thy words were heard yet Daniel knew not of it else would he not have further supplicated but have given thanks for it Sometimes through heedlesness and negligence persons look not after their Prayers Sometimes anguish of heart makes persons not perceive it Job 9.16 If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkened to my voice 2 Look upon it as a great affliction to cry and not be heard Lam. 3.44 3 God takes notice of the Prayers of his people Acts 9.11 Behold he prayeth yea delights in them as men do in the smell of sweet Odours and Incense Psalm 141.2 Revel 5.8 and if not yet answered wait for sooner or later they shall be answered They shall not be ashamed who wait for God Isai 49.23 9 Pray with watchfulness Col. 4.2 Continue in Prayer and watch Watch and pray Matth. 26.41 Take heed watch and pray Mark 13.33 Be sober and watch unto Prayer 1 Peter 4.7 Watch therefore and pray always that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things Luke 21.36 There are two sorts of Watchings 1 Proper 2 Metaphorical 1 Proper this was practised 1 Under the Old Testament when holy men being compassed about with many cares distractions and business could not sometimes finde fit access to God on the day time hence were forced to take part of the night caeteris paribus the thing is lawfull now if a Christian unavoidably hindered on the day time do take part of the night for Prayer thus David Psalm 22.2 I cry unto thee in the night season and am not silent Psalm 6.6 All the night make I my bed to swim Psalm 119. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee Or if a soul not content with Prayer in the day time shall have an impulse to pray in the night thus Christ Matth. 26.38 Tarry ye here and watch with me saith Christ So the godly Levites Psalm 134.1 2 Under the New Testament there were night-watchings the Christians in the Apostles times were compelled when they would either hear the Word publickly or pray to meet in the night Acts 12.12 Peter in the night came to the house of Mary where many were gathered together praying Acts 20 7. John 20.19 Now they met in the night because of the Pagans among whom they lived to avoid their fury Afterwards when Emperours became Christians whether for solemnity custome or devotion sake I know not Christians still retained the custome of wakings and these Wakes they kept when a solemn Feast or Holy-day came on which Wake they spent in Prayer and in the Word that so they might be more fitted to partake of the Supper of the Lord hence Tertullian lib. 2. to his Wife brings a Reason why Christian women should not mary heathen Husbands even from these Wakes for saith he Quis Ethnicus nocturnis convocationibus c. What Heathen would willingly endure his Wife to be from his side at these night assemblies What man would endure without trouble that his Wife should go abroad in the night at the Solemnities of Easter wherein it 's like they had divers Wakes From this custome have the popish Wakes continued in the Nations to this day but quite altered from their primitive institution being now onely kept as Festivals for the most horrid drunkenness dancings and licentiousness 2 There is a metaphorical watchfulness This is 1 Against drowsiness that we do not come before the Lord with sleepy Prayers Thus Peter James and John fell asleep even as Christ was at Prayer Matth. 26.40 They had a willingness to have watched with Christ but drowsisiness seized on them through fleshly weakness v. 41. See also v. 43. A sleepy spirit scarce speaks sense to God in Prayer How do you think that God should hear drowsie Prayers which your selves do not hear Will Gods ears be delighted with non-sense Shouldest thou offer such blinde halt services to the Prince would he accept them Mal. 1.13 It 's a shame to speak what many men do in secret which they have confessed after conversion yea and it were well if Christians were not guilty herein If it so fall out with thee that thou goest late to Prayer and thine eys and spirit prove drowsie be humbled and be short lest thy whole Prayer be a taking of Gods Name in vain Make the Lord amends some other time when thy heart is in a better temper Let us be like Musicians that first tune their Instruments and then play Or like Mariners who having a good Gale of Winde set up all Sails Psalm 57.7 2 Watchfulness against distractions I have before showen the causes of them under another Head onely I le add that a worldly frame of spirit is a great cause of them for when the heart comes immediately out of the World from pleasures and worldly business no wonder if the soul be full of wandering thoughts in duty Also disorderly affections of fear joy desire grief anger vain hopes will be ready to interpose in Prayer Besides a spirit of slothfulness when we do not press our hearts to the Prayer in hand will open a door for distractions besides abundance of vain impressions upon the imagination with the absence of holy impressions there help forward distraction Besides many remaining lusts draw away and entice the soul Remedies against these Distractions 1 Be humbled for them and desire God to cleanse thee Psalm 19.12 2 Keep thy heart with diligence Prov. 4.23 3 Practise preparation of heart that thou mayst not come rushing into the presence of God Job 11.13 4 Remember the greatness of that majesty before whom thou presents thy self The Angels cover their faces before him Psalm 6.2 The Mountains quake at him and the Earth is burnt at his presence Nah. 1.5 5 Keep thine eye from gazing How many distractions come through the eye That the Prophet might keep his heart close in the duty he desires the Lord to turn away his eys from beholding vanity Psalm 119. â—7 The eys and ears are as the gates of the City keep them well that the Enemy enter not 6 Trim thy soul There 's a twofold preparation 1 Habitual thus the wise Virgins had Oyl in their Lamps hence get a Principle of Grace in thine heart from this holy motions arise in thy soul 2 Actual as the wise Virgins had not onely Oyl in their Lamps but also trimm'd them so must thou do act every grace faith love joy fear grief upon a right object 7 Get an heavenly frame of heart Psalm 45.1 My heart boileth up good matter Eructat Hence the tongue is as the Pen of a ready Writer which scantly makes a dash Where the heart is heavenly the heart will be heaving uptowards Heaven such hearts converse in Heaven and dwell there Phil. â— 20 Revel 13.6 8 Bring a feeling of thy wants the more thou feel'st them the more fixedly thou wilt look unto God for supply God will not have the Prayer
6.6 Psal 31.22 Jonah when in the whales belly Jon. 27. 3 The great refuge Saints have herein Manasses when in chains 2 Chron. 33.11 12. thus sought God Paul 2 Cor. 12.8 Esther and her maidens when the Jews were designed to destruction When a child of God is overtaken with some sin or in distress he would not for a world want this Peter Mar. 14.72 when Esau came against Jacob this was Jacobs refuge Gen. 32.9 4 Our own personal wants wherein perhaps not one in the church or family is in our case Onely in secret prayer take heed of hypocrisie that thy voice may not if possible be heard of others nor thy meltings and weepings perceived by others also of customariness come out of sense of thy wants else if thou keep thy hours thou wilt perform prayer either with listlesness or slightness Also take heed of profaneness to put off secret prayer till thou be moved by the Spirit by this delusion some have not prayed alone for some moneths It is a fit season to pray when the Spirit moves but not the onely season Father which is in secret Here 's the object of our Prayer viz. God as a Father Who is a Father 1 By creation hence called the Father of spirits Heb. 12.9 2 By Regeneration 1 Peter 1.3 Who hath begotten us again to a lively hope which also is called Adoption Gal. 4.6 hence 1 Call upon this Father One of the first things in nature is for a Childe to call Father so it should be the first thing in grace Matth. 7.9 2 Honour this Father Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour and live so that others may honour him Matth. 5.16 3 Imitate your Father as children do their father in love Ephes 5.1 2. In doing good to Enemies Matth 5.44 In holiness 1 Peter 1.14 4 Patiently bear his corrections Heb. 12.5 6 7 8. 5 Sort our selves with Gods children 2 Cor. 6.14 2 Comfort to Christians in sundry respects as 1 That God will bear a tender respect to us in all Troubles as a Father loves his childe as well when sick as well nay he is then more affectionately tender to him the father then sets the whole house a work for his recovery some going for Physicians others for Friends others tending of him so when souls are sick God sets Christians to pray for them Preachers to comfort them Yea suppose thou hast broken some resolutions and been overtaken yet what father would take the Forfeiture of a Bond of his son especially when he forfeits it against his will much less will God who is infinitely more a Father to his Children 2 In desertion A father solacing himself with a childe steps aside into a corner that the childe may dearlier prize the fathers presence so our heavenly Father by restraint of his influence in shining upon us inflames our love towards him 3 In respect of sustentation in trouble A father sets his childe upon its feet to try whether its able to stand alone but withall he holds his arms on both sides to hold it up if it incline either way so doth our heavenly Father 4 In respect of provision The childe takes not care what it shall eat or wear so should Saints cast all their care on their Father 1 Peter 5.7 Your heavenly Father knows ye have need of these things Matth. 6.32 5 Against total falling away A father will not cast off a fatherly affection to his son how hard it is for a father to cast off a rebellious son we see in David to Absalom 2 Sam. 10.5 Hosea 11.8 Luke 15.18 Much less will God cast off his children who desire to please him Mal. 3.17 I will spare him as a man spareth his own Son 6 In respect of our bold access If it be a privilege to come into a Princes presence-chamber what is it to come into the presence of God A childe comes boldly to his father though strangers and servants keep a distance Heb. 4.16 7 In respect of imperfections A father calls two of his children one of three years old the other of thirteen they both make all the haste they can and though the elder outgo the younger and comes first yet the younger comes wadling as fast as he can the father accepts of the endeavours of the younger as well as of the faster going of the elder so doth our heavenly Father 8. In case of disinheriting because we will not touch this or that unclean thing our parents casts us off well says God in this case I will be your Father and you shall be my sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6.17 3 Exhortation to perform reverence Mal. 1.6 and obedience Jer. 35.16 and confidence Thy Father which sees in secret shall reward thee openly Christ stirs up the faith of his petitioners by a twofold Argument 1 From the omnipresence of God wheresoever we are even in the most secret closet God is there present hearing prayers 2 From the goodness and mercy of God who will not suffer such prayers to be in vain but will grant the things at present wanting and hereafter shall give a Reward openly Onely know it's a Reward of Grace not of Debt for what desert can a Beggar allege V. 7. But when ye pray use not vain Repetitions as the Heathen do for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking Christ comes to shew the third sin of the Pharisees which is vain Repetitions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not speak vain things as Montanus translates it or speak not much as Erasmus the word is derived of Battus a Poet who was an egregious Babler As the Heathens thought they should be heard for their much speaking so did these Pharisees As Rhetoricians by their flanting style think to move the Judg to acquit the guilty so did these Yet doth not Christ condemn a frequency and continuance in prayer but he shews the grace of God is not obtained by the vain flowing of many words but the sighs and groans of the heart are the arrows that pierce Heaven Quest Whether are all Repetitions in Prayer vain Answ No. Solomon often uses them 1 Kings 8.30 39 43. Hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place Nehemiah uses Repetitions Nehemiah 1.6 7. and so doth Daniel cap. 9.5 We have sinned we have committediniquity and done wickedly Repetitions are lawfull 1 When they come from pinching necessity so Christ cried My God my God and three times uttered the same words Matth. 26.39 42 44. 2 When they come from holy affections Psalm 72.19 Let the whole earth be filled with his glory Amen and Amen Repetitions in prayer are sometimes Ecchoes of strong cries of the Spirit Blessed be his holy Name for evermore Amen and Amen Psalm 89.50 51. So Abba Father Mark 14.36 1 Kings 18.39 The Lord he is God the Lord he is God 3 When they come from love as Holy holy holy Isai 6.3 Rev. 4.8 4 When used though the second time yet they
are accompanied with holy affections and renewed desires of the same thing formerly in the same prayer requested Psalm 80.3 Cause thy face to shine upon us and we shall be saved this saying is thrice mentioned as v. 3. v. 7. and v. 19. So Psalm 67.3 5. this saying is twice mentioned Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 5 When used to stir up our dulness Psalm 107.8 15.21.31 Four times the Prophet saith O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and declare his wonderfull works to the children of men Psalm 47.6 Sing praises unto our God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises There is twenty six times mention made of the Lords mercy enduring for ever Psalm 136.1 to the end 6 Sometimes the heart of a childe of God exceedingly runs upon some one desire and so he may vent it more than once in prayer without vain repetition So David Psalm 119. more than once Repetitions in prayer become sinfull 1 When affected as strains of eloquence and Rhetorick as he that cried Hyperbolical God thou that dwellest in the third Heaven of Hyperbolees 2 When empty frothy and impertinent wherein is no spiritual life or heat so those worshippers cryed from morning to noon O Baal hear us 1 Kin. 18.26 Not onely those that are directed to Idols but those directed to Saints as those in the Papacy Holy Paul pray for us holy Peter pray for us mentioning thirty or forty Saints in this manner yea even repetitions of this kind directed to God as in the common prayer book Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us so in the Letany Good Lord deliver us is eight times mentioned and one and twenty times there is mentioned We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. 3 When men from want of holy notions of the word in their hearts through which the Spirit would convey it self are forced to use the same repetitions these in some measure disparage the spirit of praier and had need be humbled for their seldom reading of the word and meditation thereof from whence comes this strangeness and forcedness of repetitions 4 When men have an itch to pray as long as others that because an other hath praid an hour perhaps from a true enlargment they will pray as large as he hence some persons use vain repetitions when the spirit ceases from assistance and indisposition prevails it s our wisdom and humility to give out For they think they shall be heard for their much speaking Christ sets forth a ground why the heathens used vain repetitions because they thought they should be heard for their much speaking by gentiles he means the heathen or nations whereas the jews were called by the name of people and so they are contradistinguished twice Act. 26.17 23. These prophane nations thought that because they wearied themselves with the irksomness of a long prayer that therefore God would hear them because they would say many things they must needs say what is already spoken but when in prayer there is nothing spoken but that which is needful such an one ought not to be accounted a much speaker Quest Whether or no are long prayers and much speaking unlawful Answ 1 Long prayer may be upon extraordinary cases Moses continued a whole day in prayer Ex. 17.11 12. and Christ a whole night Luk. 6.12 nor are carnal men fit judges in this case who snuff at any small time spent in Gods service Mal. 1 13. crying When will the Sabbath be gone Amos 8.5 nor is the unregenerate part of Godly men a fit judge but before I answer hereto I must premise some things 1 The heart is not easily or suddenly gotten upon the wing yet in that doth the life of prayer consist it is a lifting up of the heart Psal 25.1 Many weights of dulness hardness heartlesness strangeness unbelief from whence arises dumbness discouragement and listlesness are upon the heart which are not easily removed now motion is a cause of heat hence to bring the soul to sensibleness there may be the longer essaying 2 If prayer have its due growth in the several parts of it conâ—ession petition intercession and thanksgiving it cannot be very short 〈◊〉 Oâ— manifold wants to be supplied and benefits to be acknowledged import that our prayer usually cannot be very short But to answer 1 We are to abominate all long prayer which is performed for any carnal end or pretence whether to get an opinion to be men of parts or to seem religious and get applause or because others so pray The wicked scribes for pretence made long prayers Mat. 23.14 2 See that your length of prayer arise from a true enlargment of heart and from a gracious quickned frame which if it be your petitions will be free and not forced Powre out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord Lam. 2.19 that is thy petitions will come freely as water powred out thy lips will drop as the hony-comb which needs no squeezing Song 4.11 they will be also pat and seasonable according to occasion wherein the heart oft will be put into an holy melting frame After this manner Christ prayed Heb. 5.7 and such a frame of spirit is promised Zach. 12.10 these enlargements the people of God have more often in closet prayer then elsewhere because they can there more freely rip up their hearts and can most insist upon those petitions that will make the soul bleed and yern 3 In long prayers see that your hearts be able to hold out as well as your tongues Our worship must be with our spirit Joh. 4.23 Rom. 1.9 Paul served God with his spirit a short prayer made with servency and devotion prevails with God Jam. 5.16 more then long prayers which are but lip labour Esa 29.13 4 Gods people have upon extraordinary occasions usually used long prayer as Solomon at the consecration of the temple 1 King 8. so when under agonies and great troubles Psal 102.1 the overwhelmed soul powres out his complaint it comes like a flood so when the spirit comes to visit the soul with enlargement the soul in this case is wont to pray long and loth to let the Lord go Gen. 32.26 when we have the breathings of the spirit upon our hearts it s not our wisdom to give out Longa hora brevis mora Bern. God's long a coming and his tarryings are not long Shall we be watchful for winde and tyde and shall we not take the gales of the spirit moreover afflictions are wont to awake the soul hence the soul being awakened prayes with more earnestness and length Jacob when he feared death and destruction from Esau he cryed to God all night long Gen. 32. when the Church is in hazard of ruine also so Hester and the Church Act. 12.5 5 In long prayer we must have respect to them that joyn with us as to our selves when the mouth of
