Chap. 42. AnEapftion upon the Bookof J o B. Verf. .8. 89! twelfthChapt r: of the fame Book (verf. 19.) the people beg- ged prayersof Samuel; And all the peoplefaid unto Samuel, pray for thy fervants unto the Lord thyGod, that we dicnot. And at the 23dverfe, Samuel faid, s4, for me, God forbid that I flonld fin again the Lord, ix cealing to pray for you , but 1 will teach yon thegood and the rigbt way; and he prayed for them, and the Lord [pared the people at that time. Not to pray for others, proceeds from uncharrtablenefs : not to delire the prayers of others, pro- ceeds either from ignorance, not knowing of what value the pray- ers of others, whoare godly, are; or from pride, that we will not be beholding to others for their prayers. It is a great mercy to have the.prayers of good men going for us. Fourthly, Note ; The prayers of others may prevail With God, when our own cannot. Eliphax.and his two friends were good men, yet the 'Lord did not give anfwer to:ïthem, but to the prayers of yob. The prayers of others may be anfwered, when ours arenor, in a dote- ble refpe&. Firfi, Others may be in better praying frame than our felves. Everyone that is in a praying flare, is not alwayes in a praying frame, efpecially not in [tech a praying frame as another may be in ; another may be in,a better praying frame, and fo may pre- vail more for us, than we for our felves. Secondly, Some other perfons may be more accepted with, God, than we ; forge are, as it were, favourites with God. God thews favour to all his fervants, but all his fervants are not his favourites :Motes was a favourite, Abraham was a favourite, God calledhim his friend ; and job was a favourite. The Lord thews favour to many, who yet are not his favourites. Kings and Prin- ces Chew favour Lo all their faithful fubje&s, yet but one (pcffi- bly) is a Favourite. The Lords chief favourite, is his Son Jefus Chrifl, he hath hisear continually: 1 knew, Paid Chrif} (John at. 42.) that thou hearefi me alwayes. Now, asChrifl is a favourite above all men ; fo among good men, force have favour with God above others. A King will hear a favourite, when he will not a common perton. Out"Annotatorsupon this very place tell us out of Mr. Fox, that when Sir John goftwich had falfely accufed Xx x x x 2 Arch-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=