working prayer a heart-prayer inditâ—d by the Spirit of God Go 〈◊〉 to God in the name of Christ and be an importunate beggar at your Fathers dore Resolve not to be driven from your Fâ—thers dore nor to take any repulse Though God seems not to hear you must cry the louder though he forbears to open you must knock the harder It was an hâ—roiâ—al resolution of Queen Hester in a good cause I also and my maidens will fast likewise and so will go in unto the King which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish Resolve through the strength of God to go on in your duty and if you perish you will perish in the arms of Christ And in his arms there 's security Resolve I will go on in Prayer though I meet with many repulses Jacob was a gainer by his wrestlings for notwithstanding his lameness and halting he obtain'd a blessing which made amends It was an excellent resolution of Job Though Job 13. 15 he slay me yet will I trust in him Consider your interest in adoption and this consideration will set the spirit of prayer a working And because Gal. 4. 6. ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father Go to God as a Child to a Father and cry earnestly for grace and mercy God is a tender and compassionate Father and he will open his bowels and regard the cryes of his Children 5. Always remember that what 5. Prayer must be according to Gods Will. you pray for must be according to Gods will Consider therefore in your most serious and deliberate thoughts whether you pray for lawful things such as God commands you to pray for and promiseth to grant them For there 's no promise of hearing and accepting of any Prayer unless it be according to the Will of God And this saith the 1 Joh. 5. 14. Apostle is the confidence that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Many things we ask for which would be a judgment if they were granted As for instance we ask for satisfyings of our carnal lusts and sensual appetites or when we ask for satisfaction of our pride malice revenge and inordinate passions and for superfluities and things unnecessary and inconvenient it 's just with God that we should miss and be frustrated of such things which we desire and expect when we ask amiss For saith the Apostle ye Jam. 4 3. ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts Our duty is to study the revealed Will of God in the Holy Scriptures and accordingly we must frame our petitions submitting our wills in all things unto the Will of God The matter of our Prayer must be lawful things the manner of our praying must be with faith and fervency and the end must be for the Glory of God and the eternal good of our precious and immortal Souls and the time of answering of our prayers we must wholly refer unto the Will of God for he knows what is better for us than we know for our selves and he will do abundantly for us more than we can ask and think 6. And Lastly You must pray 6. Prayer must be with perseverance with perseverance As it 's your duty to pray so you must hold out and persevere in Prayer Concerning the Hypocrite Job saith Will he delight Job 27. 10 himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God Wherefore be sure that you omit not secret Prayer though you find your heart disordered dull and indisposed yet you must pray that God would set your heart in order and quicken and dispose your heart for his service Notwithstanding that you are perplexed with tumultuous perturbations and fluctuating thoughts and variety of fancies which are a grief and vexation unto your spirit it 's a good sign and character that your heart is right with God when through the Grace of God you continue praying and although at present your desires are not answered yet you have good ground for hope that God intends good to you because he keeps your heart in a praying-frame You must not only pray but continue instant in prayer for so saith the Apostle Continuing instant in prayer The Rom. 12. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 original word implies strength and valour Neither must we pray by fits and starts but we must pray without ceasing i. e. We must readily embrace all opportunities of praying and be in a praying-disposition Sect. 18. 4. Duty Keep close to all Gods Ordinances A fourth particular duty is To. keep close unto all the Ordinances of God As I have insisted in the last particular on the Duty of Prayer which is a choice Ordinance and is both the priviledg and duty of Gods Children so I shall mention other Ordinances which you ought conscientiously to observe Three only I shall instance in not excluding any other Ordinance And they are Hearing of the Word receiving of the Lords supper and the strict observation of the Sabbath 1. You must be swift to hear the 1. Be swift to hear the Word of God Word of God preached You must not content your self with reading of Gods Word in your Closet but you must stir abroad to hear the word faithfully preached this is the arm of the Lord revealed and it Isa 53. 1. Rom. 1. 16 is the power of God unto salvation Attend therefore at the Posts of Wisdoms gate Lie in this way where Christ comes by wait as the impotent creeple did at the Pool of Bethesda multitudes of impotent folk Joh. 5. 4. lay there waiting for the moving of the water for an Angel went down at a certain season into the Pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had Neglect not therefore the diligent hearing of faithful Ministers whose endeavours are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to divide the word aright and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to walk rightly From such as are sound in Doctrine and holy in life and conversation absent not your self the word preached and delivered viva voce with warm affections and in the demonstration of the spirit and power mirabiles effectus habet for it 's instrumental to humble the proud heart to soften the hard heart and to level mountains as low as the valleys now every instrumental-cause must be reduced unto its efficient cause It was not Elijah's Mantle that parted the waters of Jordan but the Lord God of Elijah Elisha took up the 2 King 2. 13 14. mantle of Elijah that fâ—ll from him and went back and stood by the bank of Jordan and smote the waters and said where is the Lord God of Elijah So it 's the powerful operation of the Spirit of God which
