Serin,I, 106 SERMONS upon their Names into his Lips : Therefore, Rom.8.3i. If God be for us, who fhiaf be againf$ us ? What will that Party do,that have God againft them ? Again j! how many will you fit Me ? laid ,intigonus. You matt fluke your Spear, and bid defiance againft all the Powers of Darknefs, they have not Chrift among them, he will not fpcak one good word for them; they may have Riches, Honours, Friends, Countenance in the World, but God will never take their part. 3. The dangerous and fad Condition of Worldly Men.. Oh, it is a fad thing not to have% Name in Chriffs Prayer ! There is a great number left out; and if you will know who they are, they are called the World. it preffeth us to come out of that State where we are in this dagger : Men that are now Worldly, may be in the Roll of God's Ele lion, but it is no comfort to them. I pray.not for the World, fo it is expref- fed ;. and as long as thou art Worldly, thou curt take no Comfort in Chrifts Intercer fion. Certainly this thould be an effeEival Confederation with the People of God, to caufe them to keep themfelves unfpotted from the Warld,Jam. t.24. There have the benefit of Chrifl's Prayers : A Chriltian (hould never be quiet,till he be clearly out of that num- ber which is excepted. Chrift hath a conftant enmity and antipathy againft Mammon: there mull be a reparation from the World, and a contempt of earthly things, before we can have an intereft in him. The World maketh a Cport of thefe things ; but what can be more terrible, than to be fleet out of Chrift's Prayers ? He curfeth thole for whom he doth not pray : And that is the reafon, why Men. that are befotted with the World, do always wax worfe and worfe. 4. The Excellency of Chrifl's Love to the Saints ; I pray for thefe, I pray not for the World. ChriLt's feparate Love to us, heightens his Kindnefs, and our Duty. lì is not every ones Mercy, to be remembred in Chrift's Prayers ; Millions are paffed by, as many as may be called a World. John 54. 22. Lord, how is it that thou milt manifeft thy Pelf unto us, and not unto the World ? So we may fay, How is it that thou wilt pray for us, and not for the World ? Others that are better accomplifhed, are left out,and we taken in. Man is taken with nothing fo much as with Privileges ; common Favours Ceem to be a Right of Nature. It was certainly a fweet Confideration to Noah, tho he Teemed to be buried alive in the Ark, that he and his Family were Caved, Cohen all the World perifhed in the Waters. At the Day of. Judgment, how many millions of Thanks ¡hall we owe to Chrift, when all the Reprobates are gathered to- gether, to confider, God hath chofen me, and not all thefe; nay, of thole Repro -. bates, Tome are more excellently accomplilhed, and yet God bath cholera sac, and not Coto, Me and not Socrates, Me and not Plato, not the molt excellent among the Hea- thens ! When Ifrael Caw the Egyptians dead upon the Shore, Exod. 14.3o: itheightned their Deliverance. if God had faved all, it had been an infinite Mercy; but now ma- ny are damned, it is the more caufe of Thankfgiving to thole that are Caved. The Sun is glorious and beautiful ; but if every Star had fo much bright nefs, it would not be fo admired. Chryfoftom faith, ` It is a great means of Thankfulnels, now and then to go into the Spittles, and to look on the Poor Creatures, that are rough -call with Soars. So it commends Chrifls Love, and fhould raife in unthankful Acknowledgments,to con- fider Chrift prayed for us, _not for the World. 5. By the Example of Chrift we (hould embrace them, and (hew fpecial Love to them,- that are chofen out of the World. Chrift faith, I pray for thefe, I pray not for the World; we Ihould fpecially remember them in our Prayers. The Apo(ile faith concerning Alms, Gal. 6. to. /Is we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all Men, efpecially unto them who are of the I3oufhold of Faith. Chrift faith, Pfal. ad. 3, 4. n4Sy Goodnefs extendeth to the Saints that are in the Earth, and to the Excellent, in whom ra all.my delight. ,Their Sorrows fhall be multiplied, that haften after another God; their DrinkOfrings of Blood will I not offer ; nor take up their Names into my Lips : Chrift will not mention them. Some think it is to be applied to the Idols, rather to the Per - fons; the whole Pfalm is applied tá Chrift. But here arifeth a Doubt : Are we. not to pray for wicked Men, yea, the Impeni- tent, the Perfecutors of the Church, Contemners of the Word ? I Anfwer : a. Yea ; Partly, becaule we know not the ferret Purpofes of God's Grace. Chrift in the Light of his Divinity, knew the Ele &, and the Reprobate ; but we know not, therefore we are to pray for them that perfecute, Mat. 5.44. `Paul once breathed out Threatnings againft the Church ; aryl received Gifts for the Rebellious ; Partly, be- caufe many. Wicked Men are conhderable in their Station, therefore, at leali, we pray for
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