The Song of Solomon : and the Lamentations of Jeremiah

i. 18-22] THE CALL TO PRAYER 177
of it is not petition ; that is the beggar's resort. It
is communion—the child's privilege. We must often
be as beggars, empty of everything before God ; yet
we may also enjoy the happier relationship of sonship
with our Father. Even in the extremity of need
perhaps the best thing we can do is to spread out the
whole case before God. It will certainly relieve our
own minds to do so, and everything will appear changed
when viewed in the light of the Divine presence.
Perhaps we shall then cease to think ourselves ag-
grieved and wronged ; for what are our deserts before
the holiness of God ? Passion is allayed in the stillness
of the sanctuary, and the indignant protest dies upon
our lips as we proceed to lay our case before the eyes
of the All-Seeing. We cannot be impatient any longer
He is so patient with us, so fair, so kind, so good.
Thus when we cast our burden upon the Lord we may
be surprised with the discovery that it is not so heavy
as we supposed. There are times when it is not
possible for us to go any further. We do not know
what relief to ask for, or even whether we should
request to be in any way delivered from a load which
it may be our duty to bear, or the endurance of which
may be a most wholesome discipline for us. These pos-
sibilities must always put a restraint upon the utterance
of positive petitions. But they do not apply to the
prayer that is a simple act of confidence in God. The
secret of failure in prayer is not that we do not
ask enough ; it is that we do not pour out our hearts
before God, the restraint of confidence rising from fear or
doubt simply paralysing the energies of prayer. Jesus
teaches us to pray not only because He gives us a
model prayer, but much more because He is in Himself
so true and full and winsome a revelation of God,
12
;