O! let us labour to curb our lusts and beat down this their impetuousness and importunity but let us cherish and maintain that holy and spiritual importunity which is so acceptable and prevalent with God and profitable to us and if we would pray more confidently let us pray more fervently and importunatly when we are cold and formal in prayer we cannot be very confident of success as knowing a lazy and careless way of asking to be a kind of invitation to deny qui timide rogat docet negare Yea the heathens though they thought much babling acceptable to God Mat. 6.7 yet in their sacrifices they had a shadow that might have served for confuting that folly for (f) Neque enim sine igue ullum sacrificium fieri licebat Si autem mortus carbone sacrificetur signum neglectae religionis fore perniciosum nemo dubitavit Alex. ab Alexandro genial dier lib. 4. cap. 17. they would not presume to sacrifice without fire and if the fire had gone out they looked upon that as a sign that Gods worship was neglected and as a sad omen and presage to him for whom the sacrifice was offered 2. If frequency in praying be added to fervency as it may be a further ground So another evidence and mark of confidence without faith we would soon weary I believed therefore have I spoken Psa 116.10 But will believing David faint and leave off having once spoken Nay saith he but I will continue instant in this exercise and my faith being strengthned by renewed mercies given in return to former prayers I will call upon him as long as I live v. 2. As in handy-trades men would soon weary in following them if no gain were reaped or expected So the Saints would too quickly faint in trading with heaven if they did not see their reward and therefore when we continue instant in prayer when we constantly follow that course and not superficially and perfunctoriously but seriously and with the whole heart our faith must be acting and there must be some confidence that our labour shall not be lost But there be two cases in which after a signal maner this restless importunity diligence frequency and continuing instant in prayer doth evidence our faith and expectation 1. When we meet with long and continued delayes if notwithstanding we continue and still renew our supplications thus David under his long-continued persecution by the hand of Saul continued all the while busie at the throne he would not run away from God because he seemed to hide his face but rather maketh that sad dispensation an occasion to draw nigh to God and turneth it in matter of complaint not of but to God as Psa 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord But if we ask what kept David all this time from fainting I have saith he trusted in thy mercy his faith kept his head above the waters and sent him often to the throne Hope deferred maketh the heart sick Prov. 13.12 but when all other remedies prove ineffectual faith will cure that discase 2. When we not only meet with delayes but also many discouragments and contrary blasts in our face to make us streek sail and give over if we notwithstanding still follow our duty and continue to wrestle with God in his Ordinances while be thus seemeth to sight against us by his providence we must have our loins girt and our spiritual armour on and above all we must make use of the shield of faith in this great conflict thus while Christ seemed not only to slight the woman of Canaan and not take notice of her or her request but also to reproach her as a dog yet she continues to enforce renew and pursue her suit she being according to Christs testimony of her a woman of great faith Mat. 15 28. Thus also blind Bartimeous when checked and charged to hold his peace cryeth the more a great deal and will not be put off till he get an answer from Christ himself because he believed hence our blessed Lord ascribeth the whole work to his faith Mark 10.52 If falth be strong it will set it self against all discouragments and like an impetuous river will over-flow and carry down all ramparts and bulwarks that stand in its way and therefore if we faint in the day of adversity our strength must be small Prov. 24.10 But let none imagine that while we say that the believing sould will not be beaten from the throne whatsoever impediments and discouragments it may meet with in the way as if we excluded the use of other means nay faith will stir thee up to every mean the Lord in his providence offereth unto thee as knowing that to trust God and to neglect the means is to tempt God to work a miracle and to provoke him to do no more for us who would not improve what he offered for our help O! but faith in the use of the means will 1. regulat our choice and keep us back from all sinfull and unlawfull means though our strait were never so great and they never so probable and promising 2. Faith will regulate the use of them and will make us keep them in a due subordination not relying or trusting in them but only in God who can as he pleaseth bless or blast them and who can work for us though they were removed and therefore though all creature-help did fail yet a believer could hing and depend upon a word of promise till the Lord did beat him off by declaring his purpose as to the particular and then submission will come in the place of faith 3. As faith dare not tye God to the means So neither as to the time way and manner of working it dare not limit the Lord nor prescribe to him but will securely rest upon Gods wisdom love and care and leave all to Gods disposal 3. Quietness serenity calmness and composure of spirit after prayer is a good evidence of faith acted in prayer what can liberat the heart of anxiety fear sollicitude and carking cares what can rebuke these storms and make a calm in the soul if the Lord himself do not speak peace to it and if he do not fasten the hand of faith upon the rock of strength and defence and cause the soul rest safely there notwithstanding all the boisterous winds that may blow from without Deep calleth unto deep all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me saith the Psalmist But what had he no stay nor shelter under this storm his faith discovered a rock and unto that he did flee his faith did close with a promise which being pleaded in prayer he espied a command for mercy and deliverance flowing from thence Psa 42.7.9.8 And then particularly he applyeth the remedy to this distemper and chideth his own soul for being disquieted and cast down having the cure at hand What O my soul hast thou not put up a prayer to God v. 8. and yet art
when treacherous usurpers had no other plea for justifying their oppression but their successe and signal as they called them victories whether we should own approve and pray for these courses wayes and designs which we see to be followed with successe and forsake and pray against these interests and courses which are trysted with crosse providences and disappointments In answer to which we shall give some few conclusions Concl. 1 Successefull providences are comfortable commentaries upon these Scriptures that clearly hold forth our duty if while we are walking by rule being set a work by the authority of God held forth in the word of command and encouraged by the word of promise God smileth upon us by his work as it will add oyl to the wheels and quicken our diligence so it will be as eye-salve to anoint thine eyes that thou mayest see more clearly it will add light and prevent needless fears and scruples which might arise from sense and carnal reason in case of disappointment and crosse dispensations Thus Cato who at first was a resolute asserter of divine providence seeing Pompey so often prosper when his cause was bad and miserably overthrown by Cesar while his cause was good and (h) See Bâ—bington on Exoaâ— chap. 29. himself so unsuccessefull in his essayes to maintain and recover the liberty of the Roman state he then judged that the world was governed by fortune and hap And not Pagans only but some eminent Saints have been sore put to it and have succumbed at this temptation from thence Jobs friends did infer that he was an hypocrite and David saâ—d J shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Yea Asaph is not far from blasphemy Ps 73.12 13.14 Concl. 2. Providence is a bad commentary upon a dark Scripture when the rule is questioned we must not run to Gods works as interpreters of his Word when Scripture is pretended by both parties for their cause we should not make providence the glosse for clearing what difficulty was in the text and give sentence for that cause which is followed with successe and against them who all the day (i) Ps 73.14 long are plagued and chastened every morning Providence may encourage a seeing man to walk forward but (k) Caennot morally though physically it hath dispensations of providence cannot enlighten the eyes of the mind though by a miraculous dispensation the bodily eye hath been restored to the blind cannot either give eyes to the blind or make a dim eye see clearly It may be compared to ciphers which serve to augment the number when a significant note is set before them but otherwise a 1000 ciphers cannot amount to the least of numbers When success followeth a promise made to a commanded duty it s a new bond and encouragement to continue in well-doing but when it goeth alone or before and wouâ—d draw Scripture along with it to give an eccho and report to what providence is thought to say and cry it will prove a poor warrant to him who is unbyassed And as successe will not justifie an action or course otherwise questionable so we can have no (l) Thus the sectaries when they invaded this land an 1650. made an appeal to providence and after the deseat of our aâ—my at Dumbar they insulted that providence had determined the controversie on their side warrant to appeal to providence in our undertakings and make it a judge to determine any contraversie This were to oblige the Lord to give us a new rule and to make his works speak what he never commanded them to say this were to limit the Lord that he might never chasten his people while they had to do with unjust and self-seeking men and when they owned a good cause c. Thus providence must only be esteemed a commentary for amplification of a clear text but not for explication of what is abstruse and difficult Concl. 