Ver.9. the i7th Chapter of St. JOHN, 101 for temporal Bleflings for them, though we have little hopes that ever they theft be gained to the Knowledg of the Truth. Thus we are to pray for Wicked Rulers, for the confervation of Humane Society, they may ferve as a Thorn Hedg about a Garden of Roles. Thus it is Paid, Ezra 6. 1o. That in the Temple they (hoard pray for the Life of the.King, and of his Sou ; meaning the King of Babylon, Darius, at 1eaf1: for Tem- poral Favours. 2. We have not fuéh encouragement to pray forthem, as for the Saints: For the Swims, we pray out of the Unity of the Spirit; for wicked Men, out of commen Charily : for the Saints, we pray out of a delight in their Graces; for wicked Men, out of a loofe poflible Hope. Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us, for we ¡tuft that we have a good Conference in all things, willingly live honefily. There ( hourd have the greateft (hare of our Prayers, we have the more encouragements and hopes of them, which fhould be an engagement to us to pray for them. 3. Conditionally we may pray againfi the Obllinate, and them that fin of malicious Wickedness: There are many Imprecations in P14 109. which are not to ferve our private Revenge, but by us to be conceived conditionally: Thofe Curies are uttered again(( yudcn in a prophetical Spirit, and therefore not to be drawn into Example, to juftify any heats of Revenge and private Pailion. 1 John g. ad. If any Man fie his .$ -other fn a Sin which is not unto Death, he full ask, and he frith give him Life for them that fie not unto Death. There is a Sin unto Death; I do not fay that he faall pray Jim it. it is a tempting of God to intercede for that Sin, feeing he hash declared his Will ; the irremillible Sin, is that Sin, tho it be hard to be found out. Therefore it is good to keep to the conditional Form ; when a Man, after the profetlion of Reli- gion, fàlleth to an utter revolt, and deadly hatred of it, it is a fhrew'd prefumption; they have committed that Sin. 4. We feel fometimes a rellraint upon our Prayers. God by Oracle forbad the Prophet to pray for the People ; Jer. 7. 16. Therefore pray not thou for this People, nei- ther daft up Cry nor Prayer for then, neither make Intercefìon to me, for I will not hear thee. When he was refolved to put his Wrath in Execution, he would not have hil People's Prayers loft ; and frill the fame Spirit that ftirreth up to Prayer, fearcheth out the deep Counters of God. So that there is a kind of prophetical Light in Pray- ers ; God fufpendeth the fervency and a/tual Afliflance, by which we are carried on at other times. I would not juflify every private paflionate Conceit ; but yet we mutt look upon the Spirit of God, as the Interpreter of God's Counlel, and that he will not (sir up Prayers to no purpofe. Yea, fometimes we feel, that after much Rriving, we have no Heart to pray for them ; which is a very great mark of God's difpleafure upon any Perlon, when God's People, yea, evenafter much llrugling with themfelves, have no heart to pray for him. iIi. The Realons why he prayed for them. n. Becaufc they were given him by the Father. 2. Becaulè he could fay to the Father, They are thine. How they are given unto him of the Father, we (hewed before ; t (hall only note confider the tall Keafon, which is more formally expre(led, [Far they are thine.] n. Obferve; The Elea are fit given toCbrif, that they are fill the Fltber's. Tho they are mine by Grant, yet thou haft loft no palls of thy. Right and Propriety in them. . They are given to me by way of Oppignoration, not by way of Alienation. As the Father, that giveth his Daughter in Marriage to another, cloth not lore his Fa- therly Propriety ; the is her Hulband's, and the is her Father's. God hath given every Eh& Soul, as a Spode to Chrift, and yet they remain his; yea, they were given to Chrift, that God's Right might be preferved. All Men, by right of Creation; are his but they are efpecial.ly his, who are redeemed by Chrift, and. fan &ihed by the Spirit, becaufe the deltination and tendency of their Lives, is (till to the Father's Glory. Others are his in Right, but in the ufe and courfe of their Lives, they are the Devil's ; God hath loft them, as it were. But thofe that re given to Chrift, are not loft, but his (till; partly, becaufe of Chrilt's Aim, who Rill worketh in them to preferve the Father's Right. John 14. 13. Whatfoever ye pall 4. at in my Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. The Perlons glorify one another; John 16.14. 0 oo a He
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