streams of tears yea though of blood should continually drop from thine eyes it should do thee no good O! that ye (d) Luk. 19.42 knew in this your day the things that belong to your peace before they be hid from your eyes this is the acceptable day this is your day of prayer and the day of Gods hearing come then with confidence unto the throne of grace and he will give you an answer of peace Sect. 3. To whom is the Golden Scepter stretched forth whether the unconverted should pray c. IN the description of this solemn performance Ch. 3. It s said to be an offering up of (a) Our desires i. e the desires of us Viators our desires to God all we who are on our journey and travelling towards our eternall home who have so many wants and are exposed to so many tryalls are called to look up to God and present our requests unto him so that it may be called the pilgrims passe scrip and provision this sweet duty doth ly upon all who are yet in the land of the living and it is our priviledge and happinesse that we may thus look up to God for a supply of all our wants that so long as we are on our journey we have such a kind Master and provisor who will not deny us any thing that we shall ask of him But while we say that prayer is the pilgrims talent wherewith he can only trade in time though for time and eternity for this life and that which is to come we do not deny Christs intercession for though our blessed redeemer be entered into the promised land yet his people and servants are sojourning in the wildernesse and as our surety and head he appeareth in heaven for us and though he hath no personall wants which he can present to the Father yet the head in Glory pitieth and compassionateth his suffering members and thus being touched with the feeling of their wants and infirmities he pleadeth their cause and maketh continuall intercession for them We will not now add any thing to what hath been said (b) Where having fallen upon that sweet subject we would not make an interruption untill we had spoken what we conceived necessary for opening up of that question albeit according to the rules of method much of that matter did belong to this place Sect. 1. having spoken of that subject there at so great length only with Petrus e Tarantasius we may (c) Christus secundum quod Deus orare non potuit quia aequalis est patri secundum quod homo consideratur dupliciter 1. ut comprehensor sic ei 0182 0 competit orare pro aliis non prose quia non indigebat 2. ut Viator sic competebat ei orare pro aliis et prose omnis namque oratio est pro indigentiâ quâdam supplendâ Haeâ— Petrus de Tarantasia apud Dionys Cartbus in 3. sent dist 17. quaest 2. here observe that while Christ was a Viator and till he finished his course on earth and entered into his glory he prayed not only for others but also for himself but now while he is a comprehensor and doth sit at the right hand of God cloathed with honor and majestie and is put in possession of so much felicity as the humane nature is capable of and thus standing in need of nothing for himself he can no more pray for himself but only for his ransomed ones who in this their pilgrimage are labouring under so much weaknesse and infirmities and who are lying under so many burdens and wants But to speak of us mortalls who are travelling to eternity and have this price put in our hands and this help for our journey there be here two sorts of persons as in the former Sections upon whom this duty doth ly 1. The godly 2. The wicked As for the first it will not be denyed that Gods children have an (d) Eph 2.18 Heb. 4.16 Philip. 4.6 Jam. 5.16 Isa 45.19 Mat. 7.7 Ioh. 14.13 accesse to their Father purchased to them by the blood of Christ that they may come boldly unto the Throne of grace that they may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need that in every thing they should let their requests be made known unto God that the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much that the seed of Jacob do never seek his face in vain if such knock he will open if they seek they shall find and whatsoever they shall ask it shall be given them And there needs be no more question concerning the wicked Object Answer were it not that Antinomians Object If such would draw nigh to God in prayer or any other Ordinance they would the more provoke him to wrath their prayer being an abomination unto him Prov. 28.9 And what could such chaffe expect but that they should be burnt up when they approach to him who is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Ans It s a sad thing to consider how far Sathan transforming himself into an Angel of light hath prevailed with some eminent Professors who laying a great claime to holinesse and Gospel-liberty under that vizard have opened a door to all loosenesse and profanity thus these grand preachers of free grace I mean Antinomian seducers as they cast off themselves all (e) See Edwards Gangrana in the catologue of â—rrors part 1. pag. mihi 21.26 27 error 66 132 137 Pagits heresiography from 109. Al. Rosse his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 12. quaest 4.1 cords and bonds calling it a