I now proceed to the second thing intended in this Discourse, viz.
to offer to consideration some things, which may tend to induce the people
of God to comply with the proposal and request, made to them in the Memorial.
SECTION 1
The latter-day glory not yet accomplished. IT is evident from the
Scripture, that there is yet remaining a great advancement of the interest
of religion and the kingdom of Christ in this world, by an abundant outpouring
of the Spirit of God, far greater and more extensive than ever yet has
been. It is certain, that many things, which are spoken concerning a glorious
time of the church's enlargement and prosperity in the latter days, have
never yet been fulfilled. There has never yet been any propagation and
prevalence of religion, in any wise, of that extent and universality which
the prophecies represent. It is often foretold and signified, in a great
variety of strong expressions, that there should a time come, when all
nations, throughout the whole habitable world, should embrace the true
religion, and be brought into the church of God. It was often promised
to the patriarchs, that "in their seed all the nations, or (as it
is sometimes expressed) all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Agreeably to this, it is said of the Messiah, Psalm 72:11. "That
all nations shall serve him," and in ver 17. "Men shall be blessed
in him, and all nations shall call him blessed." And in Isa 2:2.
it is said, that "all nations shall flow unto the mountain of the
house of the Lord." And Jer 3:17. "That all nations shall be
gathered unto the name of the Lord to Jerusalem, and shall walk no more
after the imagination of their evil heart." "That all flesh
shall come and worship before the Lord," Isa 66:23. "And that
all flesh should see the glory of God together," Isa 40:5. "And
that all flesh should come to him that hears prayer," Psalm 65:2.
Christ compares the kingdom of heaven in this world "to leaven, which
a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened,"
Matt 13:33. It is natural and reasonable to suppose, that the whole
world should finally be given to Christ, as one whose right it is to reign,
as the proper heir of him who is originally the King of all nations, and
the possessor of heaven and earth. And the Scripture teaches us, that
God the Father hath constituted his Son, as God-man, in his kingdom of
grace, or mediatorial kingdom, to be the heir of the world, that he might
in this kingdom have "the heathen for his inheritance, and the utmost
ends of the earth for his possession." Heb 1:2. and 2:8. Psalm 2:6-8.
Thus Abraham is said to be the heir of the world, not in himself, but
in he seed, which is Christ, Rom 4:13. And how was this to be fulfilled
to Abraham, but by God's fulfilling that great promise, that "in
his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed?" For that
promise is what the apostle is speaking of: which shows, that God has
appointed Christ to be the heir of the world in his kingdom of grace,
and to possess and reign over all nations, through the propagation of
his gospel, and the power of his Spirit communicating the blessings of
it. God hath appointed him to this universal dominion by a most solemn
oath; Isaiah 45:23 "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out
of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every
knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear." (Compared with Phil
2:10, 11.) Though the solemn oath of God the Father is to be understood
in so comprehensive a sense, as to extend to what shall be accomplished
at the day of judgment, yet it is evident by the foregoing and following
verses, that the thing most directly intended, is what shall be fulfilled
by spreading the gospel of his salvation, and the power of the Spirit
of grace, bringing "all the ends of the earth to look to him that
they may be saved," and come to him for "righteousness and strength,
that in him they might be justified, and might glory." God has
suffered many earthly princes to extend their conquests over a great part
of the face of the earth, and to possess a dominion of vast extent, and
one monarchy to conquer and succeed another, the latter being still the
greater, it is reasonable to suppose, that a much greater glory in this
respect should be reserved for Christ, God's own Son and rightful heir,
who has purchased the dominion by so great and hard a service: it is reasonable
to suppose, that his dominion should be far the largest, and his conquests
vastly the greatest and most extensive. And thus the Scriptures represent
the matter, in Nebuchadnezzar's vision, and the prophet's interpretation,
Dan 2 There are four great monarchies of the earth, one succeeding another,
are represented by the great image of gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay
but at last a stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, smites the
image upon his feet, which breaks the iron, clay, brass, silver and gold
in pieces, that all become as the chaff of the summer threshing floors,
and the wind carries them away, that no place is found for them; but the
stone waxes great, becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth:
signifying the kingdom which the Lord God of heaven should set up in the
world, last of all, which should break in pieces and consume all other
kingdoms. Surely this representation leads us to suppose, that this last
kingdom shall be of much greater extent than any of the preceding.
The like representation is made in the 7th chapter of Daniel, there the
four monarchies are represented by four great beasts that arose successively,
one conquering and subduing another, the fourth and last of these is said
to be dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and to have great
iron teeth, and to devour and break in pieces, and stamp the residue with
his feet; yea, it is said, ver 23. that the kingdom represented by this
beast shall devour the whole earth: but last of all, one like the Son
of man appears, coming to the Ancient of days, and being brought near
before him, and receiving of him a dominion and glory, and a kingdom,
that all people, nations, and languages should serve him. This last circumstance,
of the vast extent and universality of his dominion, is manifestly spoken
of as one thing greatly distinguishing this holy kingdom from all the
preceding monarchies. Although of one of the former it was said, that
it should devour the whole earth, yet we are naturally led, both by the
much greater emphasis and strength of the expressions, as well as by the
whole connexion and tenor of the prophecy, to understand the universality
here expressed in a much more extensive and absolute sense. And the terms
used in the interpretation of this vision are such, that scarcely any
can be devised more strong, to signify an absolute universality of dominion
over the inhabitants of the face of the earth; ver 27. "And the kingdom
and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people of the most high God." Agreeably to
this, the gospel is represented as "preached unto them that dwell
on the earth, and to every nation, and tongue, and kindred, and people,"
Rev 14:6. The universal prevalence of true religion in the latter
days, is sometimes expressed by its reaching to the "utmost ends
of the earth," (Psalm 2:8.) "To all the ends of the earth, and
of the world, (Psalm 22:27, 67:7, 98:3, Isa. 45:22.) "All the ends
of the earth, with those that are far off upon the sea," (Psalm 65:5.)
"From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same,"
(Psalm 113:3. Mal. 1:11.) "The outgoing of the morning and of the
evening," \(Psalm 65:8.) It seems that all the most strong expressions,
that were in use among the Jews to signify the habitable world in its
utmost extent, are used to signify the extent of the church of God in
the latter days. And in many places, a variety of these expressions is
used, and there is an accumulation of them, expressed with great force.
It would be unreasonable to say, these are only bold figures, used after
the manner of the eastern nations, to express the great extent of the
Christian church at and after the days of Constantine. To say so, would
be in effect to say, that it would have been impossible for God, if he
had desired it, plainly to have foretold any thing that should absolutely
have extended to all nations of the earth. I question whether it be possible
to find out a more strong expression, to signify an absolute universality
of the knowledge of the true religion through the habitable world, than
that in Isa 11:9. "The earth shall he full of the knowledge of the
Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Which is as much as to say, as
there is no place in the vast ocean where there is not water, so there
shall be no part of the world of mankind where there is not the knowledge
of the Lord; as there is no part of the wide bed or cavity possessed by
the sea, but what is covered with water, so there shall be no part of
the habitable world that shall not be covered by the light of the gospel,
and possessed by the true religion. Waters are often in prophecy put for
nations and multitudes of people. So the waters of the main ocean seem
sometimes to be put for the inhabitants of the earth in general, as in
Ezekiel's vision of the waters of the sanctuary, (Eze. 47) which flowed
from the sanctuary, and ran east, till they came to the ocean, and were
at first a small stream, but continually increased till they became a
great river; and when they came to the sea, the water even of the vast
ocean was healed, (ver 8.) representing the converse of the world to the
true religion in the latter days. It seems evident, that the time
will come, when there will not be one nation remaining in the world, which
shall not embrace the true religion, in that God has expressly revealed,
that no one such nation shall be left standing on the earth, Isa 60:12
"the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea,
those nations shall be utterly wasted." - God has declared that heathen
idolatry and all the worship of false gods shall be wholly abolished,
in the most universal manner, so that it shall be continued in no place
under the heavens, or upon the face of the earth Jeremiah 10:11; "The
gods that have not made the hearers and the earth, even they shall perish
from the earth, and from under these heavens." Ver 15. "They
are vanity, and the work of errors, in the time of their visitation they
shall perish." This must be understood as what shall be brought to
pass while this earth and these heathens remain, i.e. before the end of
the world. Agreeable to this is Isa .4:1-2. "Sing, O barren, thou
that didst not bear;- for more are the children of the desolate than the
children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy
tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitation; spare
not, lengthen thy cords strengthen thy stakes." Ver 5. "For
thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer
the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called."
