they might have in their prayers We should therefore chuse the fittest seasons for prayer It is said of Luther by Vitus Theodorus who was present with him at Coburge and many times heard him at his private prayers in a letter of his to Melanchthon That there was no day passed over his head wherein Luther did not spend three hours at the least in prayers and those not hours that he could best spare unseasonable hours but such hours as were the fittest for his study And that was a reason that Luther was very importunate in his prayers as the same Author informs us Good God with how much reverence did I hear him pray With how much boldnesse and confidence c. And on the contrary one reason why men have so little of this holy importunity is for want of taking fit seasons for the work 4. Another reason of the want of this holy importunity is the difuse and neglect of prayer in your Christian course Many there are that pray sometimes and leave off praying again now this doth very much dull mens affections in prayer There is a Proverb Use makes perfectness I am sure it is so in the duty of prayer let a Christian pray often and he will come to pray well and to pray with much enlargednesse of heart and let him leave off prayer and he will finde his heart exceedingly streightned Take a Key if you use it frequently it will be bright but if you lay it aside it will soon grow rusty thus will it be with a mans heart use prayer much keep it close to the performance of duty it is the way to have thy heart bright Let this Key of prayer which doth open heaven be used it will be kept bright and thy prayer will enter into heaven but let this Key of prayer be laid aside and do not thou often use it and it will quickly grow rusty again thy prayers and performances will not be able to enter neaven and thou wilt not be able to perform duty in that manner that God expecteth If thou dost not watch unto prayer with all carefulnesse thou wilt loose thy zeal and servent affection and thy holy desires after God in duty As it is with a Pump use it every day and water will come but if you forbear the use of it two or three dayes water will neither come so easily nor so plentifully If you do not pump out your holy desires every day they will quickly flag and grow remisse Physitians observe concerning the teeth that that side of the teeth that is not used is most subject to rheumes and distillations That heart that is not inured to prayer and holy duties is most subject to Satans instillations and suggestions This is the fourth reason Reas 5 The fifth reason why this importunity is wanting is this because men tye themselves to prescript forms of prayer I do not say that it is unlawful to use set forms of prayer we finde that Jesus Christ himself used a form Matt. 26. 39. Christ went and said Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Vers 42. He went again the second time and prayed saying O my Father if this cup may not passe from me thy will be done Vers 44. He went away again and prayed saying the same words To shew that it is lawful 〈…〉 forms of prayer but not alwaies You are to strive for the spirit of prayer A man that will use his crutches constantly shall go â—ame all the dayes of his life 〈…〉 live in an age wherein Religion is 〈◊〉 professed and the Gospel is fully 〈◊〉 known Do not content your selves 〈◊〉 forms labour for the spirit of prayer 〈…〉 you may go to God and spread 〈…〉 him your wants and necessities and 〈◊〉 those mercies that are most sutable to 〈◊〉 wants and exigences Forms indâ—ed will teach you to beg pardon for sin in general but you must beg pardon for particular sins You must not onely beg mercy in general but you must also beg 〈◊〉 particular mercies that are most 〈…〉 you And this set forms are 〈…〉 which yet is the main work in prayer He that tyes himself alwaies to another mans form will not be able to pray alone but weakly and coldly and formally This is the fifth reason 6. Another ground of this importunity is a giving way to an accustomed continuance in a sleight and carelesse performance of duties this enervates the affections and emasculates the spirits what men are accustomed to that they get an habit of so that they cannot do the contrary As a Carriers horse that is used to a dull and slow pace cannot go out of it The lessening of Acts makes Habits more remisse That is the last reason And so much shall suffice for answer to the sixth Question LUKE 11. 8. Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will give unto him c. THE Fourth paticular is this By wat helps may a man attain to this holy importunity in prayer For answer I shall lay down six or seven Theological helps by which a man may come to attain this holy importunity 1. Possesse thine heart with an lawful fear of the Almighty God This was the ground of Davids importunity as you may see Psal 5. vers 3. he saith My voice shalt thou hear in the morning And in the 7 verse you will finde this holy fear did lye at the bottom Lut as for me I will come into thine house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship towards thine holy temple David came to duty with a strong 〈◊〉 of Gods greatness and dreadfulness So it is the advice of the Apostle that if we would serve God acceptably we must do it with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12. 28. That fore-cited Author Vitus Theodorus writes concerning Luther That he prayed with so much confidence as if he had been speaking with his friend and familiar and yet with so much reverence as one that considered the great distance between God and him I may allude to that place Isal 60. 5. though the words are spoken to another purpose Thy heart shall fear and be enlarged An holy fear breeds an holy care If a man once comes to this that he is fearlesse of God he will quickly be carelesse in prayer Job 15. 4. Yea thou castest off fear and restrainest prayer before God A man that doth cast off the fear of God doth soon cease to pray unto God He that fears God most that man will certainly pray to God best That is the first help Help 2 2 Another help or meanes to get this holy importunity is this To recollect thy thoughts by holy meditation before thou comest to this weighty duty of prayer to God And upon this ground we finde meditation and prayer to be put together Psal 5. 1 2. Give eare to my words O Lord
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father So that till you be sons you cannot have the Spirit And so much for the reasons I come now to the application If this be so that a man must be in a state of friendship before his prayers can be accepted Hence learn That all that ever thou dost before that estate is odious to God Not onely thy sinful actions but even thy civil thy natural yea thy religious actions Not that they are so in themselves or in regard of God but in regard of the doer of it Psal 109. 7. let his prayer be turned into sin Thou makest a prayer against sin God will turn thy prayers into sin Many prayers cannot then one sin into a grace but one sin wilfully and resolutely continued in can turn all thy prayers into sin Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked minde A diseased body turns that food into corrupt humors which an healthful body doth into sound nourishment I have read of a precious stone that had excellent vertue in it but lost all its efficacy if it was put into a dead mans mouth Prayer is an Ordinance of great excellency of great efficacy but if it be in a dead mans mouth if it come out of the heart of one that is dead in trespasses and sins it looseth all its virtue water that in pure in the fountain is corrupted in the channel Use 2 2. This doctrine overthrowes one main pillar of the Romish religion justification by works If God accepteth of the person before he accepts the work how can any person be justified by works Unlesse thy person be justified unlesse thou art reconciled thy works are wicked works and can wicked works justifie Good works make not a man good but a good man makes a work good and shall a work that a man made good return again and make the man good Iâ— we had no other reason against justification by works saith â—erkins but this it were sufficient Use 3 3. For this teach you not onely to look to the fitnesse and disposednesse of your hearts in prayer but also to make inquiry what thou art that prayest It is our duty and it is very good to look to the qualification of the heart in prayer to look to the qualification of the duty but the main work is to look after the qualification of the person and to see whether