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God,' that is, the proper object of all religious worship; 'which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;' which being summarily and typically representative of all divine benefits, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, is the great motive thereunto. The want of both these in all mere creatures, saints and angels, makes the invocation of them, not only useless, but idolatrous. But they both eminently concur in the person of Christ, and his actings towards us. All the perfections of the divine nature are in him, whence he is the proper object of religious invocation. On this account when he acted in and towards the church, as the great angel of the covenant, God instructed the people unto all religious observance of him, and obedience unto him; Exod. xxiii. 21. ‘Beware of him and obey his voice, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him.' Because the name of God was in him, that is, the divine nature, with sovereign authority to punish or pardon sin, therefore was all religious obedience due unto him. And no motives are wanting hereunto. All that the Lord Christ hath done for us, and all the principles of love, grace, compassion, and power, from whence what he hath so done did proceed, are all of this nature. And they are accompanied with the encouragement of his relation unto us, and charge concerning us. Take away this duty, and the peculiar advantage of Christian religion is destroyed.

We have lived to see the utmost extremes that Christian religion can divert into. Some, with all earnestness, do press the formal invocation of saints and angels as our duty. And some will not grant that it is lawful for us so to call on Christ himself.

The Socinians grant generally that it is lawful for us to call on Christ; but they deny that it is our duty at any time so to do. But as they own that it is not our duty, so on their principles it cannot be lawful. Denying his divine person, they leave him not the proper object of prayer. For prayer without an ascription of divine excellencies, as omniscience, omnipresence, and almighty power unto him whom we invocate, is but vain babbling, that hath nothing of the nature of true prayer in it. And to make such

ver. 60. Herein did he give divine honour unto Christ in the especial invocation of his name, in the highest instances that can be conceived. In his first request wherein he committed his departing soul into his hands, he ascribed unto him divine omniscience, omnipresence, love, and power. And in the latter for his enemies, divine authority and mercy to be exercised in the pardon of sin. In his example is the rule established, for the especial invocation of Christ for the effects of divine power and mercy.

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Hence the apostle describeth the church or believers, and distinguisheth it, or them, from all others, by the discharge of this duty; 1 Cor. i. 2. With all that call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.' To call on the name of the Lord Jesus expresseth solemn invocation in the way of religious worship. The Jews did call on the name of God. All others in their way called on the names of their gods. This is that whereby the church is distinguished from them all; it calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He requires that as we believe on God, that is, the Father, so we should believe on him also, and therein honour the Son, as we honour the Father; John xiv. 1. The nature of this faith, and the manner how it is exercised on Christ, we shall declare afterward. But the apostle treating of the nature and efficacy of this invocation, affirms, that 'cannot call on him in whom we have not believed;' Rom. x. 14. Whence it follows on the contrary, that he on whom we are bound to believe, on him it is our duty to call. So the whole Scripture is closed with a prayer of the church. unto the Lord Christ, expressing their faith in him; Even so, come Lord Jesus ;' Rev. xxii. 20.

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There is not any one reason of prayer, not any one motive unto it, not any consideration of its use or efficacy, but render this peculiar invocation of Christ, a necessary duty. Two things in general are required to render the duty of invocation lawful and useful. First, that it have a proper object. Secondly, that it have prevalent motives and encouragements unto it. These in concurrence are the formal reason and ground of all religious worship in general, and of prayer in particular. So are they laid down as the foundation of all religion; Exod. xx. 2, 3. I am the Lord thy

God,' that is, the proper object of all religious worship; 'which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;' which being summarily and typically representative of all divine benefits, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, is the great motive thereunto. The want of both these in all mere creatures, saints and angels, makes the invocation of them, not only useless, but idolatrous. But they both eminently concur in the person of Christ, and his actings towards us. All the perfections of the divine nature are in him, whence he is the proper object of religious invocation. On this account when he acted in and towards the church, as the great angel of the covenant, God instructed the people unto all religious observance of him, and obedience unto him; Exod. xxiii. 21. 'Beware of him and obey his voice, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him.' Because the name of God was in him, that is, the divine nature, with sovereign authority to punish or pardon sin, therefore was all religious obedience due unto him. And no motives are wanting hereunto. All that the Lord Christ hath done for us, and all the principles of love, grace, compassion, and power, from whence what he hath so done did proceed, are all of this nature. And they are accompanied with the encouragement of his relation unto us, and charge concerning us. Take away this duty, and the peculiar advantage of Christian religion is destroyed.

