disproved the Practice of the Pharisees seeks to set his own Disciples right in the management of their Prayers as well as in their Alms. Pharisaism is very natural in the best We are apt to be haunted with a carnal Spirit in the best Duties not only in Alms where we have to do with Men but in Prayer where our Business lieth wholly with God especially in Publick Prayer even there much of Man will creep in The Devil is like a Flie which if driven from one place pitcheth upon another so drive him out of Alms and he will seek to taint your Prayers Therefore Christ to rectify his Disciples in their personal and solitary Prayers instructs them to withdraw into some place of Recess and Retirement and to be content with God for Witness Approver and Judg. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy Doors pray to thy Father which is in secret c. In which Words you may observe I. A Supposition concerning solitary Prayer But thou when thou prayest II. A Direction about it Enter into thy Closet and shut thy Door and pray to thy Father which is in secret III. Encouragement to perform it And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Where two Things are asserted 1. God's Sight He is conscious to thy Prayers when others are not 2. God's Reward He will reward thee openly To open the Circumstances of the Text I. In the Supposition But thou when thou prayest Observe 1. Christ takes it for granted that his Disciples will pray to God He doth not say If thou prayest but when thou prayest as supposing them to be sufficiently convinced of this Duty of being often with God in private 2. I observe again Christ speaks of solitary Prayer when a Man alone and without Company pours out his Heart to God Therefore Christ speaks in the singular Number When thou prayest not plurally and collectively When ye pray or meet together in Prayer Therefore he doth not forbid Publick Praying in the Assemblies of the Saints or Family-Worship both are elsewhere required in Scripture God hath made Promises to publick and Church-Prayer praying with Men or before Men Mat. 18. 19. When two or three are met together and shall agree on Earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven And when they shall agree in one publick Prayer it seems to have a greater Efficacy put upon it When more are interessed in the same Prayer when with a combined Force they do as it were besiege the God of Heaven and will not let him go unless he leaves a Blessing Look as the Petition of a Shire and County to Authority is more than a private Man's Supplication So when we meet as a Church to pray and as a Family there is combined Strength And in this Sence that Saying of the School-men is Orthodox enough viz. That Prayer made in the Church hath a more easy Audience with God why because of the Concurrence of many which are met there to worship God Christ doth not intend in this any way to justle out that which he seeks to establish elsewhere Let your Intentions be secret tho your Prayers be publick and open in the Family or Assemblies of the Saints II. Let us open the Direction our Lord gives about solitary Prayer The Direction is suited so as to avoid the double Error of the Pharisees their Offence as to Place and as to the Aim and End 1. Their Offence as to the Place Enter into thy Closet and shut thy Door These Words are not to be taken metaphorically nor yet pressed too literally Not metaphorically as some would carry them Descend into thy Heart be serious and devout with God in the Closet of thy Soul which is the most inward Recess and retiring Place of Man This were to be wanton with Scripture The literal Sence is not to be left without necessity nor yet pressed too literally as if Prayer should be confined to a Chamber and Closet Christ prayed in the Mountain Mat. 14. 23. and Gen. 24. 63. Isaac went into the Field to meditate The meaning is Private Prayer must be performed in a private Place retired from Company and the Sight of Men as much as may be 2. Christ rectifieth them as to the End Pray to thy Father which is in secret That is Pray to God who is in that private Place tho he cannot be seen with bodily Eyes Wherein Christ seems secretly to tax the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees who did rather pray to Men than to God who was invisible because all their Aim was to be approved of Men and to be cried up by them as devout Persons So that what the Lord saith concerning Fasting Zech. 7. 5 6. When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh Month even those seventy Years did ye at all fast unto me even to me And when ye did eat and when ye did drink did not ye eat for your selves and drink for your selves So here was this unto God No tho the Force and Sound of the Words carried it for God yet they were directed to Men. When God is not made both the Object and Aim it is not to him when you seek another Pay-Master you decline God yea you make him your Footstool a Step to some other Thing III. Here are the Encouragements to this personal private and solitary Prayer and they are taken from God's Sight and God's Reward 1. From God's Sight Thy Father seeth in secret that is observeth thy Carriage The Posture and Frame of thy Spirit the Fervor and Uprightness of Heart which thou manifestest in Prayer is all known to him Mark that which is the Hypocrites Fear and binds Condemnation upon the Heart of a wicked Man is here made to be the Saints Support and ground of Comfort that they pray to an All-seeing God 1 Iohn 3. 20. If our Hearts condemn us God is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all Things Their heavenly Father seeth in secret he can interpret their Groans and read the Language of their Sighs Tho they fail as to the outside of a Duty and there be much brokenness of Speech yet God seeth brokenness of Heart there and it 's that he looks after God seeth what 's that He seeth whether thou prayest or no and how thou prayest 1. He seeth whether thou prayest or no mark that Passage Acts 9. 11. The Lord said to Ananias Arise and go into the Street which is called Straight and enquire in the House of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth Go into such a City such a Street such a House such a Part in such a Chamber behold he prayeth The Lord knew all these Circumstances It is known unto him whether we toil or loiter away our Time or whether we pray in secret He knows what House in what Corner of the House what we are doing
5. 2. Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thine Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy Words be few Remember you have to do with a great God and do not babble things over impertinently in his Ears It is a Truth evident by the Light of Nature Paucis verbis rem divinam facito Platinus If you be to worship God a needless Prolixity doth not become Addresses to him But because this Text may be abused I shall endeavour to clear it a little further There are two Extremes the slight and careless Spirit and Babling 1. There is the slight and careless Spirit who doth the Work of an Age in a Breath and is all for Starts and sudden Pangs which pass away like a Flash of Lightning in a dark Room whose good Thoughts are gone as soon as they rush into the Heart A poor barren and slight Spirit which is not under the Influence and Power of that Celestial Love which keeps the Soul in converse with God cannot endure to be any while with God Alas we need Stroke upon Stroke to fasten any thing upon the Heart We are like green Wood that will not presently take Fire until it lie long there and be throughly and well warmed so until we have gone far in the Duty we can hardly get any warmth of Heart They which are short in Prayer had need of much habitual preparation of Heart The Babler is another Extreme who thinks the Commendation of a Duty is to be long in it and affects to say much rather than well whereas serious and short Speech makes the best Prayer Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of Words there wanteth not Sin Either to God or Men 't is true but especially when affected So they do but beat the Air rather than pray to God These then are the two Extremes Shortness out of Barrenness or Slightness or Length out of Affectation â—â—d we must carefully avoid these Christ would 〈◊〉 justify that Shortness which comes from Slightness and Barrenness of Heart nor on the other side indulge the Affectation of Length in Prayer Therefore let us a little see I. What is the Sin II. Give you the Force of our Lord's Reasons here urged or how conclusive our Saviour's Arguments are against this Practice What is the Sin That 's necessary to be known for all Repetitions are not vain nor is all Length in Prayer to be accounted Babling First For Repetitions 1. When they express Fervency and Zeal they may be used And so we read Christ prayed over the same Prayer thrice Mat 26. 44. O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me And another Evangelist sheweth that he did this out of special Fervency of Spirit Luk. 22. 44. Being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly And so we read of the Prophet Daniel chap. 9. 17 18 19. O our God hear the Prayer of thy Servant O my God incline thine Ear and hear O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thine own sake O my God All this was out of vehemency he goes over again and again the same Request When we use many Words of the same kind and signification and it be out of vehemency and fervency of Spirit it is not forbidden 2. This Repetition is not to be disproved when there is a special Emphasis and spiritual Elegancy in it as Psal. 136. you have it twenty six times repeated For his Mercy endureth for ever because there was a speciâ—â—â—eason in it his purpose there being to sheâ—â—â— Unweariedness and the unexhausted Riches of God's free Grace that notwithstanding all the former Experiences they had had God is where he was at first We waste by giving our Drop is soon spent but God is not wasted by bestowing but hath the same Mercy to do good to his Creatures as before Tho he had done all those Wonders for them yet his Mercy was as ready to do good to them still All along God saved and blessed his People For his Mercy endureth for ever But as there are Repetitions which have their Use so there are useless Tautologies and vain Repetitions And such they are when they neither come from the Heart nor go to the Heart when they come not from the abundance of the Heart but rather the emptiness of the Heart because we know not how to inlarge our selves to God therefore fall upon idle and useless Repetitions of the same Words and Requests As a Man that hath small Skill in Musick doth only play over the same Note so when Men have not a full spiritual Abundance they waste themselves in Prayer in these idle Repetitions And then they go not to the Heart they do not conduce to warm the Affections A vain clamorous ingeminating the same thing without Faith and without Wisdom meerly to fill up the Tale of Words or to wear out a little time in a religious Exercise that 's it which is here condemned under the notion of vain Repetitions Secondly For the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or much speaking Every long Prayer is not forbidden for our Lord Jesus himself centinued all Night in Prayer Luke 6. 12. And in extraordinary Duties of fasting Length seems to be very necessary Esther 4. 16. They fasted and prayed together for three days and nights without eating any Bread And Solomon pray'd long at the Dedication of the Temple But that which is forbidden is when Men speak Words without need and without Affection a needless lengthening out of Prayer and that upon a Conceit that it is more acceptable to God 1. In the General Prayer should be short as all Examples of Scripture teach us and the Lord's Prayer you see how concise and short it is for presently upon this our Lord teacheth his Disciples to pray For Prayer is a spending rather then a feeding Duty Those which affect long speaking many times run into this they make it a feeding Duty for they mingle Exhortations with Prayer which is a great Abuse A Man can bear up under the hearing of the Word for an Hour or two better than half an Hour in Prayer with that necessary Vigor of Spirit which God hath required Therefore the general Rule is Let your Words be concise but full of Affection Look as in vast and great Bodies the Spirits are more diffused and scattered and therefore they are more unactive than those which are of a smaller Compass so in a long Prayer there may be more of Words but less of Life 2. The Affectation of Prolixity is naught usually it comes from some evil Ground either from Pride and Ostentation of Gifts Thus we read the Pharisees were taxed for making long Prayers Mat. 23. 14. that under the colour of them they might devour Widow's Houses that is be credited and trusted with the Management of their Estates Or else it may come from Superstition such
Covenant By Creation to all Mankind kind so he will be ready to sustain that which he hath made he that hath given Life will give Food he that hath given a Body will give Raiment Things expect Supply thence from whence they received their Being But much more by Covenant so he is our Father in Christ Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us Isa. 63. 16. Well but what 's this to the present Purpose that God is a Father This is a Check to babling therefore we should go to him in an unaffected manner with a Child-like Spirit and Dependance with Words reverent serious and plain Children do not use to make starch'd Speeches to their Fathers when they want Bread but only express their natural Cry and go to them for such things as they stand in need of there they speak and are accepted and a Word from a Child moves the Father more than an Orator can move all his Hearers Even such a naked Address should we make to God in a plain manner for when we come to pray Christ would have us take up God in the Notion of a Father and to behave our selves in a natural way to him for affected Eloquence or Loquacity in Prayer is one of the main things Christ here disproves Prayer ought to be simple and plain Therefore the great Business of the Spirit of Adoption is to make us cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. 2. He is such a Father as is not ignorant of our Wants The care of his Providence is over all the Creatures he hath made God hath an Inspection over them to provide Necessaries for them much more over his People His Eyes run to and fro to find them out in all the places of their Dispersion and he doth exercise his Power for their Relief 2 Chron. 16. 9. Now this Thought should be rooted in our Hearts when we come to pray to God I go to a Father which hath found me out in the Throng of his Creatures and knows what is good for me This is a great ground why we should not use Battology because God knows what my Needs are Words are not required for God's sake but for ours not to inform God but that we may perform our Duty the better Well then so far as they are useful so far they should be used to bound our Thoughts to warm our Affections to strengthen our Faith 1. To bound our Thoughts for an Interruption in Speech is sooner discerned than an Interruption in Meditation 2. And to warm our Affections Words at first are Vent to Affection but afterwards they continue to increase the Affection as a Hearth is first warmed by the Fire and then it serves to keep in the Fire 3. And they conduce to strengthen our Faith while we plead Promises in God's hearing We wrestle with God that we may catch a heat our selves And therefore Words should be only used as they conduce to the strengthning our Faith or continuing our Affection to God Longer than they serve that End in Prayer they are Babling and vain Repetitions and much speaking which Christ here forbids Consider there is not a Change in God but a Change in us wrought by Prayer 'T is neither to give Information to God that he may know our meaning nor to move him and persuade him to be willing by our much speaking but only to raise up our own Faith and Hope towards God 3. He is such a Father as is not unwilling to relieve us Your heavenly Father is very ready to give you such Things as you stand in need of as Christ expresseth it Mat. 7. 11. If ye being evil know how to give good Things unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good Things to them that ask him And Luke 11. 13. it is How much more shall your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit When you come to beg for Grace consider what earthly Parents would do for a Child Their Affections are limited they are in part corrupt and poor straitned Creatures have not such Bowels of Compassion as God and yet when a Child comes to them with a genuine Cry with a sense of his Want and Confidence of his Father he cannot harden his Bowels against his Child This also checks much speaking for we do not pray to stir up Mercy in him as if he needed much Intreaty and were severe and delighted to put the Creature to Penance No he is ready before we ask he knows our Wants and Needs and is ready to supply us with those Things we stand in need of only will have this comely Order observed Sometimes he prevents our Prayers before we ask Before they call I will answer and I am found of them that sought me not Before we can have a Heart to come the Lord prevents us with his Blessing And sometimes he gives us what we ask This is the Condescension of God that when you call he will answer and when you cry he doth in his Providence say What will you have poor Creatures And he gives more than we ask As Solomon asked Wisdom and God gave him more than he asked Wisdom Riches and Honour Object But here 's an Objection These Notions seem not only to exclude long Prayer and much speaking but all Prayer If God know our Wants and is so ready to give whether we ask or no what need we open them to him in Prayer at all I answer It is God's prescribed Course and that should be enough to gracious Hearts that will be obedient to their Father Whatever he intends tho he knows our Wants and resolves to answer them yet it is a piece of religious Manners to ask what he is about to give Ier. 29. 11. I know my Thoughts towards you Thoughts of Peace yet will I be enquired of you for these Things God knows his own Thoughts hath stated his Decrees and will not alter the beautiful Course of his Providence for our sakes yet he will be sought unto So Ezek. 36. God purposed to bless them and therefore promiseth I will do thus and thus for you yet vers 37. I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them I will do it but you shall milk out the Blessing by Prayer This Course is also necessary and that both for his Honour and our Profit and Comfort 1. It is necessary for his Honour that God may still be acknowledged that the Creature may be kept up in a constant dependance upon God and may go about nothing but may ask his Leave Counsel and Blessing Prov. 3. 6. In all thy Ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy Paths We ask God's Leave that we may do such a thing for he hath the Dominion over all Events And if we are doubtful we ask his Counsel whether we may stay here or there or dispose of our selves and Families And we ask his Blessing upon our Resolution Now
lost Man might be restored in Blood and have a Right and Interest in God and when Justice put in Exceptions against us Jesus Christ was content to be made under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4. 4 5. There could be no Reconciliation no Amity no Alliance until Sin was expiated and Justice satisfied therefore Christ was not only made of a Woman but made under the Law first our Brother by Inâ—â—rnation and then our Redeemer by his Death and Suffering As under the Law if a Man had waxen poor the next of Kin was to be his Redeemer Levit. 25. 25. Or if he had sold himself v. 47. one of his Brethren was to redeem him Christians there was a kind of Sale and Forfeiture on our part of the Inheritance and Right and Title of Children therefore Jesus Christ when he became a Man jure propinquitatis by virtue of his Kindred and Nearness to us came to redeem his People and purchase us to God And this is the Relation which is mainly intended in this place for mark Christ taught his Disciples to pray Our Father others they cannot speak of this Relation and in them all that believe and all that walk in the Spirit these alone can come to God as a Father II. What Advantage have we in Prayer by taking up God under this Notion and Relation when we can come to him and say Our Father 1. It conduceth to our Confidence in Prayer 2. It furthereth our Duty First It conduceth to our Confidence in Prayer For it is not an empty Title or a naked Relation but this is the ground of all that Favour and Grace which we stand in need of and receive from God â—It is notable 2 Cor. 6. 8. saith God I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters In other places it is said Ye shall be called my Sons but here You shall be my Sons you shall not only be called so but be so He will really perform all the parts of a Father to us yea no Father like God The outward Father is but a Shadow as still in the Comparison outward Things are but the Shadow and Similitude the Reality is in inward Things A Servant is not always a Servant there may be a Release a Husband is not always a Husband there may be a Separation by Divorce but a Father is always a Father and a Child a Child I am the true Vine The ouâ—ward Vine is but a Shadow but Christ himself hath the true Properties of a Vine So the outward Father is but a Shadow and Similitude the Reality is in God none so fatherly and kind as he Mat. 7. 11. If ye being evil know how to give good Gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good Things to them that ask him There is a how much more upon the fatherly Care of God Natural Parents whose Affections are stinted and limited nay corrupt and sinful when a Son comes for a Fish will not give him a Scorpion when he comes for Bread will not give him a Stone that were a monstrous thing vile and unnatural So Isa. 49. 15. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Passions in Females are more vehement the Mother hath stronger Affections if the Mother could do so as totally to forget that ever she had such a Child yet she would not forget her Sucking Child a poor shiftless helpless Babe that can do nothing without the Mother a Child which never provoked her she would not forget such a Child they may forget yet will I not forget thee Certainly God which hath left such an impression upon the Hearts of Parents hath more of Pity Bounty and Goodness in his own Heart for whatsoever of God is in the Creature is in God in a more eminent manner But particularly How will God perform the parts of a Father 1. In allowing them full leave to come to him in all their Necessities Gal. 1. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father There is a Spirit that attendeth upon this State They which are Sons shall have the Spirit of Sons and God will incline their Hearts to come and call to him for Supplies This is a great Advantage When he gives a Spirit of Prayer then he will be ready to hear and grant our Requests not only to give us a Heart to ask them but to incline his Ear. Luk. 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him When we ask for the highest Blessing when we come and are importunate with him and will take no nay 2. In supplying all our Wants Mat. 6. 32. Your Father which is in Heaven knoweth you have need of these things A Father will not let his Child starve certainly none so Fatherly as God You have not such a Father as is ignorant regardless of your Condition but takes an exact notice of all your Wants and Pressures It is notable to observe how God condescendeth to express the particular notice he taketh of the Saints Isa. 49. 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the Palms of my Hands As we use to tye things about our Hands that we may remember such a Work and Business So God doth as it were put a print and mark upon his Hands to speak after the manner of Men. Nay Mat. 10. 30. The Hairs of their Heads are numbred God hath a particular notice of their Necessities And Jesus Christ he is his Remembrancer one that ever appeareth before him to represent their Wants Heb. 9. 24. As the High-Priest in the Law was to go in with the Names of the Tribes upon his Breast and Shoulder when he did minister before God Exod. 28. Which is a Type how much we are in the Heart of Christ ever representing himself before the Lord on the behalf of such and such a Believer 3. Pitying our Miseries As he taketh notice of them so he will pity their Miseries as a Father pityeth his Children when he seeth them in an afflicted Condition Psal. 103. 13. Like as a Father pityeth his Children So the Lord pityeth them that fear him Nay he will pardon their Sins Maâ— 3. 17. And I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son which serveth him An only Son needs not fear much if his Father were to be his Judg tho he hath done unworthily They may exhaust and draw up all their Pity their Bowels may shrink when they meet with multitude of Provocations Now God will spare us as a Man spares his only Son Nay not only his only Son but his dutiful Son which serves him Many times we forget the Duty of Children but God will not forget the Mercy of a Father I will go
him this is a Lye which is told to the very Face of God But if this be a Truth that all those which would pray aright must clear up their Adoption and get a sense of it then here will Doubts arise Therefore here I shall handle three Cases 1. What shall natural Men do Must they desist from Prayer for they have no right to it 2. What shall they do which have not as yet received the Testimony of the Spirit For a Child of God may have the Right of Children yet have not a sense of his Adoption 3. What are the Evidences by which our Adoption may be cleared up to us how we may know we are taken into a Child-like State First What shall natural Men do must they desist from Prayer for they have no Right to it I answer You may see here the miserable Condition of wicked Men how much they are bound to pray and yet what an Impossibility lieth upon them of praying aright Certainly none should desist from this Duty of Prayer because they cannot perform it aright for tho we have lost our Power and Fitness yet there is no reason God should lose his Right and his Power to our Obedience There is an Obligation and Precept from God as a Father by Creation upon all Mankind all which are reasonable Creatures they are to own God as a Father in this way I say Prayer is an Homage we owe to God by natural Right therefore no doubt wicked Men do sin when they cease to pray It is one of the Accusations brought against natural Men and is an Aggravation of their Sin Psal. 14. 1. They do not call upon God Rom. 3. 10. it is applied to natural Men. This is the Misery they have subjected themselves to that their Prayer is turned into Sin As a natural Man must not omit Hearing because it is a means to bring him to be acquainted with God tho he cannot hear in Faith So he must not omit Prayer because it is one Means to bring us to own God as a Father by Adoption A Man is not to turn the Back upon him but call him Father as well as he can Ier. 3. 19. But I said How shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a pleasant Land a goodly Heritage of the Hosts of Nations And I said Thou shalt call me My Father and shalt not turn away from me Better to own God any way than not to own him at all than not to enquire after him to own him rationally if not spiritually to own him by Choice if not out of Sense If we cannot come and clear up our Title to this great Privilege by the Spirit of Adoption yet any way Thou shalt not turn away from me We should not shut the Door upon our selves It is required of a natural Man being weary of his Sins to flie to God in Christ Jesus for his Grace and Favour that he might become his God and Father Secondly What shall they do which have not as yet received the Testimony of the Spirit that do not know their Adoption I answer A Child of God may have the Effects and Fruits of Adoption yet not always the feeling of it to witness to him that God hath taken him into a Child-like Relation to himself Certainly they are in a very uncomfortable Condition for they want an Help in Prayer Doubtless thou art our Father O what an Advantage is that How much of Eloquence and Rhetorick is there in that when we can speak to God as a Father Yet they are not to neglect their Addresses to God for this is a means to obtain the Spirit of Adoption Luke 11. 13. He will give the Spirit to them that ask him Therefore in what ever Condition we be we must pray otherwise we shut the Door upon our Hopes You continue the Want upon your selves and so wholly detain your selves in a comfortless Condition There is a fourfold spiritual Art we must use in Prayer when we have not the Sense of our Adoption that we may be able to speak to God as our Father 1. Disclaim when you cannot apply When you cannot clear up your own Relation and Interest then disclaim all other Confidences If thou canst not say Father yet plead Fatherless Hos. 14. 3. In thee the Fatherless find Mercy Come as poor helpless shiftless Creatures seek Peace and Reconciliation with God in Christ It may be God may take you into his Favour He is a Father of the Fatherless 2. Own God in the humbling way Learn the Policy of the Prodigal Luke 15. 18 19. Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son This is the Policy and Art of an humble Faith to call God Father As Paul catcheth hold of the Promise on the dark Side Iesus Christ came to save Sinners and presently he addeth Whereof I am chief So when a Believer can come and say Lord I am not worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired Servants 3. The third Policy we should use in Prayer is to call him Father in Wish Optando si non affirmando If we cannot do it by direct Affirmation let us do it by Desire Let us pray our selves into this Relation and groan after it that we may have a clearer Sense that God is our Father in Christ. 4. Faith hath one Art more it maketh use of Christ Jesus God hath a Son whose Name signifieth much in Heaven therefore if you cannot come to him as your Father come to him as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. 3. 14. For this cause I bow my Knees to the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Let Christ bring you into God's presence He is willing to change Relations with us Take him along with you in your Arms go to God in Christ's Name Whatsoever you ask in my Name shall be given to you Thirdly But what are the Evidences by which our Adoption may be cleared up to us How shall we know that we are taken into a Child-like State 1. Consider how it is brought about How do we come to be related to God by Christ Jesus By receiving Christ as he is offer'd in the Gospel John 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God It is a Prerogative and special Grant those which receive Christ even those that believe in his Name that is those who out of a sense of their own Need and Sight of Christ offered in the Promise do really consent to take him for the Ends for which God offereth him to wit as Prince and Saviour that he might give you Repentance and Remission of Sins not in pretence but in your Hearts These have full liberty to call God Father to come to treat and deal with him tho they have not a sense of the Blessedness of their State for this followeth Believing After
thou the Walls of thy Jerusalem But how cometh David who was in the depth of private Humiliation so suddenly to fall upon the Case of the Church There was a special Reason for annexing this Request to his own private Complaints and Confessions The Reasons will occasion so many Observations 1. Because of the Offence Scandal and Mischief done to the Church by his Fall and to make amends he prayeth the more earnestly Let not Zion fare the worse for my sake From thence observe That the Sins of particular Persons oft bring a Mischief upon the whole Community David had made a Breach in the Walls of God's Protection and left them naked and more in danger of Judgment Therefore do good c. 2. David was not only a private Member but a Prince and their Sins have a more universal Influence The Sins of Magistrates draw down Judgments on their People all smart for their Miscarriages Hezckiaâ— â—s Pride cost Israel dear 2 Chron. 32. 25. Wrath was upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem It did not stay upon his Person As a great Oak cannnot fall but all the Shrubs about it suffer Loss But 3. David having some comfortable Assurance of the Pardon of his Sins doth now seek Mercy for the Church From thence observe That we are never fit to pray for the Publick till we have made our Peace with God As the Priests under the Law offered Sacrifice first for their own Sins and then for the Peoples Heb. 7. 27. 4. Because being brought by such a solemn but sad occasion into God's presence he could not but have some thoughts of Zion And from thence observe That we should never come to God upon any private occasion but we should remember the Publick We are to pray in Love as well as Faith Christ hath not taught us to say My Father but Our Father to shew that we should take in the Interests and Concernments of the whole Body that there may be a Spirit of Communion breathing in our Prayers David doth not only say Have mercy upon me according to thy Loving-kindness but Do good unto Zion in thy good pleasure Every living Member will be careful for the Body Members should be careful one for another much more for the whole Is any Member pained or grieved all suffer If the Toe be trod upon the Tongue complaineth you have hurt me but now much more when all is concerned Therefore we should not altogether seek our own Things but wrestle with God for the Publick 1. This reproveth divers sorts of People Some are Enemies to the Publick Welfare as Vipers eat out the Dam's Belly especially Enemies to Zion Down with it down with it even to the Ground What Monsters hath this Age brought forth Others are indifferent and careless which goeth up Christ or Antichrist they only mind the Matters of their own Interest and Concernment All seek their own Things As to the Publick Interest of the Church let all go how it will Let me tell you To be selfish is a sort of Self-Excommunication you cast your selves out of the Bundle of Life And to be sensless 't is an implicit renouncing the Body Others there are that are gracious but full of discontent at some Passages of Providence and these seem to have lost their publick Affections 'T is a sad Symptom when a praying People are discouraged from praying for Publick Welfare God is very tender of the Prayers of his People he is loth they should be lost and sorry they cannot be granted We may sin in ceasing to pray 'T is a sad Judgment when the Hearts of God's People are taken off from praying Again Those that pray too coldly for the Publick not as those that would do their Work There is a great Decay of the Spirit of Prayer which is also a sad Presage But now to shew you II. What we should pray for for Zion 1. The Dilatation or Enlargement of it throughout the World The more ample God's Heritage is the more is his Glory known Prov. 14. 28. In the Multitude of the People is the King's Honour and the Glory of a Shepherd lieth in the Number of his Flock So Christ's Kingdom the more it is enlarged the more Honour God hath Psal. 67. 2. That thy Way may be known among the Heathen and thy Saving-Health among all Nations Especially when the Fulness of the Gentiles is brought in Psal. 54. 2. and when the Jews are brought in Hos. 3. 5. To be instrumental to enlarge Christ's Kingdom 't is an Honour to us to draw on Christ's triumphant Chariot let us be sure to have an hand in it These Prayers if sincere are never in vain if they profit not others they promote the Kingdom of God in our selves 2. The Preservation and Defence of the Churches already planted frustrating the Plots and Power of the Enemies That God would be a Wall of Fire round about them Zech. 2. 5. Qui comminus arccat eminus terreat When at the weakest God can protect them bridling by his secret Power the Rage of Adversaries or defeating their Attempts 3. For Comfort and Deliverance in Afflictions We should pity the distressed Church as before That God would redeem them out of all their Troubles Every true Member of the Church hath Life Christ and that Life giveth Feeling and that Feeling Affection and Sympathy to rejoice and mourn They that mourn for Zion rejoice with her Isa. 66. 10. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoice for Ioy with her all ye that mourn for her 4. For the Furniture of the Church a Supply of all Good internal and external 1. Internal That God would bless them with Ordinances enrich them with Graces preserve Truth and Unity and continue his Presence with them his Ordinances that they may enjoy them in Purity that the Word Seals and Censures may be rightly administred till the Lord come These are Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God concerning which Christ spake to the Disciples Acts 1. 3. These are to be kept till Christ's appearing â— Tim. 6. 14. 'T is an Honour to God and of great Profit to the Church and a rejoycing to God's People to see them pure and unmixed Tho absent in the Flesh yet I am with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your Order Col. 2. 5. And then that God would enrich them with his Presence Mat. 28. 20. Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the World 'T is God that giveth the Increase Paul may plant and Apollos water but God giveth the Increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. for Conviction Conversion Confirmation 'T was not the Ark nor Mercy-Seat covered with Cherubims but the Answer from between the Cherubims given immediately by God that manifested his Presence It is not the Sound of the Gospel or outward Ministry but the Work of his Spirit Psal. 84. 2. My Soul yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my
And it is encouraging in this respect because he hath experimented this Duty he knows how soon human Strength is spent and put to it for he himself hath been wrestling with God in Prayer with all his Might His submitting to these Duties gave him Sympathy he knows the Heart of a praying Man when wrestling with God with all Earnestness therefore he helpeth us in these Agonies of Spirit Again his praying is an Encouragement against our Imperfections Christians when we are alone with God and our Hearts are heavy as a Log and Stone what a Comfort is it to think Christ himself prayed and that earnestly and was once alone wrestling with God in human Nature Matth. 14. 23. and when the Enemy came to attach him he was alone striving with God in Prayer he takes all occasions for Intercourse with God and if you have the Spirit you will do likewise 3. I might argue from God's end in pouring out the Holy-Ghost wherefore hath God poured out his Spirit Zech. 12. 11 12 13 14. I will pour out the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication c. He poureth out the Spirit that it may break out by this Vent the Spirit of Grace will presently run into Supplication the whole House of Israel shall mourn there 's the Church they have the Benefit of the pouring out of the Spirit and every Houshold hath benefit that he and his Family may mourn apart and every Person apart that we may go and mourn over our Case and Distempers before God and pour out our Hearts in a holy and affectionate manner This Argument I would have you to note that this was God's end in pouring out his Spirit for a double reason both to take off Excuses and to quicken Diligence Partly to take off Excuses because many say they have no Gifts no Readiness and Savouriness of Speech and how can they go alone and pray to God Certainly Men which have Necessities and a sense of them can speak of them in one Fashion or other to God but the Spirit is given to help Such is God's Condescention to the Saints that he hath not only provided an Advocate to present our Petitions in Court but a Notary to draw them up not only appointed Christ for help against our Guilt and unworthiness but likewise the Spirit to help us in Prayer When we are apt to excuse our selves by our Weakness and Insuffâ—ciency he hath poured out the Holy-Ghost that we may pray apart Partly to this end the more to awaken our Diligence That God's precious Gift be not bestowed upon us in vain to lie idle and unimployed he hath poured out the Spirit and therefore we should make use of it not only that we may attend to the Prayers of others and joyn with them but that we may make use of our own share of Gifts and Graces and open and unfold our own Case to God 4. That it is a necessary Duty I plead it from the Practice of the Saints who are a praying People O how often do we read in Scripture that they are alone with God pouring out their Souls in Complaints to him nothing so natural to them as Prayer they are called a Generation of them that seek God Psal. 24. 6. As light Bodies are moving upward so the Saints are looking upward to God and praying alone to him Daniel was three times a day with God and would not omit his hours of Prayer though his Life was in danger Dan. 6. 10. And David seven times a day do I praise thee Psal. 119. 164. And Cornelius 't is said that he prayed to God always Acts 10. 2. not only with his Family but alone in holy Soliloquies He was so frequent and diligent that he had gotten a Habit of Prayer he prayed always Well then if this be the Temper of God's People then to be altogether like them when we have no delight in these private Converses with God or neglect them it gives just cause of Suspition 5. Our private Necessities shew that is a necessary Duty which cannot be so feelingly spoken to and exprest by others as by our selves and it may be are not so fit to be divulged and communicated to others we cannot so well lay forth our Hearts with such largeness and Comfort in our own Concernments before others There 's the Plague of our own Hearts which every one must mourn over 1 Kings 8. 38. As we say no Nurse like the Mother so none so fit humbly with a broken Heart to set forth our own Wants before the Lord. There is some Thorn in the Flesh that we have cause to pray against again and again For this I sought the Lord thrice saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. We should put Promises in suit and lay open our own Case before the Compassions of God It is a Help sometimes to joyn with others but at other times it would be a Hinderance we have peculiar Necessities of our own to commend to God therefore must be alone Secondly This Closet and Solitary Prayer as it is a necessary Duty so it is a profitable one 1. It conduceth much to Iâ—largement of Heart The more earnest Men are the more they desire to be alone free from Trouble and Distraction When a Man weeps and is in a mournful Posture he seeks Secreâ—y that he may indulge his Grief They were to mourn apart Zech. 12. and Ier. 13. 17. My Soul shall weep sore for your Pride in secret Places So here when a Man would deal most earnestly with God he should seek Retirement and be alone Christ in his Agonies went apart from his Disciples When he would pray more earnestly it is said He was withdrawn from them about a Stones cast Luke 22. 41 44. it is said He went apart Strong Affections are loth to be disturbed and diverted therefore seek Retirement And it is notable Iacob when he would wrestle with God it is said Gen. 32. 24. And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the Day When he had a mind to deal with God in good earnest he sent away all his Company A Hypocrite he finds a greater flash of Gifts in his publick Duties when he prays with others and is the Mouth of others but is slight and superficial when alone with God if he feels any thing a little overly matter serves the turn But usually God's Children most affectionately pour out their Hearts before him in private where they do more particularly express their own Necessities there they find their Affections free to wrestle with God In publick we take in the Necessities of others but in private our own 2. As it makes way for Enlargement of Heart on our part so for secret Manifestations of Love on God's part Bernard hath a Saying The Churches Spouse is bashfull and will not be familiar and communicate his Loves before Company but alone The sweetest Experiences which God's Saints receive many times are
