individuall man or woman are elect or reprobat but also in the generall as to the present and following generation whatever may be said of times past whose wickednesse and impiety is notour and known for who can bind up Gods hand that he may not shew mercy to all the world and shall we alledge an unknown decree purpose and intention which though it were known must not be acknowledged for a rule and law for a ground and plea why we should forsake the known commandment to pray for all men And that we might pray for cast-awayes though their reprobation and why not also though Christs purpose and intention not to shed his blood for them were known hath been shown Concl. 4. 3. It is not faith in the Object but in the Subject not in him for whom but in him who doth pray that is required in the i Jam. 5.15 prayer of faith and that it may be offered up in Christs name as shall appear Part 2. Ch. 2. From this generall we may draw several particulars the most matterial shall be named in the following Conclusions Concl. 6. Concl. 6.1.2.3.4.5.6 We should pray for our enemies 1. David did so Psa 35.13 and Stephen Act. 7.60 Yea and our blessed Lord Jesus Luk. 23.34 And 2. commands us to do so Mat. 5.44 And 3. maketh the conscientious performance thereof an evidence of our son-ship And 4. of our conformity with our Father which is in heaven v. 45. And 5. of discrimination between us and Publicans v. 46.6 This is the best mean to reclaime enemies and to make them friends with God and with us and that is the most noble k Quo quisque est major magis est placabilis irae Ovid. 3. trist 5.7 victory over enemies in which the true Christian will more rejoyce and triumph though one were only thus gained then in the destruction of a multitude However 7. thus he doth his duty and shall be no loser his prayer shall not be as l 2 Sam. 14.14 water spilt on the ground but shall return with a message of peace to himself Psa 35.13 And 8. in so doing he heapeth coals of fire though he intend not their hurt upon the head of incorrigible enemies Rom. 12.20 And 9. it is no small evidence of sincerity and may be a ground of comfort to thee O Saint if while enemies are injuring and persecuting thee thou canst with the Prophet say O Lord remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath while they were digging a pit for my soul Jer. 18.20 And as this is a notable mean of our peace with God and with our own consciences So it is 10. an evidence and a sure ground of confidence that our prayers for our selves are heard 10. and our iniquities pardoned Mat. 6.14 Mark 11.25 and 11. 11. thereby also we prevail against and most valiantly m Bis vin ciâ— qui se vincit Publian apud Reusn clas 1. Sym. 50. triumph over that devil of malice and revenge which maketh the Lord himself become our enemy and to back the lashes of men with a stroak from heaven because we tak upon us to sit on his Throne who hath said vengeance is mine I will repay Deut. 35.35 Heb. 10.30 Rom. 12.19 O! Then pray for your enemies and ye shall have God to be your friend and shall thus obey that evangelicall command give place to Wrath Rom. 12 19. Psa 37.8 Prov. 20.3 O! blesse them that persecut you Rom. 12.14 and thus thou mayest get a blessing both to thy self and them But ah although this duty doth make us resemble God who is kind unto the unthankfull and to the evil Luk 6.35 albeit it hath so much of heaven in it so much humility self denyall and tendernesse though it be such a notable mean of our comfort peace and acceptance with God and may prove a mean of so much good to others yet how few make conscience thereof and are carefull to perform it but if thou goest mourning all the day long for want of comfort enlargement of affections divine manifestations and acceptance in thy addresses to God enquire after the cause and perhaps thou wilt find that if thou wert compassionat towards thy enemies God would be more kind to thee and manifest himself more familiarly the Lord deals with many as if he were an enemy because they live in malice and at enmity with their brethren and their prayers meet not with that n Qui tollit litem fas huic est fausta precari Reusn class 3. Symb. 16. acceptance they desire because they do not cordially desire the good of others God seemeth to slight their (o) Qui litem aufert execrationem in benedictionem mutat symb Henrici 3. Nigri prayers that they may learn no more to hate or slight their brethren in their prayers Mat. 6.15 Mar. 11.26 Concl. 