No sooner does the thought of prayer suggest itself, than he proceeds to the sacred exercise. Like the prodigal, not only does he say, "_I will arise and go_," but the next record in his history is, "_And he arose, and came to his Father_."[91] Oh, how much spiritual benefit we miss by procrastination! The cloud of blessing floats over our heads, but we fail to stretch forth the electric rod of prayer to fetch it down! We determine on embarking, but, by guilty delay, we allow the vessel to weigh anchor, and we are left behind. Many an afflictive dispensation thus loses its sanctifying design. When the heart is crushed and broken, the heavenly voice sounds startling and solemn! What a season, if timeously improved, for enrichment at the mercy-seat! When "things present" are disenchanted of their spell,--when time is brought to hold its relative insignificance to eternity, what a season for the self-emptied one, to go to the all-fulness of Jesus, and receive from Him every needful supply! But, alas! we often know not "the day of our merciful visitation." The heart, when the hammer might be falling on it, and welding it to the Divine will, is too often suffered to cool. Solemn impressions are allowed to wear away,--the blessing is lost by guilty postponement. David might now have been so absorbed in his trials, as to have lost the opportunity of prayer. He might have invented some vain excuses for procrastination, and missed the blessing; just as the disciples, by their sluggish indifference and guilty slumber, drew down the thrice-repeated rebuke from injured Goodness, "_Could ye not watch with me one hour?_" But the golden moment is not suffered by him thus to pass. No sooner does he get a glimpse of the path of prayer, than he proceeds to tread it. The very fact of the fire being so low, is the most powerful reason for stirring it. Her Lord being lost, is the strongest argument for the Spouse seeking Him without delay;--"_I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek Him whom my soul loveth._"[92] [91] Luke xv. 20. [92] Sol. Song iii. 2. 2. Observe David's _importunity_. He waxes into a holy boldness. He seeks to know from "the God of his life" the reasons of this apparent desertion--"'_Why hast Thou forgotten me?_' I cannot see or understand, as Thy covenant servant, the reason of all this depression--why, with all those promises of Thine, these hands should be hanging down, and these knees be so feeble."