the upright that is his delight When God comes to speak of the prayer of the wicked see hâ—w he is pleased to phrase it Hos 7.14 Says he They have not cryed uâ—to me with their hearts when they have houled upon their beds The prayer they put up is no better then the howling of a dogg if it be not the voice of a gracious heart it is but the voice of a dog and you know it is so called in the Scripture and hence in Zach. 12.10 it is said he will pour out upon the house of David the Spirit of Grace and of supplication fiâ—st the Spirit of Grace and then the Spirit of Supplication if there be not first a spirit of grace truely there can be no spirit of supplication and it was hence that Saul when he was effectually wrought upon and the work of grace was begun in his heart the spirit of God takes notice of it Behold he prayeth doubtless he had made many a long prayer and done something that he called prayer before that time being a Pharisee and one of the strictest Sect but yet he never prayed untill now now there is grace in his heart and he prayeth to purpose that is the second thing it is the breathing of a gracious soul 3. It is done in the help of the Spirit of Grace for if a gracious soul come and speak his own words that is not praying it must be speaking the words of the Spirit of God the breathing out the petitions that are put into the heart by the Spirit of God Zach. 12.10 a place I quoted even now you read that it is a Spirit of Supplication Gods good Spirit it helps and furthers and forwards the soul in this great work Rom. 8.26 We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self helps our infirmities and truely souls this is very considerable when praying is as it should be it is done in the help of the Spirit of grace 4. In prayer the soul goeth to God as the Father and fountain of mercy he goes to him directs a prayer unto him therefore David says in Psal 25.1 To thee O Lord I lift up my soul and we are taught when Christ teacheth us how to pray in Mat. 6.9 to go unto God Say saies Christ Our Father we are bid to go to him and to go to him as to a Father And further 5. Prayer is going to God and a going to him in a promise you must have a promise to incourage you to pray mark this as a certain rule you have no warrant to ask that of God of which you have not a promise or something that is in the nature of a promise and if you ask me what I mean by something in the nature of a promise why it is the experience of the Saints of God what he hath done for them and wrought for them this is in the nature of a promise and you may plead it with God that what he hath wrought his servants of old that he would do again now by promise I mean the Word of God to plead for something that God hath given hâ—s word to give Jacob in Gen. 32. 11. he was in a streight and he goes to God and what hath he to plead with God Why he had a promise And thou saidst I will surely do thee good c. vers 12. He urgeth God with his promise Lord thou hast said thou wilt do me good and make my seed as the sand of the Sea If Esau come and kill my children How shall this promise be fulfilled Therefore deliver me I pray thee c. And in Rev 22.20 He which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Even so come Lord Jesus Mark here is the promise and the pleading of it also both in this verse the promise Christ saies Surely I come the pleading of the promise Amen even so come Lord Jesus so if we come to God in prayer we must plead a promise or something in the nature of a promise or else it is not praying 6. We must go to God in the name of Christ now that is not you will easily grant the bare saying we ask this in the name of Christ and beg it for Christs sake but the putting forth an act of fâ—iâ—h upon Christ as he to whom all promises are made and who hath puâ—chased for us an interest in the promises that is what I mean when I say we are to come in the name of Christs Joh. 16.23 Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name that you shall have come to God and tell him Lord thou hast made a great many promises to poor souls through Christ Jesus Christ hath purchased these promises at thy hand therefore we come to beseech thee for the merit and righteousness of Jesus Christ that thou wouldest make good those promises that thou hast made 2 Cor. 1.20 In him are all the promises Yea and Amen in him that is in Christ and in him they are Yea and Amen that is they are made good to the soul through Christ first the soul believes in Chriâ—t and hath interest in him and then hath interest in the promises 7. They go for suitable mercy according as their needs and necessities are The necessities of the Saints are not always the same sometimes they are of one kind and sometimes of another and the spirit of grace helps the soul to begg mercies suitable to its wants sometimes not to be led into temptation as Christ teacheth us to pray and sometimes to be delivered from trouble as David Psal 59.1 Deliver me from mine enemies O God defend me from those that rise up against me And thus I have given you an account what prayer is and shewed you that it is the breathing of a gracious soul in the help of the spirit of grace whereby it is inabled to go