First, His request : and for me. First, We may note here, that people are to be taught the duty they owe to their minister, as well as to others ; though, indeed, no duty is harder for the minister to press, or for the people to hear, — for him to preach with humility and wisdom, or for them to receive without prejudice.
Section I. — Secondly, It is not only our duty to pray for others, but also to desire the prayers of others for ourselves. If a Paul turns beggar, and desires the remembrance of others for him, who then needs it not ? This hath been the constant practice of the saints. Sometimes they call in the help of their brethren upon special occasions, to pray with them : thus Daniel, chap. ii. 13, when required to interpret the king's dream, makes use of Hananiah, Mishacl, and Azariah, his companions ; then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to these, that they wovdd desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret. Daniel wovdd not give an answer to the king, till he had an answer from God ; to prayer therefore he goes ; no doubt he forgot not this errand in his closet ; but withal he calls in help to join in social prayer with him ; he sends for them to his house, where it is probable they prayed together for the mutual quickening of their affections, and strengthening of their petition ; wherefore, verse 23, he acknowledgeth the mercy as an answer to their concurrent prayers : ' I thank thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast made known unto me what we desired of thee.' This justifies the saints' prac- tice, when, in any great strait, they get others of the faithful to give a lift with them at this duty ; sometimes we have them desiring their brethren's prayers for them, when they cannot conveniently have it with them : thus Esther sets the Jews in Shushan to prayer for her, chap. iv. 16 ; so our apostle, in many of his epistles, desires the saints to carry his name with them to the throne of grace, Rom. xv. 30 ; 2 Coi-. i. 10, 11 ; Col. iv. 3 ; Phil. ii. 8 : and not without great reason ; for. First, God hath made it a debt, which one saint owes to another ; and not to desire this debt to be paid, which God hath charged our brethren with, is to undervalue the mercy and goodness of our God. Should a legacy be left us by a friend, were it not a despising of his kindness, not to call upon the heir who is to pay it ? Surely God accounts he doth us a kindness herein, and therefore may take it ill not to ask for it ; it is not our usage to lose a debt for want of a demand, and this is none of the least we have owing us. Secondly, Many are the gracious promises that are made to such prayers of the faithful, one for another : ' If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them,' 1 John v. 16. But you will say, how can the prayer of one obtain forgiveness for another ? I answer, No one is forgiven through the faith of another, this must be personal ; but the believing, fervent prayer of one, is an excellent means to obtain the grace of repentance and faith for another, whereby he may come to be for- given; so James v. 16: ' Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.' Now, in not desiring our brethren's help in this kind, we make no use of these promises : either the promise is empty and useless, or we that do not improve it are bad husbandmen. But we cannot say so of the promise, if we consider the great fruit and advantage which the saints in all ages have reaped from it. Did not Daniel get the knowledge of a great secret, as a return of his companions' prayers with him ? Did not Job's friends escape a great judgment that hung over their heads, at his intercession ? What a miraculous deliverance had Peter, at the prayers of a few saints gathered to- gether on his behalf! Bring not, therefore, an evil report upon this promise, seeing such sweet clusters have been gathered from it.
Section II. — Thirdly, By neglecting to pray for one another, we are guilty of quenching the Spirit of prayer, which may be done in ourselves, and others also. First, By this we may quench it in ourselves, partly, because we neglect a duty : we are bid to confess our sins to one another ; and for what end, but to have the benefit of mutual prayers? The same Spirit which stirs thee up to pray for thyself, will excite thee in many cases to set others at prayer for thee; which
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