of Clirist's family in the world ; a third would be a greater man in the world, and for what ? — may be, that, having more power, he may take the fuller revenge on liis enemies, who now are out of his reach ; and others that bring not their sacrifice with so evil a mind, yet look no higher than their carnal contentment in the enjoyment the}' would have. Thus mariners (Psa. cvii. 28) ' cry unto the Lord in their trouble;' and when they have their life given them, ' then tliey are glad, because they are quiet,' and (lod hears no more of them, now their turn is served ; a plain evidence they were carnal in their prayer for this mercy, because they improve it not for a spiritual end ; which makes the psalmist break forth, ver. 31, ' O that men would praise the Lord for his good- ness I' But much more abominable is it to pray for spiritual mercies for the sake of some temporal advantage we hope to have by them. Thus Simon IVLagus desired the gifts of the Holy Ghost, that he might be famous. And do not some make a profession of the gospel, with no other view than to improve their trade ; others pray for the assistances of the Spirit, and project their own praise by the means, basely perverting those holy things to secular advan- tages. O horrid baseness ! as if one should desire a prince's robe to stop an oven with it. This is to make God the stirrup, and the creature oiu" saddle. Tliose spiritual blessings which are intrinsical to oia- happiness, and indispens- ably necessary to our salvation, these we are to pray for with an undeniable imijortunitj' ; such are pardon of sin, the love and favour of God, and the sanctifying graces of the Spirit; to be cold or indifferent in our prayers for these, is great wickedness. The promise will bear us out in our greatest importunity ; Psa. cv. 4, 'Seek ye the Lord and his strength; seek his face evermore.' Rev. xxii. 17, ' Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.' Nothing loseth us these mercies more, than weak velleities, and faint desires of them. But our prayers for temporal blessings must be with a latitude of submission to the will of God, because they are promised conditionally. The promise is the foundation of our faith, the superstructure therefore of our prayers must not go beyond it. This was Israel's sin,' Who shall give us flesh to eat?' Numb. xi. 18. Ciod had, indeed, promised to feed them in the wilderness, but not to give them every dish their wanton palate ci'aved ; and, therefore, when they are dissatisfied with God's bill of fare, and cry for flesh, they have their desire, but sour sauce with it ; for ' while their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them,' Psa. Ixxviii. 31 : tluis, they were fed for the slaughter, by the meat they inordinately lusted after. O, take heed of peremptory prayers for any temporal enjoyment, for thereby thou beggest but a rod for "thy own back. Rachel must have children, or else she dies, and slie at last hath two, but dies in travail. It was a smart saying of one to his wife, who passionately desired a son and had one at last, but none of the wisest : ' Wife," saith he, ' thou hast long passionately desired a boy, and now thou hast one that will always be a boy.' God may justly set some print of his anger on tliat mercy, which he answers our peremptory prayers with. Why, alas ! must we have that which we must needs lose, or shall not enjoy while we have it ?
Thirdly, Those spiritual blessings which are intrinsical to the saint's happiness, are to be prayed for with boundless desires ; not. Give me thus much grace, and I will trouble thee for no more : no, God gives a little grace, not to stop our mouth, but to open it wider. Yet, alas, how very reasonable are most in this particular ! So much holiness contents them as will, like salt, keep them from putrefying in gross sins, that they be not unsavoiu'y to the nostrils of their neighbours, or as will save them from the lash of a tormenting conscience ; like school-boys, that care for no more of their lesson than will save a whipping. Alas ! this is not to desire it at all ; it is thy credit abroad and thy cpiiet within thou desirest. He that knows the true worth of grace, thinks he hath never enougli till satisfied with it in glory. Paul had more than many of his brethren, yet he prays, and presseth hard after more, Phil. iii. 13, 14. But in temporal enjoy- ments, we are to curb oiu- desires, and not let out all the sails of our affections when praying for them. A gracious heart is as unwilling to have too much of these, as too little ; ' Give me neither poverty nor riches : feed me with food convenient for me,' Prov. xxx. 8. There is not a saint but could cheerfully say Amen to tliis prayer of Agur. The nature of these temporal good things is enough to convince any wise man that the meanest is best. They are not the
>^0Q WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.