hast principalities and powers to wrestle with though thou be justified through faith in his blood his ransom and intercession make hell to rage the (m) Math. 12.29 strong man must be disquieted when he seeth his house spoiled and the captive set at liberty he will pursue but he shall not overtake he shall not be able to bring back though he may vex and molest the prisoner And our blessed Lord shall bruise him under thy feet shortly Rom. 16.20 And in the mean time all the calumnies and reproaches all the lybells and challenges which this (n) Rev. 12.10 accuser of the brethren can bring against thee shall be cast over the bar he hath no moyen at court he will get no hearing and therefore the Apostle had reason to break out in that triumphing exultation and say who either in hell or earth for in heaven there is none shall lay any thing to the charge of justified sinners who is the devil or man dar challenge them Is not Christ at the right hand of God appearing there for us to go betwixt us and all the accusations can be brought against us If any can object against the worth of his blood the sufficiency of the pryce he hath payed and the grounds of his intercession let him speak but otherwise the sinner is secure Rom. 8.3 34. 1 John 2.1 Oh! but you will say I know it is so of a truth devils and men cannot wrong me but can I not wrong my selfe may I not through my folly ask a serpent in stead of a fish nay and take it into my bosome till it sting me to death Ans Thy Advocat will not undertake a wrong cause he will not wrong thee though thou wouldest wrong thy self he will appear for thee and against thy foolish suit and he will say Lord pity that poor deluded creature for whom I have shed my blood (o) Ps 140 8. grant not his foolâ—sh desire further not his wicked device against himself but though he hath askt a (p) Luk. 11.11 scorpion let him have an egge And the (q) Mat. â— 11 father will say let it be so let him have a corrosive as most profitable rather then a cordiall to feed his disease let him him have a bitter potion for his health will the great Physitian say rather then that delicious cup of poyson which he desires he will give what is good but he will suffer no evil to touch him Ps 84.11 Ps 121.7 And if at any time for thy tryall he suffer thee to fall he will raise thee up again thou shalt not for ever be left in the snare thou canst not (r) Ps 37 2â— utterly perish none is able neither Sathan nor thy lusts to pluck the out of Christs hands and he will not quite his grips for one that is weaker then himself he will never part with thee Joh. 10.28 But you will yet say O! but as we are thus ready to mistake so also to forget or not mind our condition our wants and necessities and we are exposed to so many tryalls temptations and hazards that we cannot foresee them Ans But yet our Redeemer and Head discerns them all alar off he did forsee Peters fall and prayed for his recovery and thus provided a remedy before the patient knew of his disease Luk. 22.31 32. He will not wait till we imploy him he will do as our need requireth though we be not sensible and do not know what we stand in need of O! but you will reply if I did stand in need of some few things only this were some door of hope but my wants are so many that I cannot expect a supply of them all What shall I have so many helps and so much provision for my journey shall Manna daily be rained down on my tent while I am in this wildernesse and the immortall crown of glory put on my head so soon as I enter into the promised land If I were a Moses Daniel or Job it were not so much but how can I believe that such a vile and wretched sinner as I shall be thus dealt with Ans O! but behold thy Advocat with a pryce in his hand to lay out for all thy debts and to purchase all thy mercies if the cry of his blood do not outcry thy sins if his merits be not greater then the mercies thou desirest thou mayest fear but since his treasures can never be exhausted since they are indeed such as the Sparish ambassadour alluding to the golden mines in Jndia said his Masters were without a bottome O then let your joy be full the father will look over all thy imperfections and blemishes all thy sins and provocations though never so great and many and he will look to him who stands at his right hand who hath made a mends for all the wrongs thou hast done and who is the (Å¿) 1 Joh. 2.2 propitiation for all thy sins and he will say I pity this ungrate wretch I freely pardon all his offences for thy sake since he hath come unto thee and given thee his employment since he hath intrusted his cause to thee it shall not miscarry I can deny thee nothing let him have his desire ask what he will he shall have it Mat. 7.7 c. And our blessed Advocat will turn to thee and say I have dispatched your businesse ask and spare not and whatsoever ye shall ask be it never so great if good for you I will give you my word which is surer then all the bonds ye can imagine ye shall receive it that your joy may be full Joh. 16.23 24. Joh. 14.13 14. c. Oh! will you ponder these strong supports of faith these sure grounds of consolation and ye who did never yet fully believe nor could be comforted by that great word of (t) Though it be set down by way of narration promise Rom. 8.28 I did indeed will you say think that God did bestow many good things on his honest servants here and that all should be well with them hereafter but that all things all the crosses and losses all the tryalls and various dispensations of providence that befall them here in their pilgrimage should contribute and work together for their good I never could be perswaded to believe I did not imagine that such a thing was possible especially since sense and reason and the daily complaints of the Saints did step in as so many evidences and witnesses to depone that it was not so O! ye jealous and suspicious ones ye who walk too much by sense and are so (n) Luk. 24.25 slow of heart to believe this word of truth O! thou who dost not prize thy priviledge and art not thankfull for thy mercies which thou wilt not know or acknowledge remember who Christ is and what he is to thee what he hath done and suffered for thee and what now is his work and businesse what desires he (x) See
circumstances and thus those sins that are most grievous hell-like and conscience-wasting must especially provoke the Lord and mainly obstruct the acceptance and audience of prayer yet I know no sin that doth not deserve and may not procure this sad judgment But we would here take notice of the Gospel-condescension to the weakness and infirmity of the Saints for though the Law still abideth in force not only as a rule and as to its direction but also as a command and in reference to its obligation so that the least breach of the law doth no less now then while man continued in innocency and was able perfectly to fulfill and obey it deserve the curse and make us liable to the wrath of God Gal. 3.10 yet as to the acceptance of the person and performances there is a sweet mitigation in the new covenant that covenant of grace made with sinners in a Mediator and the tenor of the Gospel runneth thus If thou shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Psa 130.3 4. when we have respect to all he commandments though we do not exactly fulfill them we shall not be ashamed Psal 119.6 When in sincerity we apply our selves to obey God in all things and fulfill his will our kind Master will pardon and pass over our infirmities what the Apostle saith concerning our particular duty viz. giving of almes upon the same ground will hold in every case and may be lookt upon as a general rule whereby we may judge concerning the acceptance of all our duties and service viz. When there is a willing mind and a performance out of that which we have or according to our power and ability it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to that a man hath not 2 Cor. 8.11 12. The Lord doth not exact impossibilities of his (a) The wicked who are yet under the covenant of works though they be not yet solvendo as having through their own fault spent that stock wherewith their master intrusted them yet are still liable to the law and are obliged to answer according to their intromission people he will not deal with them in justice but having accepted a ransom and satisfaction from their Cautioner and being through him reconciled with them he will as a loving Father accept their honest endeavours pity their weakness and pardon and cover their infirmities and thus sins of weakness humane frailty and daily incursion will not marre not hinder the acceptance and success of our prayers but sins of wilfulness and stubbornness and of continued and countenanced laziness and negligence will be as a thick (b) Lament 3.44 cloud through which our prayers will not be able to pierce such sins have a voice and they will out-cry our prayers and in stead of the desired mercy will bring down the deserved judgment when we sin willingly deliberatly and presumptuously when sin lodgeth in the heart and is welcomed or as the Psalmist speaketh is regarded there the Lord will not hear our prayers whatever the sin be whether in it self greater or less though there be no little sin every sin being committed against the great God it may provoke the Lord to hide himself from our prayers the Scriptures hold out many instances and brand a multitude of sins with this wofull effect which are at some length set down by Mr. Gee in the fore-mentioned (c) Mr. Gee treat of prayer and divine providence chap. 4. sect 5. Treatise lately and seasonably published to give some clearing to this material and grave case concerning