claimed but in his name, because they are both made to him, and performed for him. They are made to him, the covenant being struck with him : ' In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began,' Tit. i. 2. And there was none then existing but Christ to whom the promise could be made. So that as the child claims his estate in right of his father that purchased it, so we come to our right in the promise as heirs of, and coheirs with Christ. And as the promise was made to him, so it is performed for him, because his blood shed was the condition of the obligation upon which God acknowledged the debt to Christ, and bound himself to perform all the articles of the covenant to his heirs, claiming them at his hands in his name. It is not, therefore, enough boldly to urge God with a promise, — Pardon, Lord, for thou hast promised it ; grace and glory, for thou hast promised them ; but we must, if we mean to lay our plea legally, according to the law of faith, plead for these imder the protection of his name. Thus Daniel laid the stress of his prayer on Clirist, — ' Now therefore, O oiu- God, hear the prayer of thy servant, — and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake,' chap. ix. 17.
Section III. — To this praying in faith is required a relying on God, through Christ, for a graciovis answer. Let the former be done, and the creature fail in this, he prays not in faith, but takes the name of God and Christ in vain. This act of relying is the taking hold on God in prayer. When mariners, in a storm, cast out their anchor, and it comes home again without taking hold on the firm ground, so as to stay the ship, and bear it up against the violence of the waves, it gives them no help ; so neither doth a prayer that takes no hold on God. Therefore you .shall find, that Avhen a Christian speeds well in prayer, liis happy success is attributed not to naked prayer, but as clothed and empowered with this act of i-ecvunbency upon God, 2 Chron. xiii. 14: 'They cried unto the Lord.' Now see ver. 18: 'The children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.' He doth but lie in prayer that doth not rely on God after praying. What he seems to give with one hand to God, he takes from him with another, Avhich is no better than mocking God. By praying, we pretend to expect good from him ; by not relying, we blot this out, and declare we look for no such thing. Now, this reliance of the soul hath a twofold way whereby it fastens on God, like the anchor's double hook. First, It takes hold on the power of God ; thus Christ, in his agony, ' offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, imto him that was able to save him from death.' In prayer we open our case to God, declare what sinful, weak, shiftless creatures we are, and then we commit our cause to God. Now, as none will put that to another's keeping, which he thinks safe in his own hands, so neither will any deliver it to another, of whose ability he is not first persuaded to effect that which himself is unable to do. See Eliphaz's counsel to Job, chap. v. 8 : 'I woidd seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause;' as if he had said, — If I were in your case, I will tell you what course I would take ; I would not look this way or that, but speedily hasten to the throne of grace ; and when once I had told God my very heart, I would trovible myself no more, but commit my cause to him, and discharge my heart of the burden of all its troublesome thoughts. But imder what notion would he do all this? The next words will tell us, — ' Unto God would I commit my cause, which doeth great things and unsearchable ; marvellous things without number.' First, he would rest his faith on God, as able to do great things, and then leaving his request lodged in the arms of such power, he doubted not but he could cast all care away, and enjoy the serenity of his mind, whatever his condition was. Indeed, this is the fii-st stone faith lays in her building. And an error in the foundation will make the whole house weak. Be sure, therefore, thoulayest this bottom stone with thy greatest care. O how unbecoming is it to have a great God, and a little faith on this great God ! A strong God, and a weak faith on his almighty power ! Unbelief here ravisheth and ofFereth violence to the very light of nature ; for his eternal power and Godhead are known by the visible things of the creation, Rom. i. 10. What is he not able to do, that could make so goodly a fabric without materials, tools, or workmen ? Away with a question which so grates the ears of the Almighty, — Can he pardon, — Can he purge ? What cannot he do that can do
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