09. Part 1, Chapter 6. Intercession and Imprecation
CHAPTER VI. OF PRAYER OF INTERCESSION, AND IMPRECATION.
Having spoken of the sorts of prayer in general, we come to speak especially of solemn and continued prayer, and letting pass those which respect ourselves, we shall only single out those two respecting others, namely, Prayer of Intercession and Imprecation.
Concerning prayer of intercession, whereby upon all occasions we are bound to pray for others’ good, we shall not mention the persons especially concerned in it; as magistrates, ministers, parents, masters, husbands, and all other superiors, for their inferiors, as also their inferiors respectively for their superiors; or any other special relations, as of friends, kindred for their friends, and the like; of which Scripture instances are plentiful; but we shall consider it generally, as that which respects all sorts of godly persons; nor shall we spend time in urging reasons and motives from the honorableness of this holy service of love in itself; its advantage to the persons themselves who so plead for others’ welfare every way, the suitableness of this to that matchless pattern thereof in the Lord Jesus, and the mighty things which have been done for others thereby. But shortly come to lay down, first, some rules to guide us in it. Secondly, some means to help us in it. Thirdly, some marks to discover our gracious speeding in it.
Touching the first thing propounded, we observe these rules in it.
1. Attend the times, and observe them, when the Lord is in any more special manner with us by his Spirit, and when our hearts are near to him, by special stirrings of faith and love. They are as iii Christ’s lap, upon their spouse’s knee, in their beloved’s bosom, and they would yet be. nearer to him. The church is leaning upon her beloved, yet says, set me as a seal upon thine arm, and upon thy breast, and then makes that gracious motion to her beloved. We have a little sister, what shall we do for her? As she is ready to do her part, so she would have him do his part for the other’s good; when the daughters of Jerusalem find Christ, when he meets them, then they must in their prayers tell him of the church’s sad case, that she is sick of love. Moses will take the advantage of God’s being so near him, and speaking to his heart, to speaking for his presence with the rest of God’s people: “If thy presence go not with us, carry us not hence. And Moses made haste and bowed himself to the earth, and worshipped, and said, O Lord, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, that the Lord would now go with us, and pardon our iniquity, and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” It were pity that the saints would not improve their waiting months upon the king of saints, to move him as well for others, as for their own good. The king at Esther’s banquet expects request for her people; so does the Lord at such time especially look that some should make inter. cession. He expects that some should ask him of things to come, concerning his Sons and his daughters. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
2. When others are under any special desertion or temptation, or in any helpless, desolate, disconsolate conditions, as when the Lord is withdrawn from them: “My beloved had withdrawn himself. Tell him that I am sick of love.” When under reproaches and indignities from others, who by their profession and place should do better offices for them, as when the church is smitten and wounded by the watchmen, and her veil taken away by the keepers of the walls, then tell” my beloved I am sick of love.” When others are deeply sensible of their need of Christ, and nothing else will content them but Christ, then they are sick of love, then tell Christ of it. When the displeasure of God himself is breaking out against His own people, then if Moses have interest in God, he must be down on his knees for Israel, then Aaron must haste to offer incense. Then Job must offer for his friends. When enemies are ready to swallow up the Lord’s heritage, then Isaiah must lift up his prayer for the remnant of God. When persons of choicest use are in greatest hazards through the rage of persecutors, then prayer is made without ceasing for Peter by the godly. When people want a fruitful ministry, pray for them especially. Pray, then, that the Lord would thrust forth laborers into his harvest, and in other sad cases of the saints.
3. Be serious and not flighty in pleading for others, “Lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.” “Wrestle together in prayer for me, if we should seem therein to get a defeat, yet again try more with God for them, especially in difficult cases. Abraham follows Christ with prayer upon prayer, even for Sodom: “Give the Lord no rest until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”
4. We take advantage of the least possibility of speeding, to set us upon this service of love for others, in any case whatsoever, though not always desired thereto by others; but especially when thereto moved by them. It may be the Lord hath heard Rabsbakeh’s word; and, “Wherefore lift prayer for the remnant that is left.” “Moses said unto the people, ye have committed a grievous sin, but now I will go up to the Lord, peradventure I may pacify him.”
