sin, nor yet to watch against sin :-Such as are perBut fect, cannot say we are unprofitable servants. are they indeed just? then they must live by faith. Heb. ii. 4. Are they men, and not angels? then they must repent, Acts xvii. 30. "For now he commands all men every where to repent." Surely the best of men, are but men at the best. O! how bad inust those men be, who make God himself a liar? 1 John i. 10. But if these men are absolutely perfect, how comes it to pass, that they are afflicted and diseased as other men ?-how comes it to pass that they eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, and die as other men? Are these things consistent with an absolute perfection?-surely not. An absolute perfection is not a step short of heaven, 'tis heaven this side heaven; and they that would obtain it, must step to heaven before they have it. But, 2. I answer, That this objection lies as strong against family prayer, and against all other kind of prayer, as it doth against closet prayer: he that shall upon any ground neglect private prayer, he may upon the same ground neglect all other kinds of prayer, and all other duties of religion, whether private or public. The spirit of this objection fights against all religion at once; and therefore you should say to it, as Christ said to Peter, "Get thee behind me satan." But, 3. I answer, 'Tis not the infirmities and weakness of a christian which are seen, lamented, bewailed and resisted, that can obstruct or hinder the efficacy and success of his prayers: let me clear up this in a few instances. Jonah, you know was a man full of sinful passions, and other weaknesses, and yet his prayer was very prevalent with God, Jonah ii. 1, 2, 7, 10. compared. So Elias's prayers wereexceedingly prevalent with God, he could open and shut heaven at his pleasure; and yet subject to like passions as we are : Elias was a man of extraordinary sanctity and holiness, a man that lived in heaven, whilst he dwelt on earth; Enoch-like he walked with God, and yet subject to like passions as we are: God did in an eminent way communicate to him his counsel and secrets, he lay in the bosom of the Father, and yet was a man subject to like passions as we are; he was a very powerful and prevalent prophet, his very name inports as much, Eli-jah signifies, my strong God. In 1 Kings xvii. 1. it is Eli-jahu, that is, the Lord he is my strong God; and yet subject to like passions as we are: he was a man much in fasting and prayer; he was an inferior mediator between God and his people, and yet subject to like passions as we are. Now, because some from hence might object and say, no wonder if such a man as he was, could open aud shut heaven at his pleasure; but I am a poor, weak, low, sinful, and unworthy creature; I am full of infirmities, weaknesses, and passions; and shall my prayers ever find access to God, and acceptance with him, or gracious answers from him? Now to obviate this objection, and to remove this discouragement out of the thoughts and hearts of poor sinners, the Holy Ghost addeth this clause, that he was not a God, nor an angel, but a man, and such a man as was not exempted from common infirmities; for he had his passions, frailties and weaknesses, as well as other saints; intimating to us, that infirmities in the meanest saint should no more prejudice the acceptance and success of their prayers with God, than they did in Elias himself. The word passion sometimes signifies, 1. A motion of the sensual appetite, arising from the imagination of good or ill, with some commotion of the body. 2. Sometimes it signifies sinful infirmities, sinful perturbations of the mind. And 3. Sometimes passion is taken more strictly for the special affection of sinful anger and wrath, which Chrysostome calls brevis Dæmon, a short devil. It makes a man speak he knows not what, as you may see in Jonah; and to do he knows not what, as you may see in Saul. Now in these two last senses, Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and yet a man so potent with God, that by private prayer he could do what he listed in the court of heaven. In 1 Sam. xxi. you may read of David's round lies, and of his other failings, infirmities, and unseemly carriage before Achish king of Gath, and for which he was turned out of the king's presence under the notion of a mad-man; and yet at that very time he prays and prevails with God for favour, mercy, and deliverance, Psalm xxxiv. 4. “ I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my fears." But when was this? read the title of the Psalm, and you shall find it; "A Psalm of David, who changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed." In Num. xx. 10-12. Moses's infirmities are pointed out: 1. You have there his immoderate anger. 2. His speaking to the people, when he should have spoke to the rock, verse 8. 3. His smiting of it, when he should only have spoken to it with the rod in his hand; and smiting it twice as in a pang of passion and impatiency. 4. His distrusting of the Lord's word, verse 12. 5. His reviling of the people when he should have convinced them, "hear ye rebels." 6. He seems to be so offended at his commission, that he can hardly forbear murmuring, "must we bring water out of the rock ?" mark that word, must we. 0! how is the meekest man in all the world transported into passion, anger, and unbelief, and hurried into sad indecencies; yet there was not a man on earth, whose prayers were so powerful and prevalent with God as Moses's were. Psalm cvi. 23. Exod. xxxii. 9—15. xxxiii. 11—17. xiv. 13—16. &c. So king Asa was a man full of infirmities and weaknesses, he relies on the king of Syria, and not on the Lord; he is very impatient, and under a great rage upon the seers reproof: he imprisons the seer; he oppressed some of the people; or, as the Hebrew hath it, "He crushed," or, "he trampled upon some of the people at the same time:" And being greatly diseased in his feet, he sought to the physicians, and not to the Lord; and yet this man's prayer was wonderful prevalent with God. 2 Chron. xiv. 11-15. The saints' infirmities can never make void those gracious promises, by which God stands engaged to hearken to the prayers of his people. God's hearing of our prayers doth not depend upon sanctification, but upon Christ's intercession; not upon what we are in ourselves, but upon what we are in the Lord Jesus; both our persons and our prayers are acceptable in the beloved, Eph. i. 6. 1 Peter ii. 5. When God hears our prayers, 'tis neither for our own sakes, nor yet for our prayers' sake; but 'tis for his own sake, and his glory sake, and his promise sake. Certainly, God will never east off his people for their infirmities. 1. 'Tis the glory of a man to pass by infirmities: O how much more must it be the glory of God to pass by the infirmities of his people! : 2. Saints are children and what father will cast off his children for their infirmities, and weaknesses ? 3. Saints are members of Christ's body: and what man will cut off a member because of a scab or wart that is upon it? "What man will cut off his nose, saith Luther, because there is some filth in it? 4 4. Saints are Christ's purchase, they are his possession, his inheritance: Now what man is there that will cast away, or cast off his purchase, his possession, his inheritance, because of thorns, bushes or briars that grow upon it? 5. Saints are in a marriage covenant with God: Now what husband is there that will cast off his wife for her failings and infirmities? So long as a man is in covenant with God, his infirmities can't cut him off from God's mercy and grace. Now 'tis certain a man may have very many infirmities upon him, and yet not break his covenant with God; for no sin breaks a man's covenant with God, but such as unties the marriage knot. As in other marriages every offence or infirmity doth not disannul the marriage union; it is only the breach of the marriage vow, viz. adultery, that unties the marriage knot: so here, 'tis only |