as any in our generation as is clearly manifested by his word and his works Nevertheless when this good man this Prophet comes into God's Worship then the Lord must help or he can do nothing Lord open thou my lips and then my mouth shall shew forth thy praise He could not speak one right word except the Spirit it self gave utterance For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities But Secondly It must be a praying with the Spirit that is the effectual praying because without that as men are senceless so hypocritical cold and unseemly in their prayers and so they with their prayers are both rendred abominable to God Mat. 23. 14. Mark 12. 40. It is not the excellency of the voice nor the seeming affection and earnestness of him that prayeth that is any thing regarded of God without it Luke 18. 11 12. Isa. 58. 2 3. For man as man is so full of all manner of wickedness that as he cannot keep a word or thought so much less a piece of prayer clean and acceptable to God through Christ. And for this cause the Pharisees with their prayers were rejected No question but they were excellently able to express themselves in words and also for length of time too they were very notable but they had not the Spirit of Jesus Christ to help them and therefore they did what they did with their infirmities or weaknesses only and so fell short of a sincere sensible affectionate pouring out of their souls to God through the strength of the Spirit That is the prayer that goeth to Heaven that is sent thither in the strength of the Spirit For Thirdly Nothing but the Spirit can shew a man clearly his misery by nature and so put a man into a posture of prayer Talk is but talk as we use to say and so it is but mouth-worship if there be not a sence of misery and that effectually too O the cursed hypocrisie that is in most hearts and that accompanieth many thousands of praying men that would be so looked upon in this day and all for want of a sence of their misery But now the Spirit that will sweetly shew the soul its misery where it is and what is like to become of it also the intolerableness of that condition For it is the Spirit that doth effectually convince of sin and misery without the Lord Jesus John 16. 7 8 9. and so puts the soul into a sweet serious sensible affectionate way of praying to God according to his Word Fourthly If men did see their sins yet without the help of the Spirit they would not pray For they would run away from God with Cain and Judas and utterly despair of mercy were it not for the Spirit When a man is indeed sensible of his sin and God's curse then it is an hard thing to perswade him to pray For saith his heart There is no hope It is in vain to seek God Jer. 2. 25. Jer. 18. 12. I am so vile so wretched and so cursed a creature that I shall never be regarded Now here comes the Spirit and stayeth the soul helpeth it to hold up its face to God by letting into the heart some small sence of mercy to encourage it to go to God and hence it is called the Comforter John 14. 26. Fifthly It must be in or with the Spirit For without that no man can know how he should come to God the right way Men may easily say they come to God in his Son but it is the hardest thing of a thousand to come to God aright and in his own way without the Spirit It is the Spirit that searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. It is the Spirit that must shew us the way of coming to God and also what there is in God that makes him desireable I beseech thee saith Moses shew me thy way that I may know thee Exod. 33. 13. And Joh. 16. 14. He shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you Sixthly Because without the Spirit though a man did see his misery and also the way to come to God yet he would never be able to claim a share in either God Christ or Mercy with Gods approbation O how great a task is it for a poor soul that comes sensible of sin and the wrath of God to say in Faith but this one word Father I tell you how ever hypocrites think yet the Christian that is so indeed finds all the difficulty in this very thing it cannot say God is its Father Oh! saith he I dare not call him Father and hence it is that the Spirit must be sent into the hearts of Gods people for this very thing to cry Father Gal. 4. 6. it being too great a work for any man to do knowingly and believingly without it When I say knowingly I mean knowing what it is to be a Child of God and to be born again And when I say believingly I mean for the soul to believe and that from good experience that the work of Grace is wrought in him this is the right calling of God Father and not as many do to say in a babling way the Lords Prayer so called by heart as it lyeth in the words of the Book No here is the life of Prayer when in or with the Spirit a man being made sensible of sin and how to come to the Lord for mercy he comes I say in the strength of the Spirit and cryeth Father ☞ That one word spoken in Faith is better than a thousand prayers as men call them written and read in a formal cold luke-warm way Oh how far short are those people of being sensible of this who count it enough to teach themselves and children to say the Lords Prayer the Creed with other sayings when as Gods knows they are senceless of themselves their misery or what it is to be brought to God through Christ Ah poor souls study your misery and cry to God to shew you your confused blindness and ignorance before you be to rife in calling God your Father or learning your children either so to say And know that to say God is your Father in a way of prayer or conference without an experiment of the work of grace on your souls it is to say you are Jews and are not and so to lie You say Our Father God saith you blaspheme You say you are Jews that is true Christians God saith you lie Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lie And I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Rev. 3. 9. Rev. 2. 9. And so much the greater the sin is by how much the more the sinner boasts it with a pretended sanctity as the Jews did to Christ in John 8. 41 to 45. which made Christ even in
it as such neither did they admonish others so to do Search all their Epistles Yet surely they both for knowledge to discern and faithfulness to practise were as eminent as any He ever since in the World which would impose it But in a word Christ by those words Our Father c. doth instruct his People what Rules they should observe in their Prayers to God 1. That they should pray in Faith 2. To God in the Heavens 3. For such things as are according to his Will c. Pray thus or after this manner Object 4. But Christ bids Pray for the Spirit This implieth that men without the Spirit may notwithstanding pray and be heard See Luke 11. 9 10 11 12 13. Answ. 1. The speech of Christ there is directed to his own vers 1. 2. Christ his telling of them that God would give his holy Spirit to them that ask him is to be understood of giving more of the holy Spirit For still they are the Disciples spoken to which had a measure of the Spirit already for he saith When ye pray say Our Father ver 2. I say unto you vers 8. And I say unto you vers 9. If ye then being evil know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Christians ought to pray for the Spirit that is for more of it though God hath endued them with it already Quest. Then would you have none pray but those that know they are the Disciples of Christ Answ. Yes 1. Let every soul that would be saved pour out it self to God although it cannot through temptation conclude it self a Child of God And 2. I know if the Grace of God be in thee it will be as natural to thee to groan out thy condition as it is for a sucking Childe to cry for the breast Prayer is one of the first things that discovereth a man to be a Christian Acts 9. 