One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 41
SERMON XLI. Of Praying both for the Godly and the Wicked, With the Reaſons and Motives thereof.
JOH. 17.9.
I pray for them, I pray not for the world.
IN this Verſe we ſee the End why Chriſt ſo largely commended the Faith and Obedience of his Diſciples; It is to ſhew that they were ſuch Subjects for whom his Praier was proper and peculiar: To have praied for the Reprobate, and ſuch who did not, nor ever would give themſelves up to Obedience had been either to pray that God would alter his eternal purpoſe, or elſe the courſe of his juſtice, but ſeeing they were both given to him by the Father; and did really diſcover the Fruits of this gift in their lives, Therefore they were fit to be recommended in Praier.
So that the Text doth deſcribe the Subjects of Chriſts Praier; And again, For whom he will not pray: It's like that terrible Separation of the Sheep on the right hand and the Goats on the left; It's horrenda Sententia, as one Divine cals it. What? not pray for the world, ſaid another? I pray God none of the world hear me:
Though this Text hath ſome thorns of Controverſie eſpecially about Univerſal Grace and Chriſts death for all men, yet it likewiſe beareth excellent practicall matter·
In the words let us Conſider,
1. The Deſcription of thoſe Chriſt praieth for,
2. The oppoſition for whom he will not pray.
Thoſe that he doth not pray for, are the world, who they are and the controverſal matter therein is in time to be diſpatched.
Thoſe he praieth for are deſcribed,
1. By that relative particle Them, I pray for them.
2. They are deſcribed by their Original deſcent, Thoſe thou gaveſt me, for they are thine.
For the firſt part the Relative particle them, viz, They that have thus obeyed, thus beleeved; From whence in the general obſerve,
Firſt, That it's very hopeful and a good encouragement to pray for thoſe that are godly: We may learn it from the example of Chriſt, They are ſuch and ſuch perſons therefore I pray for them.
Obſerv. 2. That the people of God are under the fruit and benefit of Chriſts Praier.
Of the Firſt.
It's good and comfortable praying for thoſe that diſcover the ſigns of Grace in them: Thus Paul, Pray for us, for we trust we have a good Conſcience, Heb. 13.18.Doct. It's very hopeful and encouraging to pray for thoſe that diſcover ſigns of grace in them. That he makes an Argument, They ſhould pray for him in his Apoſtolical work and emploiment, becauſe he did with all Truth and Faithfulneſſe of Conſcience labour therein, and on the contrary when people were come to an high degree of wickedneſſe, The Prophet is forbid to pray for that People, Jeremy 7.16, 17.
To open this Point Conſider this particular.
It's not only our duty to pray for our ſelves but for others alſo;Conſider theſe particulars. Some are ſaid to Queſtion Whether it be lawfull to pray for any one man in particular, becauſe (ſay they) He that praieth in the due qualifications of ſpeeding praier,I. It's not our duty only to pray for our ſelves but for others alſo. doth as effectually ſucceed in tbat Duty, as if he had been praying for any particular, But this can no waies hold, It's a Duty ſometimes to pray in particular for ſome perſons, as the Diſciples did for Peter when he was in priſon; And Paul many times deſireth the praiers of the Church for his own particular: A Praier poured out for ſome particular perſon may have more love, fervency, Queſt. Whether it be lawful to pray for any man in particular.and faith in it then when for the general, eſpecially their particular neceſſities are then commended to God, which would not be in the general.
This being cleared we go on to aſſert that fore-mentioned Poſition, It's the duty of godly men to pray for others;Anſw. Our Saviour doth ſuppoſe that in his Form of Praier, Our Father, and he extends this, Mat. 5. even to our very Enemies that are Enemies for our godlineſſe ſake, perſecuting and reviling us, and that though continuing in their wickedneſſe; Thus Paul is thought to be converted by Stevens Praier, while he was conſenting to the ſtoning of that firſt Martyr; Stephen was praying that God would remove the ſtone from Pauls heart, yea, the Apoſtle 1 Tim. 2.1. exhorts, that ſupplications and praiers be put up for all men; That is, for all ſorts of men, as the diſtribution doth evidence, yet this is no contrariety to Chriſts Example who would not pray for the world, for certainly he would not, ſo neither may we in that ſence.
Therefore Secondly, Though it be our duties to pray for others, II. Yet we may not pray for Reprobates as ſuch. A twofold faith in praier.yet we may not in generall pray for thoſe that are reprobated, formalitè as they ſay; For that praier could not be in Faith.
There is a twofold Faith required in our Praier.
