the worst of men that are the most sensual carnal dull and ill-natured have Souls capable of being more spiritual and refined in their understandings and affections and of being infinitely in love with the boundless goodness and love of God and more than with any other thing and consequently of a proportionable pleasure and satisfaction The same is to be said concerning Joy in God who is thus infinite in love and goodness to all his Creatures and hope or confident perswasion and consequent acquiescence and repose of Soul in God for the Universal good of all When the Soul upon the assurance and evidence that all things in the World are the best that can or ever shall be by reason of the immutable goodness and benignity of God is not solicitous or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self but acquiesceth and even re 〈◊〉 in all events to it self or to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and full appro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy will be done O â—ll mighty and All wise goodness and Love both in Heaven and Earth I say these very Pas 〈◊〉 Affections are sweet and delicious to the Soul and therefore being excited and exerted in Prayer and that in prepared Souls to the highest degree are Prayers so acceptable and delightful duties Further In Prayer we do not only make acknowledgment of God admire honour love rejoyce hope in him for his Perfections in reference to all his Creatures in general but also in reference to our selves We admire his great goodness particularly to our selves and love him for it and rejoyce in the present possession and in good hopes of the future perhaps eternal enjoyment of it Which passions generally are in most men more piercing and strong than upon the account of God's infinite Perfections and especially his goodness referred to all his Creatures but indeed should not be so Nevertheless it is good for us to be deeply affected with Admiration Love Joy Hope of God's Goodness to our selves in any kind expressed not in opposition to others good but as one single Instance and Example of God's Universal Goodness to all which we most clearly apprehend For is God so good to us in particular he is the same to all and every of his Creatures as much as is consistent with the common good of all to some more to some less than our selves In Prayer we I say thus take notice of and stir up our love to God for his love to us or thankfulness to God for all his past benefits among which are his promises of future good things we rejoyce in him for the present and we hope and repose our selves on him for the future Now these very Passions and Affections themselves in our Souls are the most agreeable and pleasing to them as is the very thinking and contemplation of the Infinite Power Wisdom and especially Goodness of God All these Operations and Employments of our Souls are very grateful and acceptable to them Even in this respect it is good for them to be here to be thus employed It is good for them to draw near unto God that is to direct their Actions and Operations to God SECT VIII 2. BUt a Second more particular Way how Prayer is for our comfort anâ— delight so far forth as we are good is by the Exercise of Faith and Hope anâ— Repose in God as to all our concerns whatsoever Any good man when he prays to Goâ— habitually believes these two things 1. That God will alwaies bestow upoâ— him what is just and fit to be bestowed And 2. That the particular things he humblâ— beseecheth God to grant may be justly bestowed by God upon him that is that it 〈◊〉 consistent with or rather effective of thâ— greatest good of the whole World as haâ—â— been often said and this latter he may sometimes believe certainly sometimes probably whence ariseth either assurance and expectation of the thing or only Hope strictâ—â— so called As for Example When he pray to God for the pardon of his sins and hiâ— consequent favour to his person for Christ sake upon the condition of his true and unfeigned repentance amendment anâ— change of Soul when he cries with thâ— poor Publican God be merciful to me a sinneâ— which most men are so careless proud self-conceited and presumptuous as seldom to do so far as he is conscious to himsâ—lf of the sincerity of his amendment so far he may be confident God will grant this his Prayer For besides that even by reason it self without express promise of the Gospel it might be very probable by the express promise of the Gospel it is most undoubted and certain Even Reason it self would judge it more probable if it were informed that it is done for so excellent a person's sake as Jesus Christ was But then moreover I say it is the most express promise of the Gospel and one indeed of the principal things it came to acquaint men withal viz. That God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and that by repentance and faith in Christ's Name that is by doing all our duty for the future as commanded from God by Christ men might have remission of sins And so again if any man desires and prays from the bottom of his soul for God's grace in general to repent and that he may forsake at last all sin and become a new man giving up himself to obey God being afraid or weary of a sinful wicked life as a thing unaccountable unreasonable or in particular