7. Albeit we should thus pray for all men though strangers yea though enemies and persecuters yet there are speciall bonds and tyes lying upon us to pray for those to whom we have speciall relations and the mo and greater and the more neer and engaging the relation is our obligation to the performance of this duty is the greater we may not speak to particulars these being so many this duty so clear and uncontroverted Scripture-instances so obvious and the advantage both to our selves and them so certain and great And 1. in the generall who is so ignorant as not to know that it is his duty to pray for the Church of Christ and that his Kingdom may come that the borders thereof may be enlarged that the heathen may be given to him for an inheritance and the uttermost ends of the earth for a possession Mat. 6.10 Psa 2.8 that the whole earth may be filed with the knowledge of God Isa 11.8 that the Gospel may have a free and effectuall passage 2 Thes 3.2 that all Israel might be saved that Sem may be perswaded to dwell in the tents of Japhet Rom. 11.26 Gen. 9.27 that the fulnesse of the Gentiles were brought in and that those who yet sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death may be enlightned Rom. 11.25 Luk. 1.79 that God in his good pleasure would do good to Zion and build up the walls of Jerusalem that peace may be within Her walls and prosperity within her Palaces and that God would redeem Israel out of all his troubles Psa 51.18 Psa 122.7 Psa 25.22 2. Who knoweth not that we should pray for Kings and Rulers that God would blesse them and make them a blessing to his people that he would instruct our Magistrats and teach our Senators wisdom that judgment may run down as a river and righteousnesse as a mighty stream that thus they may prove nursing Fathers both to the Church and Kingdom being an encouragment to them that do well and a terror to such and only to such
reprobat and those who have committed that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost c. WE need not ask if we should pray for others the Law of God the (a) Jam. 2.8 royall law of love and the constant practice of the Saints do point out this duty and as a threefold cord bindeth us thereunto first then God hath commanded us to pray for others Jam. 5.16 1 Joh. 5. â—6 Secondly he hath promised to answer 1 Joh. 5.14 16. Jam. 5.15 Thirdly he hath accordingly answered those prayers that have been put up for others Gen. 20.17 Exod. 33.17 Job 42.9 8. and though he be a reprobat for whom the Saints do pray yet they shall not lose their labour their prayers shall return into their own bosome they shall not return empty and without a blessing but shall bring with them an answer of peace to the supplicant Psa 35.13 Fourthly not only the Godly have required the mutuall help of one anothers prayers 2 Cor. 1.11 1 Thes 5.25 2 Thes 3.1 Heb. 13.18 but the wicked also as being convinced of the need they stood of the Saints prayers and the good which might be expected from thence 1 King 13.6 Act. 8.24 Fifthly as the Saints have desired others to pray for them so they have been carefull to (b) Orat apostolus pro plâ—be orat plebs pro apostolo oro se omnia membra orant coput pro omnibus interpellat August in Psa 34. perform that duty towards others Col. 1.9 2 Thes 1.11 Exod. 32 31. Exod 33.16 Numb 21.7 1 Sam. 7.9 and Christ our head and leader while on earth prayed not only for his disciples Joh. 17. and for the unconverted elect v. 9.20 but also for his bloody persecutors Luk. 23.34 And how did he weep and pathetically lament over apostat Jerusalem Luk 19.41 Luk. 13.34 and he now liveth in heaven to make continuall intercession for his people Sixthly not only hath our blessed Saviour thus by his example taught us this point of our duty but by his command leaving us a pattern in that (c) Ideo non dicimus patermeus sed noster nec da mihi sed da nobis quia unitatis magister noluit privatim preces fieri ut scilicet quis prose tantum precetur Cypr. in lib. de orat Dom. comprehensive directory Mat. 6.9 to pray for others whensoever we pray for our selves and whatsoever we ask for our selves thus we are not there taught to say my Father give me forgive me c. but our Father give us forgive us c. And thus we are more straitly bound to that duty then if either in the preface or the close there had been an expresse command insert to pray for others for thus we are taught to pray for our brethren not only at some seasons and occasions or when we will but alwayes whensoever we pray for our selves and not to ask only some few things for them but whatsoever we ask to our selves and why should we not wish desire and petition all those good things which we desire to our selves to those whom we are bound to (d) Mat. 19 19 love as our selves what indigence and (e) Prose orare necessitas cogit pro altero autem charitas fraternitatis hortatur Autor operis imper in Mat. cir prin tom 2. hom 14. necessity will drive us to ask for our selves that brotherly love should draw us to desire and petition to others and love being a more kindly motive then necessity and the good of others a more noble attractive then self interest it must be a better evidence of sincerity to pray for others then to pray for ourselves You will say must we then pray for all and every one For Answer we shall bring some conclusions partly negative partly affirmative Concl. 1. Concl. 