12. But yet if it be right it is such Prayer as followeth First To desire God in Christ for Himself for his Holiness Love Wisdom and Glory For right Prayer as it runs onely to God through Christ so it centers in him and in him alone Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none in Earth that I desire long for or seek after besides thee Psal. 73. 25. Secondly That the soul might enjoy continual Communion with him both here and hereafter I shall be satisfied when I awake with thine Image or in thy likeness Psal. 17. 15. For in thee we groan earnestly c. 2 Cor. 5. 2. Thirdly Right Prayer is accompanied with a continual labour after that which is prayed for My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning Psal. 130. 6. I will arise now and seek him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 2. For mark I beseech you there is two things that provoke to Prayer One is a detestation to sin and the things of this life The other is a longing desire after Communion with God in an holy and undefiled state and inheritance Compare but this one thing with most of the Prayers that are made by men and you shall finde them but mock-prayers and the breathings of an abominable spirit for even the most of men either not pray at all or else only endeavour to mock God and the world by so doing for do but compare their prayer and the course of their lives together and you may easily see that the thing included in their prayer is the least looked after by their lives Oh sad Hypocrites Thus have I briefly shewed you 1. VVhat Prayer is 2. What it is to pray with the Spirit 3. VVhat it is to pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding also I shall now speak a word or two of Application and so conclude with 1. A word of Information 2. A word of Encouragement 3. A word of Rebuke USE I. A Word of Information For the first to inform you That as Prayer is the duty of every one of the Children of God and carried on by the Spirit of Christ in the soul So every one that doth but offer to take upon him to pray to the Lord had need be very wary and go about that work especially with the Dread of God as well as with hopes of the Mercy of God through Jesus Christ. Prayer is an Ordinance of God in which a man draws very near to God and therefore it calleth for so much the more of the assistance of the Grace of God to help a soul to pray as becomes one that is in the presence of him It is a shame for a man to behave himself irreverently before a King but a sin to do so before God And a a King if wise is not pleased with an Oration made up with unseemly words and gestures So God takes no pleasure in the sacrifice of fools Eccles. 5. 1 4. It is not long discourses nor eloquent tongues that are the things which are pleasing in the ears of the Lord but a humble broken and contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. Isa. 57. 15. that is sweet in the nostrils of the heavenly Majesty Therefore for information know that there are these Five Things that are obstructions to Prayer and even make void the requests of the creature First When men regard iniquity in their hearts at the time of their Prayers before God If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer Psal. 66. 18. For the preventing of temptation that by the misunderstanding of this may seize thy heart when there is a secret love to that very thing which thou with thy dissembling lips dost ask for strength against For this is the wickedness of man's heart that it will even love and hold fast that which with the mouth it prayeth against and of this sort are they that honour God with their mouth but their heart is far from him Ezek. 33. 31. O how ugly would it be in our eyes if we should see a beggar ask an alms with intention to throw it to the dogs Or that should say with one breath Pray you bestow this upon me and with the next I beseech you give it me not And yet thus it is with these kind of persons with their mouth they say Thy Will be done and with their hearts nothing less With their mouth say Hallowed be thy Name and with their hearts and lives they delight to dishonour him all the day long These be the prayers that become sin Psal. 109. 7. and though they put them up often yet the Lord will never answer them 2 Sam. 22. 42. Secondly When men pray for a shew to be heard and thought some body in Religion and the like These prayers also fall far short of God's approbation and are never like to be answered in reference unto eternal life There are two sorts of men that pray to this end 1. Your
sweet sence of mercy received encouraging comforting strengthening enlivening enlightening mercy c. Thus David pours out his soul to bless and praise and admire the great God for his loving kindness to such poor vile wretches Psal. 103. 1 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases and crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies who redeemeth thy life from destruction who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed as the Eagles And thus is the Prayer of Saints sometimes turned into praise and thanksgiving and yet are Prayers still This is a Mystery God's people pray with their praises as it is written Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer with supplication and thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty Prayer in the sight of God it prevails with him unspeakably 3dly In Prayer there is sometimes in the soul a sence of Mercy to be received This again sets the soul all on a flame Thou O Lord God saith David 2 Sam. 7. 27. hast revealed unto thy Servant saying I will build thee an house therefore hath thy Servant found in his heart to pray unto thee This provoked Jacob David Daniel with others even a sence of Mercies to be received as you may see Gen. 32. 9 10 11 12. Dan. 9. 2 3 4. which caused them not by fits and starts nor yet in a foolish frothy way to babble over a few words written in a paper but mightily fervently and continually to groan out their conditions before the Lord as being sensible sensible I say of their wants their misery and the willingness of God to shew mercy A good sence of sin and the wrath of God with some encouragement from God to come unto him is a better Common Prayer-Book than that which is taken out of the Papistical Mass-Book being the Scraps and Fragments of the devices of some Popes some Friars and I wot not what 3. Prayer is a sincere sensible and an affectionate pouring out of the soul to God O the heat strength life vigor and affection that is in right Prayer As the heart panteth after the Water-brooks so longeth my soul after thee O God Psal. 42. 1. I have longed for thy Precepts I have longed after thy Salvation Psal. 119. 40. My soul longeth yea fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Psal. 84. 2. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgements at all times Psal. 119. 20. Mark ye here My soul longeth it longeth it longeth c. Oh what affection is here discovered in Prayer The like you have in Daniel Dan. 9. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thy Names sake O my God Every syllable carrieth a mighty vehemency in it This is called the fervent or the working Prayer by James Jam. 5. And so again Luke 22. 44. And being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly or had his affections more and more drawn out after God for his helping hand Oh how wide are the most of men with their Prayers from this Prayer that is Prayer in God's account Alas the greatest part of men make no conscience at all of the duty and as for them that do it is to be feared that many of them are very great strangers to a sencere sensible and affectionate pouring out their hearts or souls to God but even content themselves with a little lip-labour bodily exercise mumbling over a few imaginary Prayers When the Affections are indeed engaged in Prayer then then the whole man is engaged and that in such sort that the soul will spend it self to nothing as it were rather than it will go without that good desired even communion and solace with Christ. And hence it is that the Saints have spent their strengths and lost their lives rather than go without the blessing Psal. 69. 3. Psal. 38. 9 10. Gen. 32. 24 25 26. All this is too too evident by the ignorance prophaness and spirit of envy that reigns in the hearts of those men that are so hot for the Forms and not the Power of prayer Scarce one of forty among them know what it is to be born again to have communion with the Father through the Son to feel the power of Grace sanctifying their hearts but for all their prayers they still live cursed drunken whorish and abominable Lives full of Malice Envy Deceit Persecuting of the dear Children of God Oh what a dreadful after-clap is coming upon them which all their hypocritical assembling themselves together with all their prayers shall never be able to help them against or shelter them from Again It is a pouring out of the Heart or Soul There is in Prayer an unbosoming of a man's self an opening of the Heart to God an affectionate pouring out of the Soul in requests sighs and groans All my desires are before thee saith David Psal. 38. 9. my groanings are not hid from thee And again My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God When shall I come and appear before God When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me Psal. 42. 2 3. Mark I pour out my Soul It is an Expression signifying that in Prayer there goeth the very life and whole strength to God As in another place Psal. 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your hearts before him This is the Prayer to which the Promise is made for the delivering of a poor Creature out of captivity and thraldom If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thou shalt find him if thou seekest him with all thy heart and with all thy soul Deut. 4. 29. Again It is a pouring out of the heart or soul to God This sheweth also the Excellency of the Spirit of prayer it is the great God to which it retires When shall I come and appear before God And it argueth that the Soul that thus prayeth indeed sees an emptiness in all things under heaven That in God alone there is rest and satisfaction for the Soul Now she that is a Widow and desolate trusteth in God 1 Tim. 5. 5. So saith David In thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be put to confusion deliver me in thy Righteousness and cause me to escape incline thine ear to me and save me be thou my strong habitation whereunto I may continually resort For thou art my rock and my fortress deliver me O God out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man For thou art my hope O Lord my God thou art my trust from my mouth Many in a wording way speak of God but right Prayer makes God
plain terms to tell them their doom for all their hypocritical pretences And yet forsooth every cursed whoremaster thief and drunkard swearer and perjured person they that have not only been such in times past but are even so still these I say by some must be counted the only honest men and all because with their blasphemous throats and hypocritical hearts they will come to Church and say Our Father Nay further these men though every time they say to God our Father do most abominably blaspheme yet they must be compelled thus to do And because others that are of more sober Principles scruple the truth of such vain Traditions therefore they must be looked upon to be the only Enemies of God and the Nation Isa. 53. 10. when as it is their own cursed Superstition that doth set the great God against them and cause him to count them for his enemies And yet just like to Bonner that blood-red Persecutor they commend I say these wretches although never so vile if they close in with their Traditions to be good Church-men the honest subjects while God's People are as it hath alwayes been Ezra 4. 12 to 16. looked upon to be a turbulent seditious and factious people Therefore give me leave a little to reason with thee thou poor blind ignorant Sot It may be thy great prayer is to say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Dost thou know the meaning of the very first words of this Prayer Canst thou indeed with the rest of the Saints cry Our Father Art thou truly born again hast thou received the Spirit of Adoption dost thou see thy self in Christ and canst thou come to God as a Member of him Or art thou ignorant of these things and yet darest say Our Father Is not the Devil thy Father John 8. 44. and dost thou not do the deeds of the flesh and yet darest thou say to God Our Father Nay art thou not a desperate Persecutor of the Children of God hast thou not cursed them in thy heart many a time And yet dost thou out of thy blasphemous throat suffer these words to come even Our Father He is their Father whom thou hatest and persecutest But as the Devil presented himself amongst the Sons or God Job 1. when they were to present themselves before the Father even our Father so is it now because the Saints are commanded to say Our Father therefore all the blind ignorant rabble in the world they must also use the same words Our Father Secondly And dost thou indeed say Hallowed be thy Name with thy heart Dost thou study by all honest and lawful wayes to advance the Name Holiness and Majesty of God Doth thy heart and conversation agree with this passage Dost thou strive to imitate Christ in all the works of Righteousness which God doth command of thee and prompt thee forwards to It is so if thou beest one that canst truly with God's allowance cry Our Father Or is it not the least of thy thoughts all the day and dost thou not clearly make it appear that thou art a cursed Hypocrite by condemning that with thy daily practice which thou pretendest in thy praying with thy dissembling tongue Thirdly Wouldest thou have the Kingdom of God come indeed and also his Will to be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Nay notwithstanding thou according to the form sayest Thy Kingdom come yet would it not make thee ready to run mad to hear the Trumpet sound to see the Dead arise and thy self just now to go and appear before God to reckon for all the deeds thou hast done in the Body Nay are not the very thoughts of it altogether displeasing to thee And if God's VVill should be done on Earth as it is in Heaven must it not be thy ruine There is never a Rebel in Heaven against God and if he should so deal on Earth must he not whirle thee down to Hell And so of the rest of the Petitions Ah! how sadly would even those men look and with what terror would they walk up and down the world if they did but know the lying and blaspheming that proceedeth out of their mouth even in their most pretended sanctity The Lord awaken you and learn your poor souls in all humility to take heed that you be not rash and unadvised with your heart and much more with your mouth when you appear before God as the wise man saith Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing especially to call God Father without some blessed experience when thou comest before God But I pass this Seventhly It must be a praying with the Spirit if it be accepted because there is nothing but the Spirit can lift up the soul or heart to God in Prayer The preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord Prov. 16. 