owne good, but for others also, as the church and people of God, perswading our selues that we also are partakers of their praiers: and for the better cleering of this point, let vs search who they are for whome wee are to pray.
Of men there be two sorts, some liuing•• some dead. Of these two kinds, the liuing are to be praied for, and there is no praying for the dead.
A man that is dead, knowes what shall bee his estate eternally: if he died a wicked person, that is, an vnrepentant sinner, his state shall bee according in eternall torment: if he died hauing repented of his sinnes, then hee shall rest with God in his kingdome. Apoc. 14.13. Blessed are they which die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their workes follow them. Gal. 6.10. While wee haue time let vs doe good to all men. Where wee may note that there is a time, namely after death, when we cannot doe good to others.
Again, of the liuing, some are our enemies, & some our friends: Our friends are they which are of the same religion, affection, and disposition. Foes are ei∣ther priuate or publike: Publike foes, are either enemies to our countrie, as ty∣rants, traitors, &c. or enemies to our religion, as Iewes, Turkes, Papists, Infi∣dels, Atheists. Now towards all these, how ought a man to behaue himselfe in praier? Ans. He is to pray for them all. Matth. 5.44. Pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you. 1. Tim. 2.1. I exhort that praiers, intercessions, &c. be made for all men, for kings, &c. Yet whē Paul gaue this commandement, we read not that there were any Christian kings, but all Infidels. And the Iewes are com∣manded to pray for Babylon, where they were captiue, Ierem. 29.7. And seeke the prosperitie of the cittie, whither I haue caused you to be carried captiue, and pray vnto the Lord for it.
Question. How and in what manner are wee to pray for our enemies? Ans. We are to praie against their ••innes, counsels, enterprises, but not against their persons. Thus praied Dauid against Achitophel. 2. Sam. 15.31. Lord I pray thee bring the counsell of Achitophel to foolishnesse. And thus did the Apostles pray against their persecutors, Act. 4.29. O Lord behold their threatnings, and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speake thy word.
Question. Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies, in which he pray∣eth for their vtter confusion, as Psal. 59. & 109. &c. The like is done by Paul, Gal. 5.1. 2. Tim. 4.14. and Peter, Act. 8. 20. though afterwards he mitigates his execration. But how could they doe it? Ans. 1. They were indued with an extraordinarie measure of Gods spirit, and hereby they were inabled to dis∣cerne of their enemies and certainly to iudge that their wickednes and malice was incurable, and that they should neuer repent. And the like praiers did the Primitiue church cōceiue against Iulian the Apostata because they perceiued him to be a malitious & desperate enemie. 2. Secondly, they were indued with a pure zeale, and not carried with desire of reuenge against their enemies, in∣tending nothing els but the glorie of God. Nowe for vs it is good that wee should suspect our zeale, because sinister affections, as hatred, enuie, emulati∣on, desire of reuenge, will easily mingle themselues therewith.
Question. How farre forth may we vse those Psalmes in which Dauid vseth imprecations against his enemies? Ans. They are to bee read and song with these caueats. I. We are to vse those imprecations indefinitely against the ene∣mies