and stretch out thine hand over the Sea and divide it and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground thorow the midst of the Sea And vers 22. The children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea upon the dry ground and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left Oh the admirable and marvellous strength and power of Faith in prayer that by it the waters of the Sea the depths of the Sea should be divided and made to stand upon heaps as a wall to Gods Israel and yet so it is Moses cryeth to the Lord at the Sea even the Red Sea and the waters are divided and become a wall to Israel in their passage towards Canaan on the right hand and on the left All which with many other blessed experiences of the Saints which might be instanced in do amount to a sufficient testimony and witness to the truth in hand and do abundantly evince the truth of this blessed promise of the Lord Jesus to his poor servants here on earth And all things whatsoever yee shall ask in prayer beleeving yee shall receive The grounds and reasons of the point upon which this great truth is established and wherein the evidence and demonstrations thereof do yet more fully appear are briefly these three Reason 1 The prayers of Faith or beleeving prayers of the Saints and servants of God here on earth are heaven-born They are influenced from Heaven by the conduct and guidance of the holy Spirit whose office it is to influence and manage the Saints in this great concern and work of prayer So that the things which they ask of God in prayer when they ask in Faith are not so much the fruit of the inward breathings and unfeigned desires of their own hearts and spirits as of the holy and blessed Spirit of grace breathing in them and teaching them to pray as they ought which of themselves they neither know nor can do Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what we should pray for as we ought But the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God So that the holy Spirit of God doth not onely help and assist the Saints in the right manner of prayer exciting their graces quickening and drawing out their affections helping them to right ends and aims in prayer all which are also necessarily required but doth also suggest and teach them the very matter of their prayers how and what to pray for and ask of God both for themselves and others The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what to pray for as wee ought But the Spirit it self c. So that the Saints are taught from Heaven what to pray for as they ought the Spirit of God from Heaven doth teach and assist them to pray here on earth according to the will of God And how reproachfully and blasphemously soever wicked and ungodly men do speak of the so called extemporary prayers of the Saints yet they are no less than heaven-born the things which they are taught by the Spirit of God from Heaven to ask of God in prayer And let wicked men know that in blaspheming the reproaching the prayers of the Saints they do blaspheme the Spirit it self But the Spirit it self maketh intercession c. Wicked and ungodly men who are ignorant of the Spirit of prayer do exceedingly magnifie and cry up their stinted forms and book-prayers because as they imagine composed and indited by holy and learned men and that with the deepest judgement and most serious consideration had of the things meet to be asked of God in prayer And do condemn the prayers of Gods Saints because as they judge in the darkness of their carnal mind which is alwaies enmity against God extemporary Rom. 8.7 rash and inconsiderate without any deep consideration and matter prepared before-hand but let such know that the best of their stinted Forms and Book-prayers are but indited by men on earth and on the other hand the prayers of Gods Saints and servants offered up in Faith though extemporary are indited by the Spirit of God in Heaven and given in immediately by the ministration of the holy Spirit who knoweth better what is meet to be asked of God in prayer extemporary than the greatest Bishops Doctors and learned men upon earth can do by their deepest consultation And let such resolve this question whether are most agreeable to the will and mind of God those prayers which are indited by the Spirit of God in Heaven and given in from above as all the prayers of the Saints are which they put up in Faith or those which are composed and imposed by the carnal wisdome and coercive power of men on earth contrary to the Word of God And let mee adde this one word more that the prayer of the poorest Saint though encompassed with utmost humane frailties and infirmities yet being breathed by the holy Spirit into his heart and breathed out again in Faith by the help of the same Spirit hath more of heavenly wisdome and true spiritual excellency in it than the most magnified and admired Form that ever was composed by the greatest Doctors and