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THE

Spiritual Magazine ;

OR,

SAINTS' TREASURY.

"There are Three that bear record in heaven; the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these Three are One."

"Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

MARCH, 1834.

1 John v. 7.

Jude 3.

PRAYER TO GOD FOR OUR CHILDREN, WARRANTED BY THE WORD OF GOD.

IN reply to E. M. on this subject, I can hardly feel persuaded but that he has more high headiness, than experimental heartedness of acquaintance with the points on which he, with so much selfcomplacency writes. His ideas of divine sovereignty are decidedly freezing in regard to the circumstantials of existence here, and destructive to the free and affectionate exercise of those powers and affections, which the christian, as a creature of God, is, by divine will and power, without accident, composed of; and the free and affectionate exercise of which, no principle of christianity, nor the soundest belief in divine sovereignty ever denied, prevented, or condemned; but rather cultivates into more liberal exercises of desire and effort for the best interest of all those about us, submitting all desires and efforts to the divine will, to be used, or not used instrumentally for good, as the Lord may deem good in his sight.

E. M. has very contracted and partial ideas of BIBLE readiness; so that according to his notions of the sovereignty and purposes of God, in regard to the circumstantials of the saints' existence on earth, half the phraseology of the bible, is not his practice of faith, nor his rest of faith; nor his walking out sovereignty, as he phrases it.

Relative to a believing parent's praying for his children, E. M. says, "When I hear the saints praying for their children, it is but their fleshly wills expressed;" page 104. "It is not the duty of the believer to pray for those with whom he is connected by the ties of nature;" page 399. "I again assert, it is not, because it is contrary to the revealed will of God;" page 397. These are the sayings of E. M. with great confidence; but it is very silly talk, if words have any VOL. X.-No. 120.]

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meaning; for the great household Lawgiver to Israel, says, "Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you," Matt. v. 44. assigning this reason for the saints following such a line of conduct, "that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, (in expressed features of character and disposition) for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust," ver 45. Now I am quite at a loss to know how E. M. in the face of these words of God our Saviour, can assert and repeat, that a saint's praying for his children and connections in life is contrary to the revealed will of God. What can I know of the determinate will and counsels of God relative to those who are despitefully using and persecuting me for truth and godliness' sake? They may be predestinated to eternal life, for all I know; and for all I know, they may be objects of God's endless indignation; but what have I to do with that? I am commanded to pray for them, let their final destiny be what it may ! Divine sovereignty, the determinate counsels of God, and personal election to eternal life, are not laid down in this text as a rule for prayer, but the manifest general kindness of God. I do not know who the Lord's uncalled elect are; but, if I have an open persecuting enemy, I am commanded to pray directly for that very individual, whether he be a left vessel of wrath, or a chosen vessel of mercy. Is persecution a sign of the persecutor's interest in the ordination to eternal life? surely not; and yet if all my connections in the ties of nature, and all my children, should become revilers, and use me despitefully, I am by the Lord's direct command, immediately to pray for them all. And how can it be contrary to the revealed will of God, and to the undeniable spirit of this command, to pray for them all, provided they do not use me ill? E. M. asks, "Where is the command to pray for children?" I answer, in the text above cited is the reply, HERE! to all such questions; because prayer for children is included in our Lord's command by the very rule by which prayer is enjoined for persecutors, viz. the Lord's revealed kindness to all, and our being the children of such a parent, commanded to imitate our Father's general kindness by all means in our power, ver. 46, 47, 48. Besides, although the Lord of heaven hath commanded us to pray for our persecutors; if E. M. be right, we must, to escape his sneers, leave the persons of our persecutors out of our prayers for the very same reason that our children must not be included, namely, because we do not know them to be elected to life. We have no proof that Stephen knew that the very persons of his persecuting connections, were the Lord's ordained to life, while they were stoning him to death, and yet he, shewing the well-wishing spirit of a christian," kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!" Acts vii. 60. And is this " fleshly will expressed, contrary to God's revealed will?" It does not appear to be recorded to convey any such idea to our minds; although we have no evidence given us, that Stephen had any knowledge of the decrees of God concerning the

individuals for whom he so immediately prayed. And if Stephen could so pray, (approved in sacred page,) who shall find sacred warrant to rebuke us, if we, subject to the secret will of God, so pray for those about us, although we know no more of the determinate counsels of God concerning them individually, than Stephen did concerning the persons of his persecutors ?

