N01545:34
Two discourses showing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of…Two discourses shewing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of…
Two discourses showing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of the righteous. II. The dignity & duty of aged servants of the Lord. : Also, a preface in which the Congregational discipline of the churches in New-England is vindicated, with the authors dying testimony there-unto. / By I. Mather, D.D. ; [Four lines of quotations]Two discourses shewing, I. That the Lords ears are open to the prayers of the righteous. II. The dignity & duty of aged servants of the Lord. : Also, a preface in which the Congregational discipline of the churches in New-England is vindicated, with the authors dying testimony there-unto. / By I. Mather, D.D. ; [Four lines of quotations]
printed by B. Green for Daniel Henchman, 1716
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Ears of the LORD are open to the Prayers of the Righteous.
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.
Answ. 1. It is from the gracious Nature of the blessed God. Exod. 20.27. I will hear for I am gracious. Gracious is His Name and Nature. When God did in a most wonderful manner make known His Name to Moses, He passed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God Merciful & Gracious, abundant in Goodness, Exod. 34.6. It is an Infinitely gracious Condescension in Him to look upon such Poor beggars as we are. He humbleth himself to behold the things in Heaven. How much ⟨p. 11⟩more to behold such dust and ashes on the Earth! Besides, we are not only mean considered as Creatures, but we are Sinners. Peter fell down at Christs feet and said, Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord, Luk. 5.8. God might say to the best of us, Depart out of my presence, for you are Sinful Men, and shall not come near me. And as our Persons are Sinful, so are our Prayers also. There is iniquity in our holy things. Isai 64.6. We are all as an unclean thing, & all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Our Righteousnesses, in the Plural number, not some of them, but all of them: They are but rags, nay filthy rags. If then God shall accept of us, or of any of our Services, it is wonderful and astonishing Grace.
2. The Reason why the Ears of the Lord are open to the Prayers of the Righteous, is, because they Pray to Him in the Name of Christ. The ⟨p. 12⟩Lords People Israel were taught this, when they were directed to Pray towards the Temple. They were to spread forth their hands, that's a Praying posture, towards that house, 1 King. 8.38. Thence it was that Daniel when in Babylon his Windows being opened in his Chamber towards Jerusalem, kneeled upon his knees and Prayed. He did not open his Windows towards the Kings Palace, that Men might not think that he Prayed to him, according to that Idolatrous decree of the Court of Persia, nor towards the East, as they that worshipped the Sun were wont to do, but towards Jerusalem, because of the Temples having been there, which was a Type of Christ. Prayers that comes in such a Name must needs find acceptance. For Jesus Christ the Son of God, is so dear to the Father, that He will deny Him nothing. He says, Thou hearest me always,