Luke 11:5-8 And he said to them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves;… It is the surest coursethat can be taken to supply our wants. The best remedy in the day of our calamity. It must needs be so. 1. Because it is sanctified by God, and established by Divine wisdom for obtaining of all things needful that concern this life and the life to come (Psalm 50:15; Isaiah 19:20, 21; Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 4:6). Now God having prescribed this (who is the Fountain of all blessing and Author of all help), it must needs follow that it is the best means that can be used. 2. This hath to do above. It comes to the throne of grace, lays hold on God's name (from whom alone all our help cometh), when as all other means and helps have to do below on earth, and with earthly things, and can go no further than men's counsels persons, or purses can reach. 3. This is a true catholicon, a general remedy for every malady (it is like the Indian stone that remedieth all diseases), as appears, 1 Kings 8. Whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness or other misery doth befall us, prayer will remedy it. No such universal and general help in all extremities as this is. Physicians for divers diseases have divers remedies, but the Christian hath this one which is better than all — prayer. 4. It is the readiest remedy, evermore at hand; in what place soever you are you may help yourselves and others by it (1 Timothy 2:8). Jeremiah prays in the dungeon, Jonah in the whale's belly, Peter in the prison, Paul in the stocks. In the fields, on the leads, in the chamber, in the closet, in caves and dens of the earth, it may be taken and used. 5. It is the speediest remedy. No sooner are our prayers out of our mouths — nay, in our hearts, but they are in heaven, and no sooner are they in heaven but we shall find the benefit of them (Daniel 9:21, 22, 23; Genesis 24:15; Acts 4:31). 6. It is an approved remedy. It hath its probatum est upon constant experience of God's saints, who have ever found it to be the best lever at a dead-lift (2 Samuel 22:4, 7; Psalm 118:5). (N. Rogers) Parallel Verses KJV: And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; |
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