CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

Again, 2. Pardon and forgiveness of sin, and that as oft as it is committed is the matter of his prayer: We have an Advocate, as you heard. Alas,¹ upon the committing of any sin, if there were no more strength to do them away then is in the prayers and tears of the godly, if all the guilt lay upon them to discharge, how insupportable would it be? but there is no sin at any time committed by thee, if repented of and forgiven, but Christ hath prayed that it may be forgiven thee: so then though there be weakness, unbelief, and dullness in thy prayers, yet there was no fault to be found •n Christs prayers; In all thy agonies, desertions and temptations, plead the Intercession of Christ;

Again, 2. Pardon and forgivenesse of sinne, and that as oft as it is committed is the matter of his prayer: We have an Advocate, as you heard. Alas,¹ upon the committing of any sinne, if there were no more strength to do them away then is in the praiers and tears of the godly, if all the guilt lay upon them to discharge, how insupportable would it be? but there is no sinne at any time committed by thee, if repented of and forgiven, but Christ hath praied that it may be forgiven thee: so then though there be weaknesse, unbelief, and dullnesse in thy praiers, yet there was no fault to be found •n Christs praiers; In all thy agonies, desertions and temptations, pleade the Intercession of Christ;

1. 12. Pardon of sin.

3. Further, Another main spiritual mercy prayed for, is preservation from sin, v. 15. I pray not thou shouldest take them out of the world, ¹but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil; Oh admirable and necessary prayer; we are in the world as in an infected Hospital, as in a fiery furnace: Now to be here and not diseased, not to be burned therein, is the wonderful expression of Gods power and goodness, for this River to run into the Sea, and not to partake of the salt taste thereof is beyond expression, Christ hath not prayed that we should have no afflictions or troubles in the world, but that we should be kept from the evil of them; He did not pray for Peter that he should not have woeful and sad temptations, but that his faith might not fail in the midst of them; O what a comfortable cordial may it be in times of great commotions and violent temptations! how do the godly fear lest their strength should fail them, lest one time or other they should yield to sin, and be overwhelmed? Now in the midst of all these fears Christ hath prayed for thee as well as for Peter, that thy faith may not fail: Insomuch that we may say, Christs prayer for believers is all their hope and foundation; In some sad exigences how careful are we to have the prayers of all Gods people, to be remembered in such and such a Congregation, but if all the Churches in the world should pray for a man, it would not amount to so much as Christs prayer; therefore let the godly comfort one another with these things.