3 far lesse must providence be acknowledged to be declarative of the approving will of God 1. Without the word when such a way and course can lay no claim to any precept or promise and yet lesse 2. when it is directly contrary to the word and therein condemned And its observable that such as boast of providence are men who albeit if we look to their profession we would judge them to be saints yet make litle conscience of duty and that they run not to Gods works for a testimony till first they have cast his word behind their backs and are at a losse there Such â—s have no other plea for justifying their wayes judge it their wisdom to make use of this rather then of none especially since it is a popular and sensible demonstration which often proveth more concludent with the brutish multitude then the word of God especially if there be a (m) As in the late case while Scotaries did prosper for so long a time continued series and succession of favourable Providences and that notwithstanding of many and great interveening difficulties O! will the multitude then say this is the hand of God we may see the Lord owning and working for such courses and wayes but certainly such as lean to such a rule must either be very blind or wilfully blindfold themselves all ages and interests may furnish many instances for showing the crookednesse and inequality of this pretended rule and who is he whether he be good or bad who hath observed the severall steps of providence towards himself who cannot tell of the many and various vicissituds of providence he hath met with and the Scriptures afford so many examples of crosse-providences towards the Saints while they have been following their duty and maintaining a just cause and of prosperous and successefull dispensations towards the wicked in their oppression injustice and violence against the Saints that it were lost labour to stay upon citations And O! what grosse and abominable absurdities would follow if providence were set up as a (n) Careat successibus opto quisquisab eventu facta notanda putat Ovid. 2 Epist rule Then treason rebellion theft murder oppression c. would loss their name and become good and commendable when they are accompanied with successe and conscience of duty religion loyalty self-defence against usurping and oppressing invaders c. must be accounted sinfull and unlawfull when unsuccessefull And thus if we make providence our Bible and seek our rule from thence we must condemne the generation of the righteous and blesse them whom the Lord abhorreth yea and the Godly must be accounted too rash if they set themselves to do never so necessary and commendable a work unlesse they be assured which without a revelation cannot be that their undertaking shall be accompanied with successe and if the vilest miscreant did design never so wicked an enterprise we might not disswade or rebuke him if he can show us how he shall accomplish it and thus the wild Irish must become excellent
upon what opportunity the Lord doth offer unto us and thus to give carnal men the advantage of Christians as to the observation and right improvement of providence For though such take little notice of his band yet they observe his work and what price he putteth into their hands and will not be so foolish as to walk in that (k) Remember the question is not concerning sin and duty but expediency and inexpediency way they see hedged up with thornes nor to slight any promising opportunity calling them to enter in at an open door But 2. we must not lay so much weight upon providential occurrences as to make them the alone or main guid in our consultations for if there be much lying at the stake a contrary blast must not hinder us in our course when we must buy and the market will not last we should not say the day is not fair and if God called me to go from home he would make the Sun to shine upon me Ah! fool thy necessity doth call thee to go but the Lord doth not promise to bind up the clouds while thou art on the way Yet 3. if the Lord by some special remarkable or unexpected providence doth as it were crosse our way or open a door formerly shut and that after thou hast been a supplicant at the Throne for direction and success thou mayest with some cautions look upon such a dispensation as sent by way of return to thy prayers If 1. thou canst say that thou hast respect to all God's Commandments and labourest to approve thy self to him in thy whole conversation if thou makest conscience of thy wayes and art not a stranger to a spiritual and close communion with God so that thou hast not now gone to him in a fit and good mode or while thou art in a strait and as it is thy constant course to commend thy wayes to him so thou trustest and dependest on him and if while thou art living in a dependance on him and waiting for an answer in a grave and weighty business that deserveth thy serious consideration and much deliberation he send thee such a dispensation thou mayest look upon it as a warning and message from the Lord. But 2. be not too rash but wait a while go to him again and ask his help and assistance to make a right use of that dispensation And 3. in the mean time thou mayest take a view of the motives which may induce thee to undertake such a business or may draw thee off and what may be the consequents of the having or wanting such a supposed mercy c. And if in thy inquiry and consultation thou findest nothing from thence to counter-ballance the impression which that dispensation hath made upon thy spirit but rather much to second and concur with it and thus findest the Lord inwardly to back and carry that work home upon thy heart and make it as a strong cord to draw thee who formerly was in some sort of suspence not knowing what hand to turn thee to thou mayest with some confidence say Now I see the Lord making good his word to me in bringing the blind by a way he knew not and making darkness light before him Isa 42.16 But remember though the present case be concerning expediency and inexpediency gain and losse outward advantage and disadvantage yet not simply as if there were no more to be enquired after but in reference to the sanctified use thereof as it may be a mean and help to us in glorifying the giver and for working out our own salvation O but whatsoever dispensation would draw us aside from the holy commandment and would lead us to any sinfull way let us not hearken to it but let us reject and abominat it as a temptation (n) Proâ— 28.1 The l righteous must be bold as a Lyon and with resolution set himself against all mountains of opposition not hearkening to the voice of any work that would stop his ears from hearing and obeying Gods Word 4. As we have no warrant to ask and upon every occasion to expect such weighty and remarkable dispensations so to value too (m) See Ass 1.2 much and to be led by ordinary occurrences and common dispensations of providence were foolishly to bind our selves with setters of our own making and superstitiously to set up and follow a directory of our own devising and with our own hands to plait a net for catching our selves and to wreath a yoak about our own necks and those who are so far deluded as to walk by such a rule would rather be an object of compassion then derision as being infatuated and given over to the hight of folly and delusion But 5. that which seemeth to be most intricate in this question is whether or not it be lawfull with Abrahams servant to pray that the Damsel who shall say drink and I will draw water for thee and thy Camels also may be the woman thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac Gen. 24. 14. And with David to say If he speak thus thy servant shall have peace 1 Sam. 20.7 And if with Jonathan we may conclude that if they say come up unto us we will go up for the Lord hath delivered them into our hands 1 Sam. 14.9 10. We did not enquire if with these Pagan priests and sorcerers 1 Sam. 6.9 And with Timotheus 1 Maccab. 5.40 we might go to the devil as the custom and superstition of these men and the event answering their sign doth shew they did to ask a sign from him Neither 2. did we enquire if we might with Gideon Judg. 6.36 desire that the dew should be on our fleece while it is dry upon all the earth because such a sign is altogether impertinent and hath no connexion with the end for which it was sought and is of it self miraculous and so may not without an extrordinary call and warrant be desired and ask't but we did enquire if it be lawfull to desire and pray the Lord to make some ordinary dispensation having some connexion with the present business a sign for discovering his purpose concerning the event of such a business and our call to go about it For Ans 1. None will be so rash as to condeme those holy men who no doubt in this were directed by some extraordinary instinct of the Spirit of God But 2. since the persons were eminent and not in an ordinary condition and directed by a special we will not say revelation yet impulse and motion their practice must not be look't upon as a general rule and pattern which we may imitate upon every occasion Yet 3. we dare not so limit the servants of God as to say that in no case they may take such a course and make use of those examples if these cautions were observed 1. if the person be eminent in holiness 2. under some great tryal and strait so that the case is grave weighty and intricate