prayer-obstruction And since its certain 1. that every sin regarded in the heart deserveth and may procure this sad stroke and since 2. its as uncertain what is the particular sin which now and then doth provoke the Lord to hide his face neither see I any reason why we should as to the procuring and meritorious cause put a difference between this and other judgments and therefore the best resolution of this quaeree as it relateth to those personal prayers put up for our selves though Mr. Gee especially propoundeth the case as relating to publick prayers put up for the Church and people of God must be brought from within let us then examine our own hearts and wayes impartially and seek light from heaven and thus we may discover and find out the accursed thing for what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 And not only is this the best course for finding out the ground of the Lords controversie against every man in particular but also for knowing and removing the cause why he contendeth with a Church or Nation for albeit there may be publick common and scandalous sins which should be publickly acknowledged and repented of yet that is not sufficient but every one must descend to his own heart and ponder his own wayes and forsake the evil of his doings and here there will be found a great variety and almost as many different causes as persons yea and sometimes it may fall out that the sole ground of the present controversie against a people may be some secret gross sin committed by one or some few among them as Josh 7.11.12 And albeit then Joshua and the Elders of Israel could not tell why the Lords anger was kindled against that people yet Achan might easily have found out the cause he knew that he had taken and where he had laid the Babylonish garment and wedge of gold But though we need not come to particulars yet in the general it would be observed that prayer-obstruction may be procured either by sin in praying or in him who prayeth as for the 1. viz. sins in or about prayer it self let us reflect on the qualifications and requisits of prayer held forth Part 2. and from thence judge of the defects of prayer and thus it will appear that those prayers do carry in their bosom an evidence and witness against themselves and a counter-pleader in which or with which is 1. pride and self-worth 2. hypocrisie and unsoundness 3. formality and lip-devotion 4. anger malice and envy 5. unbelief and distrust 6. base carnal and selfish ends c. 2. As for the other rank of sins which have not such a dependence upon nor connexion with prayer and yet may hinder and obstruct its acceptance and success these are of such a general latitude and extent that we know no sin that needs be excluded and excepted and so we need name none only let us especially guard against such sins as are most gross crying conscience-wasting and defiling which have most of the will and of deliberation in them and in which is engraven the deepest impression of ingratitude and rebellion and where such sins are given way to there must either be a total abstinence and cessation from prayer or else but a superficial dead and formal way
fore-tell the inevitable destruction of those wretches but also represent it in a prayer to God for the greater terror and conviction of those who should read their own names in that dreadfull imprecation But such as will not now cry to the (g) Deut 32.15 2 Sam. 22.47 c. rock of salvation and (h) Is 55.6 seek his face while he may be found shall ere it be long cry to the mountains and rocks to destroy them fall on them and hide them from his face Rev. 6.16 Now he lovingly inviteth you to draw nigh to him and offers you the help of his Spirit and ye will not come but nill ye will ye in that day of his wrath when ye shall not be (i) Rev. 6. â—7 able to stand before him ye shall be brought before his Tribunal to be judged 2 Cor. 5.10 such as in their life derided holiness and said it was in vain to call upon God will then say in vain with the foolish Virgins Mat. 25.11 Lord Lord open to us O! if thou wouldst know in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace before they be hid from thine eyes Luk. 19.42 Sect. 2. Objections answered and this Queree considered whether prayer may be said to move him with * Jam. 1.17 whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning Dan. 9.2 3. I Daniel understood the number of the years that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem and I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications c. Jon. 3.8 9 10. Let man and beast be covered with sackcloath and cry mightily unto God And God saw their works and repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not THere be scarce any material question and case handled in this Treatise from whence we could not gather some one or moe objections which might be here propounded as Obj. 1 1. Obj. I cannot pray I know not what to ask as I ought Ans See where our strength lyeth Ans and from whence help may be brought Part 1. chap. 9. Obj. 2 2 Obj. But I am dull and indisposed and am not in a fit condition and frame of spirit to speak with God Ans Ans How thou mayest maintain and recover a praying disposition see Part 3. chap. 2. Obj. 3 3 Obj. O! but the mercies I stand in need of are great and second causes are far off and I see litle probability of success Ans See supports for strengthening thy faith Ans Part 2. chap. 2. sect 2. and Part 1. from Christs intercession ch â— sect 1. and from Christs death chap. 8. Obj. 4 4 Obj. Ah! but I fear lest I be an enemy and the Lord prove a consuming fire if I should draw nigh to him and were it not better to stay away then to cast my self in the fire Ans Whatever be thy fear yet thou must draw nigh to him or perish if thou wilt come in sincerity Ans there is hope but otherwise he will come against thee to tear thee in peeces See thy duty vindicated obstructions removed and encouragements held forth Part. 1. chap 5. sect 3. Obj. 5 5 Obj. O! but I fear lest the day of grace and the acceptable time be past and that it were in vain for me now to seek the Lord. Ans Ye have this case discussed and this plea removed here Ans chap. 2. sect 2. Obj. 6 6 Obj. But I cannot call God Father nor follow that copy Christ hath set down and according to which every supplicant must frame his prayers Mat. 6.9 Luk. 11.2 Ans Either thou art a child of light walking in darkness Ans and thy case is propounded Part 3. chap. 1. sect 1. page 560. or thou art yet in the bond of iniquity but wouldst fain shake off those grievous fetters and then I have spoken to thy case Part 1. chap. 5. sect 3. And now let me only tell thee though God be not yet thy Father reapse à parte rei thou not being as yet begotten born and regenerated by his Spirit yet he is thy Father voto ac desiderio fortassè etiam decreto ac aeterna electione as to the longing and desire of thy heart and perhaps as to his secret purpose and decree otherwise if thou dost not so much as desire to have such a Father and to stand under the sweet relation of an obedient son thou hast no (a) Act. 8.21 part nor lot in this mater what hast thou to do to take his Covenant in thy mouth or to lay hold on any federal relation to him Ps 50.16 But if thou wish and desire if that be the one thing thou wouldst ask if thou wert put in Solomons case 1 King 2.5 whâ—t mayest thou not thus call him thy Father thou hast a sâ—rt of claim by this thy desire unto that high relation which the Lord will never challenge nor upbraid thee for laying hold on it unless thou forfeit that plea by (b) 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. returning with the dog to thy vomit for sincere wâ—shes and (c) Mat. 5 6. desires pass as current money in the Kingdom of Heaven But not to insist on particulars which might here be multiplyed if that labour had not been prevented by handling them in their proper places neither could they have been there omitted without much confusion and deficiency and many needless repetitions here There is one objection which like (d) 1 Sam. 10.23 7 Obj. Saul among the people is by head and shoulders higher then all the rest and it is this many have what their (e) Job 21.7.14 15. Ps 73.7 qfq Ps 44 22. qgq 1 Cor. 4.13 hearts can desire and more who yet make no conscience to call upon God but cast off fear and restrain prayer before him and on the other hand the Saints for the most part are f killed all the day long and are counted as sheep for the slaughter and are g made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things they ask but receive not they seek but find not they knock but it is not opened unto them what then doth prayer avail and what truth is there in the many promises that are made to it Ans This is that mountain which blind Atheists cannot look over Ans this is the stumbling block on which they fall and cannot rise again and which often hath proven a sore temptation tryal and exercise to the Saints therefore we spak to it at so great length here chap. 1. where we shew 1. that prayer could not want an answer 2. that no good thing was with-held from honest supplicants and 3. that no good thing was enjoyed but by prayer and that the mercies of prayerless souls were cursed and all the crosses of the godly were blessed c. We come now to the objections that
