to seek Thy aid, whenever I may find myself in danger of losing Thee through sin.
Third Point.
Let us consider, lastly, the conditions of prayer. Many pray and do not obtain, because they do not pray aright. " Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." (S. James iv. 3.) For our prayers to be heard, in the first place, it is necessary, to pray with humility. " God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (S. James iv. 6.) God does not grant the prayers of the proud, but, on the contrary, He ever listens favourably to the prayers of the humble. " The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds: and till it come nigh, he will not be comforted: he will not depart till the Most High shall behold." (Ecclus. xxxv. 17.) And this although they may have been sinners during the years that are passed. " A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." (Ps. li. 17.) In the second place, it is necessary to pray with confidence. " Did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded." (Ecclus. ii. 10.) For this cause Jesus Christ taught us, that when asking God for His grace we should call Him by no other name than that of Father. " Our Father." Therefore we should pray to Him with that confidence with which a child seeks his father. He therefore who asks with confidence, obtains all that he asks. " What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (S. Mark xi. 24.) And who can fear, says S. Augustine, that what is promised to him by that Truth itself, which Truth is God, can ever come to fail him? "Who can fear to be deceived when Truth promises." Holy Scripture tells us that God is not like unto men, who promise, and then fail in their promise, either because they lie when they make the promise, or else because they afterwards change their minds. " God is not a man, that He should lie. Hath He said, and shall He not do it?" (Num. xxiii. 19.) And wherefore, adds the same S. Augustine, should the Lord so exhort us to ask for His grace, if He does not intend to grant it to us? "He would not exhort us to ask except He willed to