him that prayes is enlarged the rest are like to hold out the better yet we must have respect unto them and consider whether their hearts be like to hold out so long as thy heart who hast the enlargements of God upon thee As in preaching we must have respect to the hearers ability in bearing of it John 16.12 so must we in prayer Christ spent a whole night in prayer but it was not his usual wont 6 As there may be occasion of long prayer so may there be occasion for short prayer as in ejaculatory prayer also when we have but little time also when some prevailing business falls in which cannot be dispensed with onely herein pay the Lord another time for the time thou hast taken from him Sometimes a marvellous indisposition comes upon the soul occasioned by weariness in our callings sleepiness journeying Sometimes we want vital spirits in these cases we may be short And it 's wisedome usually so to pray with sick persons that they may not lay aside attention nor be weary of the duty Also in the closing of Church exercises when much time hath been before spent in prayer Onely let this shortness of prayer be upon due occasion and not usual 1 Because in these short prayers the soul can be but little drawn up to God 2 The soul in them gets little answer for assoon as the heart begins to be up the prayer is done 3 Short prayers argue either strangeness from God persons not using to hold long discourse with strangers or irreverence towards him in that being a God of such greatness we can so slightly take our leaves of him V. 8. Be ye not therefore like unto them for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him Be ye not therefore like unto them Two Reasons first from unprofitableness of such Prayers neither in unprofitable babbling and speaking superfluous things as in the Papacy who mumble over a great many prayers without any devotion thinking they are heard ex opere operato meerly for saying words so many Lords Prayers and Ave Maries This they do often with such volubleness of tongue that they cannot understand themselves and with such distraction of minde and irreverence of body that the Heathens dare not so call upon their gods nor mortals pray unto their Prince 2 Neither be ye like them in much speaking as if your God did not know your wants unless you told him of them and made long stories unto him For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him A second Argument why we should neither use Battology or vain speaking nor much speaking in prayer is from the all-knowledg and goodness of God he knows what we have need of therefore we need not tell him of them in many words Yea sometimes he prevents our prayers Yet this doth not hinder that we should not be sensible of our wants and from the sensibleness of our misery call on God The Heathens thought God did not understand their miseries unless they told him of them but your God knows your wants and knows how to help you and is ready so to do 1 Peter 5.7 casting all your care on him for he cares for you Deut. 4.7 What nation is there that hath God so near unto them as the Lord is unto you when you call upon him Isai 65.24 Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear Object But if God know our wants before we ask what need is there to tell our wants to him that knows them already Answ We do not call upon God as if he 〈◊〉 us or as if we would put him in minde of any 〈…〉 us for our prayers or as if we would move him of hard to become gentle but we come to him in the duty of prayer as an ordinance wherein he will be found and 〈◊〉 promised to convey good to us 2 Though he know our wants before ye◠be will 〈◊〉 us sensible of them as in the case of the blinde man Mark 10.51 who Matth. 20.33 begged mercy of Christ but got none till he was sensible what mercy he lacked even the recovery of his sight which no sooner was he sensible of but Christ granted his Request 3 God will be called upon because he will have this glory given to him that he is the authour and giver of every good thing James 1.17 Every good gift comes from the Father of Lights 4 That we may unburden our cares into the bosom of 〈…〉 37 5.55.16 17. compared with v. 22. 5 That1 we may come into familiarity and acquaintance with God Job 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace Psalm 73.28 It 's good for me to draw near to God 6 That we may better prize blessings when we have got them by prayer Psalm 116.1 2. I will love the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplication 7 For the venting of their holy affections they have to the Lord as faith in his faithfulness James 1.6 7. love to him for his goodness Song 4.16 desires and breathings after God Psalm 42.1 Joy in their interest and property in God Psalm 116.7 8 From the prevalence that praying Saints have with God as Moses Hezekiah Jehosaphat Object God hath in his eternal counsel determined what he will do for us which all our prayers cannot alter Ephes 1.11 Answ It 's a sign God hath determined to do us some good when he stirs up our hearts to be earnest for it Jer. 29.12 13. When the Lord was about to bring his people out of captivity he stirr'd up Daniel to be earnest to seek him Dan. 9.4 as God hath determined what to do for us so hath he determined to do it in the use of prayer Ezek. 36.37 We are not commanded to inquire into Gods secret counsels which cannot be found out but to his revealed will which requires us to seek him for every good thing and reproves the neglect hereof V. 9. After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven After this manner pray ye Where we see 1 Prayer is a duty we ow to God 2 We must pray in a right manner 1 Prayer is a duty Call upon me in time of trouble Psalm 50.15 Ask and ye shall have 2 We must pray in a right manner Now that we may so pray 1 Pray in Christ's Name Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you John 16.23 Our prayers are not heard for any excellency in them but for Christ's sake When a Servant comes for Wares in his own name the Merchant will not deliver them but if he bring a Ticket from his Master the Merchant will deliver what Wares the Servant asks for so when the soul comes in its own name it speeds not but if it come in the name of Christ it speeds It 's an Argument we come in Christ's Name when we come with a
reverend boldness and confidence but when we are doubting timorous and fearfull it 's a sign we come in our own names Christ hath a golden Censer wherein is much Incense which he offers with the prayers of all Saints Revel 8 3. as the high Priest of old did who put Incense on his Censer when he made an atonement for the people Numb 16.46 2 Pray with the Spirit We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father Rom. 8.15 Also v. 26. The spirit makes request for us with groanings that cannot be uttered The grones of the spirit are strong cries which so fills heaven and earth that besides it God hears nothing saith Luther If in tentation or trouble we shall onely sigh to God and say Jesus Christ come and help me or else I am undone for ever we shall finde often ease hereupon All the sons of God have the spirit of his Son in their hearts crying Abba Father God grants not that often which is in the top of the heart and in the froth of words but according to the depth of the sigh to which often words answer very barely or not at all How many worldly wise men are there that might they have a world to continue one quarter of an hour in ripping up their hearts in conceived prayer they were not able to do it Some short wishes they have as God be thanked for his blessings God send us rain Others there are who have learnt the art of prayer or the gift but they have not the grace of prayer they pray artificial prayers and give artificial life to them as if the spirit accompanied them but in the mean time their hearts are neither warmed nor melted But those prayers wherein God delights are stir'd up by the holy Ghost Jude 20. Eph. 6.18 Praying with all supplication in the spirit Without this spirit we may speak of God but not unto God indeed the best of our prayers are but as the stammering voices of infants begging bread or meat at the Table yet these chatterings or stammerings coming from the spirit he that searcheth the heart must needs know what they mean because he maketh intercession for the Saints now he intercedes not by way of merit as Christ doth nor by way of supplication but by stirring us up to cry to God Rom. 8.27 Do the bowels of a father yern towards an infant groaning and panting and unable to tell where his pain is and will not God be moved with the sighs and groans of his children When Moses spake never a word yet he is said to cry to God Exo. 14.15 Hanna's voice was not heard 1 Sam. 1.13 yet she is said to powr out her heart v. 15. the sighs of the godly are as so many beams of the spirit which tyrants cannot hinder from ascending heaven though they should cut out their tongues Asaph groaned when he could not speak Psal 77.4 Now that this praying with sighs and groans comes from the spirit appears because when the spirit ceases from working upon our hearts we become dull and heavie and weary of the dutie that it becomes a very penance to us the soul then is like a becalmed ship All Saints that pray aright even Paul himself pray by this spirit Rom. 8.15 By this spirit we present such sighs as cannot be expressed and utter such words as are not able to be repeated The sighings of the needy God hears Psal 12.5 Now though carnal men sometimes groan and that to God yet are these groans a fruit of nature as the bruits do under feeling of a pressing weight the groans of saints come not onely from feeling of pain but from sorrow for sin 2 The groans in Saints lifts up their hearts to heaven and brings back chearing and sence of Gods love 3 There 's usually a sweet satisfaction comes in those groans which doth not in the groans of wicked men Those that have this spirit of prayer they have many ejaculations amidst their callings Nehemiah when he was speaking to the King prayed to the God of heaven Neh. 2.4 they frequently dart out many broken sighs to quench the sprowtings of lust as pride unclean desires revenge c. and have many invisible springings of heart upon the receipt of blessings on themselves or others Many zealous wrastlings for removal of corruptions and supply of grace To powr out the soul out of sense of spiritual wants in that form or phrase which groanings and meltings of the spirit doth indite and frame is beyond the ordinary reach of unregeneration Yea thus to pray is the hardest of all works because it cannot be effected without the spirit This spirit of prayer is of more worth then the world especially when a Christian hath by any scandalous sin or relapse or sin against conscience turn'd away Gods favour for hereby he hath restitution into Gods favour and the return of Gods countenance Jon. 2.4 7. Infinite more fruits the spirit of prayer works as many secret exultations and rejoycings spiritual ravishments strong though silent cries passionate meltings unutterable groans zealous longings which are riddles to prophane men but known to the children of God 3 Thirdly the person must be righteous Hear my prayer for I am holy Psal 86.2 The prayer of the wicked is abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 A holy man may make a carnal prayer as when the flesh gets the upper hand but a carnal man cannot make a spiritual prayer I mean a prayer prevailing for spiritual things Jon. 9.31 God heareth not sinners but if any man be a doer of his will him he hears The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth him out of all his troubles Psal 34.15 The prayer of a righteous man avails much Jam. 5.16 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you Joh. 15.7 8. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandements and do those things which are pleasing in his sight 1 Joh. 3.22 The spirit of prayer is called the spirit of grace if thou hast not the spirit of grace thou canst not pray Zach. 12.10 yet know the righteousness of a person may consist with variety of passions as he instances in Eliah Jam. 5.17 In all begging it's a great matter who it is that begs if it be a sturdy beggar we have nothing for such so in prayer if a wicked man pray for any spiritual blessing saith God I have nothing for you but if it be a believer Christ saith be of good chear to such Luke 8.48 if thou prepare thy heart and stretch out thy hands towards him if iniquity be in thine hand put it far away Job 11.13 14. He will fullfil the desire of them that fear him Psal 145.19 Contrary when a man inclines to wickedness in his heart the Lord will not hear him Psal 66.18 The Pagans had so much divinity as to say the gods
must be honoured with puritie therefore they wrote upon the doors of their Temples Let none having a guilty conscience enter this place A bad conscience can never hope well Obj. But do not we finde wicked men in Scripture have had their praiers heard A. Yes when they have sought for temporal things Jehoahaz the son of Jehu was a wicked man 2 Kin. 13.2 yet when the nation of Israel was delivered into the hands of the Syrians Jehoahaz besought the Lord and the Lord hearkened unto him for he saw the oppression of Israel and the Lord gave Israel a Saviour v. 4 5. So Ahab seeking obtained the removing of the judgement until his sons daies 1 Kin. 21.27 28 29. So when men of all sorts are in danger by storms at sea they cry to the Lord in their trouble and he delivereth them out of their distress Psal 107.28 So prisoners that lie in irons v. 13. and sick men that draw near to death v. 18 19. If thou afflict a widow or fatherless person whether godly or ungodly I will surely hear their cry Exod. 22.22 23. Ishmael was a wicked person a persecutor yet God heard the voice of the Lad Gen. 21.17 Uzziah sought God in the daies of Zachariah and as long as he sought the Lord God made him to prosper 2 Chro. 26.5 yet was he wicked as we see 2 Chron. 25.2 compared with 2 Chron. 26.4 Besides God bestowes praying abilities upon unregenerate men therefore they may improve them the not calling upon God is charged upon wicked men as their sin therefore the performance of it is their dutie The Prophet proves the Jews to be under sin because there 's none seeks after God Psal 14.2 Also Psal 53.4 wicked men are branded that they call not upon God Psal 10.4 they are taxed for this both Pastours Jer. 10.21 and people Hos 7.7 Zeph. 1.6 and all flesh are said to come to God in prayer O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come Psal 65.2 An unbeliever may be underpreparing grace though he be not yet come to saving faith and in this estate he may have many good desires which God may hear To reconcile these to the former speeches know that God hears wicked men in temporal things which indeed oft is onely the cry of their cause not of their person as he is said to hear the cry of the ravens Psal 147.9 so the young Lions are said to seek their meat from God Psal 104.21 Quest But what would you have us to do with our children and servants Answ You may bid them call upon God in the general and if you speak to them to call upon God for saving grace as pardon c you must speak to them as Peter to Simon Magus Repent of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee Act. 8.21 First he bids him repent then pray God Quest But what should we do for joyning in prayer with others Answ If the person with whom you are to eat and who is to give thanks be visibly wicked either forbear his table or declare that you desire liberty of conscience without which grant you cannot partake of his meat which doubtless was practised by the believers when they went to the unbelievers table 1 Cor. 10.27 we must not wound our consciences for good chear nor to gratifie a friend but where no such wickedness doth apppear my opinion is that charity must carry us to judge the best yet must we remember that this is onely a privative signe Positive signes of a good man being either Church Communion or some thing that is equivalent if you will follow conscience herein I know you must be content to lose some fat morsells 4 We must pray in saith 〈◊〉 faith in prayer ought to be certain of hearing but we must wait for the time when the place where the manner how and the person by whom God will work Now to pray in faith there is command Matth. 21.22 1 Faith in God How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10.14 And this God to be lookt on as a father Matth. 6.9 Heb. 11.6 2 Faith in the attributes of God as his omnipresence that he is every where Esa 6.31 in his omniscience that he knows all our wants and all our hearts hear thou in heaven and give to every man according to his wayes whose heart thou knowest 1 King 8.39 in his omnipotence thus Jeremy grounds his prayer thou hast made heaven and earth and there 's nothing too hard for thee Jer. 32.17.4 in his mercy Nehem. 1.4 5. in his all-sufficiency Of the object in prayer James speaks as I suppose Jam. 1.6 7. let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord. James speaks not of a partial or particular unbelief in the subject but of an universal and total unbelief in respect of the object 3 There must be faith to set before us the worthiness of the Mediator Heb. 4.15 16. and not barely his worthiness but also our union with him Joh. 15.7 8. If ye abide in me ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you 4 Faith grounded on the promises Psal 119.49 50 147. remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to trust To pray in faith is to go as far as the promise goes to believe that God is a father and being a father he will not keep any good thing from his child A beggar never goes from an house keepers door so long as he believes he shall have an alms no more doth a believing soul go from the throne of grace so long as he believes God will hear but if he leave off the words of prayer he doth not leave off the sute of prayer Had we a particular promise as Eliah had we were bound to believe in particular as Eliah did concerning the not raining for three years and six months And as faith looks on other promises so in particular such promises as concerns the souls present condition so Jacob Gen. 32.9 10 11 12. Thou saidest return into thy country and I will deal well with thee and thou saidest I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau There is scarce any case but the Scripture affords promises which speak to that very case had we wisdom to store them up as David did Psal 119. also Heb. 13.5 5 Faith grounded on former Experiments Thou art my trust from my youth leave me not in old age Psalm 71.5 9. When we thus pray in faith we have a bold access into the presence of God notwithstanding all our unworthiness and imperfections in prayer Ephes 3.12 5 Pray with fixedness of spirit When David's
heart was fixed on God he was ready both for prayer and praise Psalm 57.7 The sense of the Lords greatness should keep us close in the duty yet when we have done the best distractions will be in prayer 1 From corrupt nature 2 From nature curb'd as a Bird in a Cage keeps a great flutter because it 's curb'd of its liberty 3 From Satan so he stood at Joshua's right hand at Job's right hand As Abraham drove away the Birds that hindered him in his sacrificing so must we do wandering thoughts 4 From sluggishness He that prays drowsily must needs pray distractedly Baal's Priests will rise up against such who cut themselves with Knives and Lancers to make them pray more strongly When a Malefactour is at the Bar crying for his Life will his minde be on his pleasure and companions The sense of Gods greatness should keep our hearts close to him and aw us that we rove not in duty Our attention in prayer should not onely be to God we call upon and to the business we request but also to our hearts that they cleave close thereto 6 Pray with fervency I cry with my whole heart Psalm 119.145 Ye shall finde me when ye shall seek me with all your heart Jer. 29.13 Luke-warm prayers they are like luke-warm water that boils not out the bloud We must cry mightily to God as the Ninivites Jon. 3. Mugire ad deum Tertul. de Poen Our prayers avail not unless fervent James 5.16 Neither is a natural fervency sufficient which is in every creature when it is pinched Hosea 7.14 They howled unto God for Corn and Wine yet saith God They cried not to me But spiritual fervency is that that the desires be sharpened after holiness and communion with God Opposite to this are those cold lazy prayers yawning prayers when persons pray half asleep half awake he had need be deeply awake that prays as a Beggar when he begs is all awake head hands and feet hence Deborah when she was going to praise God saith Awake awake Deborah utter a Song Judges 5.12 How can we look God should hear us when we do not hear our selves Contrary Epaphras Col. 4.12 7 Pray with melting spirits humiliation arising from the sense of our own unworthiness is a great furtherer of our prayers as we see in Manasses 2 Chron. 33.12 13. and the Prodigal Lu. 15.21 We are too apt to applaud ourselves and others in a devotion void of humiliation Christ prayed with a melting spirit Heb. 5.7 so did Hezekiah Isai 38.5 and Job cap. 16.20 his eys poured out prayers and tears David Psalm 6.8 God heard the voice of his weeping hence he prays Psalm 39.12 Hold not thy peace at my tears The servants of God have often had this frame of heart so that God not onely promises to lead his people with weeping prayers Jer. 31.9 but also promises blessedness to them that weep Luke 6.21 Ezra weeping in prayer affected the whole Congregation Ezra 10.1 so the soul over-whelmed prayed Psalm 102.9 On a day of humiliation God requires it of his people Joel 2.12 to turn to him with weeping Quest Seeing some naturally have an aptness to weep how may we know that a soul weeps from a saving Principle 1 Answ That some naturally have an aptness to weep is certain even from natural passion as some men and women so Abraham for the death of Sarah Gen. 23.2 and Joseph sought where to weep for his Brethrens afflictions Gen. 43.30 2 Afflictions are apt even to soften the hearts of those that have no grace in them as Esau though a profane person sought the blessing carefully with tears Heb. 12.17 and Hezekiah's Ambassadours of peace when they saw the wicked carriage of Sennacherib wept bitterly Isai 33.7 so the Jews at the desolation of Hieru salem wept sore in the night and their tears were on their cheeks Lam. 1.2 3 We have seen not onely gross Hypocrites thus weeping as Ishmael Jer. 41.6 who having slain Gedaliah and his company to get the Crown of Judah himself being of the Seed royal there coming eighty men with their cloaths rent to the House of the Lord bewailing the desolation made by the King of Babylon he feigns himself also to weep for the same misery and destruction that thereby he might have a better opportunity to slay them supposing them to be of Gedaliah's party which matter through his hypocritical tears he effected slaying seventy of them but even profane persons Num. 11.10 13. Isai 15.2 yea even gross Idolaters There were women weeping for Tammuz Ez. 8.14 This Tammuz Hierom thinks it to be Adonis Venus Paramour supposed to be slain by a Bore but proved after to be alive this Feast sundry Jewish women kept sorrowing when they lost their Love but rejoycing as Venus did when they found him again Calvin understands Osiris to be Tammuz which was an Idol of the Egyptians at the Festival whereof both men and women shewed their secret parts which the Jews so near the Egyptians might probably learn from them 4 It 's possible for the soul sometimes to be like Marble which weeps yet remains hard So did those women Mal. 2.13 who being oppressed by their husbands covered the Altar of the Lord with tears their husbands divorcing of them causlesly as appears v. 14. Eccles 4.1 Behold the tears of such as were oppressed 5 It may be supposed that some persons by reason of the driness of their brain cannot weep yet if thou canst weep for other things and canst not weep for sin it argues a bad temper But 2 To know when our tears come from a saving Principle we may know it 1 By the frame of spirit accompanying it which is either self-abasement as in Mary who stood behinde Christ weeping Luke 7.38 or apprehension of the loving kindness of the Lord and the souls ill requital of him 2 When these meltings come from a saving Principle the heart is affected as well as the eye there is a sutable inward working according to the outward melting as in David Psal 6.8 and Jacob Hesea 12.3 4. and Josiah 2 Kings 22.19 3 There 's an inward rejoycing and refreshment of soul wherein the soul more delights than in all the pleasures of the world this is called the Light of Gods countenance Psalm 4.6 Sow in tears reap in joy Psalm 126.5 4 When they come from a saving Principle the soul pours them out in secret as well as before men yea much more in secret Psalm 6.6 I water my couch with my tears 5 By the enlargement of heart that usually accompanies these meltings and where there 's more enlargement there 's more speeding 6 Saving meltings have a groaning under and hatred of the prevailing corruptions of the heart so the poor man cried out with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief Mark 9 24. 7 When the meltings are saving the soul is troubled in the absence of them when it prays unrelentingly and so much the more
