A34689:4867
A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first…
A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first Epistle general of John by ... John Cotton ...A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...
London: printed by M.S. for Thomas Parkhurst, 1658
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. Because when we pray according to the will of God, in the Name of Christ, our prayer is Christs prayer; as if you send a child or servant to a friend for any thing in your name, the request is yours, and he that denies your child or servant in this case, denies you; so no more can God deny a prayer put up in Christs name, then he can deny Christ himself, Joh. 16.23, 24.
2. Because when we pray according to the will of God, in the Name of Christ, our prayer is Christs prayer; as if you send a childe or servant to a friend for any thing in your name, the request is yours, and he that denyes your childe or servant in this case, denyes you; so no more can God deny a prayer put up in Christs name, then he can deny Christ himself, Joh. 16.23, 24.
Reas. 3. From the intercession of the Spirit in such a prayer; no prayer put up in the manner aforesaid, but is the prayer of the holy Ghost, and God knows the meaning of his Spirit, Rom. 8.26. God knows our prayers would be weak and cold, except there were another Spirit besides our own; if therefore he discern his own Spirit in our prayers, he cannot deny his Spirit; nay further, as the Spirit makes intercession for us, so Christ himself prays for us, Rom. 8.34. He takes up all our prayers for us as the great Master of requests, and he doth so perfume them, and take out all weakness out of them, that he presents them as a sweet odour to God, Rev. 8.3. Even as if a younger Brother should go and gather a Posy for his Father, he out of ignorance gathers many weeds withal, but his elder Brother takes it, and pulls out all the weeds, and perfumes the flowers with sweet water, and then presents it to his Father in his Brothers name: so Christ sees many sinful weaknesses in our prayers, but he takes away all unsavouriness, and perfumes them, and so presents them to God, and he accepts them.