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either by any other oath but let your yea, be yea, ind your nay, nay; left ye fall into condemnation. 13. afflicted? (1) let him pray. Is any

s any among you

13.

9 Pfal. 50. 15. Call upon me n the Day of Trouble; I will deli ver thee, and thou fhalt glorifie ne. Pfal. 91. 15. He fhall call up

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on me, and I will anfwer him: I will be with him in Trouble, I will be with him, and honour him.

ng by Heaven, by the Earth, by one's Faith, and the like. This I the raher mention, because fome who will not profane the Name of God by Common Swearing, make no fcruple of Swearing by their Faith, &c. which is unquestionably forbidden, and finful. But thofe are under a Miftake who imagine, that fuch fwearing before Judges and Magiftrates, as is neceffary to put an end to Strife among Men, and to affure them of ach others fidelity, is forbidden. For, First, If our Lord had intended to forbid this, he would not himself have answered upon Oath before the high Prieft, as he did, Mat. 26.63,64. Nor, Secondly, would St. Paul have fo often appealed to God (wherein the very Effence of an Oath confifts) for the Truth of what he affirmed. See the References under Rom. 1.9. But, Thirdly, our Lord explains himself, Mat. 5. 37. Let your Communication, hat is, your ordinary and daily Converfation, be yea, yea; nay, nay; that s, be content with a fingle, or at most, with a double Affirmation or Denial. A folemn Oath is an eminent Part of religious Worship, when the Conditions fet down by the Prophet are obferved: Thou shalt fwear he Lord liveth, in Truth; that is, an Oath muft not be violated by giv ng Teftimony to a falfhood, or by breaking our Promife; in Judgment, that is, it must not be used rafhly, and thereby brought into contempt; n Righteousness, that is, it muft not be made a Bond of Iniquity, Jer. 4. 2. Thofe who would fee this matter handled more at large, may confult Dr. Whitly's Notes on Mat. 5. 33, &c.

(1) Though Prayer is a Duty we ought daily to practise, yet Times of Danger, of Trouble and Affliction, do in a particular Manner call upon us to exercise our felves therein. Some, I know, have thought that God governs the World by fixed and immutable Laws, that he feldom interpofes, and that fuch and fuch Caufes do of courfe produce fuch and fuch effects. That this is true in many Inftances, and that it is out of the Power of Man to hinder, for Example, the Motions and Effects of natural Bodies, and natural Caufes, I readily acknowledge; but I cannot believe that God has bound himfelf up by thefe Laws; I am rather inclined to think, that the Almighty often fufpends and over-rules natural Caufes. To think otherwife, feems to me, to fhock the very Foundation of Prayer under Affliction, and to make all Application to God for Prefervation from Fear or Danger, and for Deliverance from Troubles and Difficulties, wholly ufelefs. Has not the upright Man, who makes God his refuge, particular Promifes of being preferved from the Terror by Night, and from the Arrow that flieth by Day? From the Peftilence that walketh in Darkness, and from the Destruction that wasteth at Noon-day? Pfal. 91, 5,6, If fuch an interpofal of Divine Power cannot be conceived to be other than a Miracle, I must confefs I do not upon one Age only, but every Age, an Age of Miracles; nay, I be

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merry? let him fing pfalms. 14. Is any fick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and (1) let them pray over him, anointing him with oy!

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lieve fuch as these wrought every Day for the Protection or Relief of those who depend upon this Governour of the World. For, I know not to what purpose Ifhould, like Jonah, or his Mariners, call upon God in a Storm, if it were never to be laid, till it had naturally spent its force and fury. See Pfal. 107. 23, to 31. I know not to what purpose I fhould implore the Almighty's Direction upon all my Deliberations in perplex'd and intangled Affairs, ifI could expect no other Light than what my la bouring Mind could give it felf: I know not why I fhould addrefs my felf to God in the Pains and Danger of an infupportable Disease, if the Medicines will be the fame, and their Virtue the fame, if the Fever will a bate, and its Flames be extinguith'd, or extinguifh Life, in the fame De gree and manner ifI Pray, or if I do not. See Dr. Lucas's Enquiry after Happinefs, Vol. 1. Chap. 3. In these, and fuch like Inftances, Almighty God may appoint the holy Angels to affift, help, and deliver his Servants, who apply to him; for we are affured in the Old-Teftament, that the An gel of the Lord incampeth round about them that fear him, and deliver eth them; and in the New, that they are miniftring Spirits, fent forth to minifter to them who are Heirs of Salvation.