be no more sorry for your sins If this be your condition as my hope it is you can pray better than you are aware of For saith the Apostle the Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onus vicissim attollit ex altera parte ne sub eo fatiscamus Beza spirit helpeth our infirmities The Original word is very Emphatical It follows For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Herein consists the great duty to be importunate with God for the assistance of his holy Spirit and to apply the promises That God will give Mat. 7. 11. good things to them that ask him And what 's that good thing even the best of all things is promised Your heaven Luk. 11. 13 ly Father shall give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Object Object And whereas you complain of your barrenness and unprofitableness under the means of Grace and of your slippery and failing memory Answ Answ I answer that it 's a good sign to be sensible of your failings and to bewail them It 's a grand Duty incumbent on you to be heedful and vigilant It 's the Apostles caution Therefore we ought to give Heb. 2. 1. the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Original implys let them run out as leaking vessels do and let out precious liquor as soon as it is poured into them At for your unprofitableness if we all in particular reflect upon our selves all our faces will gather blackness and we have all cause to complain that when we have Luk. 17. 10. done all that we can we are unprofitable servants Wherefore being conscious to our selves of our great unfruitfulness under the means of Grace and notwithstanding fatning Ordinances we have lean souls let 's supplicate Isa 48. 17. unto the Throne of Grace Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go Object And whereas your misgiving heart injects many fears unto you as if none of the Promises appertain'd unto you Answ Answ I answer That it 's more than you know For a poor doubting trembling Christian may have the root of the matter in him and a right to the promises though at present he may want the manifestation of those consolations which the promises afford But do not you judg your self unworthy of eternal life Cast not away the Anchor of your hope let not go your hold on the Promises for they are a stay and a staff for you to support your soul upon when you apprehend your self even in a tottering condition Are you thirsty after Christ Apply your self to the Promises for they are as so many Wells of Salvation Therefore with joy shall Isa 12. 3. ye draw water out of the wells of salvation Do you desire a word of comfort to be spoken to your Soul Make hast to the Promises for they are the breasts of consolation which Isa 66. 11. can satisfie you Sect. 13. A few Questions I propound unto you and after your most serious and composed thoughts I expect your Answer Do not you love God Q. You cannot say but you do A. Then the Promise is your portion And we know that all things work Rom. 8. 28 Qui dicit omnia excipit nihil together for good to them that love God Observe that all things are promised and nothing is excepted Your present troubles of mind though for a time they may be grievous yet in Gods good time shall all work together for your good Do not you hate the ways of sin Q. and love the ways of holiness If so as I have no reason to think A. otherways then you are in a hopeful condition The Psalmist professeth his love to the Law of God and his utter hatred and abhorrency of every false way and especially lays down an evidence of his uprightness by keeping himself from bosom-sins for said he I was also upright Psâ— 18. 23. before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity Another Question I shall only propound to you Do not you love the Q. Children of God You dare not say otherways for those are the company with whom you converse and delight Hence you may evidence that you A. â—oh 13. 35 are a Disciple of Jesus Christ By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another This is an evidence of regeneration to love the Brethren We know saith 1 John 3. 14. the Apostle that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren he that loveth not his brother abideth in death I knew one upon his death-bed who took great comfort in this evidence of loving the Children of God A Third Impediment to be avoided 3. Imped Too much retiredness and respectiveness is too much retiredness and reservedness Do not feed and nourish a melancholly humour by separating your self from the society of such who would gladly administer comfort to you The society of experienced Christians and frequent conference with them may be of great advantage to you for the establishment of your heart by giving seasonable and suitable Answers to those doubts which trouble you One Coal may inkindle another and one Iron may sharpen another and so one Christian may be instrumental both for inkindling and quickning the Graces of Gods Spirit in another I advise you to be very seldom alone during your Troubles and Temptations unless in two special cases As first when God is speaking to you in his Word when you read the Word of God and faithful Writers and Expositors thereof Which read you must labour to digest by Prayer and Meditation and make of all particular application unto your own Soul And secondly When you are speaking to God in Prayer and Supplication then is a fit season to be alone and in your secret recesses to pour out your heart unto the Lord. My further advice unto you in love is That you would beware of idleness and sloth Although I suspect you not nor can accuse you yet in love to your precious soul I cannot but premonish you both to avoid the sin of idleness and the miserable consequences thereof For if the Devil can prevail by his temptations to gain you to idleness and sluggishness and to the neglect of your duties which concern both your general and particular calling then he will get ground of you and lay his Snares and Gins to intrap you and so go away Conqueror That therefore you may prevent the mischievous designs of Satan I counsel you to be industrious in your particular calling and imployment with diligence and care provided that you above all