that we may know God doth all that he governeth all humane Affairs that we may live upon his Allowance and take our daily Bread from his hands and that we may see we hold all these Things from our great Landlord therefore we pray unto him We are Robbers and Thieves if we use the Creature without his Leave God is the great Owner of the World who gives us our daily Bread and all our Supplies therefore he will have it asked that we may acknowledg our dependance 2. It is most for our Profit Partly that our Faith should be exercised in pleading God's Promise for there we put the Promise in Suit Faith is begotten in the Word but it is exercised in Prayer therefore it is called the Prayer of Faith In the Word we take Christ from God in Prayer we present Christ to God That Prayer which is effectual it is an Exercise of Faith Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed And as it concerns our Faith so also our Love which is both acted and increased in Prayer It is acted for it is Delight in God which makes us so often converse with him Thus the Hypocrite Iob 27. 10. Will he always call upon the Lord Will he delight himself in the Almighty They that love God cannot be long from him they that delight in God will be often unbosoming themselves to him It doth also increase our Love for by Answers of Prayer we have new Fuel to keep in this holy Fire in our Bosoms We pray and then he gives direct Answers Psal. 116. 1. I love the Lord because he hath heard my Voice and my Supplication So our Hope is exercised in waiting for the Blessing pray'd for Psal. 5. 3. O Lord in the Morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up That looking up is the Work of Hope when we are looking and waiting to see what comes in from pleading Promises It is much too for our Peace of Conscience for it easeth us of our Burthens It is the Vent of the Soul like the opening of a Vein in a Fever When our Hearts swell with Cares and we have a Burthen upon us and know not what to do we may ease our selves with God Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for nothing but in every Thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be made known to God And the Peace of God shall keep your Hearts O blessed Frame that can be troubled at nothing here in this World where there are so many Businesses Encounters Temptations What 's the way to get this Calmness of Heart Be much in opening your Hearts to God let your Requests be made known to God Look as in an Earthquake when the Wind is imprisoned in the Bowels of the Earth the Earth heaves and shakes and quakes until there be a Vent and the Wind be got out then all is quiet So we have many Tossings and Turmoilings in our Minds till we open and unbosom our selves to God and then all is quiet Also it prepareth us for the Improvement of Mercies when we have them out of the hands of God by Prayer For this Child I prayed said Hannah and I will lend him unto the Lord. 1 Sam. 1. 27 28. Those Mercies we expresly pray'd for we are more throughly obliged to improve for God What is won with Prayer is worn with Thankfulness APPLICATION VSE 1. To caution us against many Abuses in Prayer which may be disproved and taxed either formally or by just Consequence I shall instance in five 1. An idle and foolish Loquacity when Men take a liberty to prattle any thing in God's hearing and do not consider the Weight and Importance of Prayer and what a Sin it is to be hasty to utter any thing before God Eccles. 5. 2. It is a great Irreverence and Contempt of the Majesty of God when Men go hand over head about this Work and speak any thing that comes into their mind As Men take themselves to be despised when others speak unseemly in their presence Surely it is a lessening and a despising of God when we pour out raw tumultuous undigested Thoughts and never think of what we are to speak when we come to God Psal. 45. 1. My Heart is inditing a good Matter The Word signifieth it boils or fryes a good Matter It is an Allusion to the Mincah or Meat-Offering which was to be boil'd or fry'd in a Pan before it was to be presented to the Lord that they might not bring a Dough-bak'd Sacrifice and Offering to the Lord. Such ignorant dull sensless Praying it is a blaspheming of God and a lessening of the Majesty of God 2. A frothy Eloquence and an affected Language in Prayer this directly comes under Reproof As if the Prayer were more grateful to God and he were moved by Words and Strains of Rhetorick and did accept Men for their Parts rather than Graces Fine Phrases and quaint Speeches alas they do not carry it with the Lord They are but an empty Babble in his Ears rather than an humble Exercise of Faith Hope Love and Child-like Affections and holy Desires after God If we would speak with God we must speak with our Hearts to him rather than with our Words This is a Sin of Curiosity as the other was of Neglect 'T is not Words but the Spirit and Life which God looks after Prayer it is not a Work of Oratory the Product of Memory Invention and Parts but a filial Affection that we may come to him as to a Father with a Child-like Confidence Therefore too much Care of verbal Eloquence in Prayer and tunable Expressions is a Sin of the same nature with Babling Tho Men should have the Wit to avoid impertinent Expressions and Repetitions yet when Prayer smells so much of the Man rather than of the Spirit of God alas 't is but like the unsavoury Belches of a rotten Breath in the Nostrils of God We should attend to Matter to the Things we have to communicate to God to our Necessities rather than to Words 3. Heartless speaking filling up the Time with Words when the Tongue out-runs the Heart when Men pour their Breath into the Air but their Hearts are dead and sleepy or their Hearts keep not time and pace with their Expressions We oftner pray with our Tongues than with our Minds and from our Memories than our Consciences and from our Consciences than our Affections and from our Affections as presently stirred than from our Hearts renewed bended and inclined towards God Be the Prayer long or short the Heart must keep pace with our Tongues As the Poet said Disticha longa facit his Disticks were tedious so it is tedious and irksom to God unless we make Supplication in the Spirit Eph. 6. 18. Remember God will not be mocked 4. When Men rest in outward Vehemency and loud Speech Saith Tertullian Quibus Arteriis opus est si pro streno
to bring your Hearts to God in this manner AN EXPOSITION OF THE Lord's-Prayer Our Father which art in Heaven I Have insisted upon the foregoing Verses which do concern the Duty of Prayer let me now come to the Lord's-Prayer it self This Prayer was form'd and digested by Christ and therefore to be highly esteemed by Christians Jesus Christ who was the Wisdom of God he knew both our Necessities and the Father's good Will towards us and therefore surely he would give us a perfect Form and Directory We are not absolutely tied to this Form we do not read that it was ever used by the Apostles tho we have many of their Prayers upon Record in the Acts and in the Epistles yet they plainly differ as to the Construction of the Words And this very Prayer is diversly set down by the Evangelists themselves Mat. 6. 11. Give us this day our daily Bread it is in other Words Luke 11. 3. Give us day by day our daily Bread And v. 12. And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors in Luke 11. 4. it is And forgive us our Sins for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us But however tho we are not tied to this Form yet I think it may be humbly used for Christ taught his Disciples how to pray while as yet they were in their Ignorance and Tenderness and had not received the Spirit And God usually puts Words into Sinners Mouths Hosea 11. 2. Take with you Words and say unto him Receive us graciously Look as Ioseph is said to feed his Father and his Brethren as a little Child is nourished as it is in the Margent there is not only Food provided but it is put into their Mouths Gen. 47. 12. So did Christ teach his Disciples to pray not only as directing them what they should pray for but putting a Form of Words into their Mouths In this Prayer there are three Parts observable 1. The Preface 2. The Petitions themselves 3. The Conclusion In the Preface we have a Description of God as always we should begin Prayer with awful Thoughts of God God is described partly from his Goodness and Mercy Our Father and partly from his Greatness and Majesty Which 〈◊〉 in Heaven I. His Goodness and Mercy Our Father Where is set forth 1. The Relation wherein God standeth to his People in the Word Father 2. Their Propriety and Interest in that Relation wherein not the particular Interest of a single Believer is asserted My Father but the general Interest of all the Elect in Christ Our Father I shall wave all which may be said concerning Prayer in general concerning the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of a Form in Prayer The Disputes concerning the Use of this Form as also all the Disputes concerning the Object of Prayer which we learn from hence to be God alone Surely Prayer is a Sacrifice and belongeth only to God it cannot be made to any other but to him who knoweth all the Prayers that are made in the World at the same time and the Hearts of all those that pray I will also wave what might be spoken concerning Preparation before Petition for here there is a Preface before the Prayer it self Neither shall I speak concerning the Necessity of conceiving right Thoughts of God in Prayer how we may conceive of his Goodness to beget a Confidence of his Majesty to beget an Awe and Reverence That which I shall insist upon is the Notion and Relation under which God is here expressed which is that of Father Our Father Observe Those that would pray aright must address themselves to God as a Father in Iesus Christ. Hypocrites at the last Day will cry Lord Lord but Christ hath taught us to say Our Father Here I shall I. Enquire in what Sence God is a Father II. What Encouragements we have from thence in Prayer when we can take him up under this Notion and Appellation I. In what Sence God is a Father This Title may be given to God either essentially or with respect to personal Relation 1. Essentially and so 't is common to all the Persons in the Godhead Father Son and Holy-Ghost all three are God and our Father And thus not only the First Person but the Second is called the Everlasting Father Isa. 9. 6. And the Holy-Ghost being Author of our Being is called our Maker But 2. It may be ascribed to God personally And so the first Person is called God the Father and that either with relation to Christ or to us 1. With relation to Christ as the Son of God So the first Person is called the Father as he is the Fountain of the Deity communicating to and with him the Divine Essence Psal. 2. 7. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee The personal Property of the Father is to beget and of the Son to be begotten There is an eternal Now wherein God is said to beget him Thus he may be called the Father of Christ as he is the second Person now as Incarnate and Mediator Tho God be Christ's Father as second Person yet they are all equal in Power Dignity and Glory But as Mediator God is his Father in another respect So it is said Iohn 14. 28. My Father is greater than I Not as God for so he was equal He thought it no Robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2. 6. But greater than I that is consider him as Man and Mediator in the state of his Humiliation For it is notable to consider upon what occasion Christ speaks these Words If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater than I That is You admire me and prize my Company exceedingly because you see the Power which I put forth in the Miracles which I do ye would rejoice if you understood it aright He is infinitely more glorious than I appear in this State of Abasement and Humiliation Thus with respect to Christ God the first Person may be called the Father 2 With respect to Vs for the first Person is not only the Father of Christ but our Father John 20. 17. I go to my Father and your Father We share with Christ in all his Relations As God was his God by Covenant so he is our God And in this Sence personally it may be taken here for our Business lieth mainly with the first Person with whom Christ intercedeth for us 1 Iohn 2. 1. We have an Advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ the Righteous Before whom doth he appear Before the Father And it is to him to whom we direct our Prayers tho not excluding the other Persons Eph. 3. 14. I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesu◠Christ. Tho it be not unlawful to pray to Christ or to the Holy-Ghost for that hath been done by the Saints Stephen saith Lord Iesus receive my Spirit and Iacob saith The Angel of the Covenant bless the Lads
Children of God or no 1. In Prayer by a kind of Naturalness or Delight in this Duty of holy Commerce with God Rom. 8. 15. We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication Where-ever the Spirit of God is dispensed and dwelleth in the Hearts of any the Heart of that Man will be often with God The Spirit of Grace will put him upon Supplication he will be often acquainting God with his Desires Wants Fears 2. You will be mainly carried out to your Inheritance in Heaven Those which are the Children of God do look after a Child's Portion and will look for an Estate in Heaven and cannot be satisfied with present Things Worldly Men they have their Reward Mat. 6. 2 They discharge God for other Things If they may have Plenty Honour worldly Ease and Delights here they never look after Heaven As a Servant hath his Reward from Quarter to Quarter but a Child waits until the Inheritance comes So when we are begotten for this lively Hope when there is an Heavenly-mindedness in you this is a Fruit of the Holy-Ghost wrought in the Heart by which you might know you are the Sons of God Rom. 8. 23. Having the First-Fruits of the Spirit we groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body 3. By a Child-like Reverence and Dread of God when we are afraid to offend God Ier. 35. 5 6. The Sons of Rechab their Father had commanded them that they should drink no Wine now saith God by the Prophet Set Pots full of Wine and Cups and say unto them Drink ye Wine That is present the Temptation No they would not Our Fathers have forbidden us So when a Child of God is put upon Temptation his Heart recoils and reasons thus How can I do this Wickedness and sin against God I dare not my Father hath forbidden me There is an Awe of his Heavenly Father upon him 1 Pet. 1. 17. If you call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work pass the Time of your sojourning here in Fear We now come to speak of the Possessive Particle Our Father The Word is used for a double Reason 1. To comfort us in the Sense of our Interest in God 2. To mind us of the common Interest of all the Saints in the same God It is not my or thy Father only but our Father First Observe the great Condescension of Christ that poor Creatures are allowed to claim an Interest in God If Christ had not put these Words in our Mouths we never had had Boldness to have gone to God and said Doubtless thou art our Father But he which was in the Bosom of God and knew his Secrets hath told us it is very pleasing to God we should use this Compellation to him This is a Privilege which cannot be sufficiently valued if we consider 1. The Unworthiness of the Persons which enjoy it poor Dust and Ashes sinful Creatures that were Children of the Devil that we should lay Claim and Title to God for our Father And 2. If we consider the Greatness of the Privilege it self O behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called his Children 1 John 3. 1. We think it much when we can say This Field this House is mine but surely this is more to say this God is mine Again Observe here That Interest is a ground of Audience So Christ would have us begin our Prayers Our Father God's Interest in us and our Interest in God God's Interest in us When Christ mediates for his Disciples he saith Ioh. 17. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me And David Psal. 119. 94. I am thine save me That 's his Argument the Reason is Because God by taking them for his own binds himself to preserve and keep them Every Body is bound to look to his own He that provides not for his own is worse than an Infidel Now what a sweet thing is it when we can go to God and say we are thine So it is the same as to our Interest in God it is an excellent Encouragement Psal. 42. 11. Hope thou in God saith David to his Soul why for he is my God And elsewhere reasoning with himself Psal. 23. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want First his Covenant-Interest is built and then Conclusions of Hope So 2 Sam. 30. 6. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God It is sweet when we can go to God as our God Luther was wont to say God was known better by the Predicament of Relation than by his natural Properties Why is Interest such a sweet thing Because by this Relation to God we have a Claim to God and to all that he can and will do God hath made over himself quantus quantus est as great as great he is for his Use and Comfort Therefore the Psalmist saith Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance and of my Cup. A Believer hath as sure a Right and Title to God as a Man hath to his Patrimony to which he is born Look as the Right was any Israelite had to that Share which came to him by Lot so we may lay claim to God and live upon his Power and Goodness as a Man doth upon his Estate Well then labour to see God is yours if you would find acceptance with him It is not enough to know the Goodness and Power of God in general but we must discern our Interest in him that we may not only say Father but Our Father It is the Nature of Faith thus to appropriate and apply Iohn 20. 28. My Lord and my God How is God made ours How shall we know it that we may come and lay our Claim to him Behold Christ teacheth us here to say Our Father by taking hold of his Covenant and this is God's Covenant-Notion I will be your God and you shall be my People When we give up our selves to be God's then he is ours Resignation and Appropriation go together I am my Beloved's there 's the Resignation of Obedience And he is mine there 's the Appropriation of Faith A Believer cannot always say God is his but I am thine however it be with him he would be no others but the Lord's If he cannot say he is God's by an especial interest yet he will be God's by the resignation of his own Vows He knows God hath a better Right and Title to him than he hath to himself Quest. But how shall we know that we do indeed resign up our selves to God I answer When we make him our chief Good and our utmost End that is