if he prays for strength to mortifie any lust to leave any sin to obtain any grace or virtue he may be confident he shall be heard in some degree or other some time or other Perhaps God might not hear us presently but excite us and strengthen us to continue our Prayers more earnestly whereby we gain dependance upon God humility nay a greater thirst after the thing we ask and consequently indeed a greater degree of it I say for pardon and grace if unfeignedly and heartily asked and humbly begged of God we may be confident we shall be heard both because it seems reasonable and because God hath more expresly promised them in the Scripture But as for other even spiritual good things as natural parts or gifts of understanding memory utterance or the like these it is but probable that it is the best God should bestow them upon us in some degree And as for external good things such as health strength beauty riches honour or good name plenty or competency deliverance c. we have less probability still although so much as to encourage us sufficiently to propound our desires to God too And therefore here our hope will be more or less strong unless God hath expresly by certain revelation promised any of them to us as it was in David's case when he was persecuted by Saul and by other Enemies and his life sought after God had certainly by his Prophets and probably to himself by Inspiration promised he should be King and
Hand of God asked or unasked except we be in some degree good Examples of this are very frequent in the Psalms Psalm 7. Verse 1. David prays to God to save him from his Enemies Save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me And Ver. 6. Arise O Lord in thine Anger lift up thy self because of the rage of mine Enemies But Vers 3 4. he reflects upon his past Innocency and particularly in something his Enemies or his Conscience might suggest whether he was not guilty and upon the greatness of his Goodness and Charity that he had not only done good to his Friends but even to his causless Enemies and surely he judged himself to be still the same and that he was not changed for the worse which without doubt gave him humble Boldness and Confidence of success and consequently was the cause of the Earnestness and Strength of his Desire that God would be pleased at that time to do that favour for him O Lord my God if I have done this that is it may be something his Enemies might accuse him of or his Conscience bid him to enquire into or more particularly if he had done that to them which they did to him viz. persecuted them and endeavoured and contrived to do them mischief causlesly If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me viz. his Friends or who had done him no hurt Yea I have delivered him who without cause is mine Enemy Then let the Enemy persecute my Soul yea let him tread my Life down in the Earth and lay mine Honour in the Dust If David had been conscious to himself of the like Injustice or of any other Sin approved that he had been was and would be so for the future he would not have had the Confidence to have desired this of God And so in many places where he prays to God for some Favour he professeth himself God's servant Psalm 86. Verse 4. Rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant Verse 11. He prays to God to teach him his way and he would walk in his Truth That which was truly God's Way and was truly right and to be done And Verse 12. he professes he would praise God and glorifie his Name which were Signs and Branches of his Goodness And then Verse 16. he prays O turn unto thy Servant and save the Son of thine Handmaid Psal 119. Verse 94. I am thine save me for I have sought thy Precepts He had endeavoured and desired to obey God and he had given himself up to him I am thine or God had especially design'd him to serve him in the Kingdome therefore he was bolder to pray God would save him or deliver him from the Evils he was in danger of And Psalm 143. Verse 12. Of thy Mercy cut off mine Enemies and destroy all them that afflict my Soul Suppose them so to continue as long as they had life and were able and not to repent for I am thy Servant And this is the best sort of Vows when a Man not only upon Condition that God will give him any certain thing he craves expresly wills and obligeth himself to do this or that particular good Work or abstain from this or that Fault or bad Action but before-hand he gives up himself entirely to God and vows and promises he will be his servant universally and more particularly it may be too where he thinks he may do the most good or where he hath been the most faulty And as for his Desires and Requests he refers them to the Divine Righteousness and Wisdom He makes no bargain with God only those Duties which can only be done upon Condition of God's bestowing his requested Favours may be promised and professed by him conditionally As for example to thank and praise God particularly for any Favour conferred which cannot be if it be never received SECT VI. IV. A Fourth Ingredient in Prayer is Thanksgiving that is an actual loving of God for his Benefits already received And this contributes to the strengthning and invigorating of our Prayers and Desires too It is as the rest before a necessary Sign according to the degree of