Humanists tell of Oryx a kind of Goat in Egypt that it is so affected with the feare of scorching heat at the rising of the dog-starre that it standeth with tears in the eies looking up to the heavens as though it seemed to deprecate the intolerable fervency thereof and to thirst with an unquenchable desire for some moisture from the heavens So the soule taken up with desire of that it prayeth for will waite for it till it hath it And this is more then an unregenerate man doth or can doe he hath not the promise which is the ground of the answer nor careth he for the best things how then can hee wait for an answer He may conceit that God wil answer him yea that hee doth answer him because hee obtaineth some earthly things but his conceit is groūdlesse for God answereth not his prayers neither will he though hee make many prayers although it please God to cast those things upon him for the further convincing and condemning of him Put thy soule therefore to it in this particular and looke on thy prayer with like or dislike according to thy looking or not looking for an answer Our comming short of this maketh us come short of our suits for our selves others wee are like the children that shoot their shafts never look after them or carelesse petitioners who never look after an answer of their petition This is one maine cause of the Lords absence from his Church and of his standing out notwithstanding our praiers in that wee have not waited still on God and importun'd him for an answer Then let us set our selves upon the wall continually to watch and wait for it and the Lord in his due time will give a gracious answer If a wearied soule object his waiting for an answer till his eyes hath failed and his heart fainted I answer if thy suit hath the promise for its ground thou shalt have it for God denieth not what he delayeth yea in this he answereth thee that he stayeth thy heart to looke for answer for therein he answereth the heart though he answereth not the hand hee knitteth thy heart unto him that it doe not depart from him But if thou hast no promise for thy particular then know that deniall is the very best answer for private blessings are every way as good as positive Thus much I hope shal serve for the particular markes of the Grones of the Spirit which in some measure are in all Gods children All these marks indeed or at the least some of them be very cōspicuous yet through disuse or neglect the characters may be mightily raced and illegible mosse-grown with the cares of this life and the remnants of carnality hypocrisy security yet they are not quite raced out so that they are not there at all but in the unregenerate they are not at all or in any measure I have beene the larger in thē because of the deceitfulnesse of the heart the neglect of triall the presumption of hypocrites and prophane men and for stirring up of Gods people to look better to it that they may not only pray in the spirit in some measure but also that they may pray in sense of the spirit which is the third Point in order to be handled 3. How the Sence of the Spirit in Prayer may bee attained BEFORE I come to open this particular it shall not be amisse to answer a question which I heard moved Whether a man without the Spirit especially understand close hypocrites may goe frequently and ordinarily to God in secret because all other objects and by-respects removed the soule commeth in a more direct aspect to talke with God For answer hereunto I must acknowledge that as the prayer of the wicked is never mentioned but with professed detestation of it so I never read of any prayer of the wicked in secret But the Pharisees the very picture of hypocrites are reproved for turning the course of secret prayer to publique ostentation It is discovered in the Scripture to be the practice of the Saints Isaac went out into the fields with deepe meditation for so the word signifieth It was Daniels ordinary practice to goe into his chamber three times a day to pray So David evening and morning and at noone will I meditate And at the sixt houre Peter went into prayer Lastly it was the frequent practice of Christ himselfe the pattern of all goodnesse yet notwithstanding all these a prophane man may stumble now and then on his knees before God as a night-walker may a dangerous way in his sleep not knowing what danger he is in yea a close hypocrite may so harden his face against the feare of Gods presence or upon some selfe-fantasticall ground of libertinisme liue in grosse sinnes one or more goe ordinarily to God in secret which the Lord in judgement doth suffer for a time that they may be hardned in sin and clothed with judgement as with a robe but failing of their ends or their ends or their sin being discovered they fall off from the practice to open Prophanesse Apostasie of profession or Terror of conscience which is the best that can befall them Now having answered this Question I come directly to the point it selfe namely The meanes of attaining the sense of the Spirit in prayer For as many think they pray yet pray not at all so many pray indeed and doe not belieue they pray As it is the highest happines of the soule to converse with God in prayer so is it the heavenliest consolation of the soule to know it selfe to bee conversant with God in prayer Now for the attainment of this thou must 1 First stir up and quicken the motion of the spirit As in nature Motion stirreth up naturall heat and naturall heat maintaineth Motion making the part moved more sensible of livelinesse and activity so the stirring up of any spirituall faculty maketh it more active agile and the activity thereof maintaines the vigor of the faculty and maketh the subject more sensible of its own activity It is directly so in prayer to this the Apostle is very pertinent Stir up the gift that is in thee The property of the word is to stir up the sparkles of fire covered as it were with ashes and by laying fuell to them to kindle them up and make them burne again So that if thou wouldst feele the heat of the spirit thou must by a devout indeavour carefull assiduity gather together the sparkles of the spirituall motions raked up in the ashes of corruption and the rubbish of carelesse neglect and by laying on the fuell of the grones of the spirit with the soft breath of the bellows of heavenly meditations thou must resuscitate and kindle up againe that spirituall fire which is like to be extinguished The neglect of this maketh want of sense and want of sense want of comfort and therefore
THE GROANES OF THE SPIRIT OR THE TRIALL of the Truth of PRAYER 1 Ioh. 3. 21. 22. Beloved if our hearts condemne us not then have we confidence towards God and whatsoever wee aske we receive of him Cor in thuribulo Oratio pura OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield are to be sold by Iohn Allen in Lecester An Dom. 1639. TO THE NOBLE AND much honoured Company of HIERVSALEM'S ARTILLERY all increase of skill Successe and Valour AS the Saints were not after the flesh so the weapons of their warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to bring downe all the strong holds and mighty imaginations of divels and men plotted cunningly against the Israelites of God yea all the forces of the flesh and the world must faint and fly upon the use of these Armes Of this compleate glorious Armature Prayer is a speciall part yea it is the very evergetical manifestatiō of the pow-of all the rest Jt putteth on all the other parts it keepeth the whole armature close to a man it sanctifieth all the rest to their several uses it guardeth all the rest of the golden furniture from theeves and robbers it daunteth the Divell and the Divels limbs it carrieth the armed Souldier through out all forces and furies as a victorious Conquerour And hence is that saying of the Ancients Supplications and Teares are the Armes of the Saints As the power and excellency of this spirituall peece is unexpressible by tongues of men or Angels so am I the least of all to be called of so high heavenly a faculty but since it hath pleased him that hath mercy on mee to teach mee the use of it though in much weaknesse and to guide mee as a weake pensill in his draught of the truth of it to whom should J then commend it both for the Touch Tuition but to the Military Forces of the new Hierusalem who are experimētally acquainted with this peece of proofe To you then my deare thrice noble Fellow-Souldiers the Trained Band of heaven the Artillery men of the most High I dedicate my selfe and this litle Treatise accompting it my only happinesse if I be but a door-keeper of the Company bear with the feeblenesse of my hands in the unsheathing of this Sword man you it with a holy and undaunted courage and it will maintain you Times call you all to the breach stand close one to another hold fast what yee have and let no man take your Crowne Lay about you with this fiery shaking blade upon all within you without you that oppose Christ his Kingdome Walk worthy of so high a gift make not this good commodity to be ill spoken of part not with your Armes and you shall overcome If these my poor pains may adde any thing to your skil the greatest recōpence I crave is to have a share in your cūning Your fellow-Souldier and Servant in love GEORGE FOXLE TO THE READER AS there was never more sleight in venting bad commodities under false glosses nor never more falsehood in counterfeiting of coine to make it goe currant then in these our daies so never more cheating tricks in the venting of shews and shapes of holy performances under the colour of true and essentiall duties in this selfe-cosening age of ours Instance in this duty of prayer under the shadowes and shew whereof the Divell masketh himself even as an Angell of light All that are of any religion wil seem to pray but a few pray indeed It is an easie thing under the meanes especially of quick wits to drawe a faire picture or dumbe shew of prayer but the Spirit only can make a living prayer As nothing is liker true friendship then flattery so nothing liker Piety then Hypocrisie nothing liker Prayer then painted words but words without quickning power of the Spirit are no prayer at all All that are of any knowledge within the pale of the Church will acknowledge the indigested prayer of the brutish ignorant to be but babling and also the prayers of such as worship a strange God or the true God after a false manner to bee but sin but that a man may have fit wordes a fluent phrase patheticall expressions yet no prayer that seemeth a Paradox but that so it may be I have shewed at large in this Treatise wherein I have endeavoured to cleare by proper and distinct notes the true Being of Prayer from all Semblances of prayer And where the comfort in prayer ariseth from the sense of the spirit in prayer I have delivered as I may the meanes of attaining the sense of the Spirit together with incouragements and motives to goe on in prayer though sense be not present And lastly I give directions how they that want the Spirit of supplication shall labour for it Though my insufficiency in every particular may appeare to an Artist in the faculty yet to Gods glory bee it spoken I have gone along by the light and feeling of some sparkles of the Spirit but with matter of much sorrow for my shallownesse in the duty Take heed then Christian Reader how thou prayest for it is Sathans main imposture to get thy heart to deceiue thee in this duty which is the lock and key of all other duties read and consider impute the failings to me and give God the Glory if any thing pleaseth Yours to use in Christ G. FOXLE THE CONTENTS of this Treatise WHat Prayer is 2 How a man may know when hee prayeth in the Spirit 3 How the sense of the Spirit in Prayer may be attained 4 How a man should hold on in the duty without the sense of the Spirit 5 How they that want the Spirit of Prayer should labour for it THE GROANES OF THE SPIRIT 1. What Prayer is AS there is no evill of sinne nor plague of punishment more feareful dangerous then the Spirit of slumber so there is no better preservation against it and medicine for the cure of it then the Spirit of Prayer The best of Gods people are taken with some dregs of this I sleepe saith the spouse but my heart waketh All had need therefore to be awaked and there is no better meanes to awake us then to hear God speaking to us and to set our selves a talking to God These be the two meanes indeed that abandon all that breake off familiarity with God and keepe and increase acquaintance with God let that counsell of our Saviour ever be with us watch and pray It is the best meanes for watchmen to keepe themselves awake by talking and so rouse their Spirits by conference This Prayer is the best medicine the safest refuge the truest messenger and the most mighty prevailer with God To stirre us up then to so excellent and necessary a duty in so dangerous secure and backsliding time I have made bold to hang out a litle light that they that have erred from the way as who doth not may returne they that are in