Thomas Manton DD. A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION OF THE Lord's-Prayer BY The late Reverend and Learned Divine THOMAS MANTON D.D. LONDON Printed by I. D. and are to be sold by Ionathan Robinson at the Golden-Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard 1684. The Preface SUch is the Divine Matter and admirable Order of the Lord's Prayer as became the Eternal Wisdom of God that composed and dictated it to his Disciples In it are opened the Fountains of all our regular Petitions and the Arguments contained to encourage our Hopes for obtaining them In our Addresses to Men our study is to conciliate their favourable Audience but God is most graciously inclin'd and ready to grant our Requests therefore we are directed to call upon him by the Title of Our Father in Heaven to assure us of his Love and Power and thereby to excite our reverent Attention to raise our Affections to confirm our Confidence in Prayer The supream end of our desires is the Glory of God in Conjunction with our own Happiness This is exprest in the two first Petitions That His Name may be Hallowed and His Kingdom come that we may partake of its Felicity In order to this our Desires are directed for the Means that are proper and effectual to accomplish it And those are of two kinds the good things that conduct us and the removal of those Evils that obstruct our Happiness The good things are either the Spiritual and Principal Means to prepare us for Glory an intire cordial and constant Obedience to the divine Commands exprest in the third Petition Thy Will be done on Earth as 't is in Heaven Or natural and subservient the Supports and Comforts of this Life which are contained in the fourth Petition Give us this Day our daily Bread The removal of Evils is disposed according to the order of the good Things we are to seek We pray that our Sins may be forgiven the guilt of which directly excludes from his glorious Kingdom that we may be preserved from Temptations that withdraw us from observing the Divine Commands and to be delivered from all afflicting Evils that hinder our arrival at our blessed End The Conclusion is to strengthen our Faith by ascribing to our Heavenly Father the Kingdom Power and Glory and to express our ardent desires of his Blessing by saying Amen This divine comprehensive Prayer is the Subject of the following Sermons wherein the Characters of Dr. Manton's Spirit are so conspicuous as sufficiently discover them to be his and the Reader is assured they have been diligently compared with his own Copy WILLIAM BATES ADVERTISEMENT DR Manton's second Volumn of Sermons in Folio on the 25th Chapter of St. Matthew the 17th of St. Iohn the sixth and eighth Chapters to the Romans and the fifth of the second Epistle to the Corinthians being perused by Dr. Bates Dr. Collins and Mr. How is now in the Press and will be finished with all Expedition there being three Presses already at work and two more will be shortly imployed for the dispatch thereof Therefore all Persons who expect the benefit of the Proposals are desired to send in their Money forthwith The Proposals are to be had at Ionathan Robinson's at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard AN INTRODUCTION TO THE EXPOSITION OF THE Lord's-Prayer MATTH 6. 6 7 8. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut the Door pray to thy Father c. I Intend to go over the Lord's Prayer and to make way for it I shall speak a little of these foregoing Verses wherein our Lord treats of the Duty of Prayer and the Necessity of being much therein In the beginning of this Chapter our Lord taxeth the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees which was plainly to be seen in all their Duties their Alms their Prayers and their Fasting I. For their Alms. Christ deals with that in the four first Verses It seems it was their Fashion when they gave Alms to sound a Trumpet and their Pretence was to call all the Poor within hearing Or to give notice that such a Rabby giveth Alms to Day Now our Lord sheweth that tho this were the fair pretence to call the Poor yet their Heart was meerly upon their own Glory their own Esteem with Men and therefore he perswades his Disciples to greater Secresy in this Work and to content themselves with God's Approbation which will be open and manifest and honourable enough in due time when the Arch-Angel shall blow the Trumpet to call all the World together 1 Thes. 4. 16. And Christ shall publish their good Works in the hearing of Men and Angels Matth. 25. 34 35 36. Thus he deals with them upon the point of Alms. II. For their Prayers Christ taxeth their Affectation of Applause because they sought out places of the greatest Resort the Synagogues and Corners of the Streets and there did put themselves into a praying Posture that they might be seen of Men and appear to be Persons of great Devotion and so might the better accomplish their own Ends their Publick Designs upon the Stage for the Pharisees were great Sticklers at that time and also their private Designs upon Widows Houses that they might be trusted with the management of Widows and Orphans Estates as being devout Men and of great Sanctity and Holiness In which Practice there was a double Failing 1. As to the Circumstance of Place performing a personal and solitary Prayer in a publick Place which was a great Indecorum and argued the Action to be Scenical or brought upon the Stage meerly for publick Applause And certainly that private Praying which is used by Men in Churches doth justly come under our Lord's Reproof 2. Their next Failing was as to their End Verily they do it to be seen of Men. Object But what Fault was there in this Doth not Christ himself direct us in his Sermon Mat. 5. 16. Let your Light so shine before Men that they may see your good Works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven And yet the Pharisees are here taxed for praying fasting and giving Alms that they might be seen of Men How can these Places stand together By way of Answer 1. We must distinguish of the different Scope and Intention of Christ in these two places There Christ's Scope is to commend and enjoin good Works to be seen of Men ad edificationem for their Edification Here his Scope is to forbid us to do good Works to be seen of Men ad ostentationem for our own Ostentation There Christian Charity to the Souls of Men is commended and here Vain-Glory is forbidden 2. Again Good Works are to be distinguished Some are so truly and indeed others only in outward shew and appearance Good Works that are truly so and indeed Christ enjoins there Hypocritical and feigned Acts that are only so in outward shew and semblance are forbidden here To pray is a good Work take inward and outward Acts of it together and so 't
there 2. He seeth how you pray Rom. 8. 27. It is propounded as the Comfort of the Saints And he that searcheth the Heart knoweth what is the Mind of the Spirit God knoweth you throughly and can distinguish of your Prayers whether they be customary and formal or serious Acts of Love to God and Communion with him 2. The other thing which is propounded here is God's Reward And he will reward thee openly How doth God reward our Prayers Not for any Worth or Dignity which is in them What Merit can there be in begging what doth a Beggar deserve in asking Alms But it is out of his own Grace and Mercy having by Promise made himself as it were a Debtor to a poor faithful and believing Supplicant But He will reward thee openly how is that Either by a sensible Answer to thy Prayers as he doth often to his Children by granting what they pray for as when Daniel was praying in secret God sent an Angel to him Dan. 9. 20. Or by an evident Blessing upon their Prayers in this World for the conscionable Performance of this Duty Abraham Isaac and Iacob that were Men of much Communion with God were eminently and sensibly blessed they were rewarded openly for their secret Converse with him Or it may be by giving them Respect externally in the Eyes of others A praying People dart Conviction into the Consciences of Men. It is notable that Pharaoh in his Distress sent for Moses and Aaron and not for the Magicians The Consciences of wicked Men are open at such a time and they know God's Children have special Favour and great Audience with him and he having the Hearts of all Men in his hands can manage and dispose Respect according as he pleaseth And when they are in Distress this Honour God hath put upon you they shall send for you to pray with them and those which honour him tho but in secret God will openly put Honour upon them 1 Sam. 2. 30. But chiefly this is meant at the Day of Iudgment then those which pray in secret their heavenly Father will reward them openly When thou relievest the Poor and shewest Comfort to the Needy they cannot recompence thee but then thou shalt be recompensed at the Resurrection of the Just Luke 14. 14. There 's the great and most publick Reward of Christians 1 Cor. 4. 5. Then he will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart and then shall every Man have Praise with God That is every Man that is praise-worthy however he be mistaken and judged of the World for the Apostle speaks it to comfort them against the Censures of Men. And mark this is opposed to the reward which the Pharisees pleased themselves with It was much with them to be well thought of in such a Synagogue or before such a Company of Men but your Father which seeth in secret will reward you openly that is not only in the Eyes of such a City or Town but before all the World The Point is this Doct. That private solitary and Closet-Prayer is a Duty very necessary and profitable It is a necessary Duty for Christ supposeth it of his Disciples to whom he speaks But thou when thou prayest c. And it is profitable for unto it God makes Promises you have a Father which seeth in secret and one day shall be owned before all the World First It 's a Duty Necessary and that will appear 1. From God's Precept That Precept which requireth Prayer requireth secret and Closet-Prayer For God's Command to pray first falls upon single Persons before it falls upon Families and Churches which are made up of single Persons therefore where God hath bidden thee to pray you must take that Precept as belonging to you in particular I shall give some of the Precepts Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving And 1 Thes. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing These are principally meant of our personal Addresses to God every Man for himself for in joyning with others the Work is rather imposed upon us than taken up upon choice and that can only be at stated Times when they can conveniently meet together but we our selves are called upon to continue to pray and that without ceasing that is to be often with God and to keep up not only a praying Frame but a constant Correspondence with him Surely every Man which acknowledgeth a God a Providence and that depends upon him for Blessings much more every one that pretends he hath a Father in Heaven in whose Hands are the Guidance of all the things of the World is bound to pray personally and alone by himself to converse with God 2. I shall argue it from the Example of Christ which bindeth us and hath the force of a Law in things moral as Christ's Word is our Rule so his Practice is our Copy This is true Religion to imitate him whom we worship In this you must do as Christ did Now we often read that Christ pray'd alone he went aside to pray to God therefore if we be Christians so it should be with us Mark 1. 35. And in the Morning rising up a great while before Day he went out and departed into a solitary Place and there prayed He left the Company of his Disciples with whom he often joyned that he might be alone with God betimes in the Morning And again you have it Mat. 14. 23. And when he had sent the Multitude away he went up into a Mountain apart to pray and when the Evening was come he was there alone And Luk. 6. 12. It is said He went out into a Mountain to pray and continued all Night in Prayer to God You see Christ takes all Occasions in retiring and going apart to God Now the Pattern of Christ is both engaging and encouraging It is very engaging Shall we think our selves not to need that Help which Christ would submit unto There are many proud Persons which think themselves above Prayer Christ had no need to pray as we have he had the Fulness of the God-head dwelling in him bodily yet he was not above Prayer And if he had need of Prayer he had no need of Retirement to go and pray alone his Affections always served and he was not pestered with any Distraction and all Places and Companies were alike to him and yet he would depart into a solitary Place that he might be private with God Then the Pattern of Christ is very encouraging For whatever Christ did he sanctified in that respect his Steps in every Duty leave a Blessing Look as Christ sanctified Baptism by being baptized himself and made the Water of Baptism to be saving and comfortable for us and the Lord's-Supper by being a Guest himself and eating himself at his own Table So he sanctified private Prayer when he prayed a Virtue went out from him he left a Strength to enable us to pray
Instrument out of Tune but it s being neglected and not looked after Certainly by Experience we find none so tender so holy so humble and heavenly as they which are often with God This makes the Heart tender which otherwise would grow hard dead and stupid 2. It is not only an Omission in general but an Omission of Prayer which is first a Duty very natural to the Saints Prayer is a Duty very natural and kindly to the new Creature As soon as Paul was converted the first News we hear of him Acts 9. 11. Behold he prayeth As soon as we are new-born there will be a crying out for Relief in Prayer It is the Character of the Saints This is the Generation of them that seek thee Psal. 24. 6. a People much in calling upon God And the Prophet describes them by the Work of Prayer Zeph. 3. 10. My Supplicants And Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon them the Spirit of Grace and Supplication Where ever there is a Spirit of Grace it presently runneth out into Prayer Look as a Preacher is so called from the frequency of his Work so a Christian is one that calleth upon God Every one that calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 13. In vain he is called a Preacher that never preacheth so he is in vain called a Christian that never prayeth As Things of an airy Nature move upward so the Saints are carried up to God by a kind of Naturality when they are gracious God hath no Tongue-ty'd or dumb Children they are all crying Abba Father Then it is an Omission of a Duty which is of great Importance as to our Communion with God which lieth in two Things Fruition and Familiarity in the Enjoyment of God and in being familiar and often with him Fruition we have by Faith and Familiarity is carried on by Prayer There are two Duties which are never out of season Hearing and Prayer both which are a holy Dialogue betwixt God and the Soul until we come to Vision the Sight of him in Heaven Our Communion with God here is carried on by these two Duties We speak to God in Prayer God answereth us in the Word God speaks to us in the Word and we return and eccho back again to him in Prayer Therefore the New Creature delighteth much in these two Duties Look as we should be swift to hear James 1. 19. until we come to seeing we should take all Occasions and be often in hearing So in Prayer we speak to God and therefore should be redeeming Time for this Work In the Word God comes down to us and in Prayer we get up to God therefore if you would be familiar and often with God you must be much in Prayer This is of great Importance You know the very Notion of Prayer it is a visiting of God Isa. 26. 16. O Lord in Trouble have they visited thee they poured out a Prayer when thy Chastening was upon them Praying to God and visiting of God are equivalent Expressions Now it argueth very little Friendship to God when we will not so much as come at him Can there be any Familiarity where there is so much Distance and Strangeness as never to give God a Visit 3. It is the Omission of personal and secret Prayer which in some respects should be more priz'd than other Prayer Partly because here our Converse with God is more express as to our own Case When we join with others God may do it for their sakes but here Psal. 116. 1. I love the Lord because he hath heard my Voice and my Supplication When we deal with him alone we put the Promises in Suit and may know more it is we that have been heard We put God more to the Trial we see what he will do for us and upon our asking and striving Partly here we are more put to the Trial what Love we will express to our Father in secret when we have no outward Reasons no Inducements from Respects of Men to move us In publick Duties which are liable and open to the Observance of others Hypocrites may put forth themselves with great vigor quickness and warmth whereas in private Addresses to God they are slight and careless A Christian is best tried and exercised in private in those secret Intercourses between God and his own Soul there he finds most Communion with God and most Enlargement of Heart A Man cannot so well judg of his Spirit and discern the Workings of it in publick because other Mens Concernments and Necessities mingled with ours are taken in and because he is more liable to the Notice of others But when he is with God alone he hath only Reasons of Conscience and Duty to move him When none but God is conscious and our own Hearts then we shall see what we do for the Approbation of God and Acceptance with him And partly in some respects this is to be more prized because Privacy and Retiredness is necessary and is a great Advantage that Mens Spirits may be setled and composed for the Duty Sinful Distractions will croud in upon us when in Company and we are thinking of this and that How often do we mingle Sulphur with our Incense carnal Thoughts in our Worship How apt are we to do so in publick Duties But in private we are wholly at leasure to deal with God in a Child-like Liberty Now will you omit this Duty where you may be most free without distraction to let out the Heart to God And partly because a Man will not be fit to pray in publick and in Company which doth not often pray in secret he will lose his Savour and Delight in this Exercise and soon grow dry barren sapless and careless of God Look as in the Prophet Ezekiel you read there that the Glory of the Lord removed from the Temple by degrees it first removed from the Holy Place then to the Altar of Burnt-Offerings then to the Threshold of the House then to the City then to the Mount which was on the East Side of the City there the Glory of the Lord stood hovering a while as loth to be gone to see if the People would get it back again This seems to be some Emblem and Representation of God's dealing with particular Men First God is cast out of the Closet private Intercourses between God and them are neglected and then he is cast out of the Family and within a little while out of the Congregation publick Ordinances begin to be slighted and to be looked upon as useless things and then Men are given up to all Prophaneness and Loosness and lose all So that Religion as it were dieth by degrees and a carnal Christian loseth more and more of the Presence of God And therefore if we would be able to pray in Company we must often pray in secret 4. Consider the Mischief which followeth Neglect of private Converse with God Omissions make way for Commissions If