learned men in the world For Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit And again vers 31. He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth hee that cometh from Heaven is above all As Jesus Christ came from Heaven and therefore was above all the Prophets and Apostles so also the Spirit of God cometh from Heaven and is above all the Doctors Bishops and learned men in the world in teaching as how and what to pray for as wee ought And hence it is that true spiritual and heavenly prayer is distinguished from all hypocritical shews and pretences of prayer by this character Ephes 6.18 Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit True prayer and supplication is alwaies in the Spirit And again Jude 10. Praying in the Holy Ghost The summe and close of the matter is prayers of Faith do come from God and therefore must needs prevail with God prayers of Faith are heaven-born and therefore must needs finde acceptance there Reason 1 The prayers of Faith or the beleeving prayers of the Saints and People of God do alwaies fall in with the will of God The stinted Forms and composed Prayers of formal Hypocritical pretenders to Religion do alwaies in one thing or other run counter to the will of God In the very matter of their petitions it being impossible that such as keep themselves to a stinted Form of Prayer and oblige themselves to use such a form of words in prayer and no others should avoid
JACOB Wrestling with GOD AND PREVAILING OR A Treatise concerning the Necessity and Efficacy of Faith IN PRAYER Wherein divers weighty Questions and Cases of Conscience about Praying in Faith are stated and resolved For the comforting and satisfying of weak and scrupulous Consciences The Conviction of formal Hypocrites and awakening of all Saints both weak and strong great and small to this great duty of Prayer By one who hath obtained mercy to be a Minister of and Sufferer for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this hour of temptation John 16.24 Ask and yee shall receive that your joy may bee full LONDON Printed in the year 1663. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that takest this Book into thy hand know that as to thy spiritual state thou art either a Sinner or a Saint a Beleever Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.12 or an Unbeleever in Christ or out of Christ for betwixt these there is no Medium or middle state Now if thou beest a sinner an unbeleeving Christless soul Then here is the root of all thy spiritual misery which is great beyond expression and the bar that keeps out all spiritual good and mercy from thy soul that thou art at a distance and estranged from communion the sweet and soul-enriching soul-sanctifying soul-saving and soul-satisfying communion of Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 which is the life of grace the life of glory the life of God! Ephes 4.16 Alienated form the life of God And this is thy Hell upon Earth Eph. 2.12 though thou knowest it not that thou art without God and without Christ in the world i. e. without true spiritual enjoyment of God and Jesus Christ through want of the life and exercise of Faith in thy soul and through a sinful neglect or a mis-performance as of all other holy duties so especially of this great duty of prayer in the constant and right performance whereof such sweet and blessed communion with God may bee enjoyed as Galeatius Caracciolus that famous Italian Convert having tasted the sweetnesse thereof in his own soul and having forsaken all that was dear to him in the world upon that account was wont to say That hee was not worthy the name of a Christian that did not prize one moments communion with God before a thousand worlds Now Reader know that if thou beest such a one as art yet a stranger to communion with God it is one design of this following Treatise to lead thee unto the Father by the Son and to instruct thee into this great duty and mystery of praying in Faith which if the Lord shall give thee rightly to understand and wisely to improve will open such a door for escape out of thy spiritual misery and for the letting in of all spiritual mercies and blessings into thy soul as may make thee happy to all eternity If thou beest a Saint a Beleever a Soul in Christ Psa 37.25 Cant. 1.2 Psal 63.1 2 3.5 then to injoy communion with him is thy life thy glory thy joy thy crown thy heaven upon earth nothing so sweet nothing so precious nothing so desirable to thy soul as communion and fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ through the spirit and in the constant and right use and performance of these heavenly ordinances and holy duties which are the sweet walks of Jesus Christ Rev. 1.13 wherein hee delights to communicate himself to the souls of his people And those spiritual Galleries Cant. 7.5 in which the King is held and retained by his beloved Spouse Cant. 4.9 in most sweet embraces Cant. 2.4 5 6 and