legall course to subject themselves to the holy Law of God or to look on it as a rule obliging them to conform their actions unto it so they would exempt the wicked from their duty telling such that nothing can or ought to be done by them for fitting and preparing them to beleeve and embrace Christ And thus they have made all the world at once Out laws and happy must the world now at length become when there is no such thing in it as sin Which will of necessity flow from these principles for where there is no Law obliging the sons of men to conformity and obedience there can be no sin sin being nothing else but the transgression of the law 1 Ioh. 3.4 But they tell us that now under the Gospel there is no such thing as a Law obliging any man to obey it yea some have come that length of impudence as to (f) Eph. Pagit loc cit pag. 106 107. Al. Rosse loc cit affirm that Christians are not only free from the mandatory power of the Law but that it is blasphemous in Divinity and monstrous in Nature to make the Law a rule of life Thus one of them in the Pulpit cryed Away with the Law which cuts off a mans legs and then bids him walk And thus not only the godly but also the wicked are become (g) According to their assertion that neither good works
not up our goings in his paths our feet would quickly slip Ps 17.5 If his right hand did not uphold us we could not follow after him Ps 63.8 There being 1. from within so much weakness and 2. so much indisposition and deadness yea and 3. so much contrariety opposition and enmity the flesh continually lusting and warring against the spirit and though there were no more this last were enough to render us unable to do Gal. 5.17 The old man waxing strong proveth a tyrant and often bindeth the new man hand and foot and leadeth him captive to the law of sin Rom. 7.23 Nay and 4. From without many and subtile snares and tentations from the world And 5. mighty and strong assaults from the (y) Luk. 11.21 strong-man that (z) 1 Pet. 5 8. roaring Lyon Sathan continually laying siege to the soul and storming it with fierce and fresh assaults from time to time so that we must not with Pelagians and (a) Though Jesuits and Arminians admit a moral perâ—wasion and som illuminati on of the mind and understanding yet they deny any power and strength to be communicated and imparted to the will and executive faculties Arminians think that the Spirt doth concur with and assist us in our spiritual performances according to that concurrence that is given to natural agents in their operations for they have a sufficient and compleat power and ability in their own rank and order for doing their works and producing their several effects though as creatures they be indigent and dependent both in being and working in esse operari As the infinit arm of the Almighty must uphold them otherwise they must instantly evanish and return to their mother nothing that womb from which they did come so that same arm of divine providence must help them and concur with them otherwise they can do nothing But yet a general concurrence and common work of providence is sufficient to (b) Viz. to actuat determinando and to assist concurrendo actuat and assist them they being in their own kind compleat agents and sufficiently thus proportionated for their several works and operations But the new man is a weak creature and hath no strength of himself to walk he is an incompleat agent and not able to work unlesse he get a continual supply of strength from heaven not only to actuat and assist the little strength and activity he hath but also to compleat and perfect the principle and fountain unless new water be put into our cisterns there can no water be drawn from them and therefore the Spirit doth not only actuat and concur but also supply the weakness impotency and defect of the cause it self in all our spiritual â—ctions And particularly as to prayer both in reference to innate weakness indisposition blindness opposition c. and to outward tentations and assaults there be several things which the Spirit doth perform and to speak now to the present point of corroboration and assistance as distinguished from the two following viz. the illumination and imboldning of the soul which also belong to this general head of supply and help but for distinctions cause shall be handled by themselves we shall not here speak of that common and as I may call it accidental supply which though it be required for the further perfection of the work yet is not necessary for its prevalency and acceptance as variety and plenty of matter decent and apt expressions and what else belongs to prayer as a gift of which we have already spoken But we shall now speak of the proper and more necessary supply whereby the Spirit doth provide and furnish help and assist the soul to all these (c) Spiritus sanctus non solum docet sed etiam monet movet docet rationem monet memoriam movet voluntatem docet ut sciamus sug gerit ut volimus roborat ut possimus Gerhard harm evang cont cap. 76. Illuminat mentem bominis ad intelligendum voluntatem instammat ad amandum virtutem ac robur praestat ad exequendum Dyd Alexandr desp