the third place if ever thou wouldst pray to break off thy sins and to part with thy prophanesse for as I have shewed a sinfull course familiarity with God cannot consist or stand together A corrupt tongue or leprous throat maketh a harsh noise in the eare of God remēber that the Lord is far from the wicked and though they cry to him he wil not harken to them Fourthly thou must avoid and abandon all prophane idle and unprofitable company for as thy living in a corrupt ayre or with contagious bodies will increase the habit of thy corrupt disposition till thou be utterly consumed so lewd and wicked company will more and more contaminate thy soule and spirit so that thy breath shall stink worser and worser in the nostrills of God As the soule in the Law that touched any abominable unclean thing and ate of the sacrifice was to bee cut off from Gods people so the conversing and familiarity with unclean cursed company cutteth a soule off keepeth it off from familiarity with God in prayer Therefore saith the wiseman Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not into the way of evill men The Prophet David washing his hands in innocēcy that he might compasse the Altar of the Lord abandoneth all vain persons resolveth not to sit or converse with the wicked for as thou must avoid evill company and hate them that regard lying vanities so thou must associate thy selfe to the godly Hee that walketh with the wise shal be wise hate the evill saith the Prophet and love the good The meerely moral man doth counsel thee to converse with such as will make thee better as men by constant conversing with natives of a Nation doe learne the language of the nation so by sorting thy self with beggers thou maist happily learne to beg Fiftly thou must intreat the godly earnestly to pray for thee and to beg thee of the Lord esteem much of their praiers which be of that efficacy to convert a sinner from his waies and to save a soule from death hiding a multitude of sinnes If thus thou dost and God affecteth the hearts of his people to pray for thee there is good hope that thou shalt come to pray for thy selfe and for others also for the Sonne of many prayers cā hardly perish but so long as thou dost scoffe mock at the prayers of the Saints or hast them in light esteem the spirit of prayer or supplication will not come nigh thee Yet with this begging of the prayers of the Saints thou maist learne to beg thy selfe The people of Israel desired Samuel to pray for them when they had sinned but they praied also for themselves but Pharaoh desired Moses to pray againe and againe for him but hee would never learne to pray for himselfe neither did he at all desire Moses his prayer till the hand of God was the second time upon him for at the first he did not A great many doe never desire the praiers of Gods people if they desire them at all it is not till Gods hand be so heavy upon thē that they know not what to doe Sixtly thou must attend the meanes of the word read preached and conferred upon for thou shalt never learne to speak to God except thou hearest God speak unto thee hee that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination It is not a set manner in a secret corner nor the best penned praier that thou canst get by hart without a diligent attendance on the word especially preached that ever will teach or inable thee to pray For faith commeth by hearing And because wee believe therefore we speak As the lame man in the Gospell lay still by the Poole of Bethesda which was the meanes appointed for recovery till the power of God had wrought upon him so thou must still attend the meanes till God smite the heart unvail the eyes touch and untie the tongue to this duty of prayer Seventhly and lastly enquire learn of God's people and they can tell thee what unvaluable profit what sweet pleasures what unspeakable consolation what peace-passing understanding what height of honour what heaven of happinesse they find in this familiar conference with God aske and they will tell thee as a Father observeth that of all vertues they can find none but this compared to incense Secondly they can tell thee on experience that it is the best guard against all assaults of Sinne and Sathan All kind of Divels are kept out and cast out by this When the evill Spirit came upon Saul David alayed and abandoned it by playing on his harpe that harpe saith one was devout Prayer Thirdly if thou wouldst know what is the best trading Gods people will tel thee there is none like Prayer For no state time place person or opposition can intercept thrift if thou art disposed to pray thou maist ever be imploying thy stock and that with the returne of encrease thou maist gain more by Prayer in one houre as one saith well then all the Merchants in the world in a thousand yeares Fourthly wilt thou know what is the very best physick Gods people can tell thee by experience that none is like Prayer It healeth the infirmities of the body and the diseases of the soule and the Praiers of the faithfull shall save the Sicklie and the Lord shall raise them up and if he have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven him Fiftly if it be enquired what is the greatest honour that mortall man can obtaine unto Is it not this for a man to talke familiarly with God as with his friend And such honour have all the Saints and they only What honour were it for a poore meane despicable man to come to be so inward with a great Monarch to have his eare at his pleasure and to goe into the bed-chamber when hee list without repulse or interruption of any So