Hierome brings in the Christian here expostulating his cause with God, why he will not hear his prayer: Domine, quare nonvis susicpere munus meum? quid ad me attinet? non est in meâ potestate, si frater meus habet aliquid contra me—‘What is it to me, Lord, that my brother is offended with me? I cannot help that; wilt thou not receive my gift for his fault?’ To whom he brings God thus answering—Et quid dicis male serve? Intelligo animum tuum? Nihil habes? Amas eum? Quare ergo salvari eum nonvis? Vade, roga eum, ne ille contra te habeat ut salvari possit—‘What is it, naughty servant, that thou sayest? I understand thy meaning. What is it to thee? Hast thou nothing against him? Dost thou love him? Wherefore then wouldst not thou save his soul? Go and beg of him to be at peace with thee, that thy brother’s soul may be saved.’ I speak the more of this particular, being sensible of what an hour, or rather age, of temptation we live in, by reason of the sad differences of judgment among Christians, which have distilled upon their affections so great a distaste one to another as exulcerates them into wrath and bitterness; yea, a wonderful cure it will be, if it can be prevented from ending in an irrecoverable consumption of love among a great part of this generation —especially considering what malignity is dropped into these church contentions by those national divisions also that have fallen in with them, and which drew so sad a sword among us, as for many years could find no other sheath but the bowels of this then miserable nation. O what grudges, animosities, and heart burnings have these two produced! The sword, blessed be God! is at last got into its scabbard of peace; but have we not cause to wish it had been cleaner wiped when put up, and not such an implacable spirit of revenge and malice to be found remaining among many of us, as, alas! is too common to be met with everywhere? The storm without us is over, blessed be God! but is t not too high within some of our breasts? The flood of national calamities is assuaged; but now the tide is down and gone, is there not a deal of this filth—to name no other—uncharitable jealousies, bitterness, wrath, and revenge, left behind upon our hearts? Enough to breed another plague and judgment among us if a flood of national repentance does not wash away what the sea of war and other confusions have cast up! But, if this were all the mischief they are like to do us, our case is sad enough; they will hinder our prayers. For God will not accept such sacrifices as are kindled with the fire of wrath.
5. Miscarriage. The Christian’s prayer may miscarry for want of faith. Prayer is the bow, the promise is the arrow, and faith the hand which draws the bow, and sends this arrow with the heart's message to heaven. The bow without the arrow is of no use, and the arrow without the bow as little worth; and both without the strength of the hand, to no purpose. Neither the promise without prayer, nor prayer without the promise, nor both without faith, avails the Christian anything. So that what was said of the Israelites, that they ‘could not enter Canaan because of unbelief;’ the same may be said of many of our prayers, they cannot enter heaven with acceptation, because they are not put up in faith. Now faith may be considered with a respect to the person praying, or to the prayer put up.
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