thou art in a state of favour and reconciliation with God for if the person be not in favour with God you may be confident the petitions will not be heard nor accepted but God looks upon it as the corrupt breathings of thy sinful and corrupt heart You are to look therefore in the performance of duty whether you can go to God in prayer as a Father There are many that look after the qualification of their duty but few look after the qualification of the person to see whether they be justified or no whether God be their friend or not But we should mainly look to this for let the heart of a man be never so well disposed let us suppose it for indeed no unreconciled men can be well disposed to speak properly yet if thy person be not justified thy prayer cannot be accepted God cares not for the Rhetorick of prayers how eloquent they are nor for the Arithmetick of prayers how many they are nor for the Logick of them how rational and methodical they are nor for the Musick of them what an harmony and melody of words thou hast but he looks at the divinity of prayers which is from the qualification of a person from a justified person and in a sanctified manner It is good to enquire Is my heart right Is my mind composed Are my affections raised kindled in prayer But chiefly enquiâ—e is my person accepted of God Vse 4 4. Let me give a caution here Take heed you do not mistake this Doctrine Let no man think that because God accepts no prayer except the person be justified therefore wicked men are excused from prayer for though God doth not accept of every mans prayer yet every man in the world ought to pray For 1. They must pray as creatures that stand in need of their Creator The Ravens cry and God giveth them meat 2. The Lord blames wicked men for not praying to him Jer. 10. 25. Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know then not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name Rom. 3. 11. There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God 3. They are commanded to pray Acts 8. 22 23. Peter said to Simon Magus Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee for I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity LUKE 11. 8. Though he will not give him because he is his friend c. AND thus much for the first Doctrine and first part of the Text the relation between him that prayes and him to whom prayers are made I come now to the second part which is the condition upon which the prayer was heard and that I told you was set down two wayes 1. Negatively 2. Positively 3. Negatively Not because he is his friend The observation thence is this Doct. 2 That a state of friendship or reconciliation with God is not sufficient to assure a man that God will give returnes to his prayers Although a man must be brought into a state of friendship and favour with God before his prayers can be heard yet it is not a sufficient ground for a man to believe that God will give him an answer of all his prayers He will give unto him not because he is friend So that a godly man may make many prayers and yet God may not give any answer to his prayers In the handling of this Doctrine I shall do three things 1. Shew the reasons of the Doctrine 2. I shall shew in what cases God may refuse to give his own people the things that they pray for 3. I shall shew how we may know when God denies to hear our prayers whether the denial be in mercie Reas The first particular is the reason why God may and doth sometimes deny to hear the prayers of his friends And that is this Because God hath tied returns of prayer not onely to the qualification of the person but also to the qualification of the dutie that the dutie be performed not onely by a fit person but also in a right way in a right manner to a right end God doth not say Let a godly man pray how he will I will hear his prayers that were the way to make him to be carelesse and remiss in the performance of duties Therefore the Lord expects qualification of the dutie as well as of
speake peace to his people but let them not turne againe to folly It would be both sin and folly in thee to returne to sin after God hath given thee an answer of peace This was Davids resolution for his owne particular Psal 6. 8. Depart from mee all you workers of iniquitie Why what is the reason The Lord hath heard the voyce of my supplication As if David had said O ye wicked men you have been occasions of sin to me and companions in sin with me but how that God hath been thus gracious to mee now that God hath graciously returned my prayers I will haue no more to doe with you Depart from mee yea workers of iniquitie And so much for the negative Cautions I shall now lay down a few positive cautions 1. If God hath returned thy prayers see that thou beest more frequent in prayer then thou wast formerly This was the purpose of holy David Psal 116. Because the Lord hath heard my prayer therefore I will call upon him as long as I live So let it be your care to set your self more solemnly and seriously to seek God then ever you have doue 2. See that you be more in praises to God then you have been Those mercies that thou hast won by prayer are to be worn by thankfulness Psal 145. 10. All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints do bless thee All Gods works do praise him The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work That is they are all the passive monuments of Gods power in creating them But the Saints they are agents in praising God Blessing is more then praising A picture praiseth him that made it but it doth not bless him The Saints they bless God in a peculiar manner their mouthes are full of the praises of God They have a principle within them of praising God they are agents in setting forth his praise And therefore it is very fit that you should bless God 3. See that you be much in obedience If God doth much for thee see that thou do much for God If God hath an hearing ear thou must have a doing hand And so much for the use of caution Use 3 3. I shall speak something by way of comfort 1. To such as have not this importunity nor this return of prayers 2. To such as have returns to prayer 1. Here is a word of consolation to those that want this holy importunity and that in three respects 1. Thou maiest pray with sincerity when thou dost not pray with importunity The Lord saith David is nigh to all that call upon him but how Not onely to them that call on him importunately and powerfully but to all that call upon him in truth if thou canst say thou dost call upon God in truth and with a sincere heart God will be high unto thee 2. It is the office of Christ to pray for thee in heaven when thou dost not pray upon earth It is the work of Jesus Christ to make intercession for thee to his Father Although thou hast not importunity in thy self yet consider O believing soul that Christ is in heaven importuning the Father for thee 3. A sense and complaining of the want of this holy importunity is accounted by God a degree of it If you did never complain of the want of the Spirit it was a signe you never had the Spirit and now that you be wall the want of it it is a signe you have it Branch 2 2. Here is also a word of consolation to those that have returns of prayer and that in four respects 1. Thy mercies are double mercies It is a mercy to have mercy but to have it in such a way is a double mercy Psal 91. They shall call upon me and I will answer them and I will be with him in trouble c. It is a mercy to have deliverance out of trouble but to have it through prayer a deliverance that comes in by prayer is a double mercy 2. These mercies are sanctified mercies Mercies as you are creatures are good but as returns of prayer they are sanctified And blest mercies are much better to the soul that enjoyeth them 3. The mercies which thou hast as returns of prayer are costly mercies Mercies that come in by providence are easie and cheap but mercies that come in by prayer are costly they cost the price of Christs blood to purchase them and they cost thee many a prayer and tear to obtain them 4. These mercies are sealing mercies and that in three particulars 1. They are seals to you that you have the Spirit of God for Christ hears no prayers and no spirit but his own God is as well pleased with the barking of a dog as with the prayers of a Christless man 2. It is a seal to thee of an interest in Christs intercession If thy prayers are returned it is a signe they are accepted Now no prayers are accepted but by vertue of the intercession of Jesus Christ 3. These returns are a seal of more mercies a signe that thou shalt have more mercies from God One mercie that is given in by prayer is a pledg of another mercie and thy mercie in this life is a pledg to thee that thou shalt have eternal happiness in heaven to all eternity FINIS Rev. 2. 