ON HOSEA XIV.- VERSES 5 -7. 179 are beyond our apprehensions. See the like place, Jer. xxix. 10 -12. 2. God answers prayers not always with respect to the narrow compass of our weak desires, but with respect to his own honour, and to the declaration of his own greatness ; for he promiseth to hear us that we may glorify him, Psa. 1. 15. Therefore he is pleased to exceed our petitions, and to do for us abundantly above what we ask or think, that our hearts may be more abundantly enlarged, and our mouths wide open in rendering honour unto him. When Perillus, a favourite of Alexander, begged of him a portion for his daughter, the king appointed that fifty talents should be given unto him, and he answered that ten would be sufficient ; the king replied that ten were enough for Perillus to ask, but not enough for Alexander to grant : so God is pleased many times to give more than we ask, that we may look upon it not only as an act of mercy, but as an act of honour ; and to teach us in all our prayers to move God as well by his glory as by his mercy : so Moses did, when he prayed for pardon unto Israel, lest God's name should be blasphemed, Num. xiv. 15 -17. So Joshua did when Israel turned their backs before their ene- mies, " What wilt thou do unto thy great name ?" Josh. vii. 9. So Solomon in his prayer at the dedi- cation of the Temple, " Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for, that all the people of the earth may know thy name," 1 Kings viii. 43. So David in his, for Israel, and for the performance of God's promise to the seed of David, " Do as thou hast said, let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever," 1 Chron. xvii. 23, 24. So Asa, " 0 Lord thou art our God, let not
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