against these spirituall enemies reade Eph. 6. 16. 17 18. CHAP. XXXII The presence of God himselfe is promised in publike praier how he is present which the carnall man apprehendeth not the discontinuance of prayer publique or priuat dangerous AS touching publique prayer our Sauiour giueth vs such an encouragement to moue vs thereunto both of his owne presence and of the assurance of obtaining what we ask as it is more then wonderfull that meÌ„ should shew themselues so baâ—kward as not to desire to meete Christ in such holy Assemblies as are graced with his owne presence Where two or three are gathered together in my name saith Christ I will bee there in the middest of them And whatsoeuer they shall aske with one accord in my name it shall be granted vnto them No man is so impious as to bring in question whether this can or will prooue true or not that Christ should come downe and be in the society of men For we may assure vs that God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost being all one the Father is where the sonne is the holy Ghost where the father and the sonne are And Christ promising to send the Comforter the holy Ghost after his departure performed it in clouen tongues and he is with vs namely with his Church to the end of the world and consequently the father and the sonne the Trinitie in Vnitie I will pray the Father saith Christ and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth so called because hee inspireth the truth into vs and teacheth vs to crie Abba father whether in priuate or publike assemblies gathâ—red together in the name of Christ. Hee then being the spirit of Christ and being all one with Christ being with vs and dwelling in vs it can not be denied but Christ is with vs according to his promise namely with the faithfull assembled in his name whoÌ„ the world namely carnall men of the world know not But yee saith Christ to the faithfull know hum for he dwelleth in you I will not leaue you comfortlesse but I will come to you Againe he saith I am in my father and I in you and you in me Seeing then that all holy assemblies gathered together to heare God speake vnto them and againe that they together may speake vnto God are not left without the glorious presence of God himselfe how are they to be condemned that frame vnto themselues or rather â—orge by the suggestion of Sathan cases as it were of conscience to abiure the companie euen of Christ himselfe Sathan beleeueth the word of God to be true and yet laboureth the contrarie in men inclinable to doubt and causeth many to misconceiue of the sense which he himself knowes to be otherwise then he would haue them to beleeue And as he can make no vse of any part of the word of God to his owne neyther would hee that any should eyther heare the word truely expounded or assemblies to concurre rightly in prayer to their saluation And therefore whosoeuer findeth in himself the lest motion of doubting of Gods performance of his promises made vnto the faithfully praying or an vnaptnesse and vnwillingnesse rather then a zealous inclination to pray either in priuat to himselfe in publique with the Congregation or with his family priuately assembled may iustly feare that Sathan hath wouÌ„d himselfe into his affections and if he preuent him not speedily and resist him faithfully by prayer he will not leaue vntill hee haue gotten command of the whole house of his soule and will expulse all godly cogitations holy affections and sanctified desires and will suffer none to be entertained but infidelity sinne and fearefull apostacie Will not these daungers mooue men to repaire vnto the house of God with diligence and zeale there faithfully to ioyne in prayer with Gods children and attentiuely to heare the word preached which begetteth faith the fountaine whence doe flow all holy and spirituall exercises of the godly soule There is no other way to seeke saluation but in and by the word of God nor any other in and by whom we can be saued but in and by Christ who hauing so louingly called vs and by promise of his own presence intreated vs to communicat in holy exercises with him and his elect who wil or can rest so carelesse of his owne saluation as wilfully or negligently to estrange himself from this holy communication with God himselfe in prayer publique or priuat Publique prayers are so called because they are pronounced distinctly with an audible voice in the hearing and to the vnderstanding of a whole Congregation assembled And these praiers commonly tend to publique and common ends as for the obtaining of some generall good to the whole Church preuenting of some generall daÌ„ger or remouing of some generall euill And this although it be properly meant of parochial CongregatioÌ„s who assemble themselues by course on the Sabbath and other set dayes making their supplications publiquely for themselues and others according to generall occasions after a common manner yet are houshold assemblies said to