within you blesse the Lord upon every manifestation of his goodness as well as desire blessings from him And thus have I gon over the parts and kinds of Prayer much work indeed I have told you of but the more work the better for the more grace is to be expected in order unto the performing of what is required I shall conclude with a very brief Application in two words 1. How sharply are they to be reproved that instead of praying with all prayer use no prayer but live in the almost total neglect of this duty 2. Be perswaded to pray with all Prayer All prayer that God has appointed he is ready to hear in all prayer the name of Christ may be used and the promises of God which are sure exceeding great and precious may be pleaded and how glad may we be that the Lord has appointed so many successful wayes of seeking him wherein he has consulted the variety of our conditions and necessitys So much for the second Doctrine That all Prayer is to be used D. 3. Prayer when rightly performed is Supplication in the Spirit Indeed all our worship of God who is a Spirit must be in Spirit and in truth Joh. 4. 24. else 't is in truth no worship As the body without the Spirit is dead so dutys without Spirit are dead also In the handling of this point I shall first open to you what 't is to pray in the Spirit Secondly Lay down the reasons of the Doctrine Thirdly Answer some cases of conscience about praying in the Spirit Lastly make application First What 't is to pray in Spirit This as I have already intimated refers both to the Spirit of him that prays and also to the Spirit of God who helps to pray 1. This praying in the Spirti refers unto the spirit of him that prays and several things are here included 1. To pray with our spirit implies to pray with understanding I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with understanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. we must not only understand the words that are spoken but also and that principally the worth of those things which we Petition for we must likewise in some measure be acquainted with the All-sufficiency and Faithfulness of that God whom we pray to and with our own indigency that are the Petitioners The Athenians had an Altar dedicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the unknown God Act. 17. 23. and they are said ignorantly to worship him and truly all their worship degenerated into superstition We must know the Lord and our selves what his promises and our own Needs are else prayer will be of no account 2. To pray with our spirit implies to pray with judgment discerning between things that differ There is as vast a difference between Sin and Holiness as there is between Deformity and Beauty There is as vast a difference between the Creature and the Creator as there is between the broken Cistern that can hold no water and the Fountain of living waters Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the Fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water There is as vast a difference between a state of Grace and a state of Wrath as there is between Heaven and Hell Now he that prays must be apprehensive of all this and a believing apprehension of it will make him earnest for the loving kindness of the Lord and that he may taste more and more of the Fountain of living waters and be cleansed from all defilements 3. To pray with our spirits implies to pray with intention of mind Abraham drove away the fowls that did light upon his Sacrifice Gen. 15. and so should we drive away the impertinent and sinful and troublesome thoughts that arise or are injected into our hearts when we engage in sprayer Our hearts cannot wander in the least but they are espied by him whose name is jealous We should therefore desire that the Lord himself who holds the wind in his Fists would seize upon our more unruly hearts and keep them close to himself in duty especially considering there are some kind of distractions that nullifie and make void prayer distractions that are not regarded not lamented not watched or striven against 4. To pray with our spirits implies to pray with spiritual affections The affections are the wings of the Soul and the Soul is carried either to or from any thing according as the affections are inclined The Apostle exhorting to seck the things that are above presently adds set your affection on things above Col. 3. 1 2. intimating we shall never seek the things above in good earnest unless our affections be placed on them Those affections that have evil for their object must spend their strength upon sin which is the worst of all evils Sin must be hated most perfectly sin must cause the deepest sorrow sin must be most feared and against sin the heart should rise with the greatest indignation Those affections that have good for their object as love desire and the like should run with a full stream towards God and those great things that are brought to light by the Gospel and promised in the covenant of grace The stronger and more spiritual our affections are in prayer the better success will follow 2 Chron. 15. 15. 'T is said of Judah that they sought the Lord with their whole desire and he was found of them 2. This praying in the spirit refers to the Spirit of God who helps to pray The Apostle Jude exhorts to build up our selves on our most holy Faith and to pray in the Holy Ghost Jud. 20. and so to keep our selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal life Now the operation or working of the spirit of God in prayer I shall explain in these particulars 1. The Spirit of God teaches Believers for what to pray he opens their eyes to understand the Word and to know what the Will of the Lord is W know not says the Apostle what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit makâ—th intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Rom. 8. 27. 2. The spirit removes impediments to prayer he turns that love that naturally is in the heart to sin into hatred he causes the World that was Idolized to be contemned he cures that infidelity in reference to the excellency of spiritual things that the unrenewed Soul is full of as also that enmity against God and Holiness which was in the mind all the while 't was Carnal Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. the Fetters are knockt off the Clogs removed the Soul is brought out of Prison and is made free both unto the performance of duty and free in the
that he spent day and night in nothing but eating no such matter but when the season or meal-time came he was present So to pray always is to pray whenever prayer is seasonable 3. A third question is What is meant by all Prayer Bullinger refers this to the intension of the mind saying that in this Duty there must be all possible devotion and intentness and servency of heart But Musculus understands Prayer of every sort and indeed all kinds of Prayer which God has appointed are needfull and the Lord is ready by the Communications of his Grace to encourage to the practice of this Duty in the full extent and latitude of it 4. Anotherquestion is this What are we to understand by prayer in the spirit Some refer this clause to the things asked as if we should slight all worldly enjoyments and ask only for those blessings that are spiritual 'T is confessed that spiritual blessings are to be most prized and to be begged with the greatest importunity but yet temporal mercies may also with submission be desired Daily Bread we are allowed to ask for and that Bread is sweetest and most blest that is the fruit of Prayer Others observe and rightly that this passage Praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Spirit may have relation both to the spirit of God and the spirit of him that prays 1. It may have relation unto the Spirit of God The Holy Ghost makes intercession for Believers according to the will of God he helps their infirmities who of themselves know not what to pray for as they ought Rom. 8. 26 27. 2. It may have relation unto the spirit of him that prays Prayer must be the off-spring of the heart or else 't will In Religione non sit quod cor non facit not be of any value or efficacy The spirit of a man must understand what and the worth of what is prayed for and the affections must be stirred in order to the attainment of it 5. A fifth question is what are we to understand by watching unto prayer with all perseverance We must watch over our hearts and watch for God and this must be with continuance unless we continue to watch and pray we may quickly enter and fall into temptation And since all militant Saints are in danger as well as we and stand in so near a relation to Christ and to us we should be much concerned for them so as to desire their safety and well-fare as our own There are six Doctrins which these words afford us 1. A Christians security lyes very much in praying always 2. All prayer is of concernment to be used 3. Prayer when rightly performed is supplication in the spirit 4. In prayer Watching is a necessary ingredient 5. We must persevere if we would speed in prayer 6. Our spirits must be so publick as to supplicate for all the Saints as well as for oâ—r selves D. 1. I begin with the first of these Doctrines That a Christians security lies very much in praying always Although he be Armed from head to foot with the Armour of God which if any in the world is Armour of Proof yet he is not safe without prayer Saints in Scripture have lookt upon the Throne of Grace as their Asylum and Sanctuary and have come hither for refuge and strength in their troubles and temptations David when he perceived the deceit and hatred of his Adversaries who fought against him without cause says 't was his course and truly 't was a wise one to give himself to prayer Psal 109. 4. When his soul was among Lyons and he dwelt among those that were set on fire he then crys unto God most high unto God that performed all things for him Psal 57. 2. When the Apostle Paul was buffeted by the Messenger of Satan he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him and had this answer my grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. Nay the very Captain of our Salvation Christ himself not only used the word of God in temptation and overcome the Devil by Scripture-weapons but also he was wonderfully servent in prayer Heb. 5. 7. In the days of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared I shall speak unto this Doctrin in this following order First give you a definition of prayer that you may know what ' t is Secondly Inform you what it is to pray always Thirdly Shew you why a Christians security lies in prayer Fourthly Give you some reasons why he should be always praying Fifthly Answer some Objections that are made against this Duty Lastly Make Application In the first place I am to give you a definition of prayer that you may understand the nature of it Damascen l. 3. de orth Fid. c. 24. give this description 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayer is an assention of the mind unto God and asking those things which are convenient from him The mind must ascend as well as the voâ—â—â— and both must be directed unto God alone and those things only must be directed unto God alone and those things only must be desired which the wise and gracious God sees Oratio est actus rationis practicae voluntatis desiderium explicantis ab a liis aliquid postulantis Aquin in 2. 2. qu. 83. art 1. convenient Aquinus defines prayer an act of the practical understanding explaining the desire of the will and requesting something from another which being applied unto God amounts to thus much that both the mind and will do act in prayer the mind makes known what the will desires Psal 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thoe and my groaning is not hid from thee and then likewise there is an earnest craving to have this desire satisfied Psal 90. 14. Oh satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days But a more full definition of prayer is this Prayer is a Duty performed unto God by sensible and believing Souls in which they ask for things according to his will in the name of Christ with thanksgiving for what already has been received This definition I shall take in pieces and explain the parts of it 1. Prayer is a Duty 't is part of that homage and worship which we owe to God this is evident by the light of nature the Heathen Marriners cryed unto the Lord for preservation in a Storm Jon. 1. but 't is more evident by Scripture light commands to pray are frequent And he that does restrain prayer casts off the fear of God and says unto the Almighty Depart from me Job 21. 14 15. Prayer is a Duty for we are obliged to it by a precept and that precept is for our profit we need help from Heaven and our wants that are of greatest concernment to be supplied can be supplyed by none
been made manifest you should go in secret and cry Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and make me to go in the path of thy Commandments Psal 119. 35 36. Have any gracious and holy resolutions by the motions of the spirit with the word been made you must go alone and beg Keep this O Lord for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of my heart and establish my heart unto thee 1 Chron. 29. 18. 6. Secret prayer is the way to have special tokens of Gods love and those joys that a stranger does not intermeddle with Oh the sweet meltings and thawings of the heart for sin as 't is an abuse of mercy that are experienced in secret prayer Oh the visits that then the great Physician of Souls does make How suitably and gently does he deal with the wounded spirit what assurance does he give that he will in no wise cast out but give rest unto the weary and heavy-laden Mat. 11. 28. Oh what peace is spoken to the Saints in answer to prayer what sweet intimations are given and sometimes a plerophory and full perswasion of their interest in that love which is unchangable and everlasting Surely the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25. 14. 7. Consider God will reward openly This Argument Christ uses to enforce secret prayer Mat. 6. 6. Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly As all secret wickedness shall at last be detected and punished so all secret piety and godliness shall be made manifest before the whole world at the Judgment day and the reward will be exceeding great and everlasting So much be spoken concerning prayer in the Closet 2. Prayer in the Family is to be insisted on And that Family-prayer is a duty may be evidently proved by these Arguments 1. The Apostle in the Text enjoyns all prayer and Family-prayer is one kind that holy men have used Joshua resolves that he and his House would serve the Lord Josh 24. 15. and prayer is so principle a part of Divine Service that in Scripture 't is sometimes put for the whole Gen. 4. ult Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord that is in a more publick manner to worship him So of Cornelius 't is said that he feared God with all his House and pray'd unto the Lord always Act. 10. 2. 2. Families of Believers are styled Churches in Scripture and in a Church there is a joyning together in prayer other exercises of Godliness The Apostle Paul wishes grace and peace to the Church in Philemons House Phil. 2. 3. and v. 22. speaks of their joynt-prayers through which he trusted he should be given to them 3. The Family stands in need of blessings which they are together to beg for and to deprecate Family evils And for encouragement Christ has promised that where two or three are gathered together in his Name he will be in the midst of them Mat. 18. 20. Now in Families-duties two or three are gathered together in Christs Name and his prefence may without presumption be expected 4. Wrath is threatned upon prayerless Families Pour out thy Fury upon the Families that call not upon thy Name Jer. 10. 