to God in a promise in the name of Christ to ask suitable mercy as the case requireth That is the first thing propounded what pâ—ayer is But 2. What can prayer do what hath it done To that I answer Very great things 1. Prayer hath prevailed to pull down very dreadful judgements upon a people Thus they that mocked the Prophet and scoft at him a little prayer of the Prophet brought very dreadful things upon those people 2 King 2. And he went up from thence c. at vers 23. it is spoken concerning Elisha and it is said that He turned back and cursed them in the name of the Lord that is he prayed that God would meet with them for this and whâ—t came of it you read There came two she-bears out of the wood and tare fourty and two children of them that mocked the Prophet David with a very short prayer he bâ—iâ—gs down judgement and evil upon Achitophel 2 Sam. 15. it was a very short prayer he puts up at vers 31. O Lord I pray thee turn thee counsel of Achitophel into
forth in such a judgement it seeth it is the hand of the great glorious mighty terâ—ible God and therefore the soul that knows who he is and what he is cannot but have an awe of his judgement resting upon him David was no Infidel yet a man of fear Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of all thy judgements David had this and it was no unbecoming fear he had a holy awe of God a dread of the judgements of God upon the soul is so far from being inconsistent with faith that it is a necessary concomitant of it Again 3. Faith cuts not the throat of the use of means but whilst thou believest for preservation thou art waiting on God in the use of that means that he directs thee to faith it puts upon the use of means but doth not call off from it You believe God for salvation What then you wait upon God in the use of Ordinances Now by these things ask your hearts whether you have faith or no. Two or three things more and I have done Is preservation such a mercy I would first say to you Labor then to be Saints in earnest for if you should be preserved and not be Saints you loose the mercy of your preservation Isa 15.4 His life shall be grievous unto him c. The case of evil men is such sometimes that the very living is a burthen to them and such may be the case of a sinner though he may not be cut off their life may be worse to them then cutting off Jer. 8.3 And death shall be chosen rather then life c. the life of a sinner is not worth the living 2. Above all things have as little to do with sin as you can that is one of the best preservatives Job 11.14 If iniquity be in thy tabernacle put it far away from thee 3. And lastly while you are in the world and distress is in the world especially remember and be sollicitous for the Sion of God Oh stand up and plead for the poor people of Sion Jer. 51.50 Let Jerusalem come into your minds Oh my friends while the distresses of this day lasts Let Jerusalem come into your mind If God preserve you I say while he pâ—eserves you think of Jerusalem plead with God for his poor people that that intereâ—t may be secured that the Lord would be to his people the shadow of a great rock in a weary land And thus I have dispatched the third Doctrine namely that it is a great honor and an especial mercy and that that Saints should put out hard for to be delivered in times of common calamity I shall now go on with the fourth Observation from the words That watchfulness and prayer are rare preservatives and excellent means for safety in the time of common calamities I dare not say they are never-failing means but they are the best means and that as seldom fail as any they are the best preservatives you can have and will do you most service of any thing if there be any safety to be had it is in the use of these means That is the note I would spend a little time upon the God of all our mercies knows how to make it of use to us I would treat a little distinctly on each of them and shew how far each of them serve to this design what part prayer hath in it and what part watchfulness I shall begin with the first viz. Prayer and in what I have to say to that I shall propound three things to be treated on 1. Consider a little what prayer is because if we mistake the thing it self we are out in the whole as if a skilful Physician prescribe one potion and it be mistaken and another taken for it instead of doing good it may do much harm therefore it is good to know what prayer is 2. Consider what prayer is wont to do When Physicians prescribe a remedy they will tell you what great cures such medicines have effected and therefore I shall shew you what prayer hath done and then how it comes to be particularly useful in this case of a common calamity For the first then what is Prayer we oft speak of going to prayer but what is praying Why prayer it may be thus described It is the breathing of a gracious soul in the help of the Spirit of Grace whereby it is inabled to go to God in a promise in the Name of Christ to begg suitable mercy as the case may require I will take this description in parts and confirm each part unto you that you may see it is a description consonant and agreeable unto the word of truth First of all I say prayer is the breathing of the soul