god's goodn'ess an encouuagemext to prayer.
1 Pet. v. 10, II. B//t the God of a/ 1 grace, who hath called us ■unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, ajler that ye have suffered awhile, matte you perfect, stahlish, strengthen, settle you: to Ilim be glory and dominion for ever and evei' ; ylmen.
AMONGST the various testimonies of affection which faithrni Ministers will give to their people, that of prayin<2: <or them is the most unequivocal, and most important. And in this the Apostles cmintntly distinguish themselves in all their Epistles.
In
1166.] god's goodness encourages to prayer. 153
In the petitions before us, we behold the glowing zeal of Peter, studious to exalt the honour of his God, and to promote to the utmost the welfare of the saints.
His words scarcely admit of any profitable distri- bution : we shall therefore make some observations on them, in the order in which they lie.
The first thing that calls for our attention is, the honourable appellation he gives to God —
[God is the only fountain of all grace. There is none in the creature, which has not been derived from him^ But in him is " all grace ;" converting, comforting, sanctifying, establishing grace. He is " the God of" all grace : all kinds of it, and all degrees, are in him. Whatever be the grace that we severally want, we shall find an inexhaustible fulness of it treasured up in him. And, if we ask of him in terms of the most extensive import, and then stretch our imaginations far beyond what it is in the power of language to express, it still will be true, that " he giveth more grace ^ ;" and giveth it freely too, according to his own sovereign will"^, even to the very chief of sinners.]
Next, we have an account of what God has done for his believing people —
[God has " called them," not merely by the outward Ministry of his Gospel, (for that he has vouchsafed to thou- sands who reject him,) but by the inward operation of his grace. Nor is it to any common mercy that he has called them, but to " his glory," yea, to the " eternal" enjoyment of
it. What a stupendous act of grace ! Yet this is greatly
heightened by the means which he has used for the commu- nication of this blessing. He has sent it by the JSlinlslry, (by the Minislry, do I say? — hear, Oye heavens, and be astonished, O earth!) He imparts it through the mediation of " Christ Jesus," his only dear Son.
O that this glorious description of the Deity might always be remembered by us in our addresses at the throne of Grace !]
The petitions which the Apostle offered on behalf of the samts, were exactly such as their state re^ quired —
[They were now enduring " a great fight of afflictions :" and, in order that they might persevere unto the end, it was
necessary
* John i. 16. •• Jam. iv. 6. " Matt. xx. 1 5. 1 Cor. xii. 1 1.