Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Lamentations
Lam. 3. 64, 65, 66.
Render unto them a recompence, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
Give them ſorrow of heart, thy curſe unto them; Perſecute and deſtroy them in anger from under the Heavens of the Lord?
Qu. Is it lawful for us to uſe ſuch imprecations as theſe? or what uſe is to be ade of them?
A. Juſtice on the deſperate enemies of Gods truth and party is, (and by theſe words may appear to be) lawfully deſired of God. If we knew ſuch and ſuch perſons were and ever would be ſo, we might lawfully pray againſt them by name.
Now particular Perſons are not known to be ſuch by ordinary men, but by ſuch as have an extraordinary Spirit of diſcerning; ſuch as the Prophets had: hence there are ſuch fearful imprecations, Pſal. 109. wherein there is an eye on the Perſon of Judas, v. 8. Act. 1. 20. And ſuch alſo as the Apoſtles had, and therefore no wonder if Paul prayed againſt the Perſon, 2 Tim. 4. 14. of Alexander Copperſmith, of whoſe wickedneſs there was not only an Experimental manifeſtation, but the ſtate of whoſe Perſon alſo might be known to Paul by Divine Revelation, ſuch as men have not in theſe days; And yet, from experimental indications, and eminent evidences, that Julian the Apoſtate committed the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, the Church, in thoſe days prayed God to confound him, (though he were their Liege Lord▪ and though they prayed for other Heathen and perſecuting Emperours;) and ſo he did.
Now there ought to be in thoſe that pour forth ſuch dreadful prayers, beſides a Spirit of diſcerning, an eminently-compoſed Spirit, having in it a pure Zeal of Gods Glory: So it was with the Prophets; by the ſame Spirit whereby they propheſied, by the ſame they prayed againſt the enemies of God and his People. The Spirit of God came upon him, Zechariah the ſon of Jehojada, who concludes thus with thoſe that oppoſed him and ſlew him. The Lord look upon it and require it, 2 Chron. 24. 22. and the Lord heard the prayer, v. 23, 24, 25. Thus Paul filled with the Holy Ghoſt, ſo thundered againſt Elymas, that (albeit we find not what he ſaith formed into a Prayer, yet) it had, the ſame ſad effect as if it had been ſo, Act. 13. 9, 10, 11.
Now, we having not ſuch a diſcerning Spirit, nor ſuch a purity of Spirit, as thoſe extraordinary Servants of God had when they were about the Spirits work: we may not take upon us to do as they did, but only pray in general; Lord, whom thou knoweſt to be implacable enemies not belonging to thine election, cut them off: See Pſal. 79. 12. Judg. 5. 31.
The reaſon why we may thus pray is the Word of God, which ſaith concerning the enemies of the People of God, that (vengeance and recompence belonging to God) their foot ſhall ſlide in due time, Deut. 32. 35. Now, when there is ſuch a promiſe ſuitable to the ſad Eſtate and preſent neceſſities of the Church, why may not we preſent a Prayer, (with reſpect to Gods Glory, and his Churches Safety) ſuitable to that promiſe? ſo in the caſe here, the Prayer, v. 64. is directly founded upon Jeremies propheſy and Gods promiſe, Jer. 51. 6. 24. 36. 56. And that v. 65. is ſuitable to Jer. 51. 29. The land ſhall tremble and ſorrow, ſo for praying for a curſe, it is not without a Scripture-ground, Gen. 12. 3. Pſalm. 109. 17. Nor that perſecute and deſtroy them, v. 66. we find the like, Pſal. 83. 15. 17.
So that there is ſufficient reaſon of deſiring revenge, Pſal. 94. 1. (ſo that it be not with a diſtempered and ſelfiſh Spirit) upon all irreconcileable enemies whatſoever; and theſe general Prayers of the Church are applied of God to ſuch particular enemies who-ever they be, and ſo they are in woful caſe.
Obj. But the new Teſtament ſaith, Pray for them that deſpightfully uſe you and perſecute you, Mat. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 14. And Chriſt and Steven prayed for thoſe that kild them.
A. To this it may be ſaid in general, That as the Love of God in Chriſt is more revealed and ſhed forth in Goſpel-times, ſo we ſhould expreſs more Love to others, not only to good men, but to all men, 1 Theſ. 3. 12. Tit. 3. 2. 4. Gal. 4. 12. 2 Cor. 12. 15.