25. I grant indeed that the word Families is of such a Latitude that it extends unto Countries and Kingdoms but if there be an obligation upon Countrys and Kingdoms to joyn in calling upon God surely then Familys more strictly taken are in no wife Exempted Having proved Family-Prayer a Duty I shall lay down some directions as to the performance of it 1. Be sensible that Prayer is a business of greater concernment than any wordly business whatsoever You are indeed to be diligent in your Callings that are particular but your general Callings is of greatest weight The general Calling is that which all are called to and what are all called to They are called to serve and glorifie God and to work out their own Salvation Prayer is a part of your Homage to the King of Heaven Much Spiritual and Eternal benefit is to be obtained by it therefore do it not as a by-business neither let every small matter cause the omission of it 2. Believe that success in your Callings depends upon the Lords Blessing the blessing of the Lord maketh Rich says Solomon and he addeth no Sorrow with it Prov. 10. 22. without thee t is in vain to rise up early and to sit up late and to eat the Bread of carefulness Now Prayer for this blessing is the way to fetch it I grant indeed that many thrive in the World without Prayer but then Wealth is a Curse and a Snare to them 't is a weight that hinders them from ascending into the Hill of the Lord and helps to sink them into destruction and perdition 3. Let Prayer ordinarily be twice a day as under the old Law there was a morning and evening Sacrifice and let the whole Family joyn in it if it be possible since there are none but need prayer and may receive advantage by it 4. Let the Word of God be read when Prayer is made that not only you but your housholds after you may be acquainted with the Misterys of the Gospel and with the will of God Abraham communicated what he had learned from the Lord unto his Family he used his Authority and commanded his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18. 19. 5. Take heed of customariness and formality in family-Worship engage always with a serious Spirit and in every Duty stir up your selves to take hold on God I conclude with the motives to perswade you to Family-Prayer 1. You that are Governours have a charge of the Souls that dwell under your Roof and must answer for them Therefore you are to pray with them to pray for them Else you will incur the guilt of the Blood of Souls and that will lie heavy You provide food for your Housholds for you are unwilling it should be said you are so much worse than Infidels as to suffer any to starve that dwels with you Oh what unmercifulness is it patiently to suffer those of your Houshold to go on in the way that leads to Damnation And not to call upon the Lord in their hearing that they may be saved 2. Families are the Seminaries both of Church and State And therefore as you desire the Church may be pure and the State Righteous look well unto your Families and let Religion flourish in them Reformation indeed must begin at Persons and if every one would mend one all would be reformed But from persons it must proceed to houses And if these were but once leavened with godlyness what holy Citys and what an happy Nation would there be 3. Consider Family-Worship has wofully been neglected of late in these declining times How many large consciences loose principles and loose practises are there to be found among us
performance of it 3. The Spirit encourages unto prayer he lets Believers understand that now is the accepted time that now is the day of Salvaâ—ion 2 Cor. 6. 2. Wherefore he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted in a day of Salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation Though the Lord should have been sought much sooner yet 't is not too late to seek him now he will be found by the hearty seeker such seeking shall not be in vain Deut. 4. 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul 4. The Spirit enables Believers to act those graces that are required in prayer There are four graces especially that should be exercised in our supplications Humility Faith Love Patience 1. Humility The Lord has a special regard to the Humble whereas the Proud he knows afar of and has threatned to resist the Proud The humble soul has high and awfull apprehensions of God in prayer and mean very mean thoughts of it self Abraham was humble when he said Behold I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Jer. 18. 27. Job was humble when he said Mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self The good Angels themselves are humble though never in the least offenders the Cherubins cover their faces with their wings and cry out holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is filled with his glory How vile then should we be in our own eyes who by our guilt are so obnoxious who have so many soul spots and stains upon our souls which are the effects of sin nay whose very Righteousnesses are but as filthy raggs Isa 64. 6. 2. Faith is to be acted in prayer and truly we may come with confidence to the Throne of Grace if we consider the power of God which is not only most Mighty but Almighty I am God Almighty saith the Lord to Abraham the Father of the Faithful He can do more for us than we can desire should be done for us Nothing is too hard for him and although all other helps fail he needs them not his Arm when alone can bring Salvation Isa 59. 16. This power of God may safely be relyed on for he is also full of mercy Psal 62. ult God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God also unto thee belongeth mercy David was encouraged by this in his supplications Psal 25. 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old And we have not only an intimation of Gods merciful nature but in his Covenant he has promised to shew mercy for this he delights in and Christ is the Mediatour of this Covenant so that 't is most sure Hark to the Apostle Heb. 8. 10. 12. This is the Covenant that I will make saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people for I will be merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more 3. Love is to be acted in prayer there must be a love to our Neighbour and they must from the heart be forgiven that have Tres-passed against us shall we think much of a few Pence when we are Debtors many thousand Talents But principally there must be love to the Lord expressed in prayer his favour and fellowship with him must be longed for the sâ—ul must thirst for God for the liviâ—g God as the chased Hart after the water-brooks 42. 1 2. And when he does manifest himself he must be rejoyced and delighted in and his grace admired whatever is received 4. Patience is also to be acted in prayer there must be a patient waiting in this duty a right understanding of Gods Wisdom and Faithfulness that he knows what and when to give and will do it in the best both time and measure will be a great means to cure our over-hastiness David is to be imitated who said I waited patiently for the Lord and he lost nothing by it for it follows He inclined his ear unto me and heard my cry Psal 40. 1. These are the graces which the Spirit enables Believers to act in prayer 5. The Spirit directs Believers unto Christ as the alone prevailing Advocate We are said to have access to the Father by the Spirit and through the Son Eph. 2. 18. The Spirit leads us to Christ as the Mediator who is the way unto God The Spirit shews that God having given Christ has opened through him the treasurâ—s of his grace and for his sake will give freely all things The Spirit still is turning the eye of the Believer towards the Lord Jesus and in prayer instructs us how to improve his relation to us who is bone of our bone flesh of our flesh and is become an Head and Husband to us How to improve his sufferings by which all that we need has been procured How to improve his Intercession which as 't is incessant so 't is never denyed and finally How to improve his Power and Authority for he can do what he will both in Heaven and in Earth He is the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Life and Glory he can give Peace and Life and Glory to whom he pleaseth 6. The Spirit makes Believers sincere in their aimes when they pray They design the Hallowing and Honouring of Gods Name as well as their own welfare They beg for pardon and grace not only because 't is good for themselves to have these but likewise because the Lord glorisies his grace and mercy and goodness in forgiving and healing and saving those that cry and fly to him Thus you see what 't is to pray in the Spirit and consequently it does not lye barely either in fluency of utterance or in variety of expressions or in multitude of words Now follow the Reasons of the Doctrine and they are of two sorts First Why our own spirits should engage in prayer 1. Because God is a spirit our Lord assigns this as a Reason why worship should be in spirit because God is a Spirit who is worshipped 2. He principally requires our spirits My Son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. And truly he does narrowly observe where our hearts are when we are at prayer and no wonder for our spirits are most capable of serving him To admire fear love trust in him these are the principal ways of worshipping him and this is done with the heart 3. Without our spirits prayer is but a mockery If when the Lord is honoured with the mouth the heart be far from him God says in vain do they worship me and I will not hold them guiltless And this you may observe that when our hearts are not engaged
in prayer they are commanded by the Lords Enemies Sin the world and Satan do detain them The second sort of Reasons are why we must pray by the help of the Spirit of God His assistance is necessary 1. Because of our darkness we of our selves know not God nor his Will nor our own greatest Needs nor wherein lyes our great interest and truest happiness 2. Because of our deadness active we are as to sin but unto prayer indisposed the dead man must be lifted and carried for of himself he cannot stir We that naturally are without strength nay without life cannot lift up our souls to God unless the spirit lift them up to him 3. Because of the opposition that is made by the evil one When we come to the Mercy-seat the Devil makes nothing of taking the right hand of us he is ready to resist us as he did Joshua the high Priest Zach 3. 1. and we are not able to withstand him unless the Spirit of God who is infinitely stronger rebuke him for us 4. The Spirits assistance is necessary in prayer because of that natural aversness iâ— our own hearts unto what is good whereas we should hate the evil and love the good we hate the good and love the evil nay in the very best there is a law in the members which wars against the law of the mind and evil is present If the Spirit were not also mightily and graciously present there would be an utter inability as to prayer or any duty which God requires In the third place I am to answer some Cases of Conscience concerning the Spirit of Prayer 1. Whether all Believers have the Spirit of Prayer I answer that all true Believers have this Spirit For the spirit of Grace which all Saints have received is also a spirit of supplication Zech. 12. 10. and the Apostle expresly sayes if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his 2. Whether only Believers have the spirit of Prayer I answer The spirit of prayer is peculiar to Believers for where the holy Ghost does help the heart to pray he cleanses the heart from what before defiled it and turns the heart and the desires of it towards God so that that 's now the Language Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee 3. Whether the Spirit of Prayer may not be lost I answer that the Spirit may be grieved by our corruptions when they prevail and when we grovv slothful and heedless hovv vve enter into Temptation and being grieed may withdraw his quickning and assisting influences But the Spirit is never quite lost by those that have been truly renewed by him He abides for ever where he has conseccrated any to be his Temple Joh. 14. 16. David after his fall says Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation to shew that his joy was lost but he prayes Take not thy holy Spirit from me to signifie that the Spirit was not quite departed though that departure was deserved and feared 4. May not persons excel in the gift of prayer that yet are void of the Spirit I answer in the affirmitive The gift of prayer may only serve to puff up professours with Pride how are such pleased in reflecting upon the repute they have gained by their enlargedness in expression And this pride is not checked is not abhorred The words of prayer may be used and a carnal worldly designe carried on Hypocrites aime at an eminency in gifts that they may pass for godly and under the cloak of Religion cover their wickedness and in their most enlarged supplications they aime at their own profit fame and are prodigiously destitute of the fear of God 'T is certain the gift of Prayer may be in the unsound hearted for even the gift of Prophesie which the Apostle prefers before other gifts we find in wicked men Mat. 7. 22 23. many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name Then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity 5. May not some that have the Spirit of Prayer be very weak in the gift of utterance I answer yes There was much of the spirit of prayer in Hezekiah when he chattered like a Crane or Swallow and mourned like a Dove Esa 38. 14. The Lord regards not so much the expression as affection and the heart may be sincere in its desires when not onely because of the strength of those desires but also through confusion there wants utterance Let not those therefore that are but weak in expression be discouraged for the heart may highly value Mercy and Grace and obtain both when prayer is but lisped and stammered forth by the Tongue Now follows the Application And Use 1. is of reproof which belongs 1. To them who pray indeed but their Hearts and Spirits pray not with them They put the Lord off with the bended knees the stretched forth hands the lifted up eyes the labour of the lips the fruit of their invention but all this while their hearts are not with him and their affections run a whoring after their vanities and iniquities The prayers of such dissemblers are dead prayers and truly are to be numbred among their dead works and their prayers being not minded by themselves how should God have regard to them unless it be to hate and punish them 2. They are to be reproved who make light of the Spirit of God and of his assistance in this duty of prayer They account the aid of the holy Ghost a needless a notional and imaginary thing Such never knew what 't is to wrestle with God what 't is to sigh and groan and be as it were in Travel till the blessings beg'd for are obtained Oh how impossible is it that Nature should rise thus high till the Spirit do renew and elevate it Use 2. Of Trial whether we have the Spirit of Prayer or no And this may be discerned by these following signs 1. Those that have the Spirit of Prayer by the Spirit have been convinced of sin Joh. 16. 8. he has discovered sin broken their hearts for it and 't is now become a load to them though before they loved it never so extreamly Before they hid sin now they lay it open in prayer before they excused it now they aggravate it and judg themselves worthy of Hell and Wrath because of it 2. Those that have the Spirit of Prayer are made to look unto Christ crucified Zach. 12. 10. I will pour out upon the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of supplication Then shall they look upon him whom they have peirced and mourn for him and be in bitterness as one is in bitterness for the loss of a first born Christ crucified is lookt upon by such with a weeping Eye because their sin was the cause of his sufferings and with an
