* at his own table, than another can do in the consecrated bread he
* eats at the Lord's table.' And then,
(3.) Prayer hath a sanctifying influence upon all our enjoyments, and therefore no wonder it makes them so sweet : what you obtain this way, you obtain with a blessing, and that is the sweetest and best part of any enjoyment. So you find, 1 Tim. iv. 5. every creature is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. One mercy of this kind is better than ten thousand promiscuously dispensed in the way of common providence : by these no man knows love or hatred ; but these surely come from God's love to us, and end in the increase of our love to him. So that you see prayer hath a manifold influence upon our mercies : But it is not any kind of prayer tliat doth thus pro- cure, sweeten, and sanctify our mercies to us : some men's prayers rather obstruc;t than further their mercies ; but if it be the fervent prayer of a righteous man, directed by the rule of the word to the glory of God, we may say of such a prayer as David said of Saul's sword, and Jonathan's bow, it never returns empty *.
Thirdly, I shall shew what aid and assistance the prayers of others may give to the procurement of the mercies we desire ; for you see tliis instance in the text, it was the united joint-prayers of the dis- ciples with Paul, that on this occasion was judged necessary.
Now considering prayer according to its use and end, as a mean of obtaining mercy from the Lord ; the more disposed, apt, and vigo- rous the means are, the more surely and easily the mercies are obtain- ed which we pray for. There may be much zeal, fervency, and strength in the prayer of a single saint: Jacob alone may wrestle with God, and as a prince prevail; but much more in the joint, united force of many Jacobs. Vis unitajbrtior ; if one can do much, many can do more. O what may not a blessed combination of holy and hum- ble spirits obtain from the Lord ! If one man's heart be dead and out of tune, another's may be lively and full of aflection. Besides,
* If the good ask good, it is ia a good manner, and for a good ««d.
35^ THE SEAMAN^S FAREWELL.
God delights in those acts of mercy most, by which many are refresh- ed and comforted ; and where there is a common stock of prayers going, hke a common adventure in one ship, there the return of prayer, hke the return of such a ship, makes many glad hearts. Cer- tainly it is of great advantage for the people of God, to engage as many as they can to pray for them. When Daniel was to obtain that secret from the God of heaven, Dan. ii. 17, 18. he makes use of his three friends to improve their acquaintance ^nth God, and interest in God for him upon that occasion. " Then Daniel went to his *' house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and i^za- " riah his companions, that they would desire mercies of the God of *' heaven concerning this secret."" Some Christians have greater in- timacies with God than others, they are special favourites in the court of heaven ; and what an advantage is it to be upon their hearts, when they are with God, judge ye. I remember St. Bernard having spo- ken of the due frames and tempers that Christians should strive to work their hearts into, when they are engaged in this work of praver, concludes with this request, Et qmim talis Jher is, viemento mei. And when thy heart (saith he) is in this temper, then remember me. Oh ! it is a singular m.ercy to be interested in their prayers that are in special favour with God ! it is true, Jesus Christ is the great fa- vourite, for whose sake all prayers are heard : and without his inter- cession, the intercessions of an Abraham, a Moses, a Jacob, signify- nothing, but in the virtue of his intercession, the intercessions of others may be singularly advantageous to us. Job's friends were good men, but yet they must go to Job, and get his prayers for them before God would be intreated for them, Job xlii. 8.
And, indeed, upon the contrary, it is a sad sign th^ God designs not to give us that mercy which he takes off our own hearts, or the hearts of others from praying for. When he saith. Pray not for such a man, or for such a mercy for him, the case then becomes hopeless, the mercy is set, and there is no moving it, Jer. xiv. 11. But if once a spirit of prayer be poured upon you, and upon others too in your behalf, you may look upon the mercy as even at the door, and count it as good as if it were in your hand. And thus you see what the mercies are you should pray for ; what influence prayer hath, upon them ; and what assistance the prayers of other Christians may contribute to the obtaining of them ; that so your hearts may be excited and encouraged, not only to pray for your- selves, but to engage as many as you can to seek the Lord for you, as you see Paul here did, when he was undertaking his dangerous voyage. In the next place I shall apply it.
Use 1. And, first, This may serve sharply to reprove the generality of our seamen, who mind every thing necessary to their voyage, except praver, the principal thing ; who go out in vovages without asking God's leave or blessing. And here tliree sorts of persons fall under conviction, and just rebuke.
THE seaman's farewell. 353