1. That is In every work for God and especially in Prayer if the heart run with the tongue it must be prepared by the Spirit of God Indeed the tongue is very apt of it self to run without either Fear or VVisdom But when it is the answer of the heart and that such an heart as is prepared by the Spirit of God then it speaketh so as God commands and doth desire They are mighty words of David where he saith That he lifteth his heart and his soul to God Psal. 25. 1. It is a great work for any man without the strength of the Spirit and therefore I conceive that this is one of the great reasons why the Spirit of God is called a Spirit of Supplication Zech. 12. 11. because it is that which helpeth the heart when it supplicates indeed to do it And therefore saith Paul Ephes. 6. 18. Praying with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit And so in my Text I will pray with the Spirit Prayer without the heart be in it is like a sound without life and a heart without it be lifted up of the Spirit will never pray to God Eighthly As the heart must be lifted up by the Spirit if it pray aright so also it must be held up by the Spirit when it is up if it continue to pray aright I do not know what or how it is with others hearts whether they be lifted up by the Spirit of God and so continued or no But this I am sure of First That it is impossible that all the Prayer-Books that men have made in the world should lift up or prepare the heart that is the work of the great God himself And in the Second place I am sure that they are as far from keeping it up when it is up And indeed here is the life of Prayer to have the heart kept with God in the duty Exod. 17. 12. It was a great matter for Moses to keep his hands lifted up to God in Prayer but how much more then to keep the heart in it The want
art the Lord my God Surely after I was turned I repented and after I was instructed or had a right understanding of my self I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth These be Ephraim's complaints and bemoanings of himself at which the Lord breaks forth into these heart-melting expressions saying Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Chlld For since I spake unto him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Thus you see that as it is required to pray with the Spirit so it is to pray with the Understanding also And to illustrate what hath been spoken by a similitude Set the case there should come two a begging to your door the one is a poor lame wounded and almost starved creature the other is a healthful lusty person These two use the same words in their begging the one saith he is almost starved so doth the other but yet the man that is indeed the poor lame or maimed person he speaks with more sence feeling and understanding of the misery that is mentioned in their begging than the other can do and it is discovered more by his affectionate speaking his bemoaning himself His pain and poverty makes him speak more in a spirit of lamentation than the other and he shall be pittied sooner than the other by all those that have the least dram of natural affection or pitty Just thus it is with God There are some who out of custome and formality go and pray there are others who go in the bitterness of their spirit The one he prayes out of bare notion and naked knowledge the other hath his words forced from him by the anguish of his soul. Surely that is the man that God will look at even him that is of a humble and contrite spirit and that trembleth at his word Isa. 66. 2. Sixthly An Understanding well enlightened is of admirable use also both as to the matter and manner of Prayer He that hath his understanding well exercised to discern between good and evil and in it placed a sence either of the misery of man or the mercy of God that soul hath no need of the Writings of other men to teach him by Forms of Prayer For as he that feels the pain needs not to be learned to cry Oh! Even so he that hath his Understanding opened by the Spirit needs not so to be taught of other mens prayers as that he cannot pray without them the present sence feeling and pressure that lyeth upon his spirit provokes him to groan out his requests unto the Lord. When David had the pains of hell catching hold on him and the sorrows of hell compassing him about he needed not a Bishop in a Surplice to learn him to say O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul Psal. 116. 3 4. Or to look into a Book to teach him in a Form to pour out his heart before God It is the nature of the heart of sick men in their pain and sickness to vent it self for ease by dolorous groans and complaints to them that stand by Thus it was with David in Psal. 38. to the 12. vers And thus Blessed be the Lord it is with them that are indued with the Grace of God Seventhly It is necessary that there be an enlightened Understanding to the end that the soul be kept in a continuation of the duty of Prayer The People of God are not ignorant how many wiles tricks and temptations the Devil hath to make a poor soul who is truly willing to have the Lord Jesus Christ and that upon Christ's terms too I say to tempt that soul to be weary of seeking the face of God and to think that God is not willing to have mercy on such a one as him I saith Satan thou mayest pray indeed but thou shalt not prevail Thou seest thine heart is hard cold dull and dead thou dost not pray with the Spirit thou dost not pray in good earnest thy thoughts are running after other things when thou pretendest to pray to God Away hypocrite go no further it is but in vain to strive any longer Here now if the soul be not well informed in its understanding it will presently cry out The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Isa. 45. 27. Whereas the soul rightly informed and enlightned saith Well I will seek the Lord and wait I will not leave off though the Lord keep silence and speak not one word of comfort Isa. 49. 14. He loved Jacob dearly and yet he made him wrestle before he had the blessing Gen. 32. 25 26 27. Seeming delayes in God are no tokens of his displeasure he may hide his face from his dearest Saints Isa. 8. 17. He loves to keep his People praying and to find them ever knocking at the gate of Heaven It may be sayes the soul the Lord tries me or he loves to hear me groan out my condition before him The woman of Canaan would not take seeming denyals for real ones she knew the Lord was gracious Luke 18. 1 to 6. And the Lord will avenge his People though he bear long with them The Lord hath waited longer upon me than I have waited on him And thus it was with David I waited patiently saith he That is It was long before the Lord answered me though at the last he enclined his ear unto me and heard my cry Psal. 40. 