the way may goe on with comfort and they that never came into the way who yet suppose themselves to be in the way may if it be possible be brought into the way For Method and memories sake the subject of this litle Treatise containes in it or divideth it selfe into these particulars In the first there is a description of Prayer In the second are discovered the marks of the Spirit of Prayer The third directeth us how to attaine to the sence of the Spirit of Praier The fourth sheweth how a man should hold on the duty of Prayer without the sence of the Spirit The fift and last directeth men that want the Spirit of Prayer how to labour for it Of these and of their proper particulars in order and first briefly of the first because the manner of true Prayer doth discover fully the nature of Prayer The School-men and Fathers have diverse Descriptions in which for me to be curious standeth neither with the nature of the Treatise nor with the scope or my intent And for my owne part as one said in another case I had rather pray powerfully then define Prayer accurately The summe of all these The summe of all Descriptions may be comprised in this namely That Praier is a spirituall Ability infused into the heart whereby the soule expresseth it selfe familiarly and immediately to God in the name of Iesus Christ with confidence in the promises It is called by some the pious affection of the speaker to God by others the manifestation of the heart to God and the assent of the soul to God This definitiō is made good by diverse places of the Scripture compared together First the Spirit maketh intercession for us with Groans Secondly the heart is the seate c. Lord before thee is all my desire and my sighing is not hid from thee This must be done immediately to God for thou that hearest Prayers saith the Psalmist unto thee shal all flesh come and that in the Name of Christ If yee aske any thing in my name I will doe it Neither doth Christ his Mediatourship make ours not to be immediate for he is God as well as man and is appointed our Mediatour as the place quoted testifieth I will doe it Lastly with confidence in the promises and this is the confidence that we have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth us First that Prayer is not an naturall acquired ability Secondly it cōsisteth not in words though they be ornat or well set forth with seeming holynesse but in the powring out of the heart by sighes and groanes inexpressible Thirdly It is no Prayer at all that is not made in and by Christ Fourthly Lastly without faith it is impossible to pray Of these Conclusions more fully in the second particular to which now I proceed 2 How a man may know when hee prayeth in the Spirit AS Prayer is the special gift of God so all men have it not that can talk well or that seeme to have it I will poure out my Spirit saith the Lord upon all flesh that is upon all his own he promiseth no such thing to the wicked Pray alwaies saith the Apostle Try we therefore whether wee have this or not for good words except they be the words of the Spirit will not serve Would you then know whether you pray by the Spirit or no try your Prayer by these particular evidences The first evidence of the Spirit of Praier is our Adoption or Sonship wherein wee are interrested Bastards and strangers yea meere servants cannot pray they learne not nay cannot learne the language of the house as children can doe they cal not upon God they may get some broken language or termes of Art wherewithall to serve their necessities as for meat prefentment and esteeme among Gods people yea for some words they may come to be admired but in the true pronounciation of Shiboleth they are to seeke and so they come short of that language But the sonnes and daughters be they never so weake yea but babes or Infants in Christ yet they can speake the language of their Father truly though not througly nor eloquently All this the Apostle proveth in that Phrase to the Romans Yee have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby yee cry Abba Father Where observe first who cryeth namely Sonnes and they only Secondly what they cry namely Father which if they can speake truly if with litle children they can say litle more yet they pray truly speaking the language of the Spirit A second note that one prayeth by the Spirit is an earnest desire and endeavour to take the Spirit along with them They will not goe willingly without the evidence of the Spirit witnesse the same Apostle the Spirit maketh request for us Where wee must understand that the Spirit is said to make request for us after an other manner then the sonne is said to make request for us v. 34. namely by the vertue and power of his merit But the Spirit maketh request by stirring us up and putting us on to make request The Spirit as one saith by that annointing power teacheth and frameth us to frame our petitions In this wee must be like Moses If the Lords presence goe not with us let us not goe from hence The best of Hypocrites can be content to have an Angell goe before them give the Angellicall stile cōming from lips touched with a coale of strange fire moved by no internall principle except it be from some common gift at the best it is enough and in this they please themselves and gaine admiration from others but their praise is but of men and not of God but this will not serve the children of Prayer they will not stirre without the Spirit of their Father neither can they doe it Wee know not saith the Apostle what to pray as we ought we have neither thought to conceive nor will to consent nor art to perfect of our selves As the Spirit of God did move or flutter upon the waters for the inclining of that vast body by a powerfull and procreative heate so the heate of Gods Spirit must either quicken us to the duty or wee and it are no better then a deed Carcasse or at the fairest but like a specious Picture The people of God doe now and then neglect I must confesse this duty the taking their guide with them they weigh not so attentively nor watch so seriously after this first mover as they should As a man forgetteth to set his watch or to take his guide with him And this is a main cause why they seek and find not yea why they walke not in the strength of the Spirit Againe the people of God may be without the sence and feeling of the Spirit yet the Spirit be there they not being aware howsoever they are very sensible of their insensibility and much
humbled for their neglect The third evidence that we pray by the Spirit is a sensibility of our owne inability As the Spirit helpeth our infirmities so it discovereth the infirmity of the understanding the will the memory the affections yea the Spirit discovereth all indisposition sloathfulnesse impatiency inconstancy and too much making hast flesh and blood cannot discover these Indeed flesh blood will discover want of readinesse or of an outward frame of words or for want of some supernaturall heate to inliven the outward action which the hypocrite may take for the true heate of the Spirit but the want of that coelestiall heate or true quickning motion of the Spirit it neither discovereth nor bewaileth But the godly out of knowledge of these infirmities are exceeding humbled whereupon there is roome made for the Spirit to rest in for repairing of those ruines yea the child of God by the knowledg of these his wants commeth to speed best when in his owne conceipt he prayeth worst yea when he can say nothing with Moses and is to himselfe as it were breathlesse and speechlesse yet out of the sensibility of his prolixity he cryeth hardest of all and God is nighest to him when he conceiveth him to be farthest off If then thou findest or feelest not in Prayer that comfort that thy heart desireth be not discouraged but rather comfort thy selfe upon the feeling of thy wants and humiliation for them because it is a worke of the Spirit goe on then and rather then thou pray not at all cast thy selfe before the Lord look up to heaven if thou canst but cry like a litle child cease not till thou make the Echo of the Rock to resound The fourth evidence of the guidance of the Spirit is a sensible helping of us in some measure against the aforesaid infirmities of Vnderstanding Will Memory and Affections The Spirit helpeth our infirmities It teacheth for what and how to pray It strengthneth memory with motives out of the which the understanding frameth arguments as judgments mercies precepts promises renuednesse ranking every one in his due place and causing the soule to pick some good out of of every one of them So the Spirit bringeth the wil in Praier contrary to its disposition to be subject to the Will of God and to make choice of that which God willeth as the very best in this our Saviour Christ is a perfect patterne in his heavy and dreadfull conflict saying often and againe Not as I will but as thou wilt Father The Spirit doth not only correct and change the aversenesse and deadnesse of the affections as feare love joy and sorrow but it sets them on with a high and heavenly temper upon their proper objects As that the soule in Prayer should love nothing in comparison of God and his countenance hate nothing so much no not the Divell or Hell it selfe as his owne sinne grieve at nothing so much as the grieving of God fear nothing as the God of his feare Lastly the Spirit helpeth the stupidity and benummednesse of the conscience making it tender and pliable and also impartiall in the applying home of the particulars to the present seate of the soule which is the proper function of the conscience As for instance it either excuseth by application of mercy the fruit whereof is present peace or accuseth by application of Iudgment the present fruit whereof is trouble and terror yet it bringeth forth and begetteth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse for upon the judging of our selves by the afflicting of our selves God ceaseth to judge us Try then what helpe thou findest of the Spirit in strengthning thy weaknesse in the seeking of his face for assuredly wee all find the lesse helpe for want of this triall But some will say wee find no helpe at all Our understanding is darker our memories weaker our wills more perverse our affections deader our consciences heavier then ever they were I answer first there may be a neglect of the triall of the performance by the severall notes and also such a carelessenesse to walke by the rule of Prayer that the duty is fallen into a custome so that because we look not to take the Spirit along with us and cast not our selves and the duty upon the helpe of it we come to want the helpe thereof when we would because we looked not for it when we should Againe it may be answered for some that sence is no true Iudge For as some may conceive of help from the Spirit that never had any and conceipt of sound and well ordered parts in Prayer that have nothing but rottennesse in their inward parts for all their painted oratory glozing words so some may be unsensible of the aforesaid helpe for some mistakings or some disorder in the course yea by Gods hiding his presence of sence and yet he helped mightily by God which may be instanced and proved by these two particulars First the sence of those infirmities in Prayer is the worke and evidence of a praying Spirit Secondly the going on with sighes and groanes under the burden of these infirmities is word for word to take us up as it were by the hand and to goe with us against our infirmities If the spirit in these two be with us it is not want of sense that can nullifie his presence Elisha's servant while his eies were shut could not see the armies of the Lord but his eyes being open he saw clearely that there were more with him then against him So let the soule of such goe on and wait upon the Lord without censuring the Lords work for want of feeling and let them for their better stay view and try all the points of the evidence for if one hold all the rest will in some measure make for them Yea but others will say they are so farre from help against their infirmities that the infirmities of earthly and idle thoughts doe strive into the very duty whereby the worke of the Spirit for the time is quenched the soul beaten off and the heart stoln away For answer I must confesse it is a shrewd incounter and a dangerous infirmity arising out of the loosenesse of the heart the atheisme of the mind the deadnesse of the conscience the corruption of the memory and earthly condition of the affections whereby wee let slip forget with whom we have to deale and what we have to doe Here is want of devotion want of attention It is mad folly saith one to thy selfe great iniury to another when thou wilt neither attend him nor look to thy selfe yet for all this it is no other temptation but such as may and doth overtake the children of God but with this difference from that vagrancy in the hearts of the unregenerate men be they never so smooth First the same spirit whose worke for a time recoileth at length like a great sole conquering