soul-endearing converses to the ravishing of the hearts of each other Amongst which spiritual walks and galleries there is none in which Jesus Christ doth more delight and abundantly communicate himself to the souls of his people than in this great ordinance of prayer which is therefore called his delight Prov. 15.8 Now 't is also the design and scope of this Treatise to further thy souls communion with Jesus Christ in this ordinance of prayer by shewing thee 1. The Necessity 2. The Efficacy of Faith in Prayer Resolving divers scruples and Cases of Conscience about it Awakening and stirring up thy soul to it teaching thee to bee spiritual and heavenly in it and revealing unto thee the great and glorious things that may be done and obtained by it Therefore whether thou beest Sinner or Saint in Christ or out of Christ strong or weak in grace read this small Treatise and the Lord give thee to understand what thou readest sincerely to imbrace and faithfully to practice what thou understandest and to reap the spiritual fruit thereof in grace here and glory hereafter And if thou reapest any fruit and benefit to thy soul by this discourse give him the glory who is the Author of Truth not the Instrument And if thou reapest no fruit or beest made worse by it blame neither the Author nor the Instrument but thine own heart as the cause of it To the Reader By a Friend of the Authors THis ensuing treatise was put into my hand by the worthy Author therof whose humility was jealous of the publication of this peece By a cursory view of it I quickly perceived the spirit of it and prest to the publishing of it for the relief quickening and consolation of such as understand praying in the Holy Ghost And do therefore think meet to acquaint you that the Author of this treatise of prayer is well known to be a judicious and faithful Minister of God and servant of Jesus Christ who hath witnessed a good confession and that in bonds for the Commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus In which condition no doubt his soul was conversant in this heavenly exercise and was taken as others of his fellow servants into a more intimate communion with Jesus Christ whose breathings and cryes with others of his brethren are gone up into the ears of the Lord of Hosts Psa 97.11 The Accuser of the Brethren hath great wrath against the Spirit of prayer in this Houre and hath blasphemed it at the highest rate that ever was heard of in any generation being greatly tormented thereat crying out Oh Away with this praying in the spirit Wonderful it is that men pretending Christianity and to have read the Holy Scriptures should decry praying in the Spirit which is perfectly opposed to stinted forms but that the way of the Spirit in the hearts of the called of God is foolishness even to the wise and learned that know it not The Author of this Book as a good witness of Jesus Christ hath given out a holy and experimental Testimony to this Spirit of prayer and hath discovered the abomination of Hypocritical praying in the vain repetitions and saying long prayers for a pretence Mat. 6.7 and 23.14 to justle out the spirit of prayer promised to all Ministers sent by Jesus Christ and all Saints especially in the New Testament daies If
this therfore come into the hands of any prayerless souls know thou art yet without the spirit and so art none of Jesus Christs Rom. 8.9 Where-ever the Spirit of Grace is it is a Spirit of prayer Zach. 12.10 Dost thou feel the guilt of sin the want of pardon peace grace holiness thou wouldst not need the words of others to help thee in praying but thou wouldst know what it is for the spirit to help the proper and onely help in prayer thy infirmities and couldst bee no more satisfied with dry and empty forms then a hungry man with Air. If thou art a weak doubting soul and complainest of an unbelieving heart which is a good symptome here thou mayest meet with plain and spiritual resolves to thy doubts about the acceptance of thy prayer and the looking for answers thereof and what faith thou art to exercise on promises in order thereunto Yea all Saints may be further instructed in the efficacy and prevalency of prayer and to be encouraged that the Lord will not cast off a praying Generation that cry day and night unto him The Lord hasten to power forth the spirit of light and prayer upon his people and upon the world as the best sign of his own approaching to judge the earth In the waiting for which let all that have received the first fruits thereof be found at this day To which expectation Reader I commend thee and this spiritual treatise to thy perusal and it and thy self to the blessing made over to the seed of Jacob that wrastle it out with God and prevail over him The Saints do in a sense govern the World with Jesus Christ already by the spirit of Prayer that is in them making intercession in them according to Christs intercession in heaven and usually