sands. Howsoever God hath done, and howsoever he doth, thou canst not secure thyself for the time to come. Only the Christian that makes God his rock and his fortress, his shield and strong tower of defence, he may say he hath had that which is certain, he enjoys that which is immutable and constant. God is his portion, his eternal portion. He hath been good, he is good, and he will be good to eternity. No man else, that hath a severed happiness out of God, can say so.

man.

A sound Christian, take him in all references of time, he is a happy If he look back, God hath delivered him from Satan, from hell and damnation, and many dangers. If he look to the present, he is compassed about with a guard of angels, and with the providence of God. God doth deliver him. He hath a guard about him that cannot be seen but with the eye of faith. The devil sees it well enough, as we see in Job, Thou hast hedged him about,' Job i. 10. How can I come to him? He looked about to see if he could come into Job, to see if the hedge had any breach, but there was none. God's providence compassed him about. God hath and doth deliver. And if he look to the time to come he will deliver, he seeth that neither things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate him from the love of God,' Rom. viii. 38. And this is not only true of outward dangers, but especially in spiritual. God hath been gracious. He hath given Christ. How shall he not with him give us all things?' Rom. viii. 32. A Christian is in the favour of God now, how shall he be so for ever? He hath eternity, world without end, to comfort himself in, that God, as long as he is God, he hath comfort. As long as he hath a soul, so long Jehovah, the living God, will be his God, both of his body and soul. He is the God of Abraham,' therefore he will raise his body.. He is the God that raiseth the dead,' and he will for ever glorify both body and soul in heaven.

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Look which way he will, a Christian hath cause of much comfort. Why should he be dismayed with anything in the world? Why should he not serve God with all the encouragement that may be, when he hath nothing to care for but to serve him? As for matter of deliverance and protection, it belongs not to us, but to him. Let us do that that belongs to us, and he will do that that belongs to him, if we commit our souls to him as to a faithful Creator in well-doing; he hath delivered us, he doth deliver us, and he will deliver us, and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom.'

VERSE 11.

You also helping together by prayer for us.' In these words the holy apostle sets down the subordinate means that God hath sanctified to continue deliverance to his children. He hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver us for the time to come.' Was this confidence of St Paul a presumption without the use of means? He will deliver us, 'you also helping together by prayer for us.' The chief cause doth not take away the subordinate, but doth establish it. And though God be the great deliverer, and salvation belong to the Lord,' Ps. iii. 8, as the Scripture speaks, salvation and deliverance it is his work; yet notwithstanding he hath, not for defect of power, but for the multiplication and manifestation of his goodness, ordained the subordinate means of deliverance; and as he will deliver, so he will deliver in his own manner and by his own means. * Qu. 'not be ?'-G.

VOL. III.

M

He will deliver, but yet notwithstanding you must pray: 'you also helping together by prayer for us.'

The words have no difficulty in them, you helping together,' that is, you together joining in prayer with me. I pray for myself, and you together helping me by prayer, God will deliver me.

The points considerable in these words are these :—

First of all, that in the time of peril, or in the want of any benefit, the means to be delivered from the one, and to convey the other, it is prayer. God will do this, 'you praying.'

The second is this, that God's children can pray for themselves.

The third is, that notwithstanding, though they can pray for themselves, yet they require the joint help of others, and they need the help of others.

*

The fourth is, that our own prayers, and the prayers of others joining all together, is a mighty prevailing means for the conveying of all good, and for the removing of any ill. God will deliver me, you helping by your prayers.' Doct. Prayer is a means to convey all good, and to deliver from all ill. Because God hath stablished this order, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee,' Ps. 1. 15. He joins deliverance to calling upon him. So in Ps. xci. 15, a notable place; besides others. Indeed, the psalms are wondrous full in this kind. 'He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honour him.' Mark it, 'He shall call upon me, and I will deliver him;' and more than so, for God's benefits are complete, he doth not only deliver, but he honours, I will deliver him, and advance him,' Ps. xci. 15. God doth not only deliver his children by prayer, but he 'delivers them from evil works, and preserves them to his heavenly kingdom.' He delivers them and advanceth them together. He doth not do his work by halves. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry,' Ps. xxxiv. 15. His eyes are upon them, to see their miseries and wants. Aye, but though his eyes be open, his ears must be open too, to hear their cry. If his eyes were open to see their wants, if his ears be not open to hear their cry, his children might be miserable still.

Sometimes God delivers wicked men. He preserves them. But the preservation of a wicked man is but a reservation of him for future judgment, to feed him for the slaughter; and that deliverance is not worth the speaking of. But for his children, his eyes are open on them, and his ears to hear their cry. As they be in misery that he sees them, so they must cry that he may hear them. God hath stablished this order. He will deliver, but prayer is the means.