of a sinner that feels not his sins because he doth not understand nor will the thing that he prays for Luth. Tom. 4.380 9 Fear repulse for thy careless cold and slothfull calling upon God and this will quicken up thy attention in the duty Fear is a very wakefull affection as being conversant about danger hence in our service we are bid to bring fear Psalm 2.11 Psalm 5.7 10 Get love to God this makes the soul follow hard after God Psalm 63.8 Quest Whether do distractions in Prayer nullifie the acceptation of it Answ There are two sorts of distracted Petitioners 1 Unregenerate men who voluntarily usually and contentedly admit roving thoughts in duty Prov 5.14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly Ezek. 33.31 These despise their ways and shall die Prov. 19.16 2 Regenerate men who groan under these distractions Rom. 7.15 16. these do not nullifie the fruit of Prayer to them regenerate men herein make usually resistance it matters not whence they come whether from Satan or corruption as it is a thing very difficult if possible to distinguish them provided we resist them and mourn under them they are not imputed to us Yet may even Saints sometimes pray so carelesly drowsily and distractedly that they may lose the comfort of this or that particular Prayer as when the distraction arises from sloth and carelesness But if the distraction arise from Satan bodily distemper or pain God is very pitifull in this case as a father to his childe Psalm 103.14 Quest Whether may not the Devil and corruption distract the soul in Prayer sometimes with unseasonable good motions I mean such motions as are for the matter good but not good at that time Answ Yes we see it in that Pithonesse Act. 16.16 17 when Paul and his company were going to prayer she cries out these men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation this was a good motion but injected by Satan that his lyes might be believed and the Saints disturbed in prayer Zach. 3.1 Satan by these motions intends diversion or turning away the soul from what the soul is upon but motions that tend to further intention in the duty attentness and further inlargement are of God The spirit moves not to draw us out of the way but to put us into it and being in it to move us to keep on Rom. 8.14 15. Esa 30.21 These motions of Satan are like misplaced words and letters in a Printers press which spoil the sence 10 Let thy prayer be full prayer is a powring forth of the heart before God Psal 62.8 1 Sam. 1.15 yea we are to powr them out as water before the face of the Lord Lam. 2.19 It may be thou powrest out thy prayer like tarre out of a tarre box half sticking by the sides but when thou prayes thou must powr out all before God provided there be time and no hindrance powr out all thy wants be humbled for all thy evils when thou givest thanks remember all Gods benefits Psal 10â— 2 Many men make quick dispatch because they are eager to be about their business hence they gallop over their prayers but thy prayer must have its full growth that is when convenient time affords we must powr out supplications confessing our sins petitions desiring pardon healing and new dispositions of heart intercessions to turn away judgements from others and thanksgiving for benefits on our selves and others 1 Tim. 2.1 11 Pray with frequency It s bad when the soul contents it self with seldome approaches to God If David Psal 55.17 and Daniel cap 6.10 could finde time to pray three times a day what shame for us who come so seldom before the Lord sometimes David praised God seven times a day Psal 119.164 Anna continued in prayer night and day Luk. 2.37 12 With assurance of obtaining whatsoever things ye desire when you pray believe that you receive them and ye shall have them Mark 11.24 Matth. 7.7 ask and ye shall have Matth. 21.22 Doubt not of your prayer but know when the word is gone out of your mouth your prayer is writ in the eyes of God so that that shall be done which is desired or its expedient not to be done The Lord is like a most bountiful king that signes all petitions with a fiat quod petitur Oratio sinelaude dei est thuribulum sine prunis Luth. Tom. 4.124 let that be done which is desired 13 Joyn praise with prayer Phil. 4.6 In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God Prayers are the seeds of prayses when we have sown we may look to reap what we receive as a a fruit of our prayer is more sweet then what we receive of common providence Praise is that imployment we shall have in heaven when prayer shall be no more mean time joyn we them together whiles we are here on earth and so much more in that we have but a drop of affliction and a sea of benefits 14 Break through all hindrances and use all furtherances as 1 hindrance is multitudes of business what business so great almost but should give way to this 2 Brokenness in expressions why God hears sighs 3 Dumbness and barrenness if this come from unacquaintance with God be humbled for thy coldness and by stirring thou mayest get warmth if dumbness come from overwhelming temptations it 's no otherwise with thee then it was with Asaph Psal 77.3 4. Green wood with long blowing will be made dry and take fire so motion in prayer fits for the duty 4 Our own unworthiness Who acknowledged his own unworthiness more then Daniel Dan. 9.7 8. However thou art unworthy yet must thou pray for God hears thee not for thy own worth but of his meer mercy 5 Prayer will take up much of our time to this I say remember the comfort that will redound to the conscience in time so spent We think not long of the time spent in the refreshment of our bodies why should we think long in the time spent in refreshing of our souls of four and twenty hours can we not afford God one or two who took more time in prayer then David and Daniel and who did prosper better Time spent in this brings a blessing on our affairs 6 That many do well enough that never pray as those do that use to pray to this know they onely receive temporal things as the shining of the sun and the falling of rain Matth. 5.44 45. But the Saints receive the Spirit in prayer Luk. 11.13 Neither can prayerless men be sure to have earthly things when they want them nor to hold them when they have them Job 21.15 16. What profit is there that we should pray unto him seeing we have earthly things ver 16. Lo their good is not in their hand 7 Because the soul hath lately been in passion of anger
to this I say lay aside passion and then come 1 Tim. 2.8 Lift up holy hands without wrath pray for the party with whom lately thou hast been angry and that is a sign thou comes with a new disposition 8 Take heed of Satans temptations who will be ready to propose businesses then to hinder thee 2 Use furtherances for prayer as 1 when the spirit bespeaks prayer and puts the soul into a frame to long to be alone to vent it self to God when the wind and tide serves its good then to hoyse up sails Psal 27.8 Seek my face thy face will I seek 2 The second furtherance is when the soul is in tribulation Tribulation sets an edge on prayer hence Psal 50.15 we are bid to call on God in the time of trouble no better master to teach a man to pray next to the spirit then necessity In trouble the grace of prayer is much revived Esa 26.17 Lord in trouble they have visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them Look upon Passengers in a storm and arrived at the haven look upon persons in prison and at banquets compare persons on beds of sickness and the same persons in strength of health and abounding with outward comforts in the one estate they are full of contempt of God and security in the other prone to cry earnestly for mercy Hezekiah when Sennacherib came against him very much given to prayer when he was delivered from his enemy ready to be lifted up David in adversity gave himself to prayer Psal 109.4 in prosperity falls to number the people 3 A third furtherance is calmeness of spirit when the spirit is neither in a hurry of passion nor a hurry of business for unfinished business is apt to run in the mind and to disturb at that time the soul having so many bussings in its ear can neither hear it self speaking to God nor hear God speaking to the soul 4 In Gods approaching to our soul Lam. 3.57 Thou drewest near in the day that I cryed unto thee thou saidest fear not Esa 55.6 call upon him while he is near Noble Princes in their progress are wont to grant petitioners their sutes its wisdom then to petition the Lord when near to us Psal 145.18 one time or other God's near to every holy heart therefore then call on him Psal 34.18 Quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psa 80.18 5 When promises are near fulfilling Psa 102.13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come meaning of seventy years This is some good hope that Christs coming is near because the Saints are stirred up so generally to pray for it The reading of Jeremies prophecy Jer. 29.10 that God would visit his people after seventy years put Daniel upon praying for the accomplishment thereof Dan. 9.2 3 4. Object I would thus pray but I finde I am so straitened that I cannot pray Answ It is so with the best of Saints sometimes that their souls are bound up they are like poor Infants that feel pain but cannot tell where their pain lies hence Psal 51.15 Lord open thou my Lips By grieving the spirit we become straitened for when the spirit is withdrawn we are like Mills that want Winde or Water and cannot grinde In such times it is persons are backward to stir up their souls to take hold of God Isai 64.7 To help us against straitnings 1 Use holy motion Motion is the cause of heat motion brings a benummed member to feeling let us make essays even when deadness is upon us yea when most straitened a gracious heart is to stir up it self 2 Tim. 1.6 Stir up the gift of God which is in thee Exod. 35.21 They came every one whose heart stirred him up and every one whom his spirit made willing to bring the Lords offering 2 Complain of thy straitness say Lord I am in Prison and cannot come forth I would willingly display all my wants to thee but cannot weep over my unbelief but am not able Why withdrawest thou thy self Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Psal 22.1 2 Isai 63 17. 3 Beg enlargement of God Psalm 119.32 I will run in the way of this Commandment as well as other but when when thou shalt enlarge mine heart Isai 35.6 The tongue of the dumb shall sing when waters break forth in the wilderness 4 Take heed thou straiten not thy self neither for time nor place For time persons often causlesly put themselves into the compass of so little time that they cannot enlarge persons frequently inuring themselves to straitning in the end begin to like it well enough So for straitness of place they do not use their voices because they cannot use them without being heard of others let it be your wisdom to chuse such a place wherein you may not be straitned as to your voice or otherwise 5 Consider what a dangerous thing it is to 〈◊〉 taken with a Palsey in the tongue that a man cannot tell where his pain lies All Imprisonment is comfortless but this the worst in other Imprisonment we may perhaps have much access to God but not in this many men have enlargements of all sorts of blessings upon them as Liberty Estate c. onely as it was said of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.12 They are straitened in their own bowels for Prayer and Praise and yet little lay it to their hearts Such kinde of straitnings when they are long they are dangerous for persons that have lain long under straitnings are ready to lay aside endeavours for their liberty because they have often used it to no effect 6 Usually reade the word before thy closet prayer and meditate of it in the use whereof the fire kindles besides those good things which thou diddest reade out of the Word will remain in thy thoughts and conduce to season thine heart 7 Walk humbly under straitnings especially when they are of any long continuance so the Church Song cap. 5. v. 5 6. I sought him but I could not finde him I called unto him but he gave me no answer Job 30.20 Job cries out I cry unto thee but thou dost not hear me I stand up but thou regardest me not Quest But seeing Saints are sometimes straitned in Prayer as well as carnal men wherein is the difference Answ Godly persons though sometimes they have straitnings yet have they also enlargements now and then Lam. 3.44 compared with v. 57. One while the Church saith The Lord compassed himself with a cloud that her Prayer could not pass through anon she saith Thou drewest near in the day that I cried unto thee thou saidst Fear not Psalm 31.22 I said I am cast out of thy sight here was the Prophets straitning nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications here was his enlargement see Psalm 6.1 compared with v. 8. Jon. 2.7 Carnal men they may
man Rom 10.13 whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved it includes repentance humiliation joy in Goods goodness 1 Pet. 1.17 Psal 72.20 the prayers of David are ended that is his instructions his thanksgivings his confessions his humiliations 16 It s thy self gains by prayer God gets nothing thereby and if thou omit it or carelesly perform it thy self hast the loss thereby Job 22.3 17 It s one of Gods titles to hear prayer Psal 65.20 Thou that hearest prayers or thou that art hearing prayers as some translate it as if it were a continual work in God to hear prayers princes will not lose any part of their title but if thou calls not on God thou doest do what in thee lyes to deprive God of one of his titles 18 Prayer is in some sence a Christians utmost refuge though a man have been a grievous sinner yea a relapsed sinner yet if he can pray there 's hope A beggar that hath nothing to live by but begging had need begg hard so we have nothing to live on but praying I mean nothing to be done on our part to obtain mercies the promises of God and the sence of Gods love are made over to us in the use of prayer When a man hath nothing to maintain himself his wife and children but his fingers ends will he not be toyling all the day Prayer is a Christians fingers ends 19 It s the hardest of all works harder then preaching expounding c. 2 Be exhorted to pray in a right manner but how is that 1 By fixing our faith aright upon God as 1 behold him invisible hence he used a voice but shewed no similitude Deut. 4.15 because a voice was such a thing as could not be pourtrayed Esa 40.18 2 Beholding the Father subsisting in the Son and the Son in the Father and the Spirit in the Father and in the Son John 14.7 8. 3 Apprehend the fulness of the Godhead to dwell in Christ bodily Col. 2.9 4 That vve may direct our prayers either to Father Son or Spirit according as our necessities shall require yet vve are to vvorship the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity they are Eternal Almighty and Incomprehensible yet are there not three Eternals Almighties or Incomprehensibles There is one God of this are all things knovvn known in Father Son and holy Spirit for why did the Father beget the Son of his own substance and out of the same brought forth the Spirit which partake of one and the same essence and are esteem'd worthy of one and the same godhead But some wil say doth not that which begets differ from that which is begotten and that which proceeds from that whence it proceeds because the Father is not begotten from whom the Son is begotten and the holy Spirit proceeds therefore the Son and Spirit are not the same with the Father The unbegotten and begotten and proceeding are not names of essence but the manners of existence and the manner of existence is denoted by these names Justin Martyr expos fidei p. 292. We are to look upon the Father that he is made of none neither created nor begotten the Son is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten The holy Ghost is of the Father and Son neither made nor begotten but proceeding Joh. 15.26 So there is one Father not three Fathers one Son not three Sons one holy Ghost not three holy Ghosts And in this Trinity none is afore or after another none is greater or less then another but they are co-eternal and co-equal co-essential and concausal and though there be three subsistences yet is there but one essence We are to profess one God the knowledge of whom is in the Father and Son and Spirit wherein the Father Son and Spirit are acknowledging the existences of one godhead but whereby God doth understand the communion of existences according to nature and essence for the unity is understood in the Trinity and the Trinity is acknowledged in the unity but after what manner that is I will neither ask it of others neither can I perswade my self the manner of these hid and unspeakable things that I dare speak them with my filthy flesh Ib. 297. 1 Jo. 5.7 These three are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one thing or essence not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one person 5 Do not so direct your prayer to any subsistence in the Trinity as to exclude the other but to include them 6 In singling out any one subsistence in the Trinity we are to pitch most usually upon the Father as he to whom we direct our prayers through the mediation of Christ and by the help of the Spirit Joh. 16.23 1 Pet. 1.17 If you call upon the Father c. not in respect of any superiority of power or glory but in respect of his firstness of order in subsisting Yet even then will it be very safe to look upon the Father essentially rather then personally yet in respect of order the Father is first mentioned Matth. 28.19 1 John 5.7 7 Forasmuch as Christ promiseth to grant the requests of his people John 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name I will do it it 's twice repeated for futher confirmation hence we may call upon Christ The Saints are described by this note that they call on the name of Christ Acts 9.14 1 Cor. 1.2 Acts 7.59 8 Forasmuch as we are baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 and he it is that sanctifies us Rom. 15.16 and renews us Titus 3.5 and makes the covenant of grace with us Heb. 10.15 16 17. and is not a bare motion or inspiration but a willing working subsistence who powrs grace into our hearts Rom. 5.5 who sends forth Apostles Acts 13.2 4. and bindes the conscience Acts 15.28 and gives his gifts as he pleaseth 1 Cor. 12.11 inabling so many to speak with tongues which they had never learned We may also call upon the Holy Ghost Thus did the Seraphims Esai 6.1 3. Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts also Psal 95.7 8. compared with Heb. 3.7 him whom Paul calls the Holy Ghost in the Psalm is called God and the Prophet calls Come let us worship and kneel down before the Lord our maker Revel 1.4 5. John prayes to each subsistence in the Trinity Grace and Peace be to you from him which is and was and is to come and from the seven spirits of God and from Jesus Christ The Spirit is called by the name of seven spirits from his manifold gifts and operations by spirits cannot be meant Angels who still refused worship Apoc. 19.10 Rev. 22.8 9. Besides the Spirit hath incommunicable properties of God as to search all things yea the deep things of God yea to know the things of God as the spirit of a man knowes the things of a man 1 Cor. 2.10.11 also the Spirit is said to be omnipresent Psal 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy
〈◊〉 a rower because under Christ the chief Pilot they row the ship of the Church towards heaven Now rowing is a very painful work Vide Beza They do not onely labour in the word but in prayer also Col. 4.12 Hence have they a due right to their maintenance Pharaoh reserved the Priests living Jezebel maintained four hundred false Prophets Micha maintained a Levite the Levites had not near the service we have yet was his maintenance greater then any of the Tribes They are Souldiers therefore to be maintained of them for whom they fight 1 Cor. 9.7 To say preachers must have but for bare necessity is to no purpose for how can they then be hospitable Are few Here 's the cause of the sending out the Apostles of which cap. 10.1 for onely John the Baptist and Christ laboured the Scribes and Pharisees being given to their pleasures and profits Causes why so few labourers 1 Love of ease whereas much study is a weariness to the flesh Eccles 12.12 Offer not that to God which costs thee nothing 2 Inability of hearers to difference betwixt doctrine and doctrine hence superficial raw indigested notions are as well or better liked then solid and substantial truths 3 The discouragement that Preachers in many places finde every man else is incouraged but they discouraged partly from the censures that pass upon their doctrine and partly from strait-handedness Every calling as Physician Lawyer is rewarded onely what preachers have in many places is counted as alms hence there are but few labourers and were it not for conscience towards God there would be much fewer 4 The strictness of the account that they must answer for the souls committed to them Ezek. 5.17 Heb. 13.17 Act. 20.26 27. 5 The multitude of business that lyes upon a faithful labourer What a business is it to make one soul lye level upon Christ sometimes full of fears and doubts for want of comfort sometimes falling into spiritual pride in the enjoyment of it sometimes wrastling with an angry God sometimes conflicting with a scrupulous conscience sometimes a soul thinks all he hath done is in vain and that he is cast out of Gods sight Psal 31.22 One wants knowledge another comfort another reproof one is a babe another a grown man Now the work being so weighty few that know the weight of it are forward to venture on it it being a burden too heavy for the shoulders of Angels Cyprian complained in his time that persons would not take the over sight of flocks but persons betook themselves to be Merchants History of Trent c. rather then to be thus employed After his time the ministers by reason of persecution were so few that necessity compel'd to commend two or three congregations to one pastor whence came the corrupt custome of Commendums Preaching is counted the easiest business and as many use it so it is but to preach that our words may be as goads to the dull Ox and as nails to the fastening of instructions Eccl. 12.11 to be like a good housholder that brings forth new and old Matth. 13.52 to search into the deep things of God and to follow a mans work there where he left it till a spiritual building be erected who is sufficient for these things V. 38. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth or in the Greek cast forth labourers into his harvest Christ here propounds a remedy for the want above mentioned viz. to pray to the Lord of the harvest c. Christ hereby not onely informes us of the backwardness of men herein but also pricks on the Apostles and others to accept of such a call Moreover here is signified not onely a disposing providence to send teachers to this or that place but also a bestowing of special power with peculiar commands and gifts which well agrees with the call of the Apostles in the next chapter As the Embassadors of Princes are directed to their residence and their continuance determined by the Prince how long they shall remain so are teachers disposed of God in like manner He carries them from one place to another Jonah from Israel to Nineveh Pray ye the Lord of the harvest It 's the Lords work to send forth labourers Act. 1.24 Shew whether of these two thou hast taken The holy Ghost bad separate Paul and Barnabas to the work Act. 13.2 Yet prayer hath been a means to obtain such teachers to get them out of prison Act. 12.12 13. to get them from one place to another Philem. 22. I trust that through your prayers I shall be given to you Strive we then to be fervent with God in prayer herein as a faithful teacher is one of the greatest blessings so the contrary is a great curse We are earnest with God for many other things O strive to be earnest for this But because wants set an edge upon prayer lay open before the Lord thy six or seven children and three or four servants who are yet in the state of nature nay there are thousands in their conditions and therefore for their sakes come and help Grounds of thus praying 1 Gods command every command of God is to be obeyed therefore pray God commanding persons thus to pray doth not mean to send them away empty handed when they do pray 2 The mischief that comes where such planters and waterers are absent all runs to ruine mostly in the want of such Some places famous for religion when such lights have been removed what darkness hath been 3 The multitudes of business that God hath for labourers to do Paul would have gone to the lesser Asia and Bythinia but the spirit suffered him not but when a man of Macedonia prayed Come over and help us they obtained Paul Act. 16.6 7 9. When there is plenty of work and scarcity of labourers you must besides paying be fain to pray so it is in this case 4 Prayer is a mean to get such teachers it s a mean to obtain every blessing from God Matth. 7.7 therefore this blessing also 5 It 's a singular blessing unto a people to have their eyes behold their teachers and not to have them removed into a corner Esa 30.19 20. The contrary is a curse Amos 8.11 12. To go from sea to sea to seek the word of the Lord because of the famine of the word God onely gives such teachers Jer. 3.15 I will give you pastors after my own heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding For this end Christ ascended into heaven Eph. 4.10 11 12 13. In the 68 Psalm 18. It s said Christ received gifts in this place its said he gave gifts the meaning is Christ hath received gifts from his Father and given them to men The benefits of faithfull Teachers as 1 Conversion How shall they believe without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 Acts 2.37 38. Acts 26.18 2 Edification to wit building up souls converted Paul perfected what was lacking in
shoes Matth. 3.14 Luke 3.22 4 Spiritual conviction that the spirit let us see our worthlesseness Rev. 3.17 q.d. thou art but thou knowest it not that thou art poor and blinde and naked Joh. 16.10 he shall convince of sin so that as the sun gives a light whereby we behold as the gloriousnes of the sun so the loathsomness of the dunghil so the spirit convinces of our own vileness and his own fulness 5 Present to your selves abasing considerations as What was I before I had mercy how unprofitably spent I my time what will these glorious things of the world be in time to come wherein we are apt to be conceited when heaven and earth shall be on fire since we were called how have we discredited our profession how barren and watchless are we how short are we of that we might have been 6 Believe the promises made to souls poor in spirit I will look to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit Esa 66.2 Yea dwell with him and revive him Esa 57.15 yea Christ came to preach glad tidings of the gospel to such Luk. 4.18 Matth. 11.3 Rev. 2.9 I know thy poverty but thou art rich God will feed such souls with grace and comfort Zach. 11.7 Luke 1.53 yea God will be a strength to such in their distress Esa 25.4 Psal 69.33 7 Look upon thy own wants and weakness the more thou seest them the more wilt thou trust in God Zeph. 3.12 From heaven did the Lord behold the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner Psalm 102.19 20. I am poor and sorrowfull let thy salvation set me up on high Psalm 69.29 For theirs is the Kingdome of heaven That is both kingdome of grace Esai 61.1 For the poor have the Gospel preached to them Mat. 11.3 but especially the kingdome of glory is meant Luke 12.32 Matth. 25.34 though such persons are beggarly in their own feeling being sensible of their lack of faith love joy hope yet have they an interest in the riches of grace and glory We may apply this to comfort the poor in spirit who are full of miseries inward and outward The worlds proverb is Blessed are the rich because theirs is the kingdome of the earth but Christ pronounceth Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heaven V. 4. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted By mourning Christ means such mourning as is for offending God whether it be by sighs groans or an inward grief of heart such persons though they may seem miserable in the eys of the world yet are they blessed 1 God is wont to make comforts to abound according to their sorrows 2 Cor. 7.6 God comforts them that are cast down and this proportionable to our sorrows 2 Cor. 1.5 7. 2 God is wont to bottle all their tears and sorrows Psa 56.8 Psalm 55. Consider how I mourn in my complaint 3 There 's a time coming when God will turn the mourning of Saints into dancing and their sackcloth into gladness Psalm 30.11 John 16 20. Ye shall weep and lament but your sorrow shall be turned into joy There is not onely a fountain of justification set open for such mourners now but a state of glorification hereafter Zach. 12.10 11 12 13 compared with Chapter 13.1 Hence see 1 The mistake of the world who think happiness to be placed in delights and pleasures and shun those things which may procure any sorrow or cross as confession of persecuted truths against this Christ saith Mourners shall be comforted 2 It 's consolation for distressed consciences If thou canst truly mourn for thy transgressions thou shalt be comforted Let what ever distress come upon an afflicted heart yet if thou canst mourn for offending God thou shalt be comforted 3. It 's consolation to persons who have afflicted estates in this world there 's a day coming when comfort shall come provided that with mourning for thy miseries thou specially mourns for thy sin Luke 16.25 Now he is comforted and thou art tormented Though thy comfort come not yet yet in Gods time it shall come They are not blessed who mourn for the loss of their wealth or death of their friends but they who mourn for offending God 4 In all our confessions and professed humiliations see that you do not declare them onely historically but mourn for them Psalm 38.17 I will declare mine iniquities and will be sory for my sin When thou prayes let thy heart mourn in prayer Psalm 55.2 When thou speaks of sin speak mournfully of it Now to move us hereto consider 1 God hath the joy of the Holy Ghost in store for mourners Esa 61.1 2 3. The spirit of the Lord is upon me to give the oyl of joy for the spirit of mourning and heaviness Saints seldome finde such comfortable revivings as when they are most mournful 2 This mourning is more comfortable then the lowd laughters of the world Properties of Mourning 1 Let it be continued that length of time may not wear it out length of time eats out worldly griefs 2 Universal That King that was sory for his consent to Daniels death Dan. 6.14 was not sory for his denial of the truth in refusing to venture all in a good cause Herod was sory for Johns death but could rejoyce in Herodias 3 After conversion as well as before It 's a vain opinion to think we need not sorrow after conversion and that a Christians state is altogether a state of joy Joy and sorrow may stand together in the soul but not about one and the same object joy in God and sorrow for sin 4 Let thy mourning be not onely in regard of the damning power of sin but principally in regard of the contrariety thereof to the nature of God and to the nature of him that loves thee Luke 7.38 compared with v. 48. Mary having a sense of Gods love weeps bitterly and washes Christs feet with her tears 5 Let it be joyned with faith First Christ looks upon the soul and gives some testimony of his love to it and then the soul looks on Christ with a sad heart Matth. 26.75 Christ first lookt on Peter then he went out and wept bitterly It s the nature of faith to apply the wounds and sorrows of Christ unto it self Esa 53.5 thence follows mourning Zach. 12.10 6 This mourning for sin is the greatest hence resembled to the mourning for an onely son when dead Zach. 12.11 to the drawing of water 1 Sam. 7.6 as if it had been in buckets The ground whereof is because they apprehend sin as the greatest of evils 1 Because it is the cause of all evils Deut. 28. 2 It keeps off the greatest good 3 It cannot be purged away but with the greatest price even Christs bloud 4 There 's more evil in sin then in any thing hence followes 1 A resolution not to meddle with sin as Jehoshaphat when he had smarted by joyning with Ahab in sending out a
a will a desire and endeavour to love our enemies Rom. 7.18 God looks upon it as done when also we are troubled for the uncharitableness of our hearts v. 14. and cry to God against these risings 2 When God inables us in some good measure to do them good to feed them in their hunger Rom. 12.19 to humble our selves for them in their sickness Psal 35.11 12 13 14. David sought God by fasting and prayer for them that scoft at him Use to apply this it serves for reprehension of those who hate their enemies You say how do you know it Answ by thy unpeaceable speeches Josephs brethren hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him Gen. 37.4 2 By thy afflicting thine enemies with secret whisperings open slanders and false reports Prov. 26.28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it 3 By thy unkind carriage when thou shalt passe by them in such offices of courtesie as they show to other neighbours 1 King 1.26 2 Exhortation to love your enemies naturally we hate them Tit. 3.3 Show your love to them 1 by not purposing to revenge your selves and by purposing not to revenge your selves Prov. 24.29 Say not I will do to him as he hath done to me 2 Desire not God to avenge your cause so Stephen Acts 7.59 3 By being sorrowful when any evill befalls thine enemy Psal 35.12 13. When Davids enemies were sick he humbled himself with fasting David was really sorrowful for Sauls death and declared it by putting to death him that slew him Prov. 24.17 18. Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth nor let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth why so 1 Least the Lord see it and it displease him 2 It will cause the Lord to turn away his wrath from him 4 By striving to forget the wrongs done by your enemies If we strive not to forget them we shall hardly forgive them 5 By striving to be at peace with him that is thy utterest enemy Rom. 12.18 If it be possible live peaceably with all Let him see that thou art not of an implacable spirit but ready to meet him on any reasonable terms 6 By looking on it as a cross when any man is so implacable that he will not be at peace with thee Ps 120.5 6 7. I am for peace but when I speak thereof they are for war woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with such persons 7 By thy willingness to do thy enemie good when it lies in thy power Exod. 23.4 5. If thou see the Ox or the Asse of thy enemie going a stray thou art to bring him home again or if he lye under his burthen thou shalt surely help him As God also spares his enemies in his long suffering and does them good in his providence not to strengthen them in wickedness but to lead them to repentance so ought we and as he puts his hook in their noses to bridle their malice so may we Motives to this duty 1 Vengeance belongs to God Gen. 50.15 19. who will revenge thy wrongs far more sharply then thou wouldest have him Psal 94.1 Into whose hands its a fearful thing to fall Heb. 10.31 He that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done Col. 3.25 2 Consider what an enemy thou wast to God when he cast his love upon thee for all he was the party offended and stood no need of thee yet he sought unto thee Col. 1.21 1 Joh. 4.10 11 12. thou reasonest thou canst live without thy enemy so could God without thee thou saiest he hath done thee many wrongs so hast thou done to God 3 Either thy Enemie repents of the wrong done to thee or not if he do not repent of it God will punish him more sore then thou wouldest have him punished if he do repent of it what Christian spirit is there that will not pardon it This kept Christ from rendring reviling for reviling 1 Pet. 2.23 why he committed his cause to God who judgeth righteously It was the praise of Solomon that he desired not to have the life of his enemies 1 Chron. 1.11 4 Thou never suffers any wrong but God is first offended and more offended then thou art and takes thy wrong more heinously then thou thy self therefore revenge not thy self hear not that suggestion that it argues good mettal to be quick of touch 5 This is the way to overcome him Rom. 12.18 as contraries do overcome one another when they draw them into their own similitude when we are drawn by provocations to rage as wicked men do then they overcome us but when we refrain from revenge we overcome them as David did Saul 2 Sam. 24. Daven in Col. 3.13 Bless them that curse you Christ comes in three particulars to show our love to enemies which is 1 by blessing them that curse us so Paul 1 Cor. 4.12 being reviled we bless By blessing he means a speaking to him with kind words when he speaks cursed words to thee do thou speak kind words to him We pray for you and for all other men that are enemies to us that repenting with us you may not blaspheme and reproach him who for his works and miracles done in his name was without blame even Jesus Christ and believing on him may be saved at his glorious coming and may not be condemned of him to fire Just Mar. cont Triph. p. 196. Do good to them that hate you Second particular wherein to show our love to enemies viz. in doing them good Rom. 12.20 Elisha 2 King 6. ver 20. when his enemies were smit with blindness he prayes God would give them sight also ver 22. when the king of Israel would have smote them Elisha would not consent thereto but bids that bread and water be set before them and yet they were such as came to take away his life Do good then to their souls by endeavouring to bring them to repentance also to their bodies if you give alms to a company of poor people not to exclude two or three because they have hurt thee so lend to them also do good to their posterity Pray for them that despitefully use you The third particular is to pray for enemies when they are cursing thee pray God to forgive them when they are pained in their bodies pray God to ease them when decayed in their Estates pray God to supply them when they are damning their souls pray God to save them thus David to his enemies Psalm 35.13 and Stephen Acts 7.59 and Christ Luke 23.34 When thy Enemy by tale-carryings underminings disgracefull speeches uncharitable censures and slanderous accusations strives to work thee out of the affections of the godly or of those who may do thee good do thou pray for them not that they may have success in their wickedness but that they may acknowledg their evils and be pardoned This is the excellency of a Christian to do things above nature to pardon spitefull persons such prayers are not