eye of dependance for all their expectation of Grace and Peace and Life is through Him alone 3. They that have the Spirit of Prayer are earnest for the fruits and graces of the Spirit that Love â—oy Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodness Faith Meckâ—â—sse Temperance All which the Apostle enumerates Gal. 5. 22. 23. may be in them and abound and they are restless in prayer for the mortification of the deeds of the flesh for they consider what is said Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live 4. They that have the Spirit of prayer are enabled to go unto God as unto a Father Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Not but that doubts and fears may be in those that have the Spirit witnesse the Psalmist who cryed out will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clear gon for ever And doth his promise fail for evermore hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercyes Psal 77. 7. 8. 9. But at length and truly it may be long first â—aith gets the better of unbelief Many that are the Children of God cannot always call him Father yet even then they go to him and are noâ—quite beat off from him and there is a Secret Trust that he has some gracious respect to them and by this they are encouraged still to persist in prayer Use 3 of Exhortation Prize and value the Spirit of Prayer as without his help you cannot pray to any purpose so he can make prayer mightily pravailing The Spirit will create an holy boldness in your accesse to the throne of grace he will enlarge your hearts in this duty which enlargements are not without sweetness and great satisfaction The Spirit will draw up and indite such petitions for you as will not be denyed and give some encouraging intimation of your being accepted and answered in the beloved Now if you would have the Spirit of Prayer follow these directions 1. Rest not in the bare gift of Prayer let it not satisfy you that you have a praying tongue and no more all your Supplications are but a flattering the Lord with your lips and a lying unto him with your tongues while your hearts are not right with him Psal 78. 36 37. 2. Be sensible of your need of the Spirit light and liberty life and liveliness are the effects of the Spirit good motions holy affections are his off-spring without him you will be like Pharaohs Chariots when the wheels were taken off and drive on heavily but he can make your Souls like the Chariâ—ts of Amminadib Cant. 6. 12. 3. Part with every thing that grieves the Spirit foster not any lust or inordinate affection that may render your hearts an unpleasant habitation to him 4. Frequently beg for the Spirit and Especially in secret this will be a sign that you indeed desire him Plead the promises which you find Luk. 11. 13. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit unto them that ask him And what God has promised Christ died that he might purchase nay Christ has prayed that the Spirit might be bestowed Joh. 14. 16. And therefore you may pray with the greater encouragement and assurance Thus concerning that third doctrine that Prayer when rightly performed is Supplication in the Spirit D. 4. In Prayer Watching is a necessary ingredient Watching is a duty which the great Prophet Christ himself frequently pressed and the injunction is general What I say unto you I say unto all Watch Mar. 13. 37 He knew that a Spiritual Lethargie is a disease most incident But if at any time surely in holy duties this heedlesness and sleepyness does discover it self we had need therefore to rouse up our Spirits that are so sluggish naturally Deborah speaks to her self four times Awake awake Deborah Awake awake utter a Song Judg. 5. 12. We have need thus again and again to call upon our Souls to Awake and be Watchful when about to utter a prayer Watching and praying are joyned in Scripture and not only so but Watching is required in Prayer Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and Watch in the same with Thanksgiving so 1 Pet. 4. 7. But the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore Sober and Watch unto Prayer In the handling of this doctrine I shall first shew what we are to Watch against in Prayer Secondly What we are to Watch over Thirdly What we are to Watch for Fourthly What manner of Watching is required in Prayer Fifthly Give the reasons why Watching is so necessary Lastly make Application In the first place I am to tell you What we are to Watch against in Prayer 1. We must watch against indwelling corruption There is a Law in our Members that wars against the Law of our minds and this Law in our members commands quite contrary to the Law of God This Law says pray not at all but especially forbids seriousness and fervency in Prayer and if not watchful this Law will sway and over-rule us and bring us into captivity to the Law of sin VVe had need look to our selves for when we have thoughts of doing good evil will be present with us Rom. 7. 21. and if care be not taken the evil will hinder our doing of the good Oh how deep is the corruption of our Nature How desperatâ—ly wicked is the heart of man How great are the remainders of sin in those that are most renewed And since the remaining Flesh still does lust against the Spirit this Flesh is to be narrowly eyed that it may be weakned checked else 't will spoil all our services 2. When praying we must watch against the evil One. Satan likes not to see us at the Throne of Grace because he knows has felt the sufficiency of that grace that believers obtain there I besought the Lord says the Apostle when buffeted by the messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12. 8. and the power of Christ so rested upon him that Satan had no power unless it were full sore against his will to keep him humble and to hinder his being exalted above measure The Devil therefore might and main withstands us in Prayer and how many are his wiles that he may keep us off from this most advantagious Duty Sometimes he objects the difficulty of Prayer somtimes he says 't is needless to spend so much time therein sometimes 't is fruitless and that little comes of all our Cryes and Tears sometimes he proposes other business to be don that we may be diverted sometimes he threatens to appear to us that he may affright us from the Mercy Seat How busy is our adversary the Devil we should be acquainted
which after God is created in Righteousness and true â—oliness Make our hearts just after thy own heart and let them be inclined to keep thy Testimonies Put thy laws into our minds and write them in our hearts and be to us a God and make us a willing people in the day of thy power Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Pray for Faith Faith is the gift of God Oh let us obtain precious Faith from thee which is much more to be valued then gold that perishes Strengthen my assent unto every word that thou hast spoken that I may as firmly believe every threatning every promise every part of thy revealed will as I believe when the Sun sets 't will rise again the next morning Let me tremble at thy threatnings and not dare to venture upon any thing thou hatest Let my heart stand in awe of thy Word and let it be my constant inquiry Lord what wouldst thou have me to do Open my heart to give entertainment to the Lord of life and glory Oh that I may look unto Jesus as the Israelites stung in the Wilderness did unto the brazen Serpent and looking may be healed and saved Let me hear and be taught of the Father and come to Christ and receive him to be a Prince and Saviour to me Oh that Christ may be truly precious to me that I may count all things but loss that I may win the Lord Jesus Help me to value the exceeding riches of thy grace in thy kindness through Christ Jesus Be earnest for Love and other graces of the spirit Let my faith work by love and love constrain me to live unto thee Give me an heart to know thee more and circumcise my heart to love thee above all Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee Let not my heart run a Whoring from thee thou art infinitely worthy of my strongest love That I may love thee let me know I am beloved of thee Vnite my heart to fear thy name Oh that I may set thee alwayes before me and have an awful sence of thy power and presence and holiness and goodness upon my heart Never turn away from me O Lord to do me good and put thy fear into my heart that I may not depart from thee Fire my heart with zeal for thy glory let me stand up for God in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation let me never live either to be a shame to the Gospel or ashamed of the Gospel Deliver me from lukewarmness in Religion let me take heed of being neither hot nor câ—ld least I provoke thee to spew me out of thy mouth Make and keep me good even in bad times and because others dishonour thee without fear let me be the more careful to do that which pleases thee Thou didst preserve Lot in Sodom Noah in the old world the Saints that were in Nero's houshold Oh help me to keep my self unspotted from the world and let me chuse rather to go to Heaven with a few then to go in the broad way that leads to destruction with the greatest multitude Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Lord make me Sincere and keep me Sincere and without offence until thâ— day of Jesus Christ Let me be upright before thee and keep my self from mine Iniquity Oh help me to lay aside every weight and the Sin that does so easily beset me Let this be our rejoycing even the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversations in the World In all Estates let us learn therewith to be contented Let us consider that Godliness with Contentment is great Gain Oh that we may know how to want and how to abound how to be sick and how to be well how to Live and how to Die Let us be able to do and suffer all things through Christ strengthening of us Let our Conversations be as becomes the Gospel help us to follow thee as dear Children to Live as the Redeemed of the Lord and to glorifie thee in our Bodies and in our Spirits For we are not our own but are bought with a price We profess Christ let us depart from Iniquity and walk even as he walked Not contenting our selves with the Form of Godliness without the Power of Godliness Let us not profess to Know thee and in Works deny thee but make us Zealous of good Works considering we are Created unto good Works which God has before oâ—dained that we should walk in them Help us to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with God Cleanse us from all Filthiness both of the Flesh and Spirit and help us to perfect Holiness in thy Fear Make us Consciencious in all our Relations and let it be our continual Exercise to keep a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Man Arme us against the Evil day let us never faint in Adversity nor be discouraged from following God by Persecution Let Christ and Truth be Dearer to us than our very Lives and let us count it both Wisdom and our Interest to throw all our outward Enjoyments Over board rather than make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience Petitions in reference to the Word O let thy Word be a Light unto my Feet and a Lamp unto my Path When I go let it lead me when I sleep let it keep me when I awake let it talk with me Give me the seeing Eye the hearing Ear the understanding Heart Make thy Word like Fire and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces Oh let thy Word he powerful to kill sin and to Convert the Soul unto thee Give the Preacher the Tongue of the Learned and let him divide the Word aright and let the Pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hand Let Sinners be startled and converted and let Saints be edified and comforted and built up by the Word of thy Grace Let thy Spirit accompany Prophesying that dead Bones may live and they who have Life may have it more and more abundantly Make us Doers of thy Word and not Hearers only deceiving our selves Petitions in reference to the Sacrament We were given up to thee when Baptized in thy Name Oh break our Hearts for our Vnfruitfulness and help us now to be stedfast in thy Covenant We have been baptized with water Oh that we may be washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Let the Ordinance of the Supper be earnestly desired let not thy Table be Contemptible Oh that we may prize that Bread of God that comes down from Heavâ—n and gives Life unto the World let us not labour for the Meâ—t thâ—t perisheth Wherefore should we spend our Money for that which is not Bread and â—uâ—
thy fold and cause them to hear the voice of the great Shephard As the mountains are round about Jerusalem so be thou round about thy people from henceforth and for ever And let not the gates of Hell ever be able to prevail against them Petitions for the Nation in which we live Let Truth and Peace be in England Scotland and Ireland Let the Gospel be continued and be made effectual to the turning of many unto righteousness Let Souls fly as a Cloud to the Lord Jesus and as Doves to the Windowes Let judgments be all sanctified let not Sword and Plague and Fire be all in vain but oh let our uncircumcised hearts be humbled and help us to accept of the punishment of our iniquities and to turn unto him that has been smiting us that thou mayest send abundant plenty and prosperity Let the King and our Rulers be blessed and Favour Religion and thy People and under them let us live quiet and peaceable lifes in all godliness and honesty Petitions for relations and those that are afflicted Oh that our brethren and kindred according to the flesh may have an interest in that love which thou bearest to thy people 'T is terrible to think of Children or yoak-fellowes or brethren their miscarrying to Eternity Oh therefore give grace where there is none and work more and more where thou hast already in some degree wrought it Sanctify outward affliction to all that are exercised thereby let them know thou chastizest them because thou lovest them and let it be their principal desire to be made partaker of thy Holiness Let them cast all their burthens upon thee and do thou sustain them Let the Fatherless find mercy with thee and make the widows heart to sing for joy because their Maker is their Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name Binde up the broken in heart and heal the Wounds which sin has made Do not contend for ever neither be alwayes wrath lest the Spirit fail before thee Succour them that are tempted and sho ten the chain of the evil One Shine into the souls of them that refuse to be comforted that sit in darkness and see no light and are ready to say will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Many are the afflictions of thy people O Lord deliver them out of them all Suffer none to be tempted above what they are able Petitions for them to use that are wounded in their Spirits How long wilt thou forgot me O Lord forever Oh do not still hide away thy Face from me Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses Oh that my griefes were throughly weighed and my calamities lay'd in the ballances together for now they would be heavier then the sand therefore my words are swallowed up for the arrowes of the almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my Spirits the terrours of God do set themselves in array against me Oh do not cast me quite away from thy presence but heal those wounds which thou hast made and cause a calm where now the storm is so exceeding dreadful I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men Oh do not set me as a mark against thee do not make me a burthen to my self Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Let not thy wrath still lie hard upon me do not afflict me with all thy waves Oh draw a weary and heavy laden Soul to the Lord Jesus who alone can give rest unto me Lord encourage my hope and help one to believe Christ was wounded that I might be healed he was bound that I might be set at liberty he was forsaken and deserted that thou mightest return to me He was exceeding sorrowful even unto death that I might partake of the joy of thy Salvation I fly not unto carnal means to divert and remove my sorrows the pleasures