S. apud eundum requisits and gracious qualifications to which the promise is made and which may promove the efficacy and acceptance of prayer and though none of these be common and no crumb of this bread which is the childrens allowance be at any time casten to the dogs all of them being spiritual and good of themselves yet some of them are more essential and necessary then others and in all of them there is a latitude some having these in a greater measure and degree then others yea one and the same supplicant may now find them in a greater and afterwards in a lesse measure and gradual perfection but we will not now stay on a comparison nor enquire what qualifications are necessary to the acceptance of prayer what not but remitting that question to Part. 2. chap. 3. we shall now speak to the point and since the qualification of prayer as of every duty may be measured 1. by the object 2. by its end and principles and 3. by its manner of performance so we shall consider prayer under all these respects and relations 1. Then as to the matter and object of prayer though we have some gift of apprehension and fancy whereby we may find variety of matter yet unlesse the Spirit illuminat the understanding and make a discovery of the excellency and expediency of fit objects how ready are we to mistake as shall be shown in the third particular But here we would show how the Spirit upon that discovery determins the will to close with and make choyce of fit objects and having thus enflamed the heart with love to spiritual objects and moderated our thirst after the creature he sends us to the throne with sutable desires and enableth us to ask what is good for us and agreeable to the will of God Rom. 8.27 Secondly as to the ends and principles we will not separate these two because we are not now speaking of physical principles but of moral viz. those motives which per modum finis do attract and draw alongst the heart and allure it to the duty especially those three which we find conjoyned 1 Tim. 1.5 where also they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of the commandment and may also be called the end of our obedience endeavours and performances which are so many evidences and fruits of and means to strengthen them viz. faith (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love and conscience of our obligation and the duty we ow to God both by way of debt as his creatures and gratitude as his favourits and objects of his love and bounty and this our obedience becometh not a task a hard or unpleasant service and work especially since further it is sweetned by love and 2. by the expectation of a new reward whereof faith is an assurance and it is the work of the Spirit of
of 13. ye may read in Gerhard cont Harm Evan. Cap. 179. pag. 1127. interpretations But that with which we close alâ—eit these we have brought may also serve for clearing the words is that of the learned (z) Toletus in loc non dico vobis necesse esse c. vid. loc Tolet I do not say I will pray that is saith he I need not to pray for you not that I will not pray but that my formall intercession is not necessary for the love of the Father is such to you and my death and satisfaction such a real pleasing Sacrifice that he will refuse you nothing ye will ask in my name ye must not think that my intercession is of such absolut necessity as my suffering Which interpretation as it seemeth to be most agreeable to the scope of the words and for clearing what hath been lately said by (a) In oppoâ—â—tion to M. Goodwin us so also with the like phrase upon a contrary occasion Joh. 5.45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father (b) Ubi nâ—â—â— simpliciter 〈◊〉 gat sed tantuâ—â— significat nâ—n esse opus Gerhard ubi supra that is I shall not need to do it Moses and his Law will be enough to condemne you and though ye had never heard of me his writtings will sufficiently serve for your damnation and yet elsewhere he tells them that this shall be their condemnation that light is come into the world and that if he had not spoken unto them they had had no sin viz. in comparison of their aggravated guiltinesse and that upon this account it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgement then for them Joh. 3.19 and 15.22 Mat. 11.22 So that not only Moses and his writings but also Christ and his Gospel shall accuse them So though I did not pray saith he yet you would no lesse then your Fathers who lived before my incarnation come speed though for your greater comfort I will also interceed for you But you will say what grounds of consolation can Christs intercession afford to us since while he prayed for himself he was not heard He thrice prayed that the cup of his sufferings might passe from him yet notwithstanding he was made to (c) Rev. 19.15 tread the Wine-presse of the fiercenesse and wrath of almighty God Ans 1. It were lost travell to stay to confute (d) Apud Forb inst hist theo lib. 5. Cap. 29. S. 10 11. Sergius Honorius and other Monothelits their hereticall glosse who affirm that Christ had no more a humane and naturall will then he had sin but that he did speak these words