Son of God himself consecrated by an Oath for ever and ever living to make intercession for us in all which respects he is infinitely better and greater than the Priests under the Law abler to make us and our prayers acceptable to God c. 7. as also having an High Priest so merciful to us and so faithful both to God and us in all that concerns us one that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and can succour those that be tempted because he himself suffered and was tempted as Chapter 2.17 18. and 4.15 one that can pity and have compassion on those that are ignorant and â—ut of the way Heb. 5.1 2 3. Let us therefore draw near with true sincere hearts in full assurance of faith our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water In these incouragements the Holy Ghost moves and incourages us to draw nigh and to pray to God as also is shewed Rom. 8.34 in that Christ hath died for us yea rather is risen again who also is at Gods right hand and maketh intercession for us 3. The infinite power and alsufficiencie of God in Christ and of Christ in God to hear help save and satisfie us and to fulfil all our petitions that are according to his will power belongs unto God Psal 62.11 12. therefore trust in him at all times ye people pour out your hearts before him he is a refuge for us So in Job 5.8 9. I would seek to God to God would I commit my cause who doth great things c. I am God Almighty Gen. 17.1 this incouraged Christ in the days of his flesh to pour out strong cries and tears that his Father was able to save him all things were possible to him Heb 5.7 Mark 14.36 and this through the love he hath manifested in Christ and the greatness faithfulness and mercifulness of Christ as our High-Priest and the infinite virtuousness of his sacrifice for us for obtaining favour and acceptation for us with God is of great usefulness to incourage us also that he that so loves us and with whom we have such a Priest and Sacrifice to befriend us is able to help and save us as Psal 57.2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me this incouragement the Holy Ghost propounded to and by Paul as a motive to pray to him That the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is be of whom all the family in Heaven and earth is named and that in him are riches of Glory and that he is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all we ask and think Ephes 3.15 16 20. indeed this without the other would be little incouragement but rather terrifie us from him but with and through it it gives exceeding much incouragement to consider that he is able both in respect of wisdom and knowledge to discern our wants and in respect of Power and Authority to supply them 4. His Covenant and promises made and confirmed in Christ for hearing and helping those that come to him by Christ and for perfecting all that concerns them both as to salvation from evil and satisfaction with good It s his Covenant in Christ to write his Law in the heart and to put his fear into them and their iniquities and sins to remember no more c. and so it is to hear their prayers and to save them So Psal 50.14 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 91.14 15. He shall call upon me I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honor him with long life will I satisfie him shew him my salvation so by our Saviour Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name I will give it you John 16.23 Godliness hath the promise of this life and of that that is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 to which add 5. His infinite truth and faithfulness through Christ to keep his Covenant and mercy for ever this incouragement is also propounded and was often made use of by the servants of God as the Apostle to move the Believer to draw nigh to God uses this amongst others Faithful is he that promised therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering which is done as wel by our persevering in prayer and continuing to draw nigh to God Heb. 10 23. this was made use of and pleaded by Nehemiah c. 1.5 The great terrible God that keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments so by those good Levites mentioned in Neh. 9 4 5. in Verse 32. and by Daniel Dan. 9.4 as also it is propounded as an incouragement to call upon God and to seek him and seek his face Psal 105.1.4 8. He hath remembred his Coâ—ont for ever c. 6. The Relations that they stand in to God and God to them that the Holy Spirit also makes use of to encourage to pray and to call upon God So in Matth. 7.11 If ye that are evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him So again in Luke 11.13 and this also the holy men of God have been encouraged by to pray to him as Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us c. Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from everlasting c. So Jer. 14.8 O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble c. 〈◊〉 very often David makes use of this encouragement that God was his God and his King his Rock Refuge c. 7. The often proofs they have had of his Goodness and Power and Mercy in former times Call to mind says the Apostle amongst other motives and encouragements to draw nigh to God and to hold fast the Profession of the Faith the farmer days in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions And this is often made use of and found as an encouragement to the servants of God in former times as Psal 4.1 O God of my righteousness hear when I call Thou hast set me at liberty when I was in distress have mercy upon me and hear my prayer and in Psal 18 3. we have David resolving to call upon the Lord worthy to be praised and assuring himself that so he should be delivered from his enemies And see what encouraged him to that assured expectation and so to that holy resolution Verse 4 5 6. The sorrows of death compassed me c. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my voyce out of his Temple c. Like to which is that in Psal 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and my supplication because he hath inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him
