ir burdens
upon Him, and send the winged herald of prayer to the throne of grace on
which He sits.

Would that we valued, more than we do, this blessed link of
communication between our souls and Heaven! More especially in our
seasons of trouble, (when "vain is the help of man,") happy for us to be
able implicitly to rest in the ability and willingness of a gracious
Redeemer.

Prayer brings the soul near to Jesus, and fetches Jesus near to the
soul. He may linger, as He did now at the Jordan, ere the answer be
vouchsafed, but it is for some wise reason; and even if the answer given
be not in accordance with our pre-conceived wishes or anxious desires,
yet how comforting to have put our case and all its perplexities in His
hand, saying, "I am oppressed; undertake Thou for me! To Thee I
unburden and unbosom my sorrows. I shall be satisfied whether my cup be
filled or emptied. Do to me as seemeth good in Thy sight. He whom I love
and whom THOU lovest is sick; the Lazarus of my earthly hopes and
affections is hovering on the brink of death. That levelling blow, if
consummated, will sweep down in a moment all my hopes of earthly
happiness and joy. But it is my privilege to confide my trouble to Thee;
to know that I have surrendered myself and all that concerns me into the
hand of Him who 'considers my soul in adversity.' Yes; and should my
schemes be crossed, and my fondest hopes baffled, I will feel, even in
apparently _unanswered_ prayers, that the Judge of all the earth has
done right!"

"It is said," says Rutherford, speaking of the Saviour's delay in
responding to the request of the Syrophenician woman; "It is said He
_answered_ not a word, but it is not said He _heard_ not a word. These
two differ much. Christ often heareth when He doth not answer. His not
answering is an answer, and speaks thus: 'Pray on, go on and cry, for
the Lord holdeth His door fast bolted not to keep you out, but that you
may knock and knock.'"

"God delays to answer prayer," says Archbishop Usher, "because he would
have more of it. If the musicians come to play at our doors or our
windows, if we delight not in their music, we throw them out money
presently that they may be gone. But if the music please us, we forbear
to give them money, because we would keep them longer to enjoy their
music. So the Lord loves and delights in the sweet words of His
children, and therefore puts them off and answers them not presently."

Observe still furth