of fervency striving endeavour to goe on though thou feelest but litle or no comfort these be true flames of the Spirit which were never kindled in the least measure in the breast of any Hypocrite will an Hypocrite with all his painted flames hold out No they will murmure if God heare them not but the godly will trust in him though hee slay them Let every one then stirre up the gift that is in him whatsoever it be and the Lord will be with us ere we be aware The sixt evidence of the Spirit of Prayer is that godly traine of all-saving graces garding it strengthning it and attending upon it Hee that can doe an errand to God is destitute of no gift as Paul saith of the Corinthians that Embassie is guarded with all the graces of God in some measure as first it ariseth from that impregnable pallace of faith which ascendeth like a Cloud with Prayer in it never ceasing but still increasing the motion till it come to heaven In and from this Pallace Prayer is armed with an irresistible violence and commeth forth like a valiant Champion beating all down-right before it that standeth between God it Innumerable instances of this in Gods servants put that immediate principle of the Spirit out of all Question Whatsoever yee shall aske in Prayer believing yee shall receive David and all the Saints make ever this foundation of their Prayer Vnto thee will I pray Iehovah thou shalt heare my voice Secondly as Prayer is grounded from faith so it is under-propped by Hope I will looke unto the Lord saith Micha and I will waite for the God of my Salvation My God will heare me This place expresseth also the Christian patience wherewith the Prayer of the Saints is seasoned and also that perseverance whereby the Charriot of faith is drawne These set the soule upon the watch-Tower as Habacuk speaketh and maketh her waite and hearken what the Lord will answer David's Praier in his distresse was thus qualified I will looke out saith the Prophet Further Prayer made in the Spirit is attended with Preparation Opportunity and Diligence Preparation maketh ready the Charriot of faith awaketh Prayer attireth it with a holy disposition of heavenly position Opportunity as a guide taketh it the nighest way and Diligence as the driver of the Charriot driveth more nimbly then Iehu the sonne of Nimshi All these attend David's Prayer I will direct my Prayer unto thee or I will orderly addresse unto thee there is his Preparation In or at the morning that is early there is his opportunity I will looke out or else espy there is his diligence or I will pray that is still doe pray and cease not Try then or let thy Prayer be tried by these clouds of witnesses whether it be of the spirit or no for the Prayer of the Hypocrite hath none of these witnesses or attendants as it is said of faithlesse hearers that the Word heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith They may make a faire shew in seeming to lay hold on God deceiving others their own hearts they will leane upon the Lord saith the Prophet and say is not the Lord among us c. But they build upon the sand and hence are their ruines neither is their hope any better then Hypocrites hope which shall perish as for their patience wherwith their Prayer should be seasoned If God attend not their pleasure in answering of their desires it is quickly turned into murmuring In this they are like that gracelesse servant of that godlesse King because this evill is of the Lord why should I waite for the Lord any longer As for the attendants of Prayer namely Preparation Opportunity and Diligence the Hypocrite is not acquainted with them the counterfeit shews or shadowes of these he may have but the things themselves in the true nature of them he neither hath nor desireth to have The Hypocrite rusheth into Gods presence without premeditation of Gods most glorious presence and without consideration of his own vilenesse and unworthinesse to speake to so glorious and great a God His best Preparation is but a vizard of Prepation or outward shew of seeming holinesse in the position of the body Their best opportunity is base and by respect and their diligence carrieth the duty no further then customary performance or so farre as it is in request with the times So never an Hypocrite you see can be an Embassadour to God for he wanteth both the Commission of the Spirit and that traine of attendants that doe accompany the Commission It is no-wonder then that their Prayer be converted into sinne for they are Traytors to God in taking upon them his Embassie without his Cōmission Let them pray then that can pray yea it standeth us all upon to looke to it whether we pray or prate or bable For Lord Lord a multitude of faire words and faire shewes will not serve An Embassadour with a gilded coach of temporary faith will not serve the turne yea though it were full of miracles attended with a many imbrodered Lackeyes of smooth words courtly complements and eare-pleasing musick shall never have admittance to God nor audience of God look to it then that thou be an Embassadour indeed that thou hast thy Commission sealed and art sent by the Spirit and that thy traine be such as may be heartily welcome to God and make thee welcome In the first place make triall of thy faith and that by the inward acts of purifying the heart uniting it to God by victory over temptations casting thy selfe upon the Lord by contentment of thine estate also by the extensive worke of love first to God for himselfe then to thy neighbour in him and for him The heart so purified by faith is a fit lymbeck for Prayer Out of this the Prophet David was bold to presse his Prayer upon God Hearken to my Prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips or without lips of deceipt by which is meant the syncerity of the heart agreeing with the words of the mouth Nothing so much adorneth the heart as faith nothing commendeth faith more then Prayer and nothing graceth Prayer more then syncerity This with the proud Pharisee all Hypocrites want drawing nigh God with their mouth and honouring him with their lips but their hearts be far from him or as the Psalmist they flatter or flatteringly allured him with their mouth with their tongue lied to him for their heart was not right with him or not firmly prepared with him And this especially maketh the Praier of the Hypocrites of an evill savour in Gods Nostrills for as he is the hearer of the heart as one saith and not of the voice so he loveth the syncerity of the heart and hateth the hollownesse and rottennesse thereof in Prayer above all things because they
goe about to deceive him denying him in effect to be the discerner of the heart otherwise they would never deal so with him Try also thy hope in Prayer namely by clearing of thy Author and casting it within the vaile The nature of hope is to keepe thee from shame by the repulse of thy desires because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost in such abundant measure and unspeakable manner that he cannot deny us the things hoped for Try also thy Prayer by patience waiting on the Lord and going on in Prayer in the time of distresse This an Hypocrite as I have shewed cannot nor will not doe In the time of affliction they wil set very freshly upon the duty so farre as great words will carry it but if they be brought to any strait or put to any hard shift like white-livered souldiers they die down-right in their owne ayre or element or else fling away their arms and run from their Colours It is much to be feared that our nations woefull experience shall teach the truth of this in one as wel as the other But God giveth his owne another heart namely to overtop the height of their affections with the height of their Prayers and never give over till by patience and importunity they possesse the gates of their enemies and become more then Conquerors The Scripture to this purpose affordeth abundance of remarkable instances for a touch whereof take these two Steven the first Martyr being cast out of the City and stoned for his worthy Sermon as the stones were flying about his eares in the midst of all the mischiefe that they could doe him by the power of the holy Ghost called upon God and that with cryes kneeling upon his knees This lesson no doubt hee learof his Master Christ the best and only pattern that any man can follow He though a Sonne learned obedience by afflictions in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications withstrong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death was heard in that he feared where observe what force feare and afflictions added to our Saviours Prayers which as swelling seas make well growne fish and thundring and lightning cleereth the ayre and the nipping frost maketh the fire the hotter So the afflictions of the Saints addeth force to their Praiers they cry more mightily to God then ever they did yea where they could not speake before now they cry and that day and night saith the Spirit though he beare long with them where observe the patience of the Saints they beare long in Gods bearing with their enemies Then observe their instant continuance they cry day and night to the same effect the Lord speaketh by his Prophet I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as gold is tryed they shall call upon my name and I will hear them Affliction maketh the wicked impatient driveth them from God because they are a burnished blade of terror in the hand of the Almighty as the pearle in oysters by thunder vanisheth so doth the Prayer of the Hypocrite by affliction but the triall of the godly bringeth forth patience driveth them nigher to God because their afflictions are but trialls indeed and at the worst they are but as a rod in the hand of a loving Father In a word as the Saints extremities are Gods opportunities so the same extremities are whetstones to the Saints importunities Lastly as for preparation labour to set thy heart in frame consider what thou art about and with whom thou hast to deale As God bid Moses put off thy shooes from thy feet for the place where thou staÌ„dest is holy ground whereby is meant the putting off of earthly and carnal affections preparing the mind to spiritual and heavenly duties Endeavour to come before the Lord with a simple and naked heart and with affections duly prepared for so great a presence As for Opportunity endeavour alwaies to be fit upon every occasion and feaâ—â— to choose the best occasion not omitting it at any hand for Diligence know this that use maketh an Artist or Tradesman To conclude this particular If thou callest upon the Lord in truth that is in faith syncerity earnestnesse and constancy the Lord will be nigh unto thee which is both the cause and evidence that thou prayest by the Spirit The seventh evidence of Prayer made by the Spirit is the guidance of the Spirit in all other actions For as he that is born of the Spirit is Spirit so he is spirituall in all his parts faculties and actions because the Spirit is of an all renuing nature though many remainders of the flesh and much reluctation be intermixed therewith throughout all the parts faculties and actions To this effect is that of the Apostle As many as are led by the Spirit they be the sonnes of God where observe hee saith not they that have received the Spirit or live by the Spirit or pray by the Spirit or doe any other action as he saith other where but that they are led by the Spirit intimating thereby the inclining disposition and ever-ruling power of the Spirit whereby the whole spirituall man is guided in all his waies as a ship by a pilot or a horse by his rider the place alludeth to a blind man or a man wanting strength who is wholly guided or carried by another so Gods supplicants as they pray by the spirit so they wholly resign themselves over in all their waies to the guidance of the spirit The guidance of the spirit in all a petitioners waies doth manifest it selfe in these two particulars First in the subdueing of the whole body of sin for though the remnans of sin remain in the best of Gods Saints yet no sin beareth dominion in theÌ„ for then should they not be led by the spirit who are led by the spirit saith one but they whose counsells and actions have nothing to doe with sin Sathan according to that of the Apostle Hee that is borne of God sinneth not or commiteth not sin viz. he serveth not sin hee delighteth not in sin he maketh not a trade of it nor lyeth not in it giveth not way to it but resisteth it and hateth it it is an intolerable burthen to him he cannot beare it But on the contrary he that committeth sin is of the Divel that is he that loveth sin loveth and obeyeth it in the lusts thereof Now where this sin-subduing power of the spirit beareth sway there the prayers bee the prayers of the spirit For as divers gifts come from one spirit so where there is one true gift of the spirit there bee all the gifts of the spirit but on the coÌ„trary where one sinne beareth sway there is not the guidance of the spirit and where the spirit is not the guide there the prayer is not the prayer of
the spirit according to that undeniable position God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth viz. he heareth not nor granteth the desires of such as live in any sin but such as worship him according to his will and live accordingly have their desires granted But a party family or nation that liveth in any sin God will not hear them If I regard iniquity in my heart saith David or look upon it with a love to it God will not heare me Instances of this are innumerable in the Scripture The Lord telleth the Israelites for choosing Saul for their King that they should cry out in that day and hee would not heare them So all that set at naught the counsell of God when feare desolation and destruction commeth upon them They shall call upon the Lord but hee will not answer they shall seek him early but shall not find him Will men steale and rob commit murther and uncleannesse and conspire against God by impiety and iniquity as God saith by Ieremie yea will they hide it under their tongue and will they cry unto the Lord when unavoidable evill commeth upon them yea they shall cry saith the Lord but I will not hearken unto them For the farther confirmation of this point look these places Ezech. 8. to the 19. Micha 3. to v. 4. Zach. 7. 