wee may know what God is about to do in the world by the prayers of his Saints especially in this last age of the world when their souls travel and are in pangs for Sions Redemption and the earth-quake to come into the Nations of the world till all the foundations of it as laid for the interest of Babylon and Antichristianism are shaken and out of course which the Lord will hasten in his time But I must break off and be-speak thy prayers for the Author and my self and all the Lords afflicted Ministers that are mourning in corners resting Thy Servant for Jesus sake Jacob wrestling with God and prevailing Matthew 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer beleeving ye shall receive THis Text is brought in as an Epiphonema or Closing speech to the history of the fruitless Fig-tree which being cursed by Jesus Christ for its barrenness presently withers and is dried up v. 19. to the great admiration of the Disciples vers 20. which action as it was extraordinary and miraculous in its self so in the tendency thereof it was of extraordinary use to the Disciples and did carry along with it a double instruction First To beware of an outside formal Profession without spiritual fruit and a suitable conversation which is alway attended with the wrath and displeasure of God and is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.8 Secondly To teach the great Efficacy and Power of Faith and what great things may be done thereby either extraordinary according to that dispensation of working miracles which was but for the time present and peculiar to some vers 21. for all had not this gift nor faith of miracles 1 Cor. 12.29.30 2. Or else ordinary according to the gift and force of prayer which is perpetual and common to all the Saints by which they have a constant and joynt access to the Throne of Grace in all causes whatsoever and may accordingly prevail with God provided they pray in Faith as in the Text. And all things whatsoever c. In this Text of Scripture there are two things principally taught and commended to our consideration 1. The Necessity of Faith in Prayer 2. The Efficacy of Faith in Prayer The first viz. The Necessity of Faith in Prayer is gathered from the word Beleeving which is brought in as a specifical and qualifying adjunct or necessary ingredient to all our prayers And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer beleeving ye shall receive The Necessity of Faith in Prayer is also gathered from other Texts of Scripture as Heb. 11.6 But without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must beleeve c. And again James 1.5 6. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God c. But let him ask in Faith And look as the body without the soul is dead and useless and cannot perform the actions of a man So also Prayer without Faith is dead and unprofitable James 1.6 7 8. So that Faith is the soul and life of Prayer and therefore a necessary ingredient thereto 1. Quest or Case of Conscience But what kinde of Faith is that which is so necessarily and indispensibly required in all our prayers to God is it the Faith of Assurance or the Faith of Relyance seeing James saith it must be without wavering and in nothing doubting Therefore it would seem that there is required in all our prayers to God a Faith of Assurance yea of full and perfect Assurance which admits of no doubting or uncertainty of the mind in the thing asked and that a Faith of Relyance is not sufficient seeing that is alwaies attended with some doubting as in Esther If I perish I perish she relyed upon God in the use of means but yet was doubtful as to the success and event thereof Now if this Faith be not accepted in prayer then the prayers of most of the Children of God are ineffectual seeing most of them have not the Faith of Assurance That saying of the holy man James shall be cleared in its proper place Answ But in answer to the Question it is affirmed That although it be the duty of all Christians to press after the Faith of Assurance as that which tendeth exceedingly to their comfort and inward joy Yet where there is a Faith of Relyance i.e. the heart doth inwardly rest upon Gods alsufficiency mercy faithfulness truth c. yet with doubting and uncertainty of the mind whether the thing shall be done which is asked of God in prayer the prayer is accepted of God and shall certainly have a gracious return in due time But that we may be the more clear and distinct in our handling this point to the satisfaction and comfort of weak and scrupulous consciences we shall first give a brief description of these two kinds of Faith in their distinct and different natures that so the person who is scrupulous may the better judge of his Faith of what kinde it is And then wee shall by Scripture and experience make good our assertion viz. that a Faith of Relyance is accepted of God in prayer where the faith of Assurance is wanting Faith of Assurance described The Faith of Assurance