Touching the second, even helps to further us in this duty.
1. Cherish brotherly love, and kindness, and charity. Love the church and people of God, his Jerusalem, and you will pray for them. Love your enemies, and you will pray for them. The centurion will be suing to Christ for his servant, who is very dear to him. If we love others, we will every way seek not our own things so much as theirs. Jonathan, who loves David, will be a petitioner to his father for him. And Esther, who loved her people, will not be content to ask her own life, but theirs also of the king. So in our requests to the Lord for others, if we love them. Moses will have no greatness of his, founded in his people’s ruin; nay, he refuses an offer thereof, so he may bespeak mercy for his people. True suppliants can sometimes be earnest for others, when more sparing in suing for themselves.
2. Be as much acquainted with, and well informed in other’s estates as you can, especially inquire out all the good which is in them. The knowledge of others’ miseries, as the eye affects the heart, opens those sluices then whereby it comes to be poured out for them; this brought good Nehemiah upon his knees, when he had certain information of Jerusalem’s calamities: “He sat down, and wept, and fasted, and prayed.” Hence the direction, confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another. The best are much led by sense; others’ cases, of which we have but some general information, do not so affect, as those of whose particular case we have better knowledge; knowledge, also, or hope at least of the grace which is in others, does much quicken us to pray for them. From the day that Paul heard of the faith of the Colossians and Ephesians, how importunate is he in prayer for them? The report of Philemon’s faith and love, makes Paul echo forth the sound thereof in the ears of God by praying for him. And it would be good to keep a fresh memorial of others’ graces, as Paul did of those in the Thessalonians, whence it was that he was so earnest for them in his prayers.
3. Prize grace in others, as well as in ourselves. And by their prayer for you, which long after you, for the exceeding grace of God in you.
4. Put ourselves in others’ stead. So Jesus Christ teaches us in the Lord’s prayer, to be ourselves needing daily bread, and remission of sins, and rescue from the evil of temptation if others be so. So Moses, “Let the Lord go with us and pardon vs.” So Daniel puts himself in the number and case of such and such suffering ones.
5. Maintain an holy life in prayer respecting ourselves. When the root of a spirit of prayer is kept fresh and springing, it will be sprouting forth into all the variety of the branches thereof, respecting others, as well as ourselves. If that pipe be kept open, it will be conveying waters of grace to others’ houses and hearts as well as our own. If the spring tide be up, our neighbors’ creeks, as well as ours, will be supplied with water. The supplies of the oil of grace from the Lord of the whole earth, will be beneficial to the whole candlestick, the church, and the several bowls and lamps of it, Zechariah 4:2-3; Zechariah 4:11-13. We cannot as members of this body sensibly think or speak for ourselves, but more or less we shall be mindful of other parts and members of the body of Christ in special sort.
6. Put one another upon praying one for another. Pray for us, says the apostle. Lay open your cases one to another, begging each other’s prayers. “Tell my beloved,” says the church, “that I am sick of love.” Many hands contribute this way, even to a poor decayed Christian, and will help him into a way of spiritual trading with God as formerly. As many simples put together will make sovereign physic to recover a sick man; so I may say of particular men’s prayers, meeting in one, further other- soul’s welfare and health. Some favorite’s prayers may help others who may be under some displeasure of the Lord to come into renewed terms of favor with him. Therefore as Mordecai will set Esther to intercede for him with the king, and for his people, so should we crave the prayers of such as are upon better terms, possibly, with the Lord than we ourselves. Even the injurious Gibeonites must bless Israel, or else they are not to speed so well from the Lord. God will have all the members of Christ to see the need and se of other members, even the meanest, as the church of Jerusalem’s daughters tell Christ in their prayers of her condition.