1. And the most excellent remedy for this is an understanding well informed and enlightened Alas how many poor souls are there in the world that truly fear the Lord who because they are not well informed in their understanding are oft ready to give up all for lost upon almost every trick and temptation of Satan The Lord pitty them and help them to pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding also Much of mine own experience could I here discover when I have been in my fits of agonies of spirit I have been strongly perswaded to leave off and to seek the Lord no longer but being made to understand what great sinners the Lord hath had mercy upon and how large his Promises were still to sinners and that it was not the whole but the sick not the righteous but the sinner not the full but the empty that he extended his Grace and Mercy unto This made me through the assistance of his holy Spirit to cleave to him to hang upon him and yet to cry though for the present he made no answer and the Lord help all his poor tempted and afflicted People to do the like and to continue though it be long according to the saying of the Prophet Hab. 2. 3. And to help them to that end to pray not by the inventions of men and their stinted Forms but with the Spirit and with the Understanding also And now to answer a Query or two and
Christ which is sprinkled upon the Mercy-seat stops the course of Justice and opens a flood-gate for the mercy of the Lord to be extended unto thee Thou hast therefore as aforesaid boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus that hath made a new and living way for thee thou shalt not dye Heb. 10. 19 20. Besides Jesus is there not only to sprinkle the Mercy-seat with his blood but he speaks and his blood speaks he hath audience and his blood hath audience Insomuch that God saith when he doth but see the blood he will pass over you and the plague shall not be upon you c. Exod. 12. 13. I shall not detain you any longer Be sober and humble Go to the Father in the name of the Son and tell him your case in the assistance of the Spirit and you will then feel the benefit of praying with the Spirit and with Understanding also USE III. A Word of reproof This speaks sadly to you who never pray at all I will pray saith the Apostle and so saith the heart of them that are Christians Thou then art not a Christian that art not a praying person The promise is That every one that is righteous shall pray Psal. 32. 6. Thou then art a wicked wretch that prayest not Jacob got the name of Israel by wrestling with God Gen. 32. And all his Children bare that name with him Gal. 6. But the People that forget prayer that call not on the name of the Lord they have prayer made for them but it is such as this Pour out thy fury upon the heathen O Lord and upon the people that call not upon thy name Jer. 10. 25. How likest thou this O thou that art so far off from pouring out thine heart before God that thou goest to bed like a dog and risest like an hog or a sot and forgettest to call upon God What wilt thou do when thou shalt be damned in Hell because thou couldst not find in thine heart to ask for Heaven Who will grieve for thy sorrow that didst not count mercy worth asking for I tell thee the ravens the dogs c. shall rise up in judgement against thee for they will according to their kind make signs and a noise for something to refresh them when they want it but thou hast not the heart to ask for Heaven though thou must eternally perish in Hell if thou hast it not 2. This rebukes you that make it your business to slight mock at and undervalue the Spirit and praying by that What will you do when God shall come to reckon for these things You count it high Treason to speak but a word against the King Nay you tremble at the thoughts of it and yet in the mean time you will blaspheme the Spirit of the Lord. Is God indeed to be dallied with and will the end be pleasant unto you Did God send his holy Spirit into the hearts of his People to that end that you should taunt at it is this to serve God And doth this demonstrate the Reformation of your Church Nay is it not the mark of implacable Reprobates O fearful can you not be content to be damned for your sins against the Law but you must sin against the Holy Ghost Must the holy harmless and undefiled Spirit of Grace the nature of God the promise of Christ the comforter of his Children that without which no man can do any service acceptable to the Father Must this I say be the burthen of your Song to taunt deride and mock at If God sent Corah and his company headlong to hell for speaking against Moses and Aaron Numb 16. do you that mock at the Spirit of Christ think to escape unpunished Heb. 10. 29. Did you never reade what God did to Ananias and Saphira for telling but one lye against it Acts 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Also to Simon Magus for but undervaluing of it Acts 8. 18 19 20 21. And will thy sin be a virtue or go unrewarded with vengeance that makest it thy business to rage against and oppose its Office Service and Help that it giveth unto the Children of God It is a fearful thing to do despite unto the Spirit of Grace compare Mat. 12. 31. with Mark 3. 30. 3. As this is the doom of those who do openly blaspheme the holy Ghost in a way of disdain and reproach to its office and service So also it is sad for you who resist this Spirit of Prayer by a Form of man's inventing A very juggle of the Devil that the Traditions of men should be of better esteem and more to be owned than the Spirit of Prayer What is this less than that accursed Abomination of Jeroboam which kept many from going to Jerusalem the place and way of God's Appointment to worship 1 Kings 12. 26 c. And by that means brought such displeasure from God upon them as to this day is not appeased One would think that God's Judgements of old upon the Hypocrites of that day should make them that have heard of such things take heed and fear to do so Yet the Doctors of our day are so far from taking of warning by the punishment of others that they do most desperately rush into the same transgression viz. To set up an Institution of man neither commanded nor commended of God and whosoever will not obey herein they must be driven either out of the Land or the World Hath God required these things at you hands If he hath shew us where If not as I am sure he hath not Then what cursed presumption is it in any Pope Bishop or other to command that in the Worship of God which he hath not required Nay further It is not that part only of the Form which is several Texts of Scripture that we are commanded to say but even all must be confessed as the Divine Worship of God notwithstanding those absurdities contained therein which because they are at large discovered by others I omit the rehearsal of them Again Though a man be willing to live never so peaceably yet because he cannot for Conscience sake own that for one of the most eminent parts of God's Worship which he never commanded therefore must that man be looked upon as factious seditious erroneous heretical a disparagement to the Church a seducer of the people and what not Lord what will be the fruit of these things when for the Doctrine of God there is imposed that is more than taught the Traditions of men Thus is the Spirit of Prayer disowned and the Form imposed the Spirit debased and the Form extolled they that pray with the Spirit though never so humble and holy counted Phanaticks and they that pray with the Form though with that only counted the Vertuous And how will the favourites of such a practice answer that Scripture which commandeth that the Church should turn away from such as have a Form of Goaliness but deny the Power thereof 2 Tim. 3. 