our prayers are neither acceptable to God nor profitable to our selves the acceptance and efficacy of the Saints prayers with God turn onely upon this hinge and depend solely upon this substratum Joh. 14.13 14 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 8.3 4 that they are offered up in the Name and by the hand of Christ now if they fail in this they lose all their work which is but lost labour prayers without Faith are prayers without fruit because they are without Christ that which is Faithless is Christless and therefore must needs also be fruitless for in him is all our fruit found Hos 14.8 Wee cannot bear any fruit by any spiritual service or sacrifice wee tender up unto God but in and through his Son Jesus Christ Now wee cannot pray in the Name of Christ if wee do not pray in Faith it is Faith onely that taketh hold of the Name and merits of Jesus Christ and so bring our services unto God by him Ephes 3.12 To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray in the Faith of his Name we may pray with the Name of Christ in ouâ— mouths and yet not pray in hiâ— Name unless wee pray with the Faith of Christ in our hearts And observe it as a most certain and infallible Rule of interpretation that where-ever weeâ— are in Scripture commanded to do or promised to receive any thing in the Name of Christ the meaning is that wee should do and receive the same by Faith in his Name and not by the bare use of his Name in our mouths and to repose any confidence or lay any stress upon the bare use of the Name of Christ in our mouths any otherwise than wee have and exercise the Faith of his Name in our hearts is to act more like unto Conjurors than Christians more like Sorcerers than Saints Act. 19.13 14 15. Then certain of the vagabond Jews Exorcists took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the Name of the Lord Jesus saying Wee adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth And there were seven Sons of one Sceva a Jew and chief of the Priests which did so And the evil spirit answered and said Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee And the man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them and overcame them c. It seems by this Scripture that 't is a peece of the Mystical Doctrin of Necromancy and the practice of sorcerers to trust much to the virtue and power of names but this is no part of the Doctrine of Christianity nor the practice of true Christians they do not expect to prevail with God by the Name of Christ in their mouths but by the Faith of Christ in their hearts here the seven Sons of Sceva come with the Name of Christ in their mouths thinking as many carnal Christians do to do great matters by the power of that Name but wanting the Faith of Christ in their hearts they prevail nothing but come off with shame and confusion of face through their miserable and unexpected expected disappointment and so will all those do that trust to their Carnal Forms and Lyturgies and as they suppose most Excellent and Absolute forms of prayers which they conclude with the Name of Christ which they often and in vain do take into their mouths whilst they have not the Faith of Christ in their hearts To pray with the Name of Christ in the mouth is fruitless and vain where there is not the exercise of the Faith of Christ in the heart therefore the exercise of Faith in prayer is of absolute and indispensible necessity Reas 2 Because wee cannot otherwise pray aright 't is the light of Faith onely by which the children of God are guided and governed in all the spiritual and heavenly exercises of Religion the things of the Spirit the things of eternity are unseen things things that are notseen by the eye of sense and natural reason and the light of Faith onely is that by which these things are seen and made manifest Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen No inferiour light can be sufficient to guide in and about those things that are superiour to it the light of sense being an inferiour light in man which is common to him with the brute is not able to guide him in and about the things of a man which are proper and peculiar to him as a man as to argue and discourse by fit mediums conducing to such an end to meditate upon the works of Creation and Providence to search out the natural Cause and Reason of things c. To bee guided in and about such things hee must have and exercise the light of Reason which is a superiour light to that of Sense and fitted and suited by the wisdom of his creator and planted in him for such an end So also the light of naturall Reason which is an inferiour light to that of Faith cannot guide a man in those actions and things which are Spiritual sublime and above the reach of Nature depending only upon Divine Revelation A man by the light of Nature cannot understand nor discern the things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 