A Puritan's Prayer for His Children

Matthew Henry

(1662-1714)

Fewer things could more important than parents praying for their children. And yet I fear the majority of Christian parents neglect this most important parental duty. If we would have our children come to a saving knowledge of the truth, we must first avail ourselves of this vital means of grace.

I have used Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer for some time. It is an invaluable aid to Bible-saturated prayer. Below is a prayer he offers for parents to lift up on behalf of their children. Matthew Henry being a Presbyterian, of course makes reference to his children being baptized. We of the Baptist persuasion of course can of course adapt those portions of the prayer for our own use. Notwithstanding this one point, here is an excellent and comprehensive prayer that we may lift to God on behalf of our children.

A prayer proper to be put up by parents for their children.

O Lord our God, the God of the spirits of all flesh! All souls are thine, the souls of the parents and the souls of the children are thine, and thou hast grace sufficient for both.

Thou wast our fathers’ God, and as such we will exalt thee; thou art our children’s God, and also we will plead with thee, for the promises to us and our children; and thou art a God in covenant with believers and their seed.

Lord, it is thy good providence that hath built us up into a family: We thank thee for the children thou hast graciously given thy servants; the Lord, who has blessed us with them, make them blessings indeed to us, that we may never be tempted to wish we had been childless.

We lament the iniquity which our children are conceived and born in, and that corrupt nature which they derive through our loins.

But we bless thee that there is a fountain opened for their cleansing from that original pollution, and that they were betimes by baptism dedicated to thee, and admitted into the bonds, and under the blessings, of thy covenant; that they are born in thy house and taken in as members of thy family upon earth.

It is a comfort to us to think that they are baptized, and we humbly desire to plead it with thee. They are thine; save them; enable them, as they become capable, to make it their own act and deed, to join themselves unto the Lord, that they may be owned as thine in that day when thou makest up thy jewels.

Give them a good capacity of mind and a good disposition, make them towardly and tractable and willing to receive instruction; incline them betimes to religion and virtue. Lord, give them wisdom and understanding, and drive out the foolishness that is bound up in their hearts.

Save them from the vanity which childhood and youth are subject to, and fit them every way to live comfortably and usefully in this world. We ask not for great things in this world for them; give them, if it please thee, a strong and healthy constitution of body, preserve them from all ill accidents, and feed them with food convenient for them, according to their rank.

But the chief thing we ask of God for them is that thou wilt pour thy Spirit upon our seed, even thy blessing, that blessing of blessings, upon our offspring, that they may be a seed to serve thee, which shall be accounted unto the Lord for a generation: Give them that good part which never shall be taken away from them.

Give us wisdom and grace to bring them up in thy fear, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, with meekness and tenderness, and having them in subjection with all gravity. Teach us how to teach them the things of God as they are able to bear them, and how to reprove and admonish, and when there is need, to correct them in a right manner, and how to set them good examples of every thing that is virtuous and praiseworthy, that we may recommend religion to them, and so train them up in the way wherein they should go, that if they live to be old, they may not depart from it.

Keep them from the snare of evil company and all the temptations to which they are exposed, and make them betimes sensible how much it is their interest, as well as their duty, to be religious; and, Lord, grant that none who come of us may come short of eternal life or be found on the left hand of Christ in the great day.

We earnestly pray that Christ may be formed in their souls betimes, and that the seeds of grace may be sown in their hearts while they are young, and we may have the satisfaction of seeing them walking in the truth and setting their faces heavenwards. Give them now to hear counsel and receive instruction, that they may be wise in their latter end; and if they be wise, our hearts shall rejoice, even ours.

Prosper the means of their education; let our children be taught of the Lord, that great may be their peace: And give them so to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, as may be life eternal to them.

O that they may betimes get wisdom and get understanding and never forget it. As far as they are taught the truth as it is in Jesus, give them to continue in the things which they have learned.

It is our heart’s desire and prayer that our children may be praising God on earth when we are gone to praise him in heaven, and that we and they may be together for ever, serving him day and night in his temple.

If it should please God to remove any of them from us while they are young, let us have grace submissively to resign them to thee, and let us have hope in their death.

