Acts 10:4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him… I. THE CONJUNCTION OF ALMS DEEDS WITH PRAYER. Cornelius joined them, and he is therefore commended for "a devout man and one that feared God," and God graciously accepted them. Therefore our Saviour (Matthew 6:1-5) joins the precepts of alms and prayer together. It was also the ordinance of the Church in the apostles' times, that the first day of the week, which was the time of public prayer, should be the time also of alms (1 Corinthians 16:1). Which institution seems to be derived from the commandment of God in the law twice repeated (Exodus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:16). The Primitive Church after the apostles followed the same precedent, and our own Reformed Church asks God "to accept our alms, and receive our prayers." II. THE POWER AND EFFICACY WHICH PRAYER AND ALMS HAVE WITH GOD. God is said to remember our prayers when He grants them, our alms and good deeds when He rewards them, or, in a word, when He answers either of them with a blessing; as on the contrary He is said to remember iniquity when He sends some judgment for it (1 Samuel 1:19; Nehemiah 5:19). 1. Prayer. What is it that prayer hath not obtained? It hath shut and opened heaven and made the sun and moon to stand still. It is the key that openeth all God's treasures. For spiritual blessings, Cornelius we see obtained thereby illumination and instruction in God's saving truth (see James 1:5; Jeremiah 31:18-20; Psalm 32:5, 6). Prayer also obtaineth corporal blessings. When heaven was shut and it rained not, Elijah prayed for rain, and it rained. Hannah prayed for a son, and she conceived. If we be sick, "the prayer of faith shall heal the sick." Nehemiah prayed that he might find favour in the sight of King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 1:11), and found it (Nehemiah 2:4). But some man will say, If prayer have such power and efficacy, how comes it to pass that many even godly men oft pray and yet speed not? I answer — (1) We pray not as we ought, either — (a) We pray not heartily or constantly (Luke 18:1). (b) We rely not upon God (James 1:6). (c) We make not God's glory the end of what we ask (James 4:3). (d) We may ask something that crosseth the rule of Divine providence and justice. (2) We are indisposed for God to grant our request. (a) When some sin unrepented of lies at the door and keeps God's blessing out (Psalm 50:16; Proverbs 28:9; Joshua 7:10-12). Or — (b) We appear before the Lord empty; we do not as Cornelius did, send up prayers and alms together; we should have two strings to our bow when we have but one. For how can we look that God should hear us in our need, when we turn away our face from our brother in his need? (3) Add to all these reasons of displeasure a reason of favour, because we ask that which He knows would be hurtful for us. As, therefore, a wife and loving father will not give his child a knife or some other hurtful thing, though it cries never so much unto him for it: so does God deal with His children. (4) Moreover, we must know and believe that God often hears our prayers when we think he doth not. (a) When He changes the means, but brings the end we desire another way to pass (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). (b) When He defers it till some other time when He thinks best (Daniel 9:1; 2 Chronicles 36:22; Revelation 6:10, 11). (c) When He gives us instead thereof something which is as good or better. 2. Alms. Not thy prayer only, saith the angel, but thine alms also are come up for a remembrance. For alms is a kind of prayer, namely, a visible one, and such an one as prevails as strongly with God for a blessing as any other (Psalm 41:1-3; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 28:27; Proverbs 11:25; Ecclesiastes 11:1). These are for corporal blessings, and of this life. But hear also for spiritual blessings, and those of the life to come (Psalm 112:9; Luke 16:9; 1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 25:34, 35). III. THE REASONS WHY GOD REQUIRES THEM AND WHY THEY ARE SO PLEASING UNTO HIM: which reasons when they are known, will be also strong motives. 1. Prayer. The reasons why God requires this are these — (1) That we might acknowledge the property He hath in the gifts He bestows upon us: otherwise we would forget in what tenure we hold them. (2) That we might be acquainted with God (Job 22:21). Now acquaintance we know grows amongst men by conversing together. So by accustoming to speak to God in prayer we grow acquainted with Him. (3) That our hearts may be kept in order. For to come often into the presence of God breeds an holy awe, and makes us to call our sins to remembrance with sorrow. Men are afraid to offend those into whose presence they must often come to ask and sue for favours; and if they have offended, the first thing they do will be to sue for pardon. 2. Alms. We are to offer alms — (1) To testify our acknowledgment of whom we received and of whom we hold what we have. For as by prayer we ask God's creatures before we can enjoy them; so when we have them there is another homage due for them, namely, of thanksgiving, without which the use of the creature which God gives us is unclean and unlawful to us (1 Timothy 4:4). Now our thanksgiving to God must express itself in work and deed; that is, we must yield Him a rent and tribute of what we enjoy by His favour and blessing; which if we do not, we lose our tenure. This rent is two fold: either that which is offered unto God for the maintenance of His worship and ministers; or that which is given for the relief of the poor, the orphan, and the widow, which is called alms. (2) That we might not forget God (Matthew 6:19, 20; Luke 12:33). The proper evil of abundance is to forget God and our dependence upon Him, the remedy whereof most genuine and natural is to pay Him a rent of what we have. (J. Mede.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. |
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