in our room and name 2. (e) Damase lib. 4. Orthodox fid Cap. 19. Damascen the papists great Patriach is no lesse ridiculous in his conceit while he affirms that Christ did not truly and properly pray but only in appearance shew and resemblance 3. Therefore let us a little view what these who are more solid and judicious have offered for clearing the place And we will begin with Aquinas his distinctions And thus 1. Christ (f) Thom. 3. part quaest 18. art 5. saith he did will the removing of the cup of his sufferings with a natural and sensitive will not with a rational will for thus he did choose it and thirst after it 2. If with a rational will since it were absurd to say that his will had no reason yet as led and directed by (g) Vid Thom. 1 part quaest 79. art 9. 1.2 quaest 74. art 7. inferior reason which pondereth only humane and sensible motives and not by superior reason which perpendeth spiritual and divine considerations 3. Christ did (h) Thom. 3. part quaest 21. art 4. will the cup to passe from him according to some natural and indeliberat motion arising from the sensual appetite but according to his will led by deliberat reason he submits and saith not as I will but as thou wilt 4. Christ (i) Thom. ibid. talis voluntas magis dicenda est velleitas quam absolutavoluntas quia scil homo hoc vellet fi aliud non obfisteret willed the removal of that bitter cup with an ineffectuall velleity not with a positive and proper will it was rather a wishing and woulding viz. if the condition were feasable then a true willing for the present 5. Christ (k) Tolet in Joan. cap. 12.27 willed that cup to passe not absolutely and peremptorily but only conditionally and upon supposition if thus God could be honoured and man saved he willed not upon any (l) Non simplicitersed secundum quid Thom. 3. part quaest 21. art 4. secundum portionem inferiorem nolait passionem voluntate ut naturâ ut liberâ noluit tantum conditionaliter nonabsolute Scot. in 3. sent dist 15. quaest unica Aliud est alquid velle ex hypothesi aliud vero simpliciter velle Camer resp ad epist pag. 768. termes and all things being considered but only in some respect But (m) Becan theol seb part 3. tom 2. cap. 17. quaest 3. Mart. Becan taketh another way for clearing the difficulty It is saith he one thing to pray another thing to propound a simple and ineffectuall desire thus Christ did not pray while he said let this cup passe from me but did express his natural desire which he did restrain while he subjoyned not as I will but as thou wilt And he gives three reasons for this interpretation 1. Because we may not offer up our indeliberat and in-efficacious desires to God prayer-wayes but we must perpend what we ask and ponder our words we must not take things as they appear at the first view but we must consider them as circumstantiated and as relative to that end for which they are appointed of God 2. We must pray in faith and confidence to be heard but such a desire could not be put up in faith For Christ knew that he was to drink that cup and therefore he knew as well that his desire was not to be granted As he who said O mihi praeteritos referat si Jupiter annos 3. If Christ did pray that the cup might paste from him he must at once pray for both parts of the contradiction for he presently addeth not my will to have this cup passe but thine that I may drink it be done and then he concludeth thus Transeat à me calix iste non fuit oratio sed explicatio naturalis affectus quo Christi humanitas abhorrebat à morte To which may be added a fourth reason such a desire as is contrary 1. to promise covenant and transaction 2. To office and calling 3. To the glory of God's truth and mercy expressed in the Word 4. To prophecies of old and the then more fully revealed Doctrine of the Gospel And 5. To the salvation of man could not be put up prayer-wayes to God by our faithfull high Priest and compassionat
his Spirit to be our guide and to help us to pray as we ought both as to the mater and maner And albeit we may follow the light of the promise and ask what is there held forth and name what is there expressed yet we should pray that not what we will but what he hath appointed to be good for us may be given unto us and that the Spirit would moderat our desires and rectifie them when they are misplaced 3. Object may be this we must pray in faith Obj. 3 nothing wavering but we cannot with such confidence expect and ask any of these temporall things and therefore they are not a fit object of Prayer Ans we shall in the Lords strength Part. 2. Chap. 2. shew what is that faith which is required in an acceptable prayer and therefore we will remit this Objection there to be discussed and answered (n) It were an egregious tempting of the Lord to ask a miracle without a revelation and some speciall warrant which none can now expect and yet without a miracle according to the Jesuiticall hypothesis the Lord can neither give nor withhold any thing from us and wherefore then should we pray unto him Here we might enquire of Socinians Jesuits and Arminians what is the sense and meaning of their Prayers and what they do ask from