of Hagar and Religion be crouded out of Doors Faelix illa domus ubi Martha queritur de Maria That 's a happy House where Martha complains of Mary Martha which was cumbred with much Service complained of Mary that she was at the feet of Jesus Christ hearkning to his gracious Counsel but in most Houses Mary may complain of Martha Religion is neglected and goes to the Walls 2. Some want a Place He that doth not want a Heart will find a Place Christ went into a Mountain to pray and Peter to the top of the House 3. Many say they want Parts they cannot tell how to pray Wherefore hath God given his Spirit In one fashion or other a Man can open his Case to God he can go and breath out his Complaints the Lord will hear Breathings Go chatter out thy Requests to thy Father tho you can but chatter like a Crane yet do it with fervency and with a Spirit of Adoption We have not only Christ given us for an Advocate but the Holy-Ghost to help our Infirmities He hath given us the Spirit of his Son whereby we may cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. A Child can acquaint a Father with his Wants VSE 2. To exhort God's Children to Frequency in this Duty and to much Watchfulness and Seriousness in the performance of it First To Frequency For Arguments again to press you 1. It argueth more Familiarity to pray to God alone than in Company He that goeth to a Prince alone and upon all Occasions hath access to him in private when Company is gone hath nearer Friendship and a greater Intimacy with him than those which are only admitted to a Speech with him in the Company of others So the oftner you are with God alone the more familiar He loves to treat with you apart as Friends are most free and open to one another when they are alone 2. Then you will have a more sensible Answer of your own Prayers you will see what God hath done upon your Requests Dan. 9. 21 22. Daniel was praying for the Church and an Angel comes and tells him It is for thy Prayers and Supplications that I am come Therefore surely a Man would take some time to go and plead the Promises with God But further by way of Means 1. Consider the Omnipresence of God which is the Argument in the Text He is in secret and seeth in secret If Men were convinced of that they would make Conscience of secret Prayer Look as Jesus Christ says of himself Iohn 16. 32. You leave me alone and yet I am not alone for the Father is with me So when you are alone you are not alone there is a Father in secret tho no-Body to see and hear yet God is there We are apt to think all is lost which Men are not conscious to and done in their â—â—ght Acts 10. 4. Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a Memorial before God God keeps a Memorial of your private Prayers there is a Register kept in Heaven and never a Prayer lost 2. Consider the Excellency of Communion with God Ier. 2. 32. Can a Maid forget her Ornaments and a Bride her Attire Women are very curious and careful of their Ornaments and will not forget their Dressing-Attire especially a Bride upon the Wedding-Day she that is to be set forth in most costly Array she makes it her Business to put on Jewels to be seen in all her Glory God is as necessary to us as Ornaments to a Bride We should be as mindful of Communion with God as a Bride of her dressing Ornaments Yeâ— they have forgotten me days without number What ever is forgotten God must not be forgotten 3. Make God a good Allowance resolve to be much in the practice of it It is best to have set Times for our Religious Worship For Persons which are sui juris at their own dispose it is lawful and very convenient to dedicate a certain part and portion of our Time to the Lord of Time Lazy idle Servants must be tasked and required to bring in their Tale of Brick So it is good to task the Heart to make God a fair and reasonable and convenient Allotment of some part of our Time David had his fixed Hours Three times a day will I call upon thee And Daniel had his set Times he pray'd three times a day Tho we cannot charge you to observe these Hours yet you should make a prudent Choice your selves and consecrate such a part of Time as will suit with your Occasions your Course of Life according to your Abilities and Opportunities It is an Expression of Love to God to give him somewhat that is your own and it will be of exceeding Profit to you and make your Communion with him more seasonable and orderly This will make you careful and watchful how you spend your other Hours that you may not be unfit when Times of Prayer come 1 Pet. 3. 7. Husbands dwell with your Wives according to knowledg that your Prayers be not hindred But do not propose a Task too great for your Strength and perplex your selves with such an unreasonable Allowance as will not suit with your Occasions Men create a Trouble to themselves and bind themselves with Chains of their own making when they propose more Duty than they can well discharge The second Part of the VSE Do it seriously with Caution and warily Here Christ gives direction When thou prayest enter into thy Closet and shut thy Door and then think of thy Father which is in secret We need a great deal of Caution for 1. When you shut the Door upon all others you cannot shut the Devil out of your Closets he will croud in When you have bolted the Door upon you and shut other Company out you do not lock out Satan he is always at hand ready to disturb us in holy Duties where-ever the Children of God are he seeks to come at them When the Sons of God met together Satan was in the midst of them Iob 1. He meets in Congregations he gets into the Closet When Ioshua the High-Priest was ministring before the Lord Satan stood at his right-hand ready to resist him Zech. 3. 1. 2. There needs Caution because in private Duties there may be many Failings and Evils which we are apt to be tainted with in our private Addresses to God 1. There may be danger of Ostentation therefore Christ gives direction here that it should be managed with the greatest Secrecy both as for Place Time and Voice Let none but God be conscious to our drawing aside that we may be alone Withdraw your selves out of the sight and hearing of others lest Pride and Ostentation creep upon you The Devil will seek to blast this serious Acknowledgment to God one way or other 2. There may be Customariness for fashion sake It is said of Christ That he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-Day as his Custom was We may use accustomed Duties
audiamus What Lungs and Sides must we have if we be heard to speak to Heaven by the Noise and Sound In some there is a natural vehemency and fierceness of Speech which is rather stirr'd up by the heat and agitation of the bodily Spirits than any vehemency of Affection There is a Contention of Speech which is very natural to some and differeth much from that holy Fervor the Life and Power of Prayer which is accompanied with Reverence and Child-like Dependance upon God It is not the loud Noise of Words which is best heard in Heaven but the fervent affectionate Cries of the Saints are those of the Heart rather than of the Tongue Exod. 14. 17. it is said Moses cried to the Lord We do not read of the Words he uttered his Cry was with the Heart There is a crying with the Soul and with the Heart to God Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the Desire of the Humble It is the Desires God hears Psal. 39. 9. Lord all my Desire is before thee and my Groaning iâ— not hid from thee The Lord needs not the Tongue to be an Interpreter between him and the Hearts of his Children He that hears without Ears can interpret Prayers tho not uttered by the Tongue Our Desires are Cries in the Ears of the Lord of Hosts the vehemency of the Affections may sometimes cause the extention of the Voice but Alas without this it is but a tinkling Cymbal 5. Popish Repetition and loose shreds of Prayer often repeated as they have in their Liturgy over and over again their Gloria Patri so often repeated their Lord have Mercy and in their Prayer made to Jesus Sweet Iesus Blessed Iesus and going over the Ave Maria and this to be tumbled over upon their Beads and continuing Prayer by tale and by number Surely these are but vain Repetitions and this is that much-speaking which our Lord aims at Thus I have dispatched the abuses of Prayer Vse 2. To give you direction in Prayer how to carry your selves in this holy Duty towards God in a comely manner I shall give you Directions 1. About our Words In Prayer 2. About our Thoughts 3. About our Affections First about our Words there is a use of them in Prayer to excite and convey and give vent to Affection Hos. 14. 2. Take with you Words and turn to the Lord and say Take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously Surely the Prophet doth not only prescribe that they should take Affections but take with them Words Words have an Interest in Prayer Now these may be considered either when we are alone or in Company 1. When we are alone Here take the advice of the Holy-Ghost Eccl. 5. 2. God is in Heaven and thou art upon Earth therefore let thy Words be few How few Few in Weight Conscience Reverence Few in Weight affecting rather to speak Matter than Words concisely and feelingly rather than with curiousness to express what you have to say to God Few in Conscience Superstition is a Bastard-Religion and is tyrannous and puts Men upon tedious Services and sometimes beyond their Strength therefore pray neither too short nor too long do it not meerly to lengthen out the Prayer or as counting it the better for being long the shortness and the length must be measured by the fervency of our Hearts our many necessities and as it tendeth to the inflaming our Zeal as it can get up the Heart let it still be subservient to that Few with Reverence and managed with that Gravity Awfulness and Seriousness as would become an Address to God As Abraham Gen. 18. 31. had been reasoning with God before therefore he saith Let not God be angry if I speak to him this once when he renewed the Suit Thus alone 2. In Company there our Words must be apt and orderly moving as much as may be not to God but to the Hearers managed with such Reverence and Seriousness as may suit with the Gravity of the Duty and not encrease but cure the Dulness of those with whom we join And what if we did in publick Duties choose out Words to reason with God as Iob saith Chap. 9. 14. Choose out my Words to reason with him If we did use Preparation and think a little before hand that we may go about the Duty with serious Advice and not with indigested Thoughts But this hath the smallest Interest in Prayer Secondly Our Thoughts That we may conceive aright of God in Prayer which is one of the greatest difficulties in the Duty 1. Of his Nature and Being 2. Of his Relation to us 3. Of his Attributes First Of the Nature and Being of God Every one that would come to God must fix this in his Mind That God is and that God is a Spirit And accordingly he must be worshipped as will suit with these two Notions Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that God is and then that God is a Spirit for it is said Ioh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth O then when ever you come to pray to God fix these two Thoughts let them be strong in your Heart God is I do not speak to an Idol but to the living God And God is a Spirit and therefore not so much pleased with plausibleness of Speech or tuneable cadency of Words as with a right Temper of Heart Alas when we come to pray we little think God is or what God is much of our Religion is performed to an unknown God and like the Samaritans We worship we know not what It is not Speculations about the Divine Nature or high strain'd Conceptions which doth fit us for Prayer the discoursing of these things with some Singularity or Terms removed from common Understanding this is not that which I press you to but such a sight of God as prompteth us to a reverent and serious worshipping of him Then we have right Notions of God in Prayer when we are affected as Moses was when God shew'd him his Back-parts and proclaimed his Name Exod. 34. He made haste bowed his Head and worshipped when our Worship suiteth with the Nature of God 't is Spiritual and Holy not Pompous and Theatrical Well then these two things must be deeply imprinted in our Minds that God is and that He is a Spirit And then is our Worship right For Instance 1. For the first Notion God's Being Then is our Worship right when it doth proclaim to all that shall observe us or we that observe our selves there is a great an infinite eternal Power which sits at the upper end of Causes and governeth all according to his own Pleasure Alas the Worship of many is flat Atheism they say in their Hearts either there is no God or believe there is no God Therefore do you worship him as becomes such a glorious Being Is his Mercy seen in your Faith and Confidence His Majesty in your
Humility and Reverence His Goodness in your Soul 's rejoycing His Greatness and Iustice in your trembling before his Throne The Worship must be like the Worshipped it must have his Stamp upon it 2. For the other Notion God is a Spirit therefore the Soul must be the chief Agent in the Business not the Body or any Member of the Body Spirits they converse with Spirits The Body is but employed by the Soul and must not guide and lead it but be led by it Therefore see whether there be the Spirit otherwise that which is most Essential to the Worip is wanting To have nothing employed but the Tongue and the Heart about other Business is not to carry your selves as to a God and a God that is a Spirit Recollect your selves where 's my Soul in this Worship And how is it affected towards God Secondly As there must be Thoughts to direct us in his Being and Nature so also in his Relation as a Father As one that is inclinable to pardon pity and help you We have the Spirit of Adoption given us for this very end and purpose that we may cry Abba Father and Gal. 4. 16. Because you are Sons therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And Rom. 8. 15. We have received the Spirit of Adoption crying Abba Father that we may come to God in a Child-like manner dealing with him as with a Father acquainting him with our Wants Necessities Burdens with a hope of Relief and Supply Object Ay saith a distressed Soul if my Heart be thus carried up to God if I could discern such a Spirit of Adoption prompting me to go to God as a Father then it would be better with me To this I answer 1. Many times there is a Child-like Inclination where there is not a Child-like Familiarity and Boldness What 's that Child-like Inclination The Soul cannot keep away from God and that 's an implicite owning him as a Father Jer. 3. 19. Thou shalt call me My Father and shalt not turn away from me It is a Child-like act to look to him for all our Supplies and to recommend our Suit As when a Child wants any thing he goes to his Father 2. There 's a Child-like Reverence many times when there is not a Child-like Confidence the Soul hath an awe of God when it cannot explicitely own him as our God and Father yet it owns him in the humbling way Luk. 15. 18. I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son Tho we cannot confidently approach to God as our reconciled Father yet we come with Humility and Reverence Lord I would fain be but I deserve not to be called thy Child 3. There 's a Child-like dependance upon God's General Offer tho we have not an Evidence of the Sincerity of our particular Claim God offereth to be a Father in Christ to all penitent Believers Now when a broken-hearted Creature comes to God and looks for Mercy upon the account of the Covenant tho he cannot see his own Interest for then we come to God tho not as our Father yet as the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and that 's a Relief in Prayer as Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. And vers 17. The God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory And Eph. 3. 14. I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Mark when we come to him as the Father of Christ we believe what God offereth in the Covenant of Grace namely that he will deal kindly with us as a Father with his Children that he will be good to those that come to him by Christ. The Term Father is not only to be considered with respect to the Disposition or Qualification of the Persons but the Dispensation they are under 'T is the New Covenant In the new Covenant God undertakes to be Fatherly that is to pitty our Miseries to pardon our Sins to heal our Natures to save our Persons Now all that come for refuge to take hold of this hope set before them may come to God as a Father if they believe the Gospel in general tho they are not assured of God's love to themselves 4. There may be a Child-like Love to God when yet we have not a Sense and Assurance of his Paternal Love to us God hath a Title to our choicest and dearest Love before we can make out a Title to his highest Benefits We owe our Hearts to him Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thy Heart If you give him your Hearts you are Sons tho you know it not God may be owned as a Father either by our Sense of his Fatherly Love or by our Choice and Esteem of him Optando si non affirmando Come as Fatherless without him Hos. 14. 3. or to speak it in other Words the unutterable Groans of the Spirit do discover the Spirit of Adoption as well as the unspeakable Joys of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1. 8. There is an Option and Choice tho we be not assured of our special Relation 5. God is glorified by an Affiance and a resolute Adherence where there is no Assurance When you are resolved let him deal with you as an Enemy you will stick to him as a Father Job 13. 15. Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Faith can take God as a Friend and Father and put a good construction upon his Dealings when he seems to come against us as an Enemy And we give Glory to God when we can adhere to him as our only Happiness and trust his Fatherly Kindness and Goodness tho he cover himself with Frowns and hide himself from our Prayers and you own him as the Father of Mercies tho it may be you have no Sense and Feeling of his Fatherly Love to you 6. There is a difference between the Gift it self and the Degree We cannot say we have not the Spirit of Adoption because we have not so much of the Spirit of Adoption as others have I mean as to the Effects We may have the Spirit as a Sanctifyer tho not as a Comforter tho he doth not calm our Hearts and rebuke our Fears yet if he doth sanctify us and incline us to God The Spirit was only given to Christ without measure but to Christians in a different Measure and Proportion and usually as you submit more to his gracious Conduct and overcome the Enemies of your Peace the Devil the World and the Flesh. The impression is left upon some in a smaller and upon others in a larger Character All are not of one growth and size some are more explicitely Christians others in a Riddle Much Grace doth more discover it self than a little Grace under a heap of Imperfection Some are more mortified and Heavenly-minded than others 7. When all other Helps fail Faith will make use of our common Relation
to God as a Creator as we may come to him as the workmanship of his Hands It is better to do so than keep off from him And we may come to him as the workmanship of his Hands when we cannot come to him as Children of his Family The Church saith Isa. 64. 8. Now O Lord thou art our Father we are the Clay and thou our Potter and we all are the work of thy Hand They plead for Favour and Mercy by that common Relation as he was their Potter and they his Clay And David Psal. 119. 73. Thy Hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandments Surely it is some Comfort to claim by the Covenant of Noah which was made with all Mankind when we cannot claim Mercy by the Covenant of Abraham which was made with the Family of the Faithful The Scriptures warrant us to do so Isa. 54. 9. For this is as the Waters of Noah unto me All this is spoken to shew that one way or other we should bring our Hearts to depend upon him as a Father for Succour and Relief Thirdly His Attributes Three this Text offereth God's Omnisciency He knows His fatherly Care Your Father knows what you stand in need of And his Readiness to help even before we ask 1. He is Omniscient He knows our Persons for Christ calleth his own Sheep by Name Joh. 10. 3. He knoweth every one of us by Head and by Pole by Person and Name Yea and he knows our State and Condition Psal. 56. 8. Thou tellest my Wandrings put thou my Tears into thy Bottle are they not in thy Book All our Wandrings he tells them all our Tears he hath a Bottle for them to shew God's particular Notice they are Metaphorical Expressions And he observes us in the very Posture when we come to pray and where Acts 9. 11. Go to such a Street in such a Place and enquire for one Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth The Lord takes notice in such a City in such a Street in such a House in such a Room and what you are doing when you are praying And he seeth not only that you pray but how you pray Rom. 8. 27. And he 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 He can discern between Lustâ— and Groans Words and Affections and such Words as are the Belches of the Flesh and such as are the Breathings of the Spirit 2. There 's his fatherly Care for it is said Your Father knows what Things you have need of He knows what pincheth and presseth you 'T is said 1 Pet. 5. 7. Casting all your Care upon him for he careth for you It is not said that he may take care of you but he doth take care God is afore-hand with us and our carking Care doth but take the Work out of God's hand which he is doing already Our Cares are needless fruitless burthensom but his are assiduous powerful blessed A small Matter may occassion much Vexation to us but to him all things are easy Upon these Considerations We should be careful for nothing but make known our Requests unto God Phil 4. 6. Praying for what we want and giving thanks for what we have For your Father knoweth you have need of these Things Mat. 6. 32. His fatherly Love will not suffer him to neglect his Children or any of their Concernments Therefore if you have a Temptation upon you to Anxiety and Carefulness of Mind and know not how to get out of such a Strait and conquer such a Difficulty remember you have a Father to provide for you This will prevent tormenting Thoughtfulness which is good for nothing but to anticipate your Sorrow 3. The next Thought is his Readiness to help This should be deeply impressed upon your Minds and should habituate these Thoughts how ready God is to help and to run to the Cry Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin Before his Purpose could be brought to pass Isa. 65. 24. Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear So Jer. 31. 20. I heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. God's Bowels were troubled presently He is more ready to give than you to ask This will help and direct you mightily in the business of Prayer for God hath a care for his Children and very ready to help the weak and relieve them in all their Straits Thirdly For Directions about our Affections in Prayer three things are required viz. Fervency Reverence Confidence 1. Fervency that usually comes from two grounds a broken-hearted Sense of our Wants and a desire of the Blessing we stand in need of For the broken-hearted Sense of our Wants especially Spiritual Weaknesses are incident to the best All Christians have continual need to cry to God We have continual Necessities both within and without Go cry to God your Father without Affectation but not without Affection and seek your Supplies from him Let me tell you the more Grace is increased the more sense of Wants is increased For Sin is more hated Defects are less born And then there must be a desire of the Blessings especially Spiritual our Needs must stir up fresh Longings and holy Desires after God Mat. 7. 7. Ask Seek Knock. Luk. 11. 8. For his Importunity he will rise and give We spend the earnestness of our Spirits in other Matters in Disputes Contests Earthly Pursuits our importunate earnestness runs in a worldly Channel No no it must be from simplicity and sincerity pouring out your Hearts before him No Sacrifice without him Jam. 5. 16. The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man availeth much 2. Reverence a reverent respectful Carriage towards our heavenly Father Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoice with Trembling Mark there is in God a mixture of Majesty and Mercy so in us there must be of Ioy and Trembling God's Love doth not abase his Majesty nor his Majesty diminish his Love We ought to know our distance from God and to think of his Superiority over us therefore we must be serious Remember God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to â—e had in reverence of all them that are about him Psal. 89. 7. 3. With Confidence Eph. 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him There is boldness in pouring out our Requests to God who will certainly hear us and grant what is good we must rely upon his Goodness and Power in all our Necessities He is so Gracious in Christ that he will do that which is best for his Glory and our Good and upon other Terms we should not seek it If you would not turn Prayer into Babling much-speaking to Affectation of Words take heed of these Abuses and labour
