Rig Chap. 42.. an ExpJotìon'upos the Book o f Jos. Verf.. t o that (faith he) your prayers be not kindred; that is, leayour hearts be indifpofed to prayer. Secondly, Becaufe uneven walkings will find us fo much work . for our felves in prayer, that we shall fcarce have cime or leifure to intend or fue out the benefit of others in prayer. He that watcheth over his own heart and wayes, will be and do mod in prayer for others. And that, Fird, For the removing or preventingof the forrows and fuf ferings of others. Secondly, For the removing of the fins ofothers ; yea,though their fins have been againff himfelf, which was Jobs cafe. Hepray- ed for thofe who had dealt very hardly with him,and finned againfi; God in doing Co ; he prayed for the pardon of their fin, God being very angry with them, and having told them he would deal with them according to their folly, unlefs they made fob their friend to him. This was the occafion of jobs travelling in pray- er for hisfriends; and in this he (hewed a fpirit becoming the Gofpel, though he lived not in the clear light of it.. And how uncomely is tt , that any (hould live lefs in the power of the Gofpel, while they live more in the light of it ? To pray much for others, efpecially for thofe who have wronged and grie- vedus, hath much of the power of the Gofpel, and of the Spirit of Chrif+ in it. For, thus Jefus Chrif+,while he wasnailed to the Crois, prayed for the pardon of their fins and out rages, who had crucified him, Father, forgivethens, for they know not what they40 (Lake 23. 34.) Even while his crucifiera were reviling him, he was begging for them, and befeeching his Father t hat he would thew themmercy, vfho had (hewed him no mercy, no, nor done him common jullice. And thus (in his rneafure) jobs heart was carryed out in his prayer for his friends, that thofe fins of theirs might be forgiven them , by which they had much wronged him, yea, and derided him(in a Cott) upon his Crois, as the Taw did Chrid uponhis. This alto was the frame of David: heart, towards thofe that had injured him (Pfal.tc9.4,) For my love they are my adverfaries (that's an ill requital ; but how did he requite them ? we may take hisown word for ir, he tells us how) bat l give my [elf onto prayer ; yea , he feemed a man wholly given unto prayer. The elegant concifenefs of the He- brew is Bus l prayer ; we fupply it thus, But Igive myfelf unto prayer r
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