The Whole Armor of God, Exegesis · Treatise 3 · Part 2 · Section 44 – Section 51
§. 44. Of iudging the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt.
THough theſe two laſt reſtraints be expreſly mentioned in the Scripture, yet we muſt take heed how we iudge any, either to hauehave committed that ſin vntounto death, or to be reiected of God: for the one there is need of an extraordinary ſpirit, for the other of extraordinary reuelation from God.
Queſt. What if any ſhall profeſſe themſelues to bee ſuch?
Anſw. That is no good ground for vsus to iudge them to be ſuch,Al who count themſelues reiected, may not be ſo accounted. and to ceaſe to pray for them. For many weak ones in temptation will iudge themſelues to hauehave ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt, and to be reiected of God, and thereupon neither pray for themſelues, nor ſuffer others to pray for them.
Theſe perſons commonly hauehave in them great griefe of heart, for that wretched eſtate wherein they conceiue themſelues to be, or if their heart be hardned, they are greeued for that hardneſſe, they hauehave a longing deſire to be out of that eſtate, yea they hauehave a ſecret louelove of God, and zeale of his glory, though they feele it not, for they cannot endure to heare any blaſpheme Gods holy Name and truth: Now theſe are euident ſignes that they neuer fell into that vnpardonable ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt.
The beſt aduice which is firſt to be giuen vntounto ſuch perſons, is to perſwade them that they are more vnfit to iudge of their ſpirituall eſtate, thenaSigna melancholiae ſunt exiſtimatio mala, timor fine cauſa, &c. et plurimum timoris eius eſt ex eis quae non timentur ſecundum conſuetudinem Auicen. lib. 3. fen. 1. tract. 4. a man deepely poſſeſſed with melancholly, of his bodily health: and that the iudgement of ſo weighty and intricate a matter, as the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt is to be referred to the iudgement and cenſure of the Church, and not of any one particular man, except he had an extraordinary ſpirit. But howſoeuer they like ſenceleſſe patients ſeeke their owne ruine: yet let vsus like good phyſitions and faithfull friends be the more tender ouer them, and afford them the beſt helpe we can, both by wiſe counſell and feruent Prayer.
Thus much touching the negatiue, who are not to be prayed for.
§. 45. Of the perſons who are to be prayed for.
THe affirmatiue,For whom prayer is to be made. (who are to be prayed for,) is very generall. For (except thoſe before excepted,) all of all ſorts are to be prayed for. Indeed the Apoſtle in this Text nameth none but Saints, yet ſimply he excludeth not all other, but rather more forcibly vrgeth this duty for the Saints: as if he had ſaid, whomſoeuer ye forget, forget not any of the Saints: let them eſpecially aboue all be remembred. In effect ſo much is here implyed, as is expreſſed. Gal. 6. 10. Let vsus doe good vntounto all men, eſpecially vntounto them who are of the houſhold of Faith.
If this place excluded all but Saints, and implyed that none but they ſhould be prayed for, it would thwart and contradict many other places of Scripture which ſhall be declared when we proue that ſuch as are not of the Church may be prayed for. Wherefore becauſe the two later ſort who ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, and who are reiected of God, are not by ordinary ſpirits diſcerned, I may for an ordinary direction ſay,
All men liuing on earth are to be praied for. All in general to be prayed for.So much the Apoſtle himſelf expreſly auoucheth.a1 Tim. 2. 1. For in direct termes he exhorteth that Praiers be made for almen. All I ſay, whether they be in the Church or out of it, called or not called, friends or foes, publike or priuate perſons, rich or poore, yong or old, male or female, bond or free, of what eſtate or condition ſoeuer.
I will giuegive particular proofes of theſe particulars when I declare in what order they are to be prayed for. In the meane while note theſe generall grounds and reaſons.
1 All are made after the ſame image of God that we are,Reaſons. all are of the ſame mould,dIſa. 58. 7. all our owne fleſh,eLuke 10. 29, &c. all our neighbours, and therefore as other duties of louelove, ſo this which is the moſt common and generall duty of all is to be performed for all.
2 Beſides, for ought we know all may belong to the election of God, and ſo hauehave a right to the priuiledges of Gods elect.
Obiect. Sure it is that eueryevery one is not elected, there alwayes hauehave been, ſtil are, and euer ſhalbe a mixture of reprobats with the elect:fMat. 13. 38, 47. for this world is Gods field, wherin are tares as wel as wheat, a ſea wherein are bad things as wel as good. Yea ſure it is that the greater ſort are reprobates, forgMat. 22. 14. few are choſen: h& 7. 13, 14.narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there bee that finde it, but broad is the way that leadeth to deſtruction, It cannot bee ſaid of any particular man that he belongeth not to God.and many there be which goe in thereat.Non eſt deſperandum de malis, ſed pro ipſis vt boni fiant ſtudioſius ſupplicandum: quia numerus ſanctorum de numero impiorum ſemper auctus eſt. Aug. in Pſal. 36.
