Section I. — The Christian ought to have a public spirit in prayer. This is a duty of common interest, in which others are to share with ourselves ; like tlie buckets that hang in our houses, wliich are for the use of any person whose house is on fire. The spirit of prayer is a public treasure, though laid up in some few hands : all cannot pray, therefore, all should be prayed for: I say, it is the saint's duty ; we sin and transgress the law of prayer if we do it not • * God forbid that I should sin in ceasing to pray for you,' 1 Sam. xii. 23. Paul writes himself a debtor to his brethren in this respect : ' We are bound to thank God always for you,' 2 Thess. i. 3. In another place, he thanks God that he hath them in remembrance always ; so sensible he was of the weight of this duty, that he thanks God for giving him a heart to perform it. First, It is one end why the spirit of prayer is given us : the gifts of the Spirit are to be employed according to the mind and intent of the Donor. If a man bequeaths house and land to another, but charges his estate with such a payment, he forfeits his leo-acy tliat fulfils not the will of the dead. God intends the good of others in all his gifts to particular saints ; the way to lose our gift is to hoard it up, and not lay it out for the end it was given. ' The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal,' 1 Cor. xii. 7. How should we profit others by this gift of the Spirit, if not by praying for them ? That Spirit which stirs us up to pray for ourselves, will, if we quench it not, send us on the same errand for others ; yea, in some cases, for others before ourselves ; for their spiritual good, before our own temporal ; for the public good of a community, before the iiri- vate good of oiir single person ; as in Moses' case, who would not be taken off praying for Israel, to be made great upon their ruins ; indeed, that offer from God, ' Let me alone, and I will make of thee a great nation,' was only proba- tory, to try whether Moses would prefer his own stake before the people's; and God was highly pleased with his self-denial. Secondly, The law of love imposes it as a duty upon us ; we are commanded to love our neighbour as ourself : the word ' as' imports a parity for kind, though not for proportion ; for manner, though not for measure ; I must love my neighbour as truly, though not as strongly as myself. Now, how do we shew real love to ourselves, if we pray not for our- selves ? Our Saviour expounds our love to oiir enemy by praying for him. Matt. V. 44, 'Love your enemies, — and pray for them which despitefully use you.' We may give an alms to an enemy, and not love him ; it is easier to draw out our purse than to draw out our soul to the hungry, as the prophet phraseth it ; in jirayer we draw out our souls. If a man ever speaks or does anything sincerely, surely it is when he directs his speech to God in prayer ; therefore, God chooscth this prayer for our enemies, as the surest testimony of our loving them ; and truly, he that wisheth well only to himself, may be well reckoned among the most degenerate of mankind ; one well compares such a self-lover to the hedge- hog, that confines himself within his own soft down, and turns out bristles to all besides. This shews the largeness of God's bountiful heart ; he gives his chil- dren not only leave to ask for themselves, but for others ; this is not the manner of men, who count it too much boldness to beg for themselves, and otliers also. If a poor man, when he hath got his alms, should beg for all his neighbours, where should he find the man that would bid him welcome ? But behold here the immensity of Divine goodness, who gives us leave to bring our neighbour's pitcher with our own to his door ; yea, commands it, and takes it ill when we steal to prayer upon our own private errand, and leave the thought of others' necessities behind us. Why shoiddst thou stand in doubt, whether God will supply thy own wants, when he commands thee to intercede for others ?
Section II. — A lamentation may be taken up for the narrowness of our spirit in prayer. Some, indeed, are so far from ])raying for others, that they have not learned to shew so much mercy to themselves ; yea, live in such a state of alienation from God, wherein they cannot j)ray for themselves, or their dearest relations. O, how many prayerlcss fathers have we that are cruel to their own flesh! Husbands to the wives of their own bosom! Ask whether they love them, Ihcy will tell you, yes, as their own souls ; and you may believe them,
778 ^'^^ SUPPLICATION FOR ALL SAINTS.