previous promise from Jesus that He would grant whatsoever should be asked. This contrivance is attributed to the mother. In the parallel passage of St. Mark's Gospel*, it is attributed to the brethren. It is manifest that they were acting in concert; and therefore it may be attributed to either. Jesus, who knew the hearts of all men, was not to be inveigled into an unwary assent. Instead, therefore, of promising compliance, He said, "What wilt thou?" She saith unto Him: "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.".

It would be difficult to conceive any request more improper than this; especially made, as it was, in the presence of the other Disciples, whose exclusion from the first places in their Lord's kingdom would be a necessary consequence of the granting of such a petition. What claim had the sons of Zebedee, more than the rest, to such pre-eminence? and what were the peculiar qualifications, acquired in their occupation of fishermen, for a suitable discharge of the duties of first and second man in a kingdom?

*Mark x. 35.

Do not we see here what the heart of man by nature is most intent upon; and what use it is disposed to make of the invitation to pray to God, accompanied, as it is, with an assurance of obtaining the thing prayed for? When the natural man hears those words, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"*"All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” †— what is the first suggestion of his heart, if he do not utterly disbelieve the words, but this? Then I will ask great things for myself and my friends. I will ask to be rich, and great, and learned; to be raised above my equals, and to be secured in my elevation.'-These are the natural thoughts of a child, on hearing the promises made to prayer; and of many who are not children in years.

And, alas! the desire of distinction is not confined to the persons whose minds are altogether worldly. It is too apt to have influence amongst those who desire better things; and even in relation to those better things. There are those who

*Matt. vii. 7.

+ Ib. xxi. 22.

wish to have pre-eminence in the Church of God. Men may desire spiritual gifts, if not chiefly, yet partly, for the sake of the distinction which they confer on their possessors, amongst those who, in profession, and many of them in reality, are separated from the world.-Here, my Christian Brethren, is a great snare; and it is important that we should all be on our guard against it. The desire of pre-eminence, arising from selflove and pride, is so deeply rooted in the human heart, that it sometimes insinuates itself into, and spoils, our very prayers to God-both the subject matter, and the spirit of them. It is very possible for a man to wish and pray to be made more humble, spiritual, and heavenly-minded, partly for the sake of the estimation in which he would be held by others for such Christian attainments. He may long, too, for a high place, or even the highest place in heaven, lest he should have the mortification of seeing those, who are now accounted his inferiors, there advanced above him. And this sort of self-preference and foolish ambition is the more likely to retain its hold upon the mind, on account of its seeming to be directed to objects which we are commanded to

aspire after; viz. growth in all Christian graces, and a high place in the favour of God. It is, moreover, possible for a man to be admiring his own tones and turns of expression, even when he is addressing the most abject confessions and the humblest supplications to the Throne of Grace: or he may be feasting upon the supposed admiration of others in whose name he is speaking, when he is asking unmerited favours for himself and for them, as miserable sinners. There is nothing so sacred, that the pride of the human heart will not try to pollute it.

On this subject, however, I am fearful of saying too much, lest I should thereby discourage some poor supplicant, who may be painfully conscious that much imperfection does mingle itself with his most fervent prayers. But let not such an one be discouraged by what is meant only as a salutary admonition to persons of a different spirit. If we refrained from prayer, till there should be in the matter and manner of our supplications no mixture at all of sin, we should never pray at all: and because our best prayers are imperfect, we read,

for our comfort, that "the Spirit helpeth our infirmities," and "maketh intercession for us;" and, that "we have an Advocate with the Father." All that I wish, is, to excite a holy fear and jealousy of the deceitfulness of our own hearts, and of the devices of Satan, who, when he cannot keep us from prayer, which he would most of all desire, will endeavour to mar and corrupt it.

To the petition of the fond mother and her sons -for they were alike parties to it-Jesus answered, "Ye know not what ye ask."-How mild and tender was the reproof! Justly might He have said, "Get behind me; ye for ye savour not the things

that be of God, but those that be of man." This

rebuke, we know, he did on one occasion address to Peter, when He saw that it was needed*.

But

it was not the habit of our Lord to be severe with those whose hearts were in the main upright towards Him; neither is He now extreme to mark what is amiss in the prayers of His people. He gently chode and instructed His followers, as they were able to hear it.

*Matt. xvi. 23.