its vigour and frequency of the same degree of Goodness in us For if we love God for his Benefits we shall naturally desire to please him and to seek to know what doth so and that we cannot be ignorant is by doing his Will or by keeping his Commands with Care to be universally holy good and righteous in the grand Instance of universal Benevolence and consequently Self-denial and all the Branches thereof I say according to the degree of its Vigour and Frequency For it 's no wonder to see one who loves God for his Benefits but seldom now and then only for one Fit in a Prayer never thinking of it afterwards or in mean and low degree one who loves God less and less often than many other Objects I say it is no wonder to see such a Person to sin and offend as often as these Objects are his Temptations But if we loved God vigorously and more than any other Objects and so frequently that it became an habitual Temper of our Souls it would most certainly produce in us the Effect of universal Holiness And so far forth as we find it in intensness and constancy in our selves so far is it a sign thereof and gives us reason consequently to think our selves acceptable to God and that it may be the more reasonable and just for him to bestow the good things we ask I do not think that Love to God for his Benefits conferred upon ones self or Thankfulness is a principal Virtue but an excellent instrumental one it is It is not an Instance of formal Goodness or Virtue but it is a very frequent means thereof and therefore a sign But to love God for himself as a part or rather infinitely the most considerable thing in the whole Universe and therefore above all things and with reference to the whole this is indeed the noblest Instance of our Holiness The free and generous Acknowledgment and Resentment of God our Benefactor of the Divine Favours already received is one good Use Effect or Improvement of them which hath a further one still viz. it causeth us to please God by keeping his Commands and becoming universally holy and good as I have before instanced and being a very probable sign of this iâ— gives us a just Faith and Confidence and heightens our Prayers and Desires from God Ingratitude that is a Neglect or Contempt of God's Favours already bestowed we may be sure can give us no Encouragement but it is a sign of a dull sensual selfish or wicked Mind and so at least of defect oâ— Goodness Again actual Love to God for Favours received impresseth upon our Minds the Memory of his past Goodness and consequently gives us reason to argue he may be good to us again supposing we see no Circumstances to alter the Case in those things
our pleasure and satisfaction all we can possibly in a thing so rightly directed and so truly useful to please God and serve the World and thank God we are so tempered as to receive so much therefrom And these therefore being but personal and proper Goods must not either in this nor any other action be placed in the room of our Ultimate end so often named nor be admitted to any mixture or co-ordinacy with it but as Instruments or little parts thereof The pleasing God and doing the greatest good to all others and our own Salvation that is our own greatest Perfection and Happiness considered all together as one good thing is absolutely the noblest and most perfect end of our Actions we can have and is the same which God himself always hath But any other end besides this which almost always is some personal good where the other is not is comparatively mean ignoble sordid contemptible All the Psalms are Instances and Examples of this sincerity as well as fervency and other qualifications to follow as much as can be conjectured by Words written and feignedness and hypocrisie and bie and bad respects would somewhat betray themselves as Psalm 17. Verse 1. Hear the right O Lord attend unto my cry give ear unto my Prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips or as in the Margin without lips of deceit The most likely sense is that David had no other end in his Prayer to God but that God should favour that which was right that he should bestow that which was just upon him And Psalm 66. Verse 18. If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me It a man have an habitual love to and approbation of any wickedness it is the most likely way to and most generally it would hinder the granting his Prayer nor can a man see any sufficient reason to expect any such thing if he be conscious to himself of regarding any Iniquity with allowance But much less sure could David think his Prayer should be heard if he were conscious to himself that he was guilty of insincerity or that particular Iniquity of having any unlawful end even in his Prayer it self as to gratifie Revenge Pride c. It is true It might seem in some places as if some of his Prayers proceeded from Revenge as especially Psalm 69. Verse 22. After he had complained of the cruelty of his Enemies he prays that their table might become asnare before them and as for their good things or their peaces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Hebrews signified all good by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or peace let them be a trap that is let even their good things mischieve them or prove evil to them Let their eyes