Touching the third thing, the marks of our prayers speeding for others, and that the favors showed to others are fruits of our prayers, are,—
1. When God stirs up their hearts for whom we pray, to be by faith persuaded that God will hear us for them, “For I know that it shall turn to my salvation, through your prayers.” “For I trust that through your prayers I shall be given to you.” When God does thus send word beforehand, and give notice to his saints what he means to do for them, at the request of such or such of their brethren, it is a pledge that the ensuing success was that way brought about.
2. When God in conferring such and such mercies upon others, does secretly and strongly persuade them, that they are the fruit of the prayers of his servants for them, it is verily so indeed. As when Paul is persuaded that his liberty and life restored, and the gracious fruits thereof, that they were the fruits of the Corinthians’, and others’ prayers; a gift bestowed by the means of many, and you also helping by your prayers. As when a king shall send word to some subjects of his that he has done thus for them, because of the request of such or such of his courtiers. Or as a school-master shall tell his scholars who begged their play-days. So here in such holy motions in others’ hearts, the Lord signifies to them, that such or such a refreshment, enlargement, and succor in such or such temptations, are issues of the requests of such or such of his servants for them.
3. When God stirs up injured persons to pray feelingly and fervently for such as have wronged them, as Job for his friends. The prayer .of Christ for many of his persecutors, “Father forgive them,” etc. It took well; witness that blessed change wrought in many of them so soon after, Acts 2:1-47 :This fruit of divine love in the saints, argues a root of it in the Lord himself toward such persons, for whom they make such requests, and such strong living currents and rivers of kindness and compassion, argue an ocean in God towards them; such love- speeches being dictated by the special motions of God’s Spirit, are wont to be owned by the Lord.
4. When some are stirred up to earnest prayer for some one or more, for whom many other saints, unspoken to, haply unthought of, do in like sort intercede with God. When many help this way, toward the bestowing of one and the same gift, it seldom fails. You also helping by your prayers, namely, together with others in other places to pray for the same gift. There is ever most of God in such unanimity. When the Spirit of the Lord does thus tune many hearts, as several instruments to answer one another, when the same lesson of the Spirit is played by divers spiritual harpers; this holy harmony of spirits, seeking to the Lord that he would loose in heaven some poor sinning persons, formerly bound, but now repenting, this argues the presence and acceptance of the Lord: “What ye loose on earth is loosed in heaven;” that is, “If you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing you shall ask, it shall be done.”
6. When God carries out some of his servants in prayers for others, very earnestly, resolutely, and constantly, as those who will have no nay. God assuredly, as a fruit of such holy importunity makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Paul always in every prayer of his, is stirred up to mention the Philippians, confident that God will go on with his work in them, and he thinks it meet to be confident of it, because the Lord has put them thus oft into his heart in prayer for them. Such earnest incessant prayers of the church for an imprisoned Peter are not denied, there being most of the Spirit in such prayers.
6. When God stirs up the faith of such as pray and plead for others to wait and expect; yea, to be persuaded of their answers, as the Psalmist who expects peace as an answer of those prayers for others of the saints, “I will hearken what God the Lord will say, for he will speak peace to his people,” his prayers for them are mentioned in the former verses. When the church in praying for the king is persuaded that they shall have the joy thereof, she concludes the same from her faith, “That God will show mercy to the king according to her desire.” Faith ever speeds in its suits, and in this our holy trading with God, it is the Lord’s earnest penny, that he will give us suitable and reasonable returns.
7. When mercies begged for others, are suddenly and strangely brought about upon our prayers, and as suddenly brought to our knowledge. Peter is sent in unto them, as set at liberty from his chains, whilst they are praying for him; wherein the providence of God would as it were speak to them thus, there is the mercy, here is the man for whom you make so much ado; since you will needs have it so, and will have no nay, and the ears of the Lord are so filled with your cries, take it, and be thankful.