And all baptized Persons are baptized in the Name of the Son and Holy-Ghost as well as in the Name of the Father But usually Christian Worship is terminated upon God the Father as being chief in the Mystery of Redemption and so it is said Eph. 2. 18. Through him by one Spirit we have access to the Father We come to him through Christ as the meritorious Cause who hath procured Leave for us and by the Spirit as the efficient Cause who gives us an Heart to come and to the Father as the ultimate Object of Christian Worship Christ procureth us Leave to come and the Spirit gives us a Heart to come So that by the Spirit through Christ we have access to God So that now you may see what is meant by the Father Our Father But now let me distinguish again God is a Father to Mankind either 1. In a more general consideration and respect by Creation or 2. In a more special regard by Adoption First By Creation God is a Father At first he gave a Being to all Things but to Men and Angels he gave Reason Iohn 1. 4. And this Life was the Light of Man Other Things had Life but Man had such a Life as was Light and so by his original Constitution he became to be the Son of God To establish the Relation of a Father there must be a Communication of Life and Likeness A Painter that makes an Image or Picture like himself he is not the Father of it for tho there be Likeness yet no Life The Sun in propriety of Speech is not the Father of Frogs and putrid Creatures which are quickned by its heat tho there be Life yet there is no Likeness We keep this Relation for univocal Generations and rational Creatures Thus by Creation the Angels are said to be the Sons of God Iob 38. 7. When he was laying the Foundations of the Earth the Sons of God shouted for Ioy that is the Angels And thus Adam also was called the Son of God Luke 3. ult Thus by our first Creation and with respect to that all Men are the Sons of God Children of God And mark it in respect of God's continual concurrence to our Being tho we have deformed our selves and are not the same that we were when we were first created yet still in regard of some sorry Remains of God's Image and the Light of Reason all are Sons of God and God in a general Sence is a Father to us Yea more a Father than our natural Parents are For our Parents they concur to our Being but instrumentally God originally We had our Being under God from our Parents He hath the greatest hand and stroke in forming us in the Belly and making us to be what we are Which appeareth by this Parents they know not what the Child will be Male or Female beautiful or deformed they cannot tell the Number of Bones Muscles Veines Arteries and cannot restore any of these in case they should be lost and spoil'd So that he that framed us in the Womb and wonderfully fashioned us in the secret Parts he is our Father Psal. 139. 14. As the Writing is rather the Work of the Pen-man than of the Pen so we are rather the Workmanship of God than of our Parents They are but Instruments God is the Author and Fountain of that Life and Being which we still have And again consider The better Part of Man is of his immediate Creation and in this respect he is called the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. 19. They do not run in the Channel of carnal Generation or fleshly Descent but they are immediatly created by God And it is said Eccles. 12. 7. The Spirit returneth to God which gave it Well then you see how in a general Sence and with what good reason God may be called Our Father Those which we call Fathers they are but subordinate Instruments the most we have from them is our Corruption our being depraved but our Substance and the Frame and Fashion of it our Being and all that 's good in it that 's from the Lord. Now this is some Advantage in Prayer to look upon God as our Father by virtue of Creation that we can come to him as the Work of his Hands and beseech him that he will not destroy us and suffer us to perish Isa. 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father we are the Clay and thou our Potter and we are all the Work of thine Hand There is a general Mercy that God hath for all his Creatures and therefore as he gave us rational Souls and fashioned us in the Womb we may come to him and say Lord thou art our Potter and we thy Clay do us good forsake us not What Advantage have we in Prayer from this common Interest or general Respect of God's being a Father by virtue of Creation 1. This common Relation binds us to pray to him All things which God hath made by a secret Instinct they are carried to God for their Supply Psal. 145. 15. The Eyes of all Things look up to thee In their way they pray to him and moan to him for their Supplies even very Beasts young Ravens and Fowls of the Air. But much more is this Man's Duty as we have Reason and can clearly own the first Cause And therefore upon these natural Grounds the Apostle reasons with them why they should seek after God Acts 14. 17. 2. As this common Relation binds us to pray so it draweth common Benefits after it Mat. 6. 25 26. Is not the Life more than Meat and the Body than Raiment Behold the Fowls of the Air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into Barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Christ saith where God hath given a Life he will give Food and where he gives a Body he will give Raiment according to his good pleasure He doth not cast off the Care of any living Creature he hath made as long as he will preserve it for his Glory Beasts have their Food and Provision much more Men which are capable of knowing and enjoying God 3. It giveth us Confidence in the Power of God He which made us out of nothing is able to keep preserve and supply us when all things fail and in the midst of all Dangers Saints are able to make use of this common Relation And therefore it is said 1 Pet. 4. 19. That we should commit our Souls unto him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator The Apostle speaks of such Times when they carried their Lives in their hands from day to day They did not know how soon they should be haled before Tribunals and cast into Prisons Remember you have a Creator which made you out of nothing and he can keep and preserve Life when you have nothing Thus this common Relation is not to be forgotten as he gives us our outward Life and Being Psal. 124. 8. Our Help is in the Name of
the Lord who made Heaven and Earth As if the Psalmist had said As long as I see these glorious Monuments of his Power these Things framed out of nothing shall I distrust God whatever Exigence or Strait I may be reduced to Secondly More especially there is a particular Sort of Men to whom God is a Father in Christ and that is to Believers Iohn 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he Power to be called the Sons of God Those which in their natural State and Condition were Children of Wrath and Slaves to Sin and Satan when they come and are willing to welcom and receive Christ into their Hearts in a sense of their Misery are willing to make out after God and Christ they have an Allowance to call God Father and may have Child-like Communion with him and run to him in all Straits and lay open their Necessities to him 2 Kings 4. 19. When the Child cried unto his Father he said Carry him to his Mother So when we are ill at ease and in any Straits this is the Privilege of our Adoption that we have a God to go to we may go to our Father and plead with him as the Church Isa. 63. 16. Doubtless thou art our Father tho Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer It is good to know God under this special Relation of a Father in Christ and this is that which is the Grace of Adoption Adoption is an Act of Free-Grace by which we that were Aliens and Strangers Servants to Sin and Satan are in and by Christ made Sons and Daughters of God and accordingly are so reckoned and treated with to all Intents and Purposes It is a great and special Privilege given to God's own Children by virtue of their Interest in Christ and therefore it is said 1 Iohn 3. 1. Behold what Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! That is Behold it as a certain Truth and admire it as a great Privilege This second Relation is a very great Privilege and it will appear to be so if we consider 1. The Persons that receive it We that were Aliens and Enemies and Bond-slaves that were of another Line and Stock That might say to Corruption Thou art my Father to the Worm Thou art my Mother and my Sister Job 17. 14. We that were Cousin-Germans to Worms a handful of enlivened Dust that we should be taken into such a Relation to God! We that might say indeed to the Devil Thou art our Father and the Lusts of our Father we will do Iohn 8. 44. Satan is the Sinners Father and God disclaims them The Lord disclaims the People which were brought out of the Land of Egypt when they rebelled against him Exod. 32. 7. The Lord said unto Moses Go get thâ— down for thy People which thou broughtest out of 〈◊〉 Land of Egypt have corrupted themselves 〈◊〉 People which thou hast brought in Scorn and Dâ—â—â—dain as if God did disavow them from being hiâ— And so it was with us all When Adam had â—â—belled against God God executed the Law of the rebellious Child against him which was this that he should be turn'd out of Doors So was Adam turn'd out of Paradise and lost his Title and Heritage and we were reckoned to the Devil Now behold what manner of Love was this that we should be called the Sons of God! 2. You will wonder at it you will behold it as an excellent Privilege if you consider the Nature of the Privilege it self To be Sons and Daughters of God to be able to call God Father This was Christ's own Title and Honour When God had a mind to honour Christ he proclaims it from Heaven Mat. 3. 17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Surely if our Hearts were as apprehensive of heavenly Privileges as they are of earthly we would admire it more Earthly Alliance how is it prized If a great Man should match into our Blood and Line what an Honour and Glory do we reckon it to us 1 Sam. 18. 23. Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a King's Son in Law Do we account this a small Matter to be related to Kings and Princes and Potentates No no we have high thoughts of it And is not this an excellent thing to be Sons and Daughters of God In all other Cases if Men have Children of their own they do not adopt God had a Son of his own in whom his Soul found full Delight and Complacency yet he would adopt and take us wretched Creatures he would invest us with the Title of Sons And shall it be said of this and that Believer Here 's the Son of God O behold what manner of Love c. 3. Then do but consider the Consequents of it both in this Life and the Life to come In this Life what Immunities and Privileges have we Free Access to God we may come and treat with him when we please as Children to a Father when we stand in need of any thing We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. If we ail any thing we may go to our Father and acquaint him with our Case and Grief And we shall have a Child's Allowance here in the World The Heirs of Glory are well provided for in their Non-age they have a Right to a large Portion all the good Things of the World Meat Drink Marriage such Things they have by a Son 's Right They have a Right to the Creature in and by him who is Heir of all Things so they are established in their Right which Adam lost 1 Tim. 4. 3 4. And they are under the Ministry of Angels the Angels are sent forth to be their Guardians and to supply and provide for them And then in the Life to come for we are not only Sons but Heirs we have a Right to the glorious Inheritance Rom. 8. 17. If Children then Heirs Heirs of God Here all the Children are Heirs Male and Female every Son and Daughter an Heir and Joint-heirs with Christ. We do as it were divide Heaven between us we have a great blessed and glorious Inheritance poor despicable Creatures chosen Heirs of a Kingdom James 2. 5. 4. You will see it was a very great Privilege if you consider how we come to be entitled to it Ephes. 1. 5. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Iesus Christ to himself We come to it in and by Jesus Christ. Christ was fain to come down and to take a Mother upon Earth that we might have a Father in Heaven He comes down and was made a Man he became our Brother and so layeth the Foundation for the Kindred Heb. 2. 11. Nay not only incarnate but he died to purchase this Title for us When the Business was debated in the Council of the Trinity how
to my Father saith the Prodigal He had forgotten the Duty of a Child he went into a far Country and wasted his Patrimony and that basely and â—ilthily upon Harlots yet upon his Return when he was a great way off The Father runs to meet him half way and kisseth him 4. In disciplining and treating us with much Indulgence and Wisdom and Care A Father takes a great deal of Pains in forming his Child and fashioning its Manners and Behaviour So doth God with his Children If he afflicteth it is as a Father only with purposes of good and not so as an Earthly Father Heb. 12. 10. For verily for a few days they chastned us after their own Pleasure but he for our Profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness They mingle a great deal of Passion with their Correction when they are inflamed but God never mingleth Passion with his Rod When he gives a bitter Cup he is a Father still Ioh. 18. 11. 5. In providing able Guardians for his Children None so attended as God's Children are those which are adopted and taken into Grace and Favour with Christ Heb. 1. 14. Angels are ministring Spirits sent abroad for the Heirs of Salvation They have a guard of Angels to watch over them that they dash not their Foot against a Stone 6. In laying up an Inheritance for them The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 12. 14. Children ought not to lay up for their Parents but Parents for their Children Now God hath laid up for us as well as laid out much upon us Luk. 12. 32. Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom He has a Kingdom a glorious Inheritance to bestow upon us And we are kept for that happy State Tho he hath an Heir already Jesus Christ the Heir of all things yet God hath made us Co-Heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. Thus then it is a mighty Advantage If we did take up God in this Notion to look upon him as a Father it would increase our Confidence and Dependance upon him This is a sweet Relation the Reality is more in God than can be in an Earthly Father for he is a Father according to his Essence knowing our Necessities pardoning our Sins supplying our Wants forming and fashioning our Manners providing able Guardians for us and laying up a blessed Inheritance for us in Heaven Secondly As it encourageth us to pray so it furthereth our Duty in Prayer that we may behave our selves with Reverence Love and Gratitude 1. With a Child-like Reverence and Affection in Prayer Mal. 1. 6. If then I be a Father where is mine Honour And if I be a Master where is my Fear If we expect the Supplies of Children we must perform the Duty of Children God will be owned as a Father not with a Fellow-like Familiarity but humbly and with an awe of his Majâ—sty 2. With Love Now our Love to God is mainly seen by Subjection and Obedience to his Laws Thus Christ would have us take up God in Prayer under such a Relation that we might mind our Duty to him 1 Pet. 1. 17. And if ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear We never pray aright but when we pray resolving to cast off all Sin How can we call him Father whom we care not continually to displease from Day to Day So the Lord treats his People Jer. 3. 5 6. Thou hast said thou art my Father Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest God takes it to be a Contumely and Reproach to himself when we do evil yet come and call him Father He takes it ill that Men should come complementally and flatter him with Lying Lips and do not walk as Children in holy Obedience Therefore it is an engagement to serve God with Holiness 3. With Gratitude When we come to pray we must remember not only what we want but what we have received acknowledging we have all from him he is our Father Deut. 32. 6. Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish People and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee Hath he not made thee and established thee We must acknowledg the good we have as well as that we expect to come from him Therefore if we would have a praying Frame and be eased of our Sollicitude and that anxious care which is a disparagement to Providence it is good to take up God under the Notion of a Father which makes us rest upon him for all things Mat. 6. 25. Take no thought for your Life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your Body what ye shall put on Why For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things You that are able Fathers would take your selves disparaged if that your Children should filch and steal for their Living and beg and be sollicitous and go up and down from Door to Door for their Maintenance and Support and not trust to your Care and Provision A Believer which knoweth he hath a Heavenly Father will not be negligent in his Calling but be active and industrious in his way and use those lawful means which by the Providence of God he hath been brought up in and then Be careful for nothing as the Apostle's advice is Phil. 4. 6. And in every thing by Prayer and Supplication make your request known unto God O could we turn Carking into Prayer and run to our Father it would be happy for us Care and Diligence and necessary Provision that 's our work and labour but for the Success and Event of Things leave it to God When we are carking in the World with such anxiousness and troubled with restless Thoughts how we should be provided for in old Age and what will become of us and ours we take God's work out of his Hands this is a disparagement to our Heavenly Father and a reproach to his Providence and Fatherly Care Well then certainly this is of great advantage in Prayer APPLICATION Vse If it be a great advantage in Prayer to take up God under the Notion and Relation of a Father Then those that would pray aright let this instruct and quicken them above all things Clear up your Adoption that you may be able to call God Father for otherwise when you come to pray it is a very Lye to God As Acts 5. 4. When Annanias spake false to the Apostle saith Peter to him Thou hast not lyed unto Men but unto God Why Because he knows all that is done in the World But much more do they lie unto God here this is a very Disgrace and Blasphemy a Contumely rather than a Prayer and Supplication when you will come and make God to father the Devil's Brats When you that live in Sin and have no Reverence and Awe of God upon your Hearts shall come and pray to