5. Rev. 2. 9. 3. 1. Psal 4. Sermons Preachtat Lawrence Jury April 22 1649. SERMON I. The Content opened Verse 7. Verse 8. Verse 9. Verse 11. The Text opened Coelum Empyreum a Regnum coelorum denotat praedicationem Evangelit propagationem Ecclesiae Paraeus b Regnum Dei significatstatum conditionem Ecclesiae quae propriè Christiana â—câ—tur Camero in Mat. 18. â— Adeo avidi di sunt ut nulla vi rbstrahi possunt sed potius moaiuntur quam abstrahantur ab Evangeâ—io Luther a Frigebant sub ministerio legis Scribarum Pharisaeorum fervebant sub ministerio Joannis Musculus Quest 1 Why the Gospel so successfull then b Natura hominum novitat is avida Mark 1. 27. 1 Thes 2. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primum advertum nostrum Principiis savebant c. Isa 54. 1 2. Isa 2. 2. Isa 60. 3 4 5. Isa 40. 31. Zach. 12. 8. 2 Sam. 17 8. 2 Cor. 3. 15 16. 18. Isa 30. 26. Mat. 11. 28. Acts 15. 10. Quest 2. Why the Gospel not so succesfull now as formerly Reasons 1 In regard of Minister Luke 1. 16. Jerem. 23. 22. 32. 2 Cor. 4 2 Matth. 7 29. 2 Cor. 14 5. Job 38. 2. Mat. 3. 2. 2 In regard of the people Reason 1. Mat. 21. 26. 1 Thes 2. 13. Mat. 21. 25 26. John 10. 41. Miracula non sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate 1 Cor. 1. 22. 1 Cor. 14 22. 2 Cor. 12 12. Deut. 6. 6 7. Sermons Preacht at Lawrence Jury April 22 1649. SERMON 11. Jer. 8. 6. Jer. 2. 23 Eccles 8. 11. Hab. 2. 13. Prov. 4.
meat with Publicans and sinners they said He was a friend of Publicans and sinners Do not entertain hard thoughts of Christ not of the wayes of Christ for that Indeed if religion were any cloak for sin if it did countenance and incourage men in sin it were something but it is that which makes of a sinner a Saint Conversion though it finde us vile and bad it doth not leave us so 2 Take heed you do not suck this poison from it that when you hear the worse men are before conversion the better they will be after conversion Some it may be will draw this inference from it That it is the best to be as vile and wicked as one can for so one shall be most zealous afterward Take heed of that For 1 It is a great question whether God will convert thee or not and if thou be not converted all thy sins will be so many cords to tie thee in hell the aggravations of thy sin will be additions to thy torment and punishment 2 The deeper thou art in sin the greater must thy humiliation be Will any wise man break his leg because a broken bone well set and knit again will be stronger then ever it was before Knotty timber shall have most blowes 3 The longer thou continuest in sin the longer will God keep thee under suspension and it will be long before he vouchsafeth the comforts of his Spirit he will fill thee with indignation and horrour Though great sins cannot vast are gratiam lay waste the grace of God yet they may vast are conscientiam lay waste the peace of conscience though it may be they will not put thee into a state of ejection yet they will bring thee into a state of dejection if thou art not cast off yet thou shalt he cast down and therefore take heed thou doest not abuse this precious doctrine And so much for this last use And so I have done with both Doctrines and finished the Text And from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force FINIS The Zealous CHRISTIAN Holding Communion with God in wrastling and importunate Prayer LUKE 11. 8. I say unto you though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will give unto him as many as he needeth MY Text is the conclusion of a familiar Parable used by Christ whereby he instructs his Disciples touching the Doctrine and use of prayer The occasion offered to Christ-to fall upon this Subject is intimated ver 1. of this chapter One of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also tought his disciples Whether it was a one of the twelve Apostles or one of the seventy Disciples that propounded the question is not easie to determine nor is it materiall to know Hereupon Christ gives them a plâ—â— for me or directions for prayer to direct them about the matter and withall gives them a parable to informe concerning the manner of praying For the matter of it you have it in these words when you pray say Our father c. Not as though it were a command from Jesus Christ that alwayes when we pray we should use that forme of speech which is here set down Jesus Christ indeed intended it for a platforme or a patterne to direct us in the making of our prayers for there is nothing we stand in need of and goe to God for but it is to be found in these words but he never intended to tye up his people to this forme And that I will prove by some reasons Reas 1 1. Because though Luke here saith when you pray Say Our c. yet Matthew varies in his expression and saith when you pray say after this manner Mat. 6. 9. to reach us that we are to stick to the matter contained in this prayer but we are not confined every time we pray to use the same expressions By Luke we learne that the using of this forme of words is lawfull by Matthew that it is not necessary Reas 2 2. A second reason is this Because in the recitall of the Lords prayer by Matthew and Luke there is much difference and though the difference be not materiall yet it is verball which is enough to prove what I intend to wit that we are not bound to the words In the third Petition it is thus in Matthew Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven In Luke it is thus thy will be done as in heaven so in earth In the fourth Petition it is said in Matthew Give us this day our daily bread In Luke it is said Give us daily day by day our daily bread In the fifth Petition it is said in Matthew and forgive us our debts In Luke it is said for we forgive every one that is indebted to us Lastly it is said in Matthew For thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory for ever Amen But these words are wholly left out in Luke Which variance teacheth us thus much that you must not recede from the matter or purport of the words yet we are not to be superstitious and sollicitous about the expressions as Chemnitius observes Reas 3 3. Another reason to prove that we are not limited to that forme is this Because Jesus Christ himselfe and all his Apostles did never use this forme in all their prayers And if there had been a necessity that we should have used it Christ would as he might easily have left a command behinde him in the word and also he would have practised it himselfe that it might have been our example This reason Chemnitius gives There are many prayers in Davids Psalmes many in the Prophets many in the Acts of the Apostles many in the Epistles of Paul which are different in expression from this forme and yet doubtlesse received acceptance from God 4. Reas Another argument is this Because it is the worke and office of the Spirit of God not onely to help the people of God in the manner how but also in the matter what to pray to put even words into our mouthes Rom. 8. 76. We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit helpes our infirmities And upon these grounds it appeares that we are not bound to use that forme of words Ministers doe sometimes use this forme of prayer to justifie the lawfulnesse of it and sometimes they doe not use it lest people should dote too much upon set formes And so much for the matter of prayer I come now to the manner and that is expressed in this Parable which Parable is laid down in the 5 6 7 8. verses And be said unto them which of you shall have a friend and shall goe unto him at midnight and say unto him Friend lend me three loaves For a friend of mine in his journey is come to