be darkened that they see not c. But surely first David supposeth them to be villanous and wicked unjust proud cruel men c. and that they were all other milder ways incorrigible And then certainly it is equally lawful to pray for their punishment or to wish it as to inflict it which a man might and ought if he had lawful Power And this a man might do even in his own Case not out of Revenge in the least but out of hearty love to the publick good by encouraging resâ—uing and defending Innocency and Virtue and by restraining and supressing Wickedness and Injustice I do not think but that David would willingly have had his Enemies changed their minds and repented not meerly because his Enemies but because unjust and consequently Enemies to God and Men or hurtful to the World But if it appeared they would not do that after long forbearance there might be reason to judge it most just and consequently pray to God that they might be punished David also is found somewhere praying for his Enemies it may be till they were incorrigible but by punishment Ps 35. Vers 13. They rewarded me evil for good but â—s for me when they were sick my cloathing was sack-cloath c. SECT VI. II. THe Second due Qualification of our Actions or Operations of Soul in Prayer is That they be intense and servent in such proportion as they ought especially considered comparatively with the same Operations about other Objects Thus in acknowledgment of the Divine Perfections and Attributes let us apply our minds thereto and be attentive And so likewise in our Confession Profession Thankfulness Explication Petition cause we our minds to attend to the objects thereof with all the vigour and strength they ought so as that they might not be too easily drawn off by other Objects that may either present themselves to our Senses or make an attempt upon our Imagination our Thoughts are not to be too slight wavering wandring uncertain unconstant so as to be sometimes more smartly upon other matters of more trisling concerment our ordinary daily and small Affairs or it may be upon our Sins and Lusts when we are performing this Duty we casting only a short and weak glance upon the things we are about Our hearts and minds ought to be much and as much as it is possible upon such excellent and useful things as are or should be in our Prayers We see with what application and attention of mind we do all other things of far less concernment and in particular if we are to make any address to any person of Dignity and Authority and real worth either to thank him for or desire from him any one and no great favour So for our Admiration Honour Reverence Fear Love Faith Hope Joy Delight Resolution of Obedience be they in that measure and proportion of Life Vigour and Strength they ought and certainly that cannot be too much for the Objects of all those in God are infinite In Confession let our grief for Sin in general or Sins in particular and hatred of them be inward piercing great lasting according to the mischievousness of Sin above other Evils which is almost without compare and according to the degree of Iniquity and pravity in every Sin Our Resolution in the Profession of our Obedience let it be firm and strong Our Thankfulness and Love to God for his particular Goodness and Benefits towards us or to any other for the Instances of his general Goodness to all as also our Petitions and Desires let them be hearty strong vigorous according to the goodness and value of the things received or desired It really is an unreasonable and unjustifiable thing that men should have all these Passions and Actions all these Operations oâ— Soul in the fircest and intensest degree about other small inconsiderable trifling objects in other affairs of Life and yet here to be almost meer Hypocrites to have little of inward Action and Life which sometimes betrays it self even by bodily dulness sluggishness sleepiness Oscitancy not caused by length or any meanness of the performance but when it is done short enough and well and by mens own selves too Or if they be a little busie
succeed Saul Now see how this faith effectually produceth in the soul of a good man Ease Satisfaction Repose and Acquiescence which are the most pleasurable and delicious things Whenever he wanteth any thing he proposeth his desires to God and first believes that if it be just for God to give and him to receive it he shall have it and this is all he desires nor would he ask any thing upon other terms wherefore he knows his desire is fully granted he hath what he would have alwaies which surely must needs be followed with the greatest satisfaction of spirit He is not any of those self-willed proud peevish persons who will not be content but are impatient if God doth not give them every particular good thing they propound or think of whether he in wisdom sees it fit and just to be bestowed upon them or no As he is not one of those careless ones who never ask any thing from God at all but muddle on in their own contrivances and endeavours being infinitely solicitous they should and fretting themselves when they do not succeed He is none of those who never make any reflection upon the Infinite Wisdom the Universal Goodness and Righteousness of God and consequently the perfect Justice and Reasonableness of all