8. When we are in especial manner enlarged and quickened in thanksgiving for God’s mercies upon others. The many which gave thanks to God for his gift bestowed, were surely of the many by means of whose joint prayers it was bestowed.
Let us now speak a little more largely to the other branch, being somewhat more intricate, and not so often spoken to.
Prayer in way of imprecation is that part of prayer wherein the saints do not barely complain of the indignities done by God’s and his people’s enemies, against him and them, but crave divine justice against them.
Let us first clear this to be a duty of the saints, to pray even against such as hate God and his people.
“Curse ye Meros,” etc. The Levites were to pray against divers kinds of sinners, and the people to join in those imprecations by saying, Amen. The Scripture holds forth many examples of such imprecations, as Lamentations 3:64-66; Psalms 144:1-15; Psalms 145:1-21; Psalms 146:1-10; Psalms 147:1-20, and many other Scriptures.
Reasons enforcing the saints to it, are, —
1. Their love to God, out of love to whom they may, and must say as he did: “Do not I hate them that hate thee?” etc. The converted princes shall hate the anti-christian harlot, and if the saints may, and must hate the enemies of God, they may pray against them.
2. Their respect to Christ and his kingdom. We are taught to pray that it may come as well in the confusion of some, as the conversion of other of his enemies: “Let thine arrows be sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies, whereby people fall under thee.” “O thou to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself, lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth, render a reward to the proud.
3. Their respect to the church and people of God, and their peace and good, whence those imprecations: “Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom.” “Let them all be confounded that hate Zion.” But because our natures, as carnal, are rather disposed to curse than to bless; a “carnal man’s mouth is full of cursing.” So that herein we need not spurs, so much as bit and bridle to curb and guide us. And because even the dearest of the saints have miscarried this way, yea even when they least suspected the same, as James and John would have been requiring fire to come down from heaven upon those Samaritans, as Elias sometimes did, but were rebuked for it, though they seem to ask Christ’s counsel in it. Wilt thou that we command fire from heaven? To exalt Christ’s sovereign power in it, if he willed it, they in his name might command it, and to be zealous of his honor injured by those Samaritans, yet checked as persons who knew not of what spirit they were of. Now considering such like things, we had need to have aim given us, and to have the mark described, at which we must shoot.
Let us then consider, 1. In what way we may not imprecate and pray against others. 2. In what way we must pray against God’s enemies. 3. Against what enemies
1. We may not curse nor pray against the righteous upon any pretence whatsoever, no, not of sharp, harsh, high, or continued opposition against us. There was a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabus, but they prayed not against each other. Abraham and Lot engaged in their herdmen’s contention, yet Abraham prays for Lot. I heartily wish that all God’s servants of either Congregational, or Presbyterian way, take heed of the breaking out of any such fire as this, which will be found to be wildfire one day. As for cursing ranters, who curse those whom God has blessed, yea, it may be, the blessed God himself also, our God will one day accomplish that dreadful word upon them, if they repent them not thoroughly of their blasphemies, “I will curse them that curse thee;” and let none of them think that in cursing they bless them, for they are contraries, as the Lord there shows,” I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee.” He would not curse men for blessing his people, but bless them rather; they may as well imagine that God in cursing such, does but bless them; and if they dare undergo God’s curse, and yet dream of his b1es.ing, “ Let the blind lead the blind.”
2. Look that our curse against others be not causeless. The curse that is causeless shall never come; as when Jeremy in a distemper cursed him that told his father first that a “man-child was born unto him.” It is extreme injustice, and taking the name of God in vain, (nor will he hold such as do thus guiltless,) to call for vengeance against the guiltless, and make divine justice subservient to the unjust desires of the flesh. If a reviling Raca be under the head of murder of another, what is this? It is foulest impiety under a cover of piety, of prayer, to seek to devour others.
