included in these all things which must pay tribute to the godly and be subservient to them in their great work that concerneth the glory of God and their own salvation Rom. 8.28 and the wickeds full cup is full of poyson and in the belly will become like gall and worm-wood The Scripture speaks of a strange kind of wine Rev. 14.10 viz. the wine of the wrath and indignation of the everliving God a part whereof is mingled with all their delicious liquors which makes them prove so deadly and astonishing the wicked will never be able to digest or vomit up this wine the fattest and strongest among them will not be able to wrestle with it though they cannot flee from it and therefore in dispair when they find it begin to work and cease upon their vitals they even the Kings of the earth the great rich and mighty men will in vain cry to the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb from which they cannot flee and before which they cannot stand Rev. 6.15 16 17. and in that day every one shall be able to discern the great difference that shall be between the righteous and the wicked and between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mal 3.18 and after that unto all eternity their lot and outward condition shall be no more alike that shall be the general day of audience and discrimination no more prosperity to the wicked nor affliction to the Saints all tears shall then be wipt from their eyes but the wicked shall be cast into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 7.17 Rev. 14.10 Mat. 13.42 Mat. 25.41 46. Isa 3.10 11. What will ye whose priviledge it is to have a good understanding Psa 111.10 become so foolish and brutish as to envy or fret because of the prosperity of evil doers or the afflictions of the Saints Psa 73.3 14 22. and wilt thou be so basely ungrate as upon such an account once to question his love care and fidelity all whose parts towards thee are mercy and truth especially then while he will not suffer thee through thy folly to undo thy self nor put a sword in thy hand whereby thou wouldst offer violence to thy own soul and what are all our lustings our immoderat and peremptory desires after such and such creature-enjoyments but as roving fits of distempered brains seeking after that which may occasion their ruine Let us not then be so earnest and peremptory in such desires nor too anxