be so careless in the worship of our God while poor Pagans were so zealous and serious in their devotion to Idols Ah! shall Baals priests (k) 1 Kings 18.28 tear and cut themselves with knives and lancets till the blood gush out and all as is thought to stir up their affection and to make them call on him more zealously and fervently however they lookt upon that as acceptable service to their idol and shall we think it enough if we but put (l) Proverb molli brachio sou extremis digitis attingere summis naribus olfacere to our fingers to the work and perform it never so negligently and will not be at the expences of some few tears or affectionat desires we will not be at so much pains as to (m) Isa 64.7 stir up our selves to call upon and to take hold of the Lord how then shall we suffer any thing for him or in his service While Alexander was offering incense to his God a coal fell on the young mans hand who held the golden censer but he considering the sacred action in which he was employed would rather suffer the burning and extremity of pain till the service was ended then in the least once stir or move his arm and thus interrupt that holy as he imagined performance and yet the least of Sathans fiery darts the least worldly trifle and sensual thought will quickly and easily divert us and turn away the heart while it is sacrificing to him who only should be served and worshiped The Pagan (n) Reusuer symb imper clas 1. ad sym L. Veri pag. 65. Emperour L. Aurelius Verus his motto was nil obiter Nothing must be done remisly negligently and as it were in the by Far rather should this be the motto of every true Israelite in the matters of God other things to him ought to be in a comparative sense handled in the (o) In transcursu Proverb Plutar de lib. educandis passing using the world as if he used it not for here is not our home and rest but our trade and great business is with God and for a kingdom rhat is worthy of our chief care and diligence If (p) Mat. 6.33 we seek it obiter and as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we undervalue it and lose our labour but alas as that Emperour did not answer his symbol being wholly (q) Cluver hist epit pag. 302. addicted to effeminatness luxury and pleasure so neither do many Christians their engagements and profession and titular Saints who have no more but the outward badge and the meer name of Christianity employ all their strength diligence and seriousness about the perishing trifles in the world and seek after heaven only in the by using the ordinances of life as if they used them not their hearts not being towards them they go about them in a dead lazy way without activity and life they see not their danger and misery and hence not being affected with it they act not as if they were in any strait and extremity they pray not against sin as knowing that either they must mortifie it here or else it will kill and destroy them for ever they pray not for pardon as knowing they must have it or else go to hell and there be tormented with the devils for ever and ever There is no remedy till once we be brought to this extremity and accordingly act as becometh those who are in such danger and hazard We will not now stay to press this necessary point but remitting you to those practical (r) M. Love zea l. Christ on Luk. 11.8 M. Cobbet on prayer part 2. ch 1. M. Gurnal spir arm part 3. pag. 553. c. Divines who have at length insisted on it only let me add a word by way of caution mistake not and beware least thou call thy lust zeal and thy impatience this holy fervency and importunity If we spend our affections upon earthly things they are mispent and misplaced Col. 3.2 Ah! shall our love our zeal and strength be laid out upon such trash shall the marrow and activity of our most precious things be thus debased Corruptio optimi pessima We have many experiences in nature (ſ) Who can endure the smell of a dead carrion especially of the body of man 〈◊〉 which is the most excellent of all living creatures c. shewing the corruption of the best things to be accompanied with loathsom and noxious consequents and shall not the abuse which is the corruption of spiritual things have very sad and dolefull consequents to the soul It is (t) Thom. Fullers good thoughts in worse times pag. 90. reported of witches that they say the Lords prayer backwards this is one of the ordinances of hell whereby Sathan doth engage these wretches to him and shall this course be followed by any who hath not renounced his part in Christ now as for order of words and place that is not material the Lord hath not bound and stinted us that way yea even their daily bread is put before remission of sins but he hath fixed an order as to our estimation affection and diligence and thus Gods kingdom must be sought before our daily bread nay comparatively and in respect of that this must not be sought our labour must be no labour and our love hatred Mat. 6.33 Joh 6.27 Luk. 14.26 And thus too many pray backwards they prefer earth to heaven the creature to God the body to the soul and their daily bread to Gods kingdom Ah! that so many should walk after Sathans rule and thus carry his mark on their