he knowes our intentions for good when they are good Luke 21.2 V. 5. And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward Christ next unto a right direction in alms comes to give a right direction in prayer in which 1 He sets down the sins to be avoided 2 The manner of right performance The sins to be avoided are 1 Hypocrisie v. 5. 2 Vain glory v. 5. They love to pray standing that many eys may be on them 3 Vain repetitions v. 7. 2 The manner of right performance which must be 1 With confidence Pray to thy father 2 With secrecy Pray to thy father in secret v. 6. 3 Grounds hereof 1 Your father who sees in secret will reward openly 2 It 's a heathenish practise to use vain repetitions v. 7. 3 The knowledge God hath of your wants and his readiness to supply you v. 8. And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are That is as the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees For they love to pray standing in the Synagogues Q. Whether is it not lawfull to pray standing A. Yes Mark 11.25 When ye stand praying forgive The Pharisee and the Publican stood both when they prayed Luke 18 11 13. The Levites stood and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord Neh. 9.4 Abraham stood praying Gen. â—8 22 Moses and Samuel Jer. 15.1 and Job cap. 30.20 And sometimes and more frequently kneeling was used Solomon 1 Kings 8.54 arose from before the altar of the Lord from kneeling upon his knees Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a day Dan. 6.10 Every knee shall bow to me Esai 45 23. I have left unto me 7000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal 1 Kings 19.18 Wherewith shall I bow my knee before the most high God Mic. 6.6 Let us bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Ps 95.6 To stand in prayer is not unlawfull but to stand that thou mayest be seen is unlawfull In the new Testament we read that Christ kneeled down and prayed Luke 22.41 Peter kneeled down when he prayed for Tabitha Acts 9.40 Paul kneeled down and prayed with them all who had brought him on his way Acts 20.36 Also Paul bowed his knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 3.14 Stephen kneeled down in his last prayer Acts 7.60 Also Paul and his company kneeled down on the shore and prayed Acts 21.5 In prayer that gesture is to be used that doth most quicken and help to the duty The ancient Christians were wont to kneel in remembrance of the fall of Adam and of all his posterity and sometimes to pray standing in remembrance of the grace of Christ whereby we have risen from our fall Kneeling on the six days was a badge of our fall by sin but that we do not kneel on the Lords day is a signe of Resurrection From the times of the Apostles this custome came in as Irenaeus mentions Lib. de Pasch Quest Respons ad Orthodox q. 115. ascribed to Justin Aug. Epist 119.115 2 Q. Whether was it not lawfull to pray in the Synagogues A. Yes David saith Bless ye God in the Congregations Psal 68.26 For by Synagogues he means publick prayer which was used Matth. 18.20 Acts 1.14 practised by the hundred and twenty also Acts 4.24 Acts 12.5 where the Church were praying for Peter Grounds of publick prayer 1 There God is wont to communicate his presence Psal 26.8.65.4.52.8.76.1 2.132.13 14.133.3 2 The concurrent prayers of Gods people is wont to be more strong as many hands lifting at a burthen lift the burthen though great many flames of fire united in one are not easily quenched many springs of water conjoyned make the stream the stronger if the prayers of one Moses were so strong to keep God from destroying Israel Exod. 32.10.11 Psal 106.23 what will the prayers of many do Acts 12.5 as we see in Peters case who was delivered by the prayers of the Church 3 In that there are publick Officers chosen of Churches to present their requests before the Lord hence as those that are sollicitours for a Corporation had need to know the wants thereof so should the Officers of Churches in special be acquainted with the brethrens wants 4 Because publick occasions require it both in Church as the seeking some special mercy from God which concerns the whole Church as Peters deliverance Acts 1.5 12. the whole Church sometimes wants a mercy Matth. 18.20 the whole Church sometimes wants to have a judgement turn'd away Acts 4.24 also in the Commonwealth for to pray for the happiness of the Magistracy 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort that supplications prayers be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authority By the blessing of whose prayers and examples is a City exalted Prov. 11.11 5 It 's for the honour and glory of God to have so many petitioners waiting on him for his royal assent a joynt cry of one and the same spirit from so many breathings of his people 〈…〉 prayer is as it were a publick hue and cry made our by an embodied Church against the common enemies of Jeâ—â—s Christ of their souls Praise waits for him in Sion Psal 68. â— 6 In publick prayer there is as it were the conjunctions of the spirits and graces of a body of Christ as it were in one Hence the whole Church Acts â— 42 as they continued in breaking bread together so did they in prayer and were as it were of one accord These all continued in one accord with prayer and supplication Acts 1.14 Acts 4.24 the Church lift up their voices with one accord the breathings of the spirit which were scattered in many are as it were united in one and as the waters of several channels disburthen themselves sometimes in one current so that where his name is thus recorded he is wont to come and blesse his people Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee Seeing then there are such conjunctions of spirits he that is the mouth ought to be carefull to present onely such requests wherein all Christians do agree and the body that are worshippers and all the worshippers are to come together like so many Doves to their windowes Esai 60.8 even the Prince himself not excepted Ezek. 46.10 that they may serve the Lord with one consent or shoulder Zeph. 3.9 the usual careless neglect whereof if it do not speak forth prophaneness yet doth it speak forth a spirit of lukewarmness 7 In publick prayer there 's a provocation of one another by godly examples In the corners of the streets That is where they might be beheld of the inhabitants of two or three or four streets at once whereas there is in sincere prayer 1 A proposing of the eye
of God Esa 38.5 A holy heart directs his prayer to God as an archer doth his arrow to the mark Psal 5.3 In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee 2 A Diligent use of all means for prayer is onely one part of the means 3 It must not proceed from feigned lips Psal 17.1 Give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips Burning lips and a wicked heart pretending many glorious expressions in word when there 's no sutableness of spirit thereto such are like potsheards covered over with silver dross Prov. 26.23 we must not onely draw nigh with our lips but also with our hearts Esa 29 13. 4 Avoiding all affected gestures and expressions for prayer properly doth not consist of Rhetorical expressions nor of their studied or invented conceptions but of the powring forth of the sigh or groan in the heart God doth not like affected complements but abhors it as in all other ordinances so especially in prayer God seeks such worshippers as worship him in spirit and truth Joh. 4.23 24. 5 A heart bent against all sin Psal 66.18 such persons are upright and therefore usually their prayers upright and such as God delights in Prov. 15.8 the prayer of the upright is his delight 6 When we speak the present temper frame and disposition of our hearts the confessions to be of present sensible wants the petitions to be of things that the soul in the frame of it earnestly longs after to be full of expressions from brain and memory prompting the mouth may gain an opinion among men but hath little audience in the court of heaven We had better discover to a whole Church that distemper that is upon us by dumbness barrenness sencelesness and hartlesness then seem something to men and nothing to God by artificial expressions in prayer Hence prayer is never called by the name of expression but it s called by the name of breathing Hold not thy peace at my breathing Sam. 3 56. by the name of sighs and groans Rom. 8.26 and by the name of desire Psal 10.17 God is not a hearer of the voice but of the heart Cypr. de orat 7 If thy prayer be sincere thou wilt find it by thy closet prayers A neglect of secret prayer or a careless drowsie performance of it and that usually argues a spirit of slumber out of which if the soul be not awakened it may in time be cast into a deep sleep These are like some maried persons who before people have a great deal of love but in secret are full of discontents Let us have the same apprehension of Gods eye in secret that we have before a multitude and as much bewail thy dead heartedness there as that which thou findes before a multitude Ver. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly But thou when thou prayest enter into thy chamber That is any secret place both to shun vain glory and to gather thy affections to God Some have gathered a mystical sence by closet understanding the heart by shutting the door the shutting out of vain thoughts onely to think of God but the literal 1 Is here meant yet when he saith enter into thy closet he bids us not avoid the society of men when we pray but Christ speaks comparatively rather to enter into a closet to pray then to desire multitudes of men to look on us 2 Christ here commends unto us closet prayer hence saith when thou prayes as speaking of a duty which lies upon every believer though not precisely pointing out the number of times hence the wives are to mourn apart from their husbands Zach. 12 13. and the husbands from their wives 1 Cor. 7.5 Yea servants apart as Eleazar Abrahams servant did Gen. 24.12 Reasons for secret prayer 1 Examples of holy persons Hanna 1 Sam. 1.13 Cornelius Act. 10.4 Peter prayed upon the house top Act. 10.9 Abraham Gen. 18.22 to ver 3â— expostulating all that while in behalf of Sodom Isaac Gen. 24.63 and Christ often Luk. 6.12 13. and that penitent Lam. 3.28 and David Psal 55.18 and Daniel ch 6.10 2 There are particular necessities which concern particular souls as David when he sought God for the life of the child Paul for removing the thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.9 There are secret occasions for obtaining personal mercies and turning away personal judgements 3 That we may more freely unbosom our selves to God to powre out our sighs and groans to him Ps 142.2 David when he was alone in the cave powred out his complaint before God and shewed before him his trouble Psal 42.4.102.2 Job 16.20 when alone his eyes powred out tears to God 4 That we may be free from outward entanglements hence Christ oft prayed in private for this end 5 That we may enjoy more of communion with God The soul usually enjoyes most of God in secret God is wont to speak comfortably to the soul in the wilderness Hos 2 14 Jacob Gen. 32.23 wrastled with God and prevailed in these prayers God oft speaks peace to his people Psal 85.8 in this the Lord came into Hannas soul 1 Sam. 1.15.18 to Hezekiah Esa 38.5 I will lead you with weeping and supplications Jer. 31.9 Pretend not this will hinder thy occasions for David Job Cornelius prospered much in their affairs nor that thou art a servant for what servant but may find some corner to pray in as thou art the servant of men so art thou the servant of God again though thou art a servant yet dost thou own God for thy father and therefore must pray unto him in secret and must not forbear though forbid by thy master no more then Daniel did when forbid by the King Pretend not want of conveniency of place for we may find many odde corners fields gardens out-houses if you have places for your horses cows hoggs can you not get some retiring place wherein to meet the Lord For application let it be thy constant practice thus to pray Satan hath many excuses and pretences to hinder this sacrifice he will tell thee this and that occasion that unless thou resolve with a peremptory will thou wilt be kept from it Many prove as unsuccesful for want of private prayer as the disciples were who assayed to cast out a devil without praying before hand for it Mat. 17.21 Motives 1 Christ delights in the Saints secret prayers O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs that is thou that hidest thy self by faith in me that am the rock and by degrees of faith like so many stairs fixest upon me let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice Song 2.14 Jer. 33.3 2 The sweet answers God hath given to closet prayers Esa 38.5 Blessed be God who hath heard the voice of my weeping Psa
if there be any long absence of these accustomed meltings 8 Earnest longings after the Lord are wont to accompany saving meltings Mine eye mine eye runneth down with water because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me Lam. 1.16 9 Saving meltings flow from love to God How came Mary to weep in such abundance that she washed Christ's feet why at the same time she loved much Luke 7.38 compared with v. 47. 10 When saving meltings come there is an holy chearfulness wrought in the heart and sadness removed from the countenance as in Hanna her countenance was no more sad why she prayed and wept sore v. 10. compared with v. 18. As God did sometimes accept sacrifices without sending fire from Heaven to burn them up so sometimes he shewed his acceptation by sending fire to consume them 1 Kings 18.38 2 Chron. 7.1 Fire came from Heaven and consumed Solomon's burnt offering and so David's Prayer for the ceasing the Pestilence 1 Chron. 21.26 was answered by fire So though God do sometimes answer his people without meltings yet in holy persons these meltings usually are crowning answers and tokens of acceptation 11 We may know our meltings flow from a saving principle by comparing the meltings we had when we forsook some great enjoyment for God and got victory over some strong lust with those meltings at present when we forsook some great enjoyment as country liberty estate friends and relations how did God come in at those times so that we found an hundred fold with persecutions Mar. 10.29 30. mightily softning the heart and filling the soul with joy and with the holy Ghost Act. 13.51 as Paul was when persecuted so when we overcome some strong lust God gave us hidden Manna white stone new name Rev. 2.17 which were the incomes of God into the soul by softning of it and powring in joy in prayer after the conquest now we finding the meltings and softnings of our hearts at other times sutable to those we found then know them to come from the Spirit or from a saving principle and not from natural passion and softness 12 The meltings that come from God may be something discerned by the time when given as 1 When afflictions are sanctified then the soul powres out it self amain Esther 4.3 when the kings decree came to put the Jews to death there were great weepings and wailings ordinarily wicked men cry not when God binds them their spirits are bound up Job 36.13 2 Upon the remove of some sad desertion and after some foregoing straitnings or some very close walking with God or the bringing home of some word of promise to the heart these meltings use to be given Psal 51.8 12. Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness restore unto me the joy of thy salvation 3 By the putting forth the strength of the soul in duty Hos 12.3 Jacob wept and made supplication and found the Lord in Bethel how came that why by his strength he prevailed with God that is he put forth all his strength in the duty 4 Fom the time it s oft given even after an holy preparation of heart by meditation Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Psal 10.17 8 Pray with perseverance not to give over Eph. 6.18 Many use prayer as a medicine which after two or three usings finding no success they leave off God puts off his children with delayes 1 Because souls are not fit for such a mercy as the Physician puts off the patient from such a thing as he desires The ten tribes Judg. â—0 26 cryed for victory against Benjamin but God saw them not fit for it they yet trusted in their multitude being four hundred thousand and their enemies about seven and twenty thousand also they were not humbled enough 2 For trial of our faith whether we will yet depend on God so Christ put off the Woman of Cana Matth. 15.28 and Paul 2 Cor. 12.8 3 That his mercies may be more sweet when we get them things hardly got are prized 4 That we may see our sin in delaying God he called and thou wouldest not hear therefore it 's just that thou shouldest call and he delay thee 5 To inflame our desires the more God purposed not to destroy Israel Exod. 32. yet when Moses prayed he seemed not to regard his Prayers but this was onely to make Moses more earnest for the people 6 For the trial of our Patience David was in an horrible pit in great danger and God let him lye for the tryal of his patience and in the end brought him out Ps 40.1 2. Many are like that king 2 King 6.33 who said Saul 1 Sam. â— 28.15 because he had not present help why should I wait on the Lord any longer Yea Saints have been impatient because their prayers have not been answered at first Lam. 3.8 44. We must not onely have a dependance on God for his promise but for the time when he will fulfill it As the husbandman waâ—s long after seed time for a harvest the corn hath many a sharp blast and nipping frost before he reaps so ought we to wait for our prayers though things seem worse afrer then before Long did the Church wait for Peter before they got him out of prison Act. 12.5 in the end he was given to them neither must we limit God to such means Psal 78.41 7 That we may seek him more importunately so did Christ with-hold himself from the Church for this end Song 3.1 4. As a Beggar when a passenger comes by begs of him the passenger goes on as if he took no notice but the Beggar goes on and followes him till at last he gets his desire 8 For to humble the soul suppose thy servant wrong thee thou sayest thou wilt pardon him but first thou wilt make him humble himself to thee he shall and must know that he hath wrong'd a good master so God is willing to pardon thee and to heal thee but he will make thee know thou hast sin'd against a good God Obj. But God calls me to other duties of my calling how am I then to continue in prayer till God hear me Ans We may give over the words of prayer but we may not give over the suit of prayer A poor Beggar comes to a house-keepers door but none hears him he falls to other employments as mending his clothes c. then anon he begs again though he do not always continue begging yet he always continues his sute Oh that some within would give me an alms so should the soul at the throne of grace Persevering prayer is the building of the soul towards heaven Holy men should pray as builders build first they lay the foundation next day make the walls the next day he sets up timber-work and so goes on till the house be finished so a godly soul reaches higher and higher till at
last the prayer reaches unto heaven 2 Chron. 30.27 the prayer of the godly Priests came up to his holy habitation even unto heaven We should do with our hearts in prayer as in the winding up of a bucket if two or three windings will not fetch it up we will winde it higher and higher till it do come up so our hearts should not be at the same pin but we should winde them up higher and higher so though we get not the thing wholly that we desire yet we should get our hearts nearer God Contrarily hypocritical men will not cannot pray perseverantly Will he always call upon God Job 27.9 q. d. he will not Hence their prayers are 1 Endless That for which a thing is that is the end of a thing now the end of prayer is to speed with God therefore he whose prayers speed not with God his prayers are endless Thou prayest against Covetousnes Pride and Passion and yet remains so still to what end are all thy prayers when thou enjoys not the end of thy prayers to what end is thy servants work if thy business be not dispatched 2 Fruitless To what purpose is a Beggars begging if he be gone before the alms be bestowed so if thou go away from the throne of grace before the grace be given thee thy begging is fruitless The blinde man said Joh. 9.31 We know God hears not sinners How do you know that may some say Why by experience and example A drunkard prays against drunkenness that God would heal it in him all the world may see that God doth not hear his prayer because he doth not cure him but lets him go on in his sin Seest thou a man go on in his sin thou mayest see God hears not his prayers If a man lye upon his death-bed and send for all the Physicians in a country to come to him yet we know he is not cured so long as his deadly disease remains upon him so when I see a mans malice pride c. lye upon him ordinarily and usually notwithstanding all his prayers I know God hears not his prayers For application see then that you pray perseverantly Imitate the woman of Cana who would take no manner of denial or repulse from Christ sometimes he was silent sometimes he did as it were deny her I am not sent save to the lost sheep of the house of Israel imitate that man Lu. 11.5 6. Properties of perseverant prayer 1 It wrastles with God by arguments Job 23.4 I will fill my mouth with arguments Men when they are perseverantly earnest for a thing will bring all arguments to effect their end so will a believer to obtain his end Lord it 's a grace of the covenant thou art my father whom should I go to but thee this is for thy honour and what wilt thou do to thy great name Esa 63.16 I am a poor creature consider my frame remember I am dust Psal 103.14 15. Our near approach to death when we can no more call upon God Job 7.21 Why dost thou not pardon my sins for now shall I sleep in the dust Psal 115.17 So from our own extremities Be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like one that goes down to the pit Psal 28.1 Save me for the waters are come into my soul Psal 69.1 from our own helplesness otherwise Ps 22.11 Be not far from me trouble is near and there is none to help Jer. 3.23 Esa 63.5 from the greatness of scruples and tentations that lie upon our souls from the overwhelmings of spirit by sins and sorrows from the necessity of such a blessing for the discharge of our callings from the command of God that bids us ask Jer. 33. ◠from the promise of God who hath ingaged his faithfulness Gen. 32.9 10 11. from our confidence in him Psal 143.8 from former experiences Psal 44.1 O God we have heard with our ears the great works thou diddest from the low condition of Gods people Psal 44.9 10 11 12. from their constant adherence to his truth ver 17.18 19 20. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgot thee from our own not living in sin Psal 86.2 hear my prayer for I am holy from our perseverance in prayer Psal 86.3 be merciful unto me for I cry unto the daily From the plentiful mercy and goodness in God Ps 86.5 2 Property perseverant Prayer is striving Rom. 15.3 I beseech you for the Lord Jesus sake that ye strive together in your Prayers to God for me So did Jacob wrastle with God Gen. 32.24 Especially for those to whom we are related a pastour for the flock a father for his children a master for his servants an husband for his wife c. as if we were to wrastle-with a strong man we put to all our strength As a father that hath an apple in his hand the childe first opens one finger and then another till the apple drop out so let us open one finger and then another to get sincerity till we get all the graces of Christ upon us 3 It 's a proceeding Prayer though a godly man do not get the thing totally that he desired yet he is nearer God than he was at the first beginning he grows better every day by his Prayers Job 18.9 The upright shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger 4 It 's a prevailing Prayer I will not let thee go except thou bless me Gen. 32.26 Shall not God avenge his own elect that cry unto him day and night I tell you he will avenge them and that right speedily Luke 18.7 That very Parable of the unjust Judg and poor Widow was spoken that men should pray always and not faint Luke 18.1 c. Motives to pray perseverantly 1 The continual intercession of Christ in Heaven in our behalf there to present our Requests Heb. 4.14.7.25.9.24 So that sooner or later they will speed or else it 's more expedient for us that the thing be not granted 2 The greatness of those things we pray for which concern our everlasting estate hence we had need put forth all our strength to beg them Col. 4.2 Continue in Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength by the transposition of a Letter so that the word signifies to ply some laborious thing with all our might till we have brought it to an end Object But I have prayed long and finde no benefit by my praying Job 30.20 I cry unto thee and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest me not Answ 1 God sometimes answers the Prayers of his Servants before they perceive it Dan. 9.23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth yet for three Weeks he chastened himself by Prayer and Fasting cap. 10.2 3. v. 12. From the first day thou didst set thy heart to chasten thy self before thy God