The prophecies of the New Testament do no less evidently show, that a
time will come when the gospel shall universally prevail, and the kingdom
of Christ be extended over the whole habitable earth, in the most proper
sense. Christ says, (John 12:32) "I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
will draw all men unto me." It is fit, that when the Son of God becomes
man, he should have dominion over all mankind. It is fit, that since he
became an inhabitant of the earth, and shed his blood on the earth, he
should possess the whole earth. It is fit, seeing here he became a servant,
and was subject to men, and was arraigned before them, and judged, condemned,
and executed by them, and suffered ignominy and death in a most public
manner, before Jews and Gentiles - being lifted up to view on the cross
upon a hill, near that populous city Jerusalem, at a most public time,
when there were many hundred thousand spectators, from all parts -- that
should be rewarded with an universal dominion over mankind; and it is
here declared he shall be. The apostle, in the 11th of Romans, teaches
us to look on that great outpouring of the Spirit, and ingathering of
souls into Christ's kingdom, in those days, first of the Jews and then
of the Gentiles, to be but as the first-fruits of the intended harvest,
both with regard to Jews and Gentiles, as a sign that all should in due
time be gathered in; ver 16. "For if the first-fruit be holy, the
lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches."
And in that context, the apostle speaks of the FULNESS of both Jews and
Gentiles, as what shall hereafter be brought in distinctly from the ingathering
from among both, in those primitive ages of Christianity. In ver 12. we
read of the fullness of the Jews, and in the 25th, of the fullness of
the Gentiles. And in ver 30-32. the apostle teaches us to look upon that
infidelity and darkness, which first prevailed over all Gentile nations,
before Christ came, and afterward, over the Jews, as what was wisely permitted
for the manifestation of the glory of God's mercy, in due time, on the
whole world, constituted of Jews and Gentiles. "God hath concluded
them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." These things
plainly show, that the time is coming when the whole world of mankind
shall be brought into the church of Christ; the fulness of both, the whole
lump, all the nation of the Jews, and all the world of Gentiles.
In the last great conflict between the church of Christ and her enemies,
before the commencement of the glorious time of the church's peace and
rest, the kings of the earth, and the WHOLE WORLD, are represented as
gathered together, Rev. 16:14. And then the seventh angel pours out his
vial into the air, which limits the kingdom of Satan, as god of this world,
and that kingdom is represented as utterly overthrown, ver 17, & etc.
In another description of that great battle, (chap. 19.) Christ is represented
as riding forth, having on his head many crowns, and on his vesture and
on his thigh a name written, KING of KINGS AND LORD of LORDS. Which we
may well suppose signifies, that he is now going to that conquest, whereby
he shall set up a kingdom, in which he shall he King of kings, in a far
more extensive manner than either Babylonish, Persian, Grecian, or Roman
monarchs were. And in ver 17, and following, an angel appears standing
in the sun, that overlooks the whole world, calling on "all the fowls
that fly in the midst of heaven, to come and eat the flesh of kings,"
& etc. And in consequence of the great victory Christ gains at that
time, "an angel comes down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless
pit, and a great chain in his hand, and lays hold on the devil, and binds
him, and casts him into the bottomless pit, and shuts him up, and sets
a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more." Satan
being dispossessed of that highest monarchy on earth, the Roman empire,
and cast out in the time of Constantine is represented (chap 12.) by his
being cast down from heaven to the earth, but now there is something far
beyond that; he is cast out of the earth, and is shut up in hell, and
confined to that alone, so that he has no place left him in this world
of mankind, high or low. Now will any be so unreasonable as to say,
that all these things do not signify more than that one third part of
the world should be brought into the church of Christ; beyond which it
cannot be pretended that the Christian religion has ever yet reached,
in its greatest extent? Those countries which belonged to the Roman empire,
that were brought to the profession of Christianity after the reign of
Constantine, are but a small part of what the habitable world now is.
As to extent of ground, they altogether bear, I suppose, no greater proportion
to it, than the land of Canaan did to the Roman empire. And our Redeemer
in his kingdom of grace has hitherto possessed but a little part of the
world, in its most flourishing state, since arts are arisen to their greatest
height; and a very great part of the world is but lately discovered, and
much remains undiscovered to this day. These things make it very evident,
that the main fulfilment of those prophecies, that speak of the glorious
advancement of Christ's kingdom on earth, is still to come. And as
there has been nothing as yet, with regard to the flourishing of religion,
and the advancement of Christ's kingdom, of such extent as to answer the
prophecies, so neither has there been any thing of that duration that
is foretold. The prophecies speak of Jerusalem being made the joy of the
whole earth, and also the joy of many generations. (Psalm 48:2. Isa. 60:15.)
That "God's people should long enjoy the work of their hands,"
(Isa. 65:22.) That they should "reign with Christ a thousand years,
(Rev. 20 ) by which we must at least understand a very long time. But
it would be endless to mention all the places, which signify that the
time of the church's great peace and prosperity should be of long continuance.
Almost all the prophecies, that speak of her latter-day glory imply it;
and it is implied in very many of them, that when once this day of the
church's advancement and peace is begun, it shall never end till the world
ends; or, at least that there shall be no more a return of her troubles
and adversity for any considerable continuance. Then "the days of
her mourning shall be ended," her tribulations "be as the waters
of Noah unto God, that as he has sworn that the waters of Noah should
no more pass over the earth, so he will swear that he will no more be
wrath with his people, or rebuke them." It is implied that "God's
people should no more walk after the imagination of their evil hearts;
that God would hide himself no more from the house of Israel; because
he has poured out his Spirit upon them; that their sun should no more
go down, nor the moon withdraw itself; that the light should not be clear
and dark," (i.e. there should he no more an interchange of light
and darkness, as used to be,) but that it should be all one continued
day; not day and night (for so the words are in the original in Zech 14:7.)
alternately "but it shall come to pass, that at evening time (i.e.
at the time that night and darkness used to be) it shall be light; and
that the nations should beat their swords into, plow-shares, and their
spears into pruning-hooks, and that nation should not lift up sword against
nation, nor learn war any more; but that there should be abundance of
peace so long as the moon endureth." But the church of Christ
has never yet enjoyed a state of peace and prosperity for any long time;
on the contrary, the time for her rest, and of the flourishing state of
religion, have ever been very short. Hitherto the church may say, (as
in Isa 63:17-18.) "Return, for thy servants' sake, the tribes of
thine inheritance; the people of thy holiness have possessed it but a
little while." The quietness that the church of God enjoyed after
the beginning of Constantine's reign, was very short. The peace the empire
enjoyed, in freedom from war, was not more than twenty years; no longer
nor greater than it had enjoyed under some of the heathen emperors. After
this the empire was rent in pieces by intestine wars, and wasted almost
every where by the invasions and incursions of barbarous nations; and
the Christian world, soon after, was all in contention and confusion,
by heresies and divisions in matters of religion. And the church of Christ
has never as yet been, for any long time, free from persecution; especially
when truth has prevailed, and true religion flourished. It is manifest
that hitherto the people of God have been kept under, and Zion has been
in a low afflicted state, and her enemies have had the chief sway.
Another thing which makes it exceedingly manifest, that the day of the
church's greatest advancement on earth which is foretold in Scripture,
has never yet come, is, that it is so plainly and expressly revealed,
this day shall succeed the last of the four monarchies, even the Roman,
in its last state, wherein it is divided into ten kingdoms, and after
the destruction of antichrist, signified by the little horn, whose reign
is contemporary with the reign of the ten kings. These things are very
plain in the 2nd and 7th chapters of Daniel, and also in the Revelation
of St. John. And it is also plain by the 9th chapter of Romans, that it
shall be after the national conversion of the Jews which shall be as life
from the dead to the Gentiles, and the fulness of both Jews and Gentiles
shall be come in, all the nation of the Jews, and all other nations, shall
obtain mercy, and there shall be that general ingathering of the harvest
of the whole earth, of which all that had been converted before either
of Jews or Gentiles, were but the first-fruits. Thus it is meet,
that the last kingdom which shall take place on earth, should be the kingdom
of God's own Son and heir, whose right it is to rule and reign, and that
whatever revolutions and confusions there may be in the world, for a long
time, the cause of truth, the righteous cause, shall finally prevail,
and God's holy people should at last inherit the earth, and reign on earth;
and that the world should continue in tumults and great revolutions, following
one another, from age to age, the world being as it were in travail, till
truth and holiness are brought forth. It is meet, that all things should
be shaken, till that comes which is true and right, and agreeable to the
mind of God which cannot be shaken; and that the wisdom of the Ruler of
the world should be manifested in bringing all things ultimately to so
good an issue. The world is made for the Son of God; his kingdom is the
end of all changes, that come to pass in the state of the world. All are
only to prepare the way for this; it is fit, therefore, that the last
kingdom on earth should be his. It is wisely and mercifully ordered of
God, that it should be so, on this account, as well as many others, viz.
That the church of God, under all preceding changes, should have this
consideration to encourage her, and maintain her hope, and animate her
faith and prayers, from generation to generation, that God has promised,
her cause should finally be maintained and prevail in the world.