13. Did God ever heare the Israelites for all their teares supplications and cryes under the oppression of the Philistines untill such time as they put away their strange Gods yea their beloved Idols Baal and Ashteroth No sure witnesse the word neither will he to others till they doe the like yea God doth not onely deny to heare his people though they make many prayers but to enter so much as a parly with them till they put away the evill of their doings from before him Yea let the formalist hypocrite or hollow-hearted petitioner free from outward touch yet hiding iniquity under his tongue let him I say carry the matter as cleanly as he can yet God will not heare him witnesse that in Iob What is the hope of the Hypocrite will God heare his cry when trouble commeth upon him No sure the interrogation is a vehement negation a good reason is given of it As hee delighted not in God make what shew he can so God delighteth not in his prayers for they are not the prayers of the spirit neither hath he clensed his heart for the spirit to reside in That thou maist bee sure that thy prayer is from the spirit bee sure to walk in the Spirit submit thy selfe to the guidance of the spirit wash thy heart and make it clean wash thy hands in innocency and then compasse the Altar of the Lord with successe or as the Apostle pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting On this place one speaketh well the hands are holy when the heart is cleane further in the Text observe three remarkable conditions of prayer holinesse in a mans self love towards his brother and faith towards God prayers thus qualified shall surely be heard for Amen hath ingaged his promise for it Iehovah is neer to all that call upō him in truth the Lord is far from the wicked but hee heareth the prayers of the righteous But some of Gods people will here object that they feel a great deale of rebellion of sin in them as carnality hate infidelity pronesse to evill aversnesse to good pride hypocrisie selfe-love and the like a world of disorder in the affections a flat repugnancy in the will an apparant impossibility of selfe-deniall In a word the whole inner and the outward man is nothing but a confused masse of sin Can the spirit govern guide such a one where there is nothing but rebellion against the Spirit And if the Spirit beare not the sway in all over all though I am somewhat affected in prayer yet I pray not by the spirit at all because I want the guidance of the spirit To this I answer As the aforesaid graces accompanying the spirit of prayer may be in a childe of God in a very weake measure without sense feeling yet true in their own nature so the lusting of the flesh against the spirit may and doth mightily domineer in them so that they are carnall and sold under sin yea they have a law in their members rebelling against the law of the Spirit whereby they are led captive to the law of sinne which thing was the matter of the blessed Apostle's complaint making him to cry out Wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death And yet the spirit lusting against the flesh will hold his own not onely overcōming but giving good evidence from the very strife that he reignes and rules there maugre the heart of the flesh by which they come at the length to thanke God through our Lord Iesus Christ that with the mind they serve the Law of God though with the flesh the Law of sin But Paul yee will say spake this of himselfe as of his unregenerate estate For answer The Papists would have it so and some of the Fathers take it so amongst whom Austin was one of that mind but upon better consideration reversed his judgment and that upon good grounds for the Apostle speaketh of himselfe of his present estate which none can deny to be regenerate Againe to will was present with him hee delighted in the Law of God and thanked him for his deliverance all which are evidences of a regenerate estate But this is strange say you that hee should be carnall sould under sin since the Saints are bought with a price war not after the flesh For answer he was not carnall in the service of the flesh as the unregenerate are but hee was carnall in respect of his pronesse to give way to the flesh So he was sold under sin and not as Ahab who willingly inslaved himselfe to sin but as Ioseph a captive or slave against his will O but you will say if it were so then these were Pauls strong stragling motions of cōcupiscence not breaking out in effect but I am not onely troubled with the first and second motions of sin but I am foyled with the very actions of sin I answer was not that Pauls case That which I doe I allow not for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that doe I where hee sheweth himselfe often to be so foiled by his carnall desires that he did that which in the inner man he did not desire but rather hate And so it is with the best of Gods people who both in words actions crosse their inward desires Yea but where lyeth the difference of failings and falls of the regenerate and unregenerate heart I answer in the chiefe
fooled and ashamed Christian by relying too much upon subordinate means recalleth his wits chideth himself for his foolery resolves for ever to make more accompt of Prayer then all meanes that the whole world can afford him And thrice happy were the people of God at this time if wee could now at length fall upon the second and sounder thoughts for wofull experience hath taught how our more relying upon other meanes than Prayer hath made God's Inheritance every where a prey to the enemy When the troubles first began wee took them to heart wee began togather our forces together and importune God but God denying his eare it may be not only for the faults of our persons and Prayers but also to try our perseverance we quickly give over leaving the cause and the persons as buried in oblivion caring litle or nothing what become of them or our selves It is no evidence of the Spirit to begin to run and to break off in the mid way Naturall motions are the swifter the nigher they come to their end Is not Prayer as powerfull as ever it was to prevaile with God Have wee not to doe with the same God that heareth Prayer Desireth he not to heare the voice of his own as much as ever he did Are not suppliants now the men of his desire Hateth hee not his enemies as much as ever he did Have wee not the same command the same promise And shall it not find the same entertainment Yes verily What is the cause then the Lord is so farre from us Even because wee are so farre from him we follow not to the mark wee turne backe in the day of battaile wee endeavour not by wrestling to stay the Lord and not to let him goe til he give us a blessing And how should the Lord be intreated of us We are like to Iohas King of Israel in our Prayers who smote the ground as the man of God cōmanded with his arrowes but not often enough therefore the man of God was wroth with him for if hee had smitten often enough he should have smitten the Assyrians till he had consumed them So had wee followed the businesse in the power of the Spirit smitten often enough wee should have smitten the Babylonians til we had consumed them but wee have not done it therefore they prevaile The breaking off of Prayer and the negligent performance of it is a fearfull evidence that God wil never honour us with being the means of their deliverance But to leave them in the pit for there they are like to be for us what shall wee say of our selves or what shall wee doe for our selves Wee look indeed for peace as the Prophet saith and for a time of health and behold trouble And to use Moses his words Is not the day of our calamity neere And doe not the things that are threatned make hast And what remedy namely this to cry mightily to God by continuance in Prayers Iohas though a wicked man knew reasonable well the worth of Prayer when he gave the Prophet this testimony on his death-bed weeping bitterly that hee should depart O my Father the Charriots and horse-men of Israel By which speech what other meant the King then that the Prophet and his Prayers were of more worth for the good of the state then all the forces of the Kingdome One of the Learned telleth us that the sincere Prayers of an old weak godly woman will prevaile more with God for helpe from heaven against the enemy then thousands of armed Souldiers in the field But with woe and griefe of soule we may say where be the men that stand up in the gappe to turne away the wrath Who with Moses offereth that violence to God that God should say to him let me alone Who will stay by the Lord as he did and will not off nor goe one foote till hee have the Lord to goe with us O how that complaint of the Prophet may pierce us to the very heart There is none that calleth upon thy Name nor stirreth up himselfe to take hold on thee And what followeth even that which partly is upon us and partly like to come upon the Thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities Who is it now with the Spouse in the Canticles that laieth hold upon Christ till hee have brought him into his Mothers house Whereby is meant both the Heart and the Church which is the house of God For there indeed is Gods dwelling Let us awake then since now is the trouble some time and draw nigh to God yea let us stay our selves upon the Tower and stand upon the watch to see what the Lord will say unto us Though he be angry with our Prayers let us not give over but let us pray continually not returning againe to folly and wee may be sure it shall goe well with us in the day of tryall Another Evidence of the Spirit on Prayer is a due respect had to the Matter and Order of Prayer As to the former when they pray for nothing but that which is pleasing to God We know not indeed of our selves what to pray for nor how to pray but the Spirit teacheth us in both against that old and new Pelagian Heresie of mans abilility in both duties the Spirit teacheth us to aske that and nothing but that which is agreeable to his Will for that hath the promise and confidence in the promises annexed unto it And this is the confidence that we have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth us So that the Will of God must be the Rule and Square of our Prayers God gave Salomon his choice to ask what hee would yet Salomon knew very well as appeareth by his choice that that was included according to will So that place in Matthew is to be understood Aske and it shall be given you c. For wee must take heed as it there followeth that instead of bread wee aske not stones nor a Scorpion instead of fish that is hurtfull and not lawful things instead of usefull and lawful The man destitute of the Spirit of God asketh ever amisse as S. Iames saith either for quantity or quality or for ill ends hee asketh there that which is naught in it selfe or if it be good it is not fit for him or if it might be fit for him if hee were such as he should be yet hee is not fitted for it because he is not such as he should be I must confesse upon wofull experience that the Children of God in their Lunatick fits fall often foul upō these shelves or sandes As for asking things unlawfull the Dilciples would have fire from heaven Zebedees sons would sit on the right hand and on the left of Christ David would have the wings of a Dove that he might
flie from his colours and so they aske things not fitting for thē though to good intent and often they are not fitted for the things they aske But thus they doe in their hast the Word of God checketh them Gods Spirit their owne cōscience diverteth them from this course and they endeavour to square their desires according to the Will of God But the wicked are like to Elies sonnes They will have what they will if they perish for it Try thy Prayer then by the object of thy desires if thou canst heartily submit thy self to the Will of God in all things then thou hast assurance of the guidance of the Spirit but if thou wilt be both begger and chooser thou art too saucy to be guided by the Spirit Secōdly as for the Matter so they have due respect unto the Order The Spirit whereby they are guided is a spirit of Order not of confusion They first seeke heaven and heavenly things because they are heavenly minded according to that rule of our Saviour Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you where by the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse is meant heaven and all the means of Gods appointment that bring us to heaven which both for excellency and order we must seeke and esteem above before all things not but that wee may and must seeke earthly things for there is a necessity of them we have the promises for them but it must be as they are necessary helps to the better things giving them their due time and place A pattern for this our Saviour giveth us in that perfect patterne of Prayer wherein he teacheth us first to pray for heavenly things and then for earthly things Where if any object That the asking of dayly bread is prefixt to the asking of forgivenesse of sinnes the former being earthly the later heavenly I answer it is not needfull with some of the Fathers and others to expound this bread of the sacramentall bread for the temporall bread is the bread of the children as one of them well observeth as well as the spirituall bread but the petition for Bread is put before the petition of Remission of sins as some think because the former of petitions is for good the later is in the number of the deprecations for evill Others that from the sight of our necessities of earthly things we are led to a sight of our necessity of heavenly things According to this patterne is the practice of the Saints Salomō makes first choice for Wisdome and letteth other things follow in their course David first desireth the light of Iehovah's face or countenance and letteth the corne and the wine and the oyle follow in their order But it is nothing so with the wicked they desire earthly things in the first place because they are earthly minded as for heavenly things they never question the attaining of them Give Esau first his red pottage and let him deale afterward for the birth-right as hee can let Saul be honoured before the people and hee will take his venture of the honour from God Againe wee must aske heavenly things absolutely I meane in their kinds not in any particular measure or quantity but for earthly things wee must aske them conditionally for so they are promised In some sort namely so farre as they are absolutely necessary for the maintaining us in Gods service and making good