heartless prayer is no prayer it is the work of the soul the work of the heart and that in which the heart is not is not prayer at all hence you have that expression in Jam. 5.16 The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much it may be better rendred The Inwrought prayer of the righteous prayer it is an Inwrought thing it is first wrought in the heart before it is brought forth into petitions and if it be not first wrought in the heart before it is brought forth into desires and petitions it is not prayer The heart must go whatsoever is wâ—nting whether you pray with the voice or not you must pray with the heart such a thing you read of in the known case of Hannah 1 Sam. 1.13 Hannah she speaks in her heart onely her lips moved her voice was not heard she spake in her heart her heart was in the prayer and it was a sign it was by the good issue it had David Psal 119. 145. hath an expression that looks that way I cryed with my whole heart Oh Lord I will keep thy statutes If you cry it must be with the heart that must not be wanting for if that be wanting truely the best ingredient of prayer is wanting hence you have that expression in Psal 25.1 I lift up my soul unto thee the meaning is I pray unto thee I call unto thee but he doth express it by lifting up the soul because the soul was ingaged in the work I lift up my soul unto thee the like expression you have Psal 86.4 Now that is the first thing in the description it is the breathing of the soul 2. It is the breathing of a gracious soul it is not every heart but a gracious heart that knoweth how to pray the breathings of a gracious soul and therefore whatever name the desires of a wicked man may have yet alas it doth not amount to prayer Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked it is an abomination unto the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight A wicked man may bring his sacrifice may think to put up his petition but what is it It is an abomination unto the Lord but the prayer of
foolishness It was you see a very short prayer and yet if you look to Chap. 17.23 you shall find how it was succeeded He went home and hanged himself because his counsel was not followed And thus you find in other cases prayer hath brought down judgement upon a people the single prayer of the Prophet Elijah brought down judgement upon all Israel 1 King 17.1 As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my words that is according to my prayer and Elias you read in Jam. 5.17 he prayed down a judgement for three years and sâ—x months He prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not for the space of three years and six moneths And let me tell you all the dreadful judgements that come upon the world they come down as an answer to the prayer of the people of God Look Psal 65.5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us c. I quote this for this purpose to tell you that the terrible judgements that fall upon the world they do come in answer to the prayer of the Saints yea let me tell you this very judgement on foot at this day at which our hearts do tremble it comes in answer to the prayer of the people of God I mean thus the people of God have prayed that God would promote his interest that he would advance the scepter of his Son that he would pull down his enemies and they leave him to do it which way he pleaseth Now this is Gods way to advance his interest and you will find it so and I say moreover the dreadful things that shall be in the world and shall come upon the heads of the ungodly of the world they come all in answer to the prayer of the Saints The ninth Psalm is a Psalm concerning Antichrist the great destroyeâ— Well what saies it of him in vers 11 12. Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Sion when he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble There is a time saith David when he will make inquisition for blood that is when he will contend with Antichrist the great destroyeâ— for all the slaughter that hath been made upon his people he will come and recompence them for this blood and which way shall it come to pass He forgetteth not the cry of the humble he heareth them and that stirreth him up to make inquisition for blood so that I say many great judgements that have been in the world they have many times come in answer to the prayer of the Saints Again 2. Prayer it sometimes prevents the evil we fear Jacob in the instance given but now had a great deal of fear upon him Gen. 32.6 7 11 12. he was greatly distressed and then he goeth to prayer and what cometh of it in Chap. 33.4 Esau ran to meet him and falls on his neck and kisses him here was the worst of their meeting he thought verily Esau would have come to kill him and therefore set himself to seek the Lord and â—hen God prevented his fear for Esau fell on his â—eck and kissed him Thus God sometimes prevents the thing that we fear and so in 2 Chron. 