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righteous wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five?' And God said, 'If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.' And Abraham spake unto the Lord yet again, and said, 'Peradventure there shall be forty found there.' And he said, 'I will not do it for forty's sake.' And Abraham said, 'O let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak : Peradventure there shall thirty be found there.' And he said, 'I will not do it if I find thirty there.' And Abraham said, 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.' And he said, 'I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.' And Abraham said, 'Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there.' And he said, 'I will not destroy it for ten's sake.'-And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham.'

1 Gen. xviii, 22-33.

The necessity of a penitent spirit in prayer.

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"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. But the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

5 The sacrifices of God

are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise."

1 Ps. lxvi, 18. 2 Prov. xxviii, 9. 3 Ps. xxxiv, 18. Prov. xv, 8, 29. 5 Ps. li, 17.

ILLUSTRATION. Ephraim's penitence for sin. "Thus saith the Lord; I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus:-"Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.'-Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord."

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1 Jer. xxxi, 16, 18-20.

Exhortation to humility in the Divine presence.

"When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

"And when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they

they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, 'In thee shall all nations be blessed.'-So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

1 Rom. iv, 5.

2 Rom. iii, 9, 10, 20-22, 25-28, 31. 3 Rom. iv, 3, 18-24, 6-9. 4 Gal. iii, 7-9.

The reality of faith proved by good works.

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. 2 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can that faith_save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, 'Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;' notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, 'Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.'-Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

"Was not Abraham justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, 'Abraham

believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.' Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

"Likewise also was not Rahab justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

3"Hereby we do know that we know Christ, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, 'I know him,' and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.-Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 1 2 Cor. xiii, 5. 2 Jas. ii, 14-26. 31 John ii, 3-5. 4 Matt. v, 16.

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shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.-Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." 1 Matt. vi, 5-8. 2 Ecc. v, 2.

ILLUSTRATION. The Lord's prayer.

"It came to pass, that as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.' And he said unto them, 'When ye pray say:-Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come: thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. 4 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.""

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1 Luke xi, 1, 2. 2 Matt. vi, 10, 11. 3 Luke xi, 4. 4 Matt. vi, 13.

Promises of answer to prayer.

"Jesus said unto his disciples :—2 If :- ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 3 For verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

4"Again I say unto you, that if two of you