3. Let us be careful, that though there be some seeming cause, yet that we be not rash in imprecating, but very deliberate, consider thoroughly of our own spirit therein, the want whereof was rebuked in James and John, though seeming to consult with Christ about it, “Wilt thou that we command fire from heaven, but Jesus rebuked them, saying, You know not of what Spirit ye are.” We are easily mistaken in our spirit at such a time, in such a work. In other cases not so intricate, we understand not too often what is that which chiefly moves us therein; much more in this, we may soon miscarry here both in the persons against whom, and the things which, and the end for which we imprecate. If in other cases we should not be hasty with our mouths, or rash to utter a thing before God, much less should we be rash in our imprecations.
4. Look that we imprecate not in our own persons barely. As when servants provoked will be cursing their masters, our hearts and consciences will smite us for it, if thine heart knows that thou thyself hast cursed others, this were to imitate heathen in a way of revenge.
Look that we do not therein cut in sunder the bonds of special relations which the Lord has laid upon us, as for children under any pretence whatsoever to curse their parents, “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.” Such wild and strange fire never came down from heaven, such a cursing tongue is set on fire of hell.
6. Look that we do not secretly imprecate against such as we pretend to bless. Some there are who bless with their mouth, but curse inwardly. Such persons are rotten-hearted, and like a tottering wall. It is as monstrous that out of the “same mouth should proceed blessing and cursing, as for a fountain to scud forth bitter, and yet sweet, or salt, and yet fresh waters.” It is gross hypocrisy, and that wisdom which contrives it, is carnal, sensual, and devilish. The devil himself will sometimes carry towards men, as if he wished them well, and in heart curse them.
7. Look that we do not abound in imprecations, as that cursing generation of ranters, sprung up of late, little else to be heard, but, Lord confound such and such, Lord cut them off; etc. Prayers so continually besprinkled with gall, argue a root bearing gall and wormwood: “Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter, and so their vine is a vine of Sodom.” “Guile is under their tongue, which is full of cursing.” They are Jews, professors of religion in show, but really carnal Gentiles, not sincerely righteous, whose mouths are full of cursing, constantly, and only cursing, such do not experimentally know the grace of Christ, and the blessing of grace ; nor are they sincere seekers of the Lord; but rather wander as persons dangerously deluded and misled, in by-ways leading to destruction; and are at best unprofitable, and such as do nothing formally good.
Lastly, look that we do not delight and glory in imprecations. The prophet speaks of one delighting in cursing. Judas is pointed at therein, who it may seem thereby, was a man much given to cursing, and delighting much in imprecations, and himself in the mean time a cursed hypocrite and traitor to Jesus Christ..
Caution 1. Now let us consider affirmatively in what way we may pray against others.
We must be more ready to bless and pray for others, than to curse, or pray against others: “Bless, or pray for them that persecute you.” “Yea, bless,” says the Lord, “and curse not.” The charge of blessing or praying for others, is reiterated, and a prohibition given to the other, showing how ready and forward we should be to bless others, but be very rare and cautious in imprecating and praying against them; for the prohibition there is not taken absolutely and indefinitely in no case, and at no time, the saints may, or ought to curse, or pray against others; the Scripture elsewhere, as we have seen, allowing of it, in this case, and enjoining of it.
2. We must bless long, before we may dare to imprecate, in case they be professed friends to the Lord. As Jeremiah did, who prayed long for those revolters of his time, until forbidden of God to pray any more for them: “Pray not for this people,” yet he is at it again, “beseeching of God for his name’s sake not to abhor them.” God tells him there is no good that way to be done for them, though as mighty men in prayer, as Moses and Samuel stood before him; afterwards, indeed, Jeremy once or twice prayed against them, “Remember that I stood before thee for them, to turn away this wrath from them, yet Lord thou knowest all their counsel against me, to slay me; forgive not their iniquity.” God is long before he inflicts his curse: “My Spirit shall not always strive with man... yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” We may then be long before we wish the curse of God upon the ungodly. Jesus Christ was by and heard his persecutors imprecating so against themselves and children, saying, “His blood be upon us, and our children.” And one would think he might well say amen thereto; nay, but he would not, he did not, fOr as in that, he prays rather that God would take off that curse: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Imprecations had certainly miscarried, if they had been made, by any of the saints against Manasseh or Paul, who yet went very far in rebellion and enmity against God.