Now Prayer being a Work of the Spirit and the things about which wee converse with God in Prayer being Spirituall and Heavenly things depending upon Divine Revelation upon the testimony of the Word and Spirit of God wee must of necessity have a superiour light to guide us in those things i.e. the light and evidence of Faith which is a Heavenly gift from the father of lights to the children of the Kingdom by which only they can converse with God and offer up their spirituall Sacrifices and services to him in a right manner And as it is impossible for a man to see and hear and smell and feel and taste without sense or to meditate discourse argue and understand the natural cause of things without Reason so it is impossible for a man to Pray Hear the Word Receive the Seals of the Covenant or perform any other spirituall duty in a right manner without Faith Heb. 11.6 Hee therefore that prayes without Faith prayes amiss and therefore receives not any fruit of his prayers James 4.3 Object But may not a man that hath no true Faith make such a Prayer which for the matter of it is very good and holy and ask such petitions as are right and good and which no man can finde fault with Answ Wee grant hee may but yet such an one doth ever ask amiss for though he asketh right and good things in prayer yet the grounds upon which he asketh and his ends and aims and the frame of his heart in asking are rotten and naught and therefore hee ever asketh amiss James 4.3 Yee ask and have not because yee ask amiss to spend it upon your lusts Reason and common light may direct a man to ask good and right things of God in prayer but these cannot help him
to right grounds to right ends and aims and to a right frame of heart in prayer onely the light of Faith which is influenced by the Spirit and Word of God can do this Rom. 8 26.27 To praâ— without the real exercise of truâ— Faith is to pray in vain because so to pray is to pray amiss there fore the exercise of Faith iâ— prayer is of absolute necessity Reas 3 3. Because otherwise we can not pray with acceptation anâ— that is the duty of every Christian and the excellency of truâ— grace in every duty and holâ— action to look unto God as iâ— ultimate and highest end to have its acceptation and approbation from him in all things 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore wee labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him Now that is the glory of a duty and that which crowns it with life sweetness efficacy blessing and honour wheâ— it comes off with divine acceptation And therefore when God the Father would put the greatest honour upon his Son Jesus Christ and crown his work with he greatest glory he doth it by witnessing his approbation and acceptation thereof from Heaâ—en Mat. 3.17 And again Mat. â—8 5 This is my beloved Son in â—hom I am well pleased And where this is wanting wee may write upon our highest enjoyments and performances Ichabod The glory is departed the like â—weetness glory and blessedness of a duty is lost where this is wanting Gen. 4.5 Mal. 1.10 Now therefore it mainly conâ—erns us to look unto this in all â—ur holy services and sacrifices â—hat they may come upon Gods Altar with acceptation but this â—annot be without Faith we canâ—ot pray with acceptation if wee â—o not pray in Faith Heb. 11.6 But without Faith it is impossible to â—lease him And again Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin So tâ— faithless prayers like blinde aâ— lame sacrifices under the Laâ— Mal. 1.8 are both unacceptaâ— and sinful upon all which conâ—derations it doth more than sâ— ficiently appear that there is necessity of Faith in prayer Use 1 The opening and discoveâ— of this great Gospel truth mâ— be of use both to sinners â— Saints to beleevers and unâ— leevers to formal hypocritâ— and to sincere Christians whâ— ther weak or strong And first by way of Informâ—tion it may serve to inform us three things very needful aâ— profitable for all men to know 1. How worthless vile aâ— useless yea how sinful and abâ— minable the prayers of all unbâ— leevers wicked persons and foâ— mal hypocrites are If the efficacy excellency anâ— worth of prayer dependeth upâ—n and is according to the exerâ—ise of Faith in it and Faith be â—he life glory and strength of â—rayer as hath been already â—â—ewed then how fruitless vile â—nd worthless must the prayers â—f all unbeleevers wicked perâ—ons and formal hypocrites in the world needs be 'T is the manner of wicked perâ—ons and formal hypocrites whose Religion lyes in a few exâ—ernal services and ceremonies to glory much in their bookâ—rayers their say-prayers their â—orm-prayers which they cry â—p with as much superstitious â—nd blinde zeal as the Athenians â—id their Goddess Diana the â—mage which fell down from Jupiter Act. 9.35 But if wee confider the persons who are the â—dmirers and Authors of such â—ormal services The visible Characters of unbeleef