devour yet God who loves us is stronger than he and none can pluck the sheep or followers of Christ out of his hand Yea Christ our Shepherd is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah and he hath spoiled Principallities and Powers and triumphed over them openly in his Cross He is stronger to defend us than Sathan to devour us and he was manifested on purpose to destroy his cursed works 1 Pet. 5.8 John 10.29 30. Col. 2.14.15 1 John 3.8 hold we fast by him and Sathan cannot harm us however much he malice us Christ both can and will surely defend and save us from his rage and malice Doth the world frown upon us hate reproach threaten and abuse us Be of good courage saith our Lord I have overcome the world and stronger is he that is in or amongst us than he that is in the world John 16.33.1 John 4.4 5. Nor can any hardship that may here befal us tribulation or distres persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword cause God and Christ to cease to love us Rom. 8.35 He is a sheild and sure defence against all these enemies His truth abides that in us shall be shield and Buckler to us so that what is therein Earth or Hell that may discourage or affright us Psal 91.3 He is such a place of defence to every one that uprightly cleaveth to him that nothing can pierce through him to annoy or harm him as in Isa 33 6â— He shall dwel on high so high as none can overtop him to storm him his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks so that no undermining him or blowing him up oh but perhaps we may be starved or famished out for wants No not so for it follows bread shall be given him his waters shall not fail Ah but perhaps such a strong Castle and well victualled may be so close and scant of air or other delightful accommodations as to force a man to yeild to get breath or air No it follows that there is both pleasant sight fair prospects to delight for v. 17. thine eyes shall behold the King in his beauty and thou shalt see the Land that is very far off So then neither need we fear evil will befal us to harm us oâ— that good will be wanting to us to supply and satisfie us For if the Lord be our Shepheard how can we want any good thing He is a Sun sheild and will give Grace glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly with him Psal 84.11 and 23.1 He will supply our inward wants Give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk 11.13 to lead them into his truth fill them with hope and peace and comfort them in all their troubles and afflictions teach them also to pray and therein and otherwise help their infirmities subdue their corruptions and sanctifie them throughout in Body Soul and Spirit c. John 16.13 Rom. 8.26 27. and 15.13 1 Thess 5.23 24. And he will supply all our outward wants so far as is good and needful for us Seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness all those things shall be added to us The Lyons shall lack and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord are sure to want no good thing Matth. 6.33 Psal 34.9 10. He giveth food to them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant Psal 111.5 And he will every way do what is good for us till he have fitted us for and bring us to the eternal inheritance So that here we have everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace 2 Thes 2.16 2. It 's useful also by way of instruction and exhortation to diverse duties that this great grace and love of God towards us doth challenge of us and afford good ground for as 1. To love him again that hath so loved us and yet so loves us as Psal 31.23 Oh Love the Lord ye his Saintsâ— for he preserveth the faithful those that believe in him and are constant in cleaving to and serving him It is but a meet return to him love for love that we love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 to delight our selves in him whose delight is in his people and accepts us in his Beloved One and will give unto us in so doing the desire or satisfaction of our Souls Psal 37.4 we cannot set our loves and affections upon either a more deserving or a more lovely object None there is to whom we are so much ingaged or hath so much in it to content satisfie and save us we may be sure not to loose our loves by loving him for he is not only infinitely before hand with us but also keeps mercy and Covenant for ever to them that love him and keep his Commandments we may loose our loves in loving any thing else besides him but not in loving him 2. To hope and trust in him for seeing he loves us so who is so strong and mighty to save us a Great King above all Gods in whose hands are all the corners of the Earth and the strength of the hills is his also The Sea is his and so all