of the world and the advantages of it I perceive are empty and low things I mourn after God I long for God as the chased hart after the water brooks Oh satiate a weary Soul and replenish a Sorrowful Soul that will certainly sink unlesse thou support and dye away unlesse thou speak comfort 6. The Sixt part of Prayer is Imprecation against others Let the works of the Devil be destroyed and the Kingdom of the prince of darkness be thrown down Why should Satan lead captive at his pleasure the greater part of mankind and command so great a multitude of those Souls that are capable of honouring and serving thee Hast thou not spoyled principalities and powers and made a show of them openly triumphing over them Oh let not conquered enemies insult and prevail but let the Prince of this world be judged and cast out and let Souls by thousands and by millions be made free indeed Let Satans instruments have a rebuke given them and let no weapon prosper that is formed against Zion We desire not the woful day for thy enemies but we intreat that their hands may not be able to perform their enterprize against thy people and all their counsels may be carried headlong O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy self lift up thy self thou Judg of the earth render a reward to the proud Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they utter and speak hard things and all the workers of Iniquity boast themselves They break in peices thy People O Lord and afflict thine heritage The plowers plow upon thy peoples backs and make long their furrows O Thou that art the righteous Lord break asunder the cords of the ungodly Let great Babylon come into remembrance and give that Scarlet-colour'd whore who has been drunk with the blood of Saints blood to drink for she is worthy Her sins have reached unto Heaven Oh remember her iniquities She sayes in her heart I sit as a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore let her plagues come in one day Death and mourning and famine and let her be utterly burnt with fire for thou art strong O Lord that judgest her Let not Popery prevail but all abhor that Religion which pleads for Idolatry and that is so exceeding bloody Oh when shall that prophecy be fulfilled Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul Spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird When shall the heavens rejoyce over her and the holy Apostles and Prophets because God hath avenged them upon her Let enemies to thy people become friends both to thy people and their own selves but if they are implacable make them to know they are but men and
THE SPIRIT of PRAYER OR A DISCOURSE WHEREIN The Nature of Prayer is Opened the Kinds of Prayer are Handled and the Right Manner of Praying Discover'd Several Cases about this Duty are Resolved From EPH. 6. 18. Praying Alwayes with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and Watching thereunto with all Perseverance and Supplication for All Saints Unto which is Added A Direction for the Attaining the Gift of Prayer That Family-Duty may not be Omitted nor Secret Duty discouraged through Inability of Utterance and Expression BY Nathanael Vincent M. A. Minister of the Gospel London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel and at the Bible on London-Bridge near the Gate 1674. To the Truly HONOURABLE LADY Hester LADY BLOVNT Mercy and Grace and Peace be Multiplyed Much Honoured Madam WHen I had the happiness to belong unto your Noble Family the Favours I received were Weighty ones and have left too deep an impression upon me ever to be worn off I never lived more free from Care Trouble then when I lived with your Ladyship Your Civility your Bounty your being so much concerned when I went away I must Remember while I have Memory 'T is very pleasing to me to reflect upon the Opportunities I had when I lived at Tittenhanger your Stately House not only of studying but of performing those Secret duties of Prayer and Meditation wherein Communion with God is so exceeding sweet that all sensual delights and pleasures are contemptible in comparison At that time the World was presented to me in the Gayest dress Your House Large and bravely Furnished your Gardens Delighful your Park and Walks hardly to be Matched your Table abundantly sumptuously Furnished Yet I must needs tell You That God was ten Thousand times more to me than all this When I sought him with my whole Heart and found him when I begg'd his Grace and had the Grace I begg'd for This This was it which made my life happy This made me Cheerful indeed onely I was sorry to see others take up and be so much transported with lower Pleasures Believe me Madam nay believe the Lord himself Religion and Joy are not inconsistent The wayes of Wisdom are wayes of Pleasantness and all the paths thereof are paths of Peace Though David had a Crown of pure Gold on his Head though he was Lord of such a Country which was then the glory of all Lands yet we find that God was his Joy and that was his Language Whom have I Heaven but Thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides Thee Whereas Solomon his son indulging his Flâ—sh and too much forgetting God did but hereby contribute to his own disquiet He made him great Works he built Houses and planted Vineyards he made Gardens and Orchards and planted Trees in them of all sorts of Fruit he made Pools of Water that the Trees might be the more Flourishing He had Servants Maidens Possessions of great and small Cattel above all that were before him in Jerusalem He gathered Silver and Gold and the peculiar Treasure of Kings and of the Provinces He had Men-singers and Women-singers and the Delights of the Sons of Men and Musical Instruments of all sorts Nay whatsoever his Eyes desired he kept not from them neither did he withold from his Heart any Joy How large an Inventory is here of what is gratifying to the Senses Yet in the midst of all he cryes out Behold all is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit and there is no Profit under the Sun Eccles 2. 4 11. Madam I earnestly desire your Eternal welfare and also your present Joy And truly there must be Godliness not in the Form only but in the Power also or else you will be a Stranger to the pleasure of Christianity God is the Souls centre Rest is elsewhere in vain expected The more you acquaint your self with Him the more perfect your peace will be thereby good will come unto you These ensuing Sermons concerning Prayer I hope through the blessing of God may be a means to make Devotion much more servent And 't is not in vain to seek Him that is so willing to be sound and whose Sufficiency is such that he can satisfie your desires when they are most Enlarged That the Lord of Heaven would bless You and all the Branches of your Illustâ—ious Family and make all eminent for Piety and Holiness which will be your truest Honour and greatest Dignity is the Prayer of Madam Your Ladiships most humble and most obliged Servant Nathanael Vincent To the Readers especially them that were Hearers of these Following Sermons Beloved Brethren BEing about to Read a Book concerning Prayer how convenient is it you should begin with Prayer that you may read with profit Lift up therefore your hearts unto God and desire Grace to do what is made known to be your duty Gods Precepts are for your profit He is not capable of being advantaged for he is infinitely and eternally self-sufficient but you your selves will be benefited by your Obedience He requires you to come to the throne of Grace that he may impart his Grace and Mercy unto you that so much stand in need of it 'T is the property of Good to be communicative of it self And the Lord who is the Summum Bonum highest and chiefest Good does give most of all liberally Prayer is an Ordinance that He has appointed and 't is a great priviledge we are allowed to pour out our Souls before him His Hand is not shortned His Ear is not heavy we shall not be straitned in Him if we are not straitned in our own Bowels You that never have pray'd with any seriousness of Spirit should cry now with the greater fervency You have not one Sin pardoned not one Corruption mortified not one saving Grace wrought in your Hearts you have not the least part of your main work don no provision at all made for Eternity and another World It concerns you therefore to begg as for your Lives that God would reconâ—cile you to himself in Christ and make you new Creatures and become a Father and a Portion to you Now is the accepted time Now the Father of Mercies is upon the mercy Seat Now the Lord Jesus is willing to be your Advocate and to intercede for you Now the spirit of Grace is ready to help our infirmities Now forgiveness of sin and life and Immortality are freely offer'd nay you are intreated to accept them But it will not be thus alwayes shortly God will be inexorable the Advocate will be a judg to condemn and the spirit will withdraw for ever and the day of grace will be ended Oh therefore pray now for then 't will be to late to pray And for you that make conscience of this duty wrestle still with greater Vigour Those are the strongest Christians that are mightiest in praier He that prayes well will do all wel besides for by
but by him that is Alsufficient and when we cry to him we give him glory for it argues we believe his power and mercy which prove him able and ready to succour and relieve us 2. Prayer is to be performed unto God and to him only Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Unto Thee my God and my King will I pray says David Psal 5. 2. and v. 3. I will direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up Gods Hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither is his Ear heavy that it cannot hear He is able to do not onely to the uttermost of our desires but exceeding abundantly above all that we can either ask or think Eph. 3. 20. The Papists dangerously corrupt holy worship by their sinful prayers to Angels and Saints and especially to the Virgin Mary Cardinal Bonaventure has blotted out the name of Lord in the Book of the Psalms and put in the name of Lady and teacheth Christians to ask the same things of the Virgin Mary which David asked for at the hands of God himself Under the old Testament we find that Believers directed their supplications to God himself and found him ready to hear and save and under the Gospel where the manifestation and communication of his Grace are more full and plenteous is there need to go to any other No no One God can supply our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Psal 4. 19. 3. Those that pray must be sensible Ignorance and unbelief and hardness of heart make the words of prayer a Mockery and Abomination They that pray therefore must be sensible of their sins of their needs of their unworthiness to have those needs supplyed finally they must be sensible that none can help them but the God they are praying to 1. They must be sensible of their sins I acknowledge my Iniquities says David and my sin is ever before me Psal 51. 3. so Esa 59. 12. For our Transgressions are multiplyed before thee and our sins testifie against us for our transgressions are with us and as for our Iniquities we know them Sin must be acknowledged with shame and sorrow else 't will separate between God and us and prove a Cloud through which our prayers will never pass There must be such a sense of sin as implies an hatred and weariness of it for if the heart out of love and liking of it has a regard to sin God ever will be deaf and his mercies restrained Psal 66. 18. If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer 2. They that pray must be Sensible of their needs All the posterity of Adam are needy how rich and full soever they conceit themselves The first man being a publick person had the whole stock in his own hand and having lost it has beggard his whole Progeny we are all come shore of the glory of God as descended from Adam we are flesh and in our Flesh dwelleth no good thing This must be understood and believed poverty of Spirit Christ commends and pronounces those that are thus Poor Blessed Mat. 5. 3. For they that perceive they are Wretched and Miserable and Empty and Naked will cry the louder to the Lord for gold try'd in the fire to enrich them and white raiment that they may be cloathed The poor man that is ready to starve for hunger how does he cry out Bread for the Lords sake Bread for he sees his need of it The condemn'd Malefactor how does he roar out for a Pardon because he sees his life must quickly go without it And were we but better acquainted with our wants Oh what strong crys would come from us that Sin might be forgiven that Grace might be wrought that Peace might be Spoken that Spiritual Maladies might be healed We all need these things as much and more then the hungry stand in need of Bread 3. They that pray must be sensible of their unworthiness to have their need supplyed Paul crys out he was less than the least of all Saints and Jacob that he was less than the least of mercies Job says Behold I am vile and I abhor my self We cannot lay claim to any thing as our due but Wrath and the Curse What-ever God bestows it must be reckoned given not of debt but of pure and free Grace Rom. 4. Daniel in prayer disclaims all merit in his Righteousness acknowledges that Confusion of face belonged to him and to Israel because of their Rebellions and says expresly we do not present our supplications to thee for our Righteousness but for thy great mercies Dan. 9. 18. We may beg indeed for the greatest mercles and the greater the surer we are to speed for God is most liberal of the greatest but at the same time must be sensible that the least mercy is too good for such evil ones as we are 4. They that pray must be sensible that none can help them but the God they are praying to Jer. 3. 23. Truly in vain is Salvation hoped for from the Hills and multitude of Mountains the firmest things on Earth will fail and deceive our hopes Truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel Therefore David lays this charge upon his Soul to wait only upon God and to have all its expectation from him God will be seriously sought unto when we are under the power of this Conviction that no other helper can be found 4. It followes in the definition that those that pray must be believing Souls Faith is a Grace that is required in all their Duties if this be wanting God will not be honoured by our Duties nor our selves advantaged Though we hear never so often If the Word be not mixed with Faith it will not profit us Heb. 4. 2. and unless our Prayers are Prayers in Faith they will not be effectuall Those that pray indeed must be Believers 1. They must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. they must have right apprehensions of his gracious Nature and of his good Will towards men He is willing to be reconciled and has himself without being sought unto contrived a way how Sinners Peace may be made He sends Embassadours to them to treat about it And intreats those that have offended him that they would be no longer enemies by wicked Works He has declared that fury is not in him towards those that are desirous of Mercy and that he does delight in nothing more than in Compassion and that if any do understand and seek him he is more willing to be found than they can be eager to find him These things being rightly conceived encourage Prayer and Satan by suggesting the clean contrary staves off many from this Duty 2. They that pray aright must by believing be interested in Christ the Mediatour Christ is the Way and no man commeth unto the