on those many and special Invitations * Ingens in nobis requiritur desiderium â—t tantoruÌ„ beneficiorum participes esse possimus Cal. in loc One is Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat without money and without price By waters are understood the Divine Ordinances by buying without price the riches of free grace and mercy in Christ are represented by coming is meant the using of those means which God hath prescribed as believing repenting hearing of the Word receiving the Lords Supper c. Another Invitation suitable hereunto is If any man thirst let him Joh. 7. 37. come unto me and drink A thirsty soul who is sensible of his want of Christ and that he is lost and undone without him hath a special invitation to come unto him The third Invitation which is sutable to the former runs thus And the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come and let Rev. 2. 17. him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely For Explication of that choice Scripture there is a special remark to be set on these particulars 1. Consider who are invited and 1. Thirsty persons are invited they are thirsty necessitous indigent persons who are apprehensive of their absolute necessity of having Christ and that no other waters but such living-waters as flow from Christ can satisfie them these only have a special Invitation 2. It 's said Whosoever will though 2. Whosoever will a willing mind is commended and accepted of by the Almighty God yet this willing mind is first given to us by God before we can imploy it for God We read that God stir'd up Ezra 1. 1. the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia to build the house of the Lord God of Vers 3. Israel he is the God which is in Jerusalem After the command of Cyrus the issue thereof followeth Then rose up the chief of the Fathers of Judah Vers 5. and Benjamin and the Priests and the Levites with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem As those who were builders of the Temple in Jerusalem had their spirits rais'd by God for that great work so all those who will do any spiritual and acceptable service unto God must first have their spirits rais'd and have a willing mind vouchsafed by God unto them Unless we have assistance from Christ and be acted guided and governed by his Spirit we can do nothing pleasing unto God All our fresh-springs are in Christ Phil. 2. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost All our sufficiency is from God And it is God that worketh in you to will and to do according to his good pleasure A fourth Invitation to name no more is that which Christ himself makes to such as are sensible of the heavy weight and burthen of their sins Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give Mat. 11. 28. you rest Some understand the words of crosses and afflictions and others of the rigor of the Law and others of sin of all these burdens Christ can ease us * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laboribus frangere lassare te significat Bilson de perpet Guber Hales 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sarcina proprie quae humeris fertur item quae navi imponitur V. Leigh Crit. Sac. The Original words are Emphatical and intimate that such as are even ready to sink under their burthens are invited to come to Christ for help and succour Put then the Question home to your own soul Are you sensible of the heavy burthen of sin and weary of it Is sin more grievous and burthensome to you than an aking Tooth or a broken Arm If this be your condition be not dismay'd but with all expedition go to Jesus Christ who alone can remove all your burthens and give you rest Sect. 25. 4. Ground of comfort the particular application of Christs merits I conclude all with the fourth and last Ground of comfort and with some suitable Scriptures appertaining thereunto As for this Ground of comfort though I name it last yet it is the chiefest of all it is the particular application of the merits of Christ as offered in the Gospel to your own soul We usually say that Medicines cure not in their preparation though to prepare them is necessary but in their application The Soveraign Medicine of the blood of Christ is of infinite dignity price and value One drop of his Blood and one dram of his Grace is sufficient for you The Apostle was once a great persecutor and afterwards was a zealous professor and Preacher of that Gospel which he formerly persecuted He ascribes the great change wrought in him to the grace of God * Quod dignitati suae tribuere non potest tribuit gratiae Dei agnoscit se alium esse personae de meriti sui indignitate alium per gratiam Dei Musc in loc By the grace 1 Cor. 15. 10. of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed on me was not in vain 1 Tim. 1. 17. However you may be troubled with variety of strong Tentations as the Apostle was and you may 2 Cor. 12. 17. have a Thorn in the flesh even * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. immissus mihi a satanâ— Grot. the messenger Satan buffeting of you yet if you wholly cast your self and rely upon the free grace of Christ tendred in the Gospel you will find all sorts of help in his merits for justification sanctification and consolation in this world and for glorification in the world to come It 's to be supposed that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hunc comparat sudâ— ac paxillo quemadmodum sudes praeacuti carnem pungendo afficit sic sit illius infestationibus veluti punctionibus afflictatus Musc in Loc. 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. 1 Joh. 17. the thorn in the flesh was some strong Tentation wherewith the Apostle was assaulted and he made haste to God in earnest prayers and supplications This was the right and only means to obtain cure For the same wise God who exercised the Apostle with such tryals could only give a blessed issue out of them all You must after this example go and do likewise For this thing saith the Apostle I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee For my strength is made perfect in weakness You complain that you are defiled with sins you must apply the Blood of Christ for it's cleansing blood to your soul The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin You frequently complain that you are a great sinner for an answer to your complaints I thus distinguish There are two sorts of