part of his worship to all things under the Sun and with Job esteem the words of Gods mouth more then our necessary food not only more then our aboundance and superfluities but more then our necessary food without which we cannot live and subsist Job 23.12 Concl. 8. Albeit all spiritual mercies must thus have the precedency and the least measure of grace should be preferred to the greatest worldly excellency yet while we compare spirituals with spirituals these which are most absolutely and universally necessary to our spiritual life and being which may be called the vitals of Christianity and such are all graces as to their nature and existence whatever may be said of moral and acquired vertues yet certainly all spiritual and infused vertues are inseparably (k) 1 Joh. 3.9 Eph. 4.24 2 Cor. 5.17 c. grace is as it were the soul of the new man instanti infunditur it comes at once and animates the whole conjoyned are more earnestly and peremptorily to be desired and prayed for and the degree and gradâ—al perfection of grace being variable and not the same in every one but differently dispenced to some in greater to others in a lesse measure according to the good pleasure and appointment of God we may not be so absolute and peremptory in carving to our selves and appointing our own stature as knowing that all the trees in Gods Orchard are not tal Cedars and that in Gods family there are babes as well as strong men and that these tender plants and babes shall ere it be long come unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 And if we will ponder the promises which are the rule and ground of prayer we will find that as there is a difference both amongst temporals and spirituals some temporals being more necessary then others and some spirituals more necessary then others so the promises accordingly do hold out after a diffâ—rent maner both spirituals and temporals and that they do more absolutely and peremptorily engage for and secure us of these thinga that are most necessary for us and so we may and should more confidently and (l) In what sense we may be said to pray absolutely for spiritual things See Concl. 10. and in what cases properly Concl. 11. absolutely pray for such things as are most necessary and usefull For the promises having for their end and object our good and what may contribute for our everlasting happiness the more necessary any thing is for obtaining that great end and for maintaining this bodily life during the time our master hath appointed us to work in his vineyard it must be the more infallibly and peremptorily held forth in the promise The (m) Finis dat mensuram ordinem mâ—diis in omnibus appetibil bus agibilibus inquit Thom mensura est finis idâ—o quae sunt ad finem habent modum ex eo quod sunt fini proportionata Thom. 2 2. quaest 27. art 6. in corp end being the measure and prescribing the order that is amongst the means Thus far in the general we may safely go but when we descend unto particulars we will find more difficulty and to make way for the following Assertions we will first enquire in what sense the promises for spiritual things that are indispensibly necessary to salvation may be called absolute Ans Certainly not as if they concerned and did belong â—o all and every one without exception but because they are irrespective not supposing any condition and qualification in the subject for obtaining what they hold forth Though then they be thus absolute yet they are not universal though nothing in us doth make the difference or can be alledged as a limitation yet the Lord out of his good pleasure hath made a difference between sinners and having elected some unto eternal life to them he maketh an effectual offer of salvation and preventeth them with his free promises Hâ—s election then is the only ground of discrimination Hence we mâ—y argue thus if these promises that are called absolute did belong to all then all would be converted and saved since they do not suppose any condition on our part to their performance there can be no reason given why they should be accomplished in some and not in others if they did belong to all It s true we know not till the event shew to whom they belong and to whom not and therefore we must not exclude our selves especially since they are large enough and will be found to exclude none to whom the offer of the Gospel is made who do not reject that offer and wilfully exclude themselves the Lords discriminating love of election and fore-knowledge doth not hinder the sinner from laying hold on eternal life but the sinner with his own hands doth plait the snare wherein he is (n) Ps 7.15 and 9.15.16 Prov. 5.22 catched and held fast there is none in hell to day that can challenge the general invitation and offâ—r made in the Gospel to all to come and whosoever will to take of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Isa 55.1 2. c. Neither shall they be able to fetch an excuse from the promise because it was intended to some only it being indefinitly proposed and no restraint laid on thee that thou mightest not lay hold on it thus the Lord not exprâ—ssing any man by name condition or qualification and yet excluding none promiseth To write his laws in our hearts and in the inward parts to put a new spirit within us to take away the stony heart and give a heart of flesh to heal our backslidings and be mercifull to our unrighteousness to love us freely and become our God and that we shall be his people and that he will cause us walk in his statutes and put his fear in our hearts that we shall never depart from him c. Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 20. Ezek. 36.26 27 Heb. 8.10 11 12. Jer. 32.40 Hos 14.4 c. These and the like are called promises of grace not supposing any condition on our part previous to their accomplishment and thus are distinguished from the promises made to grace which are conditional and suppose a precedent gracious qualification and fitness in the subject for receiving what they hold forth Thus a renewed pardon of sin is promised upon repentance (o) Vid. apud Gul. Tuis in Corv. defens Arm. pag 106. explicationem dicti Mat. 13.12 habenti dabitur increase of grace to him who improveth the grace he hath received comfort to mourners c. And as they and only they who have these gracious qualifications wrought in them can plead these promises so no man I will not say unlesse he knew and were certain of his election and that his name were written in the book of the Lamb that authentick register of our charter to happiness where there is no blank bond yet certainly none till he be in the state of
with the rest of the members while they suffer and seekest not after a remedy it s a token thou art a rotten and dead member which must be cut off O! but Christ the head continually prayeth for all the members of his body and wilt thou not joyn with him hell and the world are enraged against them they have but few friends and shall these prove unfaithfull and not help them by their prayers whom otherwise they cannot profit wilt thou prove like Pharouh's butler whilst thou art advanced and hast moyen at court wilt thou forget the affliction of Ioseph if hitherto thou hast done so say with (b) Gen. 41.9 him I do remember my fault this day Albeit no Saint should be excluded from our prayers yet more specially we should remember the afflicted whoever be forgotten the sick child will be cared for affliction is a fit season for prayer and not only the afflicted should pray for himself but others should joyn and put up a prayer for him Iam. 5.13 14. But yet more especially we should compassionat persecuted Saints who suffer for righteousnesse sake though Moses Nehemiah Esther and Daniel might have enjoyed the pleasures which a Kings Court could furnish yet the affliction of Gods people did afflict their spirits and send them to the throne to interceed for their brethren You will perhaps say who is he that forgetteth the Saints Answ But it may be thou prayest not for them as Saints but as thy friends and neer relations if thou pray for any one as a Saint thou (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includit supponit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod enim alicuiconvenitqua tali necessario convenit omui ideoque a quatenus adomne vales consequentia vid Arist 1. Post cap. 4. must pray for all (d) Eph. 6.18 Saints self-love as it may make thee pray for thy self so also for thy relations amongst which may be many Saints but only the love of God can make the love his children as such and all that bear his image though never so mean and despicable in the eyes of the world and not able to serve or profit thee O! let us hearken to the invitation Isa 45.11 Let us ask of God concerning his sons the Lord calleth us and assureth us of successe only let us take heed that we forget none of his sons the father will not take it well that any of his children should be slighted as Joseph would not speak to his brethren till all were present so thou mayest meet with many frowns from the Almighty if thou come alone or forget any of thy brethren behind thee 6. And we shall instance no mo particulars The relation that is between Pastors and people do engage to the mutuall performance of this duty as for the Ministers of the Gospel as they are by their calling obliged so they will make conscience if of any thing to pray that the word preached by them may be accompanied with power for the conversion of the hearers that it may be received with meeknesse and reverence not as the word of man but as the word of the living God which is able to make wise the simple and to save their souls that they may not become unfruitfull hearers but doers that their fruit may be holinesse and the end everlasting life that they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Jam. 1.21 25. Rom. 6.22 Psa 19.7.2 Pet. 3.18 c. You will not deny that Ministers should pray for the people committed to their charge for whose souls they must answer in the day of accounts that they have laboured to feed them and rescue them from the snare of the devil and have watched for them and sought their good in every ordinance Heb. 13.17 2 Timoth. 