SECTION 2
The latter-day glory unspeakably great. The future promised advancement
of the kingdom of Christ is an event unspeakably happy and glorious. The
Scriptures speak of it as a time wherein God and his Son Jesus Christ
will be most eminently glorified on earth; a time, wherein God, who till
then had dwelt between the cherubim's - and concealed himself in the holy
of holies, in the secret of his tabernacle, behind the veil, in the thick
darkness - should openly shine forth, and all flesh should see his glory,
and God's people in general have as great a privilege as the High Priest
alone had once a year, or as Moses had in the mount. A time this, wherein
the "temple of God in heaven should be opened, and there should be
seen the ark of his testament;" (Rev 11:19.) a time, wherein both
God will be greatly glorified, and his saints made unspeakably happy in
the view of his glory; a time, wherein God's people should not only once
see the light of God's glory, as Moses, or see it once a year with the
high priest, but should dwell and walk continually in it, and it should
be their constant daily light, instead of the light of the sun; (Isa.
2:5. Psalm 89:15. Isa. 60:19.) which light should be so much more glorious
than the light of the sun or moon, that "the moon shall be confounded,
and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts should reign in mount Zion,
and in Jerusalem, before his ancients gloriously;" Isa. 24:23.)
It is represented as a time of vast increase of knowledge and understanding,
especially in divine things; a time wherein God would "destroy the
face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil spread over all
nations," (Isa. 2:7) wherein "the light of the moon shall be
as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, (Isa. 30:26.)
"And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the heart of
the rash shall understand knowledge," (Isa 32:3, 4.) "And they
shall no more teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the Lord, because they shall all know him from the least
to the greatest, (Jer 31:24.) It is declared to be a time of general holiness,
(Isa 60:30.) "Thy people shall be all righteous." A time of
prevailing eminent holiness, when little children shall, in spiritual
attainments, be as though they were a hundred years old, (Isa 65:20.)
Wherein "he that is feeble among God's people shall be as David,"
(Zech 12:8.) A time wherein holiness should be as it were inscribed on
every thing, on all men's common business and employment's, and the common
utensils of life, all shall be dedicated to God, and improved to holy
purposes. (Isa. 23:18.) "Her merchandise and hire shall be holiness
to the Lord." (Zech. 14:20, 21.) "In that day shall there be
upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord; and the pots in
the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar; yea, every
pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts."
A time shall come wherein religion and true Christianity shall in every
respect be uppermost in the world; wherein God will cause his church to
"arise and shake herself from the dust, and put on her beautiful
garments, and sit down on a throne; and the poor shall be raised from
the dust, and the beggar from the dunghill, and shall be set among princes,
and made to inherit the throne of God's glory," - a time wherein
vital piety shall take possession of thrones and palaces, and those that
are in most exalted stations shall be eminent in holiness, (Isa. 49:23.)
"And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing
mothers." (chap. 60:16.) "Thou shalt suck the breasts of kings."
(Isa 45:12.) "The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, the
rich among the people shall entreat thy favour." - A time of wonderful
union, and the most universal peace, love, and sweet harmony; wherein
the nations shall "beat their swords into plow-shares," &
etc. and God will "cause wars to cease to the ends of the earth,
and break the bow, and cut the spear in sunder, and burn the chariot in
the fire; and the mountains shall bring forth peace to God's people, and
the little hills by righteousness; wherein the wolf shall dwell with the
lamb, & etc. and wherein God's people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation,
and in sure dwellings, and quiet resting places;" (Isa. 32:17-18
and 33:20-21) A time shall come wherein all heresies and false doctrines
shall be exploded, and the church of God shall not be rent with a variety
of jarring opinions, (Zech. 14:9.) "The Lord shall be king over all
the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one."
All superstitious ways of worship shall be abolished, and all agree in
worshipping God in his own appointed way, and agreeably to the purity
of his institutions; (Jer. 32:39.) "I will give them one heart and
one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them and their
children after them." A time wherein the whole earth shall be united
as one holy city, one heavenly family, men of all nations shall as it
were dwell together, and sweetly correspond one with another, as brethren
and children of the same father; as the prophecies often speak of God's
people at that time as the children of God, and brethren one to another,
all "appointing over them one head," gathered to one "house
of God, to worship the King, the Lord of hosts." A time approaches
wherein this whole great society shall appear in glorious beauty, in genuine
amiable Christianity and excellent order, as "a city compact together,
the perfection of beauty, an eternal excellency," shining with a
reflection of the glory of Jehovah risen upon it, which shall be attractive
and ravishing to all kings and nations, and it shall appear "as a
bride adorned for her husband." - A time of great temporal prosperity,
of great health, (Isa. 33:24) "The inhabitant shall not say, I am
sick" of long life; (Isa 55:22) "As the days of a tree, are
the days of my people." A time wherein the earth shall be abundantly
fruitful, (Psalm 67, Isa. 6:23-24, Amos 9:16. and many other places.)
A time wherein the world shall be delivered from that multitude of sore
calamities which before had prevailed, (Ezek. 47:20) and there shall be
an universal blessing of God upon mankind, in soul and body, and in all
their concerns, and all manner of tokens of God's presence and favour,
and "God shall rejoice over them, as the bridegroom rejoiceth over
his bride, and the mountains shall as it were drop down new wine, and
the hills shall flow with milk;" (Joel 3:18) A time of great
and universal joy, we are taught to expect, will take place through all
the earth, when "from the utmost ends of the earth shall be heard
songs, even glory to the righteous," and God's people "shall
with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation." God shall "prepare
in his holy mountain a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees,
of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined,"
which feast is represented, Rev. 19 as the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Yea, the Scriptures represent it not only as a time of universal joy on
earth, but extraordinary joy in heaven, among the angels and saints, the
holy apostles and prophets there; (Rev 18:20. and 19:1-9.) Yea, the Scriptures
represent it as a time of extraordinary rejoicing with Christ himself,
the glorious head, in whom all things in heaven and earth shall then be
gathered together in one; (Zech 3:17) "The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty; he will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy, he
will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." (And
the very fields, trees, and mountains shall then as it were rejoice, and
break forth into singing, (Isaiah 55:12) "Ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth
before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their
hands." (Isa 44:23) "Sing, O heavens, for the Lord hath done
it; shout, ye lower park of the earth, break forth into singing, ye mountains;
O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and
glorified himself in Israel." Such being the state of things
in this future promised glorious day of the church's prosperity, surely
it is worth praying for. Nor is there any one thing whatsoever, if we
viewed things aright, for which a regard to the glory of God, a concern
for the kingdom and honour of our Redeemer, a love to his people, pity
to perishing sinners - love to our fellow-creatures in general, compassion
to mankind under their various and sore calamities and miseries, a desire
of their temporal and spiritual prosperity, love to our country, our neighbours,
and friends, yea, and to our own souls - would dispose us to be so much
in prayer, as for the dawning of this happy day, and the accomplishment
of this glorious event.
SECTION 3
HOW much Christ prayed and laboured and suffered, in order to the glory
and happiness of that day. THE sum of the blessings Christ sought,
by what he did and suffered in the work of redemption, was the Holy Spirit.
Thus is the affair of our redemption constituted; the Father provides
and gives the Redeemer, and the price of redemption is offered to him,
and he grants the benefit purchased; the Son is the Redeemer who gives
the price, and also is the price offered; and the Holy Spirit is the grand
blessing obtained by the price offered, and bestowed on the redeemed.
The Holy Spirit, in his indwelling presence, his influences and fruits,
is the sum of all grace, holiness, comfort, and joy; or, in one word,
of all the spiritual good Christ purchased for men in this world: and
is also the sum of all perfection, glory, and eternal joy, that he purchased
for them in another world. The Holy Spirit is the subject matter of the
promises, Both of the eternal covenant of redemption, and also of the
covenant of grace. This is the grand subject of the promises of the Old
Testament, so often recorded in the prophecies of Messiah's kingdom; and
the chief subject of the promises of the New Testament; and particularly
of the covenant of grace delivered by Jesus Christ to his disciples, as
his last will and testament, in the 14th, 15th and 16th chapters of John;
the grand legacy that he bequeathed to them, in his last and dying discourse
with them. Therefore the Holy Spirit is so often called the Spirit of
promise, and emphatically, the promise, the promise of the Father, &
etc. This being the great blessing Christ purchased by his labours
and sufferings on earth, it was that which he received of the Father when
he ascended into heaven, and entered into the holy of holies with his
own blood, that he might communicate it to those whom he had redeemed.
John 16:7. "It is expedient for you, that I go away; for if I go
not away, the Comforter will not come; but if I depart, I will send him
unto you." Acts 2:33 "Being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath
shed forth this which ye now see and hear." - This is the sum of
those gifts, which Christ received for men, even for the rebellious, at
his ascension; and of the benefits Christ obtains fur men by his intercession;
John 14:16, 17. "I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit
of truth." Herein consists Christ's communicative fulness, even in
his being full of the Spirit; and so full of grace and truth, that we
might of this fulness receive and grace for grace. He is anointed with
the Holy Ghost, and this is the ointment that goes down from the head
to the members. "God gives the Spirit not by measure unto him, that
every member might receive according to the measure of the gift of Christ."