pray publiquely wherein the Master of the Family is to conuent such as are vnder his charge and publikely together with them to pray vnto God as well for the vniuersall good of the Church whereof they are members for the Common-weale wherin they liue as subiects as for themselues And the promise of Christs presence holdeth true as well in this latter wherein two or three onely gather together in his name as where infinit numbers are assembled CHAP. XXXIII Priuat prayer in som respects at som times more comfortable to a priuate man then publique The neglect of publique praier in priuat families condemned for where God is not there Sathan is serued THe same that hath been formerly said of priuate prayer may bee affirmed of publique although the first bee more ordinary then the second not being limited to times certain but attendeth all occasions and yeeldeth more comfort to the troubled spirit of some priuate man that dareth to vnfolde that vnto GOD in secret which hee would blush to reueale vnto man were hee neuer so neere and deere vnto him much lesse would he publish it in a publique assembly willingly And this kind of prayer also is of that condition that where it is enkindled and cannot haue free vtterance by the lips by reason of company but is pent vp in the breast it laboreth with such spirituall violence in the sanctified soule as it makes the very heart within a man as it were to ake and rent in sunder thorough the ardent eleuation of the spirit vnto God And it is the surest trial of true religion In publique assemblies sometimes hypocrisie beareth a farre greater sway then it can doe in the priuat man who knoweth that the weight of spirituall ioy it bringeth vnto and leaues in his soule through prayers
him but also in punishing the wicked when they offend yet are these meanes onely of and by God working not as man willeth but as God foreseeth fit for the good of the one punishment of the other God vsed clay to cleere the eies of the blinde man if the blinde man had yeelded the thanks to the clay as the cause of his sight though hee had likewise giuen praise vnto God hee had robbed God of his right For to allow vnto God a fellow-helper were to argue him of himselfe insufficient as som most fearfully belch forth a most superstitious praier saying God and our Lady do this or that or preuent this or that whereby they eyther make God no God or a God not absolute in power nor without a cooperator complete which cannot bee but most horrible blasphemie I hereby yet inferre not that it is vnlawfull to giue reuerence vnto the means which God vseth for our good as Dauid did to Ionathan yet no further but as to the instruments without which God might haue effected his worke eyther by other meanes or without any meanes nay against means as not tied to any secondary meanes of necessitie Hezekiah being healed with a cluster of figges did not perswade himself that nothing else could haue done the cure but that whatsoeuer God had made the mediate cause howsoeuer contrarie to the opinion that man might haue of the thing it would haue wrought the same effect For he is able by weakest means to performe the greatest worke as it appeared by the ouerthrow of the wals of Iericho with the sound of Rams hornes And as he worketh by meanes so sometimes without meanes euen by his word as in healing the Cananitish woman and the Centurions seruant nay such is his absolute power as he worketh as familiarly and easily against meanes as in bringing water out of the hard drie Rocke making the waters to diuide as the red Sea and Iordan in making the Sunne to stand still in Gâ—beon and the Moon in the valley of Aialon at the prayer of Iosuah and causing the Sunne to goe backe in his sphere contrarie to and against his naturall motion at the prayer of Hezekiah The holy Scriptures are full of such sweete examples of the absolute power of God who to effect them requires necessarily no other human meanes but faithfull praierâ— not the praier which passeth onely the lips the affections of the heart being extrauagant but that prayer which proceedeth from the sanctified soule well and rightly tuned in all her faculties the vnderstanding thinking on nothing but on God the will onely louing him the memory coueting to retaine nothing but him the desire aspiring to no other happinesse but what he hath promised vs in his word In this maner were our holy fathers qualified and in this sweete consent of the affections poured they forth the concordant harmonious praiers that wrought these former most admirable supernaturall effects in altering the naturall course of those creatures which he himselfe set in the firmament neuer to be moued to the end of the world CHAP. IX It is a dangerous thing to pray vnto God vnprepared but most safe sweet vpon diuine premeditation arising of grace not of nature HOw can this but moue a kind of feare in men who presume to thrust themselues into the presence of God vttering praiers in