the Divine Appointments be they what they will But in all his Prayers especially he constantly minds he firmly believes he perfectly acquiesceth and rejoyceth in them whereby he not only prevents all anguish and vexation to which solicitude and frustration expose the proud and negligent of God but puts also his mind into a constant state of repose satisfaction and joy But then further for some things which he wants he doth but with that sincerity fervency and assiduity that he ought or as the things deserve beseech them from God and he is firmly and confidently perswaded not rashly but from Reason and Divine Revelation that he shall have them Such are they which I have before mentioned of pardon for Christ's sake either in general or for any particular sin he may have been overtaken with upon his sincere disallowance thereof his contempt and hatred of himself for it and of God's grace and strength to subdue any lust or corruption or in general to mend and reform himself in some degree or other That he shall receive these things if he ask them as he ought he is confident and fully perswaded And whatever men that are wicked sensual worldly may think of these things he desires the holy and divine as well as wise soul accounts them so great that as for all other matters before mentioned such as are Parts and Gifts Riches Plenty Honour Health Strength Sensual Pleasures c. he is very indifferent for his part to them so he may but obtain the former of which he is so firmly assured if he but ask them as he ought Nay he knows or may consider and attend that they indeed so far as he should and would desire them even for his own good are comprehended in or consequent upon the former For if our sins be pardoned we in God's favour which we are so far as we are good what may we not expect from God and be confidently assured of if it be good for us It is just we know with God by reason and God hath said it by Revelation that God should dispose of such portions of all good things whatsoever to good men as may be most even for their good God doth take the care of them that upon the performing their duty they shall have from him what is for their proper good and sure it is their wisest way to leave him to be judge Now how full of Repose Acquiescence Peace Ease and Satisfaction of Spirit doth this Faith and Belief make the Soul If a man sincerely fervently assiduously begs of God he may be good and do his duty he shall certainly have strength so to be and so to do and then so far as he is good he shall have whatever is for his good What would a man desire more And if a man hath all he desires or can desire and believes and hopes nay knows so much all which a good man may exercise and act in Prayer whâ—â— perfect joy delight satisfaction and easeâ—â— mind must he so often as he doth this bâ— under If at any time the good man wants anâ— of the inferiour good things to Virtue anâ— Grace as Gifts or Parts Health Liberty Competency Plenty Peace Good-name or Freedom and Deliverance from any of the contrary Evils which he may be in dangeâ— of and see likely to come upon him be iâ— Poverty Sickness Solitariness Reproach Oppression Contention and Strife witâ— others loss of Goods and Dammages nay Death or Torment it self he humbly makes known his case and desires to God he makes known his requests to God by Prayer anâ— Supplication he begs of him to hear hiâ— and grant them to him he useth his owâ— prudence and industry as much as the concern of the thing is as much as he thinks anâ— judgeth he ought to do he examines himself sets himself to find and mend whatever he knows amiss in himself and to be accurately good to the utmost of his ability thâ—â— so there may be no hindrance that he can remove and then he lays himself down in peace and sleep Psalm 4. Verse 8. with great ease satisfaction acquiescence of Soul upon one or all of these accounts viz. because he hopes and judgeth it more probable that God may grant and give unto him the very particular good thing that he asks and sometimes he may have reason to be pretty confident of it or he is certainly perswaded and firmly believes that whether he have or have not what he desires it is really for his good and that God as he is better to him than himself so he is much wiser Finally he is perfectly assured that if God do not grant him his desire it is most just or for the Universal good which he loves and rejoyceth in above all things he should not and that not by any fault of his in his power to mend that he can see and that if he himself were in God's place he would not grant the thing desired and that this his behaviour and temper renders him the most capable of all personal favors he very well knows that the surest way to be in the best condition is for a man to be content with and rejoyce in any condition which God shall appoint because he is certain God's will is always for the Universal good he very well knows that God is so wise and good in the government of the world as sometimes or other to put most power and happiness into the hands of those who are of such a truly generous and publick Spirit Lord what a sweet and delicious life doth the man live that constantly thus believeth and practiseth no future fears cares and solicitudes distract nor present and incumbent evils