sometimes to try whether we duly esteem mercies and if we do we shall think them worth our while to pray still for them and wait till they are given 5. To pray always implies Not to give over praying while we are on Earth This Ordinance we must never be above for we always need to engage in it Our life is a continual warfare we have need to pray for defence and victory our knowledge and grace is imperfect we have need to pray for the increase of both and that we may be helped to press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God Phil. 3. 14. In the third place I am to tell you Why a Christians security lies in prayer 1. Prayer engages God on a Christians side He promises to hear the cry of the Righteous ones and hearing their cry implies the engaging of his power and goodness for their supply and safety In prayer there is an acting of holy desires unto which satisfaction is assured and there is an acting of trust and faith and God will shew himself strong in the behalf of them that flie unto his Name as to a Tower of defence and rely upon his everlasting Arm. He that believes and has his expectation from the Lord shall not be ashamed The Apostle sticks not to say Whosoever calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 12. that is whosoever calls with faith and fervency Such calling engages God for us if He be for us who can be against us Rom. 8. 31. Our Iniquities though never so strong he can easily subdue the world and the God of the world are weak compared with the Almighty He can deliver from the evil world from the evil one from every evil work and preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom 2. Prayer Weakens the flesh with the affections and lusts of it Our great danger is from these homebred Enemies Our Lusts do war against our Souls 1 Pet. 2. 11. And the Apostle threatens Believers If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8. 13. What course does David take to obtain the Victory over his Corruptions he prays against them Cleanse me from secret faults Keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins Let no Iniquity have the dominion over me Create in me a clean heart and uphold me with thy free Spirit These and such like were his crys and he did not cry in vain The Believer in prayer pleads that 't is for God's Honour to kill Corruption that 't is His declared Will even man's Sanctification that 't is His work to Sanctifie that He has promised to Sanctifie throughout in body Soul and spirit and he is faithful and therefore will do it 1 Thes 5. 23 24. He pleads that Christ died that he might Redeem and Purifie from Iniquity that he might cleanse his Church and present it unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 27. and such pleas are effectual to the obtaining of grace and mortifying the deeds of the body 3. A Christians security lies in prayer for prayer obtains better things than the world can boast of Let the world allure by its strongest baits and present unto the Christian the greatest gains the sweetest pleasures yet Blessings more valuable are to be gotten at the Throne of Grace The heart in prayer is taken up with the thoughts of and eagerly desires after the priviledge of Reconciliation and Adoption Communion with God and the Communications of his Grace and Spirit an eternal weight of glory a Crown of life an enduring substance fulness of joy and pleasures for ever-more Psal 16 ult These are the things above that in prayer are sought and what are things below in comparison The heart that is placed on these is the better armed against the world as long as spiritual and eternal blessings are sEcured the world is neither desired nor dreaded by it 4. Prayer is an underminâ—ng of Satan The powers of Hell have felt the force of this duty Christ commands his Disciples to pray when he perceived the Devil about to winnow them Luk. 22. 40. Pray that ye enter not into Teâ—ptaâ—ion If as oft as we are assaulted by the Tempter we did but look unto the Lord for grace to help in the time of need temptation would be very unsuccesful Two things are done in prayer against Satan By our confession of sins this Accuser is silenced by Petition Grace is obtaâ—ned â—o withstand him 1. By confession of sin this Accuser is silenced Satan is styled the Acâ—user of the Brethren and to shew how malicious and eager he is in his Accusations he is said to accâ—se them day and night before God Rev. 12. 10. But in prayer Believers bring bills of Indictment against themselves not only all that Satan can truly lay to their charge do they also lay to their own charge but also all that God has against them they acknowledge they cover not their sins but confess and aggravate them they blame and judge themselves and how earnest are they that sin confessed may be pardoned and purged away by the blood of Christ Now Satans mouth is stopt his charge signifies nothing for thus confessing sin and looking unto Jesus for Clensing as well as Atonement God is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness 1 Johâ— 1. 9. 2. By Petition Grace is obtained to withstand Satan The Apostle Paul when buffeted by the Devil falls to prayer and what answere has he The Lord said unto him my Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness And the Apostle is satified in this that the power of Christ did rest upon him 2 Cor. 12. 9. Prayer brings us to the God of Peace who has promisEd to tread Satan under our Feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. By Prayer Wisdom is derived from God and the more wise the Father of Lights makes us the better we understand the Devils wiles and his design is seen thorow which is to deceive to defile and at last to murther Souls And as Wisdom is increased so Faith and Love and Fear and other Graces by Prayer and the more we believe God the less credit shall we give the evil one the more we love God the more we shall hate that evil which we are tempted to The more we fear the Lord the more will our hearts be united to him and 't will be a matter of the greater difficulty to perswade us unto a departing from him 5. A Christians security lies in Prayer for Prayer is a great means to make every other Ordinance effectual for our safety and spiritual advantage The word of God and prayer are coupled together Acts. 6. 4. But we will give our selves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word Our Sermons which we preach unto you should be beggâ—d from
Heaven they should be begun ended followed after with Prayer And if you that are hearers would but help us herein by prayer 't would be in effect to help your selves If there were but more praying before you come to the Sanctuary that you might be taught to profit so many sermons would not be lost so much seed would not be sown in vain Prayer sets an edge upon the Word and makes it quick and powerful to kill Sin and keep off Satan Prayer works the Word into the Heart and being hid there 't is a mighty preservative against iniquity There is a Spiritual instinct in Believers to joyn Prayer with every Ordinance of God Because they know that Ordinances cannot secure or benefit them except the Lord concur and work along with them I have proved that a Christians security lies in Prayer In the fourth place I am to give you some Reasons why we ought to pray always 1. We should pray always because God is always ready to hear The Lords Ear is not heavy that it cannot hear Esa 59. 1. He hearkens after Prayer and looks down from Heaven upon the Children of Men to see if there be any that understand and seek God Psal 14. 2. The Father is said to seek for right worshippers namely those that worship him in Spirit and in Truth Joh 4. 23. we have therefore encouragement as at all times to trust in him so at all times to poure out our Souls before him God is a Refuge for us Selah Psal 62. 8. Verily seeking of God in sincerity never was yet in vain and never will be God has heard sinners then when they perhaps have little thought he minded them When Ephraim bemoaned himself was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoak was ashamed and confounded because of his evil ways and cry'd Turn thou me and I shall be turned says God I have heard him I have surely heard Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 19. â— and gives him to understand that he was a dear Son a pleasant Child and that he would surely have Mercy on him There is not a Tear but God has a Bottle to put it in nor a sigh but God observes it nor a true desire but he is ready to satisfy 2. We should pray always because Christ always intercedes Heb. 7. 25. He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them The prayers of Believers will be vvell seconded This Angel of the Covenant has incense sufficient to perfume and to make the Prayers of all the Saints at all times acceptable Christ in Heaven is alvvays presenting to his Father his Sufferings and by his Sufferings all that we pray for has been purchased His Blood therefore is said to speak in Scripture and it speaks better things than that of Abel Heb. 12. 24. The Blood of Christ cryes in Gods Ears on the behalf of those that pray which the Curse that Christ has born may be removed from them that the Sins for which Christ was wounded may be forgiven them and that out of the fulness of Christ they may receive and Grace for Grace 3. We should pray always because the Spirit is always ready to help our infirmities This Spirit Christ promised and according to his promise sent him and this Spirit is styled the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications Zach. 12. 10. for he gives grace and ability to make supplications acceptably And this Spirit abides with Believers alwaies Joh. 14. 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter which shall abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you The Spirit is ready to instruct us what to pray for to remove the load of indisposition to this Duty to quicken our deadness therein to enlarge our hearts in desires after the God of all Grace to strengthen us to wrestle for a Blessing And truly God is not to be prevailed with but by the mediation of his Son and by the strength of his own Spirit 4. We should pray always because Satan is always forward to assault us Satan is compared to a Lyon in Scripture And Elian observes concerning the Lyon that if at any time he is beaten back he retires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his face towards you as being readyupon the least encouragement to make another attempt In like manner Satan watches has his Eye always upon us and is ever forward to tempt and should not we be ever forward to pray Our whole Life is a time of Temptation Wicked Spirits are continually engaged against us We wrestle sayes the Apostle with Principalities and Powers with the Ruters of the darkness of this World with spiritual wickednesse in high places These Enemies are invisible so 't is more dificult to withstand them they are too subtile and too strong for us We had need therefore to pray without ceasing since they cease not endeavoring to bring us both to sin and ruine 5. We should pray always because corruption will quickly recruit and recover strength upon the least neglect of prayer Had David been praying when he was sleeping so long in the day time or after his nap had been ended had he gon to the throne of grace instead of idlely walking upon the roof of his palace nay when first he cast his eyes upon Bathsheba if he had then immediately lookt up to Heaven and cryed that that spark of concupiscence might have been extinguish'd before it set him in a flame his foul fall and the dolefull consequents of it might have been prevented But duty was neglected and lust took the advantage of that neglect and he was hurried into two as heinous Sins almost as can possibly be committed 2 Sam. 11. Experience shews us that if we omit or are slight in Prayer that day our passions are more easily stirred and our lusts get ground Thus Amaleck prevail'd when Moses hands began to hang down but when they were held up towards Heaven Israel had the better In the fifth place I am to Answer the Objections that are made against this duty of Prayer Obj. 1. The first Objection is this God knows our wants and dangers without our telling him What need is there then that we should make them known by Prayer Ans I Answer God may be said to know our Wants and Dangers two wayes 1. By the eye of his Omniscience and with this eye he sees all things and whether we pray or no he perfectly understands us and all the circumstances we are in He 〈◊〉 our path knows our thoughts after off and is acquainted with all our wayes Psâ—l 139 2 3. 2. God may be said to look upon our wants so as to have compassion upon us and without intreating this compassion how can it be expected Heark unto David
unto prayer By the Word God speaks to you as by prayer you speak to him if you regard not Gods voyce how can you expect he should mind yours If you will not hear and obey â—he will not hear and grant what you request of him The Word should dwell richly in you Col. 3. 16. your delight should be in the Law of the Lord and in that Law should you meditate day and night Psal 1. 2. The Scriptures should be searched which shews they are a depth and all is not at first looking into them discovered you must seek here as for silver and search here as for hid treasure if you would understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Prov. 2. 4 5. How enlightning how enlivening how cleansing and transforming is the word of God How sweet and desirable are the Lords testimonies When the Spirit becomes the expositor of Scripture and opens the eyes too to behold wondrous things out of Gods Law and affects the heart oh then there is such efficacy profit and sweetness as is beyond comparison 4. Be liberal in this duty of secret prayer Pray with a forward and with a free spirit grudg not the time you spend here for this is the best way of turning time unto a good account Be sensible how good it is to draw nigh to God for the promise is if you draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to you Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands ye Sinners purifie your hearts ye double-minded Now Gods drawing near implies his being reconciled to us his manifesting his power and grace for our help and supply Oh theâ—â—fore go unto God with an holy eagerness who is so ready to meet you and to satiate the weary soul and to replenish every sorrowful soul Jer. 31. 25. We must be much and often with God for this is the way to come to an acquaintance with him and the better we are acquainted with him the more we shall love him and be sensible of his love to us Hark to what is said Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee 5. In secret prayer be very particular ease your Consciences by a particular innumeration of your Iniquities and the aggravations which have heightned them Make known all your wants before that God who has styled himself God All-sufficient fear not that the Lord will be weary of hearing or be backward to give a gracious return When you are alone with God you may use the greater freedom of speech this being particular will contribute much unto your brokenness of heart with which the Lord is well-pleased and also unto your own sensing of your manisold wants and making of you meet to be supplied 6. Look after secret prayer Stand upon your Watch-Tower and observe what answer is given The Merchant hearkens after the Ships that he sends to Sea When a Petition is presented to a Prince you wait what Answer will be returned Be thus wise in prayer if you speed not find out the Impediment if you do speed be encouraged by answers to act Faith in God and to persist in prayer Because he has inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live says David Psal 116. 1. And let answers of prayer be matter of praise that Satan and Conscience may not accuse you of and God may not be angry at your ingratitude Thus of the Rules concerning secret prayer Now follow the Arguments to perswade unto it 1. Consider God sees in secret in secret places God sees for he fills both Heaven and Earth his Omnipresence is an evident demonstration of his Omniscience as he cannot be confined to any place so neither can he be excluded All things are open and naked before him Heb. 4. 13. And as his seeing in secret is matter of terrour to the Ungodly so of joy unto the Righteous David speaks both with wonder and with gladness Psal 139. 