forehead O! but honest supplicants though they will be very zealous for the Lord and impatient when he is dishonoured yet with what moderation and submission will they ask these outward things and how patiently will they bear the loss of such trifles and they will be more anxious and solicitous concerning their duty to ask and in every thing to make their requests known to God then concerning the success as to the having and receiving these things Phil. 4.6 You will say should we not then pray importunatly for temporal mercies Ans 1. Importunity and fervency is required in every prayer thou offerest up to God thou must alwayes offer up the best of the flock to the great King cold luke-warm affections in the worship of God is loathsome and unacceptable we must seek the Lord with the whole heart else we will not find if prayer be not fervent it availeth nothing Jam. 5.16 But take heed where thou placest thy zeal and fervency when ye seek the world let heaven be your mark and when ye desire the creature let the glory of the giver be your end Though thou must not spend thy zeal upon perishing things yet thou mayest earnestly seek the sanctified use of them and the blessing either with or without them and that the Lord either in giving or withholding of them would mind
after the (b) Heb. 3.1 high Priest of our profession had once made his (c) Isa 53.10 soul an offâ—ring for sin and by that one oblation (d) Heb. 10.10.14 perfected for ever all that are sanctified yet the Lord will have a spiritual Priesthood to continue and his people still to (e) 1 Pet. 2.5 offer up to him their daily sacrifices and that (f) Exod. 28.36.38 engraving that was on the plate upon Aarons forehead to be written upon our hearts Holiness to the Lord. The pagan pharisaical and popish way of worship is an abomination to him he (g) Mat. 23.27 valueth not whited sepulchres and a (h) V. 25. clean out-side he will not be mocked with fair professions though accompanied with specious performances if the heart be wrong all is naught if it be not (i) Eph. 4.24 renewed and consecrated to the Lord in holiness to what purpose is the multitude of sacrifices they are but vain oblations Ah! Who hath required these things at your hands saith the Lord Isa 1.11 12 13. His Israel must be holiness to him holiness within and without every pot in Judah and Jerusalem must be holiness to the Lord Jer. 2.3 Zech. 14.21 I would ask after no other evidence of a false Church then with Papists to plead for the opus operatum the work done however it were done the meer carcasse of a performance void of all heat and life as if it were acceptable service to him who must be (k) Ioh. 4.23 worshiped in spirit and truth who calleth for (l) See Part 1. Ch. 4. heart-service as too little and without which he will accept nothing from our hands though we did bestow all our goods to feed the poor nay though we gave our bodies to be burnt if the heart and affections go not along if it be not a free-will offering it is nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 Hypocritical and formal Professors from time to time have been very frequent in duties and said many prayers but yet to this day never (m) Psa 62.8 poured out their heart before the Lord their frequency was not accompanied with fervency their sacrifices lay cold on the Altar there came no fire from heaven to kindle them and will the Lord accept such empty and deceitfull oblations he cannot away with them they are an abomination unto him and what mater of lamentation is it that so much precious ointment should be thus wasted and such a noble work prove so fruitless and unprofitable that so excellent and promising an exercise if rightly performed should be a miscarrying womb We are ready to complain of the Lord that he will not hear nor hearken to our cry whileas the fault is in our selves we will not cry he valueth not the voice of our tongue but if the heart did speak he would quickly hear and answer if we would seriously reflect upon the frame of our soul and diligently ponder our wayes and work we would find nay Gods own people and honest servants might see and be convinced that too often they send an unfaithfull messenger to the throne who doth miscarry and mar our cause because he cannot speak and is not acquainted with the language of the court And thus we receive not because we do not ask our asking is no asking in Gods account because we do not ask aright and do not seek God in that way in which he will be found and therefore it concerns us to take heed what kind of prayers we offer up to God lest our labour be lost and the Lord provoked against us while we are ready to conceive that we are doing him good service And for the direction of such as would not trade with heaven with counterfit coyn and who desire not to be found amongst the number of those (n) Jer. 48.10 cursed mockers who do the work of the Lord negligently and deceitfully we purpose now in the Lords strength to enquire after the qualifications conditions and properties of an acceptable and prevailing prayer We would not have these terms to be pressed in their strict and philosophical sense as if we minded now to enquire what did