2.24 25 20. But that the people should pray for their Pastor we do not too many will say see such reason or necessity nor is it very usuall Answ What dost thou talk of reason or necessity when may we argue from these if not in the present case and therefore hearken O negligent hearers who care not for your own souls but would cast all the care of them over upon the Minister to whom you deny your assistance in that work and ponder these few amongst many motives that may prevail with you to make more conscience of this so much slighted though most necessary duty 1. Thou canst nor prepare thy heart to hear the word and no wonder then though thou get no good by it if thou neglect this duty if the husbandman take pains on the ground he will not be wanting so far as his care and industry can reach to provide good seed and if thou desire and expect a blessing on the word which is the seed of immortall life as thou will labor to have thy heart which is the ground fitted and enlarged to receive so thou wilt by prayer wrestle with the Lord who is the great master and (e) Joh. 15.1 husband-man that he would enable his messengers that they may speak as the oracles of God in power and demonstration of the Spirit that a door of utterance may be opened unto them for to make known the mystery of the Gospel that they may speak boldly and may exhort and rebuke with all authoritie and may be instant in season and out of season with all long suffering and patience that they preach not themselves but Christ that they may take heed to their Ministy to fullfill it that they may be cloathed with righteousnesse being an example to the flock in word in conversation in charity in faith purity self deniall and holinesse that thus they may save themselves and those that hear them c. 1 Pet. 4 11. 1 Cor. 2.4 Col. 4.3.17 2 Tim. 2.15 Tit. 2.15 2 Tim. 4.2 2 Cor. 4.5 Psa 132.9 1 Tim. 4.12 c. if thou desire the (f) Pet 2.2 sincere milk of the word that thou may grow thereby thou wilt not forget the nurse if thou regard what seed be sown in the ground thou wilt not neglect to go to him who only can fill the hand of the sower and to say to him O! let us not have tares in stead of good seed if thou care for thy spirituall life thou wilt say O! let the stewards hands be full let him have an allowance for us that we starve not for want of the childrens bread 2. What are Ministers weak frail men subject to like passions as others are Jam. 5.17 Act. 14.15 and who is sufficient for such an high and weightie charge 2 Cor 2.16 and therefore as they have need to watch over their own hearts to take heed to ther steps and to be frequent and servent in their addresses to God so the people should wrestle together with them in their prayers to God for them Rom. 15.30 and thereby strengthen their hands against all the discouragments and difficulties they may encounter
him with his free Spirit and that he would not utterly take away his holy Spirit from him that his mouth which for want of the breathing of the spirit for a while was slopt might be opened again Psal 51.12.11.15 What we are now to say concerning the help and assistance of the Spirit may be comprehended under thâ—â—â— three â—cads 1. We will bring some reasons holding forth its â—â—â—ssâ—ty 2. We will show how and after what maner the Spirit helpeth us to pray 3. How the motion of the Spirit may be distinguished 1. From satanicall suggestions 2. from the naturall motions of our own spirit sometimes pressing and drawing us to the Throne adding a word of application but reserving severall practicall questions to the cases Part 3. As for the first The necessity of divine help and assistance may appear 1. from our ignorance 2. from our impotency and inability 3. from our unwillingnesse and aversnesse and 4. from Gods justice and holinesse which otherwise would obstruct our accesse and acceptance 1. Then we are naturally blind and ignorant we know not spirituall things those most excellent and necessary things nay they are foolishness unto us untill the Spirit discover their excellency and our misery without them 1 Cor. 2.11 12 13 14. and therefore without the light and direction of the Spirit we cannot love and desire them nor pray for them what we (c) Ignotinulla cupidâ— know not we cannot love or prize Yea as to temporalls we are ready also to mistake and to ask a (d) Mat. 7.10 serpent in stead of fish and we are ready to be too peremptory in those foolish destructive desires We know neither what nor how to ask and therefore we stand in need of the help of the Spirit that he may teach us to pray as we ought and according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. 2. As we are thus foolish and ignorant so we are weak and impotent nay dead and without strength and cannot move one step towards God without his help untill he (e) Ezek. 37.6 blow upon those dry bones and put a new principle of life into them and then draw our heavy and dull though a little quickened and enlivened hearts up to the Throne of grace Eph. 2.1 Rom. 5.6 Ioh. 6.44 we are not able and sufficient of our selves to think one good thought 2 Cor. 3 5. nor to speak a right word none can beleevingly and with affections sutable to such an object say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Cor. 12.3 such corrupt trees as we naturally are can bring forth no good fruit Mat. 7.18 unto the defiled and unbeleeving nothing is pure Tit. 1.15 his heart and conscience being polluted his best things his prayers and sacrifices are naught and loathsom they are an abomination to the Lord Pro. 21.27 and 28.9 and therefore unlesse the Almighty stretch forth his arme for our help we cannot look up to him we have no oblation which we can offer to him not a thought or word sutable to his Majesty and greatnesse and the nature of that heavenly exercise nay though we were translated from death to life yet still we labour under so much weaknesse and infirmity that we neither know nor are able to ask what or as we ought unlesse the Spirit (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a metaphore taken from him who goeth to lift a great weight which he is not able to meve from the ground and another stands over against him withwhom joyning hands they tak up the weight together see Edw. Leigh in vec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 Prayer is too great a weight for our weak armes to lift but when we are pulling and tugging to no purpose then the Spirit cometh and (g) Particula enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad nes laborantes refertur quorum tomen vis omnis ab eo spiritu proficiscitur qui sicut nos penituscollapsos erexit ita etiam erectos regit Beza in Rom. 8.26 takes up the heaviest end and also upholdeth and strengthneth our hands for lifting the lightest and thus maketh the work sweet and easy to us the Spirit helpeth saith (h) Leigh loc cit Leigh as the nurse helpeth the little child who by it self can neither stand nor walk and thus by the hands of the nurse taking it by the steeves it is inabled to go as she directeth so weak Saints c. But 3. as we are thus blind and weak so we are unwilling wicked and obstinat We have much enmity against God and aversnesse from a communion with him the carnall mind is enmity in the abstract against God and spirituall things it is not subject to his Law and Ordinances neither indeed can be Col. 1.21 Rom. 1.30 Rom. 8.7 and how shall this enmity be removed and the foolish self-destroying potshard be made be made to submit to its maker and the rebel subject to make his supplication to the King only the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us can make us yeeld and lay down our weapons and resolve to fight no more against God the Spirit of adoption of enemies can make us sons and beget filiall affections in us that we with confidence may draw nigh to God and call him Abba Father v. 9 14 15.16 Gal. 4.6 4 Our acceptance and welcom depends upon the help and concurrence of the Spirit as weare enemies to God so children of his wrath haters and hated of God wa'king contrary to him and he to us Eph. 2.3 Lev. 26.23 24.27 28. Psa 18.26 O! but the Lord knoweth the mind of the Spirit and will accept those desires that are breathed in the heart by him Rom. 8.27 The Lord knoweth not our howling and crying he regards not our tears and prayers they are an abomination to him Prov. 28.9 Though all the spirits of just men made perfect and all the Angels in heaven would joyn with us yet they could not purchase accesse to us by one Spirit saith the Apostle Eph. 2.18 we have accesse unto the Father and â—â—ere is none beside him that can obtain an entrance for us It s true Christ is the door Joh. 10.7 but the Spirit must open the door and get us accesse he must take us by the hand and bring us to the Father and put acceptable words in our mouth yea after he hath made our peace with God and breathed in us the Spirit of life yet if he do not constantly actuar and quicken that principle our prayers will want life and â—eat and can no more â—e called spiritual sacrifices then the levitical offering untill (i) Lev. 9.24 sire which was of a heavenly descent was brought from the Altar to burn it 'T is true there may be much fervency and heat there may be much fire brought from natures furnace but that common fire is strange fire though it be brought from our own châ—mney yet it is extraneous and unfit for