If thou remove us from them while they are young, be thou thyself a Father to them, to teach them and provide for them, for with thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

Thou knowest our care concerning them, we cast it upon thee; ourselves and ours we commit to thee. Let not the light of our family religion be put out with us, nor that treasure be buried in our graves, but let those that come after us do thee more and better service in their day than we have done in ours, and be unto thee for a name and a praise.

In these prayers we aim at thy glory. Father, let thy name be sanctified in our family, there let thy kingdom come and thy will be done by us and ours, as it is done by the angels in heaven; for Christ Jesus’ sake, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer, whose seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. Now to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that great and sacred name, into which we and our children were baptized, be honour and glory, dominion and praise, henceforth and forever. Amen.

Matthew Henry 

A Method for Prayer

Calvin on ‘New Revelation’

“For in [Christ] ‘all treasures of knowledge and wisdom are hid’ (Col. 2:3) with such great abundance and richness that either to hope for or to seek any new addition to these treasures is truly to arouse God’s wrath and provoke him against us. It is for us to hunger for, seek, look to, learn, and study Christ alone, until that great day dawns when the Lord will fully manifest the glory of his Kingdom (cf. I Cor. 15:24) and will show himself for us to see him as he is (I John 3:2). And for this reason this age of ours is designated in the Scriptures as ‘the last hour’ (I John 2:18), the ‘last days’ (Heb. 1:2), the ‘last times’ (I Peter 1:20), that no one should delude himself with a vain expectation of some new doctrine or revelation. ‘For at many times and in many ways the Heavenly Father formerly spoke through the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken in his beloved Son’ (Heb. 1:1-2), who alone can reveal the Father (Luke 10:22); and he has indeed manifested the Father fully, as far as we require, while we now see him in a mirror (I Cor. 13:12).” 

Institutes 4.18.20

“This, however, remains certain: the perfect doctrine he has brought has made an end to all prophecies. All those, then, who, not content with the gospel, patch it with something extraneous to it, detract from Christ’s authority. The Voice that thundered from heaven, ‘This is my beloved Son; ... hear him’ (Matt. 17:5; cf. Matt. 3:17), exalted him by a singular privilege beyond the rank of all others. Then this anointing was diffused from the Head to the members, as Joel had foretold: ‘Your sons shall prophesy and your daughters ... shall see visions,’ etc. (Joel 2:28). But when Paul says that He was given to us as our wisdom (I Cor. 1:30), and in another place, ‘In him are hid all the treasures of knowledge and understanding’ (Col. 2:3), he has a slightly different meaning. That is, outside Christ there is nothing worth knowing, and all who by faith perceive what he is like have grasped the whole immensity of heavenly benefits. For this reason, Paul writes in another passage: ‘I decided to know nothing precious… except Jesus Christ and him crucified’ (I Cor. 2:2). This is very true, because it is not lawful to go beyond the simplicity of the gospel And the prophetic dignity in Christ leads us to know that in the sum of doctrine as he has given it to us all parts of perfect wisdom are contained.” 

Institutes 2.15.2

“And when he speaks of the last times, he intimates that there is no longer any reason to expect any new revelation; for it was not a word in part that Christ brought, but the final conclusion. It is in this sense that the Apostles take ‘the last times’ and ‘the last days.’ And Paul means the same when he says, ‘Upon whom the ends of the world are come’ (I Cor. 10:11). If God then has spoken now for the last time, it is right to advance thus far; so also when you come to Christ, you ought not to go farther: and these two things it is very needful for us to know. For it was a great hindrance to the Jews that they did not consider that God had deferred a fuller revelation to another time; hence, being satisfied with their own Law, they did not hasten forward to the goal. But since Christ has appeared, an opposite evil began to prevail in the world; for men wished to advance beyond Christ. What else indeed is the whole system of Popery but the overleaping of the boundary which the Apostle has fixed? As, then, the Spirit of God in this passage invites all to come as far as Christ, so he forbids them to go beyond the last time which he mentions. In short, the limit of our wisdom is made here to be the Gospel.” 