1. We abominat the Popish conceit of praying for the dead as 1 foolish and unprofitable for after death the judgement Heb. 9.27 then we must appear before the tribunal of Christ and be stated into an inalterable condition which all the devotion of Papists all their masses and supplications cannot change 2. as groundlesse and unwarrantable having no command nor precedent in Scripture yea nor from the first and purest antiquity and reason can here have no place for the Saints want no good and they fear no evil which are the two occasions of prayer mentioned by the Apostle (f) The two grounds of prayer mentioned by the Apostle 1. the want and abfence of some good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The presence or fear of some evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 1.5 and 5.13 and an irrevocable sentence is already past upon the damned where the tree is fallen there it mustly for ever Ecles 11.3 the evening is come and there can be no more working in the Lords vineyard every one must now receive his reward according as he hath employed the day past David would pray no longer for his child when he heard it was dead the reason he bringeth in reference to the childs bodily life and being here again in the world is applicable to the state and condition of the soul there can be no alteration after death and therefore he would pray no more for either the childs bodily being here again or concerning the eternal portion or spiritual condition of his soul 2 Sam. 12.23 The Saints are now at home and rest secure till the day of the resurrection when soul and body being united shall partake of glory and happiness according to their several capacities to all eternity and till that day they rest upon Gods word as to the resurrection of their bodies which is another kind of (g) This appeareth to me to be the main ground of difference which with submission Ioffer to the consideration of the judicious word then the word of promise which believers on earth plead in their prayers It is the sentence of a Judge and would an earthly Judge take it well if any man should petition him to own and stand to his sentence They are not now on their way nor in the (h) Preces ge mituslachrymae arma sunt athletarum in stadio versantium in agone sudaentium non victorum in caelo triumphantium Tilen synt part 2. disp 49. § 22. condition of a Viator and traveller they are now above ordinances they are no more under the means what then can prayer profit them As for the popish Purgatory that Chapel in which all these Saints are conveened who call for the prayers and masses of the Roman Church or rather that prison in which are detained those captives till the Romanists by their devotion purchase their liberty our Divines long since have thrown down the imaginary partition wall betwixt that goal and hell and have shown that those (i) Mat. 5.26 prisoners shall never be able to pay the uttermost farthing and therefore shall never be set at liberty and it was no difficult task to overthrow a
13.12 1 Joh. 3.2 CHAP. II. Of the withdrawing of the Spirit of deadness indisposition and wandring thoughts in prayer their causes and remedy ALL our light and strength our activity life and zeal being the fruit of the free Spirit of grace as hath been shown Part. 1. Chap. 9. We not being of our selves sufficient to think far less to do as we ought all our sufficiency coming from God alone 2 Cor. 3.5 If the Lord withdraw his Spirit and if the Spirit of (a) Rom. 8.10 life do not quicken and enable us for our our duty what deadness and indisposition must there be upon our spirit and how unfit and unable must we be for the work of the Lord and for any part of his worship We shall not then here separate the cause and the effect but we not being meer patients but by our folly and unkindness provoking the Spirit to depart yea and not only thus procuring this sad dispensation but also joyning and actively concurring and taking as it were the hammer in our hands for hardning our own heart shutting our own eyes that we might not see and casting water upon the fire that it might not burn we shall enquire after both sort of causes adding some few things for curing and remedying this evil and for our direction whilewe are under this sad tryal Sect. 1. How far the Spirit doth withdraw and why Joh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Psal 5.11 12. Take not thy holy Spirit from me uphold me with thy free Spirit WE shall not now speak of the case and state of desertion in the general what it is what be its kinds what are the causes what the symptoms and marks what the effects and wofull consequents of that malady and what should be done by way of cure and remedy that were a large field hath been the subject of several excellent (a) Mr. Boltons instructions for a right comforting c. Mr. Goodwins child of light c. Mr. Symonds desert souls case and cure c. Treatises but we shall only meddle with so much of that case as concerneth the present subject and now enquire how far the Spirit doth withdraw his help and assistance from the Saints in reference to their prayers and shall but in a word and very briefly speak to that and to the rest of the particulars in this and the following Sections because they fall in here occasionally and as in the by as also since they very much depend upon the case in the si of which now we cannot speak and the general grounds and purposes which belong to that head As to the first question here propounded how far the Spirit doth withdraw Let us 1. suppose against Socinians Papists and Arminians that the Spirit doth