and who will condemn (g) 2 Sam. 12.14 16. David his fasting and praying that his child might recover notwithstanding the Prophet Nathan had revealed unto him that he should die which message he might have looked upon as a peremptory sentence and not as a conditionall threatning Since then we are obliged to pray for our selves notwithstanding of whatsoever decree though known to us why may we not also pray for others whatever be the decree of God concerning their everlasting estate I grant there is some difference we being far more necessarily and indispensably bound to our great master and Lord then to our fellow-servants there is nothing can be imagined so long as he giveth us leave to work in his vine-yard and casteth us not out that can liberat us from that duty we ow to him the subordination being essentiall the bond and ty must be indissolvable but love being the measure and as it were rule of our duty to men when we know our labour will be in vain though we may in testimony of our love appear for them yet we will hardly find a ground whereupon to build an obligation thereunto and therefore a revealed decree though it doth not make our endeavours for the good of our brethren unlawfull yet it may liberat us of that obligation under which otherwise we did ly it must alwayes be our duty to pray for our selves but to pray for others only then when we can look upon our prayers as a mean for their good You will say if it be not our duty then we must supererogat and walk without rule when we pray for these whom we know to be in a hopelesse condition Ans Albeit there arise no obligation from the generall command to pray for all which is the rule that falleth under the present disquisition yet there may so much obligation arise from other grounds as may warrant our practice and will have the force of a Law to him who is prest to act upon such a motive Thus our Divines disputing against the Popish supererogation do maintain that what they call evangelical counsels hath the strength of a law when some speciall circumstances do concur invite yea and engage him who obsolutely and abstracting from such a state and condition is not obliged so to act thus saith (h) Davenant determin 32. vitam ducere virginalem in genere res consilii est non praecepti atque sic videtis ca quaconfilia haud incommode dicuntur si operis speciem consideremus fieri tamen posse praecepta aliquando si speciales circumstantias penfitemus Davenant to live in perpetull virginity in the generall is the matter of counsell and not of precept there being no generall command obliging all to continue in that state yet Paul having the gift of continency c. found himself obliged by the authority of God to continue in that condition and as to our case if we would reflect upon the decree we may forbear to pray for those whom we know to be cast-awayes yet if we will abstract from that sentence which we are not obliged to reflect upon though it be revealed to us the Lord not having made it our rule and would consider them as our brethren there is no restraint lying upon us why we may not put up a prayer for them yea and by thus abstracting from the decree which only gives to us a supersedeas it would appear that we bring our selves under the obligation of the general precept pray for all men and althâ—ugh we would suppose that command in the present case viz. of a known decree still to be expired yet there may as to some men arise an obligation from their special relations unto them Though the Lord did reveal to Parents and Pastors c. that their Children and people c. were reprobates yet its hard to affirm that they might not pray for their salvation not as if they might pray the Lord to alter his decrees but abstracting from these though revealed to them that they might intreat that the object of that decree might be altered and that their dear relations might be taken out of a stare not of reprobation from which we do suppose they do abstract but out of a state of sin and misery and put into a state of grace and happiness and though some from thence might infer that they thus prayed the Lord to change his eternal purpose yet as they should abstract from the antecedent so from such a consequence and consequent and absolutely pray for that to our near interests which in it self and to them is good and desirable Thus we should rather play the part of a Metaphysician then Logician And that we may make such a kind of Theological abstraction seemeth to be certain from what hath been said Art 1. And the former consequence is as valid in the case of Peters avouching and adhereing to his master as in this case for Peters denyal was revealed unto him yea the same argument may as well be framed against Christ his praying that the cup might passe from him while he knew that it was decreed that he should drink it Nay though a prohibition were added to a revealed decree yet it would appear from the practice of eminent Saints that our hands were not bound up for albeit the Lord had revealed to Samuel his purpose to reject Saul 1 Sam. 15.11 26. adding a prohibition upon the account that he was rejected not to pray any more for him Ch. 16.1 yet it would appear that this restraint was rather a relaxation of the command and a permission granted to Samuel not to pray any more for Saul though his King then a peremptory prohibition for albeit Samuel came no more to see Saul till the day of his death yet he left not off to mourn and who can imagine then that he left off to pray for Saul Ch. 15 35. So the Prophet Jeremiah though he knew that the Lord had purposed to cast that people out of his sight and thereupon had received as would appear a peremptory prohibition to pray no more for them Ch. 7.14 15 16. yet forbeareth not to pray for them though the Lord had told him that he would not hear him though he did cry ver 16. yet he would cry until he met with a second prohibition having the former reason annexed to it Ch. 11.14 yea he would not yet cease so that the command is renewed the third time Ch. 14.11.12 and notwithstanding of all these prohibitions he still prayeth as it would appear from the rest of that prophesie that he continued a supplicant for Israel untill the day of his death the book of the Lamentations clearly shew Thus also Moses continues to pray for a stubborn people after the Lord had said to him Let me alone Exod. 32.10 A prohibition seemeth to have more in it then a revealed decree and yet it did not bind Moses Samuel and Jeremiah would not be
his blood did obtain that the (d) Zech. â—3 1 fountain should stand open for washing away sin and uncleanness And now he hath the keyes in his hand and offereth water to the (e) Rev. 22.17 thirsty The door was shut and the way to the treasure was unpassable till Christ himself became the (f) Joh. 10.7 door and the (g) Joh 1.4.6 way and now in him we have access with boldness and confidence Eph. 3.12 and 2.18 Rom. 5.2 The people of Israel might not offer sacrifices but upon the Altar God appointed and Christ was that Altar so he is called Heb. 13.10 and that other was of no value but as it did typifie this true Altar The Altar under the Law did sanctifie the oblation Exod. 29.37 Mat. 23.19 and Christ doth sanctifie our prayers and all our performances His blood is that incense the smoke whereof must alwayes ascend or else our sacrifices cannot be a sweet savour to God Rev. 8.3 4. Eph. 5.2 Not only Christs sacrifice was an offering to God of a sweet smelling savour but it also maketh our oblations acceptable 1 Pet. 2.5 The typical Altar did sanctifie the gift but Christ must first sanctifie the Altar the horns of it must be sprinkled with blood Exod. 29.12 and 30.10 and thus it did ceremonially sanctifie and typifie the blood of Christ Who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God to purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 O then be thankfull to God for this Altar and bring all your offerings to it ye have not far to go ye are not sent to Jerusalem nor to the Temple ye alwayes have this Altar at hand Thou need'st not ascend unto heaven nor descend unto the deep that thou mayest find it Rom. 10.6 7. thou mayest worship where thou wilt only in Spirit and truth this Altar alwayes standeth by thee it filleth heaven and earth 1 Tim. 2.18 Joh. 4.21 23. O then do not dishonour this Altar do not with Papists (h) Papists substitute many mediators in Christs room See chap. 6. erect (i) In Christi nomine oratio porrigatur non in nomine angelorum non in nomine aliquorum sanctorum non in nomine ipsorum petentium non in nomine bonorum operum sed in Christs nomine nomen hoc est non quod scribitur literis sed meritum est incar naetionis nativitatis vitae passionis crucis orationis mortis Simon de Cassia lib. 12. cap. 15. many altars of earth and forsake this heavenly and golden Altar but let us rather say with them Josh 22.29 God forbid that we should rebell against the Lord and turn this day from following the Lord to build an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God yea and which is the Lord our God Remember Jeroboams sin and punishment he would erect new altars 1 Kings 12.32 and God did put a mark of his displeasure upon him and his posterity The Lord abhorreth all other altars none of them can sanctifie the gift all our performances though never so specious if they be not done in Christs name and strength and washen in his blood are an abomination to God though our head were (k) Jer. 9.1 waters and our eyes a fountain of tears thouh (l) Ps 119.156 rivers should run down our eyes for our iniquities though we could pray with the (m) 1 Cor. 13.1 tongue of Angels and diligently follow every duty yet the Lord would not regard our tears nor value our service and work As Christ is thus our Altar so he is our Priest who with his own blood hath purchased liberty to us to enter into the holiest by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us Heb. 10.19 20 21. If any man under the law did offer a sacrifice and did not bring it to the Priest that man must be cut off from among his people Lev. 17.4 5. Let us remember the judgments of God upon Saul for offering sacrifice and on Vzziah for taking a censer in his hand to burn incense therefore the Lord rejected Saul from being King over Israel and smote Vzziah with a leprosie unto the day of his death wherefore he was cut off from the kingdom and from the house of the Lord. 1 Sam. 13.9 14 2 Chron. 26.19 21. O then let not our hearts be lifted up as Vzziahs was ver 16. to our destruction let us not dare to offer our sacrifice in our own name Ah! what is our worth or the worth of our sacrifice But having such a High-priest let us draw nigh in his name with boldness and in full assurance of faith Heb. 4.14 16. Though thy hands were clean as to any grosse defilement and thy sacrifice without blemish yet if thou come in thy own strength the Lord may say to thee as to that people Isa 1.11 12. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices who hath required this at your hands thus to tread my courts Behold the sinner and his sacrifices but where is the Priest May I say as Isaac once askt where was the Lamb when he saw the fire and the wood Gen. 22.7 Thou drawest nigh to plead for covenanted mercies and dost not look to Jesus the (n) Heb. 12.24 Mediator of the new covenant thy sacrifice like to the popish masse is an unbloody sacrifice if thou neglect the blood (o) Ibid. of sprinklings the Lord will reject thee We read of a golden Censer and Altar and much Incense that should-be offered with the prayers of all Saints Rev. 8.3 And Christ is that golden Censer and Altar and his blood the sweet Incense and what are our sacrifices all our prayers and tears of themselves but (p) Phil. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and loathsome dung and notwithstanding of these the Lord will be to us (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 4 24. Esh-ochla and Elkanna and we our selves (r) Hos 1.6 9. Lo-ammi and Lo-ruhamah O! but in Christ the Lord is (Å¿) Isa 7.14 Immanuel and we (t) Hos 2.1 Ammi and Ruhamah He who was to us a consuming fire will become our God and have (u) Hos 2.23 mercy on them who otherwise could not obtain mercy and will say to them who by nature were not his people thou art my people And they being in Christ will say thou art my God The famous Athenian Captain Themistocles being banished by his ingrate Countrey-men (x) Themistocles veterem regis iram metuens se supplicem praebuit proprium quendam regionis morem sequutus arrepto Admeti parvulo filio cum eo in sacrarium quod summa colebatur religione se conjecit quod supplicondi genus maximum ac serme solum nunquam repudiandum Molossi opiniaebantur Plut. Cher. Grec Rom. illi vit in Themistoc Lapo Florent interprete pag. mihi 118. May we not think the Lord by this custome among Pagans
