A30241:1052
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, or, Christs prayer before his passion explicated, and both practically and polemically improved by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 41: Of Praying both for the Godly and the Wicked, With the Reasons and Motives thereof.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. The Apostle 1 Joh. 5.16. speaketh of a sin unto death, that we are not to pray for one guilty of that; This hath much troubled the Learned; The Ancients they thought it was not an absolute prohibition of all to pray for such, but only that eminent men might do it; They thought for an ordinary Christian to pray for such sinners, it would be high presumption; As it's not for every one in the Court to speak for some heinous offender but a special Favourite; When God said, Though Noah, Job and Daniel Eze. 14.14. should pray for that people he would not hear them; This implied that they were nearer to Gods ear, and might prevail sooner then others; Though this Exposition be old, yet the Text seemeth to ⟨p. 230⟩be absolutely prohibitive; And so Austin said, that if we knew who had sinned that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost, we were no more to pray for him, then for one damned in hell: Now whether such a sin as is unto death be ordinarily committed, and what it is, and whether we may know when such do commit it is worth the enquiring into, but is greatly extravagant unto my matter.
2. The Apostle 1 Joh. 5.16. speaketh of a sinne unto death, that we are not to pray for one guilty of that; This hath much troubled the Learned; The Ancients they thought it was not an absolute prohibition of all to pray for such, but only that eminent men might do it; They thought for an ordinary Christian to pray for such sinners, it would be high presumption; As it's not for every one in the Court to speak for some hainous offender but a special Favourite; When God said, Though Noah, Job and Daniel Eze. 14.14. should pray for that people he would not hear them; This implied that they were nearer to Gods ear, and might prevail sooner then others; Though this Exposition be old, yet the Text seemeth to ⟨p. 230⟩be absolutely prohibitive; And so Austin said, that if we knew who had sinned that unpardonable sinne against the holy Ghost, we were no more to pray for him, then for one damned in hell: Now whether such a sinne as is unto death be ordinarily committed, and what it is, and whether we may know when such do commit it is worth the enquiring into, but is greatly extravagant unto my matter.