7 8 9 10. Whithef shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me In what secret corner soever you are God is with you all your sighs and groans your complaints and desires are taken notice of 2. Frequency in secret prayer is a great argument of Uprightness and Sincerity 'T is a sign you seek God himself when none but God knows of your seeking him What the Apostle speaks of the Jew may be applied unto the Christian He is not a Christian that is one outwardly but that is one inwardly not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much openly as in secret Rom. 2. 28 29. The praise of such is not of men but of God 3. Secret prayer is a marvellous way to thrive in grace and to grow rich towards God By this means Faith will grow exceedingly Love will abound and our Souls will prosper Some Trades-men keep a Shop and drive a Trade there and gain thereby but they have a secret way of trading which is not observed and by this they grow wealthy in a short space A Christian that is much in secret with God O how much does he gain such an one how good does he find the Lord how ready both to forgive and to give and he can set his Seal unto that truth that God is plentious in mercy unto all that call upon him Psal 86. 5. 4. Secret prayer is a means to fit for publick Ordinances They that are most upon their knees in the Closet will get most benefit in the Sanctuary The preparation of the heart is from God and he must in secret be sought unto to fit our spirits for solemn worship Those that before they come to hear pray that Gospel may come to them not in word only but in power also and the Holy Ghost and much assurance these are likely to find the Gospel working effectually and that 't is the power of God to their Salvation Rom. 1. 16. Those that before they come to the Table examine themselves alone beg that God would search them and are importunate for strength against every Corruption for all the fruits of Christ's sufferings for all the graces of the spirit are not likely to be sent away empty 5. Secret prayer is a means to keep the impression of publick duties upon the heart after the duties themselves are ended Your work is not over when publick Ordinances are over Has any sin been discovered and reproved you must go in secret and bewail it and cry out Lord let not this nor any iniquity have the dominion over me Psal 119. 133. Has any duty
We match Laodicea in Luke-warmness and what was said of langushing Sardis may be applied to us that we have a name to Live but are Dead Rev. 3. 1. In many Families all are stark stone Dead and there is a most impious and gross neglect of God and Duty and in other Families all are ready to dy lively services are rarely to be found Oh 't is high time to awake and vigorously to endeavour that in our houses the Lord may be served by all and that with all their Heart and all their Soul and all their mind and all their Strength I have done with Family-Prayer 3. Prayer in the publick Congregation and Assembly is to be spoken to Gods Temple of old was styled the House of Prayer Luk. 19. 46. because there his people met together to seek his Face Publick prayer is a great Ordinance and when rightly managed of great efficacy Now the Rules concerning publick prayer are these 1. These Prayers must be performed in a known Tongue that all may understand and be edified 1 Cor. 14. and they should be well expressed nothing that is raw unseemly or that borders upon nonsence or Blasphemy should be brought forth in the Assembly 2. Come at the very beginning To come late is both offensive to God and to serious Spirits and 't is to cheat and defraud your own Souls and when you are here let your gesture be reverent for God expects Worship and adoration from your whole man internal from Soul and external from the Body 3. Take heed of distraction when there are so many objects to divert you and your hearts are so exceeding slippery Remember Gods jealous Eye is fixed upon you and as he cannot be deceived so he cannot endure to be mocked by you Gal. 6. 7. 4. Take head of carnal desires in your publike Duties Let not your supplications be like â—hose of the Pharisees and Scribes of whom Christ sayes they made prayers onely for a pretence shew Luke 20. 47. The hypocrite is like the Birds of Prey which though they sore never so high towards Heaven yet their eye is still downward that they may catch something Be not seemingly devout in the Congregation that you may the more unsuspectedly be unjust in shops and secretly intemperate and unclean But be very sincere in your publick addresses unto God as knowing you have to do with him that sees not as man sees that judges not according to outward appearance but tries the heart and veins And to perswade you to this publike Prayer consider 1. God is hereby Acknowledged and Honoured His people hereby testify to the World that there is a Lord in Heaven whom they worship and from whom they have their expectation And indeed this is one reason of publick institutions that we may make a profession to the world whose we are and whom we serve 2. The Lord vouchsafes something to his people in the Sanctuary that elsewhere is not to be found David was in an admirable frame when he was in the Wilderness of Judah God was liberal to him both of Grace and Comfort but he is not satisfied because deprived of publick ordinances that were administred in the tabernacle therefore he crys out My Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh longeth for thee to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psal 63. 1. 2. 3. The united prayers of many Saints togegether is stronger and more apt to pravail Uis unita fortior much fire together gives the greater heat and many waters joyned run with more violence and in like manner when a great congregation joyns together as one man to wrestle with God in prayer how Successful are they like to be Abraham alone had like to have prevail'd for Sodom but put the case there had been an assembly of righteous ones belonging to Sodom that had joyned with Abraham in prayer surely the City had been spared I have dispatched vocal Prayer which I divided into three kinds secret family and publick 2. In the second place I come to speak of Mental Prayer when the heart alone without the tongue is engaged Now this Mental prayer is two fold first more Solemn Secondly more Sudden and Ejaculatory 'T is lawfull and possible to pray alone with the heart in a more solemn manner truly in some places and in some circumstances words may not be so convenient to be uttered but where 't is convenient words should be used because 't is difficult to pray any while only in the heart and do it without roaving But Mental prayer that is more sudden and ejaculatory I shall a little dilate upon In this kind of prayer the Soul lifts up it self to God in some short desire and request Thus Moses cryed unto God Exod. 14. 15. and yet we read not of a word uttered Thus Nehemiah prayed when King Artaxerxes was speaking to him Neh. 2. 4. These holy ejaculations are the very breathings of the new creature they mightily help to keep down the lustings of the Flesh and to preserve us unspotted by the world or the unclean God of it but the heart hereby is kept close to the God of heaven Concerning this mental ejaculatory Prayer let these directions be observed 1. Let the heart frequently be sending up desires to God all true desires are observed are pleasing to him and shall be satisfied let these desires therefore be strong and principally after the greatest that is to say Spiritual blessings 2. In all your civil employments let your hearts ever and anon be thus engaged this will make and keep you Spiritual 't wil hinder your estrangment from God and your being ensnared by the unrighteous Mammon 3. Let every temptation at the very first be resisted by this kind of prayer thus watch and pray that ye enter not into Temptation Mat. 26. 41. Oh sigh and groan to the God of all grace when you find Satan assaulting and a sinful and deceitfull heart ready to yeild that you may have grace to help in the time of need Heb. 4. ult 4. Let this sort of Prayer begin and end every duty sigh before for assistance and sigh afterwards for acceptance and that infirmities through Christ Jesus may be passed by and that you may obtain some Spiritual advantage by every ordinance 5. Begin and end every day with mental Prayer assoon as ever you awake there are many watching for your first thoughts Satan and sin and the world will have them if your Souls are not lifted up to the Lord. Let him be last likewise in your thoughts this is the way to lie down in Peace and Safety Psal 4. ult 6. Especially upon the Sabbath day ejaculatory prayer should be abundant you must not then think your own thoughts nor find your pleasures Holy desires should issue forth continually Sabbaths would be gainful seasons indeed were they but thus improved 7. Mix mental Praise and Prayer together Let your Souls and all that is
the Spirit may move unto more then ordinary plying of this work of Prayer And the Iron is by all means to be struck while 't is thus hot An extraordinary motion of the Spirit raised David out of his bed at midnight Psal 119. 62. At midnight I will arise to give thanks unto thee because of the righteous judgments So Act. 16. 25. at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them But here you must have a caution lest Satan get an advantage When the Spirit of God thus extraordinarily moves to pray he does sweetly and strongly incline the heart to comply with his motion there is a quickning heat goes along with his perswasions But Satans motions to pray at unwonted times come with a perplexing violence and burthensomeness upon the spirit but there is no disposing or enlarging of the heart unto supplication Thus the Egyptians of old required the tale of Bricks from the children of Israel but allowed not straw to make them with 4. We must Watch for all manner of Encouragements in Prayer and truly the Lord is not backward to give if we are heedful and forward to take encouragement The Lord encourages to prayer various wayes 1. By making us sensible what a priviledge access to the Mercy-seat is He causes us to be satisfied and delighted in his Presence and our hearts cry out Oh how good is it for us to be here This is none other then the Throne of Grace and this is indeed the Gate of Heaven 'T is good for me to draw nigh to God sayes holy David Psal 73. ult 2. The Lord encourages to Prayer by melting of the heart for sin he thaws the ice by the beams of his love Sense of unkindness and unsuitable carriage towards the Father of mercies causes plenty of Godly Sorrow and the heart hereby is exceedingly alienated from its iniquity 3. The Lord encourages to Prayer by enlarging the desires after himself makeing the Soul enamoured of him and altogether unsatisfied till it tast and see his goodness 4. By Intimations of audience The Lord said unto Daniel at the close of his Prayer O man greatly beloved Dan 9. 23. Christ answers the Woman of Canaan Great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Mat. 15. 28. When God after we have been earnest for pardon for Sanctification for grace to honour and to please him causes a peace and calmnesse in our Spirits and we have an hint that our petitions are according to his will and will be granted here is great encouragement in Prayer Now such encouragements should be watched for and laid hold on with the greatest thankfulness 5. We must watch for the returns of Prayer The Psalmist had been praying and he resolves he would hearken what God the Lord would speak that is by way of answer Psal 85. 8. In like manner the Church concluding that the Lord would at last hear resolves to wait for him Mic. 7. 7. Therefore will I look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation my God will hear me If you watch not for returns of prayer you do not consider what you do or with whom you have to do in Prayer when you pray you take the name of God into your mouths and shall that be taken in vain when you pray you engage in an ordinance of God and shall that be used in vain What do ye imagine that Gods hand is shortned or his ear heavy and his bowels straitned Not looking after your Prayer dishonours him more then you are aware of He speaks to you and does for you in vain And this is the ready course to provoke him to keep silence and to shut his hand You are therefore with the prophet to stand upon your watch tower and to observe what God sayes to you Hab. 2. 1. Here one grand case of conscience is to be proposed and resolved How we shall know whether prayer be answered Ye or No and the blessings we have begged given as a return to our requesting for them I answer that Blessings are of two sorts Those that are peculiar to Saints those that are commune to the ungodly 1. There are blessings that are peculiar to the Saints Such as the sense of Gods love strength against corruption righteousness and true holyness peace of conscience power to run in the wayes of Gods commands without weariness and to walk without fainting If such blessings as these are prized and earnestly desired in prayer and after prayer are bestowed they may be concluded the fruit of Supplication In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me sayes David and strengthned'st me with strength in my Soul Psal 138. 3. he prayed for grace and spiritual strength and had it and concludes his prayer was answered Onely the Children of God long and beg for such blessings and if the Lords hand be open gives the blessings beg'd we may also conclude that his ear was open to the begging 2. There are Blessings that are commune to the ungodly as health food raiment relations prosperity removing afflictions and mercies of the like nature 'T is more difficult to know when these are given or continued as a return to Prayer but yet this-may be known in these particulars 1. Temporal Blessings are the fruit of prayer when they were begged not only of God but for God that they might be employed in his service and to his praise Joshua begged for victory over the Cananites but he had an eye to Gods great name which he knew would be dishonoured if Israel were overthrown Josh 7. 9. When we desire some estate that we do good with it and honour the Lord with our substance when we desire health and strength that we may be the more usefull and serve our generation arcording to the will of God and what we desired is bestowed surely Prayer is heard 2. Temporal blessings are the fruit of prayer when they are begg'd with an humble and holy submission and not asked as the principal things When we pray for daily Bread and the meat that perishes in such a measure as the Lord sees meetest to deal forth to us but our greatest hunger and thirst is after higher things even that meat which endures to everlasting Life and the waters of that Fountain that is alwayes flowing yet ever full 3. Temporal blessings are obtained by Prayer when they prove as cords to draw the heart neerer to God and effectually engage unto obedience David was brought very low the sorrows of Death compassed him he cals upon the Name of the Lord for deliverance Psal 116. 3 4. well deliverance is granted and what effect had it it makes him admire divine Mercy it strengthens his Faith it makes him cry out truly I am thy servant and resolve to walk before God in the Land of the Living Surely this deliverance came by Prayer and so himself was perswaded v. 1 2. I love the Lord