belong to prayer as essentials what only as accidentals reciprocal or not reciprocal but having in the first part of this Treatise spoken to those things that more properly serve to the opening up the nature of prayer we shall now take a view of those things that belong to the maner of performance and which are so necessary to its prevalency and acceptance All which if we duly ponder will be found as it were to flow from the two last particulars mentioned in the description (o) Of which Part 1. Ch. 8 9. viz. the purchase of Christ and the work of his spirit which therefore were placed in the first Part as being the fountain and original of all the rest and the sole ground of the prevalency of our prayers and would not conjoyn them with the streams and their effects which now come to be considered here albeit otherwayes we deny not that these two also may be reckoned among the conditions and requisits of prayer yea and in some such improper sense all that belongs to its nature and essence and every branch of the definition may be called a condition though hardly in any sense a property and (p) Albeit in the Schools they speak of a quale essentiale yet the word qualification in our language is not used in that sense qualification which three may here be promiscuously used of prayer And though the merit of Christ and the help of the Spirit might be called conditions yet they are no intrinsecal part of our work though our prayers must be as it were animated and enlivened by them but now we are to speak of that which must be wrought by us and be from us though supposing the assistance of the Spirit whereby we are enabled thereunto and therefore the disparity is manifest But that we may no more contend for words or method in this discovery of the qualifications of an acceptable prayer we shall not enumerate all and every one for scarce is there any one that doth concur and is required in any (q) Where the seven moral circumstances of our actions have place viz. quis quid ubi quibus auxiliis cur quomodo quando spiritual performance that may not some one way or other have place here but we shall only (r) Aquinas 2 2 quaest 83. art 15. ad 1. to the prevalenâ—y of prayer riquireth four conditions viz. Ut orans pro se perat necessaria ad salutem pie ac perseveranter Bonavent in stimul divin amor cap. 4. requiri affirmat ut oratio siat 1. Humiliter 2. Fidenter 3. Pure Et 4 instanter Rayner pan-theolog § oâ—are cap. 7 ut orans exaudiatur quatuor requiri decet viz. Ut oret 1. Fideliter 2. Humiliter 3. Utiliter Et 4. Perseveranter Et cap. 9.
13.12 1 Joh. 3.2 CHAP. II. Of the withdrawing of the Spirit of deadness indisposition and wandring thoughts in prayer their causes and remedy ALL our light and strength our activity life and zeal being the fruit of the free Spirit of grace as hath been shown Part. 1. Chap. 9. We not being of our selves sufficient to think far less to do as we ought all our sufficiency coming from God alone 2 Cor. 3.5 If the Lord withdraw his Spirit and if the Spirit of (a) Rom. 8.10 life do not quicken and enable us for our our duty what deadness and indisposition must there be upon our spirit and how unfit and unable must we be for the work of the Lord and for any part of his worship We shall not then here separate the cause and the effect but we not being meer patients but by our folly and unkindness provoking the Spirit to depart yea and not only thus procuring this sad dispensation but also joyning and actively concurring and taking as it were the hammer in our hands for hardning our own heart shutting our own eyes that we might not see and casting water upon the fire that it might not burn we shall enquire after both sort of causes adding some few things for curing and remedying this evil and for our direction whilewe are under this sad tryal Sect. 1. How far the Spirit doth withdraw and why Joh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Psal 5.11 12. Take not thy holy Spirit from me uphold me with thy free Spirit WE shall not now speak of the case and state of desertion in the general what it is what be its kinds what are the causes what the symptoms and marks what the effects and wofull consequents of that malady and what should be done by way of cure and remedy that were a large field hath been the subject of several excellent (a) Mr. Boltons instructions for a right comforting c. Mr. Goodwins child of light c. Mr. Symonds desert souls case and cure c. Treatises but we shall only meddle with so much of that case as concerneth the present subject and now enquire how far the Spirit doth withdraw his help and assistance from the Saints in reference to their prayers and shall but in a word and very briefly speak to that and to the rest of the particulars in this and the following Sections because they fall in here occasionally and as in the by as also since they very much depend upon the case in the si of which now we cannot speak and the general grounds and purposes which belong to that head As to the first question here propounded how far the Spirit doth withdraw Let us 1. suppose against Socinians Papists and Arminians that the Spirit doth neither totally nor finally leave and