the person God requires that duties be done with feeling fervencie faith fear and reverence they must be done in a right manner There is a fivefold qualification that God requires even of his friends as a condition of their acceptance 1. The heart must be prepared Psal 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear So Job 11. 13 14 15. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards him If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear That is the first particular 2. Sin must be removed So you finde in the place last quoted iniquity must be put far away c. When Gods own people come to worship before God they must not let any sinne lye upon their consciences unrepented of and indulged 3. The affections must be raised David when he set himself to prayer he saith Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 25. 1. You read often in Scripture of lifting up a prayer to God Isai 37. 4 It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh whom the king of Assyria hath sent wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left Jer. 7. 16. Pray not thou for this people neither lift up cry nor prayer for them 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without warth and doubting 4. The mind must be compased in prayer 1 Cor. 7. 35 We are to attend upon the Lord without distraction Daniel set his face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications Daniel 9. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee said David Psal 5. 3. As an Archer when he shoots an arrow takes care that his hand shake not his heart was so fixed on God that he could directly send his prayers unto him Dost thou think O man that God will hear that prayer which thou dost not hear thy self will God regard that prayer that thou dost not regard will God grant thy request when thou dost not know what thou askest because of that indisposednesse and distraction that lyes upon thy spirit You must therefore take care when you be take your selves to prayer that the Divel do not distract and disturb you 5. The desires must be enlarged after God in prayer Jer. 29. 13. Then you shall seek me and finde me when you search for me with all your heart God bids us Open our mouthes wide and I will fill them Psal 18. 10. God hath not promised to fill the heart unlesse our mouth be opened Now put all these together Our prayers will not be heard except 1. Our hearts be prepared 2. Sin removed 3. Our affections raised 4. Our minds composed 5. Our desires inlarged And judge whether this be not ground enough for the Doctrine That a state of friendship is not sufficient for the acceptance of our prayers I come now to the second thing and that is a case of conscience it is this In what Cases may God refuse to give his people the things they pray for I answer 1. In case you indulge any sin in the heart Psal 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer Sin which is in thine heart by thine indulgence and approbation doth provoke God that he will not give an answer to thy prayers 2. In case thou dost seek for any mercy from God to be fewel for thy sin and lust James 4. 3. Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse that you may consume it upon your lusts So the mother of Zebedees children Matth. 20. 21. She said to Christ Grant that these my two sons may sit the one on thy right hand the other on thy left in thy kingdom Now this was an ambitious desire for she shewed Christ would have reigned upon earth as an earthly King and she desired that they might be next him as he sat upon the Throne Therefore Christ said You know not what you ask Christ would not give any answer to her request he would not gratifie her pride and ambition 3. In case God sees we are not able to use the mercy well when we have it If you would ask gifts from God it may be God sees that enlarged gifts would make thee proud and that thou wouldest be puffed up with them and exalt thy self above thy brethren therefore God will deny thee We read Gen. 26. 1 2. When there was a famine in the Land He went to enquire of the Lord whether he should go down into Aegypt God answered Go not down into Aegypt God would not let him go but in the dayes of Jacob there was a famine in the Land Gen. 46. 3. and God said to Jacob Go down into Aegypt Now what might be the reason that God would have Jacob goe down into Aegypt and not Isaac The rason is this Isaac was a man of weaker Graces then Jacob was and God saw that if Isaac had gone down into Aegypt for corne he would have fallen into the sinnes of the Land Now Jacob was a strong man in grace and in gifts for as a Prince he wrastled with God and prevailed and was called Israel God saw that Jacob would resist their idolatrous wayes and not be guilty of their sins So you may ask mercies of God and it may be you are not able to manage them well And therefore God denies you when as another askes the same mercy and God gives it to him because he sees he will use it well and improve it to Gods glory Therefore reflect upon thy self and when God denies thee a mercy which thou hast begged at his hands Say to thy self this denial is in mercy for he did not think me fit for it If men would take this way to consider of Gods dealing with them it would silence all the murmurings and repinings of their hearts against God 4. If you pray but cursorily and carelesly then God may deny you He that prayes coldly doth as it were increat God to give him a denial God promiseth to be found if we seek him with our whole heart But if we be careless and regardless our selves how can we expect that God should regard us So much for answer to that question In what cases God may deny his peoples prayers This is the second thing 3. The third particular is another Case of conscience And it is this Seeing God doth not hear the prayers of his people in some cases How may we know whether the denyal of our prayers be in mercy or no God doth not hear the prayers of wicked men he denies them in wrath but his peoples prayers he denies in mercy
and that is in these cases Answ 1 1. This is a mercy in case any of his people ask any thing that is sinful in it self God denies that to his people in mercy which he gives to others in wrath God will not alwaies give to his people what they pray for but what is best for them If God should give his people all they ask they would be undone It is mercy to deny a mad man a sword for he would cut his own throat with it To deny a child a knife for he would cut his fingers with it You have an instance in Peter Luke 5. 8. When Simon Peter saw him he fell down at Jesus his knees saying Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord. Had Jesus Christ granted Peter his request he had been undone for ever Therefore he would not depart from him So that this denial was in mercy As on the other side it is a demonstration of Gods wrath many times when God doth grant mercies to wicked men So it was to Pharaoh he desired that God would remove the plagues from him God granted it thereby to harden Pharoahs heart and make him ripe for destruction 2. God denies in mercy if that we ask would be an occasion of sinne Suppose a man beg wealth God sees the having of wealth would make him a proud man Now the denial of that is a mercy to him As in the forementioned instance God would not let Isaac go down to Aegypt because it would have been an occasion of sin to him As he said very well God denies that in love which he grants in anger God doth not hear many in their desires that he may hear them for their good 3. God denies a prayer in mercy when he gives a better in lieu of it It was the desire of Moses that he might goe into the land of Canaan but it was better to him to goe to the heavenly Canaan and therefore God translated him thither So the Apostles desired Christ to tell them when he would restore the Kingdome to Israel He would not resolve them that yet he gave them a greater mercy for he gave them the holy Ghost So David desired the life of that childe that was illegitimate but God tooke away the bastard which would have been a living monument of Davids folly and gave him a Solomon God will either give us what we aske saith Bernard or what he knowes to be better for us 4. God may deny to returne this request in mercy to quicken our he'res and affections in prayer and to make us more eager in the pursuit after mercy God many times denies that mercy which thou beggest not as though he would not heare thee but to see how thy heart will be drawn out towards him in prayer to make thee more vehement and importunate in thy desires Thus God was angry with the prayers of his people Psal 80. 