be once stopt and a trade rightly carried on for eternity he will raise what storms he can and send out many pyrats either â—o surprize or draw it back again Many are the snares and temptations hinderances and impediments which the Saints do meet with in their way to heaven whereas hypocrits and formall professors go on in their course without opposition or difficulty But let none mistake as if hereby a pretence were ministred unto the laziness stoth and negligence of such as are in the right way certainly the zeal activity and diligence of those who are without shall stop thy mouth and make thee inexcusable in the great day if thou thus rest upon an orthodox profession and if thou be in Christ and art led by his Spirit (p) 1 Joh. 4.4 Stronger is he who is in thee then he who is in the world thou hast another kind of help and assistance for doing good then others O then let thy work be answerable If in any good motion we can discern one or moe of those wicked designs we may be jealous least Sathan have a hand in it and should guard against his devices which when espied may serve as so many marks and characters whereby we may know the print of his foot though he be disguised appearing in white rayment To which these few may be added 1. As to the matter If in prayer our desires be meerly or mainly selfish and natural Sathan may concur and blow up the coal of carnal heat within And thus there may be much enlargement of affections much fervency and importunity without the help of the Spirit as in that people Hos 7.14 when they assembled themselves and howled for corn wine Isa 26.16 and when they multiplied their prayers and sacrifices Isa 1.15 11. Esau may weep for want of an earthly blessing Gen. 27.34 though he undervalued and little minded the marrow of the blessing the love and favour of God But none can without the Spirit of God say with David one thing have I desired that will I seek after that I may behold the beauty of the Lord Ps 27.4 And with Asaph whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee Ps 73.25 Who is able seriously to pray for help to pluck out the right eye and cut off the right hand and to part with his darling lusts and affections unless he be acted and strengthned by the Spirit of God Who can with Agar say give me not riches least they proven snare Prov. 30.8 9. unlesse the Lord breath into his heart such a desire Sathan will not help thee to (q) Mat. 6.33 seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and in thy desires to prefer holiness to riches heaven to earth and Gods glory to thy own self-interest 2. As to the end Sathan may stir thee up to (r) Jam. 4.3 ask that thou mayest consume what thou gettest upon thy lusts but who doth desire any thing from God that he may be (s) Ps 35.27 magnified and that what he giveth may be employed for his honour unless he get help from heaven Only the Spirit of God can elevate our desires to so high and noble an (t) Of the ends of prayer Part. 2. ch 1. end and make us honestly obey the exhortation 1 Cor. 10.31 He who must do all must also pray to the glory of God and this of our selves we cannot do 3. As to the maner Sathan can stir us up to pour out absolute and peremptory desires for outward things and faint lazy moderate and submissive desires for grace Sathan makes us invert the right order and method he will not protest though thou ask mercy pardon of sins c. that conscience may be stilled and satisfied but thou must not be too earnest and anxious concerning those things and thy desires must not be boundless and illimited a little of grace saith he will do the turn and any kind of desire though never so â—old and formall is sufficient 2. Sathan can move thee to ask the world for it self and to make self thy last end but the Spirit of God must enable us to deny our selves and to ask outward things in subordination and in relation to the great end If Sathan prescribe our lusts must reign and grace must be the hand-maid and be only so far sought as it is subservient to our carnall ends and for a quiet and peaceable fulfilling of our lusts 3. Sathan can beget in the heart a child-like expectation and confidence though thou be a stranger he can make thee expect the portion of a son he will not suffer thee once to question thy state and acceptance least if conscience were awakened thou shouldst seek after a change But it is the work of the Spirit to beget in us childlike affections and make us love God delight in a communion with him and be loath to grieve him and he only can enable us to call him in truth Abba Father Rom. 8.15.4 Sathan can move thee to what is good unorderly by making thee leave thy place and station and invade another mans office (u) 2 Sam. 15.4 Oh! that I were made Judge in the land said Absolom and mayest thou say prayer-wayes Thus also Saul would offer sacrifice 1 Sam. 13.9 and Vzziah burn incense 2 Chr. 26.16.19 They would go out of their own sphere and exercise the ministerial Function wherefore the Lord justly punished both the one and the other It was good and a commanded duty to offer sacrifice but it did not belong to Sauls office it was fit that supplication should be made to the Lord but it belonged not to Saul to do it in a publick and ministerial way as it would appear Saul then did v. 12 it was necessary that incense should be burnt before the Lord but it did not appertain to Vzziah as Azariah told him v. 18. but to the Priests the sons of Aaron who were consecrated to that office But the Spirit of Christ moveth orderly making us to contain within our own sphere and to abide in the same calling wherein we were called according to his commandment 1 Cor. 7.20.24 A heart acted by the Spirit can with David Psa 131.1 say when he maketh his supplication to God O Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great maters or in things too high for me The Lord will have all things done decently and in order and is not the author of confusion 1 Cor. 14.40.43 and as he leadeth not his children out of the way So neither doth he bring them to dark and unpassable paths it is not from him that weak Christians especially these of the female Sex do meddle and vex themselves with dark questions and intricat disputes or that the most strong and learned do dive too curiously in things not revealed and in the secrets of the Almighty He knoweth that to be an
since we come not in our own name but in his and ask not for our own worth goodness but for his sake who hath paid our debt and purchased our peace and acceptance through his own blood and who doth concur with us in our supplications why should we fear the Father alwayes heareth him Joh. 11.42 and therefore must also hear us with whom he alwayes joyneth the Father cannot reject us and our prayers unless he also hide his face from the Son of his love which since he will not and cannot do we may rest confident and secure but as the Father hath promised and freely disponed and the Sun purchased all the good things we can ask So 3. the holy Ghost doth enable fit and prepare us both to ask and receive he draweth and helpeth weak ones to ascend to the throne and putteth words in their mouth and teacheth them what to say Rom. 8.26 27. Joh. 14.16 17. And will the Lord reject those prayers that are breathed into us by his Spirit but as the Spirit doth thus help us to pray so to pray in faith as he helpeth our infirmities by enlarging the heart and filling it with spiritual affections so also by working in us a child-like confidence and making us cry not only with the mouth which were no great matter but with the heart having made an impression and sense of it there Abba Father Rom. 8.16 As he leadeth the Saints into all truth and putteth to his seal to the whole Word of God Joh. 16.13 Joh. 14.26 so particularly to the promises concerning the success of their prayers that if they knock it shall be opened if they seek they shall find c. Oh! what a blasphemy were it once to imagine that God could lie and would not perform these promises or that the Spirit of truth would put to his seal to an untruth The Lord pity and pardon our unbelief that having to do with such a compassionat and condescending Lord who hath stoopt so low and come so nigh to us who hath held forth himself to us under the nearest most amiable and engaging relations and who hath taken upon him so many bonds to do us good we notwithstanding will yet doubt of his good will and of his faithfulness in performing his promises Oh! 1. what a dishonour do we offer to our kind Master thus to question his love care and fidelity 2. what a shame to our holy profession 3. what a base return do we make for the many mercies we still receive and 4. what loss and damage do we bring to our selves we expect little and receive little we will not trust God and he will not satisfie our desires Jam. 1.6 7. Are ye now convinced of your folly and guiltiness in thus distrusting the Lord and is it the desire of your soul to have this evil cured O! then 1. ponder frequently and seriously these and such like considerations if this were the matter of your daily meditation if these things did sink down into your hearts and did abide