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worship afcribed to him. St. Paul | RIGHTEOUSNESS;" and Hebrews prayed to him, (whofe words are i. 10. " And thou, Lord, in the commonly used in public bleffings) beginning haft laid the foundation 2 Corinthians xiii. 14. "The of the earth; and the heavens grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and are the works of thine hands." the love of God, and the com- That the title Jehovah is there, by munion of the Holy Ghoft, be the apostle, applied to Chrift, is with you all. Amen." And how very evident from what he fays in often do we find, in the epiftles, the two next foregoing verfes, in that expreffion, "The grace of which he afcribes to Chrift works our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you; wrought and done by him which -be with thy fpirit, &c." Thom- are poflible to God only to effect. as religiously worshipped him, when In John i. 3, we read, “All he faid, John xx. 28. My things were made by him; and Lord and my God ;" and Chrift without him was not any thing received that worship without chi- made that was made;" not made ding him in the leaft for it. The by him as an inftrument, but as an martyr Stephen, with his dying agent. What short of Almighty breath, worshipped him, when he power could create out of nothing faid, Acts vii. 59. "Lord Jefus, the heavens, earth and fea and all receive my fpirit." And how of things therein? And can we fupten in the epiftles, and among the pofe that God would impart Alprimitive Chriftians, is mention mighty power to any creature? made of calling on the name of Je- What the apoftle fays, Coloffians i. fus Chrift, both their Lord and 16, 17. concerning Chrift, takes ours? Now, would not this be away that and all fuch like cavils, grofs idolatry, if Chrift were not against the divine nature or real ditruly and effentially God? vinity of Chrift: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, vifible and invifible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things confift." Indeed in the verfe before, he is faid to be, "the image of the invifible God, the first born of every creature." By what the Apostle immediately fubjoins, he would not have us think as tho Chrift was a mere creature when he says, he was the first born of every creature; but that he is the efficient origin of all created exiftence.He can be no creature who is be fore all things he is no creature by whom all things were made, visible and invifible. Afk why we believe the existence of God?

The title JEHOVAH is not to be attributed to any creature; it is to be afcribed to God only. Pfalm lxxxiii. 18. "That men may know that thou, whofe name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moft High over all the earth." Indeed we find, Judges vi. 24, that "Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-Shalom." But we cannot confiftently fuppofe that the altar itself was Jehovah-Shalom, but that it was built to the honor of him who was acknowledged to be Jehovah-Shalom. Now we often find that title (incommunicable to any creature) applied to Chrift. Inftead of mentioning the many particular places where it is fo,it muft fuffice to mention that in Jeremiah xxiii. 6. "And this is his name whereby he fhall be called, THE LORD OUR

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Shall we not fay, that the works of creation and providence witness to the certainty of it? And have we not the like evidence of the divinity of Chrift," who hath made all things, and by whom all things do confift?" In fcripture, divine attributes, proper to God only, are afcribed to Chrift. He is tiled, Jude 25, "The only wife God." It is the prerogative of God only to fearch and infalibly to know the heart. Jeremiah xvii. 10. This is afcribed to Chrift, John xxi. 17. "Lord, thou knoweft all things; thou knowest that I love thee." He teftifieth from Heaven, concerning himself, Revelation ii. 23. "I am he which fearcheth the reins and hearts." Who but an omnifcient God knoweth all things; fearcheth the heart, and will finally judge the world and every thing moft fecret and retired from human and all created knowledge and view? Who but he that is almighty in power can raife the dead, compel all the nations of men (as well as the devils) to appear before his exalted throne of judgment; and oblige all, both high and low, to abide the decifion of the last judgment, and to take up their everlafting abodes in the other world, according to the fentence he will then pronounce? He will then appear to be the mighty God himfelf, who, we are told in the 50th Pfalm, will judge the world.

I might inftance in other divine perfections and attributes afcribed to Chrift. Indeed if there be any one, there must be all the divine perfections and infinite attributes in him. The beloved Apoftle faith, John v. 7. "There are three that bear record in heaven,

we are affured there are three ; not three in one in the fame fense. Reafon and revelation affure us, that there can be but one true God; but in this one God are three perfons, exerefsly named to us, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft. Now if the Word (meaning Chrift) and the Holy Ghoft be not the fame in effence with the Father, how can they be said to be one; meaning not only that they are one in will and confent, but in effence ;-one, as our Saviour faid, John x. 30. “I and my Father are one." All the perfons jointly harmonize as one in the work of man's 'redemption, nevertheless they all have their particular offices in it.

