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between us; having abolished in the flesh his enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, fo making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having flain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you that were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of God: and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-ftone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom you are also builded together, for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Anchith. For ever bleffed be the Lord our God; who hath made us Gentiles partakers of his heavenly bleffings through Chrift!

Eufeb. There is no caufe of defpair for any penitent, how heincus foever his fins have been. (e) For the Son of man came to feek and to fave that which was loft. And a man's having been a Heathen, or a Publican, or a finner, in his former life, doth not incapacitate him for receiving benefit by our Lord; but, contrariwife, gives him a fair title to it, upon his repentance. For this was the end of Chrift's coming into the world, namely, to reduce finners to repentance, and obtain mercy for them. (f) He is the Lamb of God, that takes away the fins of the world, both the guilt and the punishment of them; Who was flain, fays a learned commentator, (g) as a peculiar victim, to redeem us to God by his blood, to procure us the remiffion of fins, and to exempt all that believe in him from the fentence of death, which came upon the world for the fin of Adam.' I add, and for all thofe numerous actual tranfgreffions, whereof every one of us is guilty before him. So that now, (f) John i. 29. (f) John i. 29. (g) Dr. Whitby in loc.

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(e) Luke xix. 10.

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(b) if any man fall into whatsoever fort of fin, we have a powerful Advocate with the Father, Jefus Christ the Righteous, the Holy and Just one, in whom alone was no fin; and he is a propitiation for our fins, and not for ours only, but for the fins of the whole world.

Anchith. Therefore I will trust in God, thro' Christ my Redeemer and Interceffor. And whether he punishes me for the trial of my faith, or for my fins, that, by this means, he may reclaim me from them; or for whatsoever other caufe; I will take the boldness to call upon him, with hope of mercy from him.

Theod. Undoubtedly you may, and ought to do it. He has both commanded it, and promis'd to hear you when you do it.

Anchith. Where is that commandment, or that promife to be found in Scripture.

Theod. In divers places, both of the Old and New Teftament. But, to avoid prolixity, I fhall give you only an instance out of each. As to the former, (i) Call upon me in the time of trouble, fays God by the Pfalmift; fo I will bear thee, and thou shalt praife me; or, as it is in the other tranflation, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Here God not only requires us to feek to him in time of affliction, but promises a gracious answer to the prayers thus put up to him. And as to the other, it is the apoftle St. Paul's direction, (k) whatever your grievances be, to be careful, anxiously folicitous, for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, to let your requests be made known unto God. And then it follows, The peace, the love and favour, of God, which paffetb all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds, through Chrift Jefus; you fhall be preferved firm and ftedfaft in him and his doctrine; and fhall be enabled to bear with patience and contented nefs of mind, whatsoever shall be laid upon you. Fear not, therefore, in this your fickness, diligently, and without ceafing, to fly to God for fuccour and ease; nothing (b) 1 John ii. 1, 2. (i) Pfalm 1. 15. (*) Phil. iv. 6, 7. Р

doubting,

doubting, but he will favourably hear you, and will grant your requeft, fo far as fhall be expedient for you. (k) His eyes are over the righteous, and bis ears are open unto their prayers. (1) He is the God that beareth prayers; and to him fhall all flesh come. (m) The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all bis works; nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all fuch as call upon him faithfully. He will fulfil the defire of them that fear him: he also will bear their cry, and will help them. And, This, therefore, fays St. John, (n) is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, be beareth us. And if we know, that he bear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions, that we defired of

bim.

Eufeb. And to this remedy the faithful fervants of God have always betaken themfelves in their afflictions, and have found the good effect of their prayers.

Theod. They have fo, as appears from multitudes of inftances in Scripture. Good king Hezekiab being affrighted at the appearance of Sennacherib's numerous army, and the receipt of Ralfbekah's proud and blafphemously domineering letter, (o) went up to the boufe of the Lord, and Spread the letter before the Lord, and prayed unto the Lord, to vindicate his caufe. (p) And the event of his addrefs was, that the Prophet Isaiah was fent, to promife him fafety and deliverance. And accordingly, (q) The angel of the Lord went forth, and fmote in the camp of the Affyrians, an hundred and fourfcore and five thousand; and when they arafe in the morning, they were all dead corpfes. (r) And at another time, being directed to fet his boufe in order, to difpofe of his temporal concerns, because the time was come, that he muft die and not live; that is to fay, his disease was mortal, and he could not hope to

(*) Pfalm xxxiv. 15. (/) Ibid. 19. () John v. 14, 15. ver. 21, &c. (9) Ibid. ver. 36.

lxv. 2. (m) Ibid. cxlv. 17, 18,
(0) Ifa. xxxvii. 14.
(p) Ibid.
(r) 2 Kings xx. 1, 2, 3.