Samuel prayed for his national connection, and said, "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you;" this could not be the " fleshly will expressed, contrary to the revealed will of God," surely, for it would have been Samuel's sin to leave it off. But perhaps E. M. will say, "that was only for temporals;" but be that as it may, it was prayer to God, and that is enough for my purpose, as I shall observe presently; as that God's purposes are as perfect, and as firm fixed for all temporals, as they are for all eternals, lest uncertainty in the one should disturb the order of the other; and as that Samuel knew no more of the secret purpose of God towards the thousands of Israel, touching individual temporals, any more than a praying parent knows of the individual eternals of the children for whom he prays.

Abraham prayed unto God, and said, "Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!" Gen. xvii. 18. We have no evidence on sacred record, that Abraham knew that Ishmael should live, before he prayed for him; but as the case stands, it is very evident that he thus prayed, simply, as any other godly parent might, with desire that he might live before the Lord. And the Lord never showed any disapprobation to it, nor called it "the fleshly will expressed, contrary to the revealed will of God;" but, on the contrary, says, as for Ishmael, I have heard thee," ver. 20.

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Paul did not know that any of the company then present, Acts xxvi. 28, were chosen of God unto salvation, when he poured out his heart prayerwise for them all that they might be, even as he was, except his bonds. And was this right or wrong, E. M.? Because, if this was right and unreprovable, and it is not reproved in the bible, then it is equally right for a parent so to pour out his heart's desire for his children. But is not this " wishing God to alter his mind?" no, but an affectionate expression of christian desires for our fellow sinners, as commanded by our LORD, though despised by E. M.; and it is a scripturally warranted submission of our desires to God, with an, IF it be consistent with thy will, O Lord! But E. M. "chooses to worship," so much, "in the light," of his own confidence and opinion, that perhaps he would disdain to grope in the submissive darkness of an IF, as I have known several gentlemen of his stamp within these last twenty years, that have done so; nothing less than the language of utmost confidence would suit them; an if was a mongrel ;" and some of the very same people are now more than three quarter arminians, others of them are sunk in melancholy, almost to madness; and others, (with whom, a believer in the principles in general held by Gill, was a mere toad in the low bogs,) are now

