Obs. 7. From that he prayed earnestly, or grayed in prayer. This is our duty, to pray in prayer. Not only to say a prayer, but to pray a prayer : Rom. viii. 26, ' We pray, and the Spirit maketli interces- sion for us with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered ; ' that is, we pray, and the Spirit prayeth in our prayers. When the tongue prayeth alone it is but an empty ring ; \ve often mistake lungs and sighs for grace, and the agitation of the bodily spirits for the impressions of the Holy Ghost ; ^ many work themselves into a great heat and vehe- mency by the contention of speech, and that is all ; the voice that is heard on high are the groans of the soul. Well, then, pray in prayer, make you all your prayers and supplications in the Spirit, Eph. vi. 16. Let not the heart be wandering while the lips are praying ; lip-labour doth no more than a breathing instrument, make a loud noise ; the essence of prayer lieth in the ascension of the mind.2
Obs. 8. It is sometimes lawful to imprecate the vengeance of God upon the wicked. Elias prayed that it might not rain, out of a zeal of God's glory, and detestation of their idolatry. I confess here we must be cautious ; imprecations in scripture were often uttered with a prophetic spirit, and by special impulse and intimation from God. Elijah's act must not be imitated without Elijah's spirit and warrant. The apostles, out of a preposterous imitation of another act of Elias, 'called for fire from heaven,' Luke ix., whereupon Christ checketh them : *Ye know not what spirit ye are of.' There may be distempered heats of revenge, strange wildfire that was never kindled upon God's hearth. To direct you in this case of imprecation, I shall lay down some propositions. (1.) There is a great deal of difference between public and private cases. In all private cases it is the glory of our religion to bless them that curse us, to pray for them that despitefully use us ; so we learn of the great author of our profession, ' he was numbered among transgressors, and he made intercession for trans- gressors,' Isa. liii. 12. It is a prophecy of that prayer which Christ uttered upon the cross for his persecutors, ' Father, forgive them, for
^ ' Quibns arteriis opus est, si pro sono audiantur.' — Tertul. de Oral. Bom. * ' 'A»'d/Joo-£s ToO vw irpbs rbv Bebv.' — Damasccn. Orthod. Fid., lib. iii.
470 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. V. 18.
they know not what they do ; ' his heart was full of love Avlien theirs was full of spite ; and truly the followers of the Lamb should not be of a wolfish spirit ; we should be ready to fori;ive all private and per- sonal wrongs ; but in public cases, wherein divine or human right is interverted and distm-bed, we may desire God to relieve oppressed in- nocence, to ' wound the hairy scalp of evil-doers,' &c. (2.) In public cases we must not desire revenge directly and formally ; so our prayers must respect the vindication of God's glory, and the avenging of our own case only as it doth collaterally and by consequence follow there- upon : Ps. cxv., ' Not to us, not to us, but to thy name give glory;' that is, not for our revenge, or to satisfy our lusts, but to repair the esteem of thy mercy and truth. The uiainspring and sway upon the sjiirit should be a zeal for the divine glory. The whole 83il Psalm is full of imprecations, but it is concluded thus, ver. 18, ' That men may know that thou, w^hose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.' The vindication of God's honour and ways is the main aim of their requests. (3.) God's people do not desire vengeance against particular persons absolutely, but in the general against the enemies of the church, and expressly against such as are known to God to be perverse and implacable. (4.) Their ordinary prayers are against the plots rather than the persons of their enemies ; diligunt in inimico naturam, non vitium — they can love the nature, though they hate the sin.
Ohs. 9. God may continue judgments, especially that of unseason- able weather, for a long time. In Elijah's time, for three years and six months the heavens were as brass and the earth as iron ; this may serve to calm our froward spirits, that are apt to murmur against pro- vidence when we have not seasons to our mind. Oh 1 think how it was with Israel when it I'ained not in three years and more, and fear him that can stop ' the bottles of heaven,' Job xxxviii. 37, and stay the clouds from giving out their influences : fruitful seasons are at his disposal ; see Jer. v. 24. Second causes do not work by chance, can- not work at pleasure. This is the bridle which God hath upon the world ; the ordering of the weather is one of the most visible testi- monies of his power and goodness.
Ohs. 10. Lastly, observe how sad it is for any to provoke the prophets of the Lord to pray against them. The grieving of Elijah's spirit cost Israel dear. Tliere is much in their messages, and there is as much in their solemn prayers. We may often observe in the history of the Old Testament, when God had a mind to destroy a people, he commanded his propliets silence. If their silence be a sad omen, what are their im[)recations ? When Zacharias's blood was shed, he said, ' the Lord requite it,' which prayer cost them the miseries of Babylon, and his blood was not fully revenged till their utter ruin ; compare Mat. xxiii. 35, 3G, with 2Chron.xxiv. 21. Certainly, though there be little in such prayers as are but the effusions of revenge or distempered heat, yet when by your sin and insolence you give them cause to pray against you, their complaints are the sad presages of an ensuing judgment.