This therefore was the great blessing he prayed for in that wonderful
prayer which he uttered for his disciple and all his future church, the
evening before he died, John 17. The blessing he prayed for to the Father,
in behalf of his disciples was the same he had insisted on in his preceding
discourse with them; and this, doubtless, was the blessing he prayed for,
when, as our High Priest, he offered up strong crying and tears with his
blood, Heb 5:6-7. As for this he shed his blood, for this he also shed
tears, and poured out prayers. But of all the time we have been speaking
of; this is the chief season for the bestowment of this blessing; the
main season of success to all that Christ did and suffered in the work
of our redemption. Before this, the Spirit of God is given but very sparingly,
and but few are saved; but then it will be far otherwise; wickedness shall
be rare then, as virtue and piety had been before: and undoubtedly, by
far the greatest number of them that ever receive the benefits of Christ's
redemption, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, will receive
it in that time. This time is represented in Scripture, as the proper
appointed season of Christ's salvation; eminently the elect season, the
accepted time, and day of salvation. "The year of Christ's redeemed,"
Isa 63:4. - This period is spoken of as the proper time of the Redeemer's
dominion. And the reign of his redeeming love, in the 2nd and 7th chapters
of Daniel, and many other places; the proper time of his harvest, or ingathering
of his fruits from this fallen world; the appointed day of his triumph
over Satan, the great destroyer, and the appointed day of his marriage
with his elect spouse, (Rev. 19:7.) The time given to the Sun of righteousness
to rule, as the day is the time God has appointed for the natural sun
to bear rule. Therefore the bringing on of this time is called "Christ's
coming in his kingdom;" wherein "he will rend the heavens and
come down, and the Sun of righteousness shall arise," (Mal. 4:2 and
Isa 60:1) The comparatively little saving good there is in the world,
as the fruit of Christ's redemption, before that time, is as it were granted
by way of anticipation; as we anticipate something of the sun's light
by reflection before the proper time of the sun's rule; and as the first-fruits
are gathered before the harvest. Then more especially will be the fulfilment
of those great promises, made by God the Father to the Son, for his pouring
out his soul unto death (Isa. 53:10-12.) then "shall he see his seed,
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand," then "shall
he see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied and shall justify
many by his knowledge;" then "will God divide him a portion
with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;" then
shall Christ in an eminent manner obtain his chosen spouse, that "he
loved and died for, that he might sanctify and cleanse her, with the washing
of water, by the word, and present her to himself, a glorious church."
He will obtain "the joy that was set before him, for which he endured
the cross, and despised the shame," chiefly in the events and consequences
of that day: that day, as was observed before, which is often represented
as eminently the time of the "rejoicing of the bridegroom."
The foreknowledge and consideration of it was what supported him, and
that in which his soul exulted, at a time when it had been troubled at
the view of his approaching sufferings; as may be seen in John 12:23-24,
27, 31-32. Now therefore, if this is what Jesus Christ, our great
Redeemer and the head of the church, did so much desire, and set his heart
upon, from all eternity, and for which he did and suffered so much, offering
up strong crying and tears, and his precious blood, to obtain it, surely
his disciples and members should also earnestly seek it, and be much in
prayer for it.
SECTION 4
The whole creation travails in pain. THE whole creation is, as it
were, earnestly waiting, for that day, and constantly groaning and travailing
in pain to bring forth the felicity and glory of it. For that day is above
all other times, excepting the day of judgment, the day of the manifestation
of the sons of God, and of their glorious liberty: and therefore, that
elegant representation the apostle makes of the earnest expectation and
travail of the creation, in Rom 8:19-22. is applicable to the glorious
event of this day, "the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject
to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the
same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now." The visible world has now for many ages been
subject to sin, and made, as it were, a servant to it, through the abuse
that man, who has the dominion over the creatures, puts the creatures
to. Thus the sun is a sort of servant to all manner of wickedness, as
its light, and other beneficial influences, are abused by men, and made
subservient to their lusts and sinful purposes. So of the rain, the fruits
of the earth, the brute animals, and all other parts of the visible creation;
they all serve men's corruption, and obey their sinful will. And God doth,
in a sort, subject them to it; for he continues his influence and power
to make them obedient, according to the same law of nature, whereby they
yield to men's command when used to good purposes. It is by the immediate
influence of God upon things according to those constant methods which
we call the laws of nature, that they are ever obedient to man's will,
or that we can use them at all. This influence God continues in order
to make them obedient to man's will, though wicked. This is a sure sign,
that the present state of things is not lasting: it is confusion; and
God would not suffer it to be, but that he designs in a little time to
put an end to it. Seeing it is to be but a little while, God chooses rather
to subject the creature to man's wickedness, than to disturb and interrupt
the course of nature according to its stated laws: but it is, as it were,
a force upon the creature; for the creature is abused in it, perverted
to far meaner purposes, than those for which the author of its nature
made and adapted it. The creature therefore is unwillingly subject; and
but for a short time; and, as it were, hopes for an alteration. It is
a bondage which the creature is subject to, from which it was partly delivered
when Christ came, and when the gospel was promulgated in the world; and
will be more fully delivered at the commencement of the glorious day we
are speaking of, and perfectly at the day of judgment. - This agrees with
the context; for the apostle was speaking of the present suffering state
of the church. The reason why the church in this world is in a suffering
state, is, that the world is subject to the sin and corruption of mankind.
By vanity and corruption in Scripture, is very commonly meant sin, or
wickedness; as might be shown in very many places, would my intended brevity
allow. Though the creature is thus subject to vanity, yet does not
it rest in this subjection, but is constantly acting and exerting itself,
in order to that glorious liberty that God has appointed at the time we
are speaking of, and, as it were, reaching forth towards it. All the changes
brought to pass in the world, from age to age, are ordered by infinite
wisdom, in one respect or other to prepare the way for that glorious issue
of things, when truth and righteousness shall finally prevail, and he,
whose right it is, shall take the kingdom. All the creatures, in all their
operations and motions continually tend to this. As in a clock, all the
motions of the whole system of wheels and movements, tend to the striking
of the hammer at the appointed time. All the revolutions and restless
motions of the sun and other heavenly bodies, from day to day, from year
to year, and from age to age, are continually tending thither; as all
the many turnings of the whom of a chariot, in a journey, tend to the
appointed journeys end. The mighty snuggles and conflicts of nations,
those vast successive changes that which are brought to pass in the kingdoms
and empires of the world, from one age to another, are, as it were, travail-pangs
of the creation, in order to bring forth this glorious event. And the
Scriptures represent the last struggles and changes that shall immediately
precede this event, as being the greatest of all; as the last pangs of
a woman in travail are the most violent. The creature thus earnestly
expecting this glorious manifestation and liberty of the children of God,
and travailing in pain in order to it, the Scriptures, by a like figure,
very often show, that when this shall be accomplished, the whole inanimate
creation shall greatly rejoice: "That the heavens shall sing, the
earth be glad, the mountains break forth into singing, the hills be joyful
together, the trees clap their hands, the lower parts of the earth shout,
the sea roar and the fulness thereof, and the floods clap their hands."
All the intelligent elect creation, all God's holy creatures in heaven
and earth, are truly and properly waiting for, and earnestly expecting,
that event. It is abundantly represented in Scripture as the spirit and
character of all true saints, that they set their hearts upon, love, long,
wait, and pray for the promised glory of that day; they are spoken of
as those that "prefer Jerusalem to their chief joy," (Psalm
137:6.) "That take pleasure in the stones of Zion, and favour the
dust thereof," (Psalm 102:13-14.) "That wait for the consolation
of Israel," (Luke 2:25. and ver 38.) It is the language of the church
of God and the breathing of every true saint, (Psalm 14:7.) "O that
the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the Lord bringeth
back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall
be glad." And Cant. 2:17. "Until the day break, and the shadows
flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon
the mountains of Bether." And chap. 8:14. "Make haste, my beloved,
and be thou like to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices."
Agreeable to this was the spirit of old Jacob, which he expressed when
he was dying, exercising faith in the great promise made to him, and Isaac,
and Abraham, that "in their seed all the families of the earth should
be blessed," Gen 49:18. "I have waited for thy salvation, O
Lord." The same is represented as the spirit of his true children,
or the family of Jacob, Isa 8:17. "I will wait upon the Lord, that
hideth himself from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."
- "They that love Christ's appearing," is a name that the apostle
gives to true Christians, 2 Tim 4:8. The glorious inhabitants of
the heavenly world - the saints and angels there, who rejoice when one
sinner repents - are earnestly waiting, in an assured and joyful dependence
on God's promises of that converse of the world and marriage of the Lamb,
which shall take place when that glorious day comes: and therefore they
are represented as all with one accord rejoicing, and praising God with
such mighty exultation and triumph, when it is accomplished, Rev. 19.