3. Look that we imprecate and pray that such or such calamities may light upon others, so as in reference to blessing of them. If the Lord please, “So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm: fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord.” The church anathematizes a wicked person; but it is not for their destruction, but of their flesh in them, and that their souls might, if possible, be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. So here.
4. Look that we imprecate and pray rather against their sin and wickedness, than their persons against whom we pray. “Turn this counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” “Lord, behold their threatenings.” “Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end.” It is the wickedness and the enmity of God’s enemies which most properly strikes at God, which is most mischievous to the church, and most hurtful to themselves and others, wherefore spare no arrows against that; and as far as worldly greatness is an occasion and instrument of their wickedness, we may pray against that: “Break out the great teeth of the young lions.”
5. Pray against the enemies of God conditionally, namely, if they persist in their enmity against God, that they be implacable; that they be reprobates, persons devoted to ruin, and ripe for it. David prays against the enraged enemy, that God would judge them, but if he turn not God will whet his sword; and the Lord himself declaratively curses the wicked by his ministers, but yet with a tacit condition, if they repent not. And so are the saints to wish that curse of God against them with the like tacit condition, if they repent not.
6. Pray against the enemies of God indefinitely, and not this or that person in particular: “Smite through the loins of those that rise up against him, that they rise not again.” Moses did not eye one enemy of Levi more than another: “So let them that hate thee, fly before thee.” “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha.” There is ever most of God, and least of self in such indefinite imprecations. And the saints may in that way of imprecating be both more free, and have more help to their faith in God’s promises wherein he engages himself in an indefinite way, to plague such desperate and ripened enemies, without reference to this or that person in particular.
7. Look that we propound for our end in such imprecations, the glory of God, and the church’s good. Paul’s respect to the glory of God in his word, makes him wish them accursed that preach another gospel. And his respect to the church’s good and peace, makes him wish them cut off who trouble them. So for the manner of imprecating, we do it in faith:
“Let not the foot of pride come against me.” There are they fallen, and he by faith sees them fallen against whom be prayed: “Break thou the arm of the wicked. The heathen are perished out of his land.” Let it be with holy grief of heart, that we have any cause to imprecate against any enemies of God: “As when the fellow-servants saw what was done, (by that cruel and merciless wretch against one of their fellows,) they were sorry, and came and told the Lord.” As Christ the judge pronounces that sentence against those his enemies, with expressions of much compassion —“he beheld Jerusalem, and wept over it, and said, they shall not leave thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the day of thy visitation.” So should the saints, which as witnesses, or assessors, either give in evidence or verdict upon the testimonies of their acts of enmity against God and his church; they should do it with grief.
1. Touching the third thing propounded; we may and must pray against treacherous enemies, which should have been friends, as those of “Meros, which should have helped the Lord against the mighty, were cursed.” “I looked for some to take pity, but there was none.” “Let their table become a snare.”
2. Against sly, undermining enemies, such as pretending to pity and help, will hurt the people of God:
“Let death seize upon them; his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” Such as can use all fraudulent expressions to insinuate to murder souls. “They lurk and lie in wait to take all advantages to murder the innocent;” yea their very souls, if it were possible, as well as their bodies, by wily tricks to draw them to sin against their consciences, “They would be drawing them into their net.” Yea, “He croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall.” And, “Arise, O Lord, O God, lift up thy hand.” “Break thou the arm of the wicked.” Such enemies, who professing the true religion, yet against their own light, will be plotting all the ways they can against the saints, and to reproach, and to disgrace the ways of God, arc very like the devil, transforming himself into an angel of light, but against his light, using all his wiles to ensnare souls, and bring them to like perdition with himself. These do the more mischief to the church and people of God, and possibly cause many truly godly ones, through their wiles, to go halting and bleeding to their graves.
