Sermons for the People Author:Making of America Project, Frederic Dan Huntington Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SEEMON III. ASKING AND RECEIVING. ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU. — Matt. Vii. 7. Simple words, but covering the deepest facts in our life ! Consider ho... more »w much they imply : — the being of God; the dependence of man; a communion, or intercourse, between their spirits; a feeling of want on the part of man; a faith, with him, that God can fill that want; and the absolute truth, independent on his notions, that God is able to fill it, out of his infinitude. These are certainly great facts. They are as impressive to a rational intellect by their grandeur, as they are affecting to the heart by their tenderness. They are at once majestic ideas and comforting promises. I have sought in the New Testament for my present use some expression that should not only contain an injunction to pray, as a duty, but should offer a motive, also, turning it into a privilege. This is precisely the significance brought out by the turn of the text's language. " Ask, and it shall be given you," conveys a reason that moves the affections, as well as a precept issued to our will. " Ask," which is bare command, borrows persuasion, and so couples with itself a new force, from the assurance, " It shall be given you." This is theform, I suspect, which the doctrine of Prayer takes oft- enest, in the minds of those that really feel what it is. They are less conscious of being constrained by a sense that they ought to pray, than by a feeling that that is the way of gaining what they crave. The authority that prompts the service is not external, but within. And when they would draw their companions into the same devout habit, they are more anxious to illustrate it as a satisfaction than as an obligation. This Discourse will aim to exhibit not so much the entire compass of the subject as certain specific...« less