(1) Anointing with Oyl was made ufe of for the Recovery of the Sick, as a natural Means, by the Jews. And fome of them ufed a fort of Charms over him at the fame time, which the Apoftle did not at all approve of; but instead thereof directed them to anoint the Sick in the Name of the Lord. I cannot enter upon the Difputes which have arifen from this Paffage. But the Circumftances here mentioned feem plainly to refer this anointing to the miraculous Cures which were done in the Times of the Apoftles. As First, the Prayer of Faith, Ver. 15. that is, the Pray er offered up to Gcd upon a ftrong impulfe of the holy Spirit, that he fhould be enabled to perform the Cure. Secondly, The infpired Prayer mentioned Ver. 16. for the Greek which our Tranflation renders, the fectual fervent Prayer, properly fignifies the infpired Prayer, the Prayer to which the Perfon praying was moved by the Impulfe of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, The Example of Elias, Ver. 17. his Prayer was an infpired Prayer.

The Miftake of the Church of Rome, in Founding what they call the Sacrament of Extreme Unction upon this Place, is very obvious; for the Anointing here, was ufed to thofe whofe Recovery was expected and hoped for, Ver. 15. The Lord, to wit, in anfwer to the Prayer of Faith, fhail raise up, or restore the Sick: Whereas they ule their extreme Unition when there appears little or no hope of Recovery, calling it the Sacr ment of the Dying. On this Subject the Right Reverend Dr. Burnet, late Lord Bishop of Salisbury, his Difcourfe on the 25th Article may be col fulted. Alfo Dr. Whitby on the Place.

967 the name of the Lord: 15. And the prayer of faith hall fave the fick, and the Lord fhall raife him up; and f he have committed fins, they fhall be forgiven him. 6. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray one for nother, that ye may be healed: The effectual fervent rayer of a righteous man availeth much.

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ias was a man fubject to like paffions as we are, and he prayed earnestly [Or, in his prayer] that it might ot rain and it rained not on the earth by the space f three years and fix months. 18. And he prayed gain, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought orth her fruit. 19. Brethren, f if any of you do err rom the truth, and one convert him; 20. Let him now, that he which converteth the finner from the eror of his way, fhall fave a foul from death, and fhall

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16. 4. 15.

15. 29.

Pfal. 10. 17. † Pfal.
Pfal. 145. 18. + Prov.
Prov. 28.9. ti Joh.

3. 22. See on Joh. 9. 31.

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17. See on Acts 14. 15.

CHAP.

were in Ifrael in the Days of Elias, when the Heaven was fhut up three Years and fix Months, when great Famine was throughout all 5 the Land.

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† 1 King. 17. 1. Elijah the Tifhbite, faid unto Abab, As the Lord God of Ifrael liveth, before whom I ftand, there fhall not be Dew nor Rain these Years, but 15 according to my Word. Rev. II. 6. Thefe have Power to fhut Heaven, that it Rain not in the Days of their Prophefie.

18. King. 18. 42, 45.Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he caft himself down upon the Earth, and put his Face between his Knees. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the Heaven was black with Clouds and Wind, and there was a great Rain.

19. f† Mat. 18. 15. See on Luk. 17.3.

20. 60 +1 Cor. 9. 22. t Tim. 4 16. See on Rom. 11. 14. h + Prov. 10. 12. † 1 Pet. d: Luk. 4. 25. Many Widows 20 See on 1 Cor. 13. 4.

4. 8.