1. That it be according to Gods will, a dogmatical Faith.
2. A fiducial Faith, that it be with confidence in Gods Promiſe and Power: Now he that ſhould pray for Reprobates as Reprobates, could not pray in a dogmatical Faith, for he did in effect deſire that God would be mutable and changeable; It's as if we ſhould pray that God would not create the world, whenas he hath done it already, yet this muſt be very warily underſtood; For
1. We are to pray for any particular man though never ſo wicked, unleſſe ſinning a ſinne unto death, becauſe we cannot tell who is given by the Father to Chriſt and who not, So that although to pray for all men that they might be ſaved is againſt dogmatical faith in Divinity, yet there is no particular man that we may exclude.
2. The Apoſtle 1 Joh. 5.16. ſpeaketh of a ſinne unto death, that we are not to pray for one guilty of that; This hath much troubled the Learned; The Ancients they thought it was not an abſolute prohibition of all to pray for ſuch, but only that eminent men might do it; They thought for an ordinary Chriſtian to pray for ſuch ſinners, it would be high preſumption; As it's not for every one in the Court to ſpeak for ſome hainous offender but a ſpecial Favourite; When God ſaid, Though Noah, Job and Daniel Eze. 14.14. ſhould pray for that people he would not hear them; This implied that they were nearer to Gods ear, and might prevail ſooner then others; Though this Expoſition be old, yet the Text ſeemeth to be abſolutely prohibitive; And ſo Auſtin ſaid, that if we knew who had ſinned that unpardonable ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, we were no more to pray for him, then for one damned in hell: Now whether ſuch a ſinne as is unto death be ordinarily committed, and what it is, and whether we may know when ſuch do commit it is worth the enquiring into, but is greatly extravagant unto my matter.
3. To speak exactly, Gods Decree about Events is not the Rule of our Praier, but his Word is; And therefore though it ſhould be revealed that God would not do ſuch or ſuch things, yet it may be our duty to pray for them; As Austin inſtanceth, If it ſhould be revealed that my Father muſt die of ſuch a diſeaſe, yet I might lawfully, though with ſubmiſſion, pray for his life, becauſe it's my duty to uſe all means for my Fathers Life; Thus though Nathan the Prophet had told David His Childe ſhould die, yet David humbleth himſelf, and by faſting ſeeketh to God for his Childes life; So it's lawfull to pray that God would wholly mortifie ſinne in us, yet God will not do it in this life; Thus alſo though Chriſt told Peter he ſhould deny him, yet Peter was bound to pray for Faith and perſeverance.
4. We are to diſtinguiſh between a ſimple affection expreſſed conditionally in praier and an abſolute petition; It's lawfull even for all men, though reprobated, and formalitèr as ſo, to expreſſe our deſires and affections with this condition, if it were the Will of God; Even as Chriſt when he knew that it was Gods decree he ſhould ſuffer, and that he came into the world for that very hour, yet conditionally he expreſſeth himſelf, If it be poſſible let this Cup paſſe away, Mat. 26.39. So ought we to expreſſe ſuch a deſire and love to the ſalvation of all men, that we are to wiſh it, but with ſubmiſſion to Gods Will and his glorious Wiſedom: Thus Paul conditionally expreſſed his deſire in reference to the ſalvation of his Nation, Rom. 9.3.
III Whether we may pray in faith for others as for our ſelves.Thirdly, It's debated, That although it be our duty to pray for others, yet whether we can pray in ſuch Faith for others as for our ſelves; Whether we may with as much confidence pour out our hearts for the neceſſities of another as for our ſelves, Some think not, becauſe we cannot have ſuch certain knowledge of another as of our ſelves, but the contrary is true, for ſeeing the Promiſe is Univerſal, Whatſoever ye ſhall ask in my Name beleeving, ye ſhall receive, Matth. 21.22. And this extends to others as well as our ſelves; Therefore we may with as much Faith and Hope pray for others as for our ſelves, yea, it may be, and it's our duty ſometimes to think ſo, that God heareth our Praiers not ſo much for our ſakes as thoſe we pray for.
Theſe things premiſed Let us conſider why it's ſo hopeful to pray for thoſe that are godly and belong to Chriſt.
And firſt, Becauſe then our praiers are likelier to have a powerful effect; Now there is no man but heartily deſires his Praiers may proſper, he would not have them return empty into his own boſome;Then our prayers are liklier of a powerful effect when we pray for the godly. Theſe returns of Praier ſhould be more prized by us then the Merchant doth his Return of Ships, So that the godly man is very careful that he may not do any thing to blunt theſe Tools.