sometimes have enlargement of words in Prayer but never of holy affections as the face of God was hid from Cain Gen. 4.14 so from all carnal men As Haman's great misery was that he was covered from beholding the Kings face Esther 7.8 so it is with these 2 The godly mourn under their straitnings Isai 63.17 Why hast thou hardened our hearts Psalm 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord how long wilt thou hide thy face from me but wicked men are not sensible of their straitnings because they never had any holy enlargements 3 The godly are wont to rejoyce in the removing of their straitnings as a man that was a close Prisoner is glad when he gets his liberty Psalm 6.8 Carnal men never have them removed therefore they can never rejoyce therein Use For application 1 Be exhorted to pray 2 To pray in a right manner Motives to Prayer 1 The readiness in God to hear our Prayers Psal 65.2 and his readiness to help our wants Psalm 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee 2 The manifold relations Christ stands related to us he is our Advocate 1 John 2.1 He is the great Favourite of Heaven if we had a Brother so near related in a Princes Court we should be emboldened to present our Petitions to that Prince why Christ is our Brother and he appears at the right hand of God for us 3 The former speedings that our selves and others have had with the Lord as Jehosaphat Hezekiah c. 4 Our own wants A Beggar 's necessity makes him full of expressions Psalm 28.1.143.7 Luke 15.17 18.18.13 5 Our hope of speeding Where a Beggar hopes to speed he begs earnestly but if the Beggar be perswaded that he shall get nothing this blunts his begging and makes him give over his sute so will it do with the soul when it prays without hope as we see in Judas Matth. 27.5 Judas had no heart to pray for mercy because he thought it impossible to get it There 's a twofold Despair 1 Of extremity as a Souldier when he sees nothing but kill or be kill'd this makes him fight eagerly so when the soul sees its extremity that it is in the deeps Psalm 130.1 Out of the deeps have I cried that it must either get grace or be damned for ever this makes a man pray eagerly 2 There 's a Despair of Infidelity when a man becomes heartless in Prayer and thinks it 's all to no purpose this takes away endeavours this is a secret soul-murderer These discouragements are hideous cases in Prayer and a man may perish and go to Hell that hath them yet they are signs that a man doth look towards God a little else he could not know what they mean Nourish then your hope in Prayer Psalm 42.11 Let thy mercy be upon us according as we hope in thee Psalm â—3 22 onely know that sometimes gracious hearts may in temptation cry their strength and hope is perished from the Lord and yet after finde grounds for their hope as we see the Church did Lam. 3.18 compared with v. 21. 6 Prayer sets God awork for us and God sets all the Creatures awork I will hear the Heavens and the Heavens shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and Wine and they shall hear Jezreel Hosea 2.21 Many when in trouble set their Friends to work and their wealth to work but few set Prayer on work Hezekiah gave to the King of Assyria three hundred Talents of Silver and thirty Talents of Gold to depart from the City of Jerusalem 2 Kings 18.14 yet did it not help him for in a short time he came and besieged it again but when he sought to God by Prayer God did utterly remove him 7 In the Ordinance of Prayer God is wont to meet his people both to the turning away of judgements and to the obtaining mercies To the turning away judgements Psal 106.23 Had not Moses stood in the breach to turn away his wrath he had destroyed Israel compared with Exod. 32.10 11. Ezek. 22.30 in Ezekiels time God sought for a man to stand in the gap and to make up the breach but found none therefore Gods wrath was powred on them So to the bestowing of mercies Jer. 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things Philimoâ— 22. I trust through your prayers I shall be given to you Matth. 7.7 8. Psal 4.4 I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears also v. 6. in prayer God gives the spirit Luk. 11.13 8 In prayer we have intercourse and communion with God If it be a priviledge to have communion with Princes what is it then to have communion with God Psal 73.28 9 The desperate cases wherein persons have been heard the Jews delivered from Hamans cruelty Peter brought out of prison Acts 12.5 Daniel brought out of the Lions den Jonah out of the Whales belly David when the pestilence raged very hot 2 Sam. 24.10 Jehosaphat when in great straits 2 Chron. 20.12 compared with v. 15 17. 10 The delight God takes in his peoples prayers Prov. 15.8 The prayer of the upright is his delight As Princes have their delights so God Song 2.14 he loves the voice of his own spirit in the hearts of Saints 11 We are worthy to miss good things if we will not ask them Spare to speak spare to speed When God bids us ask and have how unworthy are we if we will not ask 12 The dangers we expose our selvs to when we do not ask Such prayerless persons are fit objects for the vengeance of God Jer. 10.25 Powr out thy wrath upon the Nations that have not called upon thy Name Ezek. 23.30 There died 14000. of the Plague Numb 16 49. but had not Moses and Aaron stood betwixt the dead and living to intercede the whole Congregation had been consumed in a moment v. 45 46 47 48 49. 13 In the exercise of prayer our graces are exercised to send out a sweet smell in the nostrils of God our faith in eying Christ our love and desires in breathing after him our repentance in bewailing sin our thankfulness in acknowledging benefits our expectation in waiting for answers As sweet perfumes when rubb'd send out a fragrant smell then the spirit blowes upon the soul that the spices thereof may flow out Song 4.11 to the end especially v. 16. these graces are compared to the smell of sweet flowers in a garden and to the smell of perfumed garments and to the smell of oyl of Spikâ—nard Calamus Cynamon Frankincense trees Myrrhe and Aloes and all chief spices 14 Prayer is the way to be enabled to all other duties and to become successful in them Eleazar having first prayed prospered in getting a wife for his masters son 15 Prayer is the abridgement of divinity therefore to call fervently on the name of the Lord is to be a godly
spirit The Spirit is extended as far as the presence of God and therefore is every where Yea this one Spirit dwells in all the Saints where ever they live Eph. 2.18 as in a Temple 1 Cor. 3.17.6.19 The Spirit dwels not onely by gifts but in respect of substance he doth not so give his gifts that he should be elsewhere but he is present to the gifts of his creature by preserving governing adding strength Luth. Tom. 4. pag. 402. Yea the actions proper to God are ascribed to the Spirit as to create Job 33.4 Psal 33.6 and to inspire the Prophets and Apostles pen-men of Scripture Acts 28.15 the Holy Ghost spake by Isaiah the Prophet yea Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Yea the Spirit is said to be one in essence with the Father hence the Spirit is to be called upon 9 This God whom we eye in praier we are not to imagine subject to composition or division as though the Father had one part of the god-head the Son another and the Holy Ghost a third but the whole entire god-head is communicated from the Father to the Son and from Father and Son to the Holy Ghost so that there is no division but only a distinction without separation Matth. 3.16 17. The Spirit like a Dove lighted upon him and a voice from heaven said This is my beloved Son 2 We must rightly apprehend Jesus Christ that as in the Creed of Athanasius we believe our Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God Rom. 8.3 32. so we believe him to be God and man God of the substance of the Father begotten before the worlds and man of the substance of his mother born in the world perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soul and humane flesh subsisting equal to the Father as touching his god-head Phil. 2.6 and inferiour to the Father touching his manhood who although he be God and man yet he is not two but one Christ one not by conversion of the god-head into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God One altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of person for as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ who died and rose again and appears at Gods right hand in our behalf Heb. 9.24 After the union of the light with the body of the Sun no man can separate one from another to call this severally the Sun and that severally the light but we call one Sun the light so after the union no man will call this the Son the word of God this the Son to wit man but will understand both to be one and the same as one light and one Sun now as one light and one Sun are two natures one of the light and another of the body of the Sun in like manner this Son and Lord and Christ and Onely begotten is one but the natures are two one which is above us the other ours Just Mart. expos fidei p. 302. Through this Lord Jesus we have access with boldness to come to God Joh. 14.6 Ephes 3.12 Heb. 10.22 The Sun shines alike to all every day but they that are quick of sight receive more of its beams but they that have weak eys by reason of their weakness cannot behold it so the Sun of righteousness communicates his substance equally to all as God near at hand but we being blinded with sins by reason of our blindness cannot endure the presence of his light Just Mar. ib. 305. 2 We must pray in a right order first for spiritual blessings and then for temporal first for pardon of sin then for removing of judgement 2 Sam. 24.10 first for the Kingdome of God and it's righteousness and then for other things Matth. 6.33 first for the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 then for corn and wine 3 Keep your heart always in a praying frame 1 Thes 5.17 Pray continually that is if any present occasion shall offer it self you may be fit for the duty hence have your hearts so set upon the world that whensoever there shall be need you may call them off from the world 4 Come with shame and abasedness of spirit into the presence of God Ephraim Jer. 34.19 20. the Prodigal Luke 15.17 18. the Publican Luke 18.13 Ezra 9.6 Ezra blusheth and was ashamed when he came before the Lord in prayer Nehemiah much confounded for his own sins and the sins of his fathers house Neh. 1.6 7. David often Psa 51.2 3. Psal 130.1 2 3.143.2 God is wont to fill such empty souls with comfort Luke 1.48 Job 22.29 the soul is then in the most praying frame when most abased then doth the soul most go out of it self and magnifie grace Matth. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name After this manner therefore pray ye As it 's not enough for a Gardiner to weed out evil weeds but also he plants good plants and flowers or for a workman to pull down a ruinous house but he must also set up a firm house so Christ doth not onely taxe the faults that were committed in prayer but also prescribes a right manner of prayer Q. But seeing you have laid down a manner of prayer and Christ sets forth another and there is but one manner of calling upon God aright how can this manner and the manner laid down be consistent together A. In the manner of prayer already prescribed prayer hath been handled as to the particular requisites and qualifications thereof which Christ doth not here insist upon at all or if at all it is in very generals which I have endeavoured to digest into particulars already laid down But here Christ sets forth the manner of prayer as to order and end 1 To order first to ask those things which concern the glory of God as in the three first Petitions and then the things which concern our good in the three last 2 To end there are two ends of prayer 1 That God may be honoured of us 2 That we may obtain of him the good things needfull for this life and the life to come Q. Whether did Christ use this prescription about the manner of prayer twice A. It 's likely forasmuch as Matthew and Luke set forth divers occasions that Christ delivered it twice here it 's set down to rectifie prayer from the Pharisees corruptions there it 's set down upon the request of a certain disciple who said Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples Luke 11.1 2. 2 Q. Whether did Christ prescribe this as a rule after which our prayers are to be squared or did he prescribe it as a form that must be used and no other A. Christ prescribes it as a rule according to which our petitions are to be directed not as a form to the continual use whereof we are obliged I will not take upon me to
condemn all forms seeing we read of sundry in Scripture as Psal 102. v. 1 c. Esai 63.15 to the end of cap. 64. ult Numb 6.24 Yet to use a form doth argue thou art a very babe who go by a form because they cannot go alone and to use a form when thou art able to powr out thine own heart more and better then any form can teach thee is to to offer to the Lord a corrupt thing when thou hast a male in thy flock Thou art a very babe till thou art able to express thy wants in conceived prayer what man is there that is sensible of his wants that cannot declare them to man and canst thou not declare them to God Christ hath given us this breviary of prayer as a looking-glass to see our wants Himself never used it nor could he in truth say Forgive us our trespasses seeing himself had none We never read the Apostles used this prayer but onely framed their petitions according to it Acts 1.24 Matth. 26.39 We ought then to look upon this as a pattern without which we might have wandred in our requests often asking things hurtful for us we ought then hence to draw the matter of our prayers This form or patern is usually divided into three pâ—rts 1 A Preface Our Father which art in Heaven 2 Petitions which are six or according to some of the Ancients seven 3 The Conclusion For thine is the Kingdom c. 1 The Preface Our Father which art in Heaven We call him Father 1 To shew that we are not to look upon him as a Tyrant or a Stranger that knows us not or as an hard Master but as a Father 2 To embolden us to come unto him 3 To shew his readiness to do you good Luke 11.13 If evil fathers will do good to their children will not our Father do good to his children 4 To shew that we believe our Election and Adoption 5 Assurance of his readiness and willingness to help us whereas formerly we durst not lift up our eys to Heaven Luke 15.18 Our 1 This word Our teacheth that however we believe for our selves yet Charity teacheth us to pray for others 2 To denote unto us a Communion of Saints how that they are so joyned together as if the want of one were the want of all 1 Cor. 12.26 If one member suffer all the members suffer with it 3 That we may not disdain the meanest Christian from being our Brother in Christ if God have adopted him for his Ephes 4.5 yet may a Christian in private say My Father Matth 26.39.27.46 4 To keep us from arrogating to our selves above others remembring we are of the company of sons On earth some Saints have more noble fathers than others but to the Father in Heaven all Believers are alike related 5 To encourage the weak that they may believe that God is no less their Father than the Father of Peter Paul c. 6 That we should not onely pray for our own necessities but also for the necessities of others James 5.16 applying in private Prayer that common Fatherhood to our selves And this Father we call upon we may look upon some times personally Ephes 3.14 1 Cor. 8.6 sometimes essentially for Father Son and Spirit so Christ is called the everlasting Father Isai 9.6 7 To teach us mutual sympathy 1 Cor. 12.26 If one member suffer all the members suffer with it Heb. 13.3 8 To teach us unity and agreement with our Brethren as members of the same body hence before we bring our gift we are to agree with our Brother Matth. 5.24 Which art in Heaven 1 To shew that how ever earthly parents have a good will to help their children yet want power yet our Father being in Heaven and being the God of all might hath power to do for us above all that we can ask or think Ephes 3.20 Psalm 115.3 2 To take away erroneous conceptions of God wherein carnal men are ready to think of him like earthly parents 3 To denote unto us his special presence he hath in Heaven there his power wisdom goodness do most shine forth and from thence are manifested to us Psalm 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God 4 That when we come before him we should come with reverence and lifting up of heart Lam. 3.41 Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the Heavens where God is not circumscriptively as the body of man bounded by such a place nor definitively as the Angels but repletively filling all place for the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain him 1 Kings 8.27 5 To shew to us that though God be every where Psalm 139.7 8 9. Whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there if in the uttermost parts of the Sea thou art there Amos 9.1 2 3. yet he is said to dwell in the Heavens Psalm 2.4 Hear from Heaven thy dwelling place 1 Kings 8.30 there his majesty and glory most shines forth Psalm 112.5.123.1 yet doth he dwell in humble and holy hearts Isai 57.15 1 Cor. 3.16 As the soul of man which is wholly in the whole and in every part yet is said to be in the head or heart more than elsewhere because there more than elsewhere it exerciseth his power and effects so though God be essentially every where and in all places wholly yet he works not grace and gifts equally in all parts but he works in Heaven more than in Earth in the godly more than the wicked and in one of his children more than in another in the Saints in Heaven 〈◊〉 than in the Saints on Earth and in the humane nature of Christ more than in any creature Hallowed be thy Name This is the first Petition and Christ his meaning is 1 That Gods glory be every where magnified it 's put in the first place because Gods glory must be preferred before all things Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself Thus must every one do that calls God Father So that if our credit or profit come in competition therewith we are willing to renounce not onely them but every thing else for the Lord. 2 That the Name of God which is God himself be magnified The Name of God is not so many Letters but God himself Holy and reverend is his Name Psalm 111.9 It was the speech of the men of Bethshemesh Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.20 God is glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 The Trinity is said to be holy Isai 6.3 Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts The Father is holy John 17.11 The Son holy Luke 1.35 Acts 4.27 The Spirit is holy Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God God is not onely holy but holiness in the very abstract Amos 4.2 The Lord hath sworn by his holiness that is by himself Saints are holy