Particularly. 1. We muſt take heed of praying againſt them that oppoſe themſelves againſt us furiouſly, out of ignorance, imitation and perſwaſion of others, or out of paſſion and prejudice. Thus Chriſt prayed for thoſe that crucified him; Father forgive them, for they know not what they do, Luk. 23. 34 So Stevens prayer, Lord lay not this ſin to their Charge, Act. 7. 60. may ſeem to reſpect thoſe that did what they did againſt him out of a blind Zeal, for he is very ſtern againſt thoſe of them that were obſtinate, v. 51, 52, 53, 54. And whereas Saul is conceived to be converted by (and ſure had the benefit of) that Prayer, he declareth that he obtained mercy becauſe what he did ill, he did ignorantly, 1 Tim. 1. 13, Unto all ignorant oppoſers, mercy ſhould be ſhewed and meekneſs, 2 Tim. 2. 25. Tit. 2. 2. As alſo, to thoſe that be inſtigated by others, Mat. 27. 20. with Luk. 23. 34. Gal. 5. 8. 10, 12. Paul declares good thoughts of the troubled, but prayes fearfully againſt the Troublers, Gal. 1. 7. Act. 13. 10 1.
2. The evil cauſe or courſe that wicked men defend againſt God and his People, we may pray againſt but not ſo againſt their perſons. We find not that David prayed againſt, the Perſon, but againſt the Counſel of Achitophel, 2 Sam. 15. 31. So the firſt Chriſtians prayed not againſt the perſons of them that ſat in Counſel againſt the Apoſtles, but againſt their proceedings, Acts 4. 29. Or, if in ſuch prayers, the Perſons be ſometimes mentioned, yet we find in Scripture that it is in reference to their works, Neh. 6. 14. as a vile Perſon, is, and ought to be contemned, Pſal. 15. 4.
3. Whatſoever is done in Scripture by the extraordinary Servants of God in, extraordinary caſes, yet it will be ſafe for us, in ſtead of mentioning particular perſons, to wrap them up in the general evil cauſe and courſe that we ought to pray againſt, as Paul doth, Gal. 5. 12. If particular perſons come under the general head of diſturbers of the Church of God, and of enemies to the Truth of God, then they juſtly fall under Church-imprecations; which yet are not directed againſt this or that man, but in a generality, againſt this and that man, without pointing to any, as enemies to the Kingdom of Chriſt, and Souls of Chriſtians.
4. We are not to pray at all againſt our own private and perſonal enemies, as ſeeking to be revenged of them (though we may pray that God would reſtrain them, and defend us from their …alice, Pſal 119. 121, 122.) This is the meaning of the new-Teſtament precepts, to pray for enemies, Mat. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 14. 19, 20.
5. But againſt the enemies of God, his Cauſe, his Church, Pſalm 94. 1, 2, 5. we may pray, Judges 5. 31. Neh. 4. 5.
Yet not without limitation; as, 1. It muſt be done with a pure Zeal, that is, not becauſe we ſuffer by them, but truly and clearly and meerly, & forthat very reaſon becauſe they are enemies to God and undoers of his People, when elſe we wiſh them all good: So it was with Jeremy; he ſpake good before God for his people, Jer. 18, 20. yet ſee what dreadful prayers he made againſt them, becauſe they were ſuch enemies to God that they ſought to kill him that ſpake from God to them, that God might not kill them, v. 21, 22, 23. ſo Pſal. 74. 22, 23. their prayers againſt enemies are put on Gods account; as alſo, Pſal. 79. 6, 7, 10, 12.
2. It muſt be done not abſolutely but orderly; that is, 1. we ſhould pray for their Converſion (for a Saul may be converted) 2. for their Reſtraint, that God would change or check their hearts, as he did Eſau's, Gen 33. 10. or bind their tongues and hands as he did Laban's, Gen. 31. 29. But 3. the higheſt and heavieſt Prayers, are to be preſented before God (and for God) againſt thoſe enemies of himſelf and his people that are incurable and ever will be incorrigible: Who ſuch be, the Lord knows and not we, and therefore we muſt leave our Prayers with him, to do what he will with them; yea we may pray him to confound and trouble them for ever rather than that he ſhould not be known to be moſt high over all the Earth. When we aim purely at that end, we may pray againſt deſperate enemies, that they may be put to ſhame and periſh, Pſalm 83. 16, 17, 18. & 129. 5. But all carnal and ſelfiſh mixtures, motives and motions are to be abandoned: And we muſt know of what Spirit we are, Luk. 9. 55.
Q. What uſe may we make of thoſe prayers in Scripture which it is dangerous for us to imitate, who have not the Spirit or Patience of Prophets?
A. 1. We may look upon them with much comfort, as Propheſies (though formed into a Prayer) of the woful ſtate and end of the enemies of God and his People: what is put into this Prayer here was put into Jeremie's Propheſy before (as hath been ſhewed, p. 54.)
2. What they prayed more particularly, we may make uſe of in a generality, and direct it againſt the Kingdom of the Rev. 1…. 6. 20.Devil; which is no more than to pray, Thy Kingdom come; for how can the Kingdom of Chriſt come, if the Kingdom of Satan do not come down?