the Lord while they pray for these temporall and outward things Either it must be nothing or too much some one or other miraculous dispensation that either he would suspend his concurrence from these second causes which propend to what may hurt us or that he would imploy and determine and provide means for procuring to us such and such mercies neither of which can be done without a s miracle for these men have limited the holy one and bound the almightie as with Adamantine chains and fetters of iron unto the will and determination of the poor creature fancying an obligation to ly upon him by vertue of that law whereby he as the first rather last and generall cause must concurre with all and every one of the creatures according to their exigence and at their nod call and determination And thus the Lord unless he will work a miracle and alter the course of nature and contraveen that law and order he hath appointed in governing the world or rather his suffering the creatures to sit in the throne of providence and to govern the world according to their pleasure and inclination must become like the Pagan idols who can neither do good nor evil Isa 41.23 Jer. â—0 5 and the world must be governed by fortune and a blind providence And the Lord must not be said to guide rule lead and determine his creatures but they to rule lead and determine him yea often as in evil actions against his will and with abhorrence and reluctancy nay (t) Deus quaesi co actus munere causae universalis permittitsuum conâ—ursum qui torquetur contra intentionem ad malum Ruiz de vel Dei disp 38. sect 2. disp 26. sect 5. Deus pertrabitur veluti abripiiur a causa secundae Raynand mor. discip dist 4. q. 3. art 5. sect 355. Deus non solum non concurrit cum inclinatione sed etiam cum repugnantia adverte omnipotentiam ex netura râ—i esse indifferentem ut subjiciatur quasi potestati voluntatis creatae â—â—ut habituâ— voluntati hominis unde fit ut Deus supposita voluntate seu ut loquitur Raynand loc cit sect 360. pacto cum causis secundis inito vel potius lege sua de cooperando non fit agens liberum sed perinde ac si essâ—â— necessarium nobiscum sine cognitione concurrens Atriag curs phil disp 10. phys sect 2. subs 3. ingâ—â—ua est haec Jesuitae cofessio cui alii subâ—â—â—â—bere tenentur immerito itaque inconsequenter a Raynando vapulant Canus Sot V â—â—q Sal. alii quod statuant Deum non esse causam liberam sed naturalem necessariâ—m dum cooperatur ad actus nostros vid. Ray. loc cit sect 359. paragrapho lamen sequenti fatetur hunc dicendi modum posse trahi ad bonum sensum adversaries themselves are not ashamed to avouch and professe that he who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will Eph. 1.11 is often forced by vertue of that office which as the universal cause he is obliged to discharge to concur with his creatures according as they shall determine him that he is often drawn and compelled by them So that omnipotency is no lesse subjected to our will then those habits and members which we use as we will so that the Lord now is not a free agent but a natural and necessary and though he doth know yet he must wink as if he did not see and follow the creature wheresoever it doth draw him Thus in the general those learned Rabbles dogmatize and particularly as to the present case (u) Sot lib. de nat grat cap. 31. ad secundum arg Greg. Veg. opuse de iustif q. 12. Sotus and Vega confesse that while we pray for temporal mercies we only ask that the world may be governed by blind fortune and that God would neither do good nor evil For though their words be more smooth while they say that they ask that God would give us these things generali suo concursu providentia out of a general providence yet these words being duly pondered do hold out no other thing then what we collected from them for their general providence is nothing else but an abdication of God's care and provision of his government and bounty As for others they either of purpose as it would appear pass over this difficulty and only speak of the necessity of prayer as to spiritual matters others hunt after some evasions which neither they nor the reader can lay hold on But (x) Pelag. apud Suar. de grat prol 5. cap. 3. § 18. Polagius their old Master dealt more ingenuously when he confessed that prayer was scarce necessary yea or profitable For it was well said by (y) Quid stultius quam Deum orare ut faciat quod in potestate habes August de peccâ—â—mer remiss lib. 2. cap 6. Augustine that there is nothing more foolish thâ—n â—o ask from another that which is in our own power We might extend this question to spiritual things and shew that these also according to the principles of those men do wholly depend upon our selves our own wills and the right improvement of our natural abilities And thus the ancient (z) August plurinâ—is in locis de nat grat lib. 1. cap. 18. epist â—0 cui subscribunt Patres concilii Carthaginensis 91. quae est InnoceÌ„tii 107. Hieron epist ad Cresiph lib. 1. contra Pelag. c. Doctors from this Topick have drawn a strong argument against Pelagius and all his followers that either we must leave off to pray or else