make them mend their sluggish pace in duty he chastned them that he might hear louâ—er crys and have more serious prayers from them Use 2. shall be of Exhortation Be perswaded to watch in prayer Those that watch not at all pray not at all in Gods account those that watch most make most of prayer These Arguments I shall further use to second this Exhortation 1. The more watchful you are in prayer the better you will understand the Deâ—ils Enmity you will perceive his envy and his hatred and how loath he is that you should receive any distinguishing mercies especially at the Hand of God therefore he does so bestir himself that he may resist you and the better you know this Enemy the better armed will you be 2 The more watchful you are in prayer you will be more acquainted with your selves and with your own hearts you will more fully understand your wants and your spiritual plagues and the understanding of these is one good step to the supply and cure 3. The more watchful you are in prayer the more experimentally will you understand the loving kindness of the Lord you shall find that he deals bountifully Psal 116. 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord has dealt bountifully with thee God is certainly willing to give they that watch in prayer take notice what they receive and great joy 't is to behold the prayers which as Messengers we dispatched to Heaven return loaded with mercy Joh. 16. 24. Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full So much for that fourth Doctrin In Prayer Watching is a necessary Ingredient D. 5. we must persevere if we would speed in prayer or prayer must be with all perseverance the words of the Text are not without Emphasis not only perseverance but all perseverance is required by the Apostle There should not be the least fainting but a vigorous persistance in our supplications Hark how the Apostle speaks in other places Col. 4. 2. Continue in prayer and Rom. 12. 12. Rejoycing in hope patient in Tribulation continuing instant in prayer In speaking to this Doctrin I shall first tell you what 't is to persevere in prayer Secondly What kind of perseverance is required Thirdly Give you the Reasons of this perseverance Lastly Make Application In the first place what 't is to persevere in prayer 1. This perseverance in prayer implyes Resolvedness of Spirit against all opposition the resolution is not to be made in our own strength but in the power of Grace and then it will be firm and hold He that perseveres in prayer resists Satans endeavours to hinder him in this duty Though this Lyon roar upon him by fearfully Blasphemous thoughts though this Adversary buffet him by confused amazing and affrighting imaginations yet all his skill does not beat him off from prayer the more busie he finds Satan the more need he perceives of calling upon God And as the Devil cannot prevail by his more irksome temptation so as to cause an omission of prayer in like manner on the other side the more pleasing temptations are withstood When he speaks big words concerning sports and pastimes and the pleasures of sense when he talks at an high rate of worldly advantages that are to be pursued that he may divert and draw away the heart from prayer yet he that perseveres in this duty believes this lying and deceitful spirit in nothing Nay he retorts upon him and answers that therefore he prays that he may find true joy and greater sweetness in God than the Creatures can possibly yeild that therefore he prays because he has a mind to be rich indeed and to have a treasure in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where Thieves cannot break thorow nor steal Mat. 6. 20. And as for that opposition he meets with from within from the corruption of his heart which is indeed the greatest he bewails it struggles with it and crys out for the spirit of life to quicken and help him He is convinced of the necessity of prayer and the excellency of what is prayed for and opposition is but a whet to him that he may stir up himself to lay hold on God 2. This perseverance in prayer implies getting through all discouragements The more blind Bartimeus was discouraged by the people he cryed the louder Jesus thou Son of David have mercy upon me Mar. 10. 48. and his cry was heard according to his desire he had his sight restored The Woman of Canaan who came to Christ that her Daughter might be dispossessed of a Devil met with great discouragements but overcome them all Mat. 15. 21. 29. When first she utter'd her request Christ answered her not a word this one would have thought might have struck her dumb and made her conclude it vain to have spoken any more Oh no still she cryed after him whereupon the Disciples intercede for her Christ answers he was sent to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel here was a second repulse but neither did this discourage she comes and worships him and sayes Lord help me Christ replys it is not meet to cast the Childrens bread unto the dogs This was a third repulse and worst of all And yet she gives not over but pleads that though she were indeed no better then a dog yet crumbs might be given her And now she speeds and whatever she had a mind to was granted He that perseveres in prayer will not be discouraged Is his guilt great he replys that the Lords mercy will be the more magnified if he obtains a Pardon Is he much distemperd he replys the more will the skill of the great Physician be shewn in healing his Spiritual plagues Is he very unworthy he replys that the Prodigal upon his returning found his Fathers doors and his Fathers arms open though he came home in raggs having before wasted all his Substance among the harlots and in riotous living Though he is wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked yet he says That Christ has ey-salve to make him see gold tried in the fire to make him rich and white raiment to cover him Rev. 3. 17. 18. 'T is a Mercy Seat 't is a Throne of grace he goes to and therefore discouragements are not invincible 3. This perseverance in prayer implies continual importunity Importunity is many times troublesom to Man but God is delighted with it Humility indeed becomes us in our addresses to him but yet we are allowed to be urgent to be instant to be pressing in these things which is according to the will of the Lord and he loves to see us so for it argues we value highly what we begg with importunity The unjust judg was prevailed with by the widdows importunity And will the Lord neglect importunate Prayer that has commanded and encouraged importunity and that is so righteous and so gracious He that perseveres in prayer follows the Lord with his
Rock and the high God their Redeemer but as soon as the Lord ceased smiting they ceased crying they flattered with their Tongues and were unstedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 34 37. This is the way to have affliction quickly return again and that with more of Gall and Wormwood or to have spiritual Judgments which are a great deal worse succeed temporal 2. Reproof belongs to them that pray for a little while while the Conviction is fresh and strong and the exhortation to this duty is still sounding in their ears but by degrees the Conviction wears off and the Exhortation is forgotten and then oh how do their hearts depart from God and what a task and tedious thing is Prayer to them But those foregoing convictions will very much aggravate their after omissions these omissions being given way to especially at first with such violence offer'd to their own consciences and resisting of the Holy Ghost who strives to make them persevere in Supplication 3. Reproof belongs to Apostates that somewhile made a great Profession none more forward to Pray than they but now they have thrown off this and other Ordinances of Christ being carried away either by a prophane or by an erroneous spirit 1. Many are carried away by a prophane spirit and having restrained Prayer even restraining Grace is taken from them they run out to all excess of Riot they are abominably vitious intemperate unclean unrighteous they declare to all that seven unclean spirits are entered into them and that their last end is likely to prove worse than their beginning They once indeed did know the Holy Commandment but are now turned from it and 't is happen'd to them according to the Proverb The Dog is turned to his own Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to to her wallowing in the Mire 2 Pet. 2. 21 22. 2. Many are carried away from Prayer by an Erronâ—ous spirit These not onely break the Lords Commands but perswade themselves they do well in it and endeavour to draw others to the like Transgression and hereby their guilt and danger is the greater Every one that speaks against Prayer or any other Ordinance of Christ as he strikes at Christs Authority who is King of the Church so he is deceived and made use of by the Devil to injure Souls by drawing them away from God and their Duty But it may be Objected that the Apostle himself sayes Col. 2. 20. Why are ye subject to Ordinances I answer the 21 ver following shews what Ordinances the Apostle speaks of namely the Ceremonial Ordinances Touch not Taste not Handle not he is not to be interpreted concerning the Ordinances of Christs Institution for in this very Epistle he does command that the Word of Christ should dwell richly in them Col. 3. 16. and that they should Sing â—salms with Grace in their Hearts to the Lord and that they should continue in Prayer Col. 4. 2. 4. Reproof belongs to them that limit God and conclude if they are not heard presently that they shall never be answered and so in effect say why should we seek the Lord any longer Vile and sinful creatures should not be so quick with God What if we tarry some time before we have the grace and comfort we beg If it comes at last is not the Lord gracious to a wonder Besides the Lord knows when 't is fittest to answer Prayer therefore it becomes us patiently to wait for his rightly timeing of his benefits is not the smallest part of them Use 2. of Direction how you may persevere in Prayer 1. Be exceeding jealous and afraid whenever you find deadness and formallity seizing upon you You know not whether it may grow The prognostick signs of an approching distemper easily perswade you to take preventing Physick Oh when you find your hearts out of order fear and go to your Physician to heal your hearts and reduce them to the right praying frame 2. Take heed of quenching the Spirit let your Ears be open to hear what he sayes to the Churches Rev. 2. ult Deliver up your selves wholly unto the Spirits conduct and guidance be lead by him from what wayes and in what wayes he pleases else he will be grieved and withdraw and if he does so alas your helper will be gon and your infirmities will hinder your perseverance in Prayer 3. Be sensible that all your prayers will be lost if now you should totally and finally give over that righteousness will be reckoned as none at all that is but like the morning Cloud and as the early dew vanishes away pray on therefore that all may not be in vain 4. Labour to be acquainted with the sweetness of prayer that you may have experience of those quickenings those enlargements those supports those ravishing delights that the Saints have found sometimes in prayer and then you will like the duty so well that you will not easily be drawn off from it 5. Depend upon Him that gives power to the faint and increases strength in them that have no might Isa 40. 29. He faints not neither is he weary and he alone can keep you from being weary in wel-doing As he only can help you when you cry so he alone can help you to hold on in crying 6. Cheer up your selves with this consideration that if you persâ—vere in prayer but a little while longer in Heaven all your prayers will be fully answered Remember that if prayer lasts as long as time lasts time will quickly be succeeded by Eternity and prayer will end in everlasting praises So much for the fifth Doctrine That prayer must be with all perseverance D. 6. The sixt and last Doctrin is this Our spirits must be so publick as to supplicate for all Saints as well as for our selves therefore the Apostle adds in the Text and supplication for all Saints Here I shall first shew what Saints the Apostle speaks of and secondly why we should pray for them all and then give you the Uses First What Saints the Apostle speaks of The Saints are of two sorts Triumphant in Heaven Militant on Earth 1. Triumphant in Heaven and these do not need our prayers We need not pray that they may be eased of their loads for their burthens are removed and they are entred into perfect rest we need not pray that God would manifest himself to them for they see him as he is and not as here in a glass darkly nor that they may be freed from sorrow and defended from Enemies for their joy is full all tears are wiped away and they are past all danger They are made Pillars in the Heavenly Temple and they shall go no more out Rev. 3. 12 In all the Bible we find not one Petition for departed Saints They are with the Lamb Crown'd above and are above our supplications 2. Militant Saints on Earth and of these the Text speaks and to these the words are to be confined and truly all of them claim a
invade To shew that state dislikes not easiness If I but lift mine eyes my suit is made Thou canst no more not hear then thou canst die Of what supreme Almighty power Is thy great arm which spans the east and west And tacks the centre to the sphere By it do all things live their measur'd hour We cannot ask the thing which is not there Blaming the shallowness of our request Of what unmeasurable love Art thou possest who when thou couldst not die Wert fain to take our flesh and curse And for our sakes in person sin reprove That by destroying that which ty'd thy purse Thou mightst make way for liberalitie Since then these three wait on thy Throne Ease Power and Love I value Prayer so That were I to leave all but one Wealth Fame Endowments Vertues all should go I and dear Prayer would together dwell And quickly gain for each Inch lost an Ell. Herb. pag. 95. Directions how to attain unto the gift of prayer and readiness of expression in that duty ALthough spiritual Gifts are granted unto Hypocrites and unsound Professors as well as to sincere Believers yet according to the Apostle we are earnestly to covet them 1 Cor. 12. ult Even these more commune gifts are imparted by the Holy Ghost himself and may be very profitable both to our selves and others Neither should it be the endeavour of Ministers only to excel in gifts but private Christians are also to labour after them and in a more private way to use them The gift of prayer I am now to speak of and this no Christian should be without Prayer is the Saints daily exercise therefore they should all be well skilled in the performance of this duty not only as to the internal but also external part of it As length of prayer is not to be affected for God has a regard not to the length but the life of it so neither are we to affect a constant variety of expression If we use always the same form we are in danger of formality and if we always endeavour after new words which we never before used as 't is a thousand to one whether we shall speak so properly so 't is to be feared that our prayers will be only the fruit of our phancy and invention and no more 'T is good to be in the middle between both extreams Many have exalted in this gift of prayer in these latter days and I know that many are troubled through the want of it Secret prayer upon this score partly is much difcouraged and prayer in the Family hindred wherefore having discoursed at large concerning the duty of prayer I thought it a piece of service unto Souls to direct them how this gift might be attained 1. Be well Catechized and instructed in the principles of the Christian Faith You must know the only true God and understand his Greatness and Holiness and Power and Mercy and Grace and Truth with his other Attributes and Perfections which are discovered in his word You must not be Strangers to your selves but be acquainted with the fall of Man into sin and misery and how you as well as others are by Nature the Children of wrath and in danger of being lost and undone for ever except you Repent and Believe the Gospel You must know the Lord Jesus Christ whom God has sent and understand the mystery of Redemption Salvation by him and it should be your endeavour still to know more and more of the Lord and of his will and the more understanding you are the more agreeable will your supplications be unto the word of God and you will be the better furnished with matter for your prayers 2. Take pains that your affections may be excited the more warm your hearts are your tongues will be the more like unto the Pen of a ready Writer Let your affections be stirred by the necessity and value of the things you ask and the infiniteness of those evils which you pray against Besides the God whom you direct your prayers to is nigh is ready to be found Nothing is too hard for him such is the Almightiness of his power his tender mercyes are a vast multitude he stands related and engaged to his people by a sure and everlasting Covenant 3. Pray for the gift of utterance for this very ability is from the Father of lights but after 't is obtained you must beware 1. Of Pride Herod after an elegant Oration giving not glory to God was struck dead by an Angel and eaten up of Worms and if you are pufft up after enlargedness of expression of prayer you know not what way the displeasure of God may break forth against you 2. Despise not those that want this utterance your tongues possibly may be better hung but their hearts may be in a far better frame than yours 3. Envy not them that excel you in the gift of Prayer Envy will grieve the spirit and dead your ownhearts be a torment to you If one member in the natural body do something that is excellent and be honoured all the members sayes the Apostle rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12. 