when we unfeignedly chuse him for our Portion and set apart our selves to act for his Glory 1. When we chuse and cleave to him as our all-sufficient Portion The Lord is my Portion saith my Soul Lam. 3. 24. Sometimes the Lord speaks to us I am thy Reward I am thy Salvation Psal. 35. 3. So the Soul speaks to God Thou art my Portion When we cleave to God He is my Portion for ever Psal. 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee c. When our Souls are satisfied in God having enough in him this is to give up our selves to him 2. When we set apart our selves to his Use to live and act for his Glory this is also entring into Covenant with God As in that formal Matrimonial Covenant that was used between the Prophet and his Wife Hos. 3. 3. Thou shalt not be for another Man so will I also be for thee So in the Covenant we resolve to renounce all others and to live and act for God The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psal. 4. 3. When we are thus set apart for God to serve him and glorify him by this special Dedication of our selves to his Use this is the Act of Grace on our part We were God's by Election but he comes and takes possession for himself by the Spirit and then the Soul sets himself apart for God Secondly That all the Saints have a common Interest in the same God therefore Christ taught us to say Our Father They have one Father as well as one Spirit one Christ one Hope and one Heaven Eph. 4. 6. Questionless it is lawful to say My Father Some have disputed it because they suppose this Expression is used to signify Christ's singular Filiation Christ could only say My Father But it is lawful provided we do not say it exclusively and appropriating it to our selves But here Christ when he giveth us this perfect Form teacheth us to say Our Father As the Sun in the Firmament is every Man's and all the World's so God is every single Believer's God the God of all the Elect. But why would Christ put this in this perfect Patern and Form of Prayer 1. To quicken our Love to the Saints in Prayer When we come to pray there must be a brotherly Love expressed now that 's a distinct thing from common Love Add to brotherly Kindness Charity 2 Pet. 1. 7. When we are dealing with God in Prayer we must express somewhat of this brotherly Love How must we express it In praying for others as well as for our selves Necessity will put Men upon praying for themselves but brotherly Love will put them upon praying for others Wherein must Brotherly Kindness be expressed in Prayer In two Things 1. In a Fellow-feeling of their Miseries in being touched with their Necessities as we would be with our own To be sensless it is a spiritual Excommunication a casting our selves out of the Body Members must take care for one another We must be grieved with their Pains Who is offended saith the Apostle and I burn not If there be any Power in such a Confession or Title of a Father we must be wrestling with God how well soever it be with us remembring we speak to him in whom others have a joint Interest with our selves 2. It must be expressed in wishing the same good to others as to our selves Many that pray in their own Case with what Earnestness and Importunity are they carried out but how flat and cold in the Case of others Now a good Christian must be as earnest with God for others as for himself Look what Earnestness and Heedfulness of Soul he sheweth when he puts up Prayers for himself the same must he do for all Saints Ephes. 6. 18. Self-love and Self-respect must not breath only in our Prayers they must be carried out with as much Earnestness as if we would go to God in our own Case 2. Again As it sheweth us what brotherly Love we should express in Prayer so it checketh many carnal Dispositions which we are guilty of and Christ would mind us of them It checks Strife and Contention we are Brethren have one common Father Every where Meekness and Love it is a Qualification for Prayer Let the Husband live with his Wife according to Knowledg that their Prayers be not hindred 1 Pet. 3. 7. If there be such Brauls in the Family how can the Husband and Wife call upon God with such an united Heart as is requisite So 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that Men pray every where lifting up holy Hands without wrath and doubting Not only lift up pure Hands to God and that without doubting there must be Confidence in our Prayers But that 's not all but without wrath there must be nothing of Revenge and Passion mingled with your Supplication And then it checketh Pride and Disdain Christ teacheth all in all Conditions whether Masters or Servants Fathers or Children Kings or Beggars all to say Our Father for we have all one Father Thou hast not a better Christ nor a better Father in Heaven than they have The Rich and the Poor were to give one Ransom under the Law Exod. 30 to shew they have all the same Redeemer The Weak should not despise nor disdain the Strong nor the Rich be ashamed to own the Poor as Brethren We should never be ashamed to own him as a Brother whom God will own as a Son Which art in Heaven WE have considered the Title given to God with respect to his Goodness and Mercy He is a Father Our Father Now let us consider the Titles given to him with respect to his Greatness and Majesty Which art in Heaven From thence note Doct. It is an Advantage in Prayer to look upon God as a Father in Heaven By way of Explication to shew First What is meant by Heaven There are three Heavens in the Computation of the Scripture There is first the lowest Heaven that where the Fowls of the Air are whence the Rain descendeth therefore the Fowls are called the Fowls of Heaven Job 35. 11. And Iam. 5. 18. Elijah prayed and the Heaven gave Rain Secondly the Luminary Heaven where the Sun Moon and Stars are Therefore it is said Mat. 10. 25. The Stars of Heaven shall fall Thirdly there is the highest Heaven or the Heaven of the Blessed spoken of Mat. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that is into the third Heaven the glorious Heaven the blessed Presence of God Mat. 18. 10. In Heaven their Angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in Heaven In Heaven that is the third Heaven so it is called by Paul 2 Cor. 12. 2. Which was the highest Part because he saw and heard Things which it is not lawful for a Man to utter In this Heaven God is Secondly How is God there since he is every where 1. Negatively It
where he discovereth his Glory in the utmost Latitude It is notable in Scripture sometimes God is said to dwell in Light 1 Tim. 6. 16. And sometimes to make Darkness his dwelling place Psal. 18. 11. How doth he dwell in Light and how in Darkâ—ess Because of the glorious maniâ—estations which are above therefore it is said he dwells in Light and because of the weakness and incapacity of our apprehension therefore he is said to dwell in Darkness 2. To try our Faith and our Obedience that he might see whether we would live by Faith yea or no whether a Believer would love him and obey him tho he were invisible and withdrawn within the Curtain of Heaven You know when the Israelites saw the Glory of God then they cryed All that God hath commanded us we will do Deut. 5. 27. But as soon as that Manifestation ceased they were as bad as ever If all were liable to Sense there would be no trial of this World but God hath shut up himself that by this means the Faith of the Elect might be manifested for Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. Where there is no sight there is exercise for Faith And that our Love might be tried 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory And this is that which discovereth the Faithless and disobedient World Job 22. 12 13 14. Is not God in the height of Heaven How doth God know Can he judg through the dark Cloud Thick Clouds are a Covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of Heaven 3. It is fit there should be a better place into which the Saints should be translated when the course of their Obedience is ended Eph. 1. 3. He hath blessed us with Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places The main of Christ's Purchase we have in Heavenly Places It is fit the place of Trial and place of Recompence should differ therefore the place of Trial that 's God's Foot-stool and the place of Recompence that 's God's Throne The World that 's a place of Trial it is a Common Inn for Sons and Bastards for the Elect and Reprobate a Receptacle of Man and Beast Here God will shew his Bounty unto all his Creatures But now in the place of his Residence he will show his Love to his People Therefore when we have been tried and exercised there is a place of Preferment for us Fourthly What Advantage have we in Prayer by considering God in Heaven Very much whether we consider God absolutely or with respect to a Mediator both ways we have an Advantage First If we consider the Father Son and Holy-Ghost who have their Residence in Heaven consider them without respect to a Mediator Why the looking up to God in Heaven 1. It sheweth us that Prayer is an act of the Heart and not of the Lips that it is not the sound of the Voice which can pierce the Heavens and enter into the Ears of the Lord of Hosts but Sighs and Groans of the Spirit Christians in Prayer God is near to us and yet far from us for we must look upon him as in Heaven and we upon Earth How then should we converse with God in Prayer Not by the Tongue only but by the Heart The Commerce and Communion of Spirits is not hindred by local Distance but God is with us and we with him when our Heart goeth up 2. It teacheth the great work of Prayer is to lift up the Heart to God To withdraw the Heart from all created things which we see and feel here below that we may converse with God in Heaven Psal. 123. 1. Vnto thee lift I up mine Eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens And Lam. 3. 41. Let us lift up our Heart with our Hands unto God in the Heavens Prayer doth not consist in a multitude and clatter of Words but in the getting up of the Heart to God that we may behave our selves as if we were alone with God in the midst of glorious Saints and Angels There 's a double Advantage which we have by this getting the Soul into Heaven in Prayer It 's a means to free us from Distractions and Doubts To free us from Distractions and other inter-current Thoughts Until we get our Hearts out of the World as if we were dead and shut up to all present things how easily is the Heart carried away with the Thoughts of earthly Concernments Until we can separate and purge our Spirits how do we interline our Prayers with many ridiculous Thoughts It is too usual for us to deal with God as an unskilful Person that will gather a Posy for his Friend and puts in as many or more stinking Weeds than he doth choice Flowers The Flesh interposeth and our carnal Hearts interline and interlace our Prayers with vain Thoughts and earthly Distractions When with our Censor we come to offer Incense to God we mingle Sulphur with our Incense Therefore we should labour all that we can to get the Heart above the World into the Presence of God and company of the Blessed that we may deal with him ad if we were by him in Heaven and were wholly swallowed up of his Glory Tho our Bodies are on Earth yet our Spirits should be with our Father in Heaven For want of practising this in Prayer these Distractions encrease upon us So for Doubts when we look to things below even the very manifestations of God to us upon Earth we have many Discouragements Dangers without and Difficulties within till we get above the Mists of the lower World we can see nothing of Clearness and Comfort but when we can get God and our Hearts together then we can see there is much in the Fountain tho nothing in the Stream and tho little on Earth yet we have a God in Heaven 3. This impresseth an Awe and Reverence if we look upon the Glory of God manifested in Heaven that Briâ—ht and Luminous Place This is urged by the Holy-Ghost Eccles. 5. 2. Thou art upon Earth and God is in Heaven therefore let thy Words be few Gen. 8. 27. Who am I that I should take upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but Dust and Ashes We are poor crawling Worms and therefore when we think of the Majesty of God it should impress an holy awe upon us Mean Persons will behave themselves with all Honour and Reverence when they supplicate to Men of Quâ—lity So should we to God who is so High and so much above us he is in Heaven It is a Diminution of his Greatness Mal. 1. 14. when we put off God with any thing and come slightly and carelesly into his Presence 4. It teacheth us that all our Prayers should carry a Correspondence with our great Aim What 's our great Aim To be with God in Heaven as remembring that 's the Center
as we have a Cause to present to God There the High-Priest he entred with the Blood of Beasts but we enter by the Blood of the Son of God O what a great Privilege is this that we have a Father in Heaven In this respect the Holy Place is now open to us Tho we have not a personal Access till Death yet by the Blood of Jesus we may come with Boldness presenting our selves before the Lord with all our Wants and Desires The great Distance between Heaven and Earth shall not hinder our Communion with God if we have a Friend above Therefore it is very comfortable now to say Our Father which art in Heaven that is our gracious and reconciled Father in and by Christ. APPLICATION If we have a Father in Heaven let us look up to Heaven often 1. If we have a Father in Heaven and a Saviour at his right-hand to do all things that are needful for us let us look upon the aspectable Heavens with an Eye of Sense with our bodily Eyes It is good to contemplate the Glory of the heavenly Bodies or the Outside of that Court which God hath provided for the Saints It is not an idle Speculation I press you to The Saints of God have thought it to be worthy of their Morning and Evening-Thought It is notable David doth in two Psalms especially contmeplate Heaven 〈◊〉 seems to be a Nightly the other a 〈◊〉 Meditation The Night-Meditation you have Psal. 8. 3. When I consider thy Heavens the Work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained David was got abroad in a Moon-shining Night looks up and had his Heart affected But now the 19th Psalm that seems to be a Morning-Mediation he speakds of the Sun coming out like a Bridegroom from his Chamber in the East and displaying his Beams and Heat and Influences to the World and then saith he v. 1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God Morning and Evening or when ever you go abroad to see the Beauty of the outward Heavens say I have a Father there a Christ there this is the Pavement of that Palace which God hath provided for the Saints Christians it is a sweet Meditation when you can say He that made all Things is there It will be a delightful profitable thing sometimes with an Eye of Sense to take a view of our Father's Palace as much as we can see of it here below 2. Let me especially press you to this with an Eye of Faith to look within the Vail and when ever you come to pray to see God in Heaven and Christ at his Right-hand The great Work of Faith is to see him that is invisible and the great Duty of Prayer is to get a Sight of God in Heaven and Christ at his right-hand What Stephen did miraculously or in an Extasy we must do graciously in Prayer Now it is said of Stephen Acts 7. 56. Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right-hand of God There is a great deal of Difference about Stephen's Sight How the Heavens could be opened for they are solid Bodies and cannot be divided fluent Air and so come together again How he could see the Glory of God with his corporal Senses which is invisible How he could see Christ at such a Distance the Eye not being able to reach so far Some think it to be a meer intellectual Vision or a Vision of Faith that is he did so firmly believe and had the Comfort of it in his Heart as if he had seen it with his Eyes So they think Stephen saw the Glory of God and Christ at his right-hand as Abraham saw Christ's Day and rejoiced that is he saw it by Faith Some think it to be a Prophetical Vision by seeing those things objected to his Fancy by imaginary Species as Isaiah saw God in a Vision Isa. 6. and as Paul's Rapture Some think it a Symbolical Vision that he saw these thing represented by some corporeal Images as Iohn saw the Holy-Ghost descending in the form of a Dove Some think his bodily Eyes did pierce the Clouds and got a sight of the Glory of Christ. Whatever it be there must be such a Sight in Prayer something answerable to this in a spiritual way this must ever be done Psal. 5. 3. I will pray saith the Psalmist and look up There is a looking up required in all Prayer a seeing the invisible God by Faith If you would have God look down upon you from his holy Habitâ—tion you must look up with an Eye of Faith and converse with God in Heaven Psal. 63. 4. I will lift up my Hands in thy Name If you would have God look upon you with an Eye of Compassion you must look up and see Christ at his right-hand by an Eye of Faith 3. Let us love our Father love God in Christ and love the Place for his sake where his Residence is 1. Love God in Christ. Psal. 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee When God hath been so gracious to you Christians if I had no other Argument to press you to love god but that he which is in Heaven offereth to be your Father in Christ Jesus it might suffice because it is a great Condescension that the God of Heaven will look upon poor boken-hearted Creatures that he whose Throne is in Heaven would look upon him that is of a trembling Spirit Isa. 66 2. That the high and lofty One that dwelleth in the high and holy Place will look to him that is of a contrite Heart Isa. 57. 15. That he that is the Lord of Heaven and Earth will be our Father and own us and bless us A great Condescension on God's part and a great Dignity also is put upon us and how should our Hearts be affected with it Therefore though there be a great Distance between Heaven and Earth it should not lessen our Affections to God He is mindful of us visits us at every turn we are dear and tender to him therefore let the Lord be dear to you The Butler when he was exalted forgot Ioseph but Christ is not grown stately with his Advancement He doth not forget us O let not us forget God Let us manifest our Love by being often with him at the Throne of Grace with our Father which is in Heaven A Child is never well but when in the Mother's Lap or under the Father's Wing So should it be with us with an humble Affection coming into the presence of God and getting into the Bosom of our heavenly Father Never delight in any thing so much as conversing with him and serious Addresses to him in Prayer Again 2. Love the Place for his sake God is there and Christ is there We have cause to love the Place for our own sakes and in a short time if you continue patient in well-doing you will be with God It is not only God's Throne but it is your
over them bring them hither and slay them before me Christ himself will see Execution done in his own sight and presence upon those Rebels that will not submit to his Rule and Government How should the Hearts of wicked Men tremble which have violated the Laws of Christ and affronted his Authority when they consider how odious this is how certainly Christ will see Execution done upon them When Adonijah and his Guests heard of Solomon's sitting upon his Throne and the Shouts and Acclamations of Joy and Applause they were stricken with Fear and fled every one several ways 1 Kings 1. 49. You that cherish your Lusts which stand out against the Sovereignty of Christ that will not let him rule over you whose Hearts say tho their Tongues dare not We will not have this Man to reign over us you that seem to put him by his Kingdom he is furnished with absolute and irresistible Power to destroy you and will one day come and say Bring forth these Drunkards Worldlings Voluptuous that would not I should reign over them those that durst venture upon known Sin against the Checks of their own Conscience how will their Hearts tremble in the last Day at the Shouts and Acclamations of the Saints when they shall welcome this great King when he shall come forth in all his Royalty and Sovereignty And as for Punishment Christ will shew himself as a King so for Rewards Kings do not give Trifles Araunah gave like a King to a King 2 Sam. 24. 23. He was of the Blood-Royal of the Iebusites and he gave worthy of his Extraction And so Christ will give like a King God propounds nothing that was cheap and unworthy but He gives you a Kingdom Luke 12. 32. The Poor of this World are Heirs of a Kingdom the fairest Kingdom that ever was or ever will be as poor and as despicable as now they are yet they shall have a Kingdom What can you wish for and desire more than a Kingdom All shall reign with Christ for evermore Which shews the Folly of carnal Men that will hazard so great and so blessed Hopes Thus I have shewn you why the Gospel-State is compared to a Kingdom Now let me tell you it is a spiritual Kingdom not such as comes with Observation Jesus Christ when he was inaugurated into the Throne when he was to sit down at God's right-hand how doth he manifest it He gives Gifts as Princes use to do at their Coronation but they are spiritual Gifts Eph. 4. 8. And he sent abroad Embassadors poor Fishermen they and their Successors to go and treat with the World 2 Cor. 5. 19. Indeed they had a mighty Power with them as becoming such a great King as was under the Vail of Meanness and Weakness it was carried on in a spiritual manner And still he doth administer his Kingdom not by Force he rules not by the Power of the Sword but by his Word and Spirit so he governeth his People The Publication of the Gospel is a sending forth the Rod of his Strength Psal. 110. 2. And the Holy-Ghost as Christ's Viceroy he governeth them and administreth all things that are necessary to his Kingdom he doth it by the Holy-Ghost as his Deputy The Father chuseth a sort of Men gives them to Christ the Son dieth for them that they may be Subjects of his Kingdom and he commits them to be governed and ruled by the Holy-Ghost He useth the Ministry of Men and so unites them to Christ and Christ brings them to the Father by his Intercession committing them to his Care and Love and by a final Tradition at last which is the last Act of Christ's Mediatorial Kingdom 1 Cor. 15. 24. he shall deliver them up to the Father The Spirit blessing the Ministry of Men works Faith by which we are united to Christ and Christ intercedes for us and will bring us to God again And in this spiritual manner is this Kingdom carried on So that if we would enter into this Kingdom we must go to God the Father and confess we are Rebels and Traitors but desire he would not enter into Judgment with us but seek to be reconciled to God the Father Now as God bade the Friends of Iob to go to Iob chap. 42. 8. So God sends us to Christ in whom alone he is well-pleased with the Creature If we go to the Son he refers us to the Spirit to be reclaimed from our Impurity and Rebellion If we go to the Spirit he refers us to Moses and the Prophets Pastors and Teachers there we shall hear of him in Christ's way and there we feel the Rod of Christ's Strength the Efficacy of his Grace put into our Hearts Thus are we brought into his Kingdom and made to be a mystical Body and spiritual Society in whom Christ rules and there we come to enjoy those Freedoms I spake of and our Obedience to this Kingdom is carried on in a spiritual manner In Worship we give our Homage to God in the Word we come to learn his Laws in the Sacraments we renew our Oath of Allegiance to this King in Alms and Charity we pay him Tribute in Prayer we ask his Leave acknowledging his Dominion and Praise it is our Rent to the great Lord from whom we hold all things And thus is Christ's Kingdom carried on in a spiritual manner Vse 1. The Use is to press you to come under this Kingdom Consider what God hath proffered to draw you off from your carnal Delights and sinful Pleasures No less than a Kingdom to bear you out to call you off from your Sins O do not answer as the Olive-Tree and the Vine in Iotham's Parable Iudg. 9. 9. Shall I leave my Fatness and go to be promoted over the Trees God comes to a Worldling and makes him a Proffer of this blessed State which is represented by a Kingdom Shall I leave all my Sports and worldly Hopes according as the Man is affected Shall I renounce my Pleasures live a strict and austere Life Must I leave off Projects saith a Worldling and depend upon the Reversion of Heaven O consider it is for a glorious Kingdom Men will do much for an Earthly Crown tho lin'd with Cares for this Golden Ball which all hunt after and doth occasion so many Stirs in the World Turn your Ambition this way you may aspire to a Crown to the Kingdom of Heaven without the Crime of Treason this is a faithful Ambition It is indeed Treason against the Kingdom of Heaven not to look after this Crown and plot contrive and act and offer violence for the obtaining of it And therefore come under this Kingdom if you do not you will be left under the Power of a worse 2 Chron. 12. 8. God saith he would give them up to the King of Egypt why They shall be his Servants that they may know my Service and the Service of the Kingdoms of the Countries That they might see what