5. And if I should say That men that do these things aforesaid do advance a Form of Prayer of other mens making above the Spirit of Prayer it would not take long time to prove it For he that advanceth the Book of Common-Prayer above the Spirit of Prayer he doth advance a Form of mens making above it But this do all those who banish or desire to banish them that pray with the Spirit of Prayer while they hug and imbrace them that pray by that Form onely and that because they do it Therefore they love and advance the Form of their own or others inventing before the Spirit of Prayer which is God's special and gracious Appointment If you desire the clearing of the Minor look into the Goals in England and into the Alehouses of the same and I believe you will find those that plead for the Spirit of Prayer in the Goal and them that look after the Form of mens Inventions only in the Alehouse It is evident also by the silencing of God's dear Ministers though never so powerfully enabled by the Spirit of Prayer if they in conscience cannot admit of that Form of Common-Prayer If this be not an exalting the Common-Prayer-Book above either praying by the Spirit or preaching the Word I have taken my mark amiss It is not pleasant for me to dwell on this the Lord in mercy turn the hearts of the people to seek more after the Spirit of Prayer and in the strength of that to pour out their souls before the Lord. Only let me say It is a sad sign that that which is one of the most eminent parts of the pretended Worship of God is Antichristian when it hath nothing but Tradition of men and the strength of Persecution to uphold or plead for it The Conclusion I shall conclude this Discourse with this Word of Advice to all Gods People I. BElieve that as sure as you are in the Way of God you must meet with Temptations II. The first day therefore that thou dost enter into Christ his Congregation look for them III. When they do come beg of God to carry thee through them IV. Be jealous of thine own heart that it deceive thee not in thy Evidences for Heaven nor in thy walking with God in this world V. Take heed of the flatteries of false Brethren VI. Keep in the Life and Power of Truth VII Look most at the things which are not seen VIII Take heed of little sins IX Keep the Promise warm upon thy heart X. Renew thy acts of Faith in the Blood of Christ. XI Consider the Work of thy Generation XII Count to run with the foremost therein Grace be with thee THE END * See Mr. Fox his citation of the Mass in the last Volumn of the Book of Martyrs * See Mr. Fox's Acts and Monuments Volumn 2.
his hope stay and all Right Prayer sees nothing substantial worth the looking after but God And that as I said before it doth in a sincere sensible and affectionate way Again It is a sincere sensible affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God through Christ. This through Christ must needs be added or else it is to be questioned whether it be Prayer though in appearance it be never so eminent or eloquent Christ is the way through whom the Soul hath admittance to God John 14. 6. and without whom it is impossible that so much as one desire should come into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath If you ask any thing in my Name whatsoever you ask the Father in my Name I will do it Joh. 14. 13 14. This was Daniels way in praying for the People of God he did it in the Name of Christ Now therefore O our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake Dan. 9. 17. And so David for thy Names sake that is for thy Christs sake pardon mine iniquity for it is great Psal. 25. 11. But now it is not every one that maketh mention of Christ's Name in prayer that doth indeed and in truth effectually pray to God in the Name of Christ or through him This coming to God through Christ is the hardest part that is found in Prayer A man may more easily be sensible of his works I and sincerely too desire mercy and yet not be able to come to God by Christ. That man that comes to God by Christ he must first have the knowledge of him For he that comes to God must believe that he is Heb. 11. 6. And so he that comes to God through Christ must be enabled to know Christ. Lord saith Moses Exod. 33. 11. shew me thy Way that I may know thee This Christ none but the Father can reveale Mat. 11. 27. Mat. 16. 16. And to come through Christ is for the soul to be enabledoâ— God to shroud it self under the shadow of the Lord Jesus as a man shroudeth himself under a thing for safeguard Hence it is that David so often terms Christ his shield buckler tower fortress rock of defence c. Psal. 18. 2. Psal. 27. 1. Psal. 28. 1. not only because by him he overcame his enemies but because through him he found favour with God the Father And so he saith to Abraham Gen. 15. 1. Fear not I am thy shield c. The man then that comes to God through Christ must have faith by which he puts on Christ and in him appears before God Now he that hath Faith is born of God John 3. 5. 7. born again and so become one of the Sons of God John 1. 12. by virtue of which he is joyned to Christ and made a member of him Ephes. 5. 30. And therefore Secondly He as a member of Christ comes to God I say as a member of him so that God looks on that man as part of Christ part of his Body flesh and bones united to him by election conversion illumination the Spirit being conveyed into the heart of that poor man by God so that now he comes to God in Christ's merits in his blood righteousness victory intercession and so stands before him being accepted in his beloved Ephes. 1. 6. And because this poor creature is thus a member of the Lord Jesus and under this consideration hath admittance to come to God therefore by vertue of this union also is the holy Sprit conveyed into him whereby he is able to pour out himself to wit his soul before God with his audience And this leads me to the next or fourth particular 4. Prayer is a sincere sensible affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God through Christ by the strength or assistance of the Spirit For these things do so depend one upon another that it is impossible that it should be Prayer without there be a joynt concurrence of them for though it be never so famous yet without these things it is only such Prayer as is rejected of God For without a sincere sensible affectionate pouring out of the heart to God it is but lip-labour and if it be not through Christ it falleth far short of ever sounding well in the ears of God So also if it be not in the strength and assistance of the Spirit it is but like the Sons of Aaron offering with strange fire Levit. 10. 1 2. But I shall speak more to this under the second head and therefore in the mean time That which is not petitioned through the teaching and assistance of the Spirit it is not possible that it should be according to the will of God Rom. 8. 26 27. But to proceed 5. Prayer is a sincere sensible affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God through Christ in the strength and assistance of the Spirit for such things as God hath promised c. Mat. 6. 