SECTION 5
Precepts, encouragement's, and examples. THE word of God is full
of precepts, encouragement's, and examples, tending to excite and induce
the people of God to be much in prayer for this mercy. The Spirit of God
is the chief of blessings; for it is the sum of all spiritual blessings;
which we need infinitely more than others, and wherein our true and eternal
handiness consists. That, which is the sum of the blessings Christ purchased,
is the sum of the blessings Christians have to pray for; but that, as
was observed before, is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when the disciples
came to Christ, desiring him to teach them to pray, (Luke 11) and he accordingly
gave them particular directions for the performance of this duty; he adds,
ver 13. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him?" From which words of Christ, we may
also observe, that there is no blessing we have so great encouragement
to pray for, as the Spirit of God. The words imply, that our heavenly
Father is especially ready to bestow his Holy Spirit on them that ask
him. The more excellent the nature of any benefit is, which we stand in
need of, the more ready God is to bestow it, in answer to prayer. The
infinite goodness of God's nature is the more gratified, the grand design
of our redemption is the better answered, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer,
has the greater success in his undertaking and labours; and those desires
which are expressed in prayer for the most excellent blessings, are the
most excellent desires, and consequently such as God most approves of,
and is most ready to gratify. The Scriptures do not only direct and
encourage us, in general, to pray for the Holy Spirit above all things
else; but it is the expressly revealed will of God, that his church should
be very much in prayer for that glorious outpouring of the Spirit, which
is to be in the latter days and for what shall be accomplished by it.
God, speaking of that blessed event, Ezekiel 36 under the figure of "cleansing
the house of Israel from all their iniquities, planting and building their
waste and ruined places, and making them to become like the garden of
Eden, and filling them with men like a flock, like the holy flock, the
flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts," he says, ver 37 "Thus
saith the Lord, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel,
to do it for them." Which doubtless implies it is the will of God,
that extraordinary prayerfulness in his people for this mercy should precede
the bestowment of it. I know of no place in the Bible, where so strange
an expression is made use of to signify importunity in prayer, as is used
in Isa 62:6-7. Where the people of God are called upon to be importunate
for this mercy: "Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,
and give him no rest, till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise
in the earth." How strong is the phrase! And how loud is this call
to the church of God, to be fervent and incessant in their cries to him
for this great mercy! How wonderful the words used, concerning the manner
in which such worms of the dust should address the high and lofty One
that inhabits eternity! And what encouragement is here, to approach the
mercy-seat with the greatest freedom, humble boldness, earnestness, constancy,
and full assurance of faith, to seek of God this greatest favour that
can be sought in Christian prayer! It is a just observation of a
certain eminent minister of the church of Scotland, in a discourse lately
published on social prayer, in which, speaking of pleading for the success
of the gospel, as required by the Lord's prayer, he says, "That notwithstanding
of its being so compendious, yet the one half of it, that is, three petitions
in six, and these the first prescribed, do all relate to this great case:-
so that to put any one of these petitions apart, or all of them together,
is upon the matter, to pray that the dispensation of the gospel may be
blessed with divine power." That glorious day is the proper and appointed
time, above all others, for bringing to pass the things requested in each
of these petitions. The prophecies every where represent that as the time,
which God has especially appointed for glorifying his own great name in
this world, causing "his glory to be revealed, that all flesh may
see it together," causing it "openly to be manifested in the
sight of the heathen," filling the whole world with the light of
his glory to such a degree, that "the moon shall be confounded and
the sun ashamed" before that brighter glory; the appointed time for
glorifying and magnifying the name of Jesus Christ, causing "every
knee to bow and every tongue to confess to him." This is the proper
time of God's kingdom coming, or of Christ coming in his kingdom: that
is, the very time foretold in the 2nd of Daniel, when the Lord God of
heaven shall set up a kingdom, in the latter times of the last monarchy,
when it is divided into ten kingdoms. And that is the very time foretold
in the 7th of Daniel, when there should be "given to one like the
Son of man, dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and
languages should serve them; and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness
of the kingdom, under the whole heaven shall he given to the people of
the saints of the most high God," after the destruction of the little
horn, that should continue for a time, times, and the dividing of time.
And that is the time wherein "God's will shall be done on earth,
as it is done in heaven;" when heaven shall, as it were, be bowed,
and come down to the earth, as "God's people shall be all righteous,
and holiness to the Lord shall be written on the bells of the horses,"
& etc. So that the three first petitions of the Lord's prayer are,
in effect, no other than requests for bringing on this glorious day -
And as the Lord's prayer begins with asking for this, in the three first
petitions, so it concludes with it in these words, "For thine is
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Which
words imply a request, that God would take to himself his great power,
and reign, and manifest his power and glory in the world. Thus Christ
teaches us, that it becomes his disciples to seek this above all other
things, and make it the first and the last in their prayers, and that
every petition should be put up in subordination to the advancement of
God's kingdom and glory ill the world. Besides what has been observed
of the Lord's prayer, if we look through the whole Bible, and observe
all the examples of prayer that we find there recorded, we shall not find
so many prayers for any other mercy, as for the deliverance, restoration,
and prosperity of the church, and the advancement of God's glory and kingdom
of grace in the world. If we well consider the prayers recorded in the
book of Psalms, I believe we shall see reason to think, that a very great,
if not the greater, part of them, are prayers uttered, either in the name
of Christ, or in the name of the church, for such a mercy: and, undoubtedly,
the greatest part of the book of Psalms is made up of prayers for this
mercy, prophecies of it, and prophetical praises for it. In order
to Christ being mystically born, in the advancement of true religion,
and the great increase of true converts, who are spoken of as having Christ
formed in them, the Scriptures represent it as requisite, that the church
should first be "in travail, crying in pain to be delivered;"
Rev. 12:1, 2, 5. And we have good reason to understand by it her exercising
strong desires, wrestling and agonizing with God in prayer, for this event;
because we find such figures of speech used in this sense elsewhere: so
Gal. 4:19 "My little children, of whom I travail in both again, until
Christ be formed in You." - Isa 26:16-17. "Lord, in trouble
have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was
upon them. Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her
delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs, so have we been in
thy sight, O Lord." And certainly it is fit, that the church of God
should be in travail for that, for which the whole creation travails in
pain. The Scripture does not only abundantly manifest it to be the
duty of God's people to be much in prayer for this great mercy, but it
also abounds with manifold considerations to encourage them in it, and
animate them with hopes of success. There is perhaps no one thing that
the Bible so much promises, in order to encourage the faith, hope, and
prayers of the saints, as this; which affords to God's people the clearest
evidences that it is their duty to be much in prayer for this mercy. For,
undoubtedly, that which God abundantly makes the subject of his promises,
God's people should abundantly make the subject of their prayers. It also
affords them the strongest assurances that their prayers shall be successful.
With what confidence may we go before God, and pray for that, of which
we have so many exceeding precious and glorious promises to plead! The
very first promise of God to fallen man, (Gen 3:15.) It shall bruise thy
head, is to have its chief fulfilment at that day. And the whole Bible
concludes with a promise of the glory of that day, and a prayer for its
fulfilment. Rev 22:20 "He that testifieth these things, saith, Surely
I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The Scripture
gives us great reason to think, that when once there comes to appear much
of a Spirit of prayer in the church of God for this mercy, then it will
soon be accomplished. It is evidently with reference to this mercy, that
God makes the promise in Isa. 41:17-19. "When the poor and needy
seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I,
the Lord, will hear them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them;
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of
water, I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah-tree, and
the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the
pine, and the box-tree together." Spiritual waters and rivers are
explained by the apostle John, to be the Holy Spirit, (John 7:37-39.)
It is now a time of scarcity of these spiritual waters; there are, as
it were, none. If God's people, in this time of great drought, were but
made duly sensible of this calamity, and their own emptiness and necessity,
and brought earnestly to thirst and cry for needed supplies, God would,
doubtless, soon fulfil this blessed promise. We have another promise much
like this, in Ps. 102:16-17. "When the Lord shall build up Zion,
he shall appear in his glory; he will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and not despise their prayer." And remarkable are the wards that
follow in the next verse, "This shall be written for the generation
to come; and the people which shall be created, shall praise the Lord."
Which seems to signify, that this promise shall be left on record to encourage
some future generation of God's people to pray and cry earnestly for this
mercy, to whom he would fulfil the promise, and thereby give them, and
great multitudes of others who should be converted through their prayers,
occasion to praise his name. Who knows but that the generation here
spoken of, may be this present generation? One thing mentioned in the
character of that future generation, is certainly true concerning the
present, viz. That it is destitute. The church of God is in very low,
sorrowful, and needy circumstances; and if the next thing there supposed,
were also verified in us, viz. That we were made sensible of our great
calamity, and brought to cry earnestly to God for help, I am persuaded
the third would be also verified, viz. That our prayers would be turned
into joyful praise, for God's gracious answers of them. It is spoken of
as a sign and evidence that the time to favour Zion is come, when God's
servants are brought by their prayerfulness for her restoration, in an
eminent manner, to show that they favour her stones and dust; (ver 13-14.)
"Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour
her, yea, the set time is come; for thy servants take pleasure in her
stones, and favour the dust thereof." God has respect to the
prayers of his saints in all his government of the world; as we may observe
by the representation made (Rev 8) at the beginning. There we read of
seven angels standing before the throne of God, and receiving of him seven
trumpets, at the sounding of which great and mighty changes were to be
brought to pass in the world, through many successive ages. But when these
angels had received their trumpets, they must stand still and all must
be in silence, not one of them must be allowed to sound, till the prayers
If the saints are attended to. The angel of the covenant, as a glorious
high priest, comes and stands at the altar, with much incense, to offer
with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, before the throne:
and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints ascends up
with acceptance before God, out of the angel's hand: and then the angels
prepare themselves to sound. And God, in the events of every trumpet,
remembers those prayers: as appears at last, by the great and glorious
things he accomplishes for his church, in the issue of all, in answer
to these prayers, in the event of the last trumpet, which brings the glory
of the latter days, when these prayers shall be turned into joyful praises.
Rev 11:15-17 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And
the four-and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell
upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord
God Almighty, which art and wast and art to come, because thou hast taken
to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." Since it is the pleasure
of God so to honour his people, as to carry on all the designs of his
kingdom in this way, viz. By the prayers of his saints; this gives us
great reason to think, that whenever the time comes that God gives an
extraordinary spirit of prayer for the promised advancement of his kingdom
on earth - which is God's great aim in all preceding providence's, and
the main thing that the spirit of prayer in the saints aims at - then
the fulfilment of this event is nigh. God, In wonderful grace, is
pleased to represent himself, as it were, at the command of his people
with regard to mercies of this nature, so as to be ready to bestow them
whenever they shall earnestly pray for them, Isa 45:11. "Thus saith
the Lord the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come
concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me."
What God is speaking of, in this context, is the restoration of his church;
not only a restoration from temporal calamity and an outward captivity,
by Cyrus; but also a spiritual restoration and advancement, by God's commanding
the heavens to "drop down from above, and the skies to pour down
righteousness, and causing the earth to open and bring forth salvation,
and righteousness to spring up together," ver 8. God would have his
people ask of him, or inquire of him by earnest prayer, to do this for
them; and manifests himself as being at the command of earnest prayers
for such a mercy: and a reason why God is so ready to hear such prayers
is couched in the words, viz. Because it is prayer for his own church
his chosen and beloved people, "his sons and daughters, and the work
of his hands;" and he cannot deny any thing that is asked for their
comfort and prosperity. God speaks of himself as standing ready to
be gracious to his church, and to appear for its restoration, and only
waiting for such an opportunity to bestow this mercy, when he shall hear
the cries of his people for it, that he may bestow it in answer to their
prayers. Isa 30:18-19. "Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may
be gracious to thee: and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have
mercy upon you; for the Lord is a God of judgement: blessed are all they
that wait for him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. Thou
shalt weep no more; he will be very gracious unto thee, at the voice of
thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee." The words imply,
that when God once sees his people much engaged in praying for this mercy,
it shall be no longer delayed. Christ desires to "hear the voice
of his spouse who is in the clefts of the rock, & in the secret places
of the stairs;" in a low and obscure state, driven into secret corners;
he only waits for this, in order to put an end to her state of affliction,
and cause "the day to break, and the shadows to flee away."
If he once heard her voice in earnest prayer, he would come swiftly over
the mountains of separation between him and her, as a roe, or young hart;
(Sol. Song 2:14,& etc.) When his church is in a low state, and
oppressed by her enemies, and cries to him, he will swiftly fly to her
relief, as birds fly at the cry of their young; (Isa 31:5.) Yea, when
that glorious day comes, "before they call, he will answer them,
and while they are yet speaking, he will hear;" and in answer to
their prayers, he will make "the wolf and the lamb feed together,"
& etc. (Isa. 65:24-25.) When the spouse prays for the effusion of
the Holy Spirit, and the coming of Christ, by granting the tokens of his
spiritual presence in the church, (Cant. 4:16.) "Awake, O north wind,
and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may
flow out; let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits;"
there seems to be an immediate answer to her prayer, in the next words,
in abundant communications of the Spirit, and bestowment of spiritual
blessings: "I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have
gathered my myrrh with my spice; l have eaten my honey-comb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly,
O beloved." Scripture instances and examples of success in prayer
give great encouragement to pray for this mercy. Most of the remarkable
deliverance's and restorations of the church of God, mentioned in the
Scriptures, were in answer to prayer. For instance, the redemption of
the church of God from the Egyptian bondage. It was in answer to prayer,
that the sun stood still over Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Aijalon,
and God's people obtained that great victory over their enemies; in which
wonderful miracle, God seemed to have some respect to a future more glorious
event to be accomplished for the Christian church, in the day of her victory
ever her enemies, in the latter days; even that event foretold, Isaiah
40:20 "Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw
itself." It was in answer to prayer, that God delivered his
church from the mighty hosts of the Assyrians, in Hezekiah's time; which
dispensation is a type of the great things God will do for the Christian
church in the latter days. The restoration of the church of God from the
Babylonish captivity, as abundantly appears both by scripture prophecies;
and histories, was in answer to extraordinary prayer. This restoration
of the Jewish church, after the destruction of Babylon, is evidently a
type of the glorious restoration of the Christian church, after the destruction
of the kingdom of antichrist; which is abundantly spoken of in the revelation
of St. John, as the antitype of Babylon. Samson out of weakness received
strength to pull down Dagon's temple, through prayer. So the people of
God, in the latter days, will out of weakness be made strong, and will
become the instruments of pulling down the kingdom of Satan by prayer.
The Spirit of God was poured out upon Christ himself, in answer to prayer;
Luke 3:21-22. "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to
pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, like a dove, upon him;
and a voice came from heaven, which said, thou art my beloved Son, in
thee I am well pleased." The Spirit descends on the church of Christ,
the same way, in this respect, that it descended on the head of the church.
The greatest effusion of the Spirit that ever yet has been, event that
which was in the primitive times of the Christian church, which began
in Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, was in answer to extraordinary
prayer. When the disciples were gathered together to their Lord, a little
before his ascension, "he commanded them that they should not depart
from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he,
ye have heard of me," i.e. the promise of the Holy Ghost; Acts 1:4.
What they had their hearts upon was the restoration of the kingdom of
Israel: "Lord, (say they,) wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel?" (ver 6.) And according to Christ's direction,
after his ascension, they resumed to Jerusalem, and continued in united
fervent prayer and supplication. It seems they spent their time in it
from day to day, without ceasing; till the Spirit came down in a wonderful
manner upon them, and that work was begun which never ceased, and all
the chief nations were converted to Christianity. And that glorious deliverance
and advancement of the Christian church, that was in the days of Constantine
the Great, followed the extraordinary cries of the church of God, as the
matter is represented, Rev 6, at the opening of the fifth seal. The church
in her suffering state, is represented crying with a loud voice, "How
long, Lord, holy and true; dost thou not judge, and avenge our blood on
them that dwell on the earth?" And the opening of the next seal brings
on that mighty revolution, in the days of Constantine, compared to those
great changes that shall be at the end of the world. As there is
so great and manifold reason from the word of God, to think that if a
spirit of earnest prayer for that great effusion of the Spirit of God
which I am speaking of, prevailed in the Christian church, the mercy would
be soon granted; so those that are engaged in such prayer might well expect
the first benefit. God will come to those that are seeking him and waiting
for him; Isa 25:9. and 26:8. When Christ came in the flesh, he was first
revealed to them who were waiting for the consolation of Israel, and looking
for redemption in Jerusalem, Luke 1:25, 38. And in that great outpouring
of the Spirit that was in the days of the apostles, which was attended
with such glorious effects among the Jews and Gentiles, the Spirit came
down first on those that were engaged in united earnest prayer for it.
- A special blessing is promised to them that love and pray for the prosperity
of the church of God, Psalm 132:6 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
They shall prosper that love thee."