to affirm that allgiaces are in Christ as the subject and none in us so that Christ beleeves Christ loves c. and so they agree with familists in denying our concurrence Familists foundly dream so the work of the Spirit that it is not our work also the spirit doth not pray in us or for us but helpeth us to pray for our selves (r) Vna sub levet Beza ad juvat â—ulgata auxiliatur Erasmus una capessit Scapula in voc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partâ—cula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad nos laborantes refertur Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.26 he concurreth and addeth his assistance to our work which subjectively is terminated in us and denominats us and can we work without strength and untill first an active principle of life be breathed into us hence Interpreters by the phrase praying in the spirit Eph. 6.18 do affirm to be held forth both the spirit of him who prayeth viz. the new nature which frequently is so called in the Scripture and the Spirit of God which helpeth and assisteth us in that work But though habituall grace be thus so necessary yet it is not sufficient its true the spirit of regeneration is also the spirit of supplication therefore these two are conjoyned in the promise Zech. 12.10 A gracious soul must pray there is no blind nor dumb children in Gods family all of them as they must look up to their Father and depend on him so they must speak to him and lay out their wants and necessities before him but yet there is not such a inseparable connexion but there may be and often is a separation a gracious heart at some seasons and occasions may want the assistance of the Spirit when he would draw nigh to God so that he may pour out naturall and carnall desires yea and when as to the matter the desires are spirituall yet they may be so weak and faint so remisse and destitute of that life that attention high estimation fervency seriousness c. which the quality and worth of the object and the nature of that solemn and heavenly exercise requireth that it were a great in sign ty to the holy Ghost to fâ—ther such prayers upon him While then the pious and learned Mr. (f) Mr. Baxter mâ—th for a settled peace of conâ—cience direct 29. doubt 9. Baxter saith He â—eâ—â—â—veth there is never a prayer that ever a Beleever did 〈◊〉 up to God for things lawfull and usefull but it was put up by the help of the Spirit I would think this judicious Divine doth not speak universally of all prayers put up by Beleevers but only of all such prayers as have some life and seriousness in them some measure of attention c. which are the proper effects of the Spirits assistance and while the Lord is thus (t) Ps 145.18 called upon in truth though there be much weakness and manifold infirmities yet I grant and this may be all that this Author aimeth at that the Lord in mercy covereth and for Christs sake pardoneth these imperfections and accepteth the duty Yet there may be such carnal ends such deadness indisposition and wâ—nt of attention that the beleever after he hath done cannot give an account what he hath askt at least as to some p titions and it were very grosse to â—ffiâ—â—â— that such prayers were put up by the help of the Spirit there being nothing of that life truth and other qualifications which alwayes accompany the Spirits work and assistance And with what shame and confusion do Beleevers many a time come from the Throne while they reflect upon their work and the dishonour they have done to God for â—â—king â—iâ— name thus in vain and profaning such a solerâ—n ordinance through their negligâ—â—â—â— and giving way to carnal and distracting thoughts and such (u) An objection from that author obviated prayers cannot be said to contain good desires for where â—â—â—re is no atten iâ—â— and seriousness there no dâ—siâ—â— caâ— be kindled enlivered and sâ—â—ctâ—fiâ—d and so though 〈◊〉 â—â—re never so good â—nd â—â—â—â—ent yet the prayer mâ—st â—â—â—ght (x) Except in that sense in which Phylosophers affirm that graviâ— levia moventur à gâ—nerante Toâ—et 8. phys quaest 2. Conâ—â—br Râ—vius ibid. cap. 4. quaest 2. Suâ—â— metâ—ph dl p. â— sect 2. Sâ— much for the habituâ—◠〈…〉 is pre-suâ—â—osed 〈…〉 previous unto 〈…〉 pâ—â—â—ing 〈…〉 â—he 〈◊〉 is self and 〈…〉 upon iâ— bu◠〈…〉 â—ffâ—ct viz tha◠〈…〉 preserved by the Spâ—â—â— and whâ—ich â—â—â—â—g actuâ—â—ed by the spirit doth concur with the Spirit in all our spirituall performances 3. Then that assistance which directly and properly is held forth by the help of the Spirit must be some actual influence and work upon the soul and concurrence with it in it's actings which we may branch forth in these few particulars and speak of a four-fold act of the Spirit by way of actual assistance beside that constant and continual supply and influence whereby the new man and weak principle of life is conserved and supported against the mighty assaults of old Adam within and the strong man without 1. To actuat and exuscitat 2. To strengthen and corroborat 3. To instruct direct and regulat And 4. to encourage embolden and make us draw nigh to God with confidence 1. Then the Spirit exciteth quickneth and bloweth up the (x) Ps 3 â—â— fire though there be a principle of heat within yet the spirit must blow upon these coals and dispell the embres before they will burn the habits of grace do stand in need of quickning and stirring up otherwise they cannot act they lose their vigor and activity unless the Spirit draw us we will not run Cant. 1.4 Unless the wind blow upon our garden the spices thereof will not flow out But 2. we must not think that we stand in need of no more but of this quickning and exciting motion as if the man were strong and able enough to walk if once awakned nay unless the Spirit concur and assist unless he bring furniture and provision and put new strength in us the work will be marred though he did set uâ— upon our feet we would quickly go to the ground and fall asleep again though you would draw a paralitick man after you yet he could not follow though you did lift him up yet he would instantly fall back again unless you would add strength to his muscles and joints but I said that the Spirit must not only concur but also strengthen and corroborat the spirit must supply our weakness and inability So that here we may take notice of a twofold act 1. to concur with the new man according to the measure of its strength and activity 2. since the new creature is weak and not able to go of its self the nurse must take it by the sleeves and uphold it we have not a sufficiency in our selves for one good thought 2 Cor. 3.5 If the Lord hold
and his free grace in Christ held forth in the promises adventuring soul and a l upon it this may prove a sufficient ground of acceptable confidence and boldness which will prevail and will not be sent away from the throne of grace empty Here we may reach a word 1. to the proud Pharisee 2. to the mocking Atheist 2. to the disconsolat 4. to the enlivened and strong Saint First then from this point I may reach a rebuke to him who presuming on his parts and eloquence or with that boast ng hypocrit Luk. 18.11 on his own worth and goodness doth thiâ—k that he hath at home provision enough for the work and so mindeth nor neither seeketh help from above but dare draw nigh to God in his own strength Ah! what doth the Almighty regard the acting of parts and the moving of the tongue though with much art and elegance He knoweth the mind of the Spirit the meaning of the least sigh and groan poured out in his strength Rom. 8.27 26. but will not acknowledge or hearken to the voice of thy spirit it is too weak whatever conceit thou mayest entertain concerning its might and excellency to wrestle with and overcome the Almighty but (t) Isa 41.14 worm Jacob was strong he got power from above and in it he wrestled with God and at length prevailed and carried the day Câ—n. 32.25 he prevailed by weeping and supplication Hos 12.4 What strange weapons were these for a conquerour and durst the potsheard strive wiah his Maker the Angel of the covenant appearing in a created shape Ans Yes the Lord alloweth us to fight and wrestle with such weapons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 4.12 to strive as it were in an agony and not to faint nor give over till we get the victory Nay but we must not dare to wrestle with God but by his own strength Deus in Jacobo fuit seipso fortior God did lend Jacob more strength then he did fetch against him he did saith (u) Dicitur ergo Deus vinci a nobis quando virtute spiritus sui nos confirmat reddit in exâ—ugnabiles inâ—o facit ut trium phum agamus de tentationi bus si singula reputamus talis est tunc partitio ut Deusmajoreâ—â— partem suae virtuâ—isa parte nostra staere velit tantum sumat partem magis infirmam ad nos tentandos vel experiendos aâ—qui si Iacob suo marte pugnassâ—t non poterat ferre umbram ipsius Dei quin conciâ—eret redactus suisset in nihilum nisi opposita fuisset major virtus quam bominis hanc similitudinem inquit adducere soleo quando loquor de lucta quotidianis â—ertaminibus quibus Deus exercet pios quod pugnet nobiscum sinistra manu quod nos tueatur dextra sua c. Calvin comment in Hos 12.3 4. Calvin uphold Jacob and continually upholdeth the Saints in all their tryalls and combats with the right hand and fought against him only with the left But you will say Iacob is said by his strength to have power with God Hos 12.3 Ans There can be as (x) Nulius est melior titulus quam donationiâ—ut vulgo dicunt Deus solet in nos transferre quicq uid conâ—ulit ac si nosirum esset distinguere ergo prudenter necesse est hic inter viâ—tutem bominis quam habet aseipso id est a naâ—ura eam quam Dominus in ipsum contulit Calv. ibid. Calvin saith no better title then donation what strength the