upon your spirits they might prove a notable preservative against your unbelief doubtings and jealousies 2. Let us exercise our selves in the Scriptures especially laying hold on such promises as are most pertinent and sutable to our condition faith must have a word of promise whereon it must rest and the more express and particular that it be our faith will proportionably cleave to it the more firmly O! but what atheisme must there lodge in that heart that dare doubt where it hath this warrand thus saith the Lord 3. Labour to know more of God his love mercy power fidelity c. Ignorance of God his nature and attributes is the mother of jealousie and infidelity but they who know his name will put their trust in him Ps 9.10 With what zeal and success did Moses plead from Gods attributes Numb 14.17 18 19.4 Since sensible demonstrations are so concludent and prevail so much with us who live too much upon sensible objects let us observe and keep a register of the gracious returns from time to time made to the prayers of Gods people and honest servants 1. Our own experiences would be kept on record he who can say with David the Lord hath delivered me out of the paw of the Lyon and of the Bear will be able the more confidently to say with him the Lord will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine 1 Sam. 17.37 experience begetteth confidence But 2. we should also observe the dispensations of providence towards others the Saints experiences are recorded in Scripture for our instruction comfort and encouragment Rom. 15.4 If God regard the prayer of the destitute this must be written for the generations to come Psa 102.17 18. the success that others have met with will encourage vs to follow the like course 5 Let us be exact and circumspect in our walk if our conscience condemn us we will fear the Judge every blot in our life doth darken and obscure the promise and dazle the eye of faith when the Saints fall their faith doth shake guiltiness is the mother of jealousie when we do ill we become suspicious and are ready to question his love and kindness to us when we prove ungrate and come short of our duty to him O! but if we would believe without staggering let us not halt in our walking let us be conscienciously diligent in every point of duty and (z) 1 Pet 1.14 holy in all manner of conversation if we would plead the promise and ask in (a) Jam. 1.6 faith nothing wavering Hence for trial this will be a good negative mark whereby we may know who cannot pray in faith if we do not walk as children we cannot call God Father nor with confidence expect that he will hear us What son will not be afraid and ashamed to look his father in the face after he hath dishonoured him and how will he blush to mention that relation and to call him Father to whom he hath not paid the debt of love reverence and obedience And if any perfidious and rebellious son should be so impudent as with (b) Herod having given to his son Antipater his Authority as he speaketh his favour his secrets his heart and crown in a will signed with his hand yet that unnatural monster could not stay a little till his fathers death but laboured by all means to prevent nature particularly by sedueing and perswading Pheroras to poyson the King yet having the boldness to offer to kiss his father after he was informed of his conspiracy though the traitor knew not that his conspiracy was discovered met with this terrible repulse Avaunt thou murderer of brethren and father the kiss of a father was not instituted for thee Behold Quintilius thy Judge c. Nich. Caussin holy court part 1. lib 4. pag. 133. Antipater to offer to salute and kiss his father he might expect such a welcom and reward as he met
upon such a sure foundation though (g) Habak 3.17 18. heaven and earth should pass away though the mountains should melt as wax and all the host of heaven be dissolved and fall down as the leaf falleth off from the vine yet the Lord will own his (h) Isa 34.3 4. Psa 97.5 Word and will fulfill all his Promises the least jot or title whereof shall not cannot fail Mat. 5.18 Luke 16 17. And doth he not solemnly protest that though he commandeth inviteth and intreateth us to come unto him and pour out our desires before him and proclaimeth his fury and indignation to all persons and families that call not upon his Name yet he never said seek ye me in vain Isa 45.19 Who is the man that dare challenge the God of truth and can say that ever he sought him in vain if in truth and with the whole heart Sect. II. The great prejudice and stumbling block of prayerless souls their mistake discovered what the Lords hearing doth import that the Lord doth not alwayes answer prayer after one and the same maner and what are these different wayes that he never heareth the wicked and wherefore notwithstanding he will satisfie their desire and that he alwayes heareth his servants when they call upon him in truth Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Joh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshiper of God and doth his will him he heareth THere is one great objection against the success of prayer which proveth a neck-break to carnal hearts and may sometimes be the (a) Psa 73◠2. c. Jerem. 12.1 2. Job 21.7 c. Obj. trial of and a sad temptation to the Saints and it is this Obj. Do not all things come alike to all is there not one event to the righteous and to the wicked and did not the wisest of men observe and preach this truth Eccl. 9.2 Do not the wicked who (b) Job 15.4 cast off fear and restrain prayer prosper as well as they that fear the Lord and who in (c) Phil. 4.6 all things make their requests known unto him And therefore those who are accounted Atheists are unjustly taxed for asking What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Job 21.15 And the Prophet had no reason to complain of those men who said that it was in vain to serve God to keep his Ordinances and walk mournfully before him Mal. 3.14 Doth not experience that is the best master clearly show that godliness is no gain and that there is no good nor advantage that can be reaped by prayer and that all the promises of audience and all that can be said concerning the success and return of prayer are but empty words having no truth nor reality in them Was not Esau honourable and rich as well as Jacob was not Ahab a King as well as Josiah and were they not alike in their deaths Nay did it not go well with the Jewes so long as they served the Queen of heaven but so soon as they returned to worship the God of heaven they were consumed by famine and the sword Ier. 44.17 18. And therefore they had reason to resolve and say to Ieremiah what they said v. 16. As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee Ans Though few be so impudent as to speak thus with their mouth yet alas it is the heart-language of too many else they durst not cast off fear and restrain prayer before God But that we may encounter with this Goliah who thus defieth and insulteth over the armies of Israel saying in the name of all Atheists as he in the name of the Philistines 1 Sam. 17.9 10. If there be among you a man that is able to fight with me and kill me then we will submit and all of us become tributaries to the God of Israel and pay him the revenue of daily prayer Let us with little David come forth against this Champion in the name of the Lord of hosts whose Truth and Name is blasphemed and whose Worship and Ordinances reproached and in his strength we may confidently say with him v. 46. This day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand and I will smite thee and take thine head from thee for the battel is the Lords and he will give thee into our hands and we may not only be encouraged with David v. 37. from former experiences in other cases as hard and difficult but also from the experience of all Saints in the same case while they have been called out to wrestle with this strong temptation And O that the Lord were pleased to furnish us with a word that may be helpfull to those who shall hereafter meet with the same conflict and that in his strength we may so encounter this Hydra that after one head is cut off two others do not arise and grow up in its place but that it may be utterly overthrown and destroyed the battel is the Lords and his honest servants after they have fought a while with his enemy have alwayes at length found his help and by the following or such-like considerations as so many weapons of proof have prevailed and carried the day and cut off the head of this mighty adversary and enemy of the faith and peace of Gods children For answer we will speak to the two branches of the objection severally and 〈◊〉 to that which concerneth the wicked their success and prosperity applying that point more particularly to those who live in the visible Church that being our case who have some form of godliness though they deny the power of it and never knew what it was to call upon God in truth and thus their prayers being no prayers in Gods account and yet followed with success their case may well come under the former objection and in answer both d to the one and the other we will 1. show what Gods hearing of prayer doth import 2. that the wicked though they pray yet receive nothing in answer to their prayers and 3. that whether they pray or not they receive nothing in mercy and love or for their good but for other holy ends which we shall briefly name and thus all their blessings must be cursed and their prosperity and success their ruine and snare As to the first the Lords hearing of prayer doth import 1. his approbation of the mater and object of our desires for if we ask what he doth not approve if we ask any sinfull and unlawfull thing we cannot ask according to his will and therefore must not think that he will hear 1 Ioh. 5.14 2 〈◊〉 importeth an admission reception and the acceptance of the prayer it self it having those qualifications which the promise of audience doth