is it with Gods favorites how despicable and despised soever they be amongst men Hee that will be inward with God saith one let him pray frequently let him read diligently for when we speak with God when wee read or heare God speaketh to us Sixtly if thou wouldst be provided of the best armes against thine enemies of the best safest refuge in distresse the speediest deliverance out of trouble the Saints can assure thee upon experience that there is none like this witnesse Moses Hester Iehosaphat and the rest Seventhly wouldst thou command all the armes of creatures as heaven earth and all the creatures therein yea even the Angels themselves the people of God wil teach thee that Prayer is the only word of command By this Elijah did open and shut the heavens By this Moses tied and untied the hands of the Almighty by this Iacob made the Lord to stay with him so that hee could not depart till hee had blessed him Eighthly and lastly
goe about to deceive him denying him in effect to be the discerner of the heart otherwise they would never deal so with him Try also thy hope in Prayer namely by clearing of thy Author and casting it within the vaile The nature of hope is to keepe thee from shame by the repulse of thy desires because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost in such abundant measure and unspeakable manner that he cannot deny us the things hoped for Try also thy Prayer by patience waiting on the Lord and going on in Prayer in the time of distresse This an Hypocrite as I have shewed cannot nor will not doe In the time of affliction they wil set very freshly upon the duty so farre as great words will carry it but if they be brought to any strait or put to any hard shift like white-livered souldiers they die down-right in their owne ayre or element or else fling away their arms and run from their Colours It is much to be feared that our nations woefull experience shall teach the truth of this in one as wel as the other But God giveth his owne another heart namely to overtop the height of their affections with the height of their Prayers and never give over till by patience and importunity they possesse the gates of their enemies and become more then Conquerors The Scripture to this purpose affordeth abundance of remarkable instances for a touch whereof take these two Steven the first Martyr being cast out of the City and stoned for his worthy Sermon as the stones were flying about his eares in the midst of all the mischiefe that they could doe him by the power of the holy Ghost called upon God and that with cryes kneeling upon his knees This lesson no doubt hee learof his Master Christ the best and only pattern that any man can follow He though a Sonne learned obedience by afflictions in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications withstrong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death was heard in that he feared where observe what force feare and afflictions added to our Saviours Prayers which as swelling seas make well growne fish and thundring and lightning cleereth the ayre and the nipping frost maketh the fire the hotter So the afflictions of the Saints addeth force to their Praiers they cry more mightily to God then ever they did yea where they could not speake before now they cry and that day and night saith the Spirit though he beare long with them where observe the patience of the Saints they beare long in Gods bearing with their enemies Then observe their instant continuance they cry day and night to the same effect the Lord speaketh by his Prophet I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as gold is tryed they shall call upon my name and I will hear them Affliction maketh the wicked impatient driveth them from God because they are a burnished blade of terror in the hand of the Almighty as the pearle in oysters by thunder vanisheth so doth the Prayer of the Hypocrite by affliction but the triall of the godly bringeth forth patience driveth them nigher to God because their afflictions are but trialls indeed and at the worst they are but as a rod in the hand of a loving Father In a word as the Saints extremities are Gods opportunities so the same extremities are whetstones to the Saints importunities Lastly as for preparation labour to set thy heart in frame consider what thou art about and with whom thou hast to deale As God bid Moses put off thy shooes from thy feet for the place where thou staÌ„dest is holy ground whereby is meant the putting off of earthly and carnal affections preparing the mind to spiritual and heavenly duties Endeavour to come before the Lord with a simple and naked heart and with affections duly prepared for so great a presence As for Opportunity endeavour alwaies to be fit upon every occasion and feaâ—â— to choose the best occasion not omitting it at any hand for Diligence know this that use maketh an Artist or Tradesman To conclude this particular If thou callest upon the Lord in truth that is in faith syncerity earnestnesse and constancy the Lord will be nigh unto thee which is both the cause and evidence that thou prayest by the Spirit The seventh evidence of Prayer made by the Spirit is the guidance of the Spirit in all other actions For as he that is born of the Spirit is Spirit so he is spirituall in all his parts faculties and actions because the Spirit is of an all renuing nature though many remainders of the flesh and much reluctation be intermixed therewith throughout all the parts faculties and actions To this effect is that of the Apostle As many as are led by the Spirit they be the