4. MANY times it fares with the Ministers of the Gospel according as their People Pray for them. Therefore they have reason to say, Pray for us. The Lives, the Health, the Liberty of Ministers depend much on the Prayers of their People. ⟨p. 9⟩They may by their Prayers be instrumental in delivering them from feared evils. This the Apostle was very sensible of. He was afraid lest the unbelieving Jews who hated him above any Man in the World, would have done him mischief at Jerusalem, wherefore in his Epistle to the Romans, he does importunately beg their Prayers, I beseech you Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake, that you strive together with me, I'll Pray my self, but do you join with me, in your Prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea, Rom. 15. 30, 31. Truly Prayer for him was not in vain. He was delivered out of the hands of those unbelievers when in the eminentest danger. For they dragged him out of the Temple, and as they went about to kill him, a Roman Colonel with his Captains and Soldiers rescued him out of their hands. And was not that deliverance an answer of many Prayers of the Apostle and of his Christian Friends? When a Minister is fallen into deep Affliction, the Prayers of the Lord's People, especially if many Pray for him, may prove his Deliverance. 2 Cor. 1. 10, 11. God has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver, in whom we trust that He will yet deliver, you also helping by your Prayer for us, that for the gift, i. e. for the deliverance given to us, by the means of many Persons, thanks may be given by many in our behalf. When a Minister is deprived of Liberty to Preach, either by the hand of God confining of him, or by Persecutors, it ⟨p. 10⟩may be the Prayers of the Lord's People for him will obtain his restoration. Thus in the Text before us, Pray for us, I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. He speaks after the like manner to Philemon, Verse 23. I trust that through' your Prayer I shall be given to you. We have a miraculous confirmation of this in the Apostle Peter. He was put into Prison bound in Chains, & Four Quaternions of Soldiers appointed to keep him. The next Morning was to have had his Life taken from him. Did Peter live a considerable time after this, and do great Service for Christ? He did.
4. MANY times it sares with the Ministers of the Gospel according as their People Pray for them. Therefore they have reason to say, Pray for us. The Lives, the Health, the Liberty of Ministers depend much on the Prayers of their People. ⟨p. 9⟩They may by their Prayers be instrumental in delivering them from feared evils. This the Apostle was very sensible of. He was afraid lest the unbelieving Jews who hated him above any Man in the World, would have done him mischief at Jerusalem, wherefore in his Epistle to the Romans, he does importunately beg their Prayers, I beseech you Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake, that you strive together with me, I'll Pray my self, but do you join with me, in your Prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea, Rom. 15. 30, 31. Truly Prayer for him was not in vain. He was delivered out of the hands of those unbelievers when in the eminentest danger. For they dragged him out of the Temple, and as they went about to kill him, a Roman Colonel with his Captains and Soldiers rescued him out of their hands. And was not that deliverance an answer of many Prayers of the Apostle and of his Christian Friends? When a Minister is fallen into deep Affliction, the Prayers of the Lord's People, especially if many Pray for him, may prove his Deliverance. 2 Cor. 1. 10, 11. God has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver, in whom we trust that He will yet deliver, you also helping by your Prayer for us, that for the gift, i. e. for the deliverance given to us, by the means of many Persons, thanks may be given by many in our behalf. When a Minister is deprived of Liberty to Preach, either by the hand of God confining of him, or by Persecutors, it ⟨p. 10⟩may be the Prayers of the Lord's People for him will obtain his restoration. Thus in the Text before us, Pray for us, I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. He speaks after the like manner to Philemon, Verse 23. I trust that thro' your Prayer I shall be given to you. We have a miraculous confirmation of this in the Apostle Peter. He was put into Prison bound in Chains, & Four Quaternions of Soldiers appointed to keep him. The next Morning was to have had his Life taken from him. Did Peter live a considerable time after this, and do great Service for Christ? He did.