implicitely Amen Lord that it were so and surely Lord it shall be so we believe it and we desire it with all our Hearts 2. Explicitely Even so Lord Iesus Come quickly From this latter Clause I might observe many things 1. The sweet and blessed Harmony that â—is between Christ and the Church Christ's Voice and the Churches Voice are Unisons Christ saith I come and the Church like a quick Eccho takes the Word out of Christ's Mouth Even so come There is the same Spirit in Christ and in the Church for it is his Spirit that resides with us Christ he speaks in a way proper to him by way of Promise I come and the Church in a way proper to her by way of Prayer Even so come 2. I might observe That in the Close of the World we should most earnestly desire Christ's Coming We have the Advantage of former Times to us Christ saith I come quickly Now the set time almost is come therefore our Pulses should beat more strongly in putting up this Request to Christ. Tertullian shews that the Primitive Christians did pray prâ— mora finis that the End might not come too soon Christ having â—s yet but a small Interest in the World they expecting Enlargement upon Earth but we have more cause to look for the Accomplishment of his Kingdom in Heaven Thâ—ey expected the Revelation of Antichrist and we expect the Destruction of Antichrist They that God might be known in the World we that he might be no longer dishonoured in the World When great Promises are near their Accomplishment there is a more lively Spirit stirring in the Hearts of the Saints Dan. 9. 2 3. I understood by Books the Number of the Years whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomcomplish seventy Years in the Desolations of Jerusalem And I set my Face to the Lord God to seek by Prayer and Supplication But quitting these Notes I shall mainly insist upon this Point Viz. Doct. That the Church and all the faithful Members of it do really and heartily desire Christ's second Coming They look for it they long for it they wait for it They look for it Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. They reckon upon it as Rebekah espied Isaac afar off He is gone within the Vail he is appearing before God but he will come out again When they see the Clouds upon these one day will our Saviour come Then they long for it It is their Description 2 Tim. 4. 8. They love his Appearing Wicked Men and guilty Sinners hate and abhor it he being to come to them as a terrible Judg. Malefactors do not long for the Assizes But now the Saints who are absolv'd and washed in the Blood of Christ it doth them good to the Heart to think of it that one day Christ will appear in all his Glory And then they wait for it 1 Thess. 1. 10. They wait for his Son from Heaven even Iesus who hath delivered us from Wrath to come It is Wrath to come something behind the Coming of Christ which makes it so terrible Hell makes the Day of Judgment terrible The Devil could not endure to hear of Christ's coming Mat. 8. 29. Art thou come to torment us c. So wicked Men have the Spirit of the Devil it is a Torment and Bondage to them to think of the Judges Coming But those which have their Discharge they wait for it it supports and bears up their Hearts in the midst of their present Afflictions and they go on chearfully in their Work notwithstanding Lets and Troubles To give some Reasons why the faithful Members of Christ so really and heartily desire Christ's second Coming They are of three Sorts 1. Some in respect of the Person who is to come 2. Some in respect of the Persons which desire his Coming 3. Some in respect of the Coming it self I. In respect of him who is to come 1. His Person that we may see him The Children of God have delighted to look upon him through a Vail and have had a king of Heaven upon Earth from beholding his Face in the Glass of an Ordinance Looking upon him in the Vail of Ordinances hath been a mighty Comfort and Refreshing to them now they would desire to see his Person face to face They know by Hear-say this great Redeemer and Saviour of theirs he wooeth them by Proxy As Eleazar Abraham's Servant was to go abroad and seek for a Match for his Master's Son So the great Business of the Ministers of God is to set forth our Master's Son Now the Saints would fain see him Nay they have not only heard of him but believed in him and received him into their Hearts nay not only believed in him but they have loved him greatly 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory It hath been a ravishing thought to them to think of Christ. And they have tasted 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious And they have felt him in the drawings of the Spirit they live by his Life they have found a Virtue going out from him Now all that they desire is that they may see this great Person who hath been their Redeemer and Saviour 2. Consider him as in his Person so in his Relations to them Here are two Titles Even so Lord Iesus He is Lord and he is Iesus He is Lord as a Master and Husband as Sarah called Abraham Lord. As a Master Good Servants will look for their Master 's coming Mat. 24. 46. And surely such a Master should be longed for and looked for for when he comes he will not come empty-handed Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me Rev. 22. 12. Here Christ's Servants have their Vales but not their Wages Here they have present Maintenance that is all they have now but then they shall have their Reward and Wages here they have their Earnest but then they shall have the full Sum. Under the Law Masters were charged severely not to defraud their Servants of their Hire why He hath lift up his Soul to him that is in the middle of his hard Labours this was his Comfort when the Work of the Day was over he should have his Wages and his Hire at Night So you have lift up your Souls to him the great Pay-Day will come and this hath born you up in all your Labours and Travel of your Soul Therefore as he is our Lord so we should look for him And then as our Husband this is a sweeter Relation The Bride saith Come Rev. 22. 17. We are here contracted and betrothed to Christ I will betroth thee to me Hos. 2. 19. But the Day of solemn Espousals is hereafter Here we are betrothed to Christ in
Prayer not a drousy Devotion not only that we hear but take heed how we hear not only that we serve him but serve him instantly not only run but so run The great thing that is put into the Ballance of the Sanctuary when God comes to weigh the Actions of Men what doth he consider He weighs the Spirits Prov. 16. 2. All the Ways of Man are right in his own Eyes but the Lord weigheth the Spirits That is he considers vvith vvhat frame of Heart and in vvhat manner vve go about any thing vve do for him And therefore this is the main thing vve should look after in what manner we serve him even as the Angels do in Heaven not in an ordinary but perfect manner But wherein doth the Resemblance hold How should we be as the Angels 1. In conformity to the Angels we must serve God readily The Angels are represented as with Wings Isa. 6. 2. And the Angel Gabriel is said to flie swiftly upon God's Message They are hearkning for God's Word and go on God's Errand So we should be ready and speedy in our Obedience Psal. 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments It is not enough to keep God's Commandments but vve must make haste that is before the strength of the present Impulsion be lost and those Fervors which are upon us be cool'd 2. Willingly and chearfully and without murmuring Angels are ready at God's beck they are ministring Spirits even to the meanest Saints God hath sent them abroad for the Heirs of Salvation they are as Guardians to them to look after them in all their Ways The Devils what Christ bids them do do it murmuringly the unclean Spirit would not come out without rending and tearing Mark 9. Christ's presence was a Burthen to them Mat. 8. When we do things with reluctancy murmuringly we are more like the Devil than the Angels When the Devils obey his Word they are forced to it by the absolute Power of Christ yet they do it not with Willingness and Freeness as the good Angels do But we are to do it freely I delight to do thy Will O my God Psal. 40. 8. And Iohn 4. 34. It is my Meat and Drink to do the Will of him that sent me That was the Dish Christ loved 3. Constantly and unweariedly Thus do the Angels in Heaven The Devils they abode not in the Truth but Angels they do it without weariness they rest not Day nor Night but are still lauding praising and serving God and are never weary God in Communion is ever new and fresh to them the Face of their heavenly Father is as lovely as at first moment no Weariness or Satiety creeps upon those good Spirits Thus should we do it without Weariness and then we shall reap if we faint not 4. Faithfully not picking and chusing They hearken to the Voice of his Word whatever it be be it to ascend or descend So we if it be to go backward for God tho it be against the Bent of our Hearts David is said to be a Man after God's Heart because he did all God's Will Acts 13. 22. All which should be a Patern for us and we should strive to come up to it Give us this day our daily Bread WE are now come to the second sort of Petitions that concern our selves as the former did more immediately concern God Now you may observe the Stile in the Prayer is altered It was before Thy Name Thy Kingdom Thy Will now it is Give us and forgive us c. Before our Lord had taught us to speak in a third Person Thy Will be done and now in a second Person Give us this day Which is not so to be understood as if we were not at all concern'd in the former part of the Lord's Prayer In those Petitions the Benefit is not God's but ours When his Name is sanctified his Kingdom cometh and his Will is done these Things do not only concern the Glory of God but also our Benefit It is our Advantage when God is honoured by the Coming of Christ's Kingdom and the Subjection of our Hearts unto himself But these latter Petitions do more immediatly concern us Now among these in the first place we pray for the necessary Provisions of the present Life Some make a scruple why such a Prayer should be put in the first place Surely not to shew the Value of these Things above Pardon and Grace but this is the last of the Supplications The Lord's Prayer may be divided into Supplications and Deprecations Among the Supplications there we pray'd first for the Glory of God next for the Kingdom of God next for our Subjection to that Kingdom and in the last place we pray for daily Bread or Sustentation of the present Life But the other two are Deprecations and that either of Evil already committed and so we pray for Pardon of Sin Forgive us our Trespasses Or Deprecation of Evil that is likely to be admitted and so we pray against Temptation Lead us not into Temptation So that this Request is put into a fit Order First we seek God's Glory as the End his Kingdom as the primary Means our Subjection to that Kingdom as the next Means and last of all our comfortable Subsistence in the World as a remote subservient Help that we may be in a capacity to serve and glorify God In this Petition there is I. The Thing asked and that is Bread by which is meant all Things necessary for the maintenance of this Life Now this is set forth 1. By a Note of Propriety Our Bread 2. By an Adjunct of Time Daily Brea◠II. The Manner of asking Give we ask it as a Gift of God III. The Persons for whom we ask Give us as many as are supposed to be in a Family together Those that can call God Father by the Spirit they may come with most confidence to God about daily Supplies IV. The renewing of our Request 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This day There is very much in that we ask but from Morning till Night Give us this day our daily Bread Before I come to explain these Circumstances let me observe in general Doct. I. That it is the Lord which doth bestow upon us freely and graciously the good Things of this Life It is Bread we ask and we ask it of God and to God we say Give All which Circumstances do fully make out the Point This Point again must be made good by parts 1. That God giveth it 2. That he freely and graciously giveth it First I shall shew you how God is interested in the common Mercies we do enjoy and how every one high or low rich or poor full or in a mean Condition of what rank soever they be even those that have the greatest Store and Plenty of worldly Accommodations they must come from Morning to Morning and deal with God for daily Bread Those common Mercies which we do enjoy 1.
you believed you were sealed by the holy Spirit of Promise Ephes. 1. 13 14. 2. There is a Witness which is given to the Saints that the thing may not be always dark and doubtful The Holy-Ghost is given as a Witness If you would know whether or no you are the Children of God see that of the Apostle Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God As under the Law in the Mouth of two Witnesses every doubtful Thing was to be established Deut. 17. 6. So here the Spirit beareth Witness together with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Our Spirits alone may be lying deceitful we may flatter our selves and think we are the Children of God when we are Children of the Devil All certainly comes from the Holy-Ghost and therefore the great Question which is traversed to and fro in the Heart is Whether we be God's Children What is the Spirit 's Witness 1. He lays down Marks in Scripture which are the Ground and Decision of this Debate for the Scriptures are of the Holy-Ghost's inditing and so may be said to bear witness Rom. 8. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God 1 John 3. 10. In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Thus the Spirit beareth witness to our Spirits by laying down such Marks as we by our own spiritual Sense and renewed Conscience feel to be right within our selves And this is the main thing called the Witness of the Spirit 2. He worketh such Graces as are peculiar to God's Children and are Evidences of our Interest in the Favour of God and therefore it is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess. 2. 13. and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Look as Iohn knew Christ to be the Son of God by the Spirit 's descending and abiding upon him Iohn 1. 32. So by the Spirit 's Work and the Spirit 's Inhabitation we know whether we are the Children of God or no whether we dwell in God and God in us because of his Spirit that he hath given us that is because of those Graces wrought in us And this is called the Seal of the Spirit for the Holy-Ghost stamping the Impress of God upon the Soul working in us an answerable Likeness to Christ is said to be the Seal then we have God's Impress upon us 3. The Spirit goes further he helpeth us to feel and discover those Acts in our selves There is a stupid Deadness in the Conscience so that we are not always sensible of our spiritual Acts. Hagar saw not the Fountain near her until God opened her Eyes So we may not see the Work of the Spirit without the Light of the Spirit We cannot own Grace in the midst of so much Weakness and Imperfection there is a misgiving of Conscience therefore the Spirit of Sanctification is also a Spirit of Revelation Eph. 1. 17. The Author of the Grace is the best Revealer and Interpreter of it He works and he gives us a sight of it As a Workman that made a thing can best warrant it to the Buyer he knows the Goodness and Strength of it and how it is framed and made So the Holy-Ghost which works Grace he reveals and discovers this Grace to us 4. The Spirit helps us to compare them with the Rule and accordingly to judg of their Sincerity The Spirit opens our Understandings that we may be able to discern the Intent and Scope of the Scripture that so we may not be mistaken We must plow with God's Heifer if we would understand the Riddle In thy Light we shall see Light We shall be apt to misapply the Rule so as to judg of our own Actions Rom. 9. 1. I lie not the Holy-Ghost bearing me witness when he had spoken of some eminent Thing wrought in him We are apt to lie and feign and misapply Rules Comforts and Privileges But now the Holy-Ghost bearing witness with our Spirits by this means we come to have a Certainty There are so many Circuits Wiles Turnings in the Heart of Man that we are not competent Judges of what is wrought in us therefore it is usually ascribed to the Spirit to be the Searcher of the Heart Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence Acts 5. 4. Thou hast not lied unto Men but unto God The Holy-Ghost is rather spoken of than any other Person because it is his personal Operation to abide in the Hearts of Men and to search and try the Reins It is more particularly ascribed to him tho it belongs to all the Persons 5. As the Spirit helps us to compare that which is wrought with the Rule the impression or thing sealed with the Stamp or the thing sealing so he helps us to conclude rightly of our Estate For many times when the Premises are clear the Conclusion may be suspended either out of Self-Love in case of Condemnation or out of legal Fear and Jealousy in case of Self-acquitment Therefore the Conclusion is of the Holy-Ghost 1 John 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit There 's a great deal of do to bring us to Heaven with Comfort There needs a Person of the Godhead to satisfy us as well as to satisfy God and help us to determine concerning our Condition 6. He enlivens and heightens our Apprehensions in all these Particulars and so fills us with Comfort and raiseth our Joy upon the feeling of the Sense of the Favour of God for all this is the Fruit of his Operation Therefore it is said Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy-Ghost which is given unto us Those unspeakable Glimpses of God's Favour and sweet Manifestations of God's Love in the Conscience which we have these are given by the Holy-Ghost There is not one Act of the Soul but the Holy-Ghost hath a stroke in it for our Comfort in every degree all comes from God So that if you would know what the Witness of the Spirit is consider What are the Marks in Scripture What Graces are wrought in your Hearts How doth the Spirit help you to discern those Graces to compare them to the Rule to make accordingly in these Things a Determination of our Condition And what Joy and Peace have you thereupon wrought in your Hearts by the Holy-Ghost For an immediate Testimony of the Spirit the Scripture knows of no such thing All other is but Delusion besides this 3. There are certain Fruits and Effects which do more sensibly evidence it unto the Soul What are those Fruits of the Spirit of Adoption in our Hearts by which we may further evidence it whether we are the