troubles and afflictions and he hath made it and his hands have prepared the dry land a stable port and safe haven of refuge we may be confident that he will not suffer any harm to befal us if we stay upon him and his Grace to save us yea though he may correct and nurture us yet he will take care of us to support and save us Oh trust in him then at all times ye people especially ye his people and inheritance pour out your hearts to him he is a refuge for us Psal 62.8 Yea trust in him at all times for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 26.4 especially too seeing in his great love he hath made great and precious promises to us both for this life the life that is to come hath confirmed them in the blood of the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son and appointed him to be the Mediator of them for us to take away the sin and unworthiness that might hinder us of them and to obtain a dispensation of them to us Surely we have in Christ great ground and cause of hopeing and trusting in God seeing God did therefore raise him from the dead and give him glory that our faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.21 and seeing through him his favour doth compass about the righteous as a shield from what might harm them Psalm 5.12 as it is also a Sun to give light and all refreshing influences to us even Grace and Glory and all good things to those that walk uprightly with him Psal 84.11 whence also that Counsel Philip. 4.6 7. In nothing be careful but in all things make known your requests to God by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving and the peace of God that passeth all understanding shall guard
Spirit instructs and moves them they do surely receive it of God as Christ hath promised saying Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it John 14.13 14. and again If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ask what ye will it shall be done to you John 15.7 and again Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it you Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full John 16.23 24. And thus the Apostle Paul implies of the prayers of the faithful put forth in the Spirit of God when he speaking of the Spirit it self making Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered adds And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth which may signifie also approveth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for us according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. Now this is one main thing that the Holy Spirit instructs and leads such as be led by him in their prayers to desire and pray for That they may be more confirmed rooted and built up on their most holy Faith and â—o be preserved in the Grace of Christ and love of God and that such Spiritual mercies and blessings may be extended to them as may further them therein So that the praying in the Holy Ghost as it springs from the being on the most holy Faith or rather from that faith abiding iâ— us and exercising the heart thereto wherein the love of God is certainly enjoyed So it also obtains of God through Christ a further rootedness therein and growing up thereon and so by consequence an abiding in yea an encrease of this grace and favour of God upon them 3. Thereby also is obtained of God through Christ power and grace to withstand the assaults of Satan and deceits of all his Instruments and Engines imployed by him to draw men out of the most holy Faith and so out from the grace and love of God toward them and therefore as we see before this praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit is mentioned as the last piece of the whole Armour commended to us by the Apostle as of main use or force to preserve us in the evil day or time of temptation from being overcome of Satan and turned aside from the truth of Christ and love of God Ephes 6.18 according to that of David in Psal 18.3 I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies and the practices and experiences of the servants of God often mentioned in the Scriptures as Psal 22.4 5 24. 34.3 4 5. for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much with God the God that hath stiled himself a God hearing prayers both for himself and others Let no man therefore as also Bernard saith despise prayer for if it be in faith and in the Holy Ghost it is heard and recorded in heaven as soon as if not before it proceed out of thy mouth here And one of these two things saith he we may assuredly expect namely either â—â—at God will give us what we we ask or what he knows to be better for us and more profitable than what we ask Vse What we have considered about these means of keeping our selves in the love of God viz. The building up our selves on the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Ghost might be diversly useful I shall onely hint at some uses of it 1. It may reprove and tax the too great sloathfulness and negligence found with us and many Believers in every place in not minding to build up our selves on our most holy faith and to that purpose to exercise our selves to the mindfulness of that faith and oft speaking one to another and thinking on the Name and Doctrine of God exhorting and furthering the faith of one another therein and conformity thereto There is too much minding other things mean time in us the present world our own names honors ease lusts wills c. and too great aptness to let those things as noxious roots spring up and â—hoak the good seed in us so as that it brings not forth in us fruit to perfection Thence a too great aptness to forsake the assembly of our selves unto such purposes as to exhort and edifie our selves a fault reproved Heb. 10.25 as also the abuse of such liberties to assemble together to edifie our selves which is too general or common when Believers coming together come not for the better and for edification or do not so improve their assemblings but rather for hearing and telling news if not which is worse for contention and strife and what tends to destruction A fault reproved 1 Cor. 11.17 18. 