sonnes of God where observe hee saith not they that have received the Spirit or live by the Spirit or pray by the Spirit or doe any other action as he saith other where but that they are led by the Spirit intimating thereby the inclining disposition and ever-ruling power of the Spirit whereby the whole spirituall man is guided in all his waies as a ship by a pilot or a horse by his rider the place alludeth to a blind man or a man wanting strength who is wholly guided or carried by another so Gods supplicants as they pray by the spirit so they wholly resign themselves over in all their waies to the guidance of the spirit The guidance of the spirit in all a petitioners waies doth manifest it selfe in these two particulars First in the subdueing of the whole body of sin for though the remnans of sin remain in the best of Gods Saints yet no sin beareth dominion in theÌ„ for then should they not be led by the spirit who are led by the spirit saith one but they whose counsells and actions have nothing to doe with sin Sathan according to that of the Apostle Hee that is borne of God sinneth not or commiteth not sin viz. he serveth not sin hee delighteth not in sin he maketh not a trade of it nor lyeth not in it giveth not way to it but resisteth it and hateth it it is an intolerable burthen to him he cannot beare it But on the contrary he that committeth sin is of the Divel that is he that loveth sin loveth and obeyeth it in the lusts thereof Now where this sin-subduing power of the spirit beareth sway there the prayers bee the prayers of the spirit For as divers gifts come from one spirit so where there is one true gift of the spirit there bee all the gifts of the spirit but on the coÌ„trary where one sinne beareth sway there is not the guidance of the spirit and where the spirit is not the guide there the prayer is not the prayer of
breadth from the marke Secondly the way is hard and difficult that is also implied in the words Thirdly the dayes are evill nay sure never worse Many stumbling blockings rubbes much opposition both on the right hand and on the left within and without when Trading groweth hard Wares grow slight Pirats abound Merchants cheat their Chap-men Chapmen fill the earth with bankrupts and the Prisons with black smoke and beastlinesse is it not very hard for a faire trader to walk with a streight foot to give every man his owne and to make good his stock and maintaine his family yes sure every man averreth it How much harder is it in these wofull times to make good this spirituall traffick wherein the Parents will defraud the children the children cheat the parents the husband the wife the wife the husband the brother the brother yea a man will cheat and cozen his own soule It standeth every one therefore upon it to look to his own accompts because every one must give an account for himselfe This taske I must confesse is somewhat hard to set upon the rather because it will not stand with neglect or intermission but assuredly the constant use of it shall make a man see better and more comfortable dayes then ever heretofore he hath seene By this course he shall be brought to see himselfe often as in a glasse and by the sight of his failings he shall be brought to softnesse of heart to tendernesse of conscience to deprecate the evil of commission and omission and to supplicate for power against future assaults This shall make him watchfull over his waies wary of his company strict in his carriage zealous for his God and holy and profitable in all manner of conversation In a word the experimentall utility of this practice will shew such necessity of it that thou wilt not believe it till thou try it Try then and hold fast the practice it shal never repent thee To this daily accompt joyn thy weekly accompt and thy accompt of more weekes before thou goe to the sacrament and by use of time thou maist become an excellent accomptant The more thou attendest it the lesse thou shalt have to doe yea by the practising by it thou shalt be the more willing to attend it though thou canst not be like that Emperour that attended suits till he had no suiters for thou shalt alwaies find enough to doe yet thou shalt find thy selfe by Gods mercy much inabled to goe cheerfully through with the worke and if thou art faithfull in thine accompts thou shalt every time find thy selfe a gainer The eighth particular of the Spirit 's evidence in Prayer is from that infallible ground of the faith of the Saints viz. The precious promises of God The same Spirit called the Spirit of supplication is also called the Spirit of promise which doth not only signifie to us the residence of the Spirit in the Saints whereby they are distinguished and discerned from the wicked but also after an Hebraisme or Hebrew Phrase the assuring of them of those great and precious promises or things promised is understood on which the Prayers of the Saints make their stand and rise These were the supporters of David's faith Remember thy word to thy servant upon which thou hast caused mee to hope wherein is well observed by the Ancient that David in all his supplications had recourse to the promises of God And now Lord God saith the same Prophet the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant establish it And againe thou art God and thy words are true whereupon shall the weake sights of a weary and overladen soule and the heavy groans of a loaded conscience cast themselves but upon that sweet and comfortable promise of our Saviour Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you How shall the poore distressed selfe