Now there are theſe Grounds of more probable ſpeed,
1. Becauſe Chriſt praieth for them, and how greatly ſhould we be encouraged to pray for thoſe, for whom Chriſt praieth; We ſee his Example in this Verſe: Now his Praier is a Mediatory Praier, a Praier that cannot but take effect; for the love of the Father doth not only move him, but Juſtice alſo, being he ſtands in the Relation of a Surety; Oh then let us be more fervent and conſtant in this duty of praying for others that are holy; Thou maiſt think with thy ſelf, What I am doing for him on Earth, Chriſt is doing for him in Heaven: Shall Chriſt regard the eſtate of ſuch an one, and ſhall I forget him? It's to be feared that the godly do not look upon this, as ſo neceſſary a duty, and certainly ſuch are the diſſentions and alienations from one another, that I doubt this great duty of praier for one another is greatly neglected.
2. Therefore it's like to be a speeding praier becauſe they are ſuch as are within the Promiſe and Covenant; Now when we have a promiſe from Gods Word when he hath obliged his fidelity to ſuch, Then we have ſtrong Arguments to pleade for ſuch; Oh what a ſad diſheartening is it in praier to think, I pray for ſuch an one, but I know no promiſe to apply to him; It's true God is merciful and his goodneſſe that is a general Encouragement, but yet there muſt be ſome more peculiar Encouragements from the Word of God, to be hopefull in praier: Oh then be not guilty of the neglect of ſo much help and comfort to the Children of God, as to forget thy praiers for them, Thou maiſt urge the promiſes of God for them as well as for thy own ſelf.
3. Therefore there is hope to ſpeed becauſe they are ſuch Subjects who deſire to walk in ſuch a way that they may put no ſtop to the proceedings of praier; One great and ſure deſtruction of all praier is to regard iniquity, when we pray yet to do alſo ſervice to ſinne; If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my praiers, ſaith David; Pſal. 66.18. And again, I will waſh my hands in innocency ſo will I compaſſe thy Altar, Pſal. 26.6. He that praieth and yet is given to ſin doth benedicere Linguâ, but maledicere Vitâ; As the ſtrings of an Inſtrument that are moiſtned are not fit for any Muſick, ſo neither is that mans heart or life which is polluted with any foul and noiſome luſt; If therefore thou praieſt for the godly they are ſuch who labour to keep hearts and lives pure; And therefore the benefit of praier will finde no gulf to ſtop it: It encourageth the Phyſician to give Phyſick to him who by his diſorderly diet and Converſation will not go about to marre and deſtroy all.
4. There is hope to ſpeed in praying for a godly man, becauſe there is a good Foundation already laid by God; God hath begun with many hopeful diſpenſations to thoſe that are his, and we may not think he will have the reproach of the unwiſe Builder that began to build and could not make an end; Thus the Apoſtle encouraged himſelf, The Lord hath delivered and will deliver from every evil work, 2 Tim. 4.17. Let therefore the gracious workings of God upon thoſe that are his people, be ſo many ſtrong Invitations to pour out thy praiers for them.
But you will ſay,Of praying for ungodly men. May we then onelyonly pray for thoſe that are already godly, muſt we like the Prieſt and the Levite paſſe by all wicked men? God forbid; Though there be not ſuch comfort and hope in praying for them, yet it's our duty, 1 Tim. 2.7. to pray for all men:Motives there unto. There are no ſorts of perſons excepted but ſuch as have ſinned that ſinne unto death; Indeed God is angry with Samuel for praying any more for Saul, and God commands Jeremiah to pray no more for that people, Jerem. 7.6. but that was chiefly in reſpect of temporall Mercies, Saul to have his Kingdome ſtill; The People of Iſrael to have their Judgements removed, but that could not be, God had determined otherwiſe; It's our duty to pray for the wicked though wallowing in their ſinnes, that they may be converted and brought home to God; Thus Chriſt that would not pray for the world of the Reprobates, yet praied for wicked men, That God would forgive them for they knew not what they did; And ſeeing that Chriſt was heard in what he praied for, we may think all thoſe were converted; Thoſe that knew not what they did, that were ignorant in their crucifying Chriſt, or if not all yet many, for our Saviour ſpake indefinitely not univerſally: Thus Steven converted Paul by his Praier at the hour of his Martyrdome; So Monica the Mother of Auſtin, by her daily praiers was a means of converting Auſtin, So that we may ſay of the ungodly as Samuel concerning the people of Iſrael, though a ſtubborn and wicked Nation, God forbid I ſhould ceaſe to pray for you, And indeed if it be our duty to admoniſh and exhort others, and with much patience to endure, if it be poſſible to bring them out of the ſnares of ſinne, no doubt we are to pray that God would bleſſe ſuch Reproofs, That he would prepare the heart to receive them; And again the very miſerable and wretched eſtate they are in through ſinne makes them fit Objects of praier: There is never a prophane man that walloweth in his luſts, bleſſing himſelf in his hearts deſire, but he is an Object of great pity, Even as mad men that think themſelves Great Perſons, when they are bound up in chains; Seeing therefore they lie under ſuch great miſery and they feel not this, They pity not, nor pray for themſelves; This ſhould make us that can pray to commend their eſtate to God; And the rather becauſe as Preaching of the Word, ſo Praier is appointed as a means of Converſion, but by the Word: Ask, and ye ſhall receive; So that if I ask for Converſion, If I pray for the Reformation of another, my praier may be the Execution of Gods Election; It's by praier that God will make good this promiſe; Oh how comfortable will it be to ſee thee a Father anſwered in praier for the converſion of thy Children, That they are the Fruit of thy Praiers, So likewiſe what rejoycing is it to a Miniſter, when not onelyonly his preaching but his praying for his people is anſwered; That it is not all our duty to preach to you but pray for you as Chriſt did; And what a joy is it if we ſee God anſwering our praiers in the converſion and reforming of one man; It's true there are ſome wicked men ſo highly prophane and ſo wilfully wicked that they greatly cool the heart of a godly man in Praier: It's ſaid, the Church ſhut Julian out of her praiers, and there could not a greater and more ſorer judgement befall him, for that was futuri judicii prejudicium.