Anſw. Though this be moſt true, yet can wee not ſay of any particular man, that he belongeth not to Gods election. If he be not now called, he may hereafter. Though he be now a wolfe, he may become a lambe, as Paul did. Wherefore to reſolue this point diſtinctly, al men ioyntly together may not be prayed for, becauſe all belong not to Gods election. Yet all men ſeuerally (except before excepted) may and muſt be prayed for. So as there is not any one excepted. There is not any Countrey, any ſort or condition of people, any one man of whom we can ſay, he is not to be prayed for.
Obiect. The Pope of Rome is Antichriſt, and Antichriſt is branded to beek2 Theſ. 2. 3. that man of ſinne, which is, a ſonne of perdition.
Anſw. Wee may not conceiue any particular man to be Antichriſt, but rather that ſeate and State where the Pope ſitteth, or that Hierarchy, the head whereof the Pope is,Reaſon. or the ſucceſſion of Popes one after another.Judicium. charitatis non infallibilitatis.
The ground of prayer is the iudgement of charity, and not of certenty. Nowl1 Cor. 13. 7. charity hopeth all things. It hopeth that they which are out of Chriſts fold, may in time bee called into it, that very perſecutors of the Goſpell may proue profeſſors of the ſame.
I doubt not but vponupon this ground, and in the forenamed reſpect, that clauſe in our publike Leiturgy (That it may pleaſe thee to hauehave mercy on all men) is vſed.
§. 46. Of the order of praying for others.
FOr the order of praying for others,In what order others are to be praied for. prayer being one of the moſt proper and principall effects of louelove, followeth the order of louelove. Now the proper obiect of true louelove, is God, who by a propriety and excellency is called a1 Ioh. 4. 16.LoueLove: the liker any are to God, and the neerer they come to him, the more dearely ought they to be loued, and in louelove to be preferred before others: accordingly in our prayers ought they to be preferred, as
§. 47. Of praying for Saints.
1 SAints, 1 Saints.who are here in this Text by name expreſſed, to ſhew that they muſt moſt of all be remembred. bIoh. 17. 9.Thus did Chriſt pray eſpecially for them which were giuen him out of the World. And thecRom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1, 2, 3. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Apoſtles remember the Saints by name in their benedictions.
Reaſon 1. Of all men theſe are neereſt, and deareſt vntounto God,d2 Pet. 1 4. they doe moſt reſemble him in diuine qualities, and are beſt beloued of him.
2ePſal. 73. 1. God is eſpecially good vntounto ſuch;f1 Tim. 4. 10. for he is a Sauiour of all men, eſpecially of ſuch as beleeue.
3 They are knit vntounto vsus by the neareſt and firmeſt bond that can be, which is the Spirit of Chriſt:g1 Cor. 12. 13 For by one ſpirit are we all baptized into one body. In this reſpect we are ſaid to hauehave allhMal. 2. 10. one Father, to beiEph. 4. 4. one Body, one Spirit, yea, to bek1 Cor. 12. 12 Chriſt.
4 ThelActs 2. 39. 2 Pet. 1. 4. promiſes which are the ground of our prayers, doe eſpecially belong vntounto them: ſo as with ſtrongeſt confidence we may pray for them.
Vſe. Here ſee the priuiledge of Saints,Saints hauehave all the benefit of one anothers praiers. they eſpecially and aboue all hauehave the benefit of the prayers of all their fellow Saints. For this being commanded to all, all the Saints will hauehave care to performe it: yea, the Saint… alone partake of the benefit of others prayers: fo… though many wicked ones bee prayed for, yet th… benefit returnes into their boſome who make the prayer, as Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples (Mat. 10. 13.) If ye ſalute an houſe, and if it be not worthy, let your peace returne to you.
§. 48. Of praying for Magiſtrates.
2 PVblike perſons, 2. Publicke perſons.as Miniſters of the Word, (of whom we ſhall more particularly ſpeake on the 19. verſe) and Magiſtrates, as m1 Tim. 2. 2.Kings, with all that are in authority, whom by name the Apoſtle mentioneth, where hee exhorteth to pray for others: and Dauid by name prayeth for them, ſaying;nPſal. 72. 1, GiueGive thy iudgements to the King, O God, and thy righteouſneſſe to the Kings Sonne. VnderUnder theſe may bee compriſed all that hauehave any publike charge ouer others.
