Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

(6.) For gracious anfwers to our prayers.

We have reafon to love thee, O Lord, because thou haft heard the voice of cur fupplications, and becauses thou hast inclined thine ear unto us; we will therefore call upon thee as long as we live .

Out of the depths have we called unto thee, O Lordd, and thou hast heard our vows, and given us the heritage of those that fear thy name :

Nay, before we have called, thou haft anfwered, and while we have been yet fpeaking, thou haft heard ́anda haft faid, Here I am %, and haft been nigh unto us ins all that which we call unto thee for h

Lord, thou haft heard the defire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart, and cause thine ear to hear 1. Bleffed be God, who hath not turned away our prayer, or his mercy from us k; for we have prayed, and have gone away, and our countenance has been no more fad 1

(7) For Support under our afflictions, and Spiritual bene-.. fit and advantage by them.

Thou haft comforted us in all our tribulation, haft confidered our troublem, and known our fouls in adverfity, and fhowed us thy marvellous kindness, as in a ftrong city ".

When afflictions have abounded, confolations have much more abounded.

[ocr errors]

Though no affliction for the prefent hath been joy-.. ous but grievous, nevertheless, afterwards it hath yielded the peaceable fruit of righteoufnefs; and hath proved to be for our profit, that we might be partakers of thy holinefs P.

We have had reafon to fay, that it was good for us we were afflicted, that we might learn thy command.

f

elxi. 5. Ifa. lxv. i Pfalm x. 17. k lxvi. m 1 Cor. 1. 4. n Pfalm xxi. 7, 2.4.

c Pfalm cxvi. 1, 2. dcxxx I. 25. g lviii. 9. b Deut. iv. 7. 20. Sam. i. 18. • 2 Cor. ii. 5. p Heb. xii, 10, 11. .

[ocr errors]

ments; for before we were afflicted we went aftray,. but afterwards have kept thy word'.

It has been but for a season, and when there was need, that we were in heaviness, through manifold temptations; and we beg that all the trials of our faith may be found unto praife, and honour and glory, at the appearing of Jefus Chrift, whom having not seen we love, in whom, though we now fee him not, yet believing, we rejoice, with joy unfpeakable, and full of: glory; are longing to receive the end of our faith, even. the falvation of our fouls":

(8.) For the performances of God's promises.

Thou haft dealt well with thy fervants, O Lord, ac-cording to thy words, and thou hast been ever mindful: of thy covenant, the word which thou haft commanded. to a thousand generations *.

There hath not failed one word of all the good promife which thou haft promised to David thy fervant, and Ifrael thy people v..

And now, what fhall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards us? Let our fouls return to him and repofe in him, as their reft, because he hath dealt bountifully with us; we will take the cup of our falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord w; For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations x..

We will blefs the Lord at all times, yea, his praise fhall continually be in our mouths ; we will fing unto the Lord as long as we live ; and we hope to be fhortly with thofe bleffed ones who dwell in his house above, and are still praising him, and who reft not day or night from faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty a

9 Pfalm cxix. 67, 71. r1 Pet. i. 6, 7, 8, cxix. 65. t cv. 8. v 1 Kings viii. 56, 66. 7, 12, 13. c. 5. y xxxiv, 1. ≈ civ. 33.

s Pfalm

9.

w Pfal. cxvi. a Rev. iv. 8.

116

CHAP. V.

Of the fifth part of PRAYER, which is Interceffion, or Addrefs and Supplication to God for others.

UR Lord Jefus hath taught us to pray, not only with, but for others: And the apoftle hath appointed us to make fupplication for all faints: and many of his prayers in his epiftles are for his friends: And we must not think that when we are in this part of prayer, we may let fall our fervency, and be more indifferent, becaufe we ourfelves are not immediately concerned in it, but rather let a holy fire of love, both to God and man here, make our devotions yet more warm and lively a.

and ac

1. We must pray for the whole world of mankind, the loft world; and thus we must honour all cording to our capacity do good to all men c.

men,

We pray, as we are taught, for all men, believing that this is good and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be faved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, and of Jefus Chrift, who gave himself a ranfom for all d.