Now, the reason that he hath established this order,

It is for his glory [and] our own good.

Reason 1. It is for his own glory; because prayer gives him the glory of all his attributes. For when we go to him, do we not give him the glory of his omniscience, that he knows our hearts and knows our wants? Do we not give him the glory of his omnipotence, that he can help us? Do we not give him the glory of his omnipresence, that he is everywhere? Do we not give him the glory of his truth, that he will make good his promise which we allege to him and press him with? What a world of glory hath God by prayer.

Reason 2. And then for our sakes he hath established this order to convey all by prayer, to

(1.) Shew our dependence on him. * That is,

For we being in such a low distance

seek.'-G.

under God, it is good that we should know from whom we have all. Therefore, he will have us to pray to him. He commands it. Prayer is an act of self-denial. It makes us to look out of ourselves higher. Prayer acknowledgeth that we have that which we have, not of ourselves, but from him. Prayer argueth a necessary dependence upon him to whom we pray; for if we had it at home, we would not go abroad.

(2.) And then, again, it doth us good, because, as it gives God all the glory, so likewise it exerciseth all the graces in a man. There is not a grace but it is put into the fire, it is quickened and kindled by prayer. For it sets faith on work to believe the promise. It sets hope on work to expect the things prayed for. It sets love on work, because we pray for others that are members of the church. It sets obedience on work, because we do it with respect to God's command. Prayer sets humility on work. We prostrate ourselves before God, and acknowledge that there is no goodness or desert in us. There is not a grace in the heart but it is exercised in prayer.

The devil knows it well enough, and therefore of all exercises he labours to hinder the exercise of prayer, for he thinks then we fetch help against him; and, indeed, so we do. For in one prayer God is honoured, the church is benefited, grace is exercised, the devil is vanquished. What a world of good is by prayer? So that God hath established this order upon great reasons, fetched from our own comfort and good, and from his glory.

Since God hath established this order, away with idle suggestions, partly carnal and partly devilish. God knows what we want, and God knew before all time what we have need of, and he may grant it if he will. Aye, but that God that decreed, at the same time that he decreed to convey good, at the same time he decreed to convey it this way by prayer. Therefore, let us not disjoin that which God hath joined. Christ knew that God decreed all, and yet spent whole nights in prayer. And who knew God's love more than he? Yet because as he was man he was a creature, because as he was man he received good from his Father, to shew his dependence he continually prayed, he sanctified everything by prayer. And all holy men of God from the beginning, the more certain they were of anything by promise, the more eager, and earnest, and fervent they were in prayer. It was a ground of prayer. They knew that this was God's order. Therefore, if they had a promise, they turned it into prayer presently.

The means of the execution of God's decree, and the decree itself of the thing, they fall under the same decree. When God hath decreed to do anything, he hath decreed to do it by these means. So prayer comes as well within the decree as the thing prayed for. In Ezek. xxxvi. 37, ' I will do this, but I will be inquired of by the house of Judah.' I will do it, but they shall ask me, they shall seek to me first. So there is a notable place, Phil. i. 19, I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers.' We must not, then, so reason as to make the chief cause to take away the subordinate means; but let us serve God's purpose and providence, let us serve God's order. He hath stablished this order and course, let us serve it. This is the obedience of faith, the obedience of a Christian. Doct. 2. The second thing is, that

God's children are enabled to pray for themselves. I observe this the rather because the vilest men that live, when they are in trouble, as Pharaoh, Oh, go to Moses, let him pray for me! He could not pray for himself. He was such a desperate, wretched creature, he knew that God would not regard him. Therefore he saith, Go to Moses. And so Simon Magus, who

was a wretch, yet when Peter denounced a judgment against him, Pray thou that none of these things light upon me,' Acts viii. 24. You are accepted of God; my conscience is so full of terror and horror, and so full of sin, that I dare not pray. A wicked man may desire others to pray for him; but, alas! his conscience is surprised with horror for his sins, and his purposes are so cruel, so earthly, and so base, that he knows he cannot pray with acceptance for himself. God's children, as they desire the prayers of others, so they can pray themselves. They do not desire that others should do all, but that they would help together with their prayers.'

Reason. Now, the reason of this, that God's children can pray for themselves, and must pray for themselves, it is because they are children; and as soon as ever they are new born, they are known by their voice, by crying. A child, as soon as he is born, he cries. A new-born child cries as soon as he is new born. He cries, Abba, Father.' He goes to his Father presently. In Acts ix. 11, as soon as Paul was converted, he cries, he goes to God by prayer. Therefore God, when he directs Ananias to him, saith he, Go to such a place, and there thou shalt find Paul, he is praying.' As soon as he is converted he is praying.

