In heaven there is no such necessity ; yet there maybe, as divines grant, a general wish for the church, because the saints want their bodies, and because they want the accomplishment of the elect.
Where there is want of happiness, there will be a general desire that God would accomplish these days of sin ; but for any particular necessities of ours, they cannot know them. ' Abraham hath forgotten us, and Israel knows us not,' Is. Ixiii. 16. There is a communion of saints, and this blessed communion and society trade this way in praying for one another. God commands that we should ' pray one for another,' James v. 13, 1-1.
Every Christian is a priest and a prophet. Now the priest's duty was to pray, and the prophet's duty was to pray. Now, as the priest carried the tribes on his breast, only to signify that he had them in his heart, and that he was a type of Christ, who hath us in his heart alway in heaven, to make intercession for us; so in some sense, every true Christian is a priest. He must carry the church and people of God in his heart. He must have a care of others. He must not only pray for himself, but for others, as he himself would have interest in the common prayer, ' Our Father,' as Christ teacheth us. Not that a Christian may not "say, ' My Father,' when we have particular ground and occasion to go to God. But Christ being to
182 COMMENTARY ON
direct tlio Church of God, ho leachcth us to say, * Our Father.' There is therefore a regard to be had by every true Christiau of the estate of others.
Ilcdsmi. The reason is, God's children sometimes caimot so well pray. Though they have ahvay a spirit of prayer, that they can groan to God, yet in some cases they cannot so well pray for themselves, as in sickness. Affliction is a better time to pray in than sickness ; for affliction gathers and unites the spirits together. It makes a man more strong to pray to God. ]iut sickness distempers the powers of the soul. It distempers the instruments that the soul works by. It distempers the animal spirits which the understanding useth. They are inflamed, and distempered, and con- fused. Now the spirits, that are the instruments of the soul, being troubled with sickness, sickness is not so fit a time for a man to praj'^ for himself. Though God hear the groans of his Spirit, as David saith, ' M}' sighs are not hid from thee,' Ps. xxxviii. 9 ; yet notwithstanding it is good at this time to send for those that can make a more distinct prayer, though, it may be, they be great Christians. Therefore, saith St James, ' Is any man afflicted? let him pray ; is any man sick? let him send for the elders of the church, and let them pray for him,' James v. 13, 14 ; not that he is not able to jDray for himself, but let them help by joining together with him to God, ' And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.'
Nay, I add more, for the illustration of the point, it is so true that God regards the prayers of one for another, that he regards the prayer of weak ones, for grand ones. Great Christians are helped by mean ones ; yea, pastors are helped by the people. St Paul, a man eminent in gi'ace and place, a grand Christian, and for place an apostle, yet he was helped by the prayers of the weak Corinthians. So that a weak Christian in grace and place, may help a gi-eater Christian than himself, both in grace and in place. Parents are helped by the prayers of their children. Magistrates by those that are under them. The rich are helped by those that are poor. The ministers by the pra3^ers of the people, ' You helping by your prayers.' The prayers of the people prevail for the ministers ; for though there be a civil diflerence which shall all end in death, yet notwithstanding in the communion of saints, there is no difference. ' A poor man may be rich in faith,' as St James saith, ii. 5, and one may have as much credit in the court of heaven as another. As St Austin saith well, God hath made the rich for the poor, and the poor for the rich : the rich to relieve the poor, and the poor to pray for the rich ; for herein one is accepted for another.
St Paul stands much upon the virtue and efficacy of the prayers of the Corinthians, for himself a great apostle. And so in Kom. xv. 30, ' I be- seech you for the love of Christ, and for the blessed work of the Spirit, strive by prayer together with us.' As ever you felt Christ do good to you, and as ever you felt the efficacy of the Spirit, strive with God, WTestle by prayer for me ; and so in every epistle he begs their prayers.
And ministers need the prayers of people to God, as well as any other, or rather more ; for, as God conveys much good to others by them, so Satan maligns them more than other men. ' Aim not at small nor great, but at the King of Israel,' 1 Kings xxii. 31, pick out him. So the devil aims not at small nor great, but at the guides of God's people, at the leaders of his army. ' I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered,' Zech. xiii. 7.