neither totally nor finally leave and forsake any of the Saints 1 Joh. 3.9 Joh. 10.28 29. Jer. 32.39 40. Heb. 13.5 c. 2. From the constant presence of the Spirit we may well collect his constant work and operation there is a necessary influence of the Spirit whereby the Saintâ— are supported and upheld the life of the new man is preserved and the (b) 1 Joh. 3.9 seed of God is kept from corruption and that influence is never denied or withheld from the Saints when they are at the lowest and in their worst and weakest condition when they have been sadly buffeted by Sathan and dangerously wounded by their lusts and after that little of life which yet (c) Rev. 3.2 remaineth in them is ready to die yet there is a secret hand that supporteth them so that they shall never perish Joh. 10.28 But 3. it is more diffâ—â—ult to determine whether as the Spirit alwayes worketh to the conservation of spiritual life So also to its operation acting and exercise and the work of the Spirit as to the former may be called upholding and conserving grace and as to the latter assisting and concurring grace Ans Albeit we did joyn with an (d) Mr. Symonds case and cure ch 4. pag. mihi 36. excellent modern Divine while he thus resolveth this question God never wholly denieth his assistance to a faithfull soul though some degrees of divine help be withheld so that the soul languish in a sort and sink into a state of deadness and auâ—ness yet there is life and that both habitual and actual Gods clock never stanos there is no such deliquium gratae no such swoun of the new man in which all acts do cease though a Christian may do less yet still he doth something and though he may lose some help from God yet not all Albeit I say we did grant what is here asserted yet these actings may be so weak and faint that it will be hard to discern and put a difference between them and our natural motions they may be so cold and liveless as if no fire had come from heaven and as if the Spirit of life had never breathed upon the soul nay though something of the new life and of grace might be discerned in those actings yet we could not assent to what is said by this (e) As the Spirit worketh alwayes to the conservation of spiritual life So it worketh ever to the growth of graces A Christian is over growing yea then when he seemeth to himself and others to stand at a stay yea to decline he groweth alway really though nor apparently nor equally idid pag. 26. Author concerning the constant growth of grace unless by growth he understand no other thing but the bringing forth and bearing some fruit though nâ—ver so small and little but this cannot be the importance of the word while we are exhorted to grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 And thus a man may be said to grow while he is lying on his death bed and while he is in the most languishing condition for even then he can elicit some vital acts and bring forth some fâ—uits of life and yet it would be thought a strange paradox to affirm that such were in a (f) And the instance of plants under the nipping blasts of the winter when the fruit and leaves fall off brought by that Author overturneth his conclusion for though then there be a tendency to growth yet there is no acttual growing but a dâ—cay growing condition there is no proper growth but when the habit fountain and principle doth receive an addition and increase But 4. what ever be said as to a total cessation from all acts of spiritual life and to an universal withdrawing of all assisting grace though a Saint under the most dreadfull storms and while he is at his lowest were never such an empty vine as to bring forth no fruit and though at no time he were so far deserted as to have all measure of assistance for every spiritual duty withheld yet there may be a total suspension of influence and assistance in reference to some particular performance and that it may be
seen no evil 1. because the evil of the rod was now past but the fruit remained 2. because that good reaped by it being spiritual did counter-ballance yea and far exceed the evil of the cross it did not only make a compensation but was as gold instead of brass and dross But yet still the rod in it self was evil and not to be desired without a revelation concerning the necessity and fruit of it which none can pretend to but must wait till the event make that manifest And as we should praise God for the sanctified use of the rod So upon supposition we are to meet with it we may pray for the same 3. Obj. That which is an evidence of Gods love and a character of our blessedness that we may desire and ask but afflictions are such Rev. 3.19 Heb. 12.6 7 8. Psa 94 12. Ans Not the rod simply considered but the sanctified use of the rod is an evidence of love and of our happiness Hence in the words Psa 94.12 we have something added to the rod to make it a compleat character of our state blessed is the man thou chastenest and teacheth out of thy law As if it had been said albeit the rod alone and without the blessing can do no good yet when it is sanctified c. And while the Apostle saith that if we be without chastisement we are bastards and not sons