the purpose of
purchasing the freedom of himself and family. But, when some of his
Christian friends heard what he was doing, they advised him to spend his
_gained_ time in fasting and prayer. Accordingly, the next day that he
gained, he set apart for this purpose. Before the close of the day, his
master sent for him, and gave him a written certificate of his freedom.
This slave's name was Newport Gardner. He was a man of ardent piety; and
in 1825, he was ordained deacon of a church of colored people, who went
out from Boston to Liberia. Instances of surprising answers to prayer,
no less striking than these, are continually occurring in the revivals
of religion of the present day.

With the evidence here presented, who can doubt that God hears and
answers prayer? But, the objection arises, "If this doctrine be really
true, why is it that Christians offer up so many prayers without
receiving answers?" The apostle James gives some explanation of this
difficulty: "Ye ask and receive not, _because ye ask amiss_." It becomes
us, then, seriously and diligently to inquire how we may _ask aright_ so
as to secure the blessings so largely promised in answer to prayer. In
relation to this subject, there are several things to be observed:

1. _We must sincerely desire the things which we ask._ If a child
should ask his mother for a piece of bread, when she knew he was not
hungry, but was only trifling with her, it would not he proper for her
to give it. Indeed, she would have just cause to punish him for mocking
her. And do we not often come to the throne of grace, when we do not
really feel our perishing need of the things we ask? God sees our
hearts; and he is not only just in withholding the blessing we ask, but
in chastising us for solemn trifling.

2. _We must desire what we ask, that God may be glorified._ "Ye ask
amiss, _that ye may consume it upon your lusts_." We may possibly ask
spiritual blessings for self-gratification; and when we do so, we have
no reason to expect that God will bestow them upon us.

3. _We must ask for things_ AGREEABLE TO THE WILL OF GOD. "And this is
the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything _according
to his will_, he heareth us." The things that we ask must be such, _in
kind_, as he has indicated his willingness to bestow upon us. Such are,
spiritual blessings on our own souls; the supply of our necessary
temporal wants; and the extension of his kingdom. These are the _kind_