3. Against mocking, scoffing, and insulting enemies, who like Tobiah and Sanballat, deride and jeer at the gracious practices of the saints, as they did at that good work of theirs, in building Jerusalem’s walls. But “hear O God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own heads.” “When I wept and fasted, that was to me a reproach.” “I became a proverb to them.” “They talk to the grief of them whom thou hast wounded.” “Add iniquity to their iniquity,” etc. Such as are ready to gnash their very teeth at the righteous, and to make themselves merry at any evil befalling them. “Hypocritical mockers in feasts, who gnash their teeth upon me, open their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye bath seen it.” “Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together, that rejoice at my hurt.” Such are old standers in the ways of sin, and have long walked in the counsels of the ungodly, and now taking up their rest, as it were, in the way of scorning at God and good. These have most venom that can laughingly smile on the saints, when yet they had rather be gnashing their teeth at them, and so are riper for God’s curse, as even ready to glory in any wicked pranks which are played against the saints.
4. Against apostatized enemies, as an Ahithophel, a Judas, an Alexander: “Alexander bath done me much hurt, the Lord reward him according to his deeds.” Such do much hurt indeed; they know the ways of the saints; they are most imbittered against them. Like Christians turning Turks, proselyted pharisaical persons; more hellish in their malice and fury against the godly, than Turks or Pharisees themselves, the nicest wine turning the sharpest vinegarlike spirits against the saints.
5. Against such as apparently oppose rather God in their persons, than the persons themselves; opposing persons every way amiable in their eyes, for parts, parentage, good behavior and repute, and only because godly, and so hating them without any personal cause, only for God’s sake they reproach them. “Because they pray and fast, that is to their reproach.” “Let the table of such become a snare.” “Without cause, on my part, they have hid for me their net. Therefore let their way be death.” “They devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.” Persons that meddle not with others, or others’ matters, but have their conversation in heaven, they themselves cannot charge them to be turbulent, but they are pious, they are conscientious, that is enough against them in such men’s eyes, and in whomsoever such persons see the image of God, they do, like their father the devil, malign it. Yea, though they gain neither credit nor profit by maligning such persons, as the devil himself does not, but are rather losers by it, yet they are well pleased if they can but wreak their malice upon the saints; let the ways of such be slippery, and the angel of the Lord persecute them.
6. Against such enemies as are so great, that they are even past the reach of human justice; none other left to break their teeth, but God only. Such as say, we will speak, and do thus and thus with them, and let us see the proudest of them all, which dare contradict or oppose us, “Our tongues are our own, who is Lord over us?” And some vilest persons, haply, being exalted to the highest place of rule, such wicked enemies walk on every side, without curb or control. Now it is high time for the poor and needy to cry against them, and God will arise at their cry. In this case Christ makes it the saints’ duty to cry night and day for vengeance against such enemies. And God at length will hear them. Bloodyminded Joab being too mighty to be reached by king David’s justice, is prayed against. “Let this blood rest on the head of Joab.” “I am this day weak, though anointed king, and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me; the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.”
7. Against the enemies of God, which divine justice has already found put, and begun to seize upon. If the fire of God has begun to kindle on them, and in them, we may blow it up by this holy breath. If God shows that it is his will to cut down such ripened stalks, we may help onward to their cutting down; if he has begun to wound such mad dogs, wolves, and serpents, we may help to kill them outright. If he has routed such Midianites, our prayers must help for the chase of them. When persecuting Babylon is once begun to be battered and closely besieged through God’s sin-revenging hand, “Then the inhabitants of Zion shall say, the violence done to me, and to my flesh, be upon Babylon; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.