of his promises so farre wee may crave them absolutely for as wee crave the end so we may crave the meanes that lead to that end Then try thy selfe by the right ordering of thy heart towards the object of thy desires if thy heart pant and thy soule thirsteth after the living God and the promises of God Christ Iesus Doest thou desire the loving kindnesse of the Lord more then Life it selfe then let this assure thee though thou want other assurance that thy desires are the desires of the Spirit for every desire is of the nature of the thing desired Beasts affect only sensuall objects because their desires are meerly sensuall and the naturall man desireth naturall things as the adequat object of his desires though by some sparkle of common instinct he may glance at better things which he neither knoweth nor truly affecteth So the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse is the adequat object of the spirituall mans desires although the stomach may be affected with the maukin or such a disease as women with-child and men also labour of arising from an excrementious or venemous humour whereby they long extremely for things hurtfull like the humour it selfe and desire them more then holsome food But as this is cured by vomiting so the Lord by some crosse or other purgeth out his malignant menstrous humour after which they come to hate their owne desires David was taken with a longing desire for the water of Bethlem but not when hee perceived it to be the price of blood by hazarding the lives of his worthies hee would not give it to his desires So when the Saints perceive their inordinate desires to hazard their esteeme desire of Chirst they say to them as Ephraim to his Idols get you hence what have I to doe with you Look to it then for if thou set thine ease profit pleasures honour or any thing else before Christ thy desire is not of Christ The last note of Evidence of the Spirit is the looking for an answer from him to whom wee pray The end of every action is first in intention A man can never intend that which hee lookes not to see in execution the end of Prayer is to be heard Heare O Lord the Praier of Iudah and bring him unto his people To heare is no other thing but to answer he who prayeth then intendeth to have answer looketh for an answer it will follow then by conversion that he that looketh not for an answer prayeth not at all That speech of the blind man God heareth sinners carririeth these two things in it First as I have shewed the living in any sinne cannot stand with the Spirit of Prayer This hath been the course of all the Saints Iacob looked for a blessing and hee would not away without a blessing The Canaanitish Woman will not away til she have somewhat though it be but crummes David will look out that is as I have shewed he will waite for an answer My soule waiteth for Iehovah more then a watch-man for the morning As the eyes of servants are unto the hand of their Masters or as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistresse So our eyes are toward Iehovah our God untill that he be gracious unto us The leadeth us unto this duty by the very instinct of brutish creatures The eyes of all looke attentively to thee and thou givest them their meat in due season The
as the Apostle saith neglect not or be not carelesse of the gift that is in thee If ever then thou wouldst have comfort from the sense of prayer dig thy selfe out of thine own security dull not neither drowne thy pretious thoughts in cares pleasures worldly joyes or sorrowes be ever bringing the dispersed sparkles of the Spirit together and like a good workmā look well to the fire and then the Lord will not onely take notice of thy prayer as he did of Pauls but hee will also give thy soule to know that it is such a prayer as he taketh notice of so that thou maist cōfidently averre with David I have called upon thee maist urge it with an argument let mee not bee confounded 2 The second Mean of procuring sense is the removing of hinderances as the distemper of the body by intemperancy the distemper of the soule by passion dividing cares or loose and unprofitable company these bee the rubbish of our ruinous disposition that keep us frō the view of the straine of prayer in us These be the ashes that cover the sparkles of the Spirit keep us from the sensible heat of them Away then with these if thou desirest the sense of the vigor of the Spirit First the soule followeth the temperature of the body thou must labour as much as may be for a sound minde in a well tempered body The over-wearied and over-toyled bodies whereunto most men reserve their families and secret duties are unfit to organize the soule or to vent the soul's desires in prayer It is good therefore to ply the duty in health strength of body that hence comfort may arise in time of sicknesse and weaknesse As for the Passions or Perturbatiōs of the mind if they be the symptomes of evill affected bodies the body must be brought in frame but if they bee the more spiritual perturbations or such turbulent commotions as wee call properly the sicknesse of the minde as anguish slavish feare sadnesse the like these being of an aëreall and subtile nature doe trouble and miscarry the temper as the winde doth carry the calmest ayre and smoothest water against the rocks So that for want of smooth waters to move on if you will a well-composed minde the evidence of the Spirit can neither be seen nor heard Therefore these perturbations must be alayed by their opposite Graces as I have shewed not quite taken away with the Stoicks but they must bee so tempered and alaied by grace above the temper of the Platonists that they may be as sinews to the motion of the Spirit whereby evidence may bee furthered and not hindered As for instance an angry or wrathfull disposition is like choler distasting or distempering the rellish of the Spirit or as the unnaturall heat doth wast and consume the naturall active heat that commeth from the heart so the devouring heat of anger eateth up the evidence of the Spirit The minde as one saith must be at peace in it selfe if it look towards God But if the heat of anger be turned into a holy zeal tempered with discretion it will consume that rubbish that lyeth in the way of sense and will be like a coach to carry the evidence or feeling of the Spirit to our Spirit in the time of prayer Secondly And so a habit of dulnesse or pensive heavinesse dulleth flatteth the sense of the spirit in prayer but a well set or moderate mournfulnesse is that sowing in teares which maketh us sensible in prayer to reap in joy Lastly distracting and slavish feare doth weaken the sense of Gods love towards us but a reverent awe of the Majesty of God in prayer will give thy soule assurance that he is thy Father and that by the power of the spirit thou callest him so Thirdly As for the removeall of any reigning sin I have spoke of it before for continuance in that cannot stand with the Spirit of prayer yea I am of that minde that though David lost not the Spirit by his sin it is probable that he prayed not scarce all the time that he lay in his sin A third Mean to attain sense of the Spirit in prayer is in thy disposition to the duty and desire to bee guided by the spirit and not by the flesh blood In thine indisposition or averse disposition it will disswade thee from praying at all and that upon some shew of probable ground as that thou hast not the Spirit thou canst not pray God will not entertain it If any bee by thou maist shame thy self and bewray thee to bee a man of no gifts So thou hadst best let it alone till thou be fitted God will accept of thy good intention and better not pray at all then not to pray excellently But these the like be sophisticall suggestions whereunto if thou hearknest thou neglectest thy duty thou weaknest thy prayer by thy neglect thou disacquaintest thy selfe with God thou bewraiest a doting on thine own ability thou interceptest Gods opportunity of manifesting his strength in thy weaknesse thou givest advantage to Sathan thou indangerest the very habit of prayer as much as in thee lyeth for from frequency of neglect thou maist derelinquish the duty or bring it to a bare presumptory performance Lastly there is nothing that weakneth depriveth and opposeth sense more then this for as a sedentary life or sleeping after meat bringeth a fat cold body to a Palsie or Lethargie wherein sense and motion is often weakned or deprived so the neglect of duty may indanger sense to a mans dying day Therefore if thou canst not pray as thou wouldest or as thou shouldst pray yet as thou canst God may bee there and thou not aware of it and when thou art least able thou art most able when thou art most humble thou art fittest for sense take this as the direction of the Spirit in many places besides the practice of the Saints Pray alwaies Continue in prayer Watch and pray alwaies The meaning of which places wee must not mistake after the example of Euchytes the Psallian that we must doe nothing but pray for many evills would then arise but that upon all occasions wee should have something to say to God especially as both ancient and modern observe at the stinted times of duty which though wee change yet we must not neglect or omit whether private or secret In a word that of the Apostle in another case though often by sin abused will serve well here Be instant in season and out of season that is whether it please or please not So whether thou art disposed or not disposed goe to and doe it the Lord hath bidden thee The fourth Meane in Prayer to obtaine sence is the labouring in Prayer to bring home Christ sensibly to the soule This is the Spouses desire I would lead thee I would bring thee into my mothers house And thus she doth indeed I held him and would not
Praier a Habit of holy ejaculations but I have already spoke of the former and will only adde this Withdraw thy selfe from all impediments prepare thy selfe with a reverent awe to meet thy God And for the later These holy breathings as ayre keepe and cleere the fire upon the hearth whereby sense is kindled when thou settest upon the worke Also for helpe in this particular the frequent use of secret Prayer will doe well David as I have shewed sought the Lord three times a day we should of necessity be twice a day with God at the least besides going unto him upon other occasions as hearing of the Word or others remembirng also to double our Sacrifice on the Lord's Day And so much for the Meanes which if the Lord dispose thy heart to use conscionably thou canst not but obtain some good measure of assurance that thou praiest by the Holy Ghost 4 How a man should hold on in the duty without the sense of the Spirit THe fourth particular head of of this Treatise shall be the satisfying a demand If one feele not the assurance of the Spirit in Prayer with what comfort or encouragement shall that party hold on in Prayer or should hee resolve to give over Prayer as Ieremy resolved to give over preaching For answer let such a one neither resolve so nor doe so As for motives of encouragement thereunto First thou must doe it in conscience to the commandement joyned with a promise Call upon me in the day of trouble and I wil deliver thee What greater trouble then to be without sense of assurance in Prayer and when is deliverance nigher then in great trouble Secondly remember that hee to whom thou goest is a loving kind and compassionate Father who pittieth his children and will not suffer them to cry alwaies without an answer he will not hide his face for ever If evill parents wil give good things to their children yea and that to evil children much more wil he who is goodnesse it selfe give better things to such as hee hath made partakers of his goodnesse Thirdly take encouragement from earnest desire of Gods face that he hath put into thy heart which hee never meaneth to frustrate for hee granteth the desires of his children Thou art as surely happy as I have shewed though not so sensibly happy in hungring and thirsting after sense as though thy soule were filled with sense These desires are his owne and he will crowne his owne works with mercy tender compassion keep then but open thy mouth and heart in Prayer and assuredly as he hath promised he wil fil them with good things Fourthly comfort thy selfe with this thy desertion or want of sense it may be it is not yet Gods opportunity to shew himselfe in the Mount it may come in an houre which thou never didst looke for Fiftly let the Wisdome of God stay thee in thy course who hath all times and seasons in his hands who knoweth when to shut and when to open By which drawing his presence hee maketh thee to long the more after it and the more thou wilt value it when thou hast it Sixtly let the examples of all Gods children in this comfort thee didst thou ever know or heare that ever any of them perished but at length they found the thing they sought for Lastly let thine owne experience teach thee to run thy race with patience till thou dost obtain For though thou hast not the sense of his presence yet thou hast other fruits of his presence as Holinesse Humility Patience Brotherly-love Softnesse of heart Tendernesse of conscience Feare to displease a Reverent awe of God Hunger and Thirst after all righteousnesse These it may be or some of these thou hast in a greater measure thē some that have sense But howsoever these be the harbingers of sense where they take up the heart there sense of assurance wil be sure to lodge Thou hast already that witnesse in thy selfe namely the Spirit and that Spirit will make thee know the things that are of God 5 How such as want the the Spirit of Prayer should labour for it THE fift and last particular of this Treatise is how men that