condemning bankrupt presse home his earnest suit upon God with any confidence of discharge but by putting God to his promise of the new Covenant I am he I am he saith the Lord that blotteth out thine iniquities for my names sake and will not remember thy sinnes The soule in Prayer may put God to remembrance of his promise not to remember sinne Also how should the soule tyrannized over by the body of some corruptiō ever look by Prayer to prevaile against the power of it but upon the promise of God to put the power of the word into the heart whereby the heart is changed from a stony and rebellious dispsition into a soft pliable and obedient disposition How shal the fainting soule support her supplication in the day of distresse or how should she wrestle with God in the time of calamity when God by contending desireth not only to be gone but in sence is already departed except they have at hand that promise Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee Lastly how shall ever the soule attaine by Prayer to rest it selfe upon the hope of glory but by interessing it selfe into the promise of the Crowne of Glory laid up for him and all them that love the appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ So that these promises are like Aaron and Hur holding up the hands strengthning the heart of Prayer yea as the remembrance and application of these faileth or increaseth so the Spirit of Prayer faileth or increaseth And here lyeth a main difference of the Prayers of the regenerate and unregenerate The Prayers of the former are upholden and supported from an externall principle namely the promises of God that cannot faile but the Prayers of the later lean upon the broken reed of something within thēselves namely some workes of charity equity or out-side pietie the worth of their Prayer it selfe or the mud-wall of civill honesty all which are but as a rotten wall whereupon the best Praiers that they build are but straw and stubble and both foundation and building being naught they must be burnt with fire If any object that Nehemiah desireth the Lord againe and againe to remember his workes of Piety and Iustice and that he would not wipe out the good deeds he had done for the house of his God and for the offices thereof So King Ezekias in his Praier desireth the Lord to remember his walking before the Lord his integrity of heart and doing good before the Lord. I answer that neither the zealous Ruler nor the godly King did presume any whit upon the worth of their works as though thereby they should make their Prayers of acceptance with God but if the places be well observed they cast themselves wholly upon the mercies of God and not upon the merit of their Prayers desiring God out of his promise made to respect the integrity of the heart and the righteousnesse of the actions to make good his promise like unto that in
flie from his colours and so they aske things not fitting for thē though to good intent and often they are not fitted for the things they aske But thus they doe in their hast the Word of God checketh them Gods Spirit their owne cōscience diverteth them from this course and they endeavour to square their desires according to the Will of God But the wicked are like to Elies sonnes They will have what they will if they perish for it Try thy Prayer then by the object of thy desires if thou canst heartily submit thy self to the Will of God in all things then thou hast assurance of the guidance of the Spirit but if thou wilt be both begger and chooser thou art too saucy to be guided by the Spirit Secōdly as for the Matter so they have due respect unto the Order The Spirit whereby they are guided is a spirit of Order not of confusion They first seeke heaven and heavenly things because they are heavenly minded according to that rule of our Saviour Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you where by the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse is meant heaven and all the means of Gods appointment that bring us to heaven which both for excellency and order we must seeke and esteem above before all things not but that wee may and must seeke earthly things for there is a necessity of them we have the promises for them but it must be as they are necessary helps to the better things giving them their due time and place A pattern for this our Saviour giveth us in that perfect patterne of Prayer wherein he teacheth us first to pray for heavenly things and then for earthly things Where if any object That the asking of dayly bread is prefixt to the asking of forgivenesse of sinnes the former being earthly the later heavenly I answer it is not needfull with some of the Fathers and others to expound this bread of the sacramentall bread for the temporall bread is the bread of the children as one of them well observeth as well as the spirituall bread but the petition for Bread is put before the petition of Remission of sins as some think because the former of petitions is for good the later is in the number of the deprecations for evill Others that from the sight of our necessities of earthly things we are led to a sight of our necessity of heavenly things According to this patterne is the practice of the Saints Salomō makes first choice for Wisdome and letteth other things follow in their course David first desireth the light of Iehovah's face or countenance and letteth the corne and the wine and the oyle follow in their order But it is nothing so with the wicked they desire earthly things in the first place because they are earthly minded as for heavenly things