inconsistency in our prayers than cold listlessness. It is the earnestness of a worldly spirit. Prayer to many is only an opportunity of indulging their earthly wishes, the excursion of grovelling fancies. When St. James spoke of the unanswered prayers of Christians in his day, he said, "Ye have not, because ye ask not." No doubt they offered prayer, but not in simple faith and heart-felt earnestness. Nor was this the only reason for unanswered prayer. He spoke of another. He spoke of prayers not lacking in earnestness, but lacking in holiness,prayers which looked for the gratification of their wishes, their pleasures, their lusts: "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it upon your lusts." The presence of a worldly spirit is like a weight of lead upon the wings of faith. Anger praying against its enemies; pride praying for its own satisfaction; envy praying against its more successful rivals; tumultuous wrath praying ragingly, blindly, and

confusedly; ambition praying for success in life, which never asked for grace; fawning sycophancy praying prosperity in courtly address. These may pray, as they have prayed, earnestly; but such prayers are not "the lifting up of holy hands, without wrath and doubting." Such are regarding iniquity in their heart, and are best blest when the Lord will not hear them.

Well may we, knowing the deceitfulness of sin, examine our hearts ere we pray; and, in every supplication, beseech Him who is all wisdom and love to teach us how to pray.

We may stultify our prayers by a secret protest within our hearts against the granting

of our prayers. We pray for some blessing, which in our heart of hearts we trust God will not give us; for we know that it would cause us enforced self-denial. There is a difference to be noted between such prayers and the prayer which springs from an earnest. longing to be near and nearer Christ, and

asks, heroically asks, with bleeding heart, the removal of every hindrance.

"The dearest idol I have known,

. Whate'er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.”

But the prayers we now speak of are those which spring from an insincere heart, which does not mean all it asks. Such are the prayers of those who wish to live to themselves in this world, and with Christ in the world to come. And sometimes this spirit of insincerity will creep in and mar the prayers, and hinder the answers to the prayers, of God's best and brightest children. The desire of some worldly good is too strong for them, and practically they say, "Not Thy will, but mine be done." Oh for our Master's spirit, the complete renunciation of every secret reluctance, the total abandoning of our own wish, our own pleasures or gain, the willingness to suffer as well as the readiness to

serve.

The wish for nearness to Christ will over

come the wish for worldly ease, and the heart will cry—

"I cannot keep me close,

Life's stormy sea

Drives me away

Far off from Thee.
I will not murmur
Whatsoe'er it be,

So that the cord be strong

Which binds me near to Thee."

These causes of unanswered prayer, which we have hitherto been considering, have had more or less of sin in them, for they are causes which spring from inconsistency with ourselves. There are other causes, and among them there is an inconsistency which arises more from our ignorance than our fault, but which must be taken into account as a reason for unanswered prayer.

(2.) Inconsistency with itself. A child, who has no knowledge of the general laws which govern his own life, may ask his father for two things which are mutually inconsistent, and could not both be granted.

Success in many pursuits depends upon a dark and cloudy day. He will not wish for sunshine who desires good fishing. A victorious war and a prosperous peace cannot be carried on together. Thus we believe it is with the sphere of our prayers. There are things which we may ask for, which in the very nature of the case cannot all be granted, at any rate at the same time. We are unable, doubtless, to understand, as children, how our prayers may sometimes contradict one another; but all the experience of things about us shows us at least that it may be so. Indeed the granting of one prayer may be as a blight upon another. Thus St. Paul's most earnest prayer was for holiness-that he might be like Christ-that he might apprehend that for which also he was apprehended of Christ Jesus. Who can doubt that this was far more his desire than any worldly blessing or bodily comfort? And his experience is that he must bear a constant and painful infirmity