20. in the case of Jehosaphat when many Nations combine to fight against him vers 3. Jehosaphat feared and what then He set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast thorow out all Judah And what came of it truly God delivered him very wonderfully in vers 17. Yee shall not need to fight in this battle c. And God makes those men that came against him to destroy one another at vers 12. I quote all this to this end onely to tell you what great work and mighty service sometimes prayer doth it helps to keep off the things that we fear 3. It helps to remove the evils we feel as well as prevents what we fear you know when Israel was in bondage what was a means to help them out Exod. 2.23 They cryed and their cry came up they cryed and it was not in vain for God heard them their praying and seeking his face it did not prove fruitless in Judges 5. you have a notable expression of Deborah O my soul thou hast troden down strength the people of Israel were greatly oppressed and dealt hardly with and there were some stirred up to go out and oppose but what got the victory Oh saith she My soul thou hast trodden down strength It was her souls going to God in prayer it was that did the work and it was instrumental for the removing that great oppression that was upon them and therefore the Prophet in Isa 10. When he foretells their deliverance from the yoak of the Assyrian bondage saith he the yoak shall be destroyed because of the anointing vers 27. that evil shall be removed How by the anointing one part of the sense whereof is that a part of the spirit of grace and supplication should be powred forth on the people they should plead with God and because of that anointing they should be delivered Psal 40.1 2. I waited patiently for the Lord and cryed unto him and he inclined unto me and heard my cry he prayed and God heard him and this was the issue He brought me up also c. vers 2 3. that is a third thing it delivers from many evils felt as well as feared 4. It prevails for strength to stand up under and grapple with great difficulty when God thinks not fit to remove difficulty then the soul prays for strength to stand up under those difficulties Isa 40.31 They that wait on the Lord shall â—enew their strength c. they may have difficulty but if they wait on the Lord they shall have strength as well as difficulty Psal 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul David was under many difficulties and streights but yet in calling upon the Lord the Lord gave him strength to which add that Heb. 11.34 That some out of weakness were made strong that is the fourth thing that Prayer doth 5. It prevails also for preservation in common calamities that mercy Jeremiah had in a way of Prayer Chap. 17. he doth address himself unto God by prayer in vers 17. Be not a terror unto me thou art my hope in the day of evil And God gave him a promise of preservation and was with him according to his promise Thus you see what great things prayer doth 1. It hath pulled down dreadful judgments 2. Prevented evils feared 3. Removed evils fâ—lt 4. Prevailed for strength to bear up under difficulties And 5. Prevailed also for preservation in times of great distress To the third thing Then how comes prayer to bâ—â—seful for our preservation in common calamity It comes to be useful in that as in all other cases these four or five wayes 1. From a
great deal of efficacy that is in it it is a thing that hath a great deal of efficacy and power going along with it Mat. 7.7 Mat. 21.22 Jam. 5.16 But 2. It comes to be effectual in that it sues out and pleads the Promise the prayer of Faith it challengeth God with his word it pleads out the Promise in the presence of God it goes to that and takes hold of it and many pâ—omises I have heretofore quoted you that God hath given for preservation in common calamity Now it is the work of the people of God to go to God and sue them out to remember him of his promise 2 Chron. 20. Jehosaphat when he is at prayer there he remembers God of his promise vers 8 9 10. he goeth to prayer and there he pleads the promise Lord saith he at the dedication of this Temple didst thou not engage that if we stood by this house called by thy Name in a time of calamity didst thou not promise that thou wouldst be with us This is that that he remembers God of and the people of God they are called Gods remembrancers in the Prophesie of Isaiah Chap. 62. v. 6. You that make mention of the Lord it is in the margent You that are the Lords remembrancers Prov. 18.10 it is said The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous run thither and are saved this running is a running in prayer in a prayer of faith when the soul in prayer doth put the Lord in mind that he hath said he is a strong Tower and will be a Refuge and therefore beg of him to be according to his word that is a second thing it prevails for preservation in that it pleadeth the promise 3. It prevails in that it is Gods own Ordinance and appointment the means that he hath given us to prevail in any case and he is pleased to put that honour upon the head of prayer that it shall be a door to let in mercy to us When he had promised to do a great deal for Israel yet sayes he for all this I will be sought of them it is prayer fetcheth in the mercy Job 11.13 If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards him c. And in vers 15. Thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear Mark particular preservation is promised to â—e given forth in a way of