want this Spirit of Prayer shall attain unto it For all men have it not not the elect till they be converted although most thinke that every man in the face of the Church can pray yet nothing lesse It is true indeed that our blessed Saviour maketh intercession by his presence for the Elect even before their conversion witnesse himselfe neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall beleeve on me through their word where the ancients observe that Christ prayed not only for those that should hear the Apostles for neither Abraham nor the Theife heard but hee prayed for all them that from the beginning of the world had beleeved or should beleeve yet for all this hee prayeth in none before they have the Spirit Though Paul an elect vessell before his conversion had the Prayer of Christ yet he prayed not for himselfe till hee was transformed by the Spirit into the Image of Christ by whose Spirit he began to pray of the truth of whose Prayer Christ giveth this testimony behold he prayeth Vnregenerate men may perhaps peruse this draught of Prayer whereby as they come to see the necessity of Prayer so they may discerne the falacy of the flesh and Sathans suggestions in perswading men that they pray when they doe nothing lesse hereupon they come to enquire how they may attaine to the true gift of Prayer For answer let them understand first that Praier is no acquired gift by the industry of man but an infused ability of the Spirit as I have shewed which God out of the free motive of his love powreth upon all and every one of his chosen when hee worketh that glorious change in them by the power of the Gopell The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth nor whither it goeth So is every one that is borne of the Spirit As this is spoken of the free and forcible mystery of mans conversion incomprehensible by mans capacity yet understood of faith so this Spirit of supplication maketh free and forcible entry upon the heart of a convert neither acquired nor truly desired nor understood by the best man in his naturall estate or most compleate endowments before his conversion Further since thou doest enquire also in thy case with those that came to Iob what thou shouldst doe I answer thou must know ingeniously confesse that thou canst not pray at all for men conceit that they can pray when they can doe nothing lesse And this reachcheth not only to carnall professours who hold it a heresie to doubt that they cannot pray to God but also to close and formall hypocrites yea temporary professours in the highest degree whose hearts fouly deceive
the third place if ever thou wouldst pray to break off thy sins and to part with thy prophanesse for as I have shewed a sinfull course familiarity with God cannot consist or stand together A corrupt tongue or leprous throat maketh a harsh noise in the eare of God remēber that the Lord is far from the wicked and though they cry to him he wil not harken to them Fourthly thou must avoid and abandon all prophane idle and unprofitable company for as thy living in a corrupt ayre or with contagious bodies will increase the habit of thy corrupt disposition till thou be utterly consumed so lewd and wicked company will more and more contaminate thy soule and spirit so that thy breath shall stink worser and worser in the nostrills of God As the soule in the Law that touched any abominable unclean thing and ate of the sacrifice was to bee cut off from Gods people so the conversing and familiarity with unclean cursed company cutteth a soule off keepeth it off from familiarity with God in prayer Therefore saith the wiseman Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not into the way of evill men The Prophet David washing his hands in innocēcy that he might compasse the Altar of the Lord abandoneth all vain persons resolveth not to sit or converse with the wicked for as thou must avoid evill company and hate them that regard lying vanities so thou must associate thy selfe to the godly Hee that walketh with the wise shal be wise hate the evill saith the Prophet and love the good The meerely moral man doth counsel thee to converse with such as will make thee better as men by constant conversing with natives of a Nation doe learne the language of the nation so by sorting thy self with beggers thou maist happily learne to beg Fiftly thou must intreat the godly earnestly to pray for thee and to beg thee of the Lord esteem much of their praiers which be of that efficacy to convert a sinner from his waies and to save a soule from death hiding a multitude of sinnes If thus thou dost and God affecteth the hearts of his people to pray for thee there is good hope that thou shalt come to pray for thy selfe and for others also for the Sonne of many prayers cā hardly perish but so long as thou dost scoffe mock at the prayers of the Saints or hast them in light esteem the spirit of prayer or supplication will not come nigh thee Yet with this begging of the prayers of the Saints thou maist learne to beg thy selfe The people of Israel desired Samuel to pray for them when they had sinned but they praied also for themselves but Pharaoh desired Moses to pray againe and againe for him but hee would never learne to pray for himselfe neither did he at all desire Moses his prayer till the hand of God was the second time upon him for at the first he did not A great many doe never desire the praiers of Gods people if they desire them at all it is not till Gods hand be so heavy upon thē that they know not what to doe Sixtly thou must attend the meanes of the word read preached and conferred upon for thou shalt never learne to speak to God except thou hearest God speak unto thee hee that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination It is not a set manner in a secret corner nor the best penned praier that thou canst get by hart without a diligent attendance on the word especially preached that ever will teach or inable thee to pray For faith commeth by hearing And because wee believe therefore we speak As the lame man in the Gospell lay still by the Poole of Bethesda which was the meanes appointed for recovery till the power of God had wrought upon him so thou must still attend the meanes till God smite the heart unvail the eyes touch and untie the tongue to this duty of prayer Seventhly and lastly enquire learn of God's people and they can tell thee what unvaluable profit what sweet pleasures what unspeakable consolation what peace-passing understanding what height of honour what heaven of happinesse they find in this familiar conference with God aske and they will tell thee as a Father observeth that of all vertues they can find none but this compared to incense Secondly they can tell thee on experience that it is the best guard against all assaults of Sinne and Sathan All kind of Divels are kept out and cast out by this When the evill Spirit came upon Saul David alayed and abandoned it by playing on his harpe that harpe saith one was devout Prayer Thirdly if thou wouldst know what is the best trading Gods people will tel thee there is none like Prayer For no state time place person or opposition can intercept thrift if thou art disposed to pray thou maist ever be imploying thy stock and that with the returne of encrease thou maist gain more by Prayer in one houre as one saith well then all the Merchants in the world in a thousand yeares Fourthly wilt thou know what is the very best physick Gods people can tell thee by experience that none is like Prayer It healeth the infirmities of the body and the diseases of the soule and the Praiers of the faithfull shall save the Sicklie and the Lord shall raise them up and if he have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven him Fiftly if it be enquired what is the greatest honour that mortall man can obtaine unto Is it not this for a man to talke familiarly with God as with his friend And such honour have all the Saints and they only What honour were it for a poore meane despicable man to come to be so inward with a great Monarch to have his eare at his pleasure and to goe into the bed-chamber when hee list without repulse or interruption of any So is it with Gods favorites how despicable and despised soever they be amongst men Hee that will be inward with God saith one let him pray frequently let him read diligently for when we speak with God when wee read or heare God speaketh to us Sixtly if thou wouldst be provided of the best armes against thine enemies of the best safest refuge in distresse the speediest deliverance out of trouble the Saints can assure thee upon experience that there is none like this witnesse Moses Hester Iehosaphat and the rest Seventhly wouldst thou command all the armes of creatures as heaven earth and all the creatures therein yea even the Angels themselves the people of God wil teach thee that Prayer is the only word of command By this Elijah did open and shut the heavens By this Moses tied and untied the hands of the Almighty by this Iacob made the Lord to stay with him so that hee could not depart till hee had blessed him Eighthly and lastly
in a word wouldst thou have a guide that might direct thee and protect thee assist thee and never leave thee till thou art brought through this troublesome vale to the life of glory the Saints can assure thee that Prayer is the only meane to bring the guidance of the Spirit into the heart and there to continue it till thou commest to thy journies end these effects of Prayer who can choose but affect Now if thou doest fall in love with the Fruits thou maist haply endeavor to get the Tree into the garden of thy soul which will make all the ground fruitful These rules being observed by thee and the motives considered thou art in a fair possibility to come acquainted with God by whose mercy guidance I have been led along in this litle Treatise desiring for the Cōclusion nothing but this that God may have the honour his People the profit FINIS The excellency and necessity of Praier Isay 29. 10 Rom. 12. 8. Cant. 5. 2. Description of Praier August Hom. Rom. 8. 26. 16. Psal 38. 10. 65. 3. Ioh. 5. 14. Ioh. 5. 14 Ioel 2. 28. Ephes 6. 18. Evidences of praying in the Spirit 1. Is Adoption Rom. 8. 15. 2 A desire and endeavour of the presence of the Spirit Exod. 33. 45. Rom. 8. 26. 3 A sensibility of our owne inability 4 Helpe against infirmities Rom. 8. 26 Memory and Vnderstanding Mat. 26. 39. Conscience Objection Answer 1. 2 Ob. Answer Bern. de medit 6. 8. How the godly are troubled with idle thoughts in prayer How it is with the unregenerate 3 Ob. Answer 5. Fervency of spirit Rom. 8. 26. Gen. 32. 28. Exod. 32. 10. Isay 64. 7. Can. 3. 4. Heb. 6. 4. Luke 18. 4. 7. Hos 12. 4. Col. 4. 12. The difference of true fervēcy counter feit in prayer 1 Difference 2 Difference 3 Difference Cant. 8. 6. Psal 96. 10. 119. 13. 4 Difference 2. King 10 16. Salust ad Caesar 5 Difference Numb 6. 12. 13. Ob. Ans 1. Luk. 24. 11. 32. 34. Isay 58. 2. 3. Iob. 13. 15 6 the train of all graces accompaning 1 Cor. 1. 7. Mat. 21. 22. Psal 5. 3. 4. hope and patience Habuc 2. 1 Psal 5. 3. Preparation Opportunity and Diligence Hypocrites faile of these graces Heb. 4. 2. Mich. 3. 11 Iob. 3. 13. 2 King 6. 33. Tryall of these graces is necessary Tryall of thy faith Psal 17. 2. Esay 29. 13. Mat. 15. 8. Psal 36. 37. Triall of hope and patience Act. 7. 55. 59. 60. Luk. 18. 7. Zacch 13. 9. Exod. 3. 5. 7 The guidance of the Spirit in all our actions Wherein the guidance of the Spirit manifesteth it selfe In the subduing the whole body of sinne 1. Ioh. 3. 9. V. 8. Ioh. 9. 21. Psal 66. 18. 1 Sam. 8. 8. Prov. 25. 26. 27. Ier. 11. 11. Iudg. 10. 6. to 18. 1 Sam. 7. 2. to 12. Isay 1. 15. to 19. Esay 1. 16. Ps 26. 6. Tim. 2. 8. Ob. 1. Answer Rom. 7. 14. Rom 7. 25. 2. Ob. Answer 1 Cor. 6. 20. 2 Cor. 10. 3. Ob. 2. Ans Rom. 7. 15 Quest Answer Quickning and increase of grace Rom. 8. 13. Zac. 10. 12 Meanes of keeping increasing of grace Ps 90. 12. Col. 1. 21. The necessity hereof Ephes 5. 15. 16. The difficulty hereof Weekly and more generall accompts 8 The precious promises Psal 119. 49. Ambrose 2 Sam. 7. 25. 28. Mat. 11. 28. Isay 43. 25. Ier. 38. Ezech. 36. Psal 50. 15. Prayers of the regenerate and unregenerate differ Ob. 1. Nehem. 13. 14. 1 King 20. 3. Ans Ob. 2. Answ His argument Ans 9 the directing of Prayer Ioh. 16. 25 Rev. 8. 34. Ioh. 17. 19 Psal 9. 11. I say 52. 6. Psal 91. 14 15. The necessity and benefit hereof 10. Praying in a time of trouble Prayer an al sufficient remedy 1. Reason Exod. 15. 26. 2. Reason 3. Reason Iam. 5. 16. Bernard de med ◠7. 4 Reason Neglect of prayer argueth want of the spirit How the hypocrite useth prayer Cant. 5. 9. 2. Kings from v. the 10. to 16. Comfort for such as cannot or dare not pray Dan. 9. 2. 23. Our neglect of Prayer relying on other meanes what evill it is unto us Ier. 8. 15. Deut. 22. 25. 2 King 13. 14. Exod. 32. 33. Esay 64. 7. Cant. 3. 4. Hab. 2. 1. 11 Respect to order matter of Praier Rom. 8. 18. 1 Ioh. 5. 14. 1 King 3. 5. Mat. 7. Iam. 4. 3. Luk. 9. 45. Mat. 20. Psal 55. The order to be observed in Praier 1 Rule Mat. 6. 33. Ob. Answer 1 King 3. 9 Psal 4. 2 Rule 2 Sam. 23. 12 Expectation of the thing desired Deut. 33. 7. Ioh. 9. Psal 136. 6. Psal 123. 2. 3. Plin. l. 2. c. 4. The Godly fail herein Ob. Answ The Conclusion of this particular Quest Answer Gen. 24. 63. Dan. 6i 10. Ps 55. 17. 33. 4. Act. 10. 9. Luk. 6. 12. 1. Tim. 1. 6 Ps 31. 18. Eph. 6. 19. Col. 4. 2. Rom. 12. 12. Luk. 21. 36 2. Tim. 4. 2 Rev. 5. 4. Ioh 20. 29. Quaest Ans Psal 4. Ioh. 17. 20 Act. 9. 10. Ps 50. 15. 79. 6. Ier. 10. 25. Deut. 32. 35. Misery in sicknes death with out prayer Ob. Answer Prov. 15. 29. Lev. 21. Prov. 4. 14 Ps 26. 5. 6. Pro. 13. 20. Amos. 5. 14. Exod. 8. 8. 1. Sam. 16. 23. Iam. 5. 15.