forsake any of the Saints 1 Joh. 3.9 Joh. 10.28 29. Jer. 32.39 40. Heb. 13.5 c. 2. From the constant presence of the Spirit we may well collect his constant work and operation there is a necessary influence of the Spirit whereby the Saintâ— are supported and upheld the life of the new man is preserved and the (b) 1 Joh. 3.9 seed of God is kept from corruption and that influence is never denied or withheld from the Saints when they are at the lowest and in their worst and weakest condition when they have been sadly buffeted by Sathan and dangerously wounded by their lusts and after that little of life which yet (c) Rev. 3.2 remaineth in them is ready to die yet there is a secret hand that supporteth them so that they shall never perish Joh. 10.28 But 3. it is more diffâ—â—ult to determine whether as the Spirit alwayes worketh to the conservation of spiritual life So also to its operation acting and exercise and the work of the Spirit as to the former may be called upholding and conserving grace and as to the latter assisting and concurring grace Ans Albeit we did joyn with an (d) Mr. Symonds case and cure ch 4. pag. mihi 36. excellent modern Divine while he thus resolveth this question God never wholly denieth his assistance to a faithfull soul though some degrees of divine help be withheld so that the soul languish in a sort and sink into a state of deadness and auâ—ness yet there is life and that both habitual and actual Gods clock never stanos there is no such deliquium gratae no such swoun of the new man in which all acts do cease though a Christian may do less yet still he doth something and though he may lose some help from God yet not all Albeit I say we did grant what is here asserted yet these actings may be so weak and faint that it will be hard to discern and put a difference between them and our natural motions they may be so cold and liveless as if no fire had come from heaven and as if the Spirit of life had never breathed upon the soul nay though something of the new life and of grace might be discerned in those actings yet we could not assent to what is said by this (e) As the Spirit worketh alwayes to the conservation of spiritual life So it worketh ever to the growth of graces A Christian is over growing yea then when he seemeth to himself and others to stand at a stay yea to decline he groweth alway really though nor apparently nor equally idid pag. 26. Author concerning the constant growth of grace unless by growth he understand no other thing but the bringing forth and bearing some fruit though nâ—ver so small and little but this cannot be the importance of the word while we are exhorted to grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 And thus a man may be said to grow while he is lying on his death bed and while he is in the most languishing condition for even then he can elicit some vital acts and bring forth some fâ—uits of life and yet it would be thought a strange paradox to affirm that such were in a (f) And the instance of plants under the nipping blasts of the winter when the fruit and leaves fall off brought by that Author overturneth his conclusion for though then there be a tendency to growth yet there is no acttual growing but a dâ—cay growing condition there is no proper growth but when the habit fountain and principle doth receive an addition and increase But 4. what ever be said as to a total cessation from all acts of spiritual life and to an universal withdrawing of all assisting grace though a Saint under the most dreadfull storms and while he is at his lowest were never such an empty vine as to bring forth no fruit and though at no time he were so far deserted as to have all measure of assistance for every spiritual duty withheld yet there may be a total suspension of influence and assistance in reference to some particular performance and that it may be
renew our resolutions to hold our heart fixed at the duty to be active and serious in the work and to guard against all diversions and impertinent thoughts whensoever we shall draw nigh to God there is never any (a) Albeit some natural and involuntary defects may stiâ—l remain during this state of weakness and impotency voluntary omission of or defect in duty but there must be some fault and deficiency in our resolution for if the wilâ— and resolution were absolute and peremptory al the rest of the faculties would be in readiness to obey and to follow the pursuit to the utmost of their power But an unresolved and wavering minded man must be unstedfast in all his waies Jam. 1.8 And here I may appeal to thine own experience O dejected Saint didst thou ever go to prayer with such a renewed and fresh resolution but thou fandst the fruit of it and art thou not now convinced of thy negligence for drawing nâ—gh to God many a time in much despondency and of thy careless yielding as it were and giving way to the tempter to steal away thy heart from the duty and though once there was some kind of resolution accompanied with a proportionable success yet now it is worn wâ—ak and feeble because thou hast not from time to time renewed it and keeped it in life O! but if thy heart were once steeled and fixed with