prayer 4. As it is useful to remove that that may pull on a calamity and may make the Lord strike us with such a stroke you know sin is that that brings all judgment now the prayer of Faith is very instrumental and serviceable in order to the taking away of guilt and removing of sin and by faith in prayer we go to Christ and take hold of him and leave our guilt upon him leave him to grapple with the Fathers displeasure This we do by Prayer David you know when he would be preserved himself from the Plague he goeth and offereth a Sacrifice I think I have hinted to you what that was 5. Thus it comes to do us service if it be right and as it should be we put up no petition but what God first puts into our hearts Now if prayer be right it is God's work and he is obliged to stand to his own act if God put me upon pleading for preservation it is a tye upon God to answer it for it is his own work and therefore he must not disown his own work Upon this account it is that prayer comes to be useful to our preservation I shal now proceed to shew you a litle the great use of watchfulnes in order to preservation 1. In that it helps to prayer prayer is a great means to our preservation and watchfulness is a hand-maid to prayer there is no praying well without it It is a furtherance and help to us 1. In that it finds out the most apt and fit season for prayâ—r there are certainly fit and apt and proper seasons in which the soul may do much more in prayer then it can do at other times and it is the part of watchfulness to spie and finde out those opportunities and therefore you have a notable expression in 1 Pet. 4.7 The end of all things is at hand be ye sober therefore and watch unto prayer that is let your watch serve you to find out the best fittest and aptest seasons and the greatest advantages to further you in prayer doubtless there are seasons in which the heart is best framed for the duty and seasons in which God seems to give some secret inclinations to the soul that he will please to be besought Now when the soul hath any great suit to go forward with and any great request to present at the Throne of grace the soul then watches to find out such a season and this doth further the duty of prayer exceedingly 2. It furthers prayer in that it keeps up the heart when it is engaged in that work and therefore you find them coupled together in Mat. 26.41 Watch and pray saith he Souls let me tell you if you pray and do not watch you will hardly get the heart to pray but if you do get the heart there you will hardly keep it there unless you stand upon your watch It is a truth much experienced that a soul is no longer kept to duty then a watchful eye is born over it consider it it may help you many times if it be remembred that watchfulness considers how the heart is how the Tempter deals with the soul what pains he takes to distract and get the soul out of a duty in which it is engaged sometimes you are dead it is watchfulness findes it out and therefore David being upon his watch as well as in the way of his duty he prays often in Psal 119. Quicken thou me sometimes the heart is distracted wandring and getting aside from the work that is before it it is watchfulness that makes this discovery it observes how Satan moves how the soul moves in a duty whether to God or no I may allude to that you have Gen. 15.9 when God comes to confirm the Covenant unto Abraham and bid him sacrifice and divide the Hâ—ifer and the Turtle-doves and young Pigeons in vers 11. When the fowls came down upon the carcases Abraham drove them away I may allude to it thus When you come to sacrifice fowls come down upon the sacrifice oft-times temptations divisions distractions attend you they are fowls upon the sacrifice that do spoyl it and it is watchfulness that must help you to keep off the fowls from the sacrifice and it is that that must observe how the case stands with you Now this is that which watchfulness doth in prayer it keeps the heart unto God 3. It helps to take in and improve answers of prayer the soul when it hath prayed hath not done all its work but it is to look after answers of prayers and that is the
that that watchfulness will help us against souls wherever that is found it is a grievous provocation God he delights to do good unto his poor broken humble souls He resists the proud but he gives grace unto the humble and therefore watchfâ—lness being an excellent means to keep us from these and other such like sins which lay a people exceedingly open to the stroke of Gods indignation it so becomes very useful and serviceable to our preservation And thus I have dispatched the doctrinal part Give me leave to conclude this Doctrine in a little Application and to inforce these duties of watchfulness and prayer Let me hence first take up a few things for information And if so be that watchfulness and prayer are means that have so great a tendency to preservation it may inform us of two things 1. How ill it is like to fare with poor sinners that can neither watch nor pray if the infinite over-flowing goodness of God prevent not they must perish they cannot make use of the means of preservation What can we expect but that they should perish Oh that we could put