity. Many sing songs of lamentation about others, but this petitioner laments about himself and confesses it before the Lord.

7. Such a prayer is a supplication in which the soul in strong emotion yearns for fellowship with the Lord. The desire is not to receive some gifts from God, but to enjoy God Himself and to have closer fellowship with Him. We read in Psalm 42:1-2, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” They long for God Himself, and they have no rest, no satisfaction outside of Him.

8. This is a prayer in which the supplicant comes with urgent supplications. He comes with tears, pleadings, and the strongest wrestlings. No, he does not come like a legalistic person who, when he has finished his work of prayer, demands a reward for his labor. He comes as one who in his unworthiness pleads upon God's own Word. He says, “Although Thou canst not do it for my sake, do it for Thine own Word's sake, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope.”

9. This is the prayer of one who may find some access to the Lord, but has no rest and is not content. It is a prayer in which the supplicant has no ground and has nothing to plead upon in himself. He cannot rest, but he receives liberty to continue and to wrestle with God, as we see of Jacob in Genesis 32:26, who said, “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.” They cleave unto the Lord that He may be gracious to them.

10. Such a prayer is a praying in Christ's Name. We see that in John 16:24, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” The beggar is convinced that outside of Christ there is no access to God for any descendant of Adam, that He is a consuming fire and everlasting burning if we miss that perfect holiness which is necessary in order to have fellowship with God. This means that, by the light of the Holy Ghost, he has a lively view that Jesus Christ is the only Way by whom a poor sinner may have access by the Spirit to God. This also means that he actually uses that way to God in this frame of heart, that he may leave everything of himself, be united with Christ, and thus pray to God.

It also means that when he comes to God in the Name of Jesus, he may see God as being reconciled and completely satisfied in the only sacrifice of His dear Son. Comrie does not deny that little ones in grace have but a little light in this way. They see a possibility, but the full light has not risen in their hearts. But those who may have been led further may see God, to whom they come in Christ, as being reconciled, and reconciling the world to Himself, and this gives them liberty to go to Him with confidence, as a child goes to his father. May we seek this confidence, for this only is the way in which we will receive and will rejoice. May God Himself teach us this by the influences of the Holy Spirit.

11. The prayer of a destitute one is a prayer in and by the powerful operation, influences, and upholding of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the sinner, brings him to repentance, and teaches him to pray in truth. The Holy Spirit not only enables him to pray but stirs him up and makes him lively in his prayer — it is the Spirit who quickens. The Spirit gives also the desires, the longings, the yearnings, and the love to God. It is also the Holy Spirit who points to Christ, to the Person of the Mediator, and glorifies Him in the heart.

He also works as a Comforter, as we read in John 14:2, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

The Holy Spirit also pours out that love of God in the heart, as we read in Romans 5:5, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

The Holy Spirit also gives us to be separated from all the vanities and business of this world, to earnestly speak to the Lord, and to storm the throne of grace. He teaches us to be alone with God in our inner room.

He also works in them as a witness who powerfully testifies in their souls that they are children of God. Romans 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

12. Finally, such a destitute one does not cease praying. He prays continually while his misery oppresses him. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” Such a supplicant, who has no hope in himself, is the object of the Fatherly favor of the Lord and His mercy, grace, and incomprehensible goodness. We read that the Lord turns to them, as in Psalm 12:5, “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD.”

May the Lord give many such destitute supplicants in our churches, schools, and families. Then there would be expectation, for the Lord is the same as in the days of old. We read in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Our proud nature rebels against being stripped and becoming destitute. But the Lord Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Christ made Himself of no reputation; He became poor, that by His poverty truly destitute people may become rich.

Comrie continues his sermon with an explanation of what it means that the Lord “will regard” such a prayer. He then concludes this very lengthy sermon with an application — with the question, How do you pray? There is also much instruction in this part of the sermon. May the Lord give the practice of this prayer to us and to our children.

— to be continued —


Doers of the Word

“So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 17:5a).

Elijah not only preached God's Word, but he practiced it. This is the crying need of our times. There is a great deal of talking, but little of walking according to the divine precepts. There is much activity in the religious realm, but only too often it is unauthorized by, and in numerous instances contrary to, the divine statutes. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22) is the unfailing requirement of Him with whom we have to do. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).

“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous” (1 John 3:7). Alas, how many are deceived at this very point: they prate about righteousness, but fail to practice it. “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

— A. W. Pink

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 januari 2000

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's

A Sermon by Alexander Comrie (2)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van zaterdag 1 januari 2000

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's