Commentary on Hebrews 1:1

The Destinies of Men

There is a time we know not when,

A place we know not where,

Which marks the destiny of men,

To glory or despair.

There is a line, by us unseen,

That crosses every path;

Which marks the boundary between

God’s patience and His wrath.

To pass that limit is to die —

To die as if by stealth;

It does not dim the beaming eye

Or pale the glow of health.

The conscience may be still at ease,

The spirit light and gay;

And that which pleases still may please,

And care be thrust away.

But on the forehead God hath set,

Indelibly a mark;

Unseen my men, for men as yet,

Are blind and in the dark.

And yet the doomed man’s path below

May bloom as Eden bloomed,

He did not, does not, will not know,

Or feel that he is doomed.

He feels perchance that all is well,

And every fear is calmed;

He lives, he dies, he wakes in hell,

Not only doomed, but damned.

O where is this mysterious line

That may by men be crossed;

Beyond which, God Himself hath sworn,

That he who goes is lost?

How far may we go on in sin?

How long will God forbear?

Where does hope end, and where begin

The confines of despair?

An answer from the skies is sent

“Ye that from God depart,

While it is called today, repent,

And harden not your heart.”

By Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860)

Modern Evangelism: Weighed and Found Wanting

If “modern evangelism” is weighed in the balances of Holy Writ, it will be found lacking; lacking that which is vital to genuine conversion, lacking what is essential if sinners are to be shown their need of a Savior, lacking that which will produce the transformed lives of new creatures in Christ Jesus.

The “evangelism” of the day is not only superficial to the last degree—but it is radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which to base an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is not only a lamentable lack of proportion (the mercy of God being made far more prominent than His holiness, His love than His wrath)—but there is a fatal omission of that which God has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is not only a reprehensible introducing of humorous witticisms and entertaining anecdotes—but there is a studied omission of dark background upon which alone the Gospel can effectively shine forth.

In twentieth-century evangelism, there has been a woeful ignoring of the solemn truth of the total depravity of man. There has been a complete underrating of the desperate case and condition of the sinner. Very few indeed have faced the unpalatable fact—that every man is thoroughly corrupt by nature, that he is completely unaware of his own wretchedness, blind and helpless, and dead in trespasses and sins! Because such is his case, because his heart is filled with enmity against God—it follows that no man can be saved without the special and supernatural intervention of God.

The teaching of Holy Writ on this point is unmistakable: man’s plight is such that his salvation is impossible, unless God puts forth His almighty power. No stirring of the emotions by anecdotes, no regaling of the senses by music, no oratory of the preacher, no persuasive appeals—are of the slightest avail. None but the Holy Spirit can make him willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3). He alone can produce godly sorrow for sin, and saving faith in the Gospel. He alone can make us not love ourselves first and foremost, and bring us into subjection to the Lordship of Christ.

But serious indeed as is the above indictment, worse still is that which is being retailed by the cheap-jack evangelists of the day. The positive content of their message is nothing but a throwing of dust in the eyes of the sinner. His soul is put to sleep by the devil’s opiate, ministered in a most unsuspecting form. Those who really receive the “message” which is now being given out from most of the “orthodox” pulpits and platforms today—are being fatally deceived. It is a way which seems right unto a man—but unless God sovereignly intervenes by a miracle of grace, all who follow it will surely find, that the ends thereof are the ways of death! Tens of thousands who confidently imagine that they are bound for heaven—will get a terrible disillusionment, when they awake in hell!

What is the Gospel? Is the Gospel a message of glad tidings from heaven to make God-defying rebels at ease in their wickedness? Is it given for the purpose of assuring the pleasure-crazy young people that, providing they only “believe,” there is nothing for them to fear in the future? One would certainly think so, from the way in which the Gospel is presented—or rather perverted, by most of today’s ‘evangelists’! And the more so, when we look at the lives of their ‘converts’! Surely those with any degree of spiritual discernment, must perceive that to assure such ‘converts’ that God loves them and His Son died for them, and that a full pardon for all their sins (past, present and future) can be obtained by simply ‘accepting Christ as their personal Savior’—is but a casting of pearls before swine! Because the churches are so largely filled with these ‘converts’, explains why they are so unspiritual and worldly.