such a serious and new resolution ye might more confidently expect the Lords help and in his name might engage yea and promise with that holy man Psa 57.7 Psa 180.1 to be serious and fervent in praying or praising of God if ye were thus awakned ye would awaken summon and arrest all that is within you to joyn in the work which after such an alarm would not readily fall asleep so soon especially when they are employed and held at work Psa 57.8 Psa 103.1 6. In the intervals of prayer which must not be long let us hearken to the exhortation 1 Pet. 1.15 Be holy in all manner of conversation if ye either sin away or suffer the world to steal away that heavenly frame of heart which now thou enjoyest when thou bringest thine offering to the altar thou wilt have fire to provide which is not at thy (b) For it must come from above call and command and therefore no wonder though thy sacrifice be cold imperfect and loathsom O! but when the heart is fitted and seasoned for the duty and when fire from heaven is kept alive ye may take the censer in your hand and go offer to God an (c) Phil 4.18 Eph. 5.2 acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice an odour of a sweet smell when the heart is spiritual and heavenly thoughts are familiar to us it will be no hard task out of that (d) Mat. 12.35 treasure to bring an offering to the Lord and for this effect I shall now only hold out these four or five words of counsel and advice which may also serve as so many directions though more remote and may be added to the former for quickning the heart in prayer and guarding against wandring thoughts 1. Then if thou wouldst not have thy heart straitned in thy addresses to God do not stint thy self to â—uch a measure of holiness in thy life and conversation he who thinks himself holy enough already is void of true holiness he who saith hither will I aim and go and no further may fear least yet he hath not advanced one step though toward yet not in the way of God this was not Pauls course he knew that he had not already attained to perfection but forgetting these things that were behind and the measure he had already won to he reached forth unto those things which were before him pressing hard toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God Phil. 3.10 11 12 13 14. And that herein he was not alone but that all the Saints did and should follow the same course he testifieth ver 15. Now this mark at which Paul did level was not that imperfect copy and half-reformation of many unsound professors but the perfect law of God when we look to those who are below us we may like the Pharisee Luk. 18.11 with a proud and unsound heart thank God that we are not as other men who yet may be nearer the kingdom of heaven then we our selves ver 14. Thus we must not look after nor mak the example of the best our rule or rest on their measure because they rested not there themselves though we could attain to it yet I deny not that good use may be made of the example of eminent Saints Hence our second direction is this Let us view and set before our eyes the zeal and unwearied diligence of eminent Saints in all ages as a motive to quicken us in our course a dull horse will mend his pace when he seeth others before him to ride quickly when Julius (e) Sueton in Jul. Ces Cesar beheld Alexanders statue and considered what notabl acts had been done by him yet a youth and in so short a time how did it affect him and quicken his diligence and (f) Plutarchi Themistocl fol. mihi 55. Miltiades his rare Trophies mad Themistocles abandon his sleep and almost forget to eat and for what was all this emulation and contention among those noble Pagans but for a poor perishing trifle and so was not worthy once to be named or compared with the magnanimous zeal and unwearied diligence of the Saints for the honour of their God the (g) 1 Pet. 1.4 incorruptible crown of glory and the undefiled inheritance reserved in heaven for them And shall not their example stir us up and quicken us in our course especially since their faith zeal patience activity and diligence is recorded in the Scriptures for our imitation thus the Apostle having set down a brief catalogue of some of those renowned worthies Heb. 11. he sheweth for what purpose he did so Chap. 12.1 viz. that we being compassed with such a cloud of witnesses might by their example be excited to run with the greater alacrity and cheerfulness the race that is set before us hence also Pauls exhortation to follow him as he did a more noble copy 1 Cor. 11.1 and to people to follow their teachers in the Lord Heb. 13.7 and albeit every generation hath had some who have been eminent for holiness and though of late many famous Martyrs in England and elsewhere have suffered under popish persecution and cruelty yet in the first ages of the Church for ordinary albeit there was less light yet there was more heat ah now the lives of the most part are a scandal to the holy profession but then Christians were more zealous circumspect tender loving self-denied c. And how many under the first ten persecutions were glad of an opportunity to lay down their lives for Christ yea many of their own accord (h) I do not