Lastly, against general enemies, such as antichrist, the saints must muster up all their spiritual forces against such an enemy. To conclude: —
It may be asked, when the saints’ prayers against the enemies of God may be said to be heard? or how it may be known, that such judgments as the Lord inflicts upon his enemies, are fruits and issues of the saints’ prayers?
I answer, 1. When God brings strange judgments upon persons prayed against. As Hezekiah, with no extraordinary inspired prayer, prays against blaspheming Sennacherib. “God heard his prayer, which appeared by the strange hand of God against him, and his army of 185,000, who are cut off by an unusual stroke or plague of the angel, and he himself (in an unheard of manner) is killed by his own sons, whilst he is worshipping in the house of his God.”
2. When God brings upon such enemies speedy and untimely deaths, and not long after imprecations of the saints made against them; as that night after Hezekiah had so prayed, the angel wrought that unheard of slaughter of the Assyrians, and soon after that parricide is committed upon Sennacherib himself. Doubtless the saints which made such earnest request for Peter, did not forget Herod, that bloody man, to entreat God to convert him, or else to cut him off, if ripe for it; and you see it is not long after that in that unwonted way, he comes to his end by the stroke of an angel, when the very next day Anus dies a dreadful death, it is a sure token that the prayer of that godly bishop of Alexandria which he made against him the night before was answered. Within five or six days after that fasting and prayer of the Jews, wicked Haman is unexpectedly brought to his end; surely God has respect to his people’s requests in their mournings, and this their enemy came to fall before them, according as the very night after Esther’s feast, that unexpected way was made by God in the king’s heart for Haman’s fall, when Ahithophel within a day or two after David had prayed —“Lord, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, cometh to his end;” it evidences the same to be an issue of David’s imprecation. It is a sign that God heard the cry of Moses against the Egyptians, when that very day the Lord in a wonderful manner overthrows them. So when Jehoshaphat and his people solemnly and humbly request the Lord to judge those inhuman, ungrateful enemies of theirs, and the very morrow after, God does in an unwonted manner bring ruin upon those enemies, all may safely conclude that those prayers prevailed.
3. When the manner of the ends which God brings upon such enemies against which his people pray, is reproachful and shameful; as when a wicked Haman, which, a little before, was the greatest in the kingdom, comes to be hanged upon a gallows. When the great oracle of the people, and counselor of State, Ahithophel, comes to so shameful an end, as to die by a halter, yea, to hang himself; when that deputy king, or governor Herod, comes to so base an end, as to be eaten bf basest vermin; so when wretched Anus comes to so base an end, it argues that some godly Alexander has told his errand to the Lord.
4. When the judgments God brings upon his enemies, are the very same which his people desired against them in their prayers, God does not, indeed, always hear his people in the very particular, yet when he does so, it argues the same to be an answer of prayer. As when not alone, a prophet, extraordinarily inspired, prays against Judas, in another enemy like him, and the things desired are inflicted, as Psalms 109:1-31 and Acts 12:18-20 compared. Jothamn, an ordinary man, prays that fire may come from Abimelech, and devour the men of Sechem; and that fire may come from the men of Sechem, and devour Abimelech, and the issue presently afterwards answered the same, for both were instruments of each other’s ruin; it is a sign that Jotham’s prayer prevailed in both.
5. If when persons prayed against are swept away, without any desiring even of their associates to the contrary, even they pity them not, and all blessing from any hand, almost, is far from them. The very wicked which counseled them to such treacherous acts of enmity against God and Christ, cast them off without pity; as the priests and scribes did cursed Judas, in his saddest outcries and troubles. What is that to us? (they will not own him, nor his acknowledgment.) look thou to it. Nay, such enemies prayed against, if the prayers be effectual, will help forward one another’s ruin. Such bloody Shechemites, so prayed against, will help forward murderous Abimelech’s death and misery, as he did theirs.