2. In not stirring up our selves to call upon Godâ— and be much in prayer to him both in private for our selves and others and publickly or altogether as was practised by the Apostles and Believers Acts 1.13 14. 2.41 6.4 12.5 12. 13.2 There is too great an hanging down of the hands every where among Believers instead of a diligent lifting up pure hands in the name of the Lord without wrath and doubting as we are exhorted 1 Tim. 2 8. a fault reproved Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name or that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee and bewailed by Daniel Chap 9.13 All this evil is come upon us as we may see and say much evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand the truth Too great a fault in restraining prayer are we guilty of and that also much hinders our edification and profiting in the most holy faith and deprives of much experience of the love of God and lays us open to vanity and many assaults and snares of sin and Satan to the procuring wrath and displeasure from God upon us 3. It may also reprove and fault the formality and faultiness of our prayings and exercises of our selves in our assemblings together as praying here may be put for all exercises of seeking the Lord as praying and seeking him be put together Zech. 8.21 22. that we pray so much in our own spirits and so little in the Holy Spirit so much with an unholy frame and temper of spirit as holding fast iniquity corruption and deceit and refusing to return from it taking the name of God in vain or seeking perishing meat to our selves in our pretensions to follow after Christ as seeking therein a name and honor or followers to our selves or the colouring over our love of vanity with an appearance of piety or thinking to bribe Gods justice and our own consciences for our lusts and iniquities by multiplying prayers and professions or praying out of strife vain-glory
was not in vain towards me 1 Cor. 15.10 but also when tempted and buffeted of Sathan and in danger to be harmed he crying to Christ for help Christ answered him that his Grace was sufficient for him his favour relied upon and looked to would afford all supplies for safety and satisfaction to him for therein a man hath God and Christ with him and for him in whom there is all things that may preserve him As 1. Infinite power able to subdue all things to the Believer that rise up against him and to support him in under the greatest tryals troubles that may possilby befal him for he is the Almighty God all things are far inferiour to him no work too hard or difficult for him He that made the Heavens and Earth by his Word and upholds them by the Word of his power what cannot he create and accomplish for the help and safety of his people that wait upon him and what cannot he strengthen too by his glorious power to doe or undergoe in the way of salvation there is nothing Almighty but he neither sin nor Sathan nor world nor any thing or creature All the Inhabitants of the earth are to him as the drop of a bucket he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing a small inconsiderable thing If he then be for us who is he that is against us None is able to pluck or by force or power to take Christs sheep out of his hands John 10.27 28 29. Because God that gave him them is greater than all and nâ—ne to be compared with him If a man hearken to his voice and then obtain his favour he can soon subdue his enemies Psal 81.13 14. Philip. 3.21 because he can subdue all things to himself by his mighty power yea the strongest and violentest corruptions He will subdue our iniquities says Micah 7.18 19. He that made all things at the first is able to make the heart and Spirit new and put his fear into it to keep a man from sinning against him Jer. 32.41 42. Ezek. 36.26 27. Greater is he that is in the believer that is God and Christ by his Holy Spirit than he that is in the world 1 John 4.4 5. greater in power and might as also 2. Greater is he in Authority than any of the enemies He rules over all things All power and Authority is his and oâ— him and all his Authority is in the hand of his Son our Saviour so as he commands all Creatures at his pleasure to be for the furtherance of the safety of his servants that believe in him He hath an innumerable number of Angels attending on him and ministring to him which he sends forth for the help of those that are heirs of salvation And these he makes to pitch their tents about them that fear him Psal 34.7 and to bear them up in their hands from harm and all the Devils and evil men are under his controul so that he can abate their rage bridle their fury and malice take them off from the assaults and enterprises against them according to his pleasure None can say unto him what dotb he Yea and 