complainest thou poor indigent and witless creature The owner (h) Rev. 3. vers 18. Is 55. vers â— 2. invits thee to come he points out thy way and discovers the door and thou hast the (i) There is no door so fast shut that Prayer will not get entrance vid. part 4. ch 1. keyes as it were hanging at thy belt for if thou wilt knock it shall be opened unto thee if thou wilt seek thou shalt find and if thou ask it shall be given thee Math. 7. vers 7. There is a well furnished table set before thee and it is left to thy choice to cut and carve what thou wilt and so if thou starve thou mayest know who should bear the blame O! saith an (k) Gerbard cont barm cap. 179. utilitas orationis tanta est ut nemo eam c. eminent and judicious Divine who is able to enumerat all the excellencies and advantages of Prayer What the heart is to the living creature What rest to the weary What joy to the sad What gold to the indigent What strength to the feeble What nerves to the body What spirits and blood to the life Prayer is all that to the afflicted soul It is as the Sun in the Firmament or rather the Glass by which light is communicat it's medicine to the sick a refuge to the opprest a sword against the devil and a shield to ward off his fiery darts It 's eye-salve to the blind it begetteth hope and confidence it inflameth the heart with love it worketh humility and filial fear it elevats the mind above the creature and sets the affections on things that are above it brings a taste of the hidden manna and sets the Supplicant before the Throne to behold the King in his glory and leads him into the (l) Song 7. vers 6. Galleries where he may familiarly converse with his Lord and Soveraign This is that golden chain which will hold the Almighty untill He blesse thee it is Jacobs ladder whereon thou mayest mount up to Heaven It is that Jaw-bone wherewith Sampson smote the Philistines This is Noah his dove which alwayes returns with an Olive leaf of comfort to the disconsolate This is Davids stone wherewith he smote Goliath and his Harp wherewith he drove away the evil spirit from Saul This is that Pillar of fire and cloud which directs the Saints and blindfolds their enemies This was that Bow the Promises being the Arrow and Faith the Hand whereby these Worthies Heb. 11. of whom the world was not worthy waxing valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens quenched the violence of the fire escaped the edge of the Sword subdued Kingdoms stopped the mouths of Lyons c. O! Who is able to enumerat all the noble and admirable (m) Vide infra pare 4. chap ult effects of Prayer What desolations it hath made in the earth what revolutions in the world and what astonishing deliverances it hath brought to the Saints O! That He who gave wisdom to (n) Exod. 31. vers 6.11 Bezaleel and Aholiah for making the Tabernacle according to the Pattern would teach us the heavenly art of sacrificing to our God in spirit and in truth The material Tabernacle and Temple where are they now Yet we must still bring our offering the Christian oblation must never cease we are Priests Rev. 1. vers 6. and we have an Altar Heb. 13. vers 10 12 15. But alas may we with Isaac Gen. 22. vers 7. say where as the Lamb for a burnt offering we have nothing to offer unless the Lord provide a Ram and instruct us how we should offer it up Rom. 8. vers 26. It is thought one of the most tolerable and easy tasks to pray and every one as they think is able and sit enough for such an employment and are busie enough in carrying on that trade and they were not worthy to live will such say who do not call upon God But ah Who are they that are acquainted with the mistery of Prayer Lip-labour is indeed an easy work the Popish devotion the whiting the out-side of the Sepulchre is no difficult task but it is not so easie to give life to the loathsom carcasse within thou mayest draw nigh the Throne and prattle some few words before the Lord and yet never put to one finger to the work if thou do not put out thy strength to draw up thy dead lumpish heart if thou find not a burthen pressing thee and it down and call not to heaven for help and for fire to kindle and enlive thy sacrifice Every key will not open the doors of Heaven every knock will not obtain an entrance nor every cry prevail Let us then look up to Him who can only give us that wisdom which is from above who can discover bring to our hands and help us to use that admirable piece of work that it may not only prove a key to open the Fountain the Store-house door and all our fathers Cabins but also for opening of our hearts and an hammer to break the hard rocks of corruption and the stone there Ah! But who is sufficient for such a task A word spoken on such a subject can never be unseasonable and though many have put in their Sickle here yet much of the harvest is un cut down But more hath been said then rightly improven though the Lord hath stirred up so many of His Messengers to point out the way to the Throne and how to carry on a safe trade with Heaven yet who hath believed their report And we shall not think our labour lost in bearing testimony against this sinning and prayerlesse Generation nor shall we stand upon an Apology for making choice of such a Theme Alas How often have (o) Is 37. vers 4 5. the children come to the birth and have stuck there for want of Prayers (p) That I may so speak with some eminent Divines Mr. Good-wine Mr. Gurnall c. Midwifry The Promise many times is big with child and is come to it's full reckoning and hath no longer to go with the desired Mercy then till thou run to the Throne of Grace and plead for it's deliverance it only waits for the obstetrication of the prayer of Faith that the Man-child may be brought forth The Lord deals not sparingly with us He hath many blessings to bestow None of His children need with (q) Gen. 27. vers 38. Esau complain that he hath not one to bestow on him But alas we are like a Kings Son in the cradle who knows not that he is Heir of a Crown and thus neither regards nor improves his Dignity and Priviledge Or like a Traveller who having many Bills of Exchange yet will not be at the pains to read them but undervalues them as so much un-written paper and will rather starve than bring them to the Exchanger and plead for the sums to which they give him a right Ah! Who
to open the gates of heaven Hence the exhortation to pray alwaies Luk. 18.1 2 Thes 5.17 c. importing at least that there should be no such intermission of prayer as may occasion deadness and indispose us for that duty 13. A giving way to a slight lazy dead and superficial performance of this solemn duty if we accustome our selves to do the work of the Lord negligently we will find no small difficulty to scrue up the pins and to bring the heart in tune again weak acts (h) Aliqui actus ab habitu procedentes diminumt ipsum ut pote cum neglig enter fiunt apud Thom. 1 2. quast 52. apt 3. in 〈◊〉 weaken the habit and principle and beget an inclination to do remisly and negligently or rather an impotency and inability to act (i) Ahorse that is used as mili orio carri burdens is not fiâ— for a journey be is so used to a slow pace that he will not leave it vigoriously and to purpose the sluggard will not purchase a meal by his work our lazy spiritual performances as they cannot procure So neither do they bring with them meat in their mouth whereon the soul should live they bring with them no heavenly in fluence and thus the new man for want of daily refreshment must become (k) We wil not now at any length debate the question concerning the growth and decay of grace with learned Mr. Ford affirming that no gracious babit can properly be said to grow or decay but only in respect of the acts that flow from it in that it may be clogâ—ed and obstructed as to its operations But remove these obstructions and grace will act as vigorously as ever it did Spir. of Adopt cha 43 pag. 499. We having here supposed as we thought with all Divines and asserted the contrary we shall only ad some few particulars in a word for preventing such a mistake And 1. that the great School-man Suarez professeth that he never read any Divine who affirmed that the habits of grace were so indivisible that they could admit no growth or decay yea or who durst deny that actually and de facto they did not grow and encrease Suar. de grat lib. 9. cap. 2. sect 3. Hence he doth not dispute but supposeth that in every grace there is a sufficient latitude of degrees within which as it may grow So it may decay ibid. lib 11. cap. 8. sect 1. It s true the popish Schoolmen albeit they plead for the growth of grace yet deny that actually there is any partial decay of it but upon such grounds as all orthodox Divines will abominate viz. Because all and every mortal sin doth not diminish but totally destroy and remove grace and venial sins as they do not abolish and take away So neither can they weaken and diminish the habits of grace Thom. 2 2. quoest 24. art to in corp Bannez in loc Suar loc cit Dur. alii in 1. sent dist 17. Lugo de fid disp 16. sect 4. Becan de chari cap. 22. quaest 6. But laying aside that vain distinction of mortal and venial sins and that opinion concerning the Saints apostacy none of them wiâ—l deny that grace may as truly be said to decay as to grow vid. Suar. loc cit lib. 9. cap. 2. sect 24. In gratia ipsa non deest latitudo graduum ratione cujus possit successive amitei ac prius minui quam omnino pereat nibil ominus tamen ex defectu causarum corrumpentium c But 2. to speak to these severally and first as to the growth of grace the Scripture is most express in several places this the Father of the possessed prayed for Mark 9.24 this we are exhorted unto 2 Pet. 3.18 Secondly if we come to particulars may not â—â—ith hope love c be encrealed and why do we use the means if our state be not be tered thereby and why do we trade any more if our talents do not multiply and encrease by a right and diligent imp ovement of them Thirdly shall not grace at length be perfected aed is it not now on the way to perfection and shall we imagine that there is no progress made in that way c. 2. As to the decay of grace through the withdrawing of the Spirit because of our negligence and folly 1. if Adam lost a greater stock as all grant albeit the learned Dr Twisse doubts whether or not he lost all grace vind grat pag. 751. why may not we who are weaker loss a part and some measure of ours Hence our Divines while they are pleading against the total and final apostacy of the Saints affirm that the perseverance of the Saints doth not flow from their own strength or from the nature and measure of grace they have received but from the fâ—â—e promise decâ—ee and appointment of God and the custody of the Spirit si fidem spectemus quoâ—d naturam suam amitti potest perire sed si c. Perkin de praedest libâ—â— err 8. â—ect 5 vid. etâ—am Twis in sect 4. It s true that