Chap. 4a. Evpofitien upon the Book, of Jos. Verf. 8. outward bar be not laid upon their friends prayer, as in Ifraels cafe, yet there may be a bar upon the fpìrit of fuck as ufed to pray for them. Ir is a bad ligo, when the Lord ßiurs 'up the heart from praying for any one ; and it is a figs of mercy, when the Lord inlargeth the heart of any that are godly to pray for others. Sixthly, Obferve ; Prayer for another doth not profit him, unlefi hebe faithful hiwfelf. I ground it upon the text, job (hall pray for you ; but you mufa carry a facrifice, which implied their faith ; and they mui} carry a facrifice tofob, and that implied their repentance; and both implied that they prayed for themCelvesalto. It is in vain to offer a facrifice Without faith and repentance (being in this Conjui fVpre. frame) (My fervient Job Mali pray for you. The prayer of faith cióssr nibil prevails not for chafe that go on in their unbelief and impeniten- perratu impof- cy. fob prayed for his friends; and they repenting and believing, fibile oft. con- he prevailed for them. The reafon why the Prophet Jeremiah, junEhe autem in the placebefore mentioned, as alto (chap. 7. t6.) was com- po$ntiefl manded not to pray for that people, was, becaufe they were a qffenfio. you hardened people in their fins, and therefore his prayers could do vid. them no good. Yea, the Lord toldhim (chi. c 5. a.) that though not only he, but other great favourites joyned inprayer for them, it fhould do them no good. ThoughMofes and Samuelflood before me,my mind could not be towards thie people. The reafon why thole eminent favourites, andmighty men inprayer, could do no good, was (as was faid before) becaufe they were unbelieving, and hardned in their fins, as appears upon the place. The Prophet Ezekiel (peaks the fame thing (chap. t 4. z4.)Though thefe three. men, Noah, Daniel, and Job (this fob that we have in the text) were in it, they (hould deliver but their own fouls by their rights- ouJnefs, faith the Lord. fobs prayers obtained good for his friends ; but the children of ¡frac!were in fuch a condition, that thoughNoah, Daniel, and fob werepraying for them, they fhould get no good by it; their fins were fo high, and their hearts fo . hard, that the prayers of the holiefi men in the world could not prevail with God for mercy. $93 It
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