The Largeness of the Promises.
A CAREFUL look into the promises of God will reveal how large they are. Just before our Saviour's departure from his disciples, he bade them "ask largely," that their joy might be full. The apostle tells us that God "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." This would seem to put the fullness of blessing easily within the reach of any disciple. Of course we all know that there are certain limitations put on prayer, such, for instance, as that we have no warrant to ask for things to be consumed for our own lusts; nor are we to ask in mere wantonness; but whatsoever is needful for our good, or for the work of the Lord, we may be sure that he will not withhold. In the olden time he challenged Israel to prove him and see if he would not "open the windows of heaven" and pour them out such a blessing as they would not have room enough to receive. Such promises might be multiplied; but they will occur to every child of God who is familiar with his Bible. In view of this truth, the question arises, Why is it, then, that our prayers are so seldom, or at least so meagerly answered? It would not be true to say that such is the experience of all God's children, because there are thousands who can testify to the abundance of blessings received, and to the almost unvarying fullness of answers to prayer. But with many it is not so. It is to such we have a word. God's large promises are limited by believers themselves as the way in which they deal with them. When the prophet Elisha brought relief to the poor woman, by multiplying the oil she had, as she poured it out, until all the vessels she had were filled, he said: "Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few." This was an unlimited promise to her. Nor did the oil cease its miraculous flow so long as there was a vessel left to be filled. Had she provided more vessels, there would have been more oil. When the same prophet told the young king of Israel to "smite upon the ground" with his arrows, in token of the way in which the Lord would give him victory over his enemies, he smote but thrice, and then stayed his hand. The old prophet was wroth with him for staying his hand, saying: "Thou shouldst have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." These are incidents which convey important truths. God's large blessings wait on those who are ready to bring plenty of vessels and continue to smite for them. The largeness of the promise, or rather the fulfillment of the promises in the large measure of them, is limited by our own actions. What, then, are some of the things in our bearing toward God which limit his promises? First and foremost of all reasons is our unbelief. Jesus could do no mighty work in Nazareth, his own town, because of the unbelief of the people. If we cannot honor God with our faith, he cannot honor either us or himself with doing mighty things for us. For his own name's sake, he will do something; but not all that he has promised, if we will not believe. When we stop to reason about his promises, and say to ourselves, "We do not see how God can do so and so," this is a notification to God that we do not believe him. The unbelieving lord of Samaria said to the prophet: "Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be." He could see no human possibility of the word of the prophet coming true, and he did not believe that Jehovah could do anything the how of which he could not fathom. Nevertheless, the thing was done; and it was done, so far as the means were concerned, in a perfectly human way. How could power from on high be sent upon those waiting disciples at Jerusalem? If they had stopped to reason out the "how" of the fulfillment of God's promise, they never would have been endued with power. Unbelieving reason is always asking, How can these things be? Then we are not willing to comply with the conditions which the Lord imposes as being necessary (for our good) for the fulfillment of the promise. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, . . . and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord." But we do not want to bring all the tithes into the storehouse. We would rather save our tithes and get the blessing too. "He that soweth liberally shall also reap liberally." But then we would like to have a great harvest without much expenditure of seed. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, and I will receive you, saith the Lord." But we would like to have the blessing of acceptance with the Lord, and, at the same time, maintain our worldly associations, habits, and relations. Still again, we are languid in pursuit of the blessing. "Continue instant in prayer." "Be not weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." But we do not like to be kept waiting so long, and would rather go without the blessing than wait for it, and so give over praying. Many a blessing has been lost because there has not been a patient continuance in seeking after it. One end of the promised blessings of God is to draw us away from our own insufficient reason about spiritual things, away from a too great love of the things of this world, and to a more intimate and close walk with himself. This is the purpose of the conditions which he attaches to his promises. If we are willing to have God's blessings in God's way, there is no limit to the measure of the blessings which he is ready to bestow; but if, through unbelief, vain reasoning about the way of God in fulfilling his word, hesitation in rendering to God of that which he has given us, unwillingness to choose him above every worldly or earthly thing, or slothful indifference in waiting upon him, we limit his power, we must expect but a little of the exceeding great and precious things he waits to do for us.—Independent.