Tlie ready way to fetch a curse from heaven on thyself is to imprecate one sin- fully upon another, Psa. cix. 17, 18 : ' As he loved cursing, so let it come imto him ; as he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garments, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his hones.' Moses, I suppose, had as noble a spirit as any of these that style themselves men of honour, yet did he draw his sword upon Aaron, or curse Miriam, when they had used him so ill? I trow not, but bore all patiently; nay, when God declared his displeasure against Miriam for this ati'ront put upon him, see how this holy man interceded for her with God, Numb. xii. 13. This is valoxu- of the right make, to overcome evil with good, and instead of seeking revenge on him that wrongs us, to have the mastery of our own corruption so far as to desire his good the more. Thus our Lord, when he was niunbered amongst transgressors, even then interceded for the transgressors, Isa. liii. 12; that is, those very men who used him so barbarously, while they were digging his heart out of his body with their instruments of cruelty, then was he begging the life of their souls with his fervent prayers. Secondly, when thou prayest against the enemies of God and his cluu'ch, direct thy prayers rather against their plots than against their persons. Thus the apostles, — ' And now. Lord, behold their threatenings,' Acts iv. 29 ; not, Confound their jiersons, but, ' Behold their threatenings,' and so they leave their case with the Lord to set it I'ight for them. So David, 2 Sam. XV. 31 : ' O Lord, I pray thee, tiu'n the counsel of Ahithophel into foolish- ness.' Indeed, God did do more, he destroyed plot .and plotter also, and in this sense the saints may often say, with the prophet, ' Thou hast done tei-rible things, we looked not for,' and prayed not for, by pouring out his vengeance on the persons, when they have only prayed against their wicked designs. Thirdly, When praj'ing against the persons of those that are open enemies to God and his church, it is safest to pray indefinitely. ' Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion,' Psa. cxxix. 5; because we know not who of them are implacable, and who not, and therefore cannot pray peremptorily against particiilar persons. There may be an elect vessel for a time in open hostility against God and his church, whom afterwards God may consecrate to him- self by converting grace, and so make him a holy vessel for the use of his sanctuary. We do, it is confessed, find some in Scripture prayed against by name, — Moses prayed against Korah and his accomplices. Numb, xvi., and Paul against Alexander the coppersmith, — ' The Lord reward him according to his works ;' but these, and others in Scripture, had an extraordinary spirit, and are not to be patterns for us in this case. Elias called fire from heaven upon the captains, but the disciples were soundly rebuked for a preposterous imitation of his act, who had not his spirit, — ' Ye know not what spirit ye are of.' Pray thou for vengeance against all the implacable enemies of God, and leave him to direct thy arrow to its mark. Ahab was hit, though the arrow was shot at a ventui'e. Prayers are sorted in heaven before their answer returns. Some of those emperors for whom the church in the primitive times prayed, yet proving implacable enemies to God and his people, felt the weight of those imprecations which, in general, they put up against the adversaries of the truth. Fourthly, In praying against the implacable enemies of God and his church, the glory of God should be principally aimed at, and vengeance implored on them in order to advance that. ' Arise, O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered.' ' As the sun, when it hath dispelled the vapours that mufHed it up from our sight, breaks out in the glory of its beams, so God, by taking vengeance on his enemies, and scattering them in their wicked imaginations, with which they endeavoured to obscure his glory, doth display the splendour of his attributes before his people's eyes. The saddest consequence which attends the success of God's enemies in the world is their pride and blasphemy against him, his truth, and church. Then they belch out their horrid blasphemies against Heaven, then they mock the poor saints, while ihey say unto them, ' Where is now your God?' But when God takes to himself power and strength, and confounds these, by bringing de- struction upon their heads in' the midst of their wicked enterprises; when he recoils their owh plots upon themselves, making them goofl'like a pistol in their pocket, to procure their own death and ruin ; now the reproach is taken off, and they have an answer given home to their questif)n, ' \\'^here is now j'our God.'' He is at their throat, with his sword of vengeance vindicating his
YgQ WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.