3. In him is infinite wisdome and understanding to see and foresee what may either hurt or help his servants and to order all things for good to them All fulness of Wisdome dwells in him for ever his understanding is boundless Psal 147.5 He sees what is in the dark all the subtlest contrivances of Sathan are manifest to him and the light to disperse and scatter all Clouds of error and deceit that might intangle our minds dwells with him Dan. 2.22 so that he is every way able to keep him from falling the Soul that looks to and believes in him Rom. 16.25 Jude 24. able to build up the Soul and bring it to the inheritance of his everlasting Kingdom Act. 20.32 4. And as he is able in respect of his Authority power and infinite wisdome which was able to find out a way to ransome us when lost and therefore surely is able to find out how to save us when found again brought back to him so he is so good gracious and loving especially to those that are the objects of his favour the members of his Son his Disciples and followers that there is no Question to be made of his willingness and readiness to improve his Power Authority and Wisdome for their preservation in his favour they that are upright with him and depend on him shall experience his all-sufficiencie exercised for their safe keeping As his love to mankind when yet sinners and lost leading him to give his only begotten Son to be their Saviour and to that purpose to deliver him up to Death for their offences and make him the propitiation for their sins and glorifie him to be Lord and Christ to the end that men might believe in him and believing in him become the Objects of his favour and be saved by him may assure us of his readiness to care for and keep those that answer his end therein in believing on his Son that having justified us by his blood he will much more save us from wrath to come and we being reconciled by his Sons Death we shall much more be saved by his life Rom. 5.9 10. and having delivered him up for us all for all men he will also freely with him give us us especially who have received him all things that may conduce to our salvation and happiness Rom. 8.32 So also he hath through his Son made and confirmed many precious promises of taking care of keeping and saving those that trust in him as that Surely In blessing I will bless thee said he to Abraham and his seed Those that be of the faith of Abraham are also blessed with him Gal. 3.7 8 9. Heb. 6.13 14 15 c. he hath said of Christ and his Seed that he would establish them His Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven Psal 89.29 30 36. and again I will be with thee I will never leave nor forsake thee Deut. 31.6 Josh 1.5 Heb. 13.5 6. again Thou art my Servant says he to Israel his people I have chosen thee and not cast thee away Fear thou not for I am with thee be not disdismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee by the right hand of my righteousness Isa 41.9 10. thence also it is said They that trust in the Lord are as mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever As the mountains are about Jerusalem so is the Lord round about his people from henceforth and for ever Psal 125.1 2. Yea and these promises he hath made good to his people in all ages they that trusted in him have found his goodness and faithfulness therein Which leads us to another consideration namely 5. That he hath ingaged his word and promise to his
this life support and help under or freedom and deliverance from the troubles of it and from the plots and malice of wicked men in the world against us as be necessary for us for our subsistence while here continued or for our serving and glorifying God and usefulness amongst men as Prov. 30.8 Feed me with food convenient for me Matth. 6.11 Give us this day our dayly bread O deliver me not into the will of mine enemies Psal 27.14 Deliver me O Lord from the evil man and preserve me from the wicked man which imagine michief in their hearts c. Psal 140.1 2. Pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath-day Matth 24.20 and the like for others as for our selves 2 Thess 3.1 2. 5. In particular wants exercises and temptations for such things as the Holy Spirit knows to be most profitable for us and others and most agreeable with Gods will in which we know not usually what to pray for but the Holy Spirit that God gives to his servants and worshippers doth and that helps their infirmities and makes intercession for them with groans that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 and leads his people in such cases to pray according to Gods will as Abraham for Ishmaels life O that Ishmael might live before thee Gen. 17.18 20. Isaac for children Gen. 25.21 Elijah for the life of the widow of Sarephaths child be restored 1 King 17. and so Elisha for the Shunamite 2 King 4 and many the like obvious in the Scriptures In a word the Holy Ghost shews what things are agreeable to the will and holiness of God and conduces to the promoting his Glory and our own and others good and directs us to pray for them as they be wanting and blesseâ— God for them as granted to us 2. As to the manner of praying both 1. As to the way of approaching to God that it be not in our own righteousness name or goodness as if we deserved any mercy of him to our selves or were worthy upon the account of our righteousness to obtain any thing but in the name and upon the account of Christ and so through and by him his Sacrifice and Priestly intercession for us the new and living way to God Heb. 10.19 20. and so in Gods goodness mercy and righteousness through him So David praying to God goes not in his goodness but in Gods Psal 5.7 As for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies c. and in Psal 25.6 According to thy mercy think thou upon me for thy goodness-sake O Lord and Daniel Chap. 9.17 18. For the Lords sake and we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousness but for thy great mercies So the Holy Spirit instructs and directs us to come unto God by Christ as in Heb. 7.25 and in his Name to make our prayers and petitions John 14.12 13 14. and 16.23 27. 