26. And as it is in the Natural body so it should be in the Mystical body of Christ Since we are members of the same body we should rejoyce when any of our fellow-members do worthily and count our selves honoured in their honour and especially be glad to see Christ lifted up though upon others shoulders 4. Let not any Carnal design be carryed on If you aime at your own ends in your most enlarged prayers and are secretly covetous and selfish and impure as this shews you are abominably Hypocritical so 't is the way to have either your gifts blasted or to have a curse upon them so that you shall only disturb the Church of Christ and do harm not good by them 4. Frequency in prayer will bring you to a readiness therein As by writing you learn to write so by praying you will learn to pray Gifts are increased and augmented by the exercise of them as grace it self also by being acted grows more strong 5. Be well acquainted with Scripture expressions that language is best to be used in Gods ears which is the language of his own Spirit 6. Let there be an order and method in prayer for confusedness as it will be irksome to others with whom you joyn so 't wil have a great tendency to dead and discourage your own hearts Here I shall speak to all the parts of prayer and furnish you with expressions in reference to every one of them Seven parts I have mentioned Compellation of God Acknowledgment of Sin Deprecation of punishment Petition for Grace and Mercy Intercession for others Imprecation against others Thanksgiving and Praise 1. Begin prayer with Compellation or naming of God let his Attributes also be mentioned O Lord thou art God alone and there is none besides Thee The God of the spirits of all flesh there is
good work Reprobate Mercies do not melt them judgments do not break them and Oh how little have all the means of Grace mended them There is so much of pride of atheisin infidelity impurity earthlyness hatred of the Lord and Holiness stubornness obstinacy by nature in our hearts that we are not able to mention or conceive the thousandth part of it Oh what cause have we to be earnest for that new heart and that new spirit which is promised in thy new new Covenant We are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousness are but filthy Raggs the corruption of our natures defiles our very best Duties Satan is not to be blamed so much for tempting as our hearts for yeilding unto his Temptation The best of us have as sinful natures as the worst of men Actual sin is to be confessed after this manner VVho can tell how oft he has offended who can understand his errours O Lord I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespass is grown up unto the Heavens VVho can number the Stars of the Sky the sands of the Sea or the days of Eternity or reckon up his sins in order before thee I was an early sinner a transgressor from the VVomb and have not left off sinning to this very day I have broken thy Laws though they are so holy just and good I have counted the yoak heavy though thy Commandments are so far from being grievous that they are more to be desired than the finest Gold and sweeter than the Hony and the hony Comb. How far have I been from loving the Lord with all my heart with all my soul with all my mind with all my strength Nay insteed of this I have been an hater of God and secretly wished there were no God to punish sin that I might have sinned with greater freedom I have been a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God Be astonished O ye Heavens at this for I have committed two great evils I have forsaken the Fountain of living waters and have hewn out unto my self Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water I have not worshipped thee in Spirit and in Truth without fear of thy jealousie I have mocked thee to thy Face I have been a meer Idolater for I have idolized the world and the things of the world which are vanity and have forgotten the alsufficient God days without number I have taken thy Name in vain and prophaned thy Sabboths which thou hast so strictly commanded I should remember to keep holy I have wofully failed in my Duty to my Neighbour though I ought and was bound to love him as my self I have sinned against the Gospel it self though it contain the best tidings that ever were brought unto the sons of men How shall I escape who have neglected so great Salvation I have out-done the very Devils themselves they never rejected mercy for 't was never offered to them they never refused a Saviour for no Saviour was ever sent to visit and recover them Lord I have not believed as I ought the report of the Gospel though it be so faithful and worthy of all acceptation How long have I lived without Christ without Hope and without God in the world Thou hast out-bid all others and hast offered infinitely better things than the world can thou hast offered pardon grace nay glory honour and Immortality and yet the offer has been despised I have been apt to count the Gospel foolishness though it be the wisdom of God and a Mystery which the Angels admire and desire to look into I have not hearkned to the Voyce of the great Prophet I have not reverenced thy Son who has spoken to me and therefore deserve to be cut off from among thy people Thy Son is a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconcilation for the sins of the people He has called upon me to come to him for rest but I would not come that I might have life His Righteousness is a perfect and everlasting Righteousness yet I have gon about to establish my own righteousness and have not submitted my self to the righteousness of God I have placed a carnal confidence in my own strength though it be but meer weakness and relied upon my duties though God might damn me for the best of them if he should be extream to mark what 's amiss in them The Lord Jesus is incomparably the best master but I have refused to obey I have called him Lord Lord but have not don the things that he sayes I have refused to take his Yoak upon me though his yoak be an easie yoak and his burthen so light a burthen his service I have not liked though 't is perfect freedom I have broke his bands asunder and cast away his cords from me I deserve to be dash'd in peices by his iron Rod who refused to submit unto the scepter of his word I have been called to repent and encouraged thereunto but have remained impenitent I have made my heart like an adamant stone and refused to be ashamed Sin was the cause of Christs sufferings it makes the whole creation groan 't is that which has murthered millions of Souls 't is the cause of all the horrour and despair and sorrows and torment which the damned undergo and yet how light a matter have I esteemed it Ah! fool that I have been to make a mock of sin and count it a pastime to do wickedly My sins O Lord are highly aggravated Light is come into the world but I have loved darkness more then light because my deeds are evil Thy will has been plainly told me and I have known my duty and yet have done the contrary and deserves to be beaten with many stripes I have had experience of the riches of thy goodness and forbearance and long suffering and yet all has not lead me to repentance When fair means prevailed not thou hast tried foul But though then hast smitten me I have not grieved thou hast even consumed me but I have refused to receive correction I have made my Face harder than a Rock and have refused to return The Spirit has striven with me but like a stifnecked wretch I have resisted the holy Ghost and thou mightest justly resolve he should strive no more with me We judg O Lord and condemn our selves in thy presence Thou really and truly hatest sinne in us as well as others Thou sparedst not the Angels that sinned against thee Thou sparedst not the Old World but didst bring the Floud upon them Thou didst turn the Cities of Sâ—dom and Gomorrah to ashes Nay thy Son himself was not spared when sin was laid to his charge Oh what a wonder of mercy is it that we are spared to this day We deserve the sorest of temporal Judgments Thou mightest appoint over us Terrour Consumption and the burning-Ague we have
Labour for that which cannot satisfie Let uâ— look uâ—to Christ whom we have peirced and moâ—rn Let us â—tâ—rnally fall out with Sin bâ—holâ—ing it bâ—smeâ—red wiâ—h the Bloud of Jesus Help us to bâ—lieve that Christ was made sin and bear the Curse that was due to us and to conclude that the Lord Jesus is as really given to us as the outward Elements Make us eager to Receive whole Christ and all his Benefits and to give up our selves wholly and immediately to him O thou God of all Grace make us perfect establish strengthen settle us and cause us to cleave unto the Lord with full Purpose of Heart Let Sabbaths be prized and improved le ts rejoyce when they come for then we have Opportunity to enter thy Sanctuary and approach thy Table Petitions for Perseverance Vphold me with thy free Spirit Hold thou me up and I shall be safe so shall I have Respect unto thy Precepts continually Thou art the Author be the Finisher of my Faith Fulfill all the good pleasure of thy Goodness and the work of Faith and power Thou givest Power to the Faint and to them that have no Might thâ—u â—nâ— easeth Strength Oh strengthen me with strength in my Soul that I may Run and not be weary that I may Walk and not Faint Preserve me by thy mighty Power through Faith unto Salvation Let us not be of them that draw back unto Perdition but of them that Believe unto the Saving of the Soul O Lord who art of Power to establish us keep us from Falling and present us Faultless before the Presence of this Glory with exceeding Joy Petitions for Temporal Mercies Give us this day our Daâ—ly Bread Give â—e neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with Food convenient for me Let not our Table be a Snare and that which should have been for our VVelfare let it not become a Trap unto us O that thou wouldest Bless me indeed and enlarge my Court and that thy Hand may be with me and that thou wouldest keep me from Evil that it may not grieve me Make me in all my ways to Acknowledge thee and do thou direct my Paths 'T is in vain to rise up Early to sit up Late and eat the Bread of â—rrows Thy Blessings O Lord maketh Rich and thou addest no Sorrow with it Be a Sun to Enlighten a Shield to Defend me and no good Thing with-hold from me Make thy Light to shine upon my Tabernacle and set an Hedge about me and cause the VVork of my Hands â—o prosper and let me have an Heart to Honour thee with the Substance thou hast given me and to make a Friend of the Mammon of Varighteousness Watch over me perpetually and that none may hurt me O Lord keep me nigâ—t and â—ay Preserve my going out and my comming in lead me not into Temptation but deliver me from evil and especially from sin which is of â—ll the greatest Petitions in reference to Death Oh that we were wise to consider our latter end Teach us so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedom All the dayes of our appointed time let us wait till our change comes let us die dayly to sin and to the world and live to God through Christ Jesus Help us to make sure work for Eternity living the life of the Righteous that we may also die the death of the Righteous Oh that we may pass the time of our sojourning here in fear and as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against our Souls What is our life 't is even a vapour which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away let us not defer our beleiving and repentance but while 't is called to day hear thy Voice and not harden our hearts any longer Let death be ours as well as life and let the sting of death be taken out before we feel it Deliver us from the fear of death and suffer us not all our life time to be subjected unto bondage Put us in mind of our great account for shortly we must be no longer stewards Let us act as those that believe God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Here we have no continuing City therefore let us mind that City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Let our Heart and Treasure be above let our Loyns be girded about and our Lights burning and our selves as those that are watching and waiting for our Lords appearing Let the prize of the high calling be in our Eye that we may press towards the mark and more and more abound in the work of the Lord. Let us groan to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven desiring nothing more than to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. And labour exceedingly that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him 5. The fifth part of Prayer is Intercession for others The Church is to be prayed for Save thy People bless thine inheritance rule them also and lift them up for ever Be a wall of fire round about Mount Sion that it may stand fast continually Preserve that little Flock unto whom thoou hast promised to give the kingdom Let thy delight be in Jerusalem grave her on the palms of thy Hands let her walls be continually before thee let her builders make hast and cause her destroyers to depart from her Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy Pasture look down from Heaven the habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory Where is thy zeal and thy strength and the earning of thy bowels and of thy mercies are they restrained Awake awake put on strength O Arm of the Lord Awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art not thou he that hast broken Rahab and wounded the Dragon Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand those that put their trust in thee from them that rise up against them Vnite thy people together let them not bite and devour one another but endeavour by all lowliness and meekness longsuffering and forbearing one another in love to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Let Truth shine forth and mistakes be discovered Oh let the light of the moon be as the light of the Sun and the light of the sun seven-fold as the light of seven dayes and at last bind up the breach of thy people and heal the stroke of their wound Bring home Jews and Gentiles that belong to the election of thy Grace Make thy way known upon earth and thy saving health among all Nations Raise up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and be gracious to the remnant of Joseph and let the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Bring in those sheep that are not yet of