Some men are hard to please that do what you can you can never content them they are so humerous but it is not so with God If there be a willing minde and an holy sincere endeavour God accepts it 2 Cor. 8.12 If God should require obedience in rigour we could not please him Psal 130.3 but he requires obedience on easie terms even Gospel obedience and if there be some slips the Lord will be well pleased for his righteousness sake Esai 42.21 Matth. 17.5 6 It is a duty sutable to our consciences for when we do the will of God how doth conscience approve of it and how doth the conscience fill us with comfort herein 2 Cor. 1.12 when Paul's conscience witnessed that he endeavoured in godly sincerity to do Gods will it filled his soul with rejoycing 7 No formal professions are regarded of God how glorious soever unless we do Gods will Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Mat. 21.29 31. The Father there had two sons one said he would go work in the Vineyard and did not the other said he would not and yet did and he is said to do the will of God Hence Christ saith Whosoever doth the will of my Father the same is my father and mother sister and brother Mark 3.35 8 It 's an everlasting duty When we come in heaven we must still be doing the will of God let us begin it then on earth Some duties cease when we die as prayer repentance mortification but this duty still continues for ever Ps 19.9 Pray we that God would grant us his grace not as to the wicked to do his will in being unwilling to do it but as to his children at leastwise to be willing to do it even in not doing it Du Ples c. 13. of Christ Relig. 9 This is the way to be stablished in conscience What is the will of God when we inure our selves to do it John 7.17 whereas others are wavering and uncertain 10 It hath been the commendation oâ— Christians that they have done the will of God It was Enech's praise that he pleased God Heb. 11.5 It was the praise of Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 They walked in all the Commandements of God blameless for this Epaphras prayed that the Celossians might stand perfect in all the will of God Col. 4.12 11 To do Gods will is the way to have our own will bring your will to Gods and so you shall always have your will Because wicked men will not bring their wils to Gods they shall eternally suffer that they would not In earth as it is in heaven Though it may be interpreted of the course of the Stars that in a continual motion obey God yet Christ means it of the Angels Psal 10 â— 22 21 Praise him all his hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure We need not be ashamed of doing that our betters will do Herein we desire that we may serve the Lord on earth as the Angels in heaven serve him they do his will 1 Universally 2 Out of love 3 With cheerfulness 4 Perpetually so ought we this is to converse in heaven or to dwell in heaven to be like the Angels of heaven 5 Speedily as in the Angels sent to destroy Sennacheribs host and the seventy thousand in Davids time and young and old in Ezekiels time cap. 9.4 6 Faithfully The Angel tells the Lord I have done as thou hast commanded me Ezek. 11 9. We should endeavour to be â—â—ke them not that we can attain such perfection but that we should follow after without setting any measures or scâ—â—â—â—ings to our holiness In order to which patterns of holiness let us not onely look upon the Angels who are ready to serve us because the Lord biâ—s them for they all are ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 but we must use all means whereby we may more and more come to such an end which are the leading of the Spirit Rom. 8.14 and the guidance of the word and frequent prayer 2 Cor. 10.5 From all this four inferences 1 That not onely Angels but men ought to take notice of Gods will God ought not onely to rule in heaven but in the world 2 To mourn under our natural rebellion and long that God would heal it Rom. 7.15 16 17 23. 3 Pray to know the whole will of God Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will O God And that God would incline your hearts to do it It was Solomons prayer 1 Kin. 8.58 that God would incline the peoples hearts to walk in all his ways 4 That it 's not enough to do Gods will but we must do it like Angels we must do Gods will by being humble in conversation stedfast in faith gracious in words righteous in deeds exemplary in manners living peaceably with brethren enduring the wrongs of enemies and not retaliating To love God soveraignly and dearly to awe him reverently yea we must do it as Angels with an as of simitude though not of proportion Give us this day our daily bread Now we come to ask things which concerns our selves This Petition shews 1 That we must have a continual dependance upon the providence of God for earthly things Psal 145.15 16 The eyes of all wait on thee and thou givest them their meat in due season as the Israelites had for Manna 2 That we are onely to pray for necessities not for superfluities to pray for silk garments gold rings and jewels c. we have no command but onely for bread and clothes 1 Tim. 6.8 Having food and raiment be content but if God make our cup run over we owe more to God and his people the more we receive Prov. 8.9 Feed me with food convenient for me Therefore some Translations render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreeing to our substance or the bread of want Jacob desired food to eat and raiment to put on Gen. 28.20 3 Christ would caution us herein against a carking sollicitude for to morrow Matth. 6. ult yet may there be a lawful care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the following day day after and under day is not meant onely one day but after the manner of the Hebrews the time of our life to come so that Christ would have us to commit the care to God that so long as life lasts he would give us nourishment Christ herein would remove from us as distrustfulness as not to doubt of Gods care of us so greediness whereby some pretend the expectation of old age for their covetousness So that Christ means give me sufficient for all my life following if thou pleasest not to give yearly give monethly if not monethly give daily bread and what ever thou givest more comes in over and above 4 Under bread is meant health peace and all temporal blessings Gen. 3.19 2 Kings 6.22 Job 42.11 houses strength 5 It showes all
secret fasting so he will reward thee openly not by way of desert which is onely proper to Christs obedience but he by his Spirit will in the sincere performance of this duty stirre up in thee mortification of the flesh and affliction of the Spirit together with a devout intention in the exercise of repentance and we shall understand this not onely at present but specially at the day of judgement Mean time know God is not a debtor to thee for thou canst deserve nothing at his hand Luk. 17.10 Rom. 11.35 The same way that a reward is given to him that prayes it is given to him that fasts but the reward is promised to him that prayes of grace not of desert Therefore so it is given to him that fasts and that not simply to him that fasts but to him that joyns prayer with his fasting Thus we see how Christ reprehends the Pharises Hypocritical fasting who did institute their fasts as to the outward part of it in imitation of the Fathers and holy people who were wont to sit on the ground and to be covered with sackcloth and ashes which were signes of their true sorrow but to the inward part which was hearty grief for sin and an earnest breathing after reconciliation this the Pharisees altogether omitted From the words thus expounded Observe that Gods people ought as in other duties so in fasting to avoid corruptions and to perform it in a right manner I will open 1 The kindes 2 The manner There 's a twofold fast 1 publick which is when Gods people meet together either to desire pardon for some great sin committed or to turn away judgement as in Jezabels time they met together in respect of a supposed blasphemy so when the men of Ai had smit thirty six men Joshua and the elders of Israel fasted Josh 7.6 7. So the men of Israel having lost two set battles against the men of Benjamin Judg. 20.26 fasted untill the even so when there was a famine coming the Lord calls to the Priests to gather all the people of the land to fasting and prayer Joel 1.14 so when Moab Ammon and Mount Seir came against Jehoshaphat he seeks to God by prayer and fasting 2 Chr. 20.3 2 Private when we humble our selves for some evils lying upon our persons or family So David humbled himself for the child 2 Sam. 12.16 Of this Christ speaks when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them then shall they fast Matth. 9.15 So when in private we humble our selves for some evil lying upon the Church so did Nehemiah cap. 1.4 for the affliction of the Jews And Daniel sought the Lord for the Jews that God would bring them out of their seventy years captivity Dan. 9.3 Sometimes one friend fasts for another so Jobs friends Job 2.12 sometimes for enemies Psal 35.13 And so David fasted for the recovery of the health of his enemies 2 The manner of fasting 1 it must be with preparation to get off the hardness of the heart as in all prayer preparation is to be used before it so much more in this solemn duty Levit. 23.29 32. 2 It must be with humiliation and affliction of Spirit Psal 35.15 Levit. 23.29 Ezra 8.21 3 Removed from hypocrisie Anoint thy head and wash thy face As in the text Thou art not to be proud because thou hast been humbled but to be humbled because thou hast been proud 4 Free from censoriousness of others that fast not when thou fastest Johns Disciples when they fasted censured the Disciples of Christ for their not fasting Mat. 9.14 In the same family one may have cause of fasting when another hath cause of rejoycing 1 Cor. 7.5 5 In performance of reading and expounding the Word Nehem. 9.3 one fourth part of the day was spent in reading the word and opening the same Baruch on the fasting day read the Word of the Lord by Jeremiah Jer. 36.6 Another fourth part of the day they spent in prayer wherein confession of sins was most insisted upon Neh. 9.3 6 In separation of the soul and body from sundry comforts wherewith at other times we do refresh our selves as from stately apparrel the King of Niniveh laid aside his princely robes Jon. 3.6 Such apparrel is fittest at a fast as most shows the abasement of our Spirits onely let it not be affected also then refrain from pleasures which are then both unlawful Esa 58.3 Joel 2.16 The bridegroom then must go forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet also they are unsutable God complains that when he called to weeping mourning and girding with sackcloth then behold joy and gladness Esa 22.12 13. Yea on a fasting day we are to refrain from the ordinary works of our calling Esa 58.3 Behold in the day of your fast ye exact all your labours Also abstinence from Meat and Drink 2 Sam. 3.35 David did not taste Bread or ought else till the going down of the Sun Onely note this abstinence is so far forth requisite as it helps forward our inward humiliation If the forbearance of food prove an hinderance to humiliation it is not to be used and such as cannot abstain though through weakness they cannot keep a fast yet may they keep a day of humiliation and prayer Onely 1 Beware of a pretended necessity instead of a true for if it be pretended God findes out pretences Prov. 24.12 Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider If it be a real necessity then God will have mercy rather than sacrifice 2 Though thou canst not abstain wholly yet abstain from so much as usual or from food of such a kinde Daniel ate no pleasant bread for three weeks Dan. 10.3 A tanto à toto or à tali in such bodily abstinence we judg our selves unworthy of the creatures 7 Consider the petitions you would commend to God in prayer and the sins you desire to acknowledg and the judgments you desire to have removed and the mercies you desire to obtain and insist especially upon them when the Church would have a blessing upon Paul's Ministry they used fasting Acts 13.2 so for a blessing upon stated Elders prayer and fasting was used Ezra to have a right direction for the people in their coming from Babylon sought God by fasting and prayer Ang. ad Casul Ezra 8.21 in all these fasts they insisted upon the matter in hand When Peter was to encounter at Rome with Simon Magus the Roman Church on the Sabbath-day fasted Augustine when he saw his City besieged by the Vandals gave himself to prayer and fasting and died in that Siege as Possidonius mentions 8 Beware that thou turn not thy fast into a matter of penance Persons when they do penance in formal and idolatrous Churches are glad when it is over though they never shew any true repentance so persons are glad when the fasting is over though their hearts have never melted throughout the duty The end of a thing is that for which
the Thessalonians faith 1 Thess 3.10 3 Direction in difficult Cases together with satisfaction in scruples so that the souls of persons are kept in peace John 9.3 4 To kindle affections when souls are dead how were the affections of the Brethren at Ephesus Acts 20.36 and Tyre Acts 21.5 kindled and the three thousand pricked Acts 2.37 The hearts of the Disciples going to Emmaus were on fire whiles Christ spoke to them Luke 24.32 5 Relations kept in the way of duty fathers children husbands wives princes subjects masters servants 6 Soul watchfulness Heb. 13.17 They watch for your souls Isai 62.6 7. 7 They wrastle with the Lord in prayer and give him no rest till they obtain mercy for a people Isai 62.6 7. 8 They gather Gods harvest into barns that is souls into Churches here and into glory hereafter That he would send forth Labourers into his Harvest Seven grounds hereof 1 The need there is of such Labourers as a Field will be overgrown with Weeds if the Husbandman send not Labourers into it so will the hearts of men where there are not such Labourers to weed And as when Corn is ripe it will be apt to shatter if there be not Labourers to inn it so people of good affections are apt to decline where there are not Labourers to perfect young comers on The need of such is seen in that yearly there are so many thousands born Children of Wrath. And in that the hearts of good men are liable to so many decays and coolings 2 The great blessing there is by such Ministry and labour and needs must it bring a blessing because it roots out that which will be the ruine of any place I mean sin Prov. 28.2 Yea nothing doth more bless a place than such Labourers 2 Chron. 11.17 The godly Priests and Levites that came to Rehoboam strengthened the Kingdom of Judah 3 Because the Harvest is Gods it 's called his Harvest therefore it belongs to him to send forth Labourers into it Now they that are of Gods sending are endued with gifts and grace 4 Because they cannot preach unless he send them Rom. 10.14 How shall they preach except they be sent The least degree of sending is to have ability to divide the word This sending is 1 Inward when a man having the love of souls stamped upon his heart is made willing to offer up himself to this work Isai 6.6 7 8. 2 Outward because too many out of pride and self-conceitedness are ready to put themselves forward this way hence God hath appointed that persons that are to go out be first approved by men thereunto appointed Else Jer. 23.21 I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran 5 As the primitive work of sending is Gods so there is something in sending which is ours to wit that we shew our selves willing to be sent When God had sent one of the Seraphims to Isaiah with a coal in his hand to touch his mouth meaning a burning zeal to Gods glory and when the Lord asks the question whom shall I send and who shall go for us the Prophet then answers v. 8. Here I am send me Isai 6.6 7. Men to whom God hath given Abilities should be forward to put forth themselves Out of love to souls they may desire the Office of a Bishop 1 Tim. 3.1 yea they must out of a ready minde take the oversight of the flock of God 1 Peter 5.2 Not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde 6 All the success that is in any mans Ministry how fully soever sent or how willing of himself for to go is from God So that the force of the Reason is he hath the power of succeeding and making Ministry effectual therefore he hath the power of sending We preach to persons to turn from darkness Acts 26.18 but God turns them Isaiah preached a long time Isai 53.1 yet because the arm of the Lord or the power of the Lord was not revealed to souls there were so few converted that he cries out Who hath believed our reports yea he and the children God had given him were as signs and wonders If God go along Peter shall at one Sermon convert three thousand All our Preaching is but as the rigging of the Sails which avails not unless the Winde blow When he opens none can shut when he shuts none can open Rev. 3.7 8. yet must we in a patient manner make trial what success God will give us in our Ministry imitating Peter Luke 5.5 who had toiled all night and taken nothing yet would at Christs word further let down the net And truly persons sent by God usually have their labours blessed to the converting and building up of some souls Jer. 23.21 22. 7 It is the Lord that maintains them in their work Acts 18.9 10. Be not affraid but speak and hold not thy peace for I am with thee He holds the seven stars in his right hand Revel 1.16 20. now the right hand is the hand of strength and power Jer. 1.18 19. saith God to Jeremy I have made thee an Iron Pillar and a Brazen Wall they shall fight against thee but not prevail Seeing God maintains persons herein it 's fit he have the sending of them CHAP. X. WE have in this Chapter three things to be premised 1 The occasion and coherence which was multitudes coming to Christ with desire to hear the Gospel he was moved with compassion towards them cap. 9.7 Seeing them as Sheep without a Shepherd he consults to send out his Disciples and therefore before he sends them forth he bids them pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers which the Disciples doubtless did hence as an answer of their prayers Christ as the Lord of the Harvest sends forth Labourers even his twelve Apostles 2 That there is difference betwixt this sending and the election of the twelve mentioned Luke 6. when Christ chose them that he might instruct them that in time to come they might be sent out Christ will have those whom he sends out first to be Disciples before he will send them out he mentions not here their chusing but onely their sending because he had chosen them before 3 That this sending forth of the twelve Disciples or Apostles differs from that sending forth of the twelve mentioned Matth. 28.19 this being onely particular that they should go into the Land of Judea that being for them to go into all the World and was to continue till the end of the World Matth. 28.20 Contrarily this sending may seem to be onely temporary and that the Commissions here and there do tota specie in the whole kinde differ and that that is not an enlargement of this commission but another 1 Because at this sending Christ impowers them to preach and do Miracles but there he impowers them to make Disciples and baptize them 2 Because these are forbidden not to go into the way of the Gentiles nor