2. As to the expressions not studying quaint and elegant words and expressions as if God delighted in them but to utter our needs and desires in such words and expressions as the Holy Spirit leading us to minde the greatness and goodness of God the declarations of his â—inde and and will our own vileness and meanness and wants helps us with as knowing it is the faith and fervencie of the heart and the rightness of the frame of Spirit in our prayers that sounds best in Gods eare A braken or contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise He that studies quaint words to please men prays rather to men for their applause than to God for his Grace and blessing and so it leads not to use vain repetitions as placing holiness goodnes or the acceptableness of our prayers in such so often reiterated expressions or as thinking to be heard for or in our much speaking Mat. 6 7. though the Holy Spirit lets us see sometime ground and need for praying longer and sometime shorter as our cases may be as Christ was in prayer all night sometime Luc. 6.12 before he chose his Apostles and yet sometime was very short as when he raised up Lazarus John 11.41.42 3. As to the earnestness in praying The Holy Spirit leads to be chiefly earnest for those things that are of greatest concernment more earnest for what tends to promote Gods Kingdom and righteousness and to his Glory than for things in which our libâ—rty ease health or the like are onely concerned and to be most indifferent for those things in which Gods Name Kingdom or Glory are least concerned â— As to the incouragements and motives to pray To pray in the Holy Ghost is to pray in the incouragements motives and motions which the Holy Spirit giveth And they be such as the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ presents unto us as 1. The gracious goodness of God testified towards us in Christ Jesus in whom he hath declared and manifested himself a lover of us as his Creatures as mankinde yea though sinners and while so in that he was pleased to appoint and send him even his onely begotten Son into the world for us that we might live through him even through him as made and become the propitiation for our sins as in 1 John 4.9 10. Having not spared his Son but delivered him up to the Death for us all the Holy Spirit incourages us thereupon to hope and in that hope to expect that he will also with him freely give us all things and in such incouragement and upon such ground moves us to ask of him what is needful and good for us Rom. 8.26 27 28. 2. The compleatness of Christ as our Mediator and High Priest with God for obtaining Grace and mercy of him for us and to that purpose making intercession and of his Authority with God to dispense and hand unto us as well as of wisdom to discern and see whatever may be good and needful for us Heb. 4.14 Having such a great High Priest Jesus the Son of God passed into the Heavens for us let us go boldly to the Throne of Grace So Heb. 10.19 20 21 22 Seeing we have boldness or liberty to the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus that is by such a compleat full and perfect Sacrifice as that he hath offered for us such as infinitely goeth beyond all the Sacrifices under the Law as the foregoing part of that Chapter had largely shewed such as in which is perfection for the sanctified for ever ver 14. plenteousnes of Redemption forgivenes of sins and a powerful voice to speak for our acceptance Col. 1.14 Heb. 12.24 by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail his flesh and having an High Priest over the House of God such a one namely as Christ is who is holy harmless undefiled separated from sinners made higher than the Heavens a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck a King and Priest and that too the
of Faith so also of patient waiting that being a fruit of faith He that believeth maketh not haste Isa 28.16 Such is the praying in the holy Ghost not to mention any other particulars And that 's the second thing inquired 3. The third is what is implied in exhorting believers so to pray And that is divers things as 1. That believers are not able or sufficient of themselves as of themselves to keep themselves in the love of God or to that purpose to edifie or build up themselves on their most holy faith They need the help and furtherance of God and his Grace thereunto In all their minding his Grace exercise of their gifts walking in Charity c. they need to look to God for direction and guidance and for his strength and assistance they need him to build them up in their building up themselves and to keep watch over them in all keeping themselves and watching over themselves and one another Except the Lord build the house