they never question the attaining of them Give Esau first his red pottage and let him deale afterward for the birth-right as hee can let Saul be honoured before the people and hee will take his venture of the honour from God Againe wee must aske heavenly things absolutely I meane in their kinds not in any particular measure or quantity but for earthly things wee must aske them conditionally for so they are promised In some sort namely so farre as they are absolutely necessary for the maintaining us in Gods service and making good of his promises so farre wee may crave them absolutely for as wee crave the end so we may crave the meanes that lead to that end Then try thy selfe by the right ordering of thy heart towards the object of thy desires if thy heart pant and thy soule thirsteth after the living God and the promises of God Christ Iesus Doest thou desire the loving kindnesse of the Lord more then Life it selfe then let this assure thee though thou want other assurance that thy desires are the desires of the Spirit for every desire is of the nature of the thing desired Beasts affect only sensuall objects because their desires are meerly sensuall and the naturall man desireth naturall things as the adequat object of his desires though by some sparkle of common instinct he may glance at better things which he neither knoweth nor truly affecteth So the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse is the adequat object of the spirituall mans desires although the stomach may be affected with the maukin or such a disease as women with-child and men also labour of arising from an excrementious or venemous humour whereby they long extremely for things hurtfull like the humour it selfe and desire them more then holsome food But as this is cured by vomiting so the Lord by some crosse or other purgeth out his malignant menstrous humour after which they come to hate their owne desires David was taken with a longing desire for the water of Bethlem but not when hee perceived it to be the price of blood by hazarding the lives of his worthies hee would not give it to his desires So when the Saints perceive their inordinate desires to hazard their esteeme desire of Chirst they say to them as Ephraim to his Idols get you hence what have I to doe with you Look to it then for if thou set thine ease profit pleasures honour or any thing else before Christ thy desire is not of Christ The last note of Evidence of the Spirit is the looking for an answer from him to whom wee pray The end of every action is first in intention A man can never intend that which hee lookes not to see in execution the end of Prayer is to be heard Heare O Lord the Praier of Iudah and bring him unto his people To heare is no other thing but to answer he who prayeth then intendeth to have answer looketh for an answer it will follow then by conversion that he that looketh not for an answer prayeth not at all That speech of the blind man God heareth sinners carririeth these two things in it First as I have shewed the living in any sinne cannot stand with the Spirit of Prayer This hath been the course of all the Saints Iacob looked for a blessing and hee would not away without a blessing The Canaanitish Woman will not away til she have somewhat though it be but crummes David will look out that is as I have shewed he will waite for an answer My soule waiteth for Iehovah more then a watch-man for the morning As the eyes of servants are unto the hand of their Masters or as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistresse So our eyes are toward Iehovah our God untill that he be gracious unto us The leadeth us unto this duty by the very instinct of brutish creatures The eyes of all looke attentively to thee and thou givest them their meat in due season The
as the Apostle saith neglect not or be not carelesse of the gift that is in thee If ever then thou wouldst have comfort from the sense of prayer dig thy selfe out of thine own security dull not neither drowne thy pretious thoughts in cares pleasures worldly joyes or sorrowes be ever bringing the dispersed sparkles of the Spirit together and like a good workmā look well to the fire and then the Lord will not onely take notice of thy prayer as he did of Pauls but hee will also give thy soule to know that it is such a prayer as he taketh notice of so that thou maist cōfidently averre with David I have called upon thee maist urge it with an argument let mee not bee confounded 2 The second Mean of procuring sense is the removing of hinderances as the distemper of the body by intemperancy the distemper of the soule by passion dividing cares or loose and unprofitable company these bee the rubbish of our ruinous disposition that keep us frō the view of the straine of prayer in us These be the ashes that cover the sparkles of the Spirit keep us from the sensible heat of them Away then with these if thou desirest the sense of the vigor of the Spirit First the soule followeth the temperature of the body thou must labour as much as may be for a sound minde in a well tempered body The over-wearied and over-toyled bodies whereunto most men reserve their families and secret duties are unfit to organize the soule or to vent the soul's desires in prayer It is good therefore to ply the duty in health strength of body that hence comfort may arise in time of sicknesse and weaknesse As for the Passions or Perturbatiōs of the mind if they be the symptomes of evill affected bodies the body must be brought in frame but if they bee the more spiritual perturbations or such turbulent commotions