wordes their vnderstandings being carried from God through the vanities of this life their wills beeing besorted with the loue of carnall things and their desires thirsting after worldly aduancements Are these mens prayers of force to cast downe holdes to alter the natural course of things or can they obtaine any thing at the handes of God but reproofe But men that are wise in Christ enlightned with the diuine spirit feele motiues in themselues of another kinde not staying below their affections set vpon the golden Calfe at the foot of mount Sinai but they aâ—cend vp in their harts to the holy mount of Grace and there conuerse they familiarly with the true God leauing the flesh pots the Onyons and Gourds of Egypt and feede on the heauenly Manna Angels bread the bread of life whereby they becom so rapt vp from earth and earthly things as they haue their conuersations alreadie in the heauens by their heauenly communication with God in their spirits Their prayers sweet conference with God for the time ended they then returne to the performance of their lawfull affaires and therein walke as it were with God liuing so sincerely with and among men in the feare and loue of God as if they were in the reall presence of God To this degree of perfection none can attaine by his naturall vnderstanding or will but by the administration of the spirit of God only who teaches vs how to pray God commaundeth all men to pray and yet giueth not all men the gift of true praier and therefore euerie man is bound to aske of God power to aske although it may seem strange to a carnall man to aske power to performe the selfe-same thing that hee performeth in asking But it is to be considered that there is a verball and lip-kind of asking and there is a cordiall heartie praying and he that doeth it not from the heart may vtter it with the lippes and in words may seeme to pray and yet the heart remaine estranged and full of rancor and euill affections But such is the force of â—iuely faith that it cannot conceale it selfe for if it bee in the heart it will shew it selfe in the efficacie of prayer which praier onely hath the promise to obtaine beeing made in the name of Christ to God hath the promise to be granted for his sake by God For in Christ are the promises made vnto vs both of spirituall and corporall blessings and in him and by him sealed vnto vs and confirmed so as there is no cause of doubting left vnto the faithfully asking alwayes prouided that he ask not the thing the graunting whereof is not warranted in the word of God that hath made vs a generall warrant of granting whatsoeuer wee aske with restriction yet that it bee agreeable to his wil which also includeth all things that he seeth best for vs to receiue For such is the wisedome prouidence and loue of God towards vs that like a father he will not giue vnto his children a Scorpion in stead of Fish he will not giue them hurtfull things instead of helpfull And therfore it behoueth vs to inform our selues by his word what is consonant and what dissonant to his will that we may auoide to aske forbidden things with boldnes aske things lawfull In the prayer which Christ taught vs we pray Thy will be done wee must not therefore wilfully attempt to aske much lesse to do any known thing to the contrarie But such is our corruption as howsoeuer we seem willing that the will of God should be done we yet retaine a
Foâ— it argueth in vs a great defect of faith And yet these words are not so to be expounded as if we should bee altogether carelesse of future times or for our children but that wee should not bee too solicitous and carefull and thereby argue an absolute distrust that God either can or will giue vs with our true obedience all thinges necessary in this life to enioyâ— and to our faithfull children If riches increase set not your hearts vpon them If pouertie oppresse thee cast thy care vpon God for hee careth for thee Wee pray that God will forgiue vs our sinnes as wee forgiue And yet we seeke to take aduantage of euery small iniurie done vnto vs by our neighbour or brother and couet to reuenge it by the extremest violence of force or Law Our hatred sometimes growes so deadly as wee cease not to persecute and prosecute our enemies to death euen by our own death and yet we pray for equall measure at Gods hands And this petition they shall bee sure to haue granted aboue all other For as they craue to be forgiuen as they forgiue they shal be sure as they forgiue not neither shall they bee forgiuen We desire also not to be ledde into temptation And yet som leaue not to seek all occasioÌ„s to fal therinto coueting idle euil lewd lasciuious coÌ„panies hearing reading profane wanton bookes singing and hearing songs of ribaldrie and filthinesse delighting in drunkennesse whoredome pride couetousnesse enuie gluttoâ—ie scurrilitie and all kinde of forbidden wickednesse Is this the holy vse that they make of this most sacred prayer And yet doe they thinke