SECTION 6
Motives to excite us. WE are presented with many motives in the dispensations
of divine providence, at this day, to excite us to be much in prayer for
this mercy. There is much in providence to show us our need of it, and
put us on desiring it. The great outward calamities, in which the world
is involved; and particularly the bloody war that embroils and wastes
the nations of Christendom, and in which our nation has so great a share,
may well make all that believe God's word, and love mankind; earnestly
long and pray for that day, when the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and
the nations shall beat their swords into plow-shares. But especially
do the spiritual calamities and miseries of the present time, show our
great need of that blessed effusion of God's Spirit: there having been,
for so long a time, so great a withholding of the Spirit, from the greater
part of the Christian world, and such dismal consequences of it, in the
great decay of vital piety, and the exceeding prevalence of infidelity,
heresy, and all manner of vice and wickedness. Of this a most affecting
account has lately been published in a pamphlet, printed in London, and
reprinted in Scotland, entitled Britain's Remembrancer; by which it seems
that luxury, and wickedness of almost every kind, is well nigh come to
the utmost extremity in the nation; and if vice should continue to prevail
and increase for one generation more, as it has the generation past, it
looks as though the nation could hardly continue in being, but must sink
under the weight of its own corruption and wickedness. And the state
of things in the other parts of the British dominions, besides England,
is very deplorable. The church of Scotland has very much lost her glory,
greatly departing from her ancient purity, and excellent order; and has
of late been bleeding with great and manifold wounds, occasioned be their
divisions and hot contentions. And there are frequent complaints from
thence, by those that lament the corruptions of that land, of sin and
wickedness of innumerable kinds, abounding and prevailing of late, among
all ranks of men. And how lamentable is the moral and religious state
of these American colonies! of New England in particular! How much is
that kind of religion which was professed, much experience, and practice,
in the first and apparently the best times in New England, grown and growing
out of credit! What fierce and violent contentions have been of late among
ministers and people, about things of a religious nature! How much is
the gospel-ministry grown into contempt! And the work of the ministry,
in many respects, laid under uncommon difficulties, and even in danger
of sinking amongst us! How many of our congregations and churches rending
in pieces! Church discipline weakened, and ordinances less and less regarded!
What wild and extravagant notions, gross delusions of the devil, and strange
practices, have prevailed, and do still prevail in many places, under
a pretext of extraordinary purity, spirituality, liberty, and zeal against
formality, usurpation, and conformity to the world! How strong, deeply
rooted, and general, are the prejudices that prevail against vital religion
and the power of godliness, and almost everything that appertains to it,
or tends to it. How apparently are the hearts of people every where, uncommonly
shut up against all means and endeavours to awaken sinners and revive
religion! Vice and immorality, of all kinds, withal increasing and unusually
prevailing! - May not an attentive view and consideration of such a state
of things well influence the people that favour the dust of Zion, to earnestness
in their cries to God for a general outpouring of his Spirit, which alone
can be an effectual remedy for these evils? Besides, the fresh attempts
made by the antichristian powers against the protestant interest, in their
late endeavours to restore a popish government in Great Britain, the chief
bulwark of the protestant cause; as also the persecution lately revived
against the protestants in France; may well give occasion to the people
of God, to renewed and extraordinary earnestness in their prayers to him,
for the fulfilment of the promised downfall of antichrist, and that liberty
and glory of his church that shall follow. As there is much in the
present state of things to show us our great need of this mercy, and to
cause us to desire it; so there is very much to convince us, that God
alone can bestow it; and show us our entire and absolute dependence on
him for it. The insufficiency of human abilities to bring to pass any
such happy change in the world as is foretold, or to afford any remedy
to mankind from such miseries as have been mentioned, does now remarkably
appear. Those observations of the apostle, 1 Cor 1 "The world by
wisdom knows not God, and God makes foolish the wisdom of this world,"
never were verified to such a degree as they are now. Great discoveries
have been made in the arts and sciences, and never was human learning
carried to such a height, as in the present age; and yet never did the
cause of religion and virtue run so low, in nations professing the true
religion. Never was, three an age wherein so many learned and elaborate
treatises have been written, in proof of the truth and divinity of the
Christian religion; yet never were there so many infidels, among those
that were brought in under the light of the gospel. It is an age, as is
supposed, of great light, freedom of thought, discovery of truth in matters
of religion, detection of the weakness and bigotry of our ancestors, and
of the folly and absurdity of the notions of those who were accounted
eminent divines in former generations; which notions, it is imagined,
destroyed the very foundations of virtue and religion, and enervated all
precepts of morality, and in effect annulled all difference between virtue
and vice; and yet vice and wickedness did never so prevail, like an overflowing
deluge. It is an age wherein those mean and stingy principles, as they
are called, of our forefathers, which are supposed to have deformed religion,
and led to unworthy thoughts of God, are very much discarded and grown
out of credit, and thoughts of the nature of religion, and of the Christian
scheme, supposed to be more free, noble, and generous are entertained.
But yet never was there an age, wherein religion in general was so much
despised and trampled on, and Jesus Christ and God Almighty so blasphemed
and treated with open, daring contempt. The exceeding weakness of
mankind, and their insufficiency in themselves for bringing to pass any
thing great and good in the world, with regard to its moral and spiritual
state, remarkably appears in many things that have attended and followed
the extraordinary religious commotion, that has lately been in many parts
of Great Britain and America. The infirmity of human nature her been manifested,
in a very affecting manner, in the various passions of men, and the innumerable
ways in which they have been moved, as a reed shaken with the wind, on
occasion of the changes and incidents, both public and private, of such
a state of things. How many errors and extremes are we liable to! How
quickly blinded, misled, and confounded! And how easily does Satan make
fools of men, if confident in their own wisdom and strength and left to
themselves! Many, in the late wonderful season, were ready to admire and
trust in men, as if all depended on such and such instruments; at least,
ascribed too much to their skill and zeal because God was pleases to employ
them a little while to do extraordinary things; but what great things
does the skill and zeal of instruments do now, when the Spirit of God
is withdrawn? As the present state of things may well excite earnest
desires after the promised general revival and advancement of true religion,
and serve to show our dependence on God for it, so there are many things
in providence, of late, that tend to encourage us in prayer for such a
mercy. That infidelity, heresy, and vice do so prevail, and that corruption
and wickedness are risen to such an extreme height, is exceeding deplorable;
but yet, I think, considering God's promises to his church, and the ordinary
method of his dispensations, hope may justly be gathered from it, that
the present state of things will not last long, but that a happy change
is nigh. We know, that God never will desert the cause of truth and holiness,
not suffer the gates of hell to prevail against the church; and that usually
from the beginning of the world, the state of the church has appeared
most dark, just before some remarkable deliverance and advancement: "Many
a time may Israel say, Had not the Lord been on our side, then our enemies
would have swallowed us up quick. - The waters had overwhelmed us."
The church's extremity has often been God's opportunity for magnifying
his power, mercy, and faithfulness towards her. The interest of vital
piety has long been in general decaying, and error and wickedness prevailing;
it looks as though the disease were now come to a crisis, and that things
cannot remain long in such a state, but that a change may be expected
in one respect or other. And not only God's manner of dealing with
his church in former ages, and many things in the promises and prophecies
of his word, but also several things appertaining to present and late
aspects of divine providence, seen to give reason to hope that the change
will be such, as to magnify God's free grace and sovereign mercy, and
not his revenging justice and wrath. There are certain times, which are
days of vengeance, appointed for the more special displays of God's justice
and indignation. God has also his days of mercy, accepted times, chosen
seasons, wherein it is his pleasure to show mercy, and nothing, shall
hinder it; times appointed for the magnifying of the Redeemer and his
merits, and for the triumphs of his grace, wherein his grace shall triumph
over men's unworthiness in its greatest height. And if we consider God's
late dealings with our nation and this land, it appears to me that there
is much to make us think that this is such a day." God's patience
was very wonderful of old, towards the ten tribes, and the people of Judah
and Jerusalem and afterwards to the Jews in the times of Christ and the
apostles; but it seems to me, all things considered, not equal to his
patience and mercy to us. God does not only forbear to destroy us, notwithstanding
all our provocations but he has wrought great things for us, wherein his
hand has been most visible, and his arm made bare; especially those two
instances in America, God succeeding us against Cape-Breton, and confounding
the Armada from France the last year; dispensations of providence, which,
if considered in all their circumstances, were so wonderfully and apparently
manifesting an extraordinary divine interposition, that they come perhaps
the nearest to a parallel with God's wonderful works of old, in the times
of Moses, Joshua, and Hezekiah, of any that have been in these latter
ages of the world. And it is to my present purpose to observe, that God
was pleased to do great things for us in both these instances, in answer
to extraordinary prayer. Such remarkable appearances of a spirit of prayer,
on any particular public occasion, have not been in the land, at any time
within my observation and memory, as on occasion of the affair of Cape-Breton.
And it is worthy to be remembered, that God sent that great storm on the
fleet of our enemies the last year, that finally dispersed, and utterly
confounded them, and caused them wholly to give over their designs against
us, the very night after our day of public fasting and prayer, for our
protection and their confusion. Thus, although it be a day of great
apostacy and provocation, yet it is apparently a day of the wonderful
works of God; wonders of power and mercy; which may well lead us to think
on those two places of Scripture; Psalm 119:126. "It is time for
thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law." And Psalm
75:1. "That thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare." -
God appears, as it were, doth to destroy us, or deal with us according
to our iniquities, great and aggravated as they are; and shows that mercy
pleases him. Though a corrupt time it is plain, by experience, that it
is a time wherein God may be found, and he stands ready to show mercy
in answer to prayer. He that has done such great things and has so wonderfully
and speedily answered prayer for temporal mercies, will much more give
the Holy Spirit if we ask him. He marvellously preserves us, and waits
to be gracious to us as though he chose to make us monuments of his grace,
and not of his vengeance, and waits; only to have us open our mouths wide,
that he may fill them. The late remarkable religious awakenings,
in many parts of the Christian world, may justly encourage us in prayer
for the promised glorious and universal outpouring of the Spirit of God.
