570 llook VI. jl..o:l!ung unto 'jlefu~. I Tim. 2. I.)' pray for our felves, and then let us pr~y one for another, 1 exhort therefore (faith the Apoftle) thAt firjf of all Jupplicatiom, p•aym, imerceffions, and giving of thanks be l[a. 2~. 4· made for all men. .And come, lift up thy pn<yer for the reumant that Mleft, faid the fr~.'~·,.' j: 3o. King to lfainh ; and Wreftle together in prayer for n;e, faid Paul; and 6i·~e the Lord 1!Q reft till he makg ?erufalem a praife i'n .the earth, fatd the Prophet: Chrtil intercedes I Thef. 5· 25. and there is no queftion but we fhould Intercede for the livingS•ints. Brethren prtry fo; m, faid the Apoftle; whofoever t~ou art that readefl, I befeech thee remember me in thy prayers, it may be t/101< art nearer God, and n'orc in fa·vour with God than fuch a poor jinner M 1am; as~ordecai fet Ejlher on work to intercede for him with the King, and. for his people; fo us oilr duty to crave the prayers of fuch who are upon better terms ( pofiibly) with the Lord, than we our felves are at the pr.fent; Only I co~tld wijh thy prayers at fuch a t<me, when thy heart u got .neareft to God, by fpecial ftirrings of faith and ltnJe; I fuppofe thou canfl not have a fpmt, and power of prayer, but fometimes or orher thou arc (as it were) in the lap of Chrift, upon the Spoufes knee, in rhe Beloveds bofom; 0 then mak§ a req~tejf for an unw.rthy one; 0 then, if evtr, intere<de for me, beca11[e then I read Chrijl's o>vn interce!Jion in thy interce!Jion; what Mrhyprtryer thm but M the eccho •f Chrift's prayer, the Amen to Chri{f'sinmcrfliom, which hemakgs in heaven? Cbriilians ! 'tis our duty to put one another upon praying one for another Chriil: intercedes for us, and fo fhould we intercede for his, called, or,uncalled, if f~ they belong ro the election of grace. +· Chri!\ takes our prayers, and mingles them with his own prayers, imerceffions, incenfe, and fo prefents all as one work mingled together unto God the Father; 0 let this be our care to put up all our prayers to God in the Name of Chrili, and to fray our [elves upon the interceffions of Chrifl; when all is done, let us beg the ac– ceptance of our prayers, not for our fakes, nor for our prayers fake; but for his fake, who perfumes our prayers, by interweaving them with his prayers. Many a poor f ;ul is. many time afraid to pray to God for want of the due confideration of this conformity; fuch a one goes to prayer, and he looks upon it as it Iyes upon his own heart, or as it comes from himfelf, and then he cr~es, Oh wh•t a poor, !"eak.., jinful, imperfeil, '"'Penitent prayer u thu? well, but tf thts weak prayer of thtne be once mingled with the glorioYs and heavenly prayer of Jefus Chrill, the weaknefs will foon vaoiOt and rhy prayer will find acceptance with God the Father; it is with your pray– ers and durits as it is with your fire; your kitchin fire is troubled with abundance of ftr'oak, but if ever it c6uld afcend into the element ot fire above, it would fmoak no ·more; fo your ptayer while it lies upon your own hearth, there's a great deal of finoak in ir, but it ever ir get up into the hands of J efus Chrifr, there it is in its own dement, and fo it is freed from all its fmoak, and fo the weak~efs of iris done away. 0 conform ro Chrifi in this point; he will not prefem thy prayers to God,. but he will fir!! mingle it with his own prayers; no more fhouldfl: thou prefent a prayer to God but in Chrifi's Name, confidering that all thy prayers find acceptance in, for, and rhrough the imerceffion of Jefus Chrifl. If it were not for this, I profefs I knew not how to anfwer the cavils of our dilfolute adverfaries, who throw down prayers, as of no ufe a•all; for thus they object.--- . · Obje[f. Thou canft not pray ( fay they) by thy own confefiion without fome defect, imper; fection, fin: aod if fo, there is need of a new prayer, to beg pardon for the defects of that prayer; and then another prayer to heal the flaws of that prayer; and then ~nother to do as much for that; and fo in in.finit~<m; by this means there would be an mfi· nite progrcffion without any ftop at any prayer at all. . I anfwer This Objection were valid if there were no interceffion of Chnfi to ftay .Anfw. our felves' ~nd our prayers on: but as we grant requefts many times for fome friends fake, rather than for the parries fake; fo God doth alway grant requefts for Chrift's fake, riever for our own fakes: Thou objectell: ther~ are many defects in our prayers as made by us: buri anfwer, there is no defects in rhe merits and mtercefiion of Jefus Cltrifl:, for whofe fake alone they are granted of God ; and therefore our prayers be– ing made in Chrill'sName, they may ftay their heads in Cluift's bofom; in this refpeCl: we need. nor flill to run our felves in a circle, this being the lafr refolution, Chrijfs me· rits, and Chrijl's inmceffion. Chrifi offers up our perfonsand woodden prayers in his golden Cenfer to his Father. Chrifi'simercef~ion therefore is that which dorh the deed. Now to fay our prayersare'of no ufe, it is all one as ro fay his imercefsion is of no ufe; not that we are fo good, that he cannot take exception againft us, and our prayers; . but .
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