Lord out of his free mercy had bestowed on Iacob during the combat was Iacobs strength the Lord had freely given it to him and doth allow that it be called his O! but there is no prevailing over the omnipotent but by his own strength if thou draw nigh to him in thy pride thou mayest fear his hand he resisteth the proud and will not yield he is angry with them and they shall not be able to stand before him Secondly A word to the blasphemous Atheist who dare mock the Spirit of God rather then the Saints while he upbraideth them with having and being led by the Spirit and if any infirmity be espied in such that must be reckoned in the first place amongst the works of the Spirit It s true there is a generation of vile deluded sectaries who father all their wicked and enormous actings upon the holy Spirit I plead not for such monsters let them bear their own just punishment ignominy and reproach but for any upon this pretence to mock and flout humble self-denied and circumspect Christians who dare not brag of their having the Spirit but labour to maintain and prize his presence and to bring forth these fruits of the Spirit mentioned Ephes 5.9 Gal. 5.22 these mockers do evidence that they have not Spirit for if they had they durst not make a jeer of having it and if thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of his Rom. 8 9. thou art a dead man the sentence of death is already past upon thee and thou art destitute of the Spirit of life ver 13.10 and thy mocking the Saints is as if the dead could mock the living because they do live and have a principle of life I will not say with a learned (y) Mr. Baxter Divine that to mock the Spirit and to attribute his work as the Pharisees did Christs to the devil is that unpardonable sin against â—he holy Ghost but certainly it is near in kin to it and from thence our blessed Lord took occasion to speak of that sin Mat. 12.31 32. compared with ver 24. and let such mark that this unpardonable blasphemy is there called speaking against the holy Ghost O! but all those who live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 let the fruits of the Spirit appear in your conversation let your goodness righteousness and truth (x) Eph. 5 9. stop the mouth of mockers dare ye also reproach his holy name all the balsphemies of Atheists do not so much (a) Heb. 6.6 put the blessed Spirit as it were to an open shame as the miscarriages of the Saints and these often prove and are called 2 Sam. 12.14 a great occasion to the enimies of the Lord to blaspheme Thirdly Rejoyce O ye (b) Zech. 9.12 prisoners of hope cast off your fears and complaints and do not say my sins are so many my deadness and indisposition for duty so great and my spiritual enemies so strong and fierce that my hope is cut off I have no strength to wrestle with such mighty adversaries and to remove such great mountains of impediments I grant if thou wert Helpless thy condition were Hopeless but all thine enemies are not able to stop the way and to intercept thy supplie from heaven what though creature-help did fail what though those pools were dried up yet thou mightest run to the full fountain the Lord himself is thy helper his Spirit will
trades-man through neglecting his calling suffer his tools to rust he will make but bad work when he cometh to use them O! but as in other arts so also in this our heavenly trade frequency in acting diligent use and exercise begetteth both facility and delight if we were not too great strangers to a heavenly communion good thoughts and spiritual meditation would become more familiar kindly and as it were natural to us and therefore frequency in doing is not the least part of our preparation for duty to which we shall now only add the other two we promised here to speak to viz. Watchfulness and Meditation 2. Then 2. Watchfulness We must watch unto prayer Eph. 6.18 1. Our spirits are lazy and sluggish and we are very prone to fall asleep unless we watch over them and often rouse them up saying with that holy woman Judg. 5.12 awak awak 2. Our lusts are alwayes in arms and the devil watcheth for an opportunity against us and is it time for us to sleep while the enemy is standing at the gate and some of his forces already within doors We cannot step one foot but Sathan hath his train laid to blow us up the world is Sathans bird-lime to intangle us or rather gun-powder which our lusts are ready to set on fire and should not we be on our guard continually And albeit the enemies main design be to spoil the treasure and take away the jewel yet he hath a greedy eye at all that is ours therefore we had need to watch over our eyes our hands our tongue our thoughts our passions c. if any one of these be let slip within his reach he will not fail to improve the advantage and every sin as it may provoke the Lord to turn away his ear So it will indispose and turn our hearts from the duty it is of a stupifying nature it is as (e) Mr. Gura spir arm part 3. pag. 605. where ye will find this argument handled at greater length one speaketh the devils opium wherewith if be be suffered to anoint thy temples thou art in danger to fall asleep 3. we should watch and observe the many mercies we receive and our daily sins and failings our weakness and manifold wants all which may be fit materials for our prayers which being pondred and kept on record will prove a good help for the duty 4. We should watch that we may hear when we are called to come to the throne that we may observe every season and opportunity of prayer that we may hearken to the voice of Gods dispensations towards us and may welcom every messenger he sends out to invite us to come before him that whensoever he saith to us as he did to him Psa 27.8 seek ye my face our heart like his may be ready to reply thy face Lord we will seek If thus we could discerne and did carefully improve the several advantages offered unto us what maner of Christians how powerfull and mighty in prayer would we be If we were such watchmen and students in holiness as becometh the Lords supplicants and those who by profession are agents and pleaders at the bar of heaven and before the (f) Psa 47.2 great King with what diligence would we (g) Pleaders at the throne of grace would be great students that they may be able to improve the several to picks of divinity for carrying their plea and cause study our hearts and study our lives and the several stâ—ps of providence our condition exigence c. that we might know when to come and what to say while we appear before the Lord. O! if we did thus prepare and watch unto prayer with what reverence and confidence with what importunity fervency and zeal might we (h) Psa 62.8 Third branch of preparation is meditation pour out our heart before him we should not want mater nor words we might pray pertinently and seriously and far more successfully then for the most part we do 3. Meditation is a good preparation for prayer it is a token for good when we can say with David Psa 5.1 Lord hear and consider my meditation When the (i) Verbaque praevisam rem non invita sequuntur Hor. agere volentem seÌ„per meditari decet nam segniores omnes inceptis novis Meditatio si rei gerendae defuit Auson de lud 7. sapient The Hebrews do use one and the same word for signifying to meditate and to pray viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus be word Gen. 24.63 where Isaac is said to have went out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred either to pray or to meditate and it were to be wished that these two in our practice were not separated that as that word may be applyed to So what is signified by it may be found in all our prayers heart by meditation inditeth a good mater the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer Psa 45.1 Meditation will facilitat the work and direct and excite the worker it will give eyes to the blind hands to the weak and bring in provision for the empty If we were to speak to some great person especially if to a King how would we pre-medirate and ponder what we should say and how we should carry our selves in his presence and yet we will be at no pains to meet the great King it is true he will accept of the sighs and sobs of mourners though we do but (k) Isa 38.14 lament as a dove and chatcter as a swallow and crane he will pity and shew mercy but alas we basely abuse this astonishing condescension Ah! should we be negligent and irreverent because he is tender and indulgent Many complain for want of enlargment and because of deadness and coldness in prayer that wandring and impertinent thoughts break in c. but will not be at the pains to prevent these evils by watchfulness and meditation If thou wouldst set some time apart seriously to ponder and meditate what a great and dreadfull Majesty and yet how loving and mercifull thou hast to deal with that would beget both reverence and confidence if thou wouldst consider his omni-presence and omni science this would stir thee up to watchfulness it would six thy heart and prevent wandring thoughts if thou didst remember his power and omnipotence his fidelity and truth this would strengthen thy faith and expectation of success if thou wouldst consider who thou art what is thy distance as a poor creature and yet more in that thou art so great a sinner and he the just and holy Lord this would beget humility and godly fear if thou wouldst lay to heart thy several wants and what thou stands in need of for (l) 2 Pet. 1.3 life and godliness what are thy straits and dangers and what kindness the Lord hath hitherto she wed and what long-suffering and patience he hath exâ—rcised towards thee and what are the mercies which from time to time thou