peremptorily condemneth but this sacred fire of fervency cleareth the clouds of the understanding so that the formes of divine motions are more quickly and purely framed in the passive faculty thereof and are more soundly and judicially wrought on by the active faculty so the fire be compact so that you see this fire is of a heavenly operation and from heaven well may it bee compared with that divine fire which came out from before Iehovah and consumed the burnt offering upon the Altar But the strange fire in the seeming zealous hypocrite is nothing like for first it is but a supernaturall cōmon gift of the spirit at the most againe it is rather an inflāmation of the brain arising from the rapture of some vainglorious conceipt deceiving the heart and running all along like a devouring wild-fire rather I say then any true fire warming and quickning the life of supplication Secondly this true celestiall fire hath no fuell but the spirit but the strange fire hath either private injury or publike applause for the fuell Thirdly this true fire hath for the end or object Gods glory and the salvation of those that are heated with it cōsuming every thing that stands in the way of either of these The spouse speaking of the nature of this zeale telleth us that the coales thereof are coales of fire which hath a most vehement flame Of this David saith the zeale of thy house hath eaten me up and in another place my zeale hath consumed me or suppresseth me because mine enimies have forgotten thy words But counterfeit zeale in prayer hath for its end or object the ravishing of mens conceipts the glory of applause the gaining of some worldly commodity so far as the sun shine of Gods glory is adored by the times and state so much will hypocrisie seem to advance it like cloudes they will follow the Sun and seem to carry Gods glory right on before them but when the current crosseth it they goe no further with it but like a running hound they cast up and with an open mouth they run another way Fourthly this true fire though it set all on fire within and without and turneth all that it toucheth into the nature of fire carrying all upward with it according to the proportiō of fire yet it humbleth the soul exceedingly and maketh it vile in its own eyes for by this true fervency the stubble and rubbish of mens corruptions and interposition being removed and consumed Gods excellēcy mans meanes Gods mercy and mans misery the more appeareth which be the meanes and motives of mans humiliatiō But with the strange fire-workmen it is not so for as Cookes by unnaturall heat of the fire extinguishing the naturall heat and exhausting the radicall moisture and by excesse of drinking become hydropicks so these are puffed up with a swelling conceipt of themselves by the unnaturall or adventitious heat of this strange fire crying in effect with Iehu come with me and see my zeale for the Lord yea if these counterfeits of true zeal be not admired they are all off the hinges they count their charges and paines to be lost Their zeale is like to the vertues of the Heathens from which if you separate as one saith the splendor of glory vertue it selfe will goe bitter to them So take from the zeal of seeming zealous Hypocrites the swelling cloud of puffing up applause their fervency falleth presently into an atrophie or pining away under abūdance of means so that their pride not maintained with applause either like a handfull of gun-powder carrieth fire and fuell and all that lieth in the way out of the chimney top or like a dropsie by peecemeale it consumeth the naturall heat and drinketh up the radicall moisture But the heat of the truly zealous is like the harth of the Altar hallowed by humility for the receit of Gods fire and for the keeping and increasing of the heat thereof Fiftly and lastly the true fire of fervency is never extinguished it is for divers causes more intense or remisse higher or lower in the best of Gods children yea the sparkles may lye very low overlaid with ashes notwithstanding it is true fire though it be never so litle or never so weake in nature alwaies like the fire upon the Altar which burneth continually and shall not bee put out to the which the spirit affordeth the fuell stirring blowing it up for the consuming of the sacrifice But the strange fire is but a flash quickly out and unorderly kindled like a fit of an Ephemera or diary feaver and is as quickly extinguished either by the oyle of prosperity or by the water of adversity yea like a rotten sulphurous fiery squib it cracks and flashes stinks and dieth Let every soule examine its own fervency in prayer by the particulars by which examination if they can finde in the least measure these notes of fervency they may assure themselves to their exceeding great comfort that they can pray in the holy Ghost But some distressed soule will say they can finde no life of fervency in their prayers they are takē in the duty with syncopes or many fainting and sounding fits of the heart many a cold sweat goeth over them they are taken with many Lethargies of the understanding mad melancholy aberiations in the imagination much forgetfulnesse in the memory yea with a cold astonishing stupefaction of the whole man what fire of the Spirit can be here Surely say they none at all Conclude not so for true fire may be raked up in the ashes of neglect or distemper though it doe not appeare Againe the sence and sorrow of and for the overswaying suppressmēts must needs arise from the light and heat of true fire be it never so weake or litle for the common gifts and most glorious excellency in counterfeit Prayer cannot truly and ingeniously discover an essentiall defect in Prayer Againe the sparkles of life that the most distressed and daunted of Gods people finde in Prayer now and then make the strongest kind of demonstration that the Fire of Gods Spirit inlivens their Prayer For where there is action there is life and where is life there is heat for life consisteth in heat As the Spirit of faith in the Disciples was very weake when they counted the relation of the Resurrection but as an idle tale so that they would not believe it yet the Spirit of faith was not extinguished witnesse the burning of their hearts within them while he talked with them in the way to Emaus which arose from the quickning of the Spirit which lay as it were quenched in them even so the fervency of the Spirit of Prayer may seeme to be quenched yet the flames bursting out now and then in sighs and Groanes that cannot be expressed argueth heavenly fire to inspire thy Prayer howsoever thou wilt not be perswaded of it Lastly observe thy earnest desire
Iob He shall call upon God and he will be favourable to him and hee shall see his face with joy For he will render unto man his righteousnesse False and forged then is that glosse of the Doctors of Doway upon that place of Nehemiah Ajust man that hath merited by good works may pray with great confidence of reward Further if any object If Prayer depend upon promises what need men pray since God will acknowledge his promises without our Prayers for all his promises are Yea and Amen For answer briefly he that hath promised to heare hath commanded us also to pray and without praying no promise to heare yea the Son of God himselfe who doubted not of his glorification did notwithstanding pray Father glorifie thy Son Try then thy interest to the promises by the laying hold or desiring to lay hold on the promises thereby thou maist know whether thou praiest in the Spirit or no keep alwaies thine eye upon the promises for as the load stone keepeth alwaies the point of the needle towards the north-pole so the load-stone of Gods promises keepeth alwaies the point of the Prayer touched therewith directly towards the Mercy seat of God But as the unregenerate man hath no portion in the promises so the promises are no point of that Compasse whereby his Prayers are guided It is true indeed that a wicked man out of the darknesse of his thoughts may charge God with such a promise as God never made by misconstruing of the promise as for instance Call upon me in the day of distresse and I will release thee This promise a wicked man may thus urge Thou hast bound thy selfe by promise Lord to deliver all those that are troubled and call upon thee but I am in trouble and call upon thee therefore thou hast bound thy selfe by the promise to deliver mee and so from thee I seeke for deliverance The Argument is a sophisme as wee speake from the homonumie or diverse significations of the word all which in the former proposition must be taken for calling upon the Lord in truth but in the later in cannot be so taken for the wicked may prate and bable but hee calleth not upon the Lord as I have shewed therefore he hath no interest in the promise Hee leaveth out the maine evidence namely the Glorifying of God which a wicked man never doth so that he presumeth himselfe to doe that he doth not and God to promise that which he never meant Againe a wicked man may obtaine that which he payeth for as successe honour wealth temporall deliverance and the like whereupon hee presumeth of some interest to the premises but it doth not follow For as God heareth not in every thing or alwaies the children of the promise because they are not fitted or it is not good for them or the the time is not come so he often giveth the wicked things they crave in his wrath they having no ground to aske or receive any thing from him as a promise to them for they are none of the children of the promise They have neither promise of the things of this life nor a better neither doe they with patience waite the Will of God that they may receive the promise but the childrens only care is to make good to themselves some interest to the promises and that by cleansing themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and by doing the Will of God waiting with patience for the promises endeavouring to bring them home by faith and supplication without ceasing The ninth Evidence of the Spirit of Prayer is the directing of Prayer to God in the name of Christ we are commanded thus to doe for what is it to seek the Face of God according to his owne appointment but to seeke him in the Face of his anointed Drawing neare unto God in Christ hath only the promise of hearing witnesse Christ himselfe binding it with an asseveration Verily verily I say unto you what soever yee shall aske the Father in my name that will I doe By no other nor in no other can wee speed but in and by him what other can appease the wrath of God against us Dare man by any other shew his face in Gods presence In the worth of Christ only our Prayers find acceptance with God in him as in a golden Censor all the Prayers of the Saints come to be fragrant and sweet-smelling odors He is the only mediatour as well of Intercession as Redemption He is the Priest the golden Altar by whose vertue our Prayers come to be a Sacrifice Did there ever any prevaile with God but in his name Is there any way or accesse but by his name Hee is that high Priest going into the Sanctuary carrying on his shoulders and also on his breast the twelve precious stones representing the twelve Tribes or all the faithful Hence it is cleare that Papists goe not to God going in the name of Saints and Angels sometime in the name of Traytors and godlesse persons In the name I say of their own worth and merit neither doth any reprobate goe to God in the name of Christ for Christ is no Intercessor for him I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast granted me for they are thine A great rabble of the unregenerate as Hypocrites carnall Gospellers meere civill men will tell you they defie Popery they hold it foolery and madnesse to pray to Saint or Angell and also robbery to goe to God by them and therefore they scorne it they acknowledge no other mediatour of Intercession but Christ Iesus All this is wel spoken but what availeth this them They will tell you further in Christ his name they dayly make their Prayers to God This is not so for they have no interest to take his name in their mouths or to make mention of it hating to be renued It is true they may speake of his name and so egregiously abuse it as they that will alleage it in the great day that they prophesyed and cast out Divels in his name of whom he will professe that is openly proclaim he knew them not viz. he never acknowledged thē for his yea he detesteth them and biddeth them away as workers of iniquity so shall it bee with all corrupt pleaders usurping the name of Christ They onely that know this name as the Psalmist saith can trust in it and fly unto it as a strong tower They know the Lords name the Lord knoweth theirs My people saith the Prophet shall know my name c. And because hee hath set his love upon me or cleaveth to mee as the Psalmist speaketh therefore I will deliver him I will set him on high because hee knoweth my name He shall call upon me and I will answer him Look then to it in all thy supplications to look towards God in Christ As Moses desiring to see the face of