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like the sow and the dog, 2 Pet. ii. 22. But Abraham pleaded for Sodom, with peradventures, Gen. xviii. Jacob prayerfully vowed with an IF, Gen. xxviii. 20, 21. Jacob in praying to God for protection from the fury of Esau, included the mother with the children, Gen. xxxii. 11.; and we are not told in any part of the book of God, that that was 66 fleshly will expressed, contrary to the will of God;" for the Lord heard his prayer; and as it was prayer for the mother and the children, it is a plentiful example, and warrant for all praying parents, masters, and other saints, to include their wives, children, servants, and connections in life, in their prayers; without any danger of any holy rebuke, except from E. M.; for Jacob did not know what the will of God was, concerning the individuals, for he disposed of his family with an "IF Esau come," &c. ver. 8. ; although he believed in God's secret and settled arrangements as firm as ever E. M. did, or ever will do, here. Moses prayed for the Egyptians, and that was not contrary to the revealed will of God, for the Lord heard him, Ex. viii. 12, 13. But perhaps E. M. will say, "that was but for a temporal thing;" be it so, it was prayer to God, for those who knew not God; and it was prayer as the case presented itself, and is plenty of warrant for christian parents to pray for their children, and other saints for their connections, as their condition may present itself, without presuming to look into the ark of God's secret will concerning them. Hannah did not know the secret will of God concerning the matter, when she prayed to have a manchild: nor did she ask the Lord to change his mind; but she pleaded with IFS of subjection, while her desire was fervent, 1 Sam. i. 11. Her ifs laid her desires before the throne of God in that shape as to do no harm, had she never obtained the child. And it was not a firm confidence that she should have one, but her desire to have one, and her affliction in being without one, that was the experimental means of her so praying for one, 1 Sam. i. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And while it is so evidently not contrary to God's revealed will, for one saint to pour out their heart's desire to have a child, when they have none; no one upon the face of God's earth will ever be able to convince me, with the bible in my hand, without a new and contrary revelation, that it is contrary to God's revealed will for christian parents and other saints to submit their whole hearts' desires for the welfare of children and connections, in every best sense of the word before God, with if it be thy will, if it seem good in thy sight, merciful Father. And we have the very highest example for this way of coming to a throne of grace; for the great Lord, and leader of all supplicants, well knew that the cup could not pass from him; and yet he prayed, IF it be possible. While he who knew what the secret purposes of heaven were, thus prayed, is it not the highest warrant of example for us, who know not what the settlements of heaven are, in regard to individuals, to pray for our children and other connections in the ties of nature, with, if it be possible, if it be thy will? It is also very evident, that eternal decrees were not the rule of this

prayer,

for

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the very thing which our Lord knew to be impossible, was nevertheless, as an example for us submitted with an IF; and this was, and may be in ten thousands of christian instances, in perfect accordance, without the least opposition, or "rebellious fever," to thy will be done, Matt. xxvi, 39. Our Lord's submission of an if for what he knew to be impossible, is a full liberty for us to submit the ifs of our desire, for those who may never be saved; as we know not what is the secret purpose of God concerning them. But E. M. says this is vague and useless, because it is asking God to alter his mind,” page 105. However, we will not be alarmed, for his attack is equally as furious against our all-wise Lord's example, as it is against our imitation; and having the Captain of salvation in the field with us, we will not flinch nor give quarter. Our Lord's prayer on the cross, was in perfect accordance with his command to us to pray for our enemies, and is also an example for us to pray for our connections; for he did not describe the people as the elect of God, but identified them as the knowing not what they do, Luke xxiii. 34. And in perfect agreement with the spirit of our Lord's command, and this example on the cross, Paul spoke the truth of God, in the disposition of christianity, in the beginning of Rom. ix. But E. M. will not join with Paul here, nor approve of him, because he questions whether Paul here spoke the truth of God; although Paul solemnly declares, it was spoken in the truth of Christ, and in the Holy Ghost: so that E. M. cannot question the truth of God to be spoken in the third verse, without equally suspecting Paul for a liar in the first verse. But E. M. is necessarily driven to this extremity by his own system; for if the truth of God be spoken in the third verse, and in our Lord's command to us to pray for our enemies, E. M.'s system must tumble about his own ears, and he be found to know as little of the Holy Ghost's personal greatness, and to "misplace things" as ill as his neighbours, page 273.

The Holy Ghost saith, by Paul, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority," 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. Now unless E. M. can prove that this all men, all these kings, and this all that are in authority, are elect vessels, he must prove the truth of God is not spoken in this text, and that the will of the flesh is hereby expressed, contrary to the revealed will of God, or his system must fall; because prayer is here commanded to an extent very far beyond what E. M.'s system can possibly admit; and quite far enough to embrace our children, and connections, in our prayers and best wishes at a throne of grace.

E. M. says, "I choose to worship in the light," page 397. And we have no objection to his having all the light of his choice; only, we claim the same privilege, without abuse; but while other people are considered to worship in the dark, who differ from him, we will examine the point a little farther. I suppose by worshipping in the light, E. M. means, moving on the ground of certainty, as knowing

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