A prayer for the devil!

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(Charles Spurgeon, "Free Will--A Slave" 1855)

You have heard a great many Arminian sermons, I dare say; but you never heard an Arminian prayer--for the saints in prayer appear as one in word, and deed and mind. An Arminian on his knees would pray desperately like a Calvinist. He cannot pray about free-will--there is no room for it. Imagine him praying:

"Lord, I thank you I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists. Lord, I was born with a glorious free-will; I was born with power by which I can turn to you of myself; I have improved my grace. If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have--they might all have been saved. Lord, I know You do not make us willing, if we are not willing ourselves. You give grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do. There are many that will go to Hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Spirit given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am. It was not Your grace that made us to differ; I know it did a great deal--still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not--that is the difference between me and them."

That is a prayer for the devil, for nobody else would offer such a prayer as that!

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