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recover by any natural means; be hereupon turned his face to the wall, and prayed, and wept fore. (s) And the Lord beard bis prayer, and beheld his tears, and fent the prophet back to him with a promise of deliverance, and an affurance, that on the third day he should go up to the boufe of the Lord. And the Lord added to bis days fifteen years. (1) Daniel, in like manner, who at other times made his fupplications no less than three times a day, we may be fure would not neglect to do it, when in the lion's den; (u) nor Shadrach, Mefbach, and Abednego, when in the fiery furnace. And Jo the aftonishing return they met with! (x) God fent his angel, and fout the lions mouths, that they should not burt the one; and fo damp'd the violence of the fire, (y) that it had no power over the others; nor was an bair of their bead finged, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. (z) So Jonab prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fifh's belly, and by this means obtain'd deliverance; (a) for the Lord Spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. And as David cried unto the Lord in all his troubles, and was deliver'd; fo did his own, and his people's ancestors before him, from age to age, and obtain'd the like relief, as himself teftifies; (b) Our fathers hoped in thee, they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them; they called upon thee, and were holpen ; they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded. (c) When St. Paul and Silas were caft into prifon, and their feet made faft in the stocks, they failed not to apply themselves to God for redrefs, by night, as well as by day. (d) For behold, at midnight, they prayed, and fung praifes unto God; and the prifoners beard them. And then it follows, (e) And fuddenly there was a great earthquake, fo that the foundations of the prifon were fhaken; and immediately all the doors

(s) 2 Kings xx. 5, 6. (t) Dan. vi. 10. (u) Ibid. iii. 26. (x) Ibid. vi. 22. (y) Ibid. iii. 27. (≈) Jonah ii. 1, &c. ver. 10. (b) Pfalm xxii. 4, 5.

(c) Acts xvi. 23, 24.

(a) Ibid. (d) Ibid.

ver. 25. (e) Ibid. ver. 26.

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were opened, and every one's bands were loofed. Thus when (f) St. Peter was kept in prifon at Jerufalem, prayer was made unto God, without ceafing, for him. And tho' one would have thought him, whilft within those walls, to have been fufficiently fecur'd from making his escape; yet it came to pafs, that whilst (g) he was fleeping betwixt two foldiers, bound with two chains, within; and, on the outfide, the keepers before the door kept the prison; (b) yet this hinder'd not, but that the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light fbined in the prifon; and he fmote Peter on the fide, and raifed him up, faying, Arife up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. (i) And when they were past the first and fecond ward, they came to the iron gate which leadeth into the city, which opened to them of its own accord, and let them out. And Justin Martyr tells us of the Thundering legion, which, as it confifted of Chriftians, fo was a miraculous deliverance wrought at their fupplication, in a time of great neceffity. (k) For when Marcus Antoninus, and his army, whereof these were a part, were like to perish by hunger and thirst, but efpecially by the latter of them, not having had a fupply of water for five days together; no fooner did thefe Christians proftrate themselves upon the ground, calling upon God for their relief, in their diftreffed condition, but εὐθέως ὕδωρ ἠκολούθει οὐρανόθεν, immediately the rain came pouring down from Heaven, cooling, and refreshing their own army; but a storm of lightning and hail upon their enemies. St. Cyprian profeffed the prayers of the Chriftians to be their (1) fpiritual weapons, and the divine darts that protected them. As Origen (m) alfo declares the prayers of fuch as are replenifhed with the Holy Spirit to be heard by God; and that hereupon he utters his voice from Heaven, and fends fuch bleffed showers, as refresh the foul. And

(ƒ) Acts xii. 5. (g) Ibid. ver. 6. (4) Juftin Mart. Apol. z.

ver. 10.

εὐχῆς.

(b) Ibid. ver. 7. (i) Ibid. (1) Epift. 60.

(*) Περὶ

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