who wil try a litle of this mans skill a litle of the others but will not set himselfe to any constant course of physick by which hee might be perfectly cured finding no good by this course hee resolveth peremptorily never to take any more Physick yea further desperately determineth to forbeare nothing be it never so hurtfull but use every thing that his minde giveth him to Iust so the hypocrite in his distresse will have about with prayer fall very fresh upon it for a fit or a start but finding the event not immediately to answer his desires he fals a quarrelling with it and casheeres it with a resolution to attend it no further yea and not only casteth himselfe upon the subordinate meanes but imbraceth the worst meanes that the Divell will offer him A pregnant instance wee have of this in Saul who in his distresse made a seeking of God for he is said to inquire of the Lord But he did it neither in sincerity nor constancy and therefore in another place he is said not to enquire at all he enquired not of the Lord for not to enquire of the Lord in truth is not to enquire at all But God not vouchsafing him an answer hee commeth from him to the Divell for an answer Let every soule then put it selfe to triall upon this point whither dost thou goe in thy troubles whereon dost thou stay thy selfe dost thou be take thy selfe to prayer dost thou walke with this staffe over the rocky steep and invious mountaines of thy distressefull troubles Then thou talkest by the spirit thou walkest by the spirit the spirit protecteth and directeth thee though thy feet stick fast in the clay thy soul be sunk in the pit the Lord will take thee out and set thy feet upon a rock If thy troubles as Iob saith were more and heavier thē the sand of the sea yet the Lord will ease thee and deliver thee though all the waves of the Lord goe over thee ply but the oares of prayer in the boat of faith and they shall neither drowne thee in the depth of despaire nor split thee upon the rock of Apostasie If all thine enimies conspire against thee and all thy friends for sake thee bee thou ever with God in prayer and God will ever be with thee to preserve thee yea in life and death he will never forsake thee and this shall be an undeniable evidence in thy soules deepest distresse that God is with thee But if thou canst be content in thy trouble onely to make thy triall of praier and if thou findest not present successe to prefer other meanes to this and yet thou wilt use this but as if thou used it not then thou dealest in this case as Achas dealt with the Altar of God He brought in as the History telleth us the Altar of Damascus whereon all his offerings and the offerings of the people must be laid but the Altar of the Lord must haue an inferiour place and be reserved only to consult withall a litle for fashion sake So though thou canst bee content to prate with praier having given it an inferiour place and respect yet all thy sacrifices are for the subordinate meanes As the Lord abhorred Achas and his offerings so will he never look upon thee in this case nor on thy prayers to doe thee any good Therefore looke to it as thou lovest to thriue All lawfull meanes as I have shewed thou maist and must use because the neglect of them is a tempting of God but be sure to use them in subordination to prayer by which they must bee either sanctified or supported or they will prove but rotten and deceitfull reeds But here by the way thou must observe a necessary Caveat that Gods dearest childrē may bee so deaded with distresse of soule and pressure of afflictions that they cannot pray or as I have shewed so distempered and distracted that they dare not pray but this may stay their heart that they would fain pray their heart beareth them witnesse that they prize nothing so much as prayer if they had all the meanes in the world at command they will give none the place of prayer yea they had rather pray then be delivered And there is great reason why thus they should esteeme of prayer above all other meanes because the greatest thing that they can effect is but hearts desire in things like the meanes themselves but prayer over and besides procureth greater familiarity with God which is the highest honour and the richest profit that the soul can attain unto A notable instance wee have of this in Daniel who though he understood by holy Writ that the time of Ierusalems deliverance was come yet he fals hard to prayer and that to his great rejoycing for the Angell of the Lord becommeth the Herald of the Lords affliction towards him calling him a man of desires or as it is translated much beloved or desired of the Lord. So if thou hast assurance of the thing desired yet thou shouldest not cease to desire it in prayer It is further true that Gods deare people may in the damp of their distresses look more to the subordinate meanes than they should and lesse to prayer than they ought yea in this particular wee may all lay our hands upon our mouths and with shame enough confesse our faultinesse In this we labour of the squintnesse of the eye of the soule for as this is caused in the eye of the body from loosenesse of the muscles or nerves or from inversion of the Christaline humor or from the suddain sight some fearefull object So the other of the soule ariseth from the weaknesse of Faith the terrors without and the feares within making us look a squint upon that which should help us and more directly to that which cannot help us but the cause being removed the sight being rectified they looke streighter and more directly upon the proper object or if you will wee may be compared to unadvised patients who being in a direct and approved course of Physick not feeling such present good as they looke for they fall presently upon some Emperick medicin either from a Mountebanck Foe or an ignorant Friend the evill and disorder whereof when they begin to feele they confesse their errour and resolve thence forth to walk by the rule So the people of God in their brain-sick fits count with Naaman the rivers of Damascus more medicinable thē the rivers of Israel but upon better consideration they conceive and finde it to be true that one bucket full of Iordan is better thē al the rivers of Damascus A few graines of the spirit are of more force then all the friends and means whatsoever in the world And as a wise patiēt grown wise to his cost from foolery and experimented evill of a hurtful Medicine resolveth hence forth to cleave to a methodicall course and to die or live by the Book So the
thē in this particular The cōceit of the proud Pharisee amongst the rest of his faults that he could pray and none like him spoiled him for ever from praying To men so conceited that saying of the Physitian well agreeth When the minds of men are once takē up with fals opinions they make them not only deaf but also blind against the truth it selfe yea further saith hee there is no tincture so indelible staining the judgement of well ruled reason for their arrogancy and ignorance combine themselves together Even just so it is with men in this particular yea I dare avouch that this conceit maketh such further off from prayer then prophane Infidells that never offered to pray in all theit lives It is related of a skilfull Musitian that hee tooke twice as much for teaching those that were evill taught as for those that were not taught at all because a false position in a science is a greater hinderance to the attainment thereof then the pure privation of it if ever then thou desirest to pray confesse ingeniously that thou canst not pray at all know that thou art stark blinde and lame that thou maist receive thy limbs and sight In the next place thou must lay to heart and bee sensible of thy miserable and wretched condition through want of this precious gift of prayer this well considered will make thee at thy wits end and it will shake the sandy foundation of all thy endeavours it will batter take the fort of all thy vain confidence it wil cut the sinews of all thy selfe deceiving policy it will faint the heart and dead the very soule of all thy pale-faced hopes it will imbitter the sweetnesse of al thy rats-bane pleasures it will mar the market of all thy possessions treasures it will bring off the hooks all thy jollity and mirth it will make thee behold as in a true glasse all thy jollity and madde mirth it will let thee see the vanity of all thy great friends favorites supporters lovers acquaintance yea the Ioviall companions In a word if thou wilt hold to it it will give thee no rest till thou hast found some other footing for thy soul to rest on To make all good let me a litle expostulate the matter with thee What canst thou doe in the day of thy distresse when trouble comes upon thee like paine on a woman in child-birth When thy cōscience begins to roare thy soul to faint thy state to wast or bee taken from thee by violence Whither canst thou goe Wilt thou know what thou canst doe I know thou shalt know it thou canst doe just nothing for thy selfe that good is If thou canst not pray thou canst goe no where at all out of thy selfe to him thou canst not goe that hath eternall life for thou art not acquainted with him thou hast no odours to fill the Censer and therefore hee hath nothing for thee but a Censer full of fire from the Altar to cōsume thee here thou maist know if thou wilt that thou art blind and naked miserable and wretched But what is the remedy where is the refuge who is thy shelter in this thy distresse Surely if thou canst not pray thou maist look about thee within thee aboue thee beneath thee and finde no remedy refuge or helpe For thou hast no promise of all these in calling upon God no promise of deliverance as I have shewed yea instead thereof thou hast the arrow of the Lords wrath drawn even to the head against thee witnes the Psalmist powre out thy wrathfull heat against the heathen that know thee not and upon the kingdomes that cal not upon thy name The very same phrase hath Ieremy calling them the Families that call not on thy name whether it be family kingdome or person all is one Further what canst thou doe for thy family if famine fire plague or fearefull sicknesse come amongst thē If thou canst pray just so much as thou canst doe for thy selfe yea if they were all running to hell which is worse then the former thou neither canst nor wilt stay them but rather hasten them thither Observe this I beseech thee as thou art husband or wife parent or childe master or servant what canst thou doe for thy country when the dismal day of calamity thickens in upon it as a cloud and the evill threatned maketh hast Though thou art the most civiliz'd formalist in all the world the closest hypocrite the most glistring moralist yea the most potent grandie for state and puissance in all the land and yet canst not pray thou makest many breaches and openest many gaps to the betraying of the state and kingdome but thou canstnot for thy heart by sword or counsell protect the State frō the least ensuing danger An evill man may by Gods imployment bee a fort or Cannon yet hee hath neither the promise nor any good by it It is the poore wise man that by his wisdome delivereth the City though no man regard him for fools can doe no good fooles are all such as cannot pray for they spend all time in learning strange language but have never a word of the language of Canaan Lastly what canst thou doe when sicknesse seazeth on the and death the last enimy looketh gastly in thy face Then all thy worldly confidence policy hopes pleasures profits possessions joviallity mirth favourers freinds and what not shall forsake thee then one groane or sigh from the spirit would bring thee better newes from God then if all the Princes Embassadours in in the world should salute thee Master or their Soveraign and sole Monarch of the world But this Embassie of prayer being wanting what woe will be wāting yea thou maist wish the hills and mountaines to overwhelme thee and cover thee from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne but all in vaine if the Lord put not words in thy mouth whereby hee may be entreated thou shalt either dye desperately like Iudas or with thy heart dying within thee like Nabal So consider this strait wherein thou art this may put thee further on to set thine eyes towards the Lord. But some desperately may object for such there bee if the sense of ones state that cannot pray set him so upon the rack it were better for such a one to content himselfe with such prayers as have served him hitherto then by medling after a new strain of prayer to make life uncomfortable and death intollerable For answer the remedy is worse then the disease for if such a one see it not in time he shall see it will be one time or other yea it may bee out of time greater horrour I have been the larger in this particular that the terror of a non-suppliant estate might hasten him out of it yea I think verily if such men would look well upon it it might be a meane to bring many out of it Thou must resolve in