O look with compaffion upon the world that lies in wickedness, and let the prince of this world be caft out, that has blinded their minds 8.

O let thy way be known upon earth, that barbarous nations may be civilized, and thofe that live without God in the world may be brought to the fervice of the living God; and thus let thy faving health be known unto all nations: Let the people praise thee, O God, yea, let all the people praife thee: O let the nations be

[ocr errors]

b 1 Pet. ii. 17: e 1 John v. 19.

c. Gal. vi. ro f John xii. 31

4 Eph. vi. 18. d1 Tim. ii. 3, 4.. g 2 Cor. iv, 4. h Pfalm lxyii. 2. i Eph. ii. 12.

glad and fing for joy, for thou fhalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth .

O let thy falvation and thy righteoufnefs be openly fhewed in the fight of the heathen, and let all the ends of the earth fee the falvation of our God 1.

O give thy Son the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his poffeffion m: For thou haft faid, It is a light thing for him to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preferved of Ifrael, but thou wilt give him for a light to the Gentiles". Let all the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ.

2. For the propagating of the gospel in foreign parts, and the enlargement of the church, by the bringing in of many

to it.

O let the gofpel be preached unto every creature P ; for how fhall mea believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without preachers? and how thall they preach except they be fent ? and who fhall fend forth labourers but the Lord of the harveftr?

Let the people which fit in darkness fee a great light, and to them which fit in the regions and fhadow of death, let light fpring up.

Add unto thy church daily fuch as fhall be favedt; enlarge the place of its tents, lengthen its cords and ftrengthen its ftakes ▾.

Bring thy feed from the eaft, and gather them from the weft; fay to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: Bring thy fons from far, and thy daughters from the ends of the earth W. Let them come with acceptance to thine altar, and glorify the houfe of thy glory; let them fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows *.

xcviii. 2, 3. mii. 8. n Ifa. xlix: Mark xvi. 16. q Rom. x. 14, 15. siv. 16. t. Acts ii. 47. v Ifa. liv. 2.

k Pfalm lxvii. 3, 4. 6. o Rev. xi. 15. r Mat. ix. 38.

w xliii. 5, 6.

≈ 1x. 7, 2..

In every place let incenfe be offered to thy name, and pure offerings; and from the rifing of the fun to the going down of the fame, let thy name be great among the Gentiles ; and let the offering up of the Gentiles be acceptable, being fanctified by the Holy Ghoft 2.

O let the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea a.

3. For the converhon of the Jews.

Let the branches which are broken off not abide still in unbelief, but be grafted in again into their own olive tree. And though blindnefs is in part happened to Ifrael, yet let the fulness of the Gentiles come in, and let all Ifrael be faved c.

Let them be made to look upon him whom they have pierced, and that they turn to the Lord, let the veil which is upon their hearts be taken away e.

4. For the eastern churches that are groaning under the yoke of Mahometan tyranny.

Let the churches of Afia, that were golden candlefticks, which the Lord Jefus delighted to walk in the midst of, be again made fo 8.

Reftore unto them their liberties as at first, and their privileges as at the beginning; purely purge away their drofs, and take away all their tin and turn again their captivity, as ftreams in the fouth.

[ocr errors]

5. For the churches in the plantations.

Be thou the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of those that are afar off beyond the fea ; And let them have the bleffing which came upon the head of Jofeph, and upon the crown of the head of him that was feparated from his brethren, even to the utmost bound of the everlafting hills!..

y Mal. i. 11.

c. Rom.

% Rom. xv. 16. a Ila. xi. 9.
d Zech. xii. 1C. e 2 Cor. iii. 16.
h Isa. i. 25, 26.. i Pfalm.

xi. 23, 24, 25, 26.
f Rev. i. 11, 12.
g ii. i.
Cxxvi. 4 k lxv. 5. Gen. xlix. 26.
/

« PoprzedniaDalej »