As to the divinity of Chrift, let us hear and regard his glorious tef timony from heaven concerning himself, Revelation i. 8. " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." This is the Saviour revealed and offered to thee, O finner, in the gofpel; but defpifed and rejected by thee, and how great is thy fin and danger in fo doing! O believing Chriftian, this is that Saviour in whom theu believeft, and to whom thou doft commit thyfelf in the way of gofpel faith and obedience; and how great is thy fafety and happiness in fo doing! To this only wife God, our Saviour, be glory and majefty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen.

PHILALETHES.

ON PRAYER.

the Father, the Word, and the Que. WHAT is the fcrip

Holy Ghoft; and thefe three are one." It will not do for us or any to fay there is only one; for

ture reprefentation of anfwers to prayer?

Anf. To investigate this fubject properly, we must take a view of

the nature, defign, and different kinds of prayer confider when and in what refpects prayer may be faid to be answered: and confult the fcripture accounts of anfwers to prayer.

I. We are to take a view of the nature, defign, and different kinds of prayer.

In general this important duty and privilege is well defined by the Westminster Divines; "Prayer, fay they, is the offering up of our defires to God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Chrift, with confeffion of our fins, and thankful acknowledg. ment of his mercies." This definition would appear to be agrecable to the fcripture reprefentations of prayer by an induction of many particular paffages were it needful. It is, in a great measure fupported by the words of the Apostle to Timothy, 1 Tim. ii. 1. hort therefore, that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men." To this may be added, thofe paffages of holy fcripture which reprefent the confeffion of fin as a part of prayer, and thofe which teach us to pray in the name of Chrift.

"I ex

er required in the holy fcriptures, and to which the gospel promifes are made.

It is further to be obferved, that, in treating of anfwers to prayer, we have only to confider that part of prayer which confifts in petition, fupplication, and interceffion; in other words feeking from God a favor or bleffing on ourselves or others. All acceptable prayer is the expreffion of true and genuine piety; it is an appeal to God as the fearcher of hearts. An application to him as the independent, all-powerful proprietor of all. things, the difpofer of all events, and the bountiful giver of every bleffing. It implies that spirit of true piety, which, as it refpects the divine character and government, is reverential love and cordial fubmiffion; in reference to our own guilty character it is repentance and humility; as it refpects Chrift and the gospel it is divine faith, and is involved and expreffed in all truly gracious exercifes both towards God and man.

The subject matter of prayer, as it refpects the prefent question, is two fold; that in which we ask for things agreeable to the revealed will of God, and which, for that reafon we know to be beft on the whole as that God will glorify his own great name-that he will caufe the Redeemer to fee of the travail of his foul till he is fatisfied-give him the Heathen for his inheritance and accomplish his gracious promifes in favour of his church.

An important diftinction however, remains to be noted between the prayers of the Godly, and the ungodly; or those prayers in which the difpofition of the heart is really expreffed in proper ad. dreffes to God, and thofe in which there is only the fervice of the lips, or if the heart be at all concerned, it is for wrong and improper ends; for the gratification of fome luft, and not for the glory of God; as in the cafe men-, tioned, James iv. 3. "Ye afk and receive not, because ye afk amifs, to confume it on your lufts."This latt is by no means, the pray-heart truly devoted to God, and VOL. I. No. 5.

Thefe, in connection with many other particulars which might be mentioned, are declared, in the holy fcriptures, to be the will of God, and are therefore known to be beft on the whole. For these we ought to pray without condition, or uncertainty, with a

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refting with unwavering faith, on the gracious promifes for the beftowment of the good afked.

with this, may take place, but not otherwife.

2. Some things are the proper fubjects of prayer, which are not contained in any divine promife. Such are all events, which, in our view, are good and defirable in themselves, and fo far as we can discover, may be for the general intereft, or beft on the whole, and fo are not, apparently, contrary to the revealed will of God, but agreeable to it. Among which are, a competency for the body and the prefent life ;-a healthy body, and found mind;-the temporal prof-in perity of the nations of men ;the immediate revival and progrefs of true religion, and numberiefs particular events of daily concern to individuals, families, nations, and the church of God.