4. that they might be more fervent God doth not delay to heare our prayers saith Anselme because he hath no minde to give but that our desires may be kindled and so he may take occasion to give more plentifully 5. God may deny a thing in mercy if thou didst too eagerly desire the mercy and too affectionately set thine heart upon it if thou lovest it too much in the expetition thou wilt be excessive in the fruition Rachell had better wanted Children which she so impetuously desired for she had a childe and died in childe-bed God turnes mercies too passionately desired into curses and snares to us or else takes them away from us And so I have answered this second Question And that is the third and last particular I come now to application Use 1 Use 1. Consider this oh all you wicked and ungodly men Consider how far you are from having your prayers heard What will not a father heare his childe when he prayes to him coldly and remissely and will he heare a slave If God will 〈…〉 â—eare the remisse prayer of a god ly ma◠〈…〉 dost thou thinke he will heart the prayers of a wicked man If God will not heare his peoples prayers at all times notwithstanding they are in a state of friendship will God heare thy prayers oh wicked man that art in state of enmity against him If God will not heare the prayers of his own people which are sometimes his delight dost thou thinke he will heare thy prayers which are alwayes an abomination to him 2. This should put an holy awe upon the hearts of all godly men what though you are in a state of favour with God though this will carrie your soules to heaven yet this will not bring you a return of your prayers You must have your hearts rightly qualifyed before God will give a returne of thy prayers And thus much for the second doctrine and also for the negative condition I come now to the condition positive to which returnes of prayer are annexed Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs From which part of the text you may observe this doctrine Doct. 3 That the people of God must not content themselves with being in a state of favour and friendship with God but they must also labour after this holy importunity in prayer before they can have their prayer accepted In the handling of this doctrine I shall proceed in this method 1. I shall answer an objection that stands in the way 2. I shall shew what this importunity is 3. At what times God works this in his people 4. Wherein lies the difference between an holy importunity and a naturall importunity 5. What are the reasons why the people of God must have this importunity in prayer 6. How comes it to passe that so many want this holy importunity in their prayers 7. What helps may be used to attaine this servencie and importunity of spirit And then I shall apply it by way of Caution Obje 1 1. I must answer an objection which is this It may be some will say what need is there that this condition should be so much pressed what need is there of importunity in prayer Hath not God decreed what mercy to bestow vpon me if so then I am sure I shall have those mercies let me pray how I will and on the contrary if God hath not decreed to give me such a mercy I shall not have them let me pray never so well for the decree of God is effectuall irresistable and cannot be altered All mine importunity cannot alter the decree of God For answer to this I shall propound three things to your consideration 1. We have not to doe to search into the secret will of God we are to minde the revealed will of God and not the secret It concernes not us to know what God will doe but what God would have us to doe
he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem Then he set his face to seek the Lord by prayer and supplication Daniel prayed at other times but then he was most importunate when the promise was neer the accomplishment then he was most fervent To the same purpose is that Jer. 29. 13. Then shall you call upon me and ye shall seek for me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts During the seventy years the Jews did not expresse any holy importunity towards God which is the reason of that expression you read Dan. 9. 13. Though all this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God c. But when the seventy years were come neer to an end the Jews prayed more the last year then they did all the seventy years before Therefore said God I know my thoughts that I have towards you thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Then shall ye call upon me and shall go and pray unto me and I will harken unto you Therefore when you see mercies for a Family or a Nation wanting if thine heart be indifferent that thou dost not care whether thou prayest or not then you may conclude that mercy will be long before it comes But if you finde that God drawes out thine heart for mercy if God stirre up thy desires and work this holy importunity in thine heart it is an argument that mercy is neer for when prayer is in thine heart mercy is at the door 4. Another time when the people of God are most importunate in prayer is when they are most drawn off from the world when they are most free from worldly distractions The same word in the Hebrew signifies both meditation and prayer to shew that when the heart hath been drawn off from the world by meditation then it is in a fit posture for prayer 5. Another time is when they walk most closely with God He that lives carelesly will not pray importunately Therefore Job saith If iniquity be in thine hands put it away so shalt thou lift up thine heart c. to note that iniquity entertained and countenanced in the soul is the great hinderer of the lifting up of the heart the great cooler of importunity 6. Another time is in deep and bitter afflictions then the people of God are most importunate in their prayers Psal 130. 1 2. Out of the deeps have I cryed unto thee Lord hear the voice of my supplication So Psal 142. 1 2. I cryed unto the Lord with my voice I poured out my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble So it is said of the Jews Psal 107. 6. They cryed unto the Lord in their trouble And the same words are repeated vers 13 19 28. When trouble and great distress was upon the Jews by Sennacherib it is said For this cause Hezekiah the King and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed and cryed to heaven So it is said of Manasseh When he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly and prayed unto him c. So said that good woman 1 Sam. 1. 15. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit and have poured out my soul before the Lord. Thus it was with the whole Church Isai 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgements are abroad the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse And that is the last season wherein the people of God use to be importunate with God in prayer And so much for the third thing LUKE 11. 8. Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will c. THE fourth particular is this wherein lyes the difference betwixt that holy importunity in the hearts of Gods people and the seeming importunity which flowes from the gifts of nature Answ It lyes in these seven things 1. An holy importunity makes a man restlesse till his prayers be heard Psal 143. 6 7. I stretch forth mâ—ne hands unto thee My soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land hear me speedily my spirit failes hide not thy face from me lest I be like them that go down into the pit As a thirsty land A thirsty land is never satisfied till it gets rain So Psal 119. 20. My soul breaks for the longing it hath Psal 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God The Hart never ests never gives over running till it come to the water Such is the importunity of a godly man he is never quiet never satisfied till his prayers be returned into his bosom But it is otherwise with an hypocrite he prayes for mercy for pardon of sinne but he can rest contented though God doth not hear him he can beg grace but he can be very well satisfied without grace Prov. 13. 4. The soul of the sluggard desires and hath nothing but the soul of the diligent maketh fat 2. An holy importunity is known by this That it makes a man more earnest for spiritual then temporal mercies This hath been the temper of Gods people Psal 4. 6. There be many that say Who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Observe the difference between Davids and wicked mens tempers Their great question and desire was Who would shew them any good any temporal good Who would give them the increase of corne and wine But Davids heart breathed after other things after Gods favour and the light of his countenance So Psal 143. 6 7 8. I stretch forth mine hands unto thee my soul thirsteth after thee Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is David was in a wildernesse he wanted water One would have thought he should have sought God for water But you see Davids desires runne in another channel he thirsted more for God then for water he more desired spiritual advantages then temporal enjoyments This importunity makes a man more to endeavour against sin then affliction more to desire saving grace then common mercies But now the heart of an hypocrite is more desirous of temporal then spiritual mercies You read in Hosea 7. 14. They have not eryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebel against me They howled for what Was it for grace and spiritual blessings No it was for corn and wine and oyl not for grace not for acquaintance with God Another instance you have Acts 8. Simon Magus offered money to purchase