6 7 8. Prayer it is when it is within the compass of God's word and it is blasphemy or at best vain babling when the Petition is beside the Book David therefore still in his prayer kept his eye on the Word of God My soul saith he cleaveth to the dust quicken me according to thy word Psal. 119. 25 28. And again Psal. 119. 41 42 58 65 74 81 82 107 147 154 169 170. My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen me according to thy Word And Remember thy word unto thy servant on which thou hast caused me to hope And indeed the holy Ghost doth not immediately quicken and stir up the heart of the Christian without but by with and through the word by bringing that to the heart and by opening of that whereby the man is provoked to go to the Lord and to tell him how it is with him and also to argue and supplicate according to the Word Thus it was with Daniel that mighty Prophet of the Lord. He understanding by Books that the Captivity of the Children of Israel was hard at an end Then according unto that word he maketh his prayer to God I Daniel saith he Dan. 9. 2 3. understood by Books viz. the Writings of Jeremiah the number of the years whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem And I set my face to the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes So that I say as the Spirit is the helper and the governour of the Soul when it prayeth according to the Will of God so it guideth by and according to the Word of God and his Promise Hence it is that our Lord Jesus Christ himself did make a stop although his Life lay at stake for it I could now pray to my Father he should give me more than twelve legions of Angels but how then
must the Scripture be fulfilled that thus it must be Mat. 26. 53 54. As who should say were there but a word for it in the Scripture I should soon be out of the hands of mine enemies I should be helpt by Angels but the Scripture will not warrant this kind of praying for that saith otherwise It is a praying then according to the word promise The Spirit by the Word must direct as well in the manner as in the matter of Prayer I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Understanding also But there is no understanding without the Word For if they reject the Word of the Lord what wisdom is in them Jer. 8. 9. 6. For the good of the Church This clause reacheth in whatsoever tendeth either to the honour of God Christ's advancement or his Peoples benefit For God and Christ and his People are so linked together that if the Good of one be prayed for to wit the Church the glory of God and advancement of Christ must needs be included For as Christ is in the Father so the Saints are in Christ John 17. 23. And he that toucheth the Saints toucheth the Apple of God's Eye Deut. 32. 10. Psal. 17. 8. Zach. 2. 8. And therefore pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and you pray for all that is required of you Psal. 122. 6. Psal. 51. 8. Isa. 62. 6 7. For Jerusalem will never be in perfect peace until she be in Heaven and there is nothing that Christ doth more desire than to have her there That also is the place that God through Christ hath given to her He then that prayeth for the peace and good of Sion or the Church doth ask that in prayer which Christ hath purchased with his Blood and also that which the Father hath given to him as the price thereof Now he that prayeth for this must pray for abundance of Grace for the Church for help against all its temptations that God would let nothing be too hard for it and that all things might work together for its good that God would keep them blameless and harmless the Sons of God to his glory in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation And this is the substance of Christ's own Prayer in the seventeenth of John And all Paul's Prayers did run that way as one of his Prayers do eminently shew in Ephes. 1. 16 to the 21. and Chap. 3. ver 14 to the 19th with Col. 1. 9 10 11 12 13. And Phil. 1. 9 10 11. he saith And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and in all judgement that ye may approve things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God But a short Prayer you see and yet full of good desires for the Church from the beginning to the end That it may stand and go on and that in the most excellent frame of spirit even without blame sincere and without offence until the day of Christ let its temptations or persecutions be what they will And because as I said Prayer doth submit to the will of God and say Thy Will be done as Christ hath taught us Matth. 6. 10. therefore the People of the Lord in humility are to lay themselves and their prayers and all that they have at the foot of their God to be disposed of by him as he in his heavenly wisdom seeth best Yet not doubting but God will answer the desire of his People that way that shall be most for their advantage and his glory When the Saints therefore do pray with submission to the Will of God it doth not argue that they are to doubt or question Gods love and kindness to them But because they at all times are not so wise but that sometimes Satan may get that advantage of them as to tempt them to pray for that which if they had it would neither prove to God's glory nor his Peoples good 1 John 5. 14 15. Yet this is the confidence we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us And if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the Petition that we ask of him that is we asking in the Spirit of grace and supplication For as I said before that Petition that is not put up in and through the Spirit it is not to be answered because it is beside the Will of God For the Spirit only knoweth that and so consequently knoweth how to pray according to that Will of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. But more of this hereafter Thus you see first what Prayer is Now to proceed II. I will pray with the Spirit Now to pray with the Spirit for that 's the praying man and none else so as to be accepted of God It is for a man as aforesaid sincerely and sensibly with affection to come to God through Christ c. which sincere sensible and affectionate coming must be by the working of God's Spirit There is no man nor Church in the world that can come to God in Prayer but by the assistance of the holy Spirit For Eph. 2. 18. through Christ we all have access by one Spirit unto the Father Wherefore Paul saith We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God And because there is in this Scripture so full a discovery of the Spirit of Prayer and of mans inability to pray without it therefore I shall in a few words comment upon it Rom. 15. 16. For we Consider first the person speaking even Paul and in his person all the Apostles We Apostles we extraordinary Officers the wise Master-builders that have some of us been caught up into Paradise 1 Cor. 3. 10. 2 Cor. 12. 4. We know not what we should pray for Surely there is no man but will confess that Paul and his Companions were as able to have done any work for God as any Pope or proud Prelate in the Church of Rome and could as well have made a Common-Prayer-Book as those who at first composed this as being not a whit behind them either in grace or gifts For we know not what we should pray for We know not the Matter of the things for which we should pray neither the Object to whom we pray nor the Medium by or through whom we pray none of these things know we but by the help and assistance of the Spirit Mat.
