that fought the things of Chrift, for he himself was one that did, and Timothy was another, of whom he is speaking, and whom he is commending; but that they were but very few that fought the things of Chrift, in comparison of others that fought their own things; and in like manner are we to understand the expreffions here, not fimply and abfolutely, but comparatively: and when we consider what an incumbent duty on profeffors calling on the name of the Lord is; or rather, what a privilege it is to be allowed to do it, the neglect of it here complained of must be a very aggravated fin, as will appear by opening the nature of this duty or privilege; in order to which, it may be proper to confider the object to be called upon, the name of the Lord; what he is to be called upon for, and when; the manner of calling upon him; and the arguments in brief exciting and encouraging thereunto. ft, The object of invocation or prayer, the name of the Lord; which includes the nature, being, and perfections of God, as well as his titles and characters; also the divine perfons in the Godhead; and particularly points at the special name in which God is to be called upon. 1. It takes in the nature, being, and perfections of God; the name of the Lord is the Lord himself, as when it is faid, the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is fafe; that is, the Lord himself is a strong tower of fafety to the righteous, that betake themfelves to him; and again', the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; that is, the God of Jacob himfelf, or he who is fo named, protect and defend thee from all evils and enemies. Once more; O Lord our God, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! that is, what a glorious display is there of thy divine perfections, in the works of creation and providence, throughout the whole world, and especially in thofe of grace and redemption! and there is fomething in the name of God, in his nature, and in all his attributes and perfections, which is engaging and encouraging to faints to call upon him: he, whose name is to be called upon, has proclaimed his name, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth"; which is very inviting and engaging to fouls to make their application to him for grace and mercy. Benhadad's fervants having heard that the kings of Ifrael were merciful kings, propofed to make their addreffes in an humble manner to the king of Ifrael, in favour of the life of their prince; and a very fimilar argument Joel makes ufe of, to encourage the Jews in his time to humble themselves before the Lord, and turn to him, fince he is gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness; for who knows, says he, if he will return, and repent, and leave a blessing behind him. The Lord, whose name is to be called upon, is the Lord God omnipotent; he is able to fulfil all the requests, answer all the expectations, and fupply all the wants of his people: the heathens pray to a God that cannot fave; but we pray to one whofe band is not shortened, that it cannot fave'; and who indeed is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we afk or think ". The Lord, on whofe name we should call, is the Lord God omnifcient; he with whom we have to do in prayer, to whom our fpeech is directed", and our addreffes made, has all things naked and open to his eyes; he knows our perfons, our cafes, our wants, and all the defires and breathings of our fouls; he knows the meaning of our fighs and groans, even those that are unutterable; whether we pray in public or private, in the house of God, or in our own houses, or in our closets, our Father feeth in fecret, and will reward us openly. The God we are called upon to pray unto, is the Lord God omniprefent, who is every where, and fills heaven and earth with his prefence; he is at hand to hear the petitions of his people, to affift, protect, and defend them; he is a prefent help in all their times of trouble; this is their great privilege, and in which they excel all other people, that they have God fo nigh unto them, as the Lord their God is, in all things that they call upon him for P. He is alfo El-fhaddai, God all-fufficient, the God of all grace, the author and giver of it; who is able to caufe all grace to abound, and whofe grace is fufficient at all times, and in all cafes. And to these perfections and attributes of God may be added, that the name and title he takes to himself for the encouragement of his people in prayer, is, that he is a God that bears prayer, and answers it too; he never faid, no not at any time, to the feed of Jacob, feek ye my face in vain :: every praying foul can set his feal to the truth of this teftimony, that it is always good to draw near to God; for his eyes are always upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. To fay no more, the Lord that is to be called upon, stands in the relation of a father to his people; and they are taught and instructed to address him in prayer under this character and relation, our Father which art in heaven"; and the Lord loves to have his children come about him, and call him their Father, and not turn away from him; it is with pleasure he hears them cry Abba, Father, in the ftrength of faith, and under the teftimony of the fpirit of adoption and fuch may affure themselves, that he will graciously hear and answer their requests; for if earthly fathers know how to give good things to their children, how much more shall our beavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him", and all other good things they ftand in need of. And fince then there is fuch great encouragement from the name, nature, and perfections of God; from the titles, characters, and relations he bears, how heinous muft the fin be, to neglect calling upon his name! 2. The Ephes. iii. 21. n Hegs ον ημιν ο λογΘ, Heb. iv. 13. • Pfalm xxxiv. 15. 9 Pfalm lxv. 2. " Matt. vi. 9. 2. The Name of the Lord takes in all the divine perfons who are to be invoked as baptifm is to be administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoft; fo the name of Father, Son, and Spirit, is to be called upon in prayer, either feparately or together. The name of the Father is to be invoked, and for the most part is called upon; if ye call upon the Father, or feeing ye call upon the Father, who without respect of perfons judgeth*; the apostle Paul fays, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift: The fcriptural instances of prayer are generally in this way; the addrefs is commonly made to the first Perfon, and we usually and for the most part, direct our petitions to him; and there is good reason why they should be directed to him; fince the other two Perfons fuftain an office which he does not, an office with respect to prayer: The Son is the Mediator, by whom we draw nigh to God; and the Spirit, is the Spirit of grace and fupplication, who helps and affifts in approaches to him;, though this is not to be done to the exclufion of either the Son or Spirit,, who, in conjunction with the Father or apart, may be called upon or addreffed in prayer: the fame bleffings of grace and peace are frequently wifhed from our Lord Jefus Chrift, as well as from the Father. Ananias exhorted Saul, when converted, to arife and be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord, that