the Holy Ghost What was his end in desiring the Holy Ghost Was it to obtain a spiritual mercy No but it was that he might work miracles And further when Peter put him upon the begging of a spiritual mercy vers 22. pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee But Simon Magus followed not Peters rule he had no great desire of the pardon of sin or any spirituall mercy but he prayes That none of those things which Peter had spoken might come upon him vers 24. That is that his money might not perish nor he perish with it that his gifts might not perish this was his great request and desire 3. An holy importunity of Gods people is more in sensibleness of the inward affections of the heart then in the outward expressions of words Psal 38. 9. All my desire is before thee and my groanings are not hid from thee Davids heart panted and failed him vers 10. but not a word of expressions though his expressions were very good Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helps our infirmities with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered It is said Revel 5. 8. The four and twenty Elders had golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints They are called odours for their sweetnesse golden for their excellency and vials which are vessels of large extent in the belly but narrow mouthed The hearts of Gods people are like vials many times inlarged within when they are straitned in their words and expressions There are many times most dilated desires in the hearts of the Saints and yet they are so narrow mouthed that they are not able to utter But now it is otherwise with hypocrites they have more in the expression then in the action It was Gods complaint against the Jews of old They draw nigh to God with their lips when their hearts were far from him An hypocrite indeed performes duty but his duties never reach to his heart They are like a pot that is hot at the top but cold at the bottom 4. An holy importunity makes a man more inlarged before God in secret then before men in publike O my Dove that art in the clifts of the rock in the secret places of thy stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voyce and thy countenance is comely The voice of Christs Church is sweet even then when she is in secret when none but God beholds her Cant. 8. 13. Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions harken to thy voice cause me to hear it But now an hypocrite doth never care to have any secret communion with God he cares not to pray alone and if hee bee brought to that hee takes no care of his heart he curbs not his thoughts all his care is in company popular applause and vain-glory is as the wind to the sails of a Ship that makes their affections move the faster An hypocrite in this regard may be resembled to a Nightingale which sings sweetess when any man stands neer her So carnal men when others are witnesses of their actions then they put forth the utmost of their ability They are of John's temper he was zealous onely upon that condition that others would see it 5. This holy importunity makes a godly man the more humble the more enlarged he is to prayer The reason is because he looks upon his enlargements not as coming from the strength of his natural parts or abilities but as the free-gift and gracious dispensation of Gods Spirit and so he sees he hath nothing whereof to boast and so it makes him low in his own eyes You know a violet that is one of the sweetest flowers growes lowest in the earth The fullest ears of corn do most hang down The fullest barrels make the least noise So the most gracious heart is the most low and vile in its own apprehensions is the nearest earth but dust and ashes The fuller he is of divine discoveries or enlargement the less boasting doth he make in the world A ship the heavier it is laden the lesse it is tost with winds and waves the more empty it is the more it is lifted up above the water so a man the more empty the more tost too and fro with every wind of applause Grace is as it were the balast of the soul to keep down a mans spirits and make him humble in the midst of wit and parts Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer Be sober and not puffed up do not boast of your enlargements Though it is true it doth refer to another thing yet Byfield refers it to prayer and he saith That man that prayes to God with most enlargednesse of affections towards God that man cannot but he must watch and be sober Sobriety is opposed to pride for a man may be dumb with his own gifts and graces and watchfulnesse is opposed to remisnesse and deadnesse and carelesnesse of spirit in the performance of duties Thus it is with a sincere man that hath this true importunity in him But now wicked men if ever they have enlargements in duty it puffs them up It is with them as it was with Uzziah 2 Chr. 26. 16. When God had helped him marvellously til he was strong But when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction When God helps the soul of such a man in duty it makes him to lift up himself against God and be puffed up above his brethren 6. He that hath this holy importunity in him his desires are rather quickned then abated by denials You finde this in the woman of Canaan Matt. 15. 22. She cryed unto Christ saying Have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my daughter is grie vously vexed with a divel Jesus Christ takes no notice of her He answered her not a word vers 23. There is one discouragement One would have thought she would have dâ—â—sted but she prayed again and the Disciples besought him to send her away vers 23. There was another discouragement which would have knocked off the desires of many but she continues her request still Jesus Christ himself answers her I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel vers 24. There is a third discouragement and yet this doth not cool her affections but she comes afresh upon Christ she came and worshipped saying Lord help me vers 25. Yet she found another repulse and that worse then any of the former It is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to doggs vers 26. Christ you see calls her a dog and yet all this doth not cast her off but she takes encouragement even from this discouraging answer And she said Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table vers 27. She was resolved she would not give over till she got what she came for till Christ
had said O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt vers 28. Denials are to the Saints as water to the Smiths-forge when it is sprinkled upon it it is so far from cooling or quenching it that it makes it burn with the greater heat So the denials and discouragements Gods people meet with they serve for bellowes to blow up those sparks that are in them into a flame to make their desires stronger their affections to burn the hotter But now to an hypocrite denials and discouragements do take off the wheels of his affections and make them to move slowly and heavily Job 21. 15. What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him We get no good by it the mercies we ask are not yet in our hands Now this argues a sinful impatiency and a want of holy importunity 7. Holy importunity is kindled in the heart by the motions and operations of Gods blessed Spirit Gal. 4. 6. Because you are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba father In the time of the law those sacrifices that were accepted were burnt with fire from heaven Levit. 9. 24. There came fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering And so in Elijahs time 1 King 18. 38. When Elijah had laid his sacrifice upon the altar of the Lord Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt-sacrifice and the wood So the Heathens vestal-flames were kindled with sun-beams The true importunity is from above it is a fire kindled by God himself in the hearts of his people But there is another importunity that comes from natural principles from natural abilities a strong memory a profound judgement a ready wit a fluent tongue and these are very advantagious to the duty There is the gift of prayer as well as the grace of prayer Some are importunate in prayer out of flâ—thly respects Now this is but a counterfeit importunity And thus much for the fourth particular the difference between holy and natural importunity LUKE 11. 8. Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will rise and give THe fift particular is this What are the reasons why Gods people must labour for this holy importunity in their prayers Reas 1 I answer 1. Because God hath tied and promised returnes not to the persons praying but to the qualifications of their prayers And when the Scripture makes mention of this duty of prayer it doth also make mention of severall concomitants that must goe along with it to make it acceptable To instance there are diverse concomitants which the Scripture holds forth to be necessary for the acceptance of our prayers 1. We must pray beleevingly Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must beleeve Mar. 11. 24. Therefore I say unto you â—aith Christ what things soever yee desire when ye pray beleeve that yee receive them and yee shall have them He doth not say pray how you will you shall have them but pray in such and such manner pray beleevingly and then you shall receive very much to this purpose is 1 James 5. If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God Ver. 6. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the winde and tossed So that you see God lookes to the manner as well as to the matter of a performance 2. You must pray regularly according to the will of God 3. Dependingly resting upon Christs intercession 4. Waitingly 5. Preparedly but these I shall passe by because they doe not so properly concerne the Point in hand 6. We are commanded to pray earnestly and fervently and importunately So David did Psal 55. 17. I will pray and cry aloud and he shall heare my voyce A full place to this purpose is Rom. 15. 30. Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that yee stâ—ive together with me in your prayers to God for mee The word in the Greek is very emphaticall it is the same word that is applyed to Christ when he was in an agony when he sweat drops of blood He beseecheth them to contend and strive in their prayers we are to be as it were in an agony when we are in prayer Prayer is not a little booke labour it is not a lip labour onely but it is a raising up and putting forth the heart and affections in the worke So Rom. 12. 12. Bee continuing instant in prayer It is a metaphor taken from dogs A dog of all creatures is the best able to endure hunger he will run from place to place and never leave till he hath got his prey so you are to hunger after God and after mercy and not to rest satisfied till God doth grant the mercy you stand in need of pray and pray and pray againe and fight till you overcome pray till you get an answer Another place is Jam. 5. 16. The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much The word in the originall is significant Some expound it a working prayer It may be interpreted a prayer well wrought in the heart and so a prayer that comes from the heart A prayer wrought in us by the Spirit and carried on by faith Another place to the same purpose is Acts 26. 7. Unto which promise our twelve Tribes instantly serving God The word is rendered by some continually daily constantly but it signifies most properly a serving of God with the utmost of ones strength to be as a man upon a rack to use the very all of their power or it may be it is borrowed from one that runs a race wherein men stretch out their limbs to the utmost The word is the same here that is used Acts 12. 5. Prayer was made without ceasing or as it is in the margin of your booke and more agreeably to the Originall instant and earnest prayer was made for Peter The prayers of Gods people were so earnest that they opened the prison doores for him So Colos 4. 12. Epaphras who is one of you a servant of Christ saluteth you alwayes labouring fervently for you in prayers So that you see it is not every prayer that God is satisfied with no nor Gods people neither it is not every prayer that shall prevaile with God There must be importunity in it So much for the first reason 2. We must have this holy importunitie in prayer because there is much strength and importunity against thee when ever thou goest upon thy knees There is strength against you both from without and from within 1. From without There are the powers of darknesse that stand against you and resist you As it was
and consider my meditation give eare unto my prayer oh God and my King for unto thee will I pray Davids prayer you see is usherd in with meditation The same word in the Hebrew signifies both to meditate and to pray You finde concerniag Isaac Gen. 24. 26. Isaac went out into the fields to meditate some read it to pray others translate It is likely he did both first meditate and then pray Be much imployed in the worke of meditation if you would have your hearts much enlarged in prayer Meditate in to whose presence you come what a glorious God he is before whom you are to appeare 2. Meditate in whose name you are to come and to pray by whom you must have accesse to the throne of grace 3. Meditate what chiefe mercies you want and are to beg what grace you would have strengthned what lusts you would have quelled what doubts you would have satisfied what sins you would have pardoned in a word what blessings you would have God to bestow upon you The meditation of these things must needs give a man more scope and stirre up a mans affections in prayer Help 3 3. If you would get this holy importunity you must recall your thoughts from worldly and distracting cares when you come to prayer The Apostle therefore doth exhort the Corinthians 1 Cor. 7. to fâ—â—e themselves from and rid their hands of the cares of the world and he gives this as a reason that they may attend upon the Lord without distraction The cares of the world will eat out that good that is in the hearts of men will rob a man of that freedome and enlargement that otherwise he might have in prayer Anselme as he was walking in the fields saw a shepheards boy tie a stone to a birds legg and as the bird sought to flie up ever and anon the stone pulled it down again The spirituall interpretation that he partly made and that we may make is this when the soule would mount aloft in prayer and grow fervent the cares of the world pluck it down and coole it And therefore you must labour to free your selves from these incombrances You must doe as Abraham did when he went to sacrifice he left his servants and cattell at the bottome of the hill So when you goe to offer to God the sacrifices of prayer you must get above the impediments and distractions of this present life That is the third help Help 4 Another way to get this holy importunitie is to watch the heart in prayer Colos 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving There is a watching to prayer and a watching in praying A watching to prayer is when a man watcheth his heart and sees that he doth not omit duties and there is a watching in prayer of which I am now speaking Now there are foure enemies that a man must watch against in prayer 1. Watch against drowsinesse of body This is agreat impediment of prayer and we have great need to watch against it 2. Watch against a deadnesse and dulnesse of spirit against a flat and low temper that is a great hinderance of importunitie 3. Watch against Satanicall suggestions Satan is alwayes ready to assault thee he watcheth to disturbe and molest you in your prayers you had need watch to counterworke him 4. You must watch from secular distractions All these adversaries you must watch against and that is the way to get this holy importunitie into your hearts Help 5 5. If you would get this holy importunity you must labour to stirre up all your affections when you come to pray This you finde was the practise of holy David Psal 103. 1. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name See how this good man doth muster together all the faculties of his soule how he calls up al his strength all that he is or can doe to set forth the name of God So the Apostle Peter in his first epistle chap. 1. ver 13. exhorts those to whom he writes to gird up the loynes of their mindes A Christian going towards heaven is compared to a man that is going a journey now a man that is going a journey he girts up his cloathes together about his loynes that nothing may hinder him in his journie To this the Apostle alludes when he bids them gird up their loines So the like you have Luke 17. 