enmiâ— against Christ prophaneness 〈◊〉 godliness and hypocrisie whâ— are so legible in their hearts aâ— lives that hee that runs mâ— read them For out of the abâ— dance of the heart the mouth speâ— eth Wee need no more to coâ— vince and assure us that the bâ— of such their services are 〈◊〉 worthless vain and unprofitaâ— things which God takes no pleâ— sure in and which thomselvâ— can have no profit or fruit by 〈◊〉 Mal. 1.10 Where the Lord Hosts speaking to a generatiâ— of corrupt and ungodly Prieâ— and People who by their unhaâ— lowed and unsanctified courseâ— had polluted his Name and coâ— rupted his true Worship as aâ— peareth vers 6 7 8 9. Tell them plainly vers 10. I have 〈◊〉 pleasure in you saith the Lord 〈◊〉 Hosts neither will I accept an offeâ—ing at your hand And again Isa 1.13 Bring no more vain oblations Incerse is an abomination to mee the New-Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting Your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto mee I am weary to bear them and when yee spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you Yea when yee make many prayers I will not hear Your hands are full of blood It is marvellous to consider the admirable wisdome of the holy Spirit of God in the mouth of this holy Prophet in cutting asunder the very sinews and casting down the very bulworks and strong holds of the hypocrites confidence ripping open their hypocrisie and falshood to the quick and casting most contempt and holy disdain upon those things wherein they do most oâ— all glory and boast themselves Of those things wherein theâ— deal most proudly doth the holy Spirit speak most contemptuously 1. Their festivals and selâ— sanctified holy daies in the observation whereof they place 〈◊〉 much of their Religion and dâ— so confidently bless themselveâ— how doth the Lord contemâ— with utmost disdain and cast oâ— even with loathing and hatredâ— vers 14. Your New Moons and yoâ— appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto mee I aâ— weary to bear them 2. Their service which aâ— swers to the Sacrifices of olâ— yea their offerings and oblationâ— which they bring and perform with so much carnal devotion and contest for with so much blinde zeal how doth the Lord reject and protest against as most hateful and displeasing to his holiness and a burden too heavy for him to bear vers 13. Bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with It is iniquity even the solemn meeting Oh what shame and confusion will one day cover the faces of those wicked and ungodly hypocrites who persecute oppress punish and condemn the generation of the righteous because they cannot in conscience own or joyn with their Idolatrous Assemblies which because of their number they call solemn and publick when as the Lord himself doth reject and disown them and calls them iniquity and wickedness not onely wicked and unjust or ungodly but wickedness and iniquity in the abstract because it is iniquity under a pretence of Piety Idolatry and false Worship under a pretence oâ— worshipping God spiritual wickedness is the greatest wickedness because it hath in it the spirits oâ— wickedness Simulata sanctita saith Austin duplex iniquitas quia iniquitas quia simulatiâ— i. e. feigned sanctity is doublâ— iniquity both because iniquity and because feigned The Religion of Idolaters anâ— false worshippers is their worâ— piece their prophaneness swearing cursing drunkenness excesâ— of riot chambering
it is a most precious and powerful Ordinance of Jesus Christ for the Conversion Edification and Salvation of the souls of men but this Gospel may bee preached clearly powerfully and faithfully preached yet those unto whom it is preached have no fruit no profit by it for want of Faith Heb. 4.2 But the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Oh therefore when thou goest to hear the Word preached Christian beware that thou stirrest up the grace that is in thee and in particular this grace of Faith without which the Word preached will not cannot profit thy soul though the Apostles themselves yea though an Angel from Heaven should be the Preacher The fruit and benefit of the Word preached doth not depend so much upon the grace and gifts of the Minister as upon the Faith of the hearer So likewise prayer it is a most precious and powerful ordinance of Jesus Christ for the obtaining of all things that wee stand in need of at the hands of God The text it self speaks sufficiently unto this point Mat. 21.22 And all things whatsoever yeeshall ask in prayer beleeving yee shall receive And upon this very consideration some have called prayer the Key of Heaven but Faith is the hand which turns this Key Look therefore as the Key without the hand to turn it is useless so prayer without Faith is fruitless thou mayest therefore Christian pray and bee much in prayer and yet lose all thy labour unless thou actest thy Faith in prayer thou mayest bring thy Key of prayer