Prayers: Mercy's Streams
Mercy's Streams Our Father which art in heaven, we are not worthy to be called Thy sons. We have so sinned against Thee that if Thou should drive us for ever from Thy house of love, and from Thy heart of mercy, we could not blame Thee. Justice would but have its due if we were this day sorrowing with the rich man. Lord, we thank Thee for Thy long-suffering mercies, that Thou hast not cut us down as cumberers of the ground. We thank Thee that Thou didst not permit eternal ruin to fall upon us. And we thank Thee that though, since we have known Thee, we have been very unfaithful, and are always going astray from Thee, starting aside like a broken bow, yet still Thy lovingkindness holdeth good, and Thy mercy is not put away from Thy people. We know not which most to wonder at, Thy lovingkindness or our ingratitude. How stupid, how stolid have we been. The ox knoweth its owner, and the ass its master's crib, but we have not known, we have not considered. Even the sheep follow their shepherd but we would not follow Thee, but we went astray after any leader rather than follow Him who is now to-day our All-in-All.
Gracious God, we have all sinned peculiarly in our own position. Thy servant would confess his own want of earnestness and faithfulness in his ministry. With shame and confusion of face would he make his confession before Thy footstool. And Thy servants who are members of the Church of Christ would acknowledge that they have not lived for God as they should. How little have we done for Him who died to save our guilty souls. Our love is cold. Thy mercies flow to us like rivers, but returns are but scanty drops. Lord, forgive us all. We come to Thee conscious that we are guilty, and most of all ashamed of ourselves that we are not more ashamed, and blushing that we do not blush, mourning that we do not mourn. God be merciful unto us sinners. With the publicans we take our place. Our cry is the cry of the returning prodigal. O Father, we are not worthy to be called Thy sons, but our faith beholds the promise, the sweet and assuring promise made to sinners, and we know that God was in Jesus Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imparting to us our trespasses.
O Lord Jesus, our souls fly to Thee. Thou art the only refuge of our heart. Our confidence is fixed upon Thy blood and righteousness, and we believe that these will never fail us. We are persuaded that if we build upon this Rock of ages, the floods may come, and the winds may beat upon that house, but it shall not fall because it is built upon the rock. Renew the faith of Thy people. Let its former simplicity come back. May we each of us come to Jesus as we did at first, weary, and overworn, and sad, and sinful, and find in Him all that our largest want can possibly demand. Oh for grace to-day to take a bleeding Saviour at His word, and to believe Him to be the propitiation for our sins.
But, our Father, we have many petitions to put up to Thee this morning. We pray Thee hear them. We are sometimes afraid that we Thy people are growing cold in heart. Thou hast brought summer weather upon our bodies, and Thou makest the whole earth to rejoice in the light of the sun; but how often is there winter within while there is summer without. We are afraid that too often we come up to the house of prayer without prayer, and go away from it, in consequence without a blessing. How little heart is there in our praise! How little true earnestness in our prayers!
Lord, we would confess our sanctuary sins; but we would be delivered from them. There have been times when we have worshipped Thee with a holy enthusiasm, when the blessed fire has rested upon every heart. Bestow upon us those tokens. Help the minister to preach better. May there be some life in the ministry. Help the people to hear better; may there be a deeper and more solemn attention to the Word. Especially this morning, while we feel God's burden pressing very heavily upon us, so that our hearts are borne down to earth, do Thou help us to deliver it with boldness, with fidelity, with earnest affection. At this hour, Lord, inspire the heart of every child of Thine to true prayer. Help us to feel the weight of men's souls. May the wondrous value of a soul be opened up to our understanding; may the preciousness of a soul be laid upon our hearts, and may we pray, every one of us, as if we have never prayed before, and if we have had power with Thee, may we have a special power now, while silently we are pleading. God have mercy upon us, and have mercy upon sinners this day.
Lord, Thy servant blesses Thee that Thou hast not altogether taken away Thy blessing from his ministry. Still Thy saints rejoice. Still are sinners converted, but we want to see larger ingatherings. We thirst and pant for more numerous conversions. Our souls travail in birth for the souls of others till Christ be formed in them. Nothing can satisfy us until we see more sons born unto Christ. Our Father which art in heaven, there are young men and women here who listen to us whose hearts are untouched; put out Thy finger now and make their hearts dissolve. Here are men who are parents, women who are mothers; they are in middle life, but as yet the hammer of God has not come home to the heart. Lord bring it home to-day, and while the law is being preached may it act as a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. Here, too, are some aged men who are tottering on the brink of Jordon, and on the other side there is a dismal country without hope or light. Oh save them, save them, save them yet, that they may cross the river after another fashion, and land in that blest country of which our cheerful voices have been singing. There are strangers within Thy courts: they are unknown to us, but Searcher of all hearts, Thou knowest them. May they hear a sermon they shall never forget. May the arrows of God stick so fast that they may never be drawn out, except by that healing Hand that once was pierced.
O Jesus, we cannot pray as we would, but our hearts are full of bursting with an anxious desire to see men saved. Father, hear our cry. We have one argument that Thou wilt hear. It is that Jesus died. Behold we set His bloody sweat before Thine eye, His flagellations, His piercings on the mount of doom. Remember Jesus, O Thou mighty Father. Look with eyes of love on Him, and then with eyes of pity look on us. Canst Thou deny us? Wilt Thou not hear us when we have such a plea as this? If the preacher urged aught that he has said, or aught that his hearers have done, well mightest Thou turn Thy back upon us. But we urge what Jesus did. O Thou mighty God, we cannot let Thee go except Thou bless us. As Jacob laid hold upon the Angel and wrestled with Him, so lay we hold upon the Covenant Angel now. We must have a blessing. What shall our hearts do if Thou hearest us not? Our soul crieth unto Thee; out of the depth of our nature we cry unto Thee. Oh give us this day souls to our ministry, and souls for our hire.
Father, we want to feel this morning that we are in the Spirit. We are afraid that too often we sing, and it is but a form; that we pray and it is but an utterance of words. Bring every one of us into the Spirit to-day. Let us be over-shadowed by Him, baptized in Him, till there shall be no room for any thought or emotion but concerning things divine. Let us feel as we have sometimes felt: "Surely God is in this place and I knew it not." Oh come now and spread the skirts of Thy convenant love over us, and Thou shalt have the glory.
Bless our country, and bless it through the ministers of the Gospel. May they begin to preach with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Restore to us the Revival, the skirts of whose departing presence we begin to see. Take not Thy blessing from England; extinguish not her candle; put not out her light. Men have been warned and called, and entreated, and this city has had its day of visitation. Oh take not that day away for ever, but return, Thou blessed Spirit, return. And first return to this house, and let a new season of wonderful revival begin in this house of prayer, and then spread from house to house, and from country to country, until the whole land shall be covered with its divine light. Our Father, come to us now. We have asked amiss we know, but Thou wilt forgive the error of it. But we love asking through Jesus Christ, and Thou canst not deny us. Lord, we believe. We would not waver; we shall have nothing of the Lord if we waver. We believe that Thou wilt bless us. We believe that souls shall this morning be saved, and that our souls shall be stirred up. We ask it again, believing that we shall receive it, for His dear sake, to whom, with Thee and the blessed Spirit, be glory for ever. Amen.
July 5, 1863.