"About the year 1732 or 1733, God was pleased to pour out his Spirit
on the people of Saltizburg in Germany, who were living under popish darkness,
in a most uncommon manner; so that above twenty thousand at them, merely
by reading the Bible, which then made a shift to get in their own language,
were determined to throw off popery, and embrace the reformed religion;
yea, and to become so very zealous for the truth and gospel of Jesus Christ,
as to be willing to suffer the loss of all things in the world, and actually
to forsake their houses, lands, goods, and relations, that they might
enjoy the pure preaching of the gospel: - with great earnestness, and
tears in their eyes, beseeching protestant ministers to preach to them,
in different places where they came, when banished from their own country."
In the year 1734 and 1735, there appeared a very great and general awakening,
in the county of Hampshire, in the province of the Massachusetts Bay,
in New England, and also in many parts of Connecticut. Since this, there
has been a far more extensive awakening of many thousands in England,
Wales, and Scotland, and almost all the British provinces in North America.
There has also been something remarkable of the same kind, in some places
in the united Netherlands; and about two years ago, a very great awaked
and reformation of many of the Indians, in the Jerseys, and Pennsylvania,
even among such as never embraced Christianity before: and within these
two years, a great awakening in Virginia and Maryland. Notwithstanding
the great diversity of opinions about the issue of some of these awakenings,
yet I know of none, who have denied that there have been great awakenings
of late, in these times and places, and that multitudes have been brought
to more than common concern for their salvation, and for a time were made
more than ordinarily afraid of sin, and brought to reform their former
vicious courses, and take much pains for their salvation. If I should
be of the opinion of those who think, that these awakenings and striving
of God's Spirit have been generally not well improved, and so, as to most,
have ended in enthusiasm and delusion; yet, that the Spirit of God has
been of late so wonderfully striving with such multitudes - in so many
different parts of the world, and even to this day, in one place or other,
continues to awaken men - is what I should take great encouragement from,
that God was about to do something more glorious, and would, before he
finishes, bring things to a greater ripeness, and not finally suffer this
work of his to be frustrated and rendered abortive by Satan's crafty management.
And may we not hope, that these unusual commotions are the forerunners
of something exceeding glorious approaching, as the wind, earthquake,
and fire at mount Sinai, were forerunners of that voice wherein God was
in a more eminent manner? (1 Kings 19:11-12.)
SECTION 7
The beauty and good tendency of such union. HOW condecent, how beautiful,
and of good tendency would it be, for multitudes of Christians, in various
parts of the world, by explicit agreement, to unite in such prayer as
is proposed to us. Union is one of the most amiable things that pertains
to human society; yea, it is one of the most beautiful and happy things
on earth, which indeed makes earth most like heaven. God has made of one
blood all nations of men, to dwell on all the fierce of the earth; hereby
teaching us this moral lesson, that it becomes mankind all to be united
as one family. And this is agreeable to the nature God has given men,
disposing them to society; and the circumstances in which he has placed
them, so many ways obliging and necessitating them to it. A civil union,
or an harmonious agreement among men in the management of their secular
concerns, is amiable; but much more a pious union, and sweet agreement
in the great business for which man was created, even the business of
religion; the life and soul of which is LOVE. Union is spoken of in Scripture
as the peculiar beauty of the church of Christ, Cant. 6:9. "My dove,
my undefiled, is but one, she is the only one of her mother, she is the
choice one of her that bare her; the daughters saw her and blessed her,
yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her." Psalm
122:5. "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together."
Eph 4:3-6. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. There is one body, and one Spirit even as ye are called in one
hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith one baptism, one God and Father
of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." ver 16.
"The whole body fitly framed together and compacted, by that which
every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure
of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying itself in
love." As it is the glory of the church of Christ, that in all
her members, however dispersed, she is thus one, one holy society, one
city, one family, one body; so it is very desirable, that this union should
be manifested, and become visible. It is highly desirable, that her distant
members should act as one, in those things that concern the common interest
of the whole body, and in those duties and exercises wherein they have
to do with their common Lord and Head, as seeking of him the common prosperity.
As it becomes all the members of a particular family who are strictly
united, and have in so many respects one common interest, to unite in
prayer to God for the things they need; and as it becomes a nation, at
certain seasons, visibly to unite in prayer for those public mercies that
concern the interest of the whole nation; so it becomes the church of
Christ - which is one holy nation, a peculiar people, one heavenly family,
more strictly united in many respects, and having infinitely greater interests
that are common to the whole, than any other society - visibly to unite
and expressly to agree together in prayer to God for the common prosperity;
and above all, that common prosperity and advancement, so unspeakably
great and glorious, which God hath so abundantly promised to fulfil in
the latter days. It becomes Christians, with whose character a narrow
selfish spirit, above all others, disagrees, to be much in prayer for
that public mercy, wherein consists the welfare and happiness of the whole
body of Christ, of which they are members, and the greatest good of mankind.
And union or agreement in prayer is especially becoming, when Christians
pray for that mercy, which above all other things concerns them unitedly,
and tends to the relief, prosperity and glory of the whole body, as well
as each individual member. Such an union in prayer for the general
outpouring of the Spirit of God, would not only be beautiful, but profitable
too. It would tend very much to promote union and charity between distant
members of the church of Christ, to promote public spirit, love to the
church of God, and concern for the interest of Zion; as well as be an
amiable exercise and manifestation of such a spirit. Union in religious
duties, especially in the duty of prayer, in praying one with and for
another, and jointly for their comment welfare, above almost all other
things, tends to promote mutual affection and endearment. And if ministers
and people should, by particular agreement and joint resolution, set themselves,
in a solemn and extraordinary manner, from time to time, to pray for the
revival of religion in the world, it would naturally tend more to awaken
in them a concern about things of this nature, and more of a desire after
such a mercy. It would engage them to more attention to such an affair,
make them more inquisitive about it, more ready to use endeavours to promote
what they, with so many others, spend so much time in praying for. It
would make them more ready to rejoice, and praise God, when they see or
hear of any thing of that nature or tendency. And, in a particular manner,
it would naturally tend to engage ministers - the business of whose lives
it should be, to seek the welfare of the church of Christ, and the advancement
of his kingdom - to greater diligence and earnestness in their work; and
it would have a tendency to the spiritual profit and advantage of each
particular person. For persons to be thus engaged in extraordinary prayer
for the revival and flourishing state of religion in the world, will naturally
lead each one to reflect on himself; and consider how religion flourishes
in his own heart; and how far his example contributes to that for which
he is praying. On the whole there is great and particular encouragement
given in the word of God, to express union and ageement in prayer. Daniel,
when he had a great thing to request of God, viz. That he by his Holy
Spirit would miraculously reveal to him a great secret, which none of
the wise men, astrologers, magicians, or soothsayers of Babylon could
find out, he goes to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and
they agree together, that they will unitedly desire mercies of the God
of heaven, concerning this secret; and their joint request was soon granted.
God put great honour upon, them above all the wise men of Babylon, not
only to their great joy, but also to the admiration and astonishment of
Nebuchadnezzar; insomuch, that the great and haughty monarch, as we are
told, fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel, and owned that his God
was of a truth a God of gods, and he greatly promoted Daniel and his praying
companions in the providence of Babylon. Esther, when she had a yet more
important request to make, for the saving of the church of God, and whole
Jewish nation, dispersed through the empire of Persia, when on the brink
of ruin, sends to all the Jews in the city Shushan, to pray and fast with
her and her maidens; and their united prayers prevail; so that the event
was wonderful. Instead of the intended destruction of the Jews, their
enemies are destroyed every where, and they are defended, honoured, and
promoted; their sorrow and distress is turned into great gladness, feasting,
triumph, and mutual joyful congratulations. The encouragement to
explicit agreement in prayer is great from such instances as these; but
it is yet greater from those wonderful words of our blessed Redeemer,
Matt. 18:19 "I say unto you, that if any two of you shall agree on
earth, touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them
of my Father which is in heaven." Christ is pleased to give this
great encouragement to the union of his followers in this excellent and
holy exercise of seeking and serving God; a holy union and communion of
his people being that which he greatly desires and delights in; that which
he came into the world to bring to pass; that which he especially prayed
for with his dying breath, (John 17) that which he died for; and which
was one chief end of the whole affair of our redemption by him, Eph 1:"In
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded towards us in all
wisdom and prudence; having made known to us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself: that
in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on
earth, even in him." |