to the gate of Heaven and yet finde it fast lockt against thee unless thou hast a hand of Faith to turn this Key Oh therefore beware and take heed that thou neglectest not to stir up and exercise thy Faith in prayer Oh how many praying-daies and fasting-daies have been lost to the people of God for want of Faith which onely guides us aright in prayer gives us a right frame of heart and right ends and aims in prayer as hath been already shewed 'T is a great Scripture which wee have in Zechariah to this purpose Zech. 7.5 When yee fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month even those seventy years did yee at all fast unto mee even unto mee Here wee have a praying people who were abundant and constant in this duty for seventy years together and that in the most solemn and strict manner joyning fasting with their praying and yet not accepted of God therein nor at all profited thereby and the reason is hinted they did not pray with a right frame of heart they had not right ends and aims in their prayers Did yee fast at all unto mee even unto mee and whence was it that they thus miscarried in prayer and had not true spiritual holy and right ends and aims in prayer but from hence that they prayed not in Faith they wanted the light and life of Faith and were not guided by the Word in their fasting and praying and so praying amiss lost all their labour James 4.3 Quest But how doth it appear that they prayed not in Faith Answ They looked not unto the word spoken by the former Prophets vers 7. therefore they prayed not in Faith 't is by Faith that wee look unto the Word of God so as to make it our rule now they obeyed not the Word and therfore prayed not in Faith Oh therefore Christian beware thou failest not in this in the exercise and activity of thy Faith in prayer thou hadst better fail in any thing than in this thou hadst better fail in the gift of prayer thou hadst better fail of words in prayer thou hadst better fail of the wisdome and excellency of speech in prayer thou hadst better fail of affection in prayer than to fail of Faith in prayer other defects and infirmities will bee passed by and covered Jam. 5.17 Heb. 11.6 where Faith is activeâ— but all other accomplishments and seeming excellencies will be despised where Faith is wanting 't is better for a man to want cloathes and all outward ornaments of the body than to want life life is the glory and excellency of the creature the poorest and most contemptible creature which hath life is more excellent than the most glorious creature that wants it hence faith Solemon A living Dog is better than a dead Lion Faith is the life of prayer the glory the excellency the strength of Prayer Other things are but the Ornaments of Prayer Oh Christian look not so much to the Ornaments as to the Life of thy holy duties lest God reject them as a dead carcasse Thirdly 3 Use Exhortation This may bee profitable for Exhortation 1 Unto Sinners If there bee such a necessity of Faith in Prayer that without it wee cannot Pray either acceptably to God or profitably to our selves or others as hath been at large declared and proved then doth it nearly concern every soul yet in the state of Nature and shut up or concluded under unbelief as all unregenerate persons are whether they bee Jews or Gentiles Christians or Heathens Prophane persons or Professors Rom. 11.32 chap. 3.9 to get out of that condition and to labour for true saving Faith in Christ 'T is true Faith is a Heaven-born Grace Joh. 5.40 Ephes 2.8 which grows not in Natures Garden 't is neither in the freedom of mans will to desire nor in the ability of his power to work Grace to produce and bring forth a work of true Saving Faith in himself but as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Mat. 7.7 Joh. 6.27 Phil. 1.12 Nevertheless Sinner it is thy duty to strive in the use of all holy means and to look up unto God through Christ both to incline thy will and to give thee power from heaven to do his will The Miller cannot command a wind but hee can spread the Sails and wait upon the Providence of God for a gale The wind bloweth where it listeth so is every oâ—â— that is born of the Spirit Joh. 3.8 And if thou desirest to bee boâ—â— again thou must wait for those gales and thou must wait in the use of means And there is a â—blessing promised to them that do so Prov. 8.34 35. The Husband-man cannot command the Clouds but hee may observe the season prepare the Earth and sow the precious feed Jam. 5.7 and then patiently wait for the early and the latter Rain and he finds at Harvest his labour is not in vain There is a connexion though not of Causality yet of Instrumentality of the end to the means of mercy to duty of priviledge to practise of the Harvest to the Seed-time of Glory to Grace of Grace to the means of Grace As ever therefore thou wouldest attain the end which is Salvation thou must use the means Hee that will ascend to the last or