(1) There are very many Inftances of the Prevalency of Prayer, in the holy Scripture, to encourage us to the serious and frequent Practice of this Duty, befides this of Elias. Among others, Abraham, Gen. 20. 17. Jacob, Gen. 32. 28. Mofes, Numb. 11. 2. Jebua, Jofh. 10. 12, &c. Asa, 2 Chron. 14: 11, 12. Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 20. 3, &c. Hezekiah, and Ifaiak, 2 Chron. 32. 20, 21. Manaffih, 2 Chron. 33. 12, 13, with many more.

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I PETER I.

About the Year of our Lord 60.

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ETER an apoftle of Jefus Chrift, to the ftrangers fcattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia, 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through fanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and d fprinkling of the blood of Jefus Chrift: e Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied. 3. Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jelus Chrift, which according to his abundant [Or, much] mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the h refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead, 4. To an i inheritance incorruptible,and undefiled,and that fadeth not away, 1 referved in heaven for you [Or, us]. 5. Who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. 6. Wherein ye greatly n rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heavinefs through manifold temptations. 7. That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perifheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praife, and honour, and glory at the appearing of Jefus Chrift: 8. "Whom having

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ot feen, ye love; a in whom, though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unfpeakable and ull of glory 9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the alvation of your fouls. 10. Of which falvation the hets have enquired and fearched diligently, who propheed of the grace that should come unto you: 11. Searching hat, or what manner of time the Spirit of Chrift which as in them did fignifie, when it teftified beforehand the fufferings of Chrift, and the glory that fhould follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, ut unto us they did minifter the things which are now reorted unto you by them that have preached the golpel un> you, with the holy Ghoft fent down from heaven; hich things the angels defire to look into. 13. Whererei gird up the loyns of your mind, be fober, and hope to the end [Or, perfectly], for the grace that is to be brought

at 2 Cor. 5. 7. † Heb. 11. I,
. See on Joh. 20. 29.
10. b + Gen. 49. 10.

+ Dan. 2. Hag. 2. 7. t Zech. 6. 12. Luk. 10. 24. See on Mat. 13.

21.

† 2 Pet.

с I Pet. 3. 19. See on 2 Tim. 3. 16. dt Pfal. 22. 6. † Ifa 53: 3, c. t Luk. 24. 26. See on Acts .23.

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bims fhall ftretch forth their Wings on high, covering the Mercy-feat with their Wings.. Dan. 8. 13. I heard one Saint Speaking, and ano5ther Saint faid unto that certain Saint which fpake, How long fhall be. the Vifion concerning the daily Sacrifice? Dan. 12. 5. Then I Daniel looked, and behold there 1oftood other two, the one on this side. the Bank of the River, and the otheron that fide of the Bank of the River.Luk. 2.9,13,14. And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord fhone round a bout them. And fuddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly Hot praifing God, and faying, Glory to God in the higheft, and on Earth Peace, good will towards Men. † Eph. 3. 10. To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly Places, might be known by the Church the manifold Wifdom of God. 1 Tim. 3. 16.— God was manifeft in the Flesh,-feen of Angels. 13. Eph. 6. 14. See on Luk.

15

12. Dan. 9. 24. Seventy
eeks are determined, -to make
conciliation for Iniquity, and
bring in everlasting Righteouf-1,
fs, and to feal up the Vision and
ophecy, and to anoint the moft
ly. Dan. 12. 9, 13. Go thy
y Daniel: for the Words are
fed up, and fealed till the time 20
the End.-
Thou shalt reft, and
nd in thy Lot at the End of the

ys.
Heb. 11. 13, 39. These all
ed in the Faith, not having receiv-
the Premifes, but having feen
m afar offhefe all having
tained a good Report through
ceived not the Promises.

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t Acts 2. 4. They were all fil- 30 with the holy Ghost.

Exod. 25. 20. The Cheru

12.35.

i

.

k Rom. 13. 13. † Thefs 5. 6. See on Luk. 21. 34.

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