as wee call properly the sicknesse of the minde as anguish slavish feare sadnesse the like these being of an aëreall and subtile nature doe trouble and miscarry the temper as the winde doth carry the calmest ayre and smoothest water against the rocks So that for want of smooth waters to move on if you will a well-composed minde the evidence of the Spirit can neither be seen nor heard Therefore these perturbations must be alayed by their opposite Graces as I have shewed not quite taken away with the Stoicks but they must bee so tempered and alaied by grace above the temper of the Platonists that they may be as sinews to the motion of the Spirit whereby evidence may bee furthered and not hindered As for instance an angry or wrathfull disposition is like choler distasting or distempering the rellish of the Spirit or as the unnaturall heat doth wast and consume the naturall active heat that commeth from the heart so the devouring heat of anger eateth up the evidence of the Spirit The minde as one saith must be at peace in it selfe if it look towards God But if the heat of anger be turned into a holy zeal tempered with discretion it will consume that rubbish that lyeth in the way of sense and will be like a coach to carry the evidence or feeling of the Spirit to our Spirit in the time of prayer Secondly And so a habit of dulnesse or pensive heavinesse dulleth flatteth the sense of the spirit in prayer but a well set or moderate mournfulnesse is that sowing in teares which maketh us sensible in prayer to reap in joy Lastly distracting and slavish feare doth weaken the sense of Gods love towards us but a reverent awe of the Majesty of God in prayer will give thy soule assurance that he is thy Father and that by the power of the spirit thou callest him so Thirdly As for the removeall of any reigning sin I have spoke of it before for continuance in that cannot stand with the Spirit of prayer yea I am of that minde that though David lost not the Spirit by his sin it is probable that he prayed not scarce all the time that he lay in his sin A third Mean to attain sense of the Spirit in prayer is in thy disposition to the duty and desire to bee guided by the spirit and not by the flesh blood In thine indisposition or averse disposition it will disswade thee from praying at all and that upon some shew of probable ground as that thou hast not the Spirit thou canst not pray God will not entertain it If any bee by thou maist shame thy self and bewray thee to bee a man of no gifts So thou hadst best let it alone till thou be fitted God will accept of thy good intention and better not pray at all then not to pray excellently But these the like be sophisticall suggestions whereunto if thou hearknest thou neglectest thy duty thou weaknest thy prayer by thy neglect thou disacquaintest thy selfe with God thou bewraiest a doting on thine own ability thou interceptest Gods opportunity of manifesting his strength in thy weaknesse thou givest advantage to Sathan thou indangerest the very habit of prayer as much as in thee lyeth for from frequency of neglect thou maist derelinquish the duty or bring it to a bare presumptory performance Lastly there is nothing that weakneth depriveth and opposeth sense more then this for as a sedentary life or sleeping after meat bringeth a fat cold body to a Palsie or Lethargie wherein sense and motion is often weakned or deprived so the neglect of duty may indanger sense to a mans dying day Therefore if thou canst not pray as thou wouldest or as thou shouldst pray yet as thou canst God may bee there and thou not aware of it and when thou art least able thou art most able when thou art most humble thou art fittest for sense take this as the direction of the Spirit in many places besides the practice of the Saints Pray alwaies Continue in prayer Watch and pray alwaies The meaning of which places wee must not mistake after the example of Euchytes the Psallian that we must doe nothing but pray for many evills would then arise but that upon all occasions wee should have something to say to God especially as both ancient and modern observe at the stinted times of duty which though wee change yet we must not neglect or omit whether private or secret In a word that of the Apostle in another case though often by sin abused will serve well here Be instant in season and out of season that is whether it please or please not So whether thou art disposed or not disposed goe to and doe it the Lord hath bidden thee The fourth Meane in Prayer to obtaine sence is the labouring in Prayer to bring home Christ sensibly to the soule This is the Spouses desire I would lead thee I would bring thee into my mothers house And thus she doth indeed I held him and would not
Iob He shall call upon God and he will be favourable to him and hee shall see his face with joy For he will render unto man his righteousnesse False and forged then is that glosse of the Doctors of Doway upon that place of Nehemiah Ajust man that hath merited by good works may pray with great confidence of reward Further if any object If Prayer depend upon promises what need men pray since God will acknowledge his promises without our Prayers for all his promises are Yea and Amen For answer briefly he that hath promised to heare hath commanded us also to pray and without praying no promise to heare yea the Son of God himselfe who doubted not of his glorification did notwithstanding pray Father glorifie thy Son Try then thy interest to the promises by the laying hold or desiring to lay hold on the promises thereby thou maist know whether