is, calling on the name of the. Lord Jefus Chrift; and the apoftle Paul directs one of his epiftles to the Corinthians, and to all that in every place upon the name of Jefus Christ our Lord': fpecial petitions are fometimes put up to him; particularly Stephen, in his last moments, called upon him, and said, Lord Jefus, receive my spirit: The holy Ghoft is alfo prayed unto: fometimes along with the other two perfons, as in Rev. i. 4, 5. and fometimes he is fingly invoked, as when the apottle thus prays, the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Chrift; where the Lord, the Spirit, feems to be defigned as diftinct from God and Christ.. cali 3. This phrafe of calling on, or in the name of the Lord, as it may be rendered, feems particularly to point at the invocation of God, in the name of Chrift; and which perhaps is the true meaning of it here, and in that remarkable paffage, then began men to call upon, or in the name of the Lord; not that men did not pray unto God, or call upon him before; but now another feedbeing raised in the room of Abel, whom Cain flew, and this increafing and multiplying, men either began to meet together in bodies, in communities, to carryon focial worship, particularly to perform focial prayer; or having now clearer discoveries, and better notions of the promised feed, the Meffiah, they began to call upon God in his name: and this was practifed, more or lefs, by the faints in all fucceeding ages; though it seems greatly to have got into difufe in the times of Chrift, who exhorted his difciples to pray to the Father in his name; affuring them, that whatsoever they asked in this way, both he and his Father would do it for them; and complains of their neglect of it; hitherto have ye afked nothing in my name; ask, and ye fall receive: Chrift is the only mediator between God and men; the days-man that lays his hands on both, the only way to the Father, the new and living way by which we have access to God with boldness and confidence; his name is to be ufed in prayer; our fupplications are not to be presented to God for our righteousness-sake, but for his name-sake; we are to make mention of his righteoufnefs, and of his only, and plead his precious blood and sacrifice, and defire the Lord would look upon the face of his anointed, and regard us for his fake; acceptance of our perfons and fervices is only through him: our righteousness is as filthy rags, and cannot render us acceptable unto God; our acceptance is only in the beloved; our facrifices of prayer and praise become only acceptable unto God, as they are offered up through Chrift, and on him, that altar which fanctifies every gift: and all favours and blessings of grace are conveyed through him to his people; the first grace in conversion is fhed in the hearts of men abundantly through Chrift their Saviour, and all after-fupplies of grace are out of his fulness; and therefore, feeing we have fuch a mediator, advocate, and interceding high priest, to introduce our perfons, to prefent our petitions, and to obtain all grace for us, we have great encouragement to call upon the Lord in his name, and to neglect this, must be an aggravated evil. I proceed, 2dly, To confider for what, and when we are to call upon the name of the Lord, or in his name; and this we are to do for all things; for he is nigh to us in all things we call upon him for : we should pray unto him for all temporal mercies, for he is the father of them; we are directed to pray to him for our daily bread", which takes in all the neceffaries of life; and fuch who have the true grace of God, and the power of godliness in them, may expect to be heard and answered; for godliness has the promife of this life', as well as of that which is to come and we are to call upon him for spiritual mercies, for all spiritual bleffings in Chrift; for though these things are in his heart, and in his hands, and which he has laid up in his Son, and in the covenant of his grace, for his people, yet he will be inquired of by them, to do them for them; even for the fresh discoveries and application of pardoning grace, for the light of bis countenance, and communion with him, and for all supplies of grace and mercy, to help in time of need. And this is to be done at all times; our Lord spake a parable to encourage men to pray always, and not faint'; and the apostle Paul exhorts the faints to pray always, with all prayer and fapplication, and to pray without ceafing", conftantly, continually, and inceffantly, and efpecially in times of trouble; Call upon me, fays the Lord, in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou fbalt glorify me: all times and feasons are proper for prayer, but especially afflictive ones; a time of affliction is a peculiar time for prayer; Is any afflicted? let him pray°; yea sometimes, when the people of God are negligent of the work and business of prayer, he sends an affliction to them, to bring them to his throne of grace; in their affliction they will feek me early: and particularly, in times of public calamity and diftrefs, it is right and highly necessary to call upon God; and happy it is for a nation, when there are, at such seasons, many praying fouls in it; it was well for Ifrael they had a Mofes to stand in the breach, and deprecate the wrath and vengeance of God, that he might not destroy them; and that they had an Aaron, who put on incenfe, and made atonement, and then stood between the living aud the dead, and so the plague was stayed; but fad is the cafe of a people, when there is not one to ftand in the gap, and intercede for them, that they perish not. This is what is here complained of. 3dly, The manner in which this duty of calling upon God should be performed; that is, in faith, with fervency, in fincerity of heart, and with great importunity. It cannot be done aright without faith; for how shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? Whoever comes to God, or draws near to him, in any part or branch of worship, and particularly in prayer, must believe that he is1; not only that he exifts, and is poffeffed of all divine perfections, but that he is the God of all grace, that keeps covenant, and is faithful to his promifes; he must not only believe in the object of prayer, but with respect to the things prayed for; these must be asked in faith, for it is the prayer of faith that is prevalent with God '; this is the holy confidence that should be cherished, that whatever we ask according to the revealed will of God, that will make for his glory, and our good, shall be given us: and then our petitions fhould not be put up in a cold, lukewarm, and indifferent manner, but it becomes us to be fervent in fpirit, ferving the Lord' in every part of worship, and particularly in this of prayer; for it is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man that availeth much" : and we should also draw nigh to God, in this duty, with true hearts, as well as with full affurance of faith, in the fincerity and uprightness of our fouls; for if men draw near to God with their mouths, and bonour him with their lips only, but remove their hearts far from him, and their fear towards him is taught by the precept of man", they cannot expect to be regarded by him, but he is nigh to |