8. Gird up thy selfe and serve me It is an expression of a master to his servant God is our master we are his servants we are to doe his worke while we be in the world To that end let us gird up our loines let us gather our affections together that we may be the more fit for and the more vigorous in the worke A discinct and ungirt minde is not fit for prayer in ancient times at the first assemblings and Church-meetings the Deacons cryed Let us pray let us attend There are many that pray and doe not attend to prayer many pray as if they prayed not if therefore we would pray indeeed we must attend to it we must stirre up all that is within us to call upon the name of the Lord. Help 6 6. If you would get this holy importunitie then you must store your hearts with fulnesse of matter when thou goest to prayer It is emptinesse of Spirit that causeth deadnesse of heart Help 7 7. If you would get this holy importunitie bemoane the deadnesse and dulnesse of thy heart This was the course that holy David tooke Psal 38. 9. My desires oh Lord are before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee So it was the practise of the Church Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare So it was the way that Ephraim went in Jer. 31. 18. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe Thou hast chastised mee and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Ver. 19. Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did heare the reproach of my youth God doth love to heare his people mourning over and bewailing their wants and weaknesses and that is one necessary requisite in an acceptable prayer Bewaile therefore thy dulnesse consider that prayer without this holy importunity is like a messenger without legs as an arrow without feathers an advocate without a tongue St Jerome complained very much of his distractions and dulnesse in prayer and chid himselfe thus What doest thou thinke that Jonah prayed thus when he was in the whales belly or Daniel when he was among the Lions or the thiefe when he was upon the crosse Bemoane your want of importunity if you would get this importunitie And so much shall suffice for the helps or meanes to get importunitie And so
thou hadst formerly more affection but lesse judgement lesse experience lesse spiritualnesse in thy prayers It may be now thou art more sound in knowledge thou makest a more inward progresse in holinesse thou canst now make a more inward prayer to God thou hast now more inward communion with God Now if this be so thou hast no cause to be discouraged God loves a judicious prayer as well as a large and affectionate prayer you see what you want one way you make up another way A young carpenter gives more blowes and makes more chips but an old and experienced workman doth the most and the best worke A young Musitian can play more quickly and nimbly upon an instrument but an old Musitian hath more skill 2. It may be when thou hadst more affections in prayer thou hadst more sin in prayer more pride in thy gifts more dependance upon thy duties more sensoriousness of others and many other corruptions that did accompany thy prayers and thy affectionatenesse in them Now though thou hast lesse affections yet those other corruptions are in great part eaten out 3. It may be thou hast not now so many helps and opportunities to keep up thine heart to stirre up thine affections in prayer as thou hadst formerly It may be thou didst formerly live under the teachings of an able godly minister Now thou hast lost that opportunity And so there are severall other helps that peradventure are now taken away from thee 4. Though it is true thou art abated and thou didst pray better formerly then now yet ought not this to be matter of discouragement to thee 1. If it doth not proceed from a voluntary carelessenesse 2. If it be not accompanied with hardnesse and insensiblenesse 3. If it be not continued in with lazinesse and contentednesse And so much for answer to the second reason 3. Another ground of doubting to the people of God is this They complaine they have not those inlarged expressions in prayer which Gods people use to have For answer consider these things 1. This hath many times been the case of Gods own people that they have wanted expressions they could not finde a vent for their affections Thus it was with Hannah she spake in her heart but she was not able to expresse her selfe So it was with holy David Psal 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak and yet in the first verse of that Psalme he tells us he cried unto the Lord with his voice Here was an heart full of prayer though he wanted utterance 2. It is better to have affections without expressions then expressions without affections God lookes more to the desires of the heart then the words of the mouth It may be what thou wantest of expression is made up in affection 3. It may be what is wanting in words is made up in life as thou art defective in expression so thou makest a recompence in conversation and that is the best expression that can be It is much better to live a prayer then to expresse a prayer It is good to pray for grace but it is better to live a life of grace It is good to pray against sin but it is better to live against sin And so much for answer to the third doubt A fourth ground of doubting is this Many a disconsolate Christian is apt to say I am troubled with wandring thoughts with deadnesse and dulnesse of heart in prayer I confess thy case is sad and to be lamented for and it is just matter of humiliation Yet even here is matter of comfort 1. If thou dost what thou canst to free thy self from wandrings before thou comest to pray 2. If thou dost what thou canst to resist these wandrings when you are come before God in prayer 3. If you be sensible of these wandrings afterward If you can say you do these three things your wandrings shall never be laid to your charge And thus I have done with both these Uses of Caution And so I have done with the principal Doctrine which was this That on holy importunity and earnestness of spirit is a condition required in the prayers of Gods people if they expect returns thereunto There is another considerable Doctrine yet behinde taken from the amplification of the concession He asked but three loaves but because of his importunity he gave him as many as he needed The observation thence is this That when the heart is importunate in begging mercy God usually gives us more then we pray for In the handling of this Doctrine I shall 1. prove it by Scripture-instances 2. I shall lay down the reasons of it 3. I shall answer some objections and cases of conscience and so I shall come to application 1. I shall prove it by Scripture instances 1. You have the instance of Hannah 1 Sam. 1. She beg'd a son with much importunity being a woman of a sorrowful spirit for want of a son Well God returns her an answer Chemnitius observes that Hanna asked a son and God gave her a Prophet She begged a son God gave her a gracious son a son greatly beloved of God She asked a single mercy and God gave her a double blessing Another instance you have in Abraham Gen. 17. Abraham prayed O that Ishmael might live in thy sight Well what answer doth God return That you have vers 19. Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him It was Abrahams desire that Ishmael might live Now God not onely grants that but hee grants him a better mercy Another instance you have in the Canaanitish woman Matth. 15. who did importunately beg of Christ the life and health of her daughter Christ answered her thus Be it unto thee even as thou wilt Now if you ask what is the reason why God deals thus with his people I answer Reas 1 1. This proceeds from the largenesse and greatnesse of Gods power and the riches and freenesse of his grace towards us Ephes 3. 20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think according to the power that worketh in us A man may ask of another man and it may be receive but then hee must not aske again but herein appears the power and ability the goodness and bounty of God if we ask of him once or twice he is a God that is able to give not according to our asking onely but above what we ask and not onely above what we can ask but above what we can ask or think The words are so full that they cannot well be expressed God doth more then excessively God hath not onely a fulnesse of abundance but of redundancy not onely of plenty but bounty he is better then our prayers Reas 2 2. God will do this to