Ʋſe 1. Is Praier thus hopefull in the behalf of the godly? then this ſhould teach the godly to be more fervent and conſtant in this duty for one another: Paul though ſo eminent in office and graces, yet again and again deſireth the Churches praiers and he promiſeth his praiers for them; He informeth Philemon in particular that he makes mention of him in his praiers alwaies; Thus you ſee what the godly have been uſed to do, If David Pſal. 119.4, when his Enemies reviled him and reproached him, yet he gave himſelf to Praier, and humbled himſelf in Sackcloth for them, what then would he do for thoſe that were godly, Pſal. 72. It's made a great bleſſing unto Solomon, that praier ſhall be made for him, and the fervent Praier of a righteous man prevaileth much, Jam. 5.16. If ſo, why do we not ſtir up our ſelves more to this duty; The Apoſtle James biddeth us confeſſe our ſinnes and pray for one another in the ſame place; Shall Chriſt pray for all his, and wilt not thou? Do not ſay It's enough to pray in the general for Gods Church, but thou art in particular to pray for others as their conditions and neceſſities require, be moved hereunto.
Firſt, From the common body and fellowſhip that ye are in; The Scripture delights to reſemble the Communion of the Church under the ſimilitude of a body, to ſhew how near and conjoyned they are together; If one member ſuffer ſhall not the Tongue pray for it; If any part of thy own body be pained and grieved, how much doth it affect thee, thou ſhouldſt have the ſame affections to thoſe that are of the body of Chriſt.
Secondly, Praiers are an inſtituted help and means to procure the good of others, ſo that it's a duty you owe, Phil. 1.19 Paul truſted that all the oppoſition he had would turn to good by their praiers; So then, the afflictions, the mercies that others are under prove good by Praier: Oh how apt is one to conſume another! They are proud under ſuch mercies, They are impatient under ſuch afflictions, but thou that art thus apt to finde fault, doſt thou or haſt thou praied for them? It may be they are no better becauſe thou haſt not done thy duty: Thou little thinkeſt how near their ſinnes may come to thee, Not that we are bound to mention by Name every godly man, for that is infinite, but as occaſion draweth thee out, and thou art deſired, making as much Conſcience of praier for others as a debt thou oweſt, or as a pledge thou art to reſtore.
Thirdly, Fervent Praier for one another will take away all differences, all jealouſies and ſuſpicions, it will make the Godly of one heart and one minde: Oh who can bewail the diviſions of Jacob, Not the garments but the body of Chriſt is now rent: In former times it was ſaid, Behold, how they love one another, how they call one another Brethren, but now what differences in opinion and other carnal contentions: There is no Love and communion, and there is no greater cauſe then neglect of this duty, and it's alſo an excellent remedy againſt all diſcontents: Art thou apt to receive unkindneſſes, To think this or that hard dealing, Go and pray for that man, Oh how immediatly will it quiet thoſe windes and waves.
Ʋſe of Admonition To wicked men, to avoid all impiety, if not for other Reaſons yet for this, it makes other mens praiers the leſſe effectuall; It may be though thou art ſo vile and naught, thou haſt a godly Father, or a godly Friend praying for thee; Though thou art ſo ungodly, thou haſt a godly Miniſter praying for thee: Oh do not raiſe ſo great a gulf between Heaven and their praiers, as thy ſinnes are; When Lazarus was dead and buried in the grave, Mary giveth it over as a deſperate caſe: If thou hadſt been here he had not died, ſaith ſhe: So are we apt to ſay, Lord, Praier for ſuch before they come to be thus obſtinate, before they bave rebelled ſo much againſt the Light, might have been hopeful; But now what hope is there? Take heed thou go not ſo far in ſinning that God ſaith, Pray no more for this man.