dogmatical faith and know that there is a God and that he is such as he hath revealed himself in his Scriptures as to his infinite nature and the trinity of persons and those divine attributes and properties which are incommunicable to any creature that Christ is the way and the life that none can come to the Father but by him c. 2. If they believe that their labour shall not be lost he being a rewarder of all them who diligently seek him and particularly as to the present duty they know that he is a (c) Psa 65.2 prayer-hearing God albeit they cannot determine the particular mercy he will give by way of return thereto yet they know that their prayer shall not want an answer and that it is not in vain as those wicked ones did blaspheme Job 21.15 to pray unto him 3. Obj. It is a received axiom among practical Divines 3. Obj. that temporal promises are to be understood cum exceptione crucis hence Mr. (d) Mr. Spurstow Wells of Saluation ch 16. Spurstow laith down this as a rule for the right understanding of these promises that they are to be expounded with the reservation and exception of the cross and if the promises cannot with-hold the Lord from chastning the Saints with rods and afflictions how shall their e prayers be able to do it especially since prayer must be grounded on the promise Ans Albeit there be a truth in that assertion that the Lord may chasten his servants with whatsoever rod he will yet why this should be propounded as a limitation of the promise I know not and I would ask whether the Lord doth at any time afflict the Saints but for their good by this he is distinguished from earthly parents that they chasten many times out of passion and anger and without discretion after their own pleasure but he only for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.10 And if the Lord never correct us but that by that rod he may promove our spiritual good and holiness can we imagine that he will with hold any temporal mercy we ask from him which is a sort of affliction and correction yea some times very sad and bitter unless he purposed to do us more good by such a dispensation then if we had received what we desired Hence it must necessarily follow that the Lord doth never with-hold what we ask but when it is better to want then to have such a supposed mercy and therefore he must do what is best for us in such a condition and this we may believe and confidently expect in all our addresses unto him and when we get not what we askt we may be perswaded that it was not good and convenient for us at such a season that comparatively it was not good nor so fit and expedient for us as the present dispensation which therefore must not be looked upon as an exception from the promise but rather as an amplification and further extension of the promise and an object of that promise to with-hold no good from them that walk uprightly and to suffer no evil to come near them Hence the same (f) Mr. Spur. ibid pag. 232. Author acknowledgeth that the faith required Jam. 1.6 albeit it be not the faith of a particular perswasion that God will give the very thing it self that we beg of him yet it is the faith of submission by which we resolve our prayers into his will and believe that he will do whatever is best for our good and his glory And this saith he was the faith that our Lord Jesus Christ did put forth in his prayer when he said not my will but thy will be done And thus we are agreed neither do I dissent from what he subjoyneth viz that although God may sometimes assure and encline the hearts of his children that are importunat wrestlers in prayer to be confident of granting the very particular temporal blessing that they seek yet this is a confidence that is rather begotten by the Spirit in the height and vigour of prayer then brought with us unto the duty Sometimes saith he such a confidence may be but it is neither ordinary nor usual We may shut up this particular with the words of zealous Bernard Let none of the Saints saith (g) Nemo nostrum parvipendat orationem suam dico enim vobis quod ipse ad quem oramus non parvipendit eam priusquam â—gressa sit ab ore vestro ipse eam scribi jubet in libro suo unum ex duobus indubitanter sperare possumus quoniam aut dabit quod petimus aut quod nobis erit utilius nos enim quid oremus sicat oportet nescimus sed miseretur ille super ignorantia nostra orationem benigne suscipiens quod nobis aut omnino non est utile aut non tam cito dare necesse est minime tribuit tamen infructuosa non crit quoniam quidem tanta super te cura est Deo tuo ut quoties ignorans queris quod tibi inutile est non te audiat super hoc habet in med devotis cap 6. this reverend ancient undervalue his prayer for he to whom we pray doth not undervalue it before it proceed out of our mouth he causeth write it in his book and one of two we may most confidently expect that he will either give what we ask or that which will be better for us He pitieth our ignorance and will not give when it is not fit or what would not profit us yet such is his love and care that he will not suffer our prayers to return empty but when he giveth not what we out of ignorance not knowing the hurt that might come to us thereby do ask he will make a compensation and commutation and will convert it in a more profitable gift Now we come to some grounds and encouraging considerations which may support our weak faith under all the temptations and objections which Sathan and our lusts (h) Stat nulla diu mortalibus usquam Fortuna titubante fides Silius 11. L. sense and carnal reason can suggest and 1. the infinit mercy and tender bowels of our God if known and duly pondred may silence our unbelief and banish all our fears when we draw nigh to him his tender mercies are (i) Nemo est hominum vel etiam diabolorum qui dicere possit se non esse participem misericordia Dei Zanch. de natur Dei lik 4. q. 3. over all his works Ps 145.9 his mercy is great unto the heavens Ps 57.10 What is said of one stream may well be applied to the great Ocean from which it floweth as a small part what is said of the word of promise and Gods fidelity in accomplishing it Ps 138.2 may truly be said of his mercy and those bowels from which the promises did spring viz. that he hath magnified that attribute above all his name Albeit all his
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
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
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
at their warning and rebukes 1. Then as for haters of God there be but few who will acknowledge themselves to be such but let carnal men profess never so much love to God yet saith the Apostle the carnal mind and how few can purge themselves of that is enimity against God Rom. 8.7 it so much hateth God that it is as it were hatred and enimity in the abstract and if it be brought to the infallible touch stone of love to which the Scriptures so often appâ—al viz. obedience to his commandments and if we consider what conscience carnal-minded men make of their wayes the hypocrisie of their profession and empty complements will easily appear and many professors and titular Christians will be found to be in another rank and to belong to that world of whom our blessed Lord testifieth and whether shall we believe his report or their vain lying words that it hateth him Joh. 15.18 But let such haters of God and of our Lord Jesus know to their terror that their names are written in the catalogue of those who are given over to a reprobat mind Rom. 1.30.28 and though for a time visible judgments may be with-held yet ere it be long Gods right hand shall find out all those that hate him Ps 27.8 2. From the former root must spring hatred of the godly and of godliness as they who love him that begat love them also that are begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 So on the contrary such as hate the Father will not love the children and therefore haters of God must hate the godly and upon this very account because they bear his mage in their heart and express it in their life and conversation and thus as the bloody murderers at the massacre at Paris not finding the famous and learned Martyr P. Ramus to shew their malice and hatred of him pierced his picture and himself too but they knew not that he was hid behind it So the wicked not being able to find and reach the Lord they run at his Image where-ever they see it and no thanks to them that God is not behind the Picture for they would not spare nor hold their hands Hence the persecution of the Saints may well and by just interpretation be called Deicide and the Lord will one day reckon with oppressors of his people for all the wrongs and injuries done to them as if they had been immediatly done to his holy majesty according to that word Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye and Act. 9.45 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me saith the head in glory complaining of the oppression of his suffering members on earth Nay but will some say we were not worthy to live if we loved not God but for these professors they are a pack of hypocrits conceity and troublesom people and we cannot endure them Ans We deny not 1. that difference of opinion may occasion very sharp and hot debates among the Saints themselves and 2. that the godly are more affected with and displeased at the sins and failings of brethren and of such who have a name that they live then at the transgressions of the wicked because the miscarriages of the Saints do more dishonour God and wound the holy profession and put a weapon in the hands of carnal men and give them an (n) 2 Sam. 12.14 occasion to open their mouth and blaspheme but 