that it is deuotion of such acceptation with God as dischargeth Christian dutie in prayer Surely God heareth these but regardeth them not but by way of condemnation And therfore let all men learne to know God aright in his word to beleeue him faithfully in his promises and to pray vnto him contiâ—ually according to knowledge so as this holy praier began with a desire that God might bee glorified so shall wee to his glorie and our comfort conclude the same And let vs know that as many petitions as are in this most heauenly prayer so many holy heauenly aduertisements instructions they administer vnto vs to liue heauenly for our Sauiour by teaching vs how to pray for so many seuerall blessings doth therein teach vs also how to performe our duties towards God and our neighbours the summe of both the Tables so as in praying vnto God with a faithfull and an vnderstanding heart we cannot but inform our selues in the course of a godly conuersation also thereby CHAP. XXXVI Praier much increaseth diuine knowledge whereby men of meane carnall learning exceede many literat Doctors WHo then among the company of Christians is there that will not be aduised or so backward that will not be stirred vp or so peruerse and peeuish that will not be perswaded to practise this holy duetie considering that it is found by holy experience that the continuall vse of faithfull prayer much encreaseth the knowledge of all other duties tending to the obtayning of our saluation in Christ nay further it is found by experience that faithfull often vse of prayer is a most effectuall meane to increase diuine knowledge such knowledge as some learned and great Doctors notwithstanding their deepest Schoole-learning haue not attained vnto For there is not a little difference betweene humane learning and spirituall knowledge so much difference between carnall deuotion and holy zeale the first may be in a reprobate the secoÌ„d in none but in the child of God The Scribes and Rabbies of the Iewes were great Doctors yet they apprehended not the mysterie of Christ as did the Apostles who receiued not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God The spirit which Gods children receiue lifteth vp their spirits vnto God teacheth them heauenly things that we may know the things that are giuen vs of God So that it is not the deepest carnall learning that can search the secret things of God but God reuealeth them vnto the poore and humble by his spirit which searcheth the deepe things of God The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned TheÌ„ is not the facultie of vnderstanding spirituall things giuen but by grace not by humane vnderstanding bee it neuer so deepe Therefore saith the Apostle Not manie wisemen after the flesh nor many mightie nor many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise the weake things of the world to confound the most mightie It followeth theÌ„ thaâ— he that hath the spirit of God knoweth how to performe all spirituall dueties among which none taketh place aboue faithfull prayer which is of that force as it obtaineth all things especially knowledge of things tending to the saluation of the soule the sweetnesse of true prayer none knoweth nor can apprehend but he onely that hath it the carnall man vnderstandeth it not beeing told it Some will say they cannot pray they finde no aptnesse in themselues therunto onely they can say the Lords praier but to say they doe it withâ— that feeling of coÌ„fort that they haue heard some men say they feel they cannot and how to amend it they know not yet are they content to be let alone loth to bee awaked out oâ— their deadly slumber and to die in that most fearefull traunce It is a greeuous sickenesse and a dangerous disease that such men are in it cannot but argue that they haue no true knowledge of God so long as they liue in this obscure yet a kind of voluntary darknesse For it cannot be that a man can heare the word preached Gods promises pronounced and his threats denounced but if there bee any feeling in him hee cannot but apprehend mercie or feare iudgement if neither of these can prouoke him to pray with feeling he is doubtlesse farre gone in a deadly Lethargie and no carnall medicine can cure him nor mortall Physitian heale him he only must doe it that cast out the seuen Diuels out of Marie hee must cast out the diuellish affections out of the man make him wise vnto saluation But if he be like vnto the deafe Adder and stoppe his eares wilfully refusing the relieuing charme there is no help or hope for such a man CHAP. XXXVII Although no man by nature knoweth how to pray none is to despaire for the word heard and prayer vsed teacheth it and increaseth the knowledge of it NO man by nature I coÌ„fesse knoweth how to â—ray as hee ought it is the spirit of God that helpeth our infirmities and maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed And therefore let no man despaire of beeing enabled There is a seed in all men a