Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/105

 Son," says  St.  Paul,  "but  delivered  Him  up for  us  all,  how  hath  He  not  also  with  Him given us  all  things  (Rom.  viii.  32.)  "In prayer,"  says  St.  Anselm,  "we  speak  with God.  How  attentively  and  reverentially should  we  speak  with  the  Lord  of  lords! How  humbly  with  the  Supreme  Judge,  and how  confidently  with  our  best  Friend  and Benefactor!" "We have  every  reason  to pray  with  confidence,"  says  St.  Peter  Chrysologus;  "for  what  will  not  God  give  to those  who  ask  Him,  since  He  already  gives so  much  to  those  who  do  not  ask  Him?" "Our confidence,"  says  St.  Bernard,  "is the measure  of  the  graces  which  we  obtain  in prayer.  If  our  confidence  in  God  is  great, we  shall  receive  great  graces;  if  it  is  little, we  shall  receive  but  little." If God  has hitherto sparingly  bestowed  His  graces  on  us, it was  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  our  little confidence in  Him  during  prayer. Our prayer must be  persevering. "God," says  St. Gregory  the  Great,  wishes  us  so  to  pray to Him  as  to  overcome  Him  by  our  importunities." He  usually  defers  granting  our prayers,  first,  that  we  may  the  better  prove our  confidence  in  Him  by  persevering  in  our request;  secondly,  that  we  may  desire  His favors  more  earnestly  and  appreciate  them  so