thou praiest in the Spirit or no keep alwaies thine eye upon the promises for as the load stone keepeth alwaies the point of the needle towards the north-pole so the load-stone of Gods promises keepeth alwaies the point of the Prayer touched therewith directly towards the Mercy seat of God But as the unregenerate man hath no portion in the promises so the promises are no point of that Compasse whereby his Prayers are guided It is true indeed that a wicked man out of the darknesse of his thoughts may charge God with such a promise as God never made by misconstruing of the promise as for instance Call upon me in the day of distresse and I will release thee This promise a wicked man may thus urge Thou hast bound thy selfe by promise Lord to deliver all those that are troubled and call upon thee but I am in trouble and call upon thee therefore thou hast bound thy selfe by the promise to deliver mee and so from thee I seeke for deliverance The Argument is a sophisme as wee speake from the homonumie or diverse significations of the word all which in the former proposition must be taken for calling upon the Lord in truth but in the later in cannot be so taken for the wicked may prate and bable but hee calleth not upon the Lord as I have shewed therefore he hath no interest in the promise Hee leaveth out the maine evidence namely the Glorifying of God which a wicked man never doth so that he presumeth himselfe to doe that he doth not and God to promise that which he never meant Againe a wicked man may obtaine that which he payeth for as successe honour wealth temporall deliverance and the like whereupon hee presumeth of some interest to the premises but it doth not follow For as God heareth not in every thing or alwaies the children of the promise because they are not fitted or it is not good for them or the the time is not come so he often giveth the wicked things they crave in his wrath they having no ground to aske or receive any thing from him as a promise to them for they are none of the children of the promise They have neither promise of the things of this life nor a better neither doe they with patience waite the Will of God that they may receive the promise but the childrens only care is to make good to themselves some interest to the promises and that by cleansing themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and by doing the Will of God waiting with patience for the promises endeavouring to bring them home by faith and supplication without ceasing The ninth Evidence of the Spirit of Prayer is the directing of Prayer to God in the name of Christ we are commanded thus to doe for what is it to seek the Face of God according to his owne appointment but to seeke him in the Face of his anointed Drawing neare unto God in Christ hath only the promise of hearing witnesse Christ himselfe binding it with an asseveration Verily verily I say unto you what soever yee shall aske the Father in my name that will I doe By no other nor in no other can wee speed but in and by him what other can appease the wrath of God against us Dare man by any other shew his face in Gods presence In the worth of Christ only our Prayers find acceptance with God in him as in a golden Censor all the Prayers of the Saints come to be fragrant and sweet-smelling odors He is the only mediatour as well of Intercession as Redemption He is the Priest the golden Altar by whose vertue our Prayers come to be a Sacrifice Did there ever any prevaile with God but in his name Is there any way or accesse but by his name Hee is that high Priest going into the Sanctuary carrying on his shoulders and also on his breast the twelve precious stones representing the twelve Tribes or all the faithful Hence it is cleare that Papists goe not to God going in the name of Saints and Angels sometime in the name of Traytors and godlesse persons In the name I say of their own worth and merit neither doth any reprobate goe to God in the name of Christ for Christ is no Intercessor for him I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast granted me for they are thine A great rabble of the unregenerate as Hypocrites carnall Gospellers meere civill men will tell you they defie Popery they hold it foolery and madnesse to pray to Saint or Angell and also robbery to goe to God by them and therefore they scorne it they acknowledge no other mediatour of Intercession but Christ Iesus All this is wel spoken but what availeth this them They will tell you further in Christ his name they dayly make their Prayers to God This is not so for they have no interest to take his name in their mouths or to make mention of it hating to be renued It is true they may speake of his name and so egregiously abuse it as they that will alleage it in the great day that they prophesyed and cast out Divels in his name of whom he will professe that is openly proclaim he knew them not viz. he never acknowledged thē for his yea he detesteth them and biddeth them away as workers of iniquity so shall it bee with all corrupt pleaders usurping the name of Christ They onely that know this name as the Psalmist saith can trust in it and fly unto it as a strong tower They know the Lords name the Lord knoweth theirs My people saith the Prophet shall know my name c. And because hee hath set his love upon me or cleaveth to mee as the Psalmist speaketh therefore I will deliver him I will set him on high because hee knoweth my name He shall call upon me and I will answer him Look then to it in all thy supplications to look towards God in Christ As Moses desiring to see the face of