according to the tenor of the covenant of grace the Jewel cannot totally be lost the seed of God must remain 1 Joh. 3.9 gracious habits cannot be lost saith Perkins secundum esse yet they may be diminished secundum gradam aliquem yea if we look upon them in their own nature or in relation to us they may altogether perish or decay ipse habitus inquit Perk loc cit sect 10. sive potentia fidei per se amitti potest sed propter gratiam confirmantem non perit fides secundum esse sed minuitur secundum gradum aliquem hinc sequitur posse minui communionem cum Christo sed non posse solvi unionem 2. If in different beleevers there be a different measure and degree of grace some being weaker some stronger why not also in one and the same subiect and why may not a strong Saint by his fall lose some of his strength and become weaker and why did David complain that his bones were not only weakned but as it were broken Ps 51.9.3 Why was the Church of Sardis exhorted to strengthen that which was ready to die Rev. 3.2 if their graces were not on the decaying hand I willingly grant that as the habits of grace are not produced by our acts So neither are they physically and efficiently encreased thereby or thus diminished by the contrary acts of sin yea the very Jesuits do affirm the same which also is aâ— some length confirmed by Jo. de Lugo de fid disp 16. sect 4. where also he sheweth the difference as to this point that is between natural and gracious habits sect 77. vid etiam Suar. de grat lib. 8. cap 4. but the Spirit being provokt to depart and withdraw his influence proportionably to his departure ob defectum causae conservantis and this decay of grace usually is accompanied with an obstruction of that little
may come and get access at another time yet now thou art better imployed and must not be diverted by such shameless and unmanerly intruders who dar trouble and molest thee so unseasonably and therefore say to them but do not stay to debate with them what Nehemiah said to Sanballat and Geshem I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down why should the work cease whilest I leave it and come down to you Nehem. 6.3 Such a holy severity and contempt must you express towards every thing that would interrupt you in the work of the Lord it must be a temptation though perhaps coming from Sathan as transformed into an angel of light O! consider the weight and importance of the present business and work and that will keep thee from dallying with this ordinance will any man be so mad as to suffer his mind to vag and be diverted with trifles or by casting an eye on every in-comer when he is pleading before an earthly King for his life and state which he hath forfeited by his folly and rebellion and is it not so in this case nay thou hast far more lying at the stake thy life thy soul and incorruptible inheritance thou must pray or perish and thou must so pray as to prevail or thou must go to hell and be tormented for ever and ever what Moses said of the words of the law Deut. 32.47 may well be applied to this ordinance It is not a vain thing for you because it is your life Hence there must be that holy dispair impatience and violence against every thing that stands in the way to hinder us in this work that importunity fervency yea and impudence we spake of Part. 2. Chap. 2. Pag. 447 448. 8. Remember the greatness goodness all seeing eye yea and severity of him with whom we have to do 1. should not his greatness and excellency make you afraid to dally with his work and should not his dread fall upon you in your dead formal and irreverent approaches to him that I may apply that to our speaking to God which Job said of his friends speaking for God Job 13.11.7 2. Should you not fear him and his goodness Hos 3.5 should not the tender child take heed that he do not dishonour and grieve his kind father 3. should not his (t) Deus est sphâ—era cujus centrum est ubique circumserentia nusquam enter praesenier Deus oiâ— abique potenter presence his inspection and all-seeing eye stir us up to greater attention and reverence then the eye of all the creatures and yet how would we blush and be ashamed to utter such impertinencies before men especially to a King or some great person which many a time we have vented in prayer to God yea how would we loath and abominat our selves if we did but think that the Saints on earth were acquainted with that deadness formality and these wandring and sensual thoughts which we have often entertained while we came before the Lord and yet we do not consider that the high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity doth search the heart and try the reins to give every man according to his waies and according to the fruit of his doings that every creature is manifest in his sight and that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Jer. 17.10 Heb. 4.13 But if neither his greatness nor goodness his presence nor all-searching knowledge can prevail with thee yet remember his holiness justice and severity with him is terrible majesty he is excellent in power and in judgment and in plenty of justice therefore saith Elibu do men fear him Job 37.22 23 24. The wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon Prov. 19.12 but what is the wrath of all the creatures in respect of the indignation of the Almighty Who knoweth the power of his anger who turneth the children of men to destruction and carrieth them away as with a flood Psa 90.11.3 5. who may stand in his sight when once he is angry Ps 76.7 he is of purer eyes then to behold evil and cannot look on iniquity Habak 1.13 he will not be mockt with our bablâ—ng our cold formal and empty performances O! let us then draw nigh to him with reverence and godly fear for saith the Apostle our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. O! that bold secure and presumptuous sinners would (u) Dan. 6.26 tremble and fear when they come before the great God that they become not as stubble and chaff to feed the devouring flames of his indignation to all eternity 9. Use such a gesture as thou findst most helpfull to raise thy heart and stir up thy affections and which expresseth that reverence and sense of thy distance which becometh such a poor (x) Isa 41.14 worm when it draweth nigh to its Maker here I grant thou art not limited for 1. we will find the Saints to lift up their eyes to heaven thus David Ps 123. 1. Ps 121. 1. Ps 141.8 yea and our blessed Saviour Job 17. 1. Joh. 11.41 Secondly sometimes to cast down their eyes and smite the breast as the Publican Luk. 18 13. sometimes to hold up their hands as Moses Exod. 17.11 and this seemeth to have been an usual custom from 1 Tem. 2.8 Thirdly sometimes to stretch forth their hands as 1 King 8.22 Exod. 9 29. Ps 88.9 Fourthly sometimes to kneel down as Act. 7.60 Act. 9.40 Act. 20.36 Act. 21.5 yea our blessed Lord Luk. 22.41 Fiftly sometimes to fall on their face as the Leper Luk. 5.12 and Christ himself Mat. 26.39 Sixthly sometimes to stand Mark 11.25 Luk. 18.13 Seventhly sometimes to lie as dying Jacob. Gen. 48.2 and sick Hezekiah Isa 38. 2. Yea eightly and sometimes to sit as wearied Elijah 1 King 19.4 c. And in this variety thou mayest make choice of that gesture that is most subservient to the present disposition of thy body and for enlarging the affections which may be different not only as to divers persons but also as to one and the same man at divers times and occasions only let me from experience intreat that thou would beware of such a gesture as may press the vital spirits or may dispose the to drousiness when we hing down the head or suffer the breast to lean to any hold we will find the soul because of its sympathy with the body in this state of union and conjunction not to be so free active and sit to be employed in the work of the Lord. Ah! do not many in their families use such a gesture as doth speak their dis-respect and want of reverence and it s too ordinary in publick for one and other in the time of prayer to lay themselves down or so to lean on their dasks as if they purposed to take a sleep ah is this the reverence and godly fear with which ye should serve your Maker and Judge would
ye durst ye speak so irreverently to a man like your self if in any eminent place and having authority far less to â— King Ah! let us be humbled for our unmannerly shameless and impudent boldness or rather desperat carelesness and negligence in the worship of the great God We might here also add somewhat concerning the use of the voice yea sometimes the elevation and extension of it may be helpfull to quicken the heart and then thou may'st retire to a solitary place where thou may'st use the greater freedom and not be liable to mis-construction But if yet thou findest thy deadness and indisposition to continue notwithstanding thou hast used the means for removing of it I shall further add by way of advice but these few particulars 10. Whetever abuse may be of a set form yet then thou may'st have recourse to it perhaps thou may'st be brought so low and be so far straitned as to want both matter and words and might not a Saint be helped in such a strait if he had some materials at hand drawn up by holy men or by himself from the Scriptures and fitted for his case and use but yet not so as to stint and limit himself precisely to these words or purposes but if he find his fetters to fall off and the wind to blow he may use his liberty I must saith Mr. (y) Mr. Zach. Bogan pref to his help to pr. and edis Bogan who yet pleads very much for a form needs say if I would go by mine own experience the heart that is warmed and enlarged with the sense of the love of God and joy in the holy Ghost although sometimes under a damp and some violent straitning it should be driven to a form yet as soon as the heat comes and the bands slaken would fied a form to wring and long to be at liberty When one is weak and sickly he will make use of crutches which after he hath recovered his strength he will cast away And on the other hand the judicious Mr. Ford who is very severe against the abuse of forms (z) Mr. Ford spirit of adoption cha 48. pag. 526. comparing it to a custome which he calleth a ridiculous absuraity and at another (a) Ibid. cha 52. pag. 546 547. time prescribing this as a mean how to recover out of deadness in prayer not to rest in forms of prayer nor to bind our selves to the same series and frame of words yet once and again (b) Le is