he pointeth out the necessity of the cross both because of our readiness to idolize our mercies if we meet with no warning as also because of Gods appointment that now under the Gospel we should have spiritual mercies in greater abundance then the Jewish Church but not such a constant affluence of outward things but not as if we might choose the rod wherewith we should be chastised or desire and pray for such a particular cross at such or such a time You will say but may we not then in the general pray for the cross leaving the particular to Gods choice Ans No we may not for as we know not what So neither if any rod would do us good and yet we need not fear least we be bastards for want of chastisements no Saint ever I think did or shall want moe or fewer greater or smaller crosses though they did not meet or prevent them nor desire or pray for them 4. Obj. That which we may lawfully desire that we may pray for but we may with Paul Phil. 1.23 2 Cor. 5.1 2. desire to be dissolved and depart and to have the earthly house of this tabernacle pulled down and if we may desire to encounter with death that king of terrours why not also with any other rod Ans The Apostle doth not make choice of a rod wherewith he might be whipt only he could be content the day were prevented and tells us what he could choose if the circumstance of time were referred to his determination for death is not a rod of our choosing It being appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 Neither did Paul love and desire death there being nothing in it amiable and desirable for of its self it is a separation of two near and most intimate friends the soul and body and hath most unwelcome fore-runners companions and consequents viz. pain sickness the corruption of the body c. But Paul desired by any means and upon any terms to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 he did not absolutely but only comparatively desire death being willing rather to encounter with death though grievous and terrible then that bar and impediment should hinder him from a full and immediat fruition Christ the terrours of death the dark chambers of the grave and the corruption of the body were nothing terrible to him these Anakims could not discourage him who longed so much to take possession of the land of promise the first fruits he had tasted were so sweet that he accounted nothing too costly that might bring him to see the harvest he was content to break-fast on sowr herbs that he might have at dinner a well furnished table that would never be drawn the Apostle knew well what to choose and desire he looked on death as an evil and most formidable enemy 1 Cor. 15.26 55. he (l) Concedit enim nor praesentis vitae solutionem per se naturaliter fugere quemadmodum nemo se libenter patitur exui suis vestibus sed postâ—â— subjungis naturalem mortis horrorem superari a fiducia sicuti non difficulter vestem pannosam sordidam detritam laceramdenique quivis abjâ—ciet ut eliganti nitida nova durabili ornetur fideles sciunt se corpore incluses teneri tanquam ergastulo ideâ— hac vita gravantur quod in ca potiri verae penfecta beatitudinis nequeunt quod peceati servitutem non nisi morte possunt effugere c. Calvin in 1 Cor. 5.4 desired not it as it was an uncloathing of him but as it made way for his better cloathing 2 Cor. 5.4 he knew it was necessary he should cast off the old rags of the body before he could put on the rich robes of glory and immortality he was willing to die that mortality might be swallowed up of life he longed to see death as it was the jaylour which only could open the prison door of sin misery mortality absence from the Lord c. And thus his desire was not properly terminated in death only the terrour of death did not quench his thirst after a full enjoyment of Christ and yet we might yield that he desired death 1. conditionally and since there was no other way for him to attain his happiness he knew this to be a necessary mean for his attaining his end and upon the supposition of its necessity by vertue of divine appointment he might be said to will and desire it 2. He might be said to desire death comparatively it being better to encounter that enemy then to have his perfect happiness suspended he was willing as he professeth 2 Cor. 5.8 rather to be absent from the body for a while And that we might 1. conditionally 2. (m) Et quod sic desideramus non semper licet facere comparatively desire such an evil we granted in the entry and thus conditionally and comparatively we may not only desire death but also a total annihilation and destruction it being more (n) Quod praesteâ— non esse quam miserum esse multis demonstrat Barlow contra Durandum Exercit. Metaph exer 1.1 in terminis determinata videtur hac contraversia a Domino Mat. 26.24 quamvis Doctis Twissus vind lib. 2. dig 1. putet crvatorem locutum secundum judicium bominum non rectam sed erroneum eligible and better not to be then to be in perpetual misery Mat. 26.24 We might here also alledge Moses his desire that his name should rather be blotted out of Gods book then that Gods name should be blasphemed by the heathen who should hear that he had