he standeth at a poor Joshua's hand to resist him Isa. 66. 5. Zech. 3. 1. that is to perswade him that neither his person nor performances are accepted of God Take heed therefore of such false conclusions and groundless discouragements And though such perswasions do come in upon thy spirit be so far from being discouraged by them that thou use them to put thee upon further sincerity and restlesness of spirit in thy approaching to God Secondly As such sudden temptations should not stop thee from Prayer and pouring out thy soul to God so neither should thine own hearts corruption hinder thee It may be thou mayest find in thee all those things before-mentioned and that they will be endeavouring to put forth themselves in thy praying to him thy business then is to judge them to pray against them and to lay thy self so much the more at the foot of God in a sence of thy own viseness and rather make an argument from thy vileness and corruption of heart to plead with God for justifying and sanctifying grace than an argument of discouragement and dispair David went this way O Lord saith he pardon mine iniquity for it is great Psal. 25. USE II. A Word of Encouragement Secondly To speak a word by way of Encouragement to the poor tempted and cast-down soul to pray to God through Christ. Though all Prayer that is accepted of God in reference to eternal life must be in the Spirit for that onely maketh intercession for us according to the Will of God Rom. 8. 27. Yet because many poor souls may have the holy Spirit working on them and stirring of them to groan unto the Lord for mercy though through unbelief they do not nor for the present cannot believe that they are the People of God such as he delights in yet forasmuch as the truth of Grace may be in them therefore I shall to encourage them lay down further these few particulars 1. That Scripture in Luke 11. 8. is very encouraging to any poor soul that doth hunger after Christ Jesus In the 5th 6th and 7th verses he speaketh a parable of a man that went to his friend to borrow three loaves who because he was in bed denied him yet for his importunity-sake he did arise and give him clearly signifying that though poor souls through the weakness of their faith cannot see that they are the friends of God yet they should never leave asking seeking and knocking at God's door for mercy Mat. 7. 7 8. Mark saith Christ I say unto you Although he will not arise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity or restless desires he will arise and give him as many as he needeth Poor heart thou cryest out that God will not regard thee thou dosnot find that thou art a friend to him but rather an enemy in thine heart by wicked works Col. 1. 21. and thou ar◠as though thou didst hear the Lord saying to thee Trouble me not I cannot give unto thee as he in the parable Yet I say continue knocking crying moaning and bewailing thy self I tell thee though he will not arise and give thee because thou art his friend yet because of thy importunity he will arise and give thee as many as thou needest The same in effect you have discovered Luke 18. in the parable of the unjust Judge and the poor Widow her importunity prevailed with him And verily mine own experience tells me that there is nothing that doth more prevail with God than importunity Is it not so with you in respect of your beggars that come to your door though you have no heart to give them any thing at their first asking yet if they follow you bemoaning themselves and will take no nay without an alms you will give them for their continual begging overcometh you Are there bowels in you that are wicked and will they be wrought upon by an importuning beggar Go thou and do the like Luke 11. 11. It is a prevailing motive and that by good experience He will arise and give thee as many as thou needest 2. Another Encouragement for a poor trembling convinced soul is To consider the place throne or seat on which the great God hath placed himself to hear the petitions and prayers of poor creatures and that is a Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. The Mercy-Seat Exod. 25. 22. Which signifieth that in the dayes of the Gospel God hath taken up his Seat his abiding-place in mercy and forgiveness and from thence he doth intend to hear the sinner and to commune with him as he saith Exod. 25. 22. speaking before of the Mercy-Seat And there will I meet with thee Mark It is upon the Mercy-Seat There will I meet with thee and there will I commune with thee from above the Mercy-seat Poor souls they are very apt to entertain strange thoughts of God and his carriage towards them and suddenly to conclude that God will have no regard unto them when yet he is upon the Mercy-Seat and hath taken up his place on purpose there to the end he may hear and regard the prayers of poor creatures If he had said I will commune with thee from my Throne of Judgement then indeed you might have trembled and fled from the face of the great and glorious Majesty But when he saith he will hear and commune with souls upon the Throne of Grace or from the Mercy-Seat this should encourage thee and cause thee to hope nay to come boldly to the Throne of Grace that thou mayest obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. 3. There is yet another Encouragement to continue in Prayer with God and that is this As there is a Mercy-Seat from whence God is willing to commune with poor sinners so there is also by this Mercy-seat Jesus Christ who continually besprinkleth it with his blood Hence it is called The Blood of sprinkling Heb. 12. 14. When the High Priest under the Law was to go into the Holiest where the Mercy-seat was he might not go in without blood Heb. 9. 7. Qu. Why so Answ. Because though God was upon the Mercy-Seat yet he was perfectly just as well as merciful The Blood was to stop Justice from running out upon the persons concerned in the Intercession of the High Priest as in Levit. 16. 13 14 15 16. To signifie that all thine unworthiness that thou fearest should not hinder thee from coming to God in Christ for mercy ☞ Thou cryest out that thou art vile and therefore God will not regard thy Prayers 'T is true if thou delight in thy vileness and come to God out of a meer pretence But if from a sence of thy vileness thou dost pour out thy heart to God desiring to be saved from the guilt and cleansed from the filth with all thy heart fear not thy vileness will not cause the Lord to stop his ear from hearing of thee The value of the blood of