citatis protesteth that he is not so severe as to condemn or forbid the use of a good form either of our own or others framing or to deny that young beginners may find help in the matter method and language of a good form and that under extraordinary deliquies and swoundings of spirit in which the soul cannot put forth its operations as before that a godly man may not as Christ in his agony Mat. 26.44 go and repeat to God thrice and more the same forme of words And that we may not only at the same time repeat but also at different occasions make use of the same form of words is evident also from Davids soliloquy and meditation in the case of his soul-trouble and dejection in which he thrice and in two different Psalms repeateth the same words viz. Ps 42.5 and ver 11. Ps 43.5 And thus on all hands it s agreed that as a form may be abused for I (c) As for the excellency of conceived prayer wherein the devous Christian out of the abundance of his heart pours out his requests to God none but a profane spirit dares open his mouth against it Mr. Gurn. loc eit pag. 438. know none who plead that beleevers should be precisely stinted and bound to a set form in their private devotion so it may be lawfully used in case of extraordinary weakness or indisposition neither may we now meddle with what is here controversal 11. While deadness and indisposition continueth let frequency supply the want of continuance come often but stay not long at the throne till thou be more able and till the Lord arrest thee by the sweet breathings of his free Spirit The famous (d) Dicuntus fratres in Egypte crebras quidem babere orationes sed eas tamen brevissin as raptim quodammodo jaculatas ne ills vigilon ter erecta quae oranti pluri mum necessaria est per productiores meras evanescat atque hebetetur intentio ac per hoc etiam ipsi satis osteâ—dunt banc intentionem fiout non est obtundenda si per durare non potest itae si per duraverit non cito esse rum pendam Absit enim ab oratione multa loquutio non desit multa precatio si fervens perseverat intentio non intentio ut mendose scribitur passim in hoc capite nam c. August epist 12. ad pob cap. 10. Austin speaking of the Saints in Eygpt who were eminent for holiness affirmeth that they used to pray often but not long at a time approving that practice as limited to the case held forth in this direction nay the reverend Mr. (e) Mr. Gurn. loc cit pag. 477. Gurnal speaking generally of the duty prescribeth the same advice and direction with this (f) Which Austin also addeth verbis citatis caution only that we give no check to the Spirit of God in his assistances nor interrupt the duty while we find the Spirit enlarging the heart and pressing us forward We need not now speak to the general but the book of the Psalms affords us many instances of short prayers poured out by the Saints while their Spirits were overwhelmed and straitned and that one hundred and second Psalm which was penned to be as it were a directory in such a case if we look only upon the petitory part of it will not be thought to be of any considerable length 12. Do not faint nor weary in waiting upon the Lord put a good interpretation on all Gods dealings and dispensations towards thee and though thou meet with no sensible manifestation gain and advantage yet follow the (g) We spake particularly of prayer and now again while we recommend the use of the ordinances though we think none either publick or private may be neglected yet let me adviâ—e thee to make secret prayer thy daily and constant refuge go and say with him Psa 80.18 quicken me and I will call upon thy name thou mayest reiterate and dwell upon this petition for in one Psalm the servant of God eight several times renews the same request and prayeth for quickning viz. Psa 119 25 37 88 107 149 154 156 159. ordinances diligently knowing that at length he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 Praise God that ye may bear his voice though ye do not see his face ye have a sure word of promise labour to live upon it and in due time ye shall reap if ye
brought his people out of Egypt to destroy them in the wilderness yea and rather then the whole body of that people should be destroyed Exod. 32. And Paul his wish that he rather were accursed from Christ then that his brethren and kinsmen should perish Rom. 9. But these two practises being rather for admiration then imitation such a height and measure of (o) Zeal to Gods glory and for the happiness and salvation of his people Where there is no hazard of excess in our affection we cannot be too zealous for God nor too desirous of the well fare of his people zeal being scarce attainable since it cannot be affirmed that any other ever did or shall in this life come their length David his desire and prayer 1 Chr. 21.17 is very considerable in the present case Let thine hand saith this holy man be on me and on my fathers house but not or rather then on thy people that they should be plagued It is true he had sinned and deserved to be punished but whatever were his motives we see this holy man prefer the good of Gods people to his own personal interest and desire that the rod should be rather on himself and his family then on the body of the people But abstracting from such high and holy ends and when the comparison is only between some evil or temporal rod lying upon us and some other evil which may rid us out of the present trouble if the Saints should desire any such evil by way of remedy such a desire must be sinfull the object being evil in it self and not determined as a necessary and the only mean for removing the present evil which perhaps is less in it self and less dangerous and so the end being base and low and the root and principle sinfull and carnal such as pride passion impatience distrust and the like I hope none will plead for such a desire though in the most eminent Saints as in Job ch 6.8 9. in Moses Numb 11.15 in Jonah ch 4.39 in Eliah 1 King 19.4 in Jeremiah ch 20.14 15 16 17. c. For though Job was a pattern of patience Jam. 5.11 Moses of meekness Numb 12.3 and Eliah of confidence 1 King 18. yet they were subject to infirmities even there where they were strongest and those slips and fits of passion and impatience are left on record to be 1. a warning to us of our frailty that we may learn to be humble watchfull and circumspect 2. to be as a beacon on the rock which we should shun and 3. to teach us that our imitation of men though eminent for holiness should be with a limitation and with caution that we must only follow them when and so far as they follow Christ and walk by rule But though some weak Saints may miscarry on the one hand by presuming on Gods care and bounty that he will bless such a severe course of physick as they prescribe to themselves without his warrand and approbation Yet alas it is more usual to miscarry on the other hand So that we need not stay long in debating this case all of us have a monitor within which will be too ready to warn us of our danger loss and bodily evil and will be ready to call to us to spare our selves when the Lord doth call us to suffer and when his glory and our everlasting happiness do cry to us not to (q) Rev. 12.11 love our lives unto the death and when if we (r) Mat. 16.25 save our life we will lose it And since we may not wish evil to our selves that the Lord may turn it to our good far less may we thus wish evil to others with whose comforts and creature-enjoyments we have not such power to dispense as with our own and of the frame of whose hearr we know less and of their readiness to abuse mercies As also since here there may be some suspicion of malice envy c. ah who would look upon him as a genuine son of Zion who under the pretence that the affliction of the Church hath often proven a mean of reformation humiliation c. would wish and pray that her calamities might be multiplied or continued If these shall prosper that love and pray for her peace Ps 122.6 what shall be their portion that under whatsoever colour dare pray for her trouble 3. As for evils of sin who will be so mad as to plead that these are desirable these laid the foundation of hell and made Angels once glorious become devils these defaced the beautifull Image of God in man and robbed him of all his excellencies these are the grand murderers that kill both body and soul and daily thrust multitudes into the pit these are the procurers of all our â—wo and misery here and hereafter and yet how many love and imbrace these scorpions till they sting them to death but yet secretly and as stollen wares few being so impudent as to own and defend though too many will excuse their sins far less dare any pray to God for help to sin against him sin is an evil (t) August loc cit pag. 486. vid. loc an only evil there is nothing in it amiable or desirable it is true God can bring light out of darkness and make the lancet of an enemy to open a sore that despised all remedy Hence s Austin durst affirm that it might sometimes be profitable to some Saints to fall into some gross sin to humble them and awaken them out of their security No doubt the Lord can make the consideration of our sins to humble us and become more watchfull and circumspect and thus even make our sins (t) Rom. 8.28 work together for our good which is a demonstration of the wisdom and power of the Physician and proclaimeth his mercy and tender bowels towards us that of our venom and poison he can and sometimes will make to us a healing plaister but this is no warrand to us to prescribe such a medicine for our selves we may not de evil that good may come Rom. 3.8 CHAP. IV. Of cursing and imprecations Whether it be lawfull to pray for vengeance on the wicked and on persecuters Rom. 12.14 Bless them which persecute you bless and curse not THere be (a) Having in the preceeding Chapter enquired Whether we may desire any evil to our selves or to the people of God we come now to ask Whether we may wish and pray for any evil to the wicked and to our enemies here several particulars that need not be brought under debate as that we may pray against 1. the sins of men and say with him Ps 7.9 Oh! let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end 2. Against the plots counsels machinations and interprises of the wicked against the Saints and people of God his Truth and Ordinances and say with him 2 Sam. 15.31 O Lord I pray thee defeat the counsel of Ahithophel and turn it into