a Lion Prov. 20.2 how much more should you fear the wrath of God In Augustine's time they went to the Idol Temple for fear as they said of offending some person greater then themselvs to whom Augustine said Do'st thou fear to offend a greater and do'st thou not fear to offend God De verb. Dom. ser 6. Moreover know that the Lord being Lord both of soul and body will not be contented with bodily service without the Spirit as many think who present themselves at any worships nor with the service of the Spirit without the body as some Nicodemites have thoughts but he will be glorified both with body and Spirit which are his 1 Cor. 6.20 3 Things 1 It 's our duty to fear God 2 The fear of God where it is in the soul it eats out the slavish fear of men 3 God is able to destroy soul and body in hell fire 1 Obs It 's our duty to fear God 1 Because Gods fear is a special mean to empty us of slavish fear of men Ex. 1.17 The Mid-wives feared God and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them but saved the men children alive Isai 8.12 13. Fear ye not their fear nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread 2 Because he is able to cast the soul and body into hell fire if we fear men more then him Yet as Luther saith many fear the Pope and his Purgatory rather then Christ and his hell so many fear the Magistrates prisons more then the eternal prison of hell 3 Did we fear God we needed not slavishly to fear any neither man nor devil See it in those worthies Dan. 3.16 17. Use 1 See the wofull condition of those who are without Gods fear in three particulars 1 This is a note of a wicked man Rom. 3.18 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Wicked men Jude 12. are said to feed themselves without fear When Jobs friends would prove him wicked they bring this that he cast off fear Job 15.4 2 God rejects the prayer of such as fear him not Prov. 28.24 Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer why for that they did not chuse the fear of the Lord. Hence Nehemiah cap. 1.11 prays That God would hearken to the prayer of thy servant and servants that desire to fear thy name and contrarily he fullfils the desires of them that fear him Psal 145.19 3 If we fear not God we shall be in a continual fear of men and so consequently in a continual snare Prov. 29.25 The fear of man bringeth a snare so without this fear we shall be in fear of devils 2 Information 1 Let us enquire concerning it wherein consider 1 The kinde 2 What it is 3 The causes of it 4 The degrees of it 1 The kindes 1 Servile which is in slaves Luk. 1.74 2 Filial Hos 3.5 Q. What is filial fear A. When we stand in such an awe of God that upon setled deliberation we will chuse affliction rather then iniquity Job 36.21 a fiery furnace rather then worship a golden Image Dan. 3.16 17. and withall have an holy jealousie that in all our carriage and conversation we may not sin against God from the apprehension not onely that God is a just Judge but also a gracious father Hos 3.5 2 The causes of this fear are two 1 The love of God Whatsoever we love we fear lest any thing should rob us of that which we love A man loves his goods hence he fears lest plunder suretiships storms should take it away A man loves his life he fears lest diseases take it away A holy man loves God hence he fears lest any sin should rob him of his God He that calls God father endeavours to spend the time of his sojourning in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 2 The greatness of his strength Why doth a subject fear a Prince or a Dog fear a Lion Because they know they are far above them in power and strength We fear not things that are no stronger then our selves so why do we fear God Because of the infinite power and strength God hath above us hence Israel feared Goliath and the Philistims Sampson 3 The power of any creature is feared when it can do us good or hurt Isai 41.23 Do good and do evil that we may be dismayed and behold it together So we fear God because he can do us good and hurt and no creature without him can do it for creatures are meer vials through which God empties himself What power is like Gods that is able to cast soul and body into hell therefore the Text bids us fear him 4 The degrees of this fear In some men it is more then in others It was the praise of Hananiah that he was a faithfull man and feared God above many Neh. 7.2 There may be two men both conscientiously fearfull of sin yet one of them may have a greater fear of God then the other 2 Use for information Learn to see the necessity of Gods fear See it in six particulars 1 It 's the best preservative against sin Psal 119.11 Thy testimonies have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 16.6 By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil Prov. 14.16 A wise man feareth and departeth from evil Prov. 3.7 By this it was that Joseph was preserved from Potiphars wife Gen. 39.10 and as it prevents other sins so in particular it prevents 1 scandalous sins Neh. 5.9 Ought we not to walk in the fear of the Lord because of the heathen who are round about us Hence Psalm 19.9 The fear of the Lord is said to be clean from the cleansing effect which it hath in the soul 2 As Gods fear prevents scandalous sins so doth it prevent secret sins Neh. 5.15 Nehemiah durst not extort of the poor Jews as the former governours had don because of the fear of God Job was of the same minde Job 31.1 2 3 23 24. 2 Gods fear will make a man faithfull in the calling wherein God hath set him if a Magistrate Jehosaphat speaks to the Judges he sends forth Thus take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord wherefore let now the fear of the Lord be upon you 2 Chron. 19.5 6. also he saith vers 9. Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully as if he should say ye can never be faithfull in your Magistracy without Gods fear hence this is one yea a principall qualification in a Magistrate that he be a man fearing God Exod. 18.11 Gen. 42.18 the Apostle propounds this as a remedy against eye-service in servants Col. 3.22 Servants obey in all things your Masters not with eye-service as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing God David giving forth the duty of a Prince saith he that ruleth over men
nature hence we had need look our actings be sincere Job 10.4 Hast thou carnal eys as man or seest thou as man sees Had we men onely to look upon us we might trifle as we would but we cannot beguile God Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do man looks upon the appearance God upon the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 Rom. 1.9 Paul served God in his spirit Joh. 4.23 24. They that serve him must serve him in spirit and truth those that are built up a spiritual house must offer spiritual sacrifice 1 Pet. 2.5 5 There shall be a general discovery of the secrets of all hearts Luk. 12. take heed of hypocrisie why For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed nor hid that shall not be known The very counsels of the hearts shall be opened 1 Cor. 4.5 Eccl. 12.14 6 The comfort of sincerity at all times especially in an evil day at all times sincerity comforts when enemies accuse Psal 139.1 The widow had more comfort in giving her two mites then all they that had given large gifts One shilling given sincerely is more comfortable then pounds given vain-gloriously Luk. 1.75 Especially this comforts in an evil time Isai 38.3 Psal 112.4 7 8. In that time conscience will not so much ask what you have done as to whom you have done it In that day those things wherein we have had most respect unto God and least unto men will bring most comfort Hezekiah had done much for God but his chief comfort was not the things done as the manner of doing them Many have received righteous men but they will have comfort that have received righteous men as such 7 Sincerity gives a lustre and beauty to the services we do Luk. 1.6 Zachary and Elizabeth are said to be righteous before God Paul praises the graces of the Thessalonians that they were in the sight of God and our father 1 Thes 1.3 Hezekiah is commended that he turned his face to the wall and wept Isai 38.2 Hence all the duties of worship are required to be in sincerity as prayer Psal 145.18 hearing 1 Pet. 1.2 receiving 1 Cor. 5.8 yea all our service in holiness and righteousness must be before him Luk. 1.75 So that as the varnish gives a lustre to the picture the diamond to the ring so doth sincerity to our actions As hypocrisie stains all a mans actions as the burning of his body the parting with all his goods to the poor so sincerity adorns them a Ministers preaching a Tradesmans dealing a Magistrates governing a Servants working 8 There 's nothing will carry us through variety of temptations but sincerity so that sooner or later we shall discover our selves if we be not sincere as Saul Jehu Judas c. 1 Tim. 5.52 They that are otherwise cannot be hid 9 God takes pleasure delight in the sincerity of his servants Jer. 5.3 Are not thine eys upon the truth Ps 51.6 Thou desirest truth in the inward parts Such are Gods delight Prov. 11.20 Sincere men whether present with God or absent from him labour to be accepted of him 2 Cor. 5.9 If such souls pray God delights in their prayer Prov. 15.8 10 The Saints are wont to be jealous of the want of this grace above any other Psal 139.24 Try me and search me O Lord see if there be any way of wickedness in me Job 13.23 Make me to know my transgression and my sin Saints know the comfort of sincerity is great the corruptions that hinder it many the trials and sufferings to preserve it not a few hence are they so jealous of themselves hence the Disciples hearing that one of them should betray Christ all the eleven that were sincere suspected themselves Master is it 1 The ground of this jealousie in sincere souls is because they finde so much crookedness and falshood in particular actions hence they doubt lest they should be unsound in the main yea they know their comfort or misery doth in a great measure depend hereon 11 No Preacher under heaven can speak comfort to a person in an evil day unless he be sincere Job 33.23 The Interpreter one of a thousand declares comfort unto a sick man but how doth he it Even by declaring unto him his uprightness Afflicted souls send to Preachers in an evil day we speak peace to them if they be upright Prov. 2.7 He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly Prov. 10.9 He that walks uprightly walks surely 12 All sincere souls and none else have cause to rejoyce in God Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Yea all such are bid to rejoyce in God Psal 32.11 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Though they have many imperfections hanging upon them and though their grace be sometimes like a grain of Mustard seed yet are they to rejoyce Many poor Christians are apt to be discouraged by their failings yet know that sincerity may stand with the having many weaknesses but not with the allowing excusing maintaining wilfull winking or denying of any All sins which we acknowledge and defend not are pardoned but the sin which is defended is unpardonable Luth. Tom. 3. Lat. 104. Others are discouraged because of their fruitlesness let this humble thee not discourage thee Because thou brings forth fruit onely thirty fold and not sixty charge thy self with weakness and negligence not with hypocrisie Grounds why sincere souls have cause to rejoyce in God 1 Such have their sins pardoned Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute iniquity but who is that viz. in whose spirit there is no guile that is no allowance of guile or no reign of guile for in the holiest heart there is but too much guile Isai 63.8 Surely they are children that would not lye therefore was he their Savior 2 The more the afflictions and disasters of such abound the more in Gods time shall comforts abound Job 8.20 Behold God will not cast off the perfect man Psal 97.11.112.4 3 Such persons have the special presence of God determined unto them Psal 11.7 His countenance doth behold the upright Psal 140.13 The upright shall dwell in thy presence Job 13.16 he also is my salvation but an hypocrite shall not come before him that is into Gods special presence as I do and other Saints 4 God hath special care to protect such in time of danger 2 Chron. 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect with him Isai 33.15 He that walketh uprightly his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks 5 In the dispensation of rewards among professing people in this life God hath special respect to those who are sincere Psal 18.23 24. I was upright before him therefore hath the Lord
innocent blood The Jews scrupled to give Paul one stripe above the Law the Law was Deut. 25.3 that the Judge determine him forty stripes but not exceed now the Jews whipt Paul five times and they scrupled so to transgress the Law herein that they gave him but thirty nine stripes but they scrupled not to whip an innocent person Saul would not eat with the blood he scrupled it yet would he not scruple to take away the lives of fourscore of the Lords Priests at one time 15 Still urge thy soul to give a reason of thy scruple So David Psal 43.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me If the soul cannot render a reason of it be sure it comes either from Satan or melancholy or some such cause or its some injected temptation such as the devil cast into Christs minde to make him scruple whether God was his father 16 Answer the scruples When thou seest them manifest fallacies in grace though true consequences in nature for example Satan saith thou art a sinner God is just therefore he hates thee therefore inflicts punishment therefore he hears thee not this consequence cannot be denied in nature The consequence of grace is thou art a sinner therefore believe and when Satan opposes thy sins say What is that to thee Satan I have not sinn'd against thee but against my God I am not thy sinner what power hast thou over me Satan if it be truly a sin whereof thou accusest me Satan sometimes terrifies the minde also with those things which are not sins but he alledges them to be sins as Christ will not quench smoaking flax no more will I quench it in my self FINIS An Alphabetical Table of some of the Common places which are handled in these first Ten Chapters of MATTHEW A. ADultery Matth. 5.27 Five disswasions from it Ten remedies against it Alms. Grounds thereof Properties therein Helps thereto Objections answered Matth. 5.42 And the manner of doing it Matth. 6.1 2. Anger Matth. 5.22 Holy Six properties Fifteen remedies against sinfull Anger Apparel Matth. 6.26 Grounds of moderation herein Astrology Judicial the vanity of it in Matth. 2.2 Assurance Eight reasons that it may be had it breeds not security Matth. 6.12 B. THe point of Baptism handled Matth. 3.6 Eight Reasons why Christ was Baptized though he had no sin Matth. 3.13 What is meant by fulfilling all righteousness in six particulars Matth. 3.15 C. CArking Cares Matth. 6.25 26. Thirty four helps against them Cross to be taken up Seventeen grounds Matth. 10.38 Companying with wicked men how far lawfull how far unlawfull Eight helps how to carry our selves when cast among them Seven means to get rid of them Eleven grounds thereto Confession and Denial of Christ in Matth. 10.32 33. Contentions about Religion Matth. 10.34 D. OF Demoniacks Matth. 8.16 Of Divorce Matth. 5.30 Of doing as we would be don to Matth. 7.12 Of Dreams Matth. 1.20 Four sorts uses to be made of them E. ENemies to be loved Five grounds of it How the Prophets prayed against Enemies Six objections answered Seven means to love them Motives thereto Matth. 5.44 F. FAith weak and strong In what respects faith admits degrees in six particulars Six notes of a strong Faith Mat. 6.26 Fasting Matth. 6.16 Nine rules in Fasting Seven rocks to be shunn'd Fewness of saved ones Seven reasons of it Matth. 7.13 Fear of God Matth. 10.28 First the causes The degrees The necessity in six particulars Eleven trials Five means to it Five differences betwixt filial and slavish fear Ten motives Slavish Fear Matth. 8.26 1 Kindes Seven grounds against it Four motives to rid the heart of it Of Flight in persecution Matth. 10.23 Seven rules therein Forgiveness of sins as from God Matth. 6.12 Six comforts to drooping souls Nine grounds of begging pardon 11 signes to know whether our sins be pardoned Forgiveness of sins to men Matth. 5.25 Where 1 The manner of forgiveness 2 The order of forgiveness 3 The Motives thereto See chap. 6.14 15. Following Christ Matth. 10.38 Six grounds thereof Four means Seven hinderances Five motives H. HUnger and thirst after righteousness Five reasons Eleven grounds Four motives on Matth. 5.6 Hearing and doing must go together Matth. 7.24 Eleven grounds thereof Who are right Hearers Fifteen rules in right hearing Matth. 7.26 Twelve causes of unprofitable hearing ibid. on Matth. 7.26 Hell the punishment of the damned therein Matth. 8.12 There is material fire therein or that which is worse Matth. 10.28 Hypocrisie First the kindes 2 What it is Seven cautions before trial of our selves Twelve marks of an Hypocrite Ten remedies against Hypocrisie Matth. 10.42 I. INvocation of Saints Seven grounds against it Infirmities Matth. 8.17 Four trials whether thy sins be Infirmities Seven grounds to bear with others Infirmities Matth. 8.17 Judgement Rash First what it is Eleven grounds to take us from it Six sorts of rash judgement condemned on Matth. 7.1 2. K. OF the Kingdome of Christ 1 Of Grace which comes six ways 2 Of Glory in which 3 things 1 The beginning of it 2 The end of it 3 The gloriousness of it Set down 1 By similitudes 2 By plain Scriptures 3 By the excellent things therein which are 1 In general 8 In particular Seven evils Saints shall be delivered from Four goods they shall enjoy therein Matth. 6.12 L. LAying on of hands after Baptism Three kindes of Laying on of hands Matth. 10.18 depraved by three sorts of men Seven Arguments to prove it an Apostolical institution Seven objections against it answered Labourers in Gods harvest Matth. 9.38 Their duty The causes why so few Of the Law and fulfilling thereof by Christ Matth. 5.17 A large discourse of spiritual Life and death Matth. 8.22 Seven trials of dead men Seven trials of men alive Three means to life Eleven motives to it Love of the world Six grounds of conviction herein Thirteen grounds of disswasion from it Eleven remedies against it Four grounds of the reign of this sin Six grounds it reigns not Matth. 6.24 Lust of the heart Matth. 5.28 Six remedies against it M. MEekness The grounds of it Properties of it Six Means to obtain it Mercifulness Three reasons Eight grounds Nine rules therein on Matth. 5.7 Murther and cruelty Matth. 5.21 The kindes of it Five objections answered Lawfull War no Murther Mourning spiritual Six grounds of it Nine trials Nine Means thereto Matth. 5.4 O. OAths Several cases about them Matth. 5.33 Outward things how promised by God Matth. 6.33 P. OF Peace and Peace-making Seven means to Peace Three means to Peace-making Eight motives in the last whereof are seven benefits Matth. 5.9 Perfection in God Matth. 5.48 Six grounds of it Seven Uses Perfection in Saints how it is taken Four trials of it Persecution for righteousness sake Nine grounds of suffering it Twelve means thereto Four consolations under it Poverty spiritual Matth. 5.2 What it is Eight trials Seven means thereto Power of God Matth. 6.14 Twofold Eight grounds setting forth Gods power Prayer Six questions handled Matth. 6.7 1 About repetitions 2 About long Prayer 3 Also v. 9. About meltings in Prayer wherein twelve things considerable 4 About delaying Prayer 5 About distractions in Prayer 6 About straitnings and enlargements in Prayer Fourteen rules in Praying 18 Motives to stir us up to Prayer Nine things concerning the object the Trinity we eye in Prayer and of the manner herein Prophets false Mat. 7.15 Four grounds why to be shunn'd Their resemblance to Wolves in six particulars Fourteen signs of them with a large answer to three Scriptures abused by the deluders of the times Preachers maintenance the manner of it the right they have to it wherein certain proposals as to the Magistrates maintenance are soberly offered not peremptorily determined with many objections on both sides largely handled on Mat. 10.9 Providence of God on Mat. 10.29 30. Nine grounds asserting it four uses made of it Powerless profession on Mat. 7.21 Five reasons of it Five remedies against it Six trials herein Of Prophesie on Mat. 10.41 Two kinds of it Nine helps thereto Of the Pharisees and Saduces what they were Mat. 3.7 Of Purity of heart Mat. 5.8 what it is Six means to it R REpentance on Mat. 3.1 Replies in publique Congregations lawful but apt to be abused Eight benefits hereby Nine rules to be observed herein on Mat. 7.26 Revilings on Mat. 5.12 Nine Consolations herein when they are for Christ Revenge private on Mat. 5.38 Reproof on Mat. 7.6 to whom to be given Eight rules in giving it Righteousness of Christians two fold where many questions are handled about Gods righteousness and mans righteousness on Mat. 10.41 Reward of Saints what it is to whom given and when on Mat. 10.42 S. SAvory life on Mat. 5.13 Eight resemblances of a Christians Life and Salt Seven disswasions from unsavoriness six helps to a savory life Sanctification of Gods name on Mat. 6.9 Six ways of Sanctifying it Self-destruction on Mat. 4.6 Thirteen helps against it Secret actions seen by God Mat. 6.3 Sight of God on Mat. 5.8 the kinds of it the happiness of a glorified sight in six particulars with answer to some objections Souls sleep not nor are annihilated till the day of the Resurrection Sincerity Mat. 10.42 Twelve grounds to it Six comforts in it Twelve trials of it Scruples their kinds nature Twelve rules about scruples on Mat. 10.14 T TEmptation of Christ on Mat. 4.1 Temptations of Christians Mat. 6.13 where 1 the kinds of it God hath five ends therein Nineteen remedies herein Thoughts the causes of evil thoughts Four ways they become evil objections answered five trials of thy thoughts seven remedies against bad thoughts seven motives to look to the thoughts on Matth. 9.4 Treasure heavenly Eleven notes of it Mat. 6.19 Teaching with authority seen in eight particulars Mat. 7.29 V USury on Matth. 5.42 what it is It s usually falsely described Understanding inlightned Matth. 6.22 23. W OF the Will of God Mat. 6.11 There are divers other common places but these belonging to the practical and savory part of Christianity I have pickt out for the benefit of some Readers who may be straitned in time to peruse the whole I would have made a larger Table but being farre from the Press it could not so well be done by me FINIS