1 By reaſon of their office,Reaſons. they ſtand in Gods roome, and beare Gods image; and in that reſpect are called, oPſal. 82. 6.Gods Sonnes, yea, Gods.
2 They are of greateſt vſe, and in place to doe moſt good; and in that reſpect are (p2 Sam. 18. 3. as Dauids ſeruants ſaid of him) worth ten thouſand others.q1 Tim. 2. 2 This reaſon alleageth Saint Paul to vrge this duty, that wee may leade a quiet and peaceable life, in all godlineſſe and honeſty: whereby he implieth, that vnderunder God they may be an eſpeciall meanes for vsus to leade ſuch a life.
§. 49. Of praying for Friends.
3 SVch as God hath linked vntounto vsus by any outward naturall & ciuill bonds,3. Kindred & friends. as Kindred, Alliance, Neighbourhood, Friendſhip, Office, or the like. Now the nearer …heſe bonds be, the more eſpecially muſt we pray one for …other.rGen. 2. 24. The neareſt outward bond is Matrimony, therefore husbands and wiues muſt moſt eſpecially pray one for another, asſGen. 25. 21. Iſack for Rebecca: then parents and children, ast& 17. 18. Abram for Iſmael: next brothers and ſiſters, asu& 43. 29. Ioſeph for Beniamin: & maſters & ſeruants, asx& 24. 12. Abrams ſeruant prayed for his Maſter.y& 39. 5. The bleſſing which God beſtowed on Potiphar for Ioſephs ſake, ſheweth that Ioſeph prayed for his Maſter: likewiſe ſuch kindred as are out of the family one for another, and neighbour for neighbour, friend for friend, countryman for countryman, &c.
God hath knit perſons together by thoſe outward bonds for the mutuall good one of another, that they might be more helpfull one to another. In which reſpect the Apoſtle calleth theſe bonds,zEph. 4. 16. ioynts of furniture, or bonds of miniſtration, that is, bonds whereby the ſeuerall parties that are knit together furniſh one another, by receiuing helpe one from another, and conueighing helpe one to another. Now prayer is the beſt meanes wherein and whereby we may be helpfull one to another.
§. 50. Of praying for ſtrangers.
4 STrangers, 4 Strangers:euen thoſe with whom wee hauehave no acquaintāce, & to whō we are boūd by no other bon… then that common bond which paſſeth betwixt man an… man, whereby all Adams ſonnes are knit together. Theſ… are compriſed vnderunder that general particle all men. aPſ. 67. & 117.Ind… uers Pſalmes are Prayers for the Gentiles,bGen. 18. 24. Abram prayed for the Sodomites.
LoueLove extendeth it ſelfe ſo far.Reaſon. ForcLeu. 19. 34. the Law expreſ… commandeth to louelove the ſtranger, & to d& 23. 22.be helpful vntounto … AndeLuk. 10. 30. Chriſt excellently ſetteth it forth in the example… the Samaritan,Reaſon. that ſuccoured the wounded man who… he found in the way.
§. 51. Of praying for enemies.
5 ENemies, 5 Enemies.euen thoſe who hate, curſe, hurt and perſecute vsus. ThisfMat. 5. 44. Chriſt expreſly commanded &gLuke 23. 34. himſelfe alſo practiſed, for when his enemies had ſpit out the venome of their malice againſt him,Debemus optare etiam ijs per quos flagellarum vt conuertantur. Aug. in Pſ. 36. and done what hurt they could vntounto him, he prayed for them, and ſaid Father forgiue them. So did his Apoſtle, both command it, and practiſe it: For to others he ſaid,hRom. 12. 14. Bleſſe them that perſecute you. Of himſelfe he ſaid,i1 Cor. 4. 13. We are euill ſpoken of, and we pray. While the enemies of Stephen were throwing ſtones at him as thicke as haile ſtones,kAct. 7. 60. Hee kneeled downe and cryed with a loude voice, Lord lay not this ſinne to their charge.
Thus indeed ſhall wee manifeſt true Chriſtian louelove to be in our hearts:Reaſon. for chriſtianity teacheth vsus tolRom. 1…. 12. ouercome euill with goodneſſe. The Scribes and Phariſes which followed the principles of nature, taughtmMat. 5. 43. to hate enemies. So did the heathen in their beſt moral Philoſophy. Chriſtians onelyonly & thoſe true and ſound Chriſtians can attaine to his extent of louelove: it is impoſſible for a natural man to louelove his enemie truly and intirely: none euer did, or can doe it, but thoſe who hauehave the ſpirit of Chriſt in them.