We have lived to see the utmost extremes that Christian religion can divert into. Some, with all earnestness, do press the formal invocation of saints and angels as our duty. And some will not grant that it is lawful for us so to call on Christ himself.

The Socinians grant generally that it is lawful for us to call on Christ; but they deny that it is our duty at any time so to do. But as they own that it is not our duty, so on their principles it cannot be lawful. Denying his divine person, they leave him not the proper object of prayer. For prayer without an ascription of divine excellencies, as omniscience, omnipresence, and almighty power unto him whom we invocate, is but vain babbling, that hath nothing of the nature of true prayer in it. And to make such

ascriptions unto him who by nature is not God, is idola

trous.

The solemn ordinary worship of the church, and so of private believers, in their families and closets, is under an especial directory and guidance. For the person of the Father, as the eternal fountain of power, grace, and mercy, is the formal object of our prayers, unto whom our supplications are directed. The divine nature absolutely considered, is the object of natural worship and invocation; but it is the same divine nature in the person of the Father, that is the proper object of evangelical worship and invocation. So our Saviour hath taught us to call on God under the name and notion of a father; Matt. vi. 9. that is, his God, and our God, his Father, and our Father; John xx. 17. And this invocation is to be, by and in the name of the Son Jesus Christ, through the aid of the Holy Spirit. He is herein considered as the Mediator between God and man; as the Holy Ghost is he by whom supplies of grace, enabling us unto the acceptable performance of our duties, are actually communicated unto us. This is the way whereby God will be glorified. This is the mystery of our religion, that we worship God according to the economy of his wisdom and grace, wherein he doth dispense of himself unto us in the persons of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Otherwise he will not be honoured or worshipped by us. And those who in their worship or invocation do attempt an approach unto the divine nature as absolutely considered, without respect unto the dispensation of God in the distinct persons of the holy Trinity, do reject the mystery of the gospel, and all the benefits of it. So is it with many. And not a few, who pretend a great devotion unto God, do supply other things into the room of Christ, as saints and angels; rejecting also the aids of the Spirit to comply with imaginations of their own, whose assistance herein they more approve of.

But this is the nature and method of ordinary solemn evangelical invocation. So it is declared, Eph. ii. 18. 'Through him we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father.' It is the Father unto whom we have our access, whom we peculiarly invocate; as it is expressed, chap. iii. 14-16. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father

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of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you,' &c. But it is through him, that is, by Christ in the exercise of his mediatory office that we have this access unto the Father; we ask in his name, and for his sake; John xiv. 13, 14. xvi, 23, 24. They did so of old, though not in that express exercise of faith which we now attain unto; Dan. ix. 17. 'Hear, O Lord, and have mercy for the Lord's sake.' All this are we enabled unto by one Spirit; through the aids and assistance of the Spirit of grace and supplication; Rom. viii. 26, 27. So that prayer is our crying, Abba Father, by the Spirit of the Son;' Gal. iv. 6. This is farther declared, Heb. iv. 15, 16. x. 19, 20. Herein is the Lord Christ considered, not absolutely with respect unto his divine person, but with respect unto his office, that through him our faith and hope might be in God,' 1 Pet. i. 20.

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Wherefore it being our duty, as hath been proved, to invocate the name of Christ in a particular manner, and this being the ordinary solemn way of the worship of the church, we may consider on what occasions, and in what seasons, this peculiar invocation of Christ, who in his divine person is both our God and our Advocate, is necessary for us, and most acceptable unto him.

(1st.) Times of great distresses in conscience through temptations and desertions, are seasons requiring an application unto Christ by especial invocation. Persons in such conditions, when their souls, as the psalmist speaks, are overwhelmed in them, are continually solicitous about compassion and deliverance. Some relief, some refreshment, they often find in pity and compassion from them who either have been in the same condition themselves, or by Scripture light do know the terror of the Lord in these things. When their complaints are despised, and their troubles ascribed unto other causes than what they are really sensible of, and feel within themselves, as is commonly done by physicians of no value, it is an aggravation of their distress and sorrow. And they greatly value every sincere endeavour for relief, either by counsel or prayer. In this state and condition the Lord Christ in the gospel is proposed as full of tender compassion, as he alone who is able to relieve them. In that

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