on bowels of pitty for such souls the sacrifice of the wicked what is it but an abomination unto the Lord sinners in the day of their prosperity they will not look after God nor his counsel neither will they mind his dealings if they do come in a day of distress and cry and howl and make much ado they may do so but yet God hath told them it shall be little to their comfort for Prov. 1.26 he hath told them that he wâ—â—l laugh at their calamities and mock â—hen their fear cometh 2. We may infer also that here is room for the fall of Saints whatever promise of preservation is made upright souls may fall and why so Why we mâ—y neglect the being found in our duty we may not watch and pray as we should and ought we may pray but it may be coldly and without any fervour of spirit we may not follow closely our duty with God and therefore missing in the means we may miss in the end also and that is my first Use a Use of Inference 2. It should stir us up to commune with our hearts a little what do we do we watch and pray are we in the Use of the Means whatever other means we use we should not let this be neglected it is not preservatives and removing from place to place that can do you that service that watchfulness and prayer can You will say you do pray let me ask you again do you watch unto prayer I hope you can say you do And if you should ask me how you may know watchful prayer I shall give you a few Characters of it 1. If it be watchful prayer there is an exciting stirring and calling up the heart unto the Duty Judges 5.12 Awake Deborah awake she calls up her self and stirs up her self to this Duty as you finde the Servants of God have done they stirred up all the faculties of their souls Psal 57.8 Awake up my glory saith David It is the Soul he calls his glory And Daniel in the ninth chapter he saith I set my face to the Lord God at the third verse the setting a mans self is the provoking and calling a mans self unto the Duty Now do you stir up and call up your hearts to the work of God If you be in a watchful frame you will do so Again if it be watchful prayer it is accompanied with much fervency if you watch at prayer it is not a cold lifeless Duty it is a Duty hath heat and vigor and life in it if you watch unto it the Rule is Not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord as it is in the Rom. 12.11 And if there be a watchfulness in the Duty there will be fervency going along with it It is said of Elias James 5.17 that He prayed earnestly you read also of an effectual prayer and if it be watchful it must be a fervent prayer 3. If it be a watchful prayer it is attended with much importunity you press God and wrestle with him Jacob watched all night at it and it was an importunate prayer I will not let thee go unless thou bless me The poor woman of Canaan hers was an importunate prayer she followed and pursued her request although she had some repulses Mat. 15.22 23 26 27. Now consider how it is with you for hereupon much of your safety may depend for ought I know If you would be preserved in this day of calamity as you pray for it so you must watch in prayer and see that there be that watchful frame of soul that is suitable unto this Rule and Counsel of Jesus that is the second Use Thirdly and lastly should we watch and pray always in every season I would then first say Make seasons for prayer spare them out of some other things rather then want them 2. I would say Take seasons for prayer when you may best attend the Work and hope most to prevail with God If you ask me what are the seasons a word or two of that and I shall come to the fifth Proposition from the words 1. I say your leisure-seasons when you are not engaged in business 2. The seasons when your spirits are most serious and least distracted it is not good to set to duty in a croud if you can help it 3. When the Spirit of God provokes you to come into the presence of God you that are experienced Christians can say that you have found sometimes your souls longing to be in his Presence You have hungred after Communion with God in Duty Oh take that time that is a fit season 4. When God hath warmed and refreshed thy heart in a Duty under any Ordinance with any tokens of love it is I say a fit season for thee to improve with the Lord God doth sometimes give the soul a look of love to incourage it to wait upon him Now take that season it is a great part of Wisdom to know a season and if you shall finde a season offering it self to you apt and fit and proper for your going to God take it and bless God for it and improve it with all your soul and might it is much Mercy and a great deal of goodness may come in to you at that door And thus now I have dispatced the fourth Observation namely that watchfulness and prayer are the best means and have the greatest tendency to preservation in times of common calamity I come now to the fifth and last Note from the words namely this That the escaping common calamities is not the only thing nor the chief thing that we are to be careful about but especially and above other things how we shall stand before the Son of man Alas to stand in a day of calamity is one thing â—ut to stand before the Son of man is another and a far more