in this sense too they labour but in vain that build it And except the Lord watch over the City the watchman watcheth but in vain Psal 127.1 2. their strength being so small and their enemies so many and so great 2. That there is sufficient Grace in God and Christ for their helpfulness therein and that also communicable to them by him by which they may be built up and so be kept in his love all the oppositions from without them or from within them notwithstanding If they had sufficiencie in and of themselves or in what they have already received then need they not cry unto God continually for more from him or if there were none in him for them to be afforded to them than no ground or incouragement for their crying to him however much they might want but in willing them to pray in their building up themselves both are implied we need like the builders of the wall in Nehemiahs time to fight with one hand and to build with the other and the former by praying to and calling upon God for so shall we be saved from our enemies Psal 18.3 for we are not led to pray to a God that cannot save but to him who is mighty in power able to save us one that can perform all things for us as being Almighty able to doe all things and hath made ready in Christ all supplies of Grace and Blessing for us all things are ready that may conduce unto our protection and preservation in his Grace and the edifying our selves in our most holy faith as well as for bringing us at first thereunto 3. That yet God will be sought unto and depended on for the supplies of his Grace to us he will have us in that way exercise our faith in him in calling upon him though he could give us without our asking and doth give us and doe much for us before we ask to move and incourage us to look to him and ask of him for more yet he will have us accustome our selves in that exercise of prayer to him to that purpose are many passages in Scripture as Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 so in Jer. 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Ezek. 36 37. God having promised to do great things for Israel yet says For this he will yet be inquired of by them And our Saviour bids ask seek knock and so they should receive find and have it opened to them Matth. 7.7 8. And this God will have his people do 1. That they might therein exercise and shew forth their faith in him and dependance on him for his Grace while they goe to him for all things as a child to his Father or as a wife to her Husband Therefore it is noted in Scripture as a fruit and consequent of faith with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and then with the mouth confession is made to Salvation for whosoever calleth upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.10 11 12 13. 2. That they may have more acquaintance and intercourse with God and not live as strangers from him but by calling often upon him and receiving answers of Grace from him have a holy familiarity and communion with him as persons dayly resorting to the Court and speaking to the King and presenting Petitions to him and receiving answers from him thereby get more knowledge of him and acquaintance with him and so are fitted the better for going out and publishing to others the manner of his entertainment of mens suits and the vertues and goodness they discern in him Children that scarce ever come and speak to their Father grow strange to him and so do men that make little use of this priviledge of coming nigh unto God whereas such as come dayly to him to ask favours of him gather good acquaintance and proof of his love and faithfulness to them David implies this in saying Oh taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 and Eliphaz in saying to Job Acquaint or accustome thy self now with God Job 22.21 3. To keep them in a more reverend awe of him lest they should offend him and so put a barr against their own petitions to him for as Children that have often occasion to come before their Parents will be more careful of dirtying or soyling their cloathes or tearing and renting them or of doing any thing unbecoming them if they know their parents cannot like to see them in such a case whereas they that seldome come into then sight grow more loose and careless dirtied and torn c. even so God foresees that if we did not come often to him we would be little careful of our conversation before him whereas seeing we call upon the Father who without respect of persons judgeth every man righteously according to his works therefore it behoves us to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear and take heed that we regard not iniquity in our hearts because that wil provoke God to hide himself from us not hear our prayers That he might make us therefore stand in awe of him and be perfect with him he makes us to be often waiting upon him in his presence and begging at his door for Grace and Mercy to help us in our needs 1 Pet. 1.17 Psal 66.18 4. To give us more experience of his care over us and notice taking of us and so of his love to us in that he hears our prayers and helps us Did we not pray unto him we should not have that experience that his eyes are open upon us and his eares attentive to our prayers we should look upon mercies as proceeding from some other causes be more obnoxious to atheistical principles whereas the experience of his nighness to us gives us a more full proof of his care over us and so of