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shall be acknowledged, the family likeness shall be exhibited. If there shall not be uniformity, which we cannot desire, there shall be the unity for which we daily pray, in the household of the faithful. The glory of the better world shall ere long be reflected by the Church on earth, and our hearts shall be filled with peace and joy.

66 Come, Lord, and tarry not,

Bring the long-look'd for day.
Oh! why these years of waiting here,
These ages of delay?

Come and begin Thy reign
Of everlasting peace;

Come! take the kingdom to Thyself,
Great King of Righteousness."

CHAPTER VIII.

Troubled because your Prayers are not Answered.

"Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through."-JEREMIAH.

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Prayer was appointed to convey

The blessings God designs to give :
Long as they live should Christians pray,
For only while they pray they live."

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E should never feel the value or importance of prayer if we did not experience a sense of necessity. It is in proportion to this that we embrace the revelation of God in His word, which assures us that we

may go to Him by this exercise. In proportion to our faith in His love, power, and willingness to give us His blessing, we esteem prayer to be our privilege, whilst the promises which He gives, that as we pray He will hear, that as we ask we shall receive, establish within us the confident expectation that He will not withhold from us what we seek. These promises are so many and plain, that they cannot be misunderstood, and we feel that we have a right to expect the answer to our prayers. And so we may. We have no reason to think of the word of promise, in regard to this, as involved in anything like mystery. All that God has spoken, is very clear, and is to be understood as it has been spoken. Although all

this is true, it is sometimes the case that our faith is very severely tried, while God keeps us waiting for what

we have every reason to expect from Him. This is very trying, and often the most painful discipline to which we can be subjected. It is to us as mysterious as it is painful, that although God sometimes reveals Himself by giving all, and even more than is sought, and that, even while the prayerful are pleading at His throne, -it is frequently the truth of experience that no direct answer is given, not because the prayer is not according to His will not because there is not a real desire in the heart to seek earnestly -not because the promises are not pleaded- but because God so determines to try and test the faith of the pleader; or because there is some reason, which is for the present hidden, why it would not be well that God should reveal Himself according to the petitions offered. Then it is that there is an experience of gloom and

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disappointment, and the troubles of the believer's heart are enlarged. It seems as though God had forgotten to be gracious, as though He had forgotten His word to His people. The heart is sore and needs the balm from Gilead. The eye is tearful, and needs the Father's hand to wipe away the tears.

How often is it so in the time of temptation, the promise of succour is pleaded-but still the struggle is hard. How often is it so when the darkness covers over the mind-the promise of light is pleaded, but still the path is overclouded. How often is it so in affliction-the promise of support is pleaded, but still the weakness continues. How often is it so in the midst of abundant labours-the promise of success is pleaded, but still the seed seems to lie on sterile soil, and gives no hope of increase. How often is it so in times of heart - coldness-the

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