3. that any godly man doth hate another or is grieved because he is godly is most false but let the wicked pretend what they will yet this is all their quarrel against the Saints for if they would walk loosely and run with the wicked to the same excess of riot and not (o) Heb. 11.7 condemn them by their holy conversation they could love them as well as others and delight as much in their society but because the Saints dare not thus conform therefore they hate and speak evil of them 1 Pet. 4.4 Joh. 3.19 20. Ioh. 7.7 The old (p) Gen. 3.15 enimity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent doth stir up the wicked against the Saints and though they would cloak their hatred with some fair pretence yet the Lord knoweth that such are acted by Cains principle who slew his brother because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Joh. 3.12 And whereas such will say that notwithstanding they love God let them hearken to this Apostle ch 4.20 If a man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a liar for he c. and as to the state and condition of such a one we have it described ch 2.11 and ch 3.15 He that hateth his brother is in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth that he is running to eternal destruction because that darkness hath blinded his eyes Whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life And we will find (q) It is observable that so many branches of hatred are there named and all of them held forth as so many evidences of a reprobat mind maliciousness hatred envy despight c. held forth as a character of men given over to a reprobat mind Rom. 1.28 29 30 31. As to the other two branches of this black mark viz. mocking of piety and rageing at a reproof they need not be separated for as mockers of piety and of the Saints are the worst of sinners So they are most obdured and have fortified thimselves against all arrows of reproof and therefore will be ready to reverberat and send them back against the throwers these swine will trample such pearles under their feet and turn again and rent you saith our Lord to his disciples Mat. 7.6 these are the fools that despise and refuse instruction and so despise their own soul Prov. 15.5.32 these be the scorners that will not hear a warning or rebuke Prov. 13.1 and it were better to meet a Beare robbed of her whelps then such brutish fools in their folly Prov. 17.12 And thus we may see both their sin and their punishment the Lord in his righteous judgment leaves and gives over mockers of piety and so they become incorrigible and cannot endure a reproof mocking Ishmaels must be cast out Gen. 21.9 10. such barking dogs may not enter the Kings pallace Rev. 22.15 Surely the Lord scorneth the scorners judgments are prepared for them and stripes for their back Prov. 3.34 Prov. 19 29. the scorner will be consumed and all that watch for iniquity cut off Isa 29.20 and though scoffers should call upon God in the day of their trouble yet he would laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear comes Prov. 1.22.30 26 28. Ah! remember the last and sad dittey against the ancient people of God he waited long upon them and though they were a stubborn and rebellious nation yet he stirred not up all his wrath but sent to them by his messengers rising
righteousnesse 6. His omnipotence and fidelity may allure and invite the most stubborn and unwilling to the frequent practise of this heavenly exercise he hath promised and he is able to do great things for his honest supplicants will ye so far envy your own happiness as not to become one of those all of us would be great and mighty but alas few take the right course for only the praying Christian is (k) According to Pauls prayer Col. 1.9.11 strengthned with all (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might and thus in some sense may be called Almighty all his strength is borrowed and dependent on the first fountain but thus though the world believe it not he is very strong nay saith (m) Nihil est homine orante potentius Chrysost as he is cited by the Author of a treaty of pacification pag. 57. Chrysostom there is nothing more strong and mighty then a praying soul prayer saith (n) Jenk â—n Jude 21. another hath a shadow of omnipotence in it it sets infinit power a work for fulfilling thy desires and (o) Mr. Sam. Clark in his examples pog mihi 504. reports that some Princes professed they feared more the prayers of some Saints then an army of twenty thousand men maketh the Church (p) Cant. 6.4.10 terrible as an army with banners enemies at length will be forced to put to their seal to this truth what ever success and prosperity they may meet with for a while when the day of Gods power cometh the Lord will send the rod of his strength out of Zion and will rule in the midst of his enemies Psal 110.2 3 5 6. It was said of zealous Luther potuit quicquid voluit he could do what he would but may not the same be said of every believer doth not our blessed Lord say as much while he promiseth to give to such whatsoever they shall ask in his name Joh. 14.13 14. Joh. 16.23 c. But ah who hath believed his report who maketh not God a lyar by distrusting this sure word of promise ye will not take Gods word therefore ye will not pray ye will not rest on Gods bond and therefore ye look on the promises as no great encouragments to holiness O if this one word were soundly believed though love to God or to our duty did not prevail with us yet self-love would often send us to the throne but you may as well question all the Scriptures as any one word or portion of them and this promise of audience so often repeated to cure thy unbelief must be more sure then all the bonds and evidences in the world it being easier for heaven and erath to pass then one jot or title of Gods Word to fail and not be fulfilled Luk. 16.17 Mat. 5.18 Hence Davids (q) Which some call Luthers Psalms because when he met with any trouble or difficulty he ran to it as his city of refuge and was not diseppointed confidence Ps 46. though the earth were removed c. yet he would not fear Ah! wilt thou who art called a Christian and who wouldst be reputed a believer dispute and debate question or deny any part of the holy Scriptures while the devils believe and give such a full and firm assent to every word that (r) Isa 55.11 proceedeth out of Gods mouth (Å¿) Jam. 2.19 they believe and tremble and wilt not thou believe and rejoyce believe and love and draw nigh to him in full (t) Heb 10.22 assurance of faith Alwayes ye who rest in a state of unbelief and who lodge and entertain such thoughts as ye will not be able to carry to hell with you ye who would say if ye were not ashamed to speak out your atheism and unbelief what a (u) Whether he did vent this blasphemy in his own name or expressing the thoughts of too many we need not enquire we will not undertake his vindication who speaks nothing for him self blasphemous Pamphleter once said (x) Qui petit accipiet Jacobus Apostolus inquit O si Jacobus Rex mihi dicat idem Whites Sermon on Dan. 9.25 pag. 13. O said he if I had the Kings word in stead of Gods and if King James would say what the Apostle James said and would promise to give me whatsoever I should ask I should not be such a stranger at Court as I am in the sanctuary I have I say to you O blasphemous Atheists who thus undervalue the rich promises of God and will not be at the pains to plead them at the throne of Grace a sad message from the Lord and a dreadfull prayer against you who will not pray for your selves that the Lord would pour out his fury and wrath upon you that finding the efficacy of that imprecation ye might once learn to believe that the effectual fervent (y) Jam. 5.16 prayer of the righteous availeth much the words are most terrible and O! if they were more pondered by secure Atheists we shall only offer these four or five observations which deserve our serious meditation and shall not now stay to (z) See the Preface and Part 2. Chap. 2. Sect. 2. press this exhortation further And 1. it would be considered that this dreadfull imprecation is doubled and set down in two several Scriptures by two heavenly messengers without any considerable variation either in matter or words viz. by the Psalmist whether David or Asaph its needless to enquire now Ps 79.6 and by the Prophet Jeremiah chap. 10.25 And I may say with (a) Gen. 41.32 Joseph to Pharoah concerning his dreams that this threatning is doubled because it is established by God and God will shortly bring it to pass however mockers may slight this sad doom and put it far from them 2. It would be observed that this threatning is not concerning some outward and temporal stroke and judgement but concerning the fury and indignation of him who is of (b) Job 37.22 terrible Majesty the (c) Ps 90.11 power of whose wrath cannot be known till it be felt in hell 3. That they who call not upon God are classed and put in one category with Heathens and Pagans what ever be their Church-priviledges and outward profession yet truly and in Gods esteem such Atheists are not better but rather worse then Barbarians 4. That it shall not excuse them nor guard them from the stroke of Gods fury that they are many though they be kingdoms and families though they be never so mighty and numerous the Lords (d) Ps 21.8 9 right hand shall find them out and shall make them as a fiery oven add he will swallow them up in his Wrath. 5. That this judgment is denounced prayer-wayes certainly the servants of God did not delight in their ruine whom they were obliged to (e) 1 Pet. 2.17 honour and (f) Gal. 5.4 love as men and brethren but the Lord having commanded they must obey and must not only