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Such must be the prayer of a heart truly devoted to God and his kingdom, and fubmiffive to his will. In this light we are to confider the prayer of our bleffed Redeemer, in the time of his extreme agony, the night before his crucifixion, "O my Father, if it be poffible, let this cup pafs from me. Neverthelefs not as I will but as thou wilt ;" and "If this cup may not pafs away from me except I drink it, thy will be done." It is not the defign of prayer, any inftance, either to inform the Divine Being of what he knew not, or induce him to change his mind, and bestow favors contrary to his previous intention. All acceptable prayer flows from a heart confcious of the immutability and Thefe are, indeed, the proper omniscience of God that his fubjects of prayer, but of that on-counfel fhall ftand and he will do all his pleasure and a heart properly disposed to prayer is far from wifhing it to be otherwife. But it is the defign of prayer to exprefs a becoming fense of the divine perfections, of our own dependence, and that of the whole creation, on the all-powerful, good pleasure of God-that we love to have it fo that we are unworthy of his favor, and can hope or wifh for it only through the Divine Mediatorthat we are fenfible of our wants and are well pleafed with his cious command to afk that we may gra. receive, and accept it with the most grateful humility; as being the inflitution of divine wifdom and mercy, connecting the means with the end in this, as in other branchcs of his wife adminiftration, fo that a confcioufnefs of the omniscience and immutability of God, is fo far from difcouraging the pious heart

ly which is conditional, or in which we ask for them only on condition that it be the will of God to beftow them as being, in his all perfect view, for the general good, or beft on the whole.

In prayers of this kind, the true Chriftian expreffes his fenfe of the worth and value of the divine glory, and the good of his kingdom; -his defire that it may be promoted ;-his view of the particular event which is the fubject of prayer as being good and defirable in itfelf, and, as far as he can difcover, coincident with the general good-his fenfe of the univerfality of divine government, or that all events depend on the will of God, and his well-pleasedness in divine, fupremacy and fubmiffion to it. And he prefers his request to the God of all grace, that he will accomplish that which is beft on the whole, and that the event under confideration if confiftent

:

* Matth. xvii. 39-42.

in its addreffes to the throne of | fyftem; and the particular favors grace, that its influence is directly in conditional prayer, are fought the reverfe. The mind refts on in fubmiffion to the divine will and the immutable purpose of God for fubordination to the general good. the accomplishment of thofe events If fuch particular favors are bewhich he hath promised, as con- ftowed it is an expreffion of divine nected with the appointed means, good will; if they are denied it is and of which he hath said, "I because that denial is beft on the will yet for this be enquired of by whole, and will therefore ultimatethe house of Ifrael to do it for ly promote the good of the subthem."* Indeed there is no dif-ject; fo that in fome fenfe, every ficulty in this fubject but what is prayer which is the expreffion of common to the use of means in genuine piety is heard and anfwerany cafe for the accomplishment of ed. an end, or indeed to the idea of a dependent agent.

Having been thus particular on the first branch of our fubject, the other may be treated with more brevity.

II. We are, now, to confider when and in what refpects prayer may be faid to be answered, and take a view of the fcripture representation of answers to prayer.

Such was the cafe of that prayer of the divine Jefus referred to above. The author of the epiftle to the Hebrews fpeaking of Chrift Jefus, and referring to this prayer, expreffes himself thus. "Who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and fupplications, with strong crying and tears, to him who was able to fave him from death, and was heard in that he feared.*

From this paffage it is extremely evident that in scripture sense, that is, in the true and proper fenfe,

In general, prayer may be faid to be answered when the good afked is obtained. To this however, there are exceptions. Particular, and temporal enjoyments are fome-the prayer of our bleffed Saviour times given to wicked men when was heard, that is, answered, tho' they defire and ask for them, to that cup, did not pass from him, confume them on their lufts. This but he drank it. was the cafe with Ifrael in the wilderness. They lufted for flesh, and God gave it in wrath, but fent leannels into their foul,† and this is, no doubt, often the cafe that particular enjoyments which wicked men defire and ask for are given in judgment. But when God gracioufly beftows bleffings in anfwer to prayer-it is the prayer of the humble of the penitent believer. It must be remembered that fuch prayer has for its chief, ultimate object, the good of the

* Beckiel xxxvi. 37. Num. xi. 4, 18, 34, and Pfalm Gvi. 14, 15.

If we look into the facred writings on this fubject we fhall find that God hears the prayer of the humble, the prayer of faith, and is nigh to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth†— that "whofoever fhall call on the name of the Lord fhall be faved" that he who afketh receiveth; he who feeketh findeth, and to him who knocketh it shall be opened." Thefse prove, that believing prayers are always acceptable to God, and though he may feem,

* Heb. v. 7. † Pfal. cxlv. 18..
Joel ii. 32. Acts ii. 21.
Matt. vii. 7, 8.

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