God is

God's children have the spirit of adoption, the spirit of sons. their Father, and they exercise the prerogative and privilege they have. They go to their Father, and cry to him. In Zech. xii. 10, you have there a promise that God would pour the Spirit of supplication' upon his children. They cannot pray of themselves, but God pours a Spirit of supplication into their hearts; and his Spirit being poured into them, they can pour forth their prayers to him again.

Use. The use of this is, not to content ourselves to turn over this duty of prayer to the minister and to good people, 'Oh, pray you for us.' Aye, we do so; but pray for thyself. If thou wilt have another man's prayers do thee good, thou must help with thy own prayers, be good thyself.

.

Men turn it off with slight phrases and speeches, You must pray for

us,' &c.

Alas! what will our prayers do thee good if thou be a graceless, blasphemous, carnal, brutish person? If thy conscience tell thee by the light of nature (for the word of God it may be thou dost not care for) that thou art so, what can our prayers do thee good? If thou mean to be so, though Noah, Daniel, and Job, saith God, should stand before me for this people, I would regard them for themselves, I would not hear them for this people, Ezek. xiv. 14. Let us be able and willing to help ourselves, and then we shall pray to some purpose.

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God loves to hear the cries of his children. The very broken cries of a child are more pleasing than the eloquent speech of a servant. Sometimes the children of God have not the Spirit of prayer as at other times; and then they must do as Hezekiah did, they must mourn as a dove, and chatter as a swallow,' Isa. xxxviii. 14. And as Moses at the Red Sea, he cried, and the Lord heard his prayer, though he spake never a word. So in Rom. viii. 26, The Spirit teacheth us to sigh and groan.'

When we cannot pray, we must strive with ourselves against unbelief, and deadness of heart, by all means possible. Sighs and groans are prayers to God, 'My groans and my sighs are not hid from thee,' saith the prophet David, Ps. xxxviii. 9. And so in Lam. iii. 56, the church being in distress, saith she, Thou hast heard my voice, hide not thine ear at my breathing.' Sometime the children of God can only sigh, and breathe, and groan to God; for there is such a confusion in their thoughts, they are so

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amazed at their troubles, they are so surprised that they cannot utter a distinct prayer; and then they sigh, and breathe, and groan; they help themselves one way or other. If thou be a child of God, though thou be oppressed with grief, yet cry and groan to God, strive against thy grief all thou canst; and though thou canst not cry distinctly, yet mourn as well as thou canst, and God knows the groans of his own Spirit, and those cries are eloquent in his ears, they pierce heaven. But this being but supposed as a ground, the third observation is, as God conveys all blessings by prayer, and God's children have a spirit of prayer; so God's children desire the prayers of others, and it is the duty of others to pray for them. You also helping by your prayer for us.'

Doctrine 3. Christians ought to help one another by prayer.

The holy and blessed apostle was sure of God's love to him, and of his care of him; yet notwithstanding he was as sure that God would use both the prayers of himself and others to continue this his goodness to him; and therefore the greater faith, the greater care of prayer. And where there is no care of prayer, either of our own or of others for us, there is no faith at all.

There is an article of our faith, which, I think, is little believed. Though it be said over much, and heard often, yet it is little practised, I believe in the communion of saints.' Is there a communion of saints? wherein doth this communion stand? Among many other things, in this, that one saint prays for another.

This is one branch of the communion of saints, as they communicate in privileges; for they are all the sons of God, they are all heirs of heaven, they are all members of Christ, they are all redeemed by the blood of Christ; and so all other privileges belong to all alike. As there is a communion in privileges, so there is a communion in duties one to another. One prays for another. There is a mutual intercourse of duty. And those that truly believe the communion of saints, do truly practise the duties belonging to that blessed society, that is, they pray for one another. I mean here on earth. Here we have a command, here we have a promise, here we have mutual necessities. I have need of them, and they have need of me. We have need one of another.

In heaven there is no such necessity; yet there may be, as divines grant, a general wish for the church, because the saints want their bodies, and because they want the accomplishment of the elect.

Where there is want of happiness, there will be a general desire that God would accomplish these days of sin; but for any particular necessities of ours, they cannot know them. 'Abraham hath forgotten us, and Israel knows us not,' Is. Ixiii. 16. There is a communion of saints, and this blessed communion and society trade this way in praying for one another. God commands that we should pray one for another,' James v. 13, 14. Every Christian is a priest and a prophet. Now the priest's duty was to pray, and the prophet's duty was to pray. Now, as the priest carried the tribes on his breast, only to signify that he had them in his heart, and that he was a type of Christ, who hath us in his heart alway in heaven, to make intercession for us; so in some sense, every true Christian is a priest. He must carry the church and people of God in his heart. He must have a care of others. He must not only pray for himself, but for others, as he himself would have interest in the common prayer, Our Father,' as Christ teacheth us. Not that a Christian may not say, 'My Father,' when we have particular ground and occasion to go to God. But Christ being to