A. W. Pink

Present Day Evangelism

Study the Scriptures!

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

Colossians 3:16

Study the Scripture. It is a copy of God’s will. Be Scripture-men, Bible-Christians. Search the Scripture as for a vein of gold. This blessed Book will fill your head with knowledge, and your heart with grace!

There is majesty sparkling in every line of Scripture.

There is a melody in Scripture. This is that blessed harp which drives away sadness of spirit. How sweetly does this harp of Scripture sound, what heavenly music does it make in the ears of a distressed sinner, especially when the finger of God’s Spirit touches this instrument!

There is divinity in Scripture. It contains the marrow and quintessence of true religion. It is a rock of diamonds—and a manual of piety. The lips of Scripture have grace poured into them. The Scripture speaks of faith, self-denial, and all the graces which, as a chain of pearls, adorns a Christian.

Oh, then, search the Scripture! Had I the tongue of angels, I could not sufficiently set forth the excellency of Scripture. It is a spiritual telescope, in which we behold God’s glory! It is the tree of life, the oracle of wisdom, the rule of godliness, the heavenly seed of which the new creature is formed.

“The two Testaments,” says one, “are the two breasts which every Christian must suck, that he may get spiritual nourishment.” These holy leaves of Scripture are for the healing of our souls.

The Scripture is profitable for all things. If we are downcast—here is spiced wine that cheers the heavy heart. If we are pursued by Satan—here is the sword of the Spirit to resist him. If we are diseased with sin’s leprosy—here are the waters of the sanctuary, both to cleanse and cure. Oh, then, search the Scriptures!

Read the Bible with reverence. Think, in every line you read—that God is speaking to you. The ark wherein the Word was put was overlaid with pure gold, and was carried on bars, that the Levites might not touch it (Ex. 25:14). Why was this—but to give reverence to the Word!

Read with seriousness. It is matter of life and death; by this Word you must be tried and judged.

Read the Word with affection. Get your hearts quickened with the Word. Labor that the Word may not only be a lamp to direct—but a fire to warm. Read the Scripture, not only as a history—but as a love-letter sent to you from God, which may affect your hearts. Pray that the same Spirit who wrote the Word, may assist you in reading it; that God’s Spirit would show you the wonderful things of His law, so that the Word will become effectual.

“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long!”

Psalm 119:97

By Thomas Watson

The Preeminence of Christ... in Questions of Doctrine

Very often, when a Christian thinker sets out on an earnest pursuit of the truth, before long, he’s bound to come to a place where he must disagree with men who he esteems very highly and loves very much. He comes to the place where he must choose between the witness of Scripture (as he understands it) and the opinion of men (even great and godly men!). His love and esteem for these men invariably weighs on his mind. 

“Could they be wrong?” he questions. 

“Could so many for so long be in error?” he questions further. 

But finally, when he concludes there position to be at variance with Scripture, he must give Christ and his Word the preeminence in the matter. 

This was a place well known to Martin Luther. Commenting on this theme he writes: 

“No one will believe how great an ordeal it is and how severe a shock when a person first realizes that he must believe and teach contrary to the fathers, especially when he sees that so many excellent, intelligent, and learned men, yes, the best of them taught thus. . . holy men, like Saints Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine. I, too, have often experienced this shock. But in spite of this, that one man, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, must have greater weight with me than all the holiest people on earth put together.” Quoted by Ian Murray in The Reformation of the Church, p. 31.

A Word on Godly Learning from B. B. Warfield

Sometimes we hear it said that ten minutes on your knees will give you a truer, deeper, more operative knowledge of God than ten hours over your books. “What!” is the appropriate response, “than ten hours over your books, on your knees?” Why should you turn from God when you turn to your books, or feel that you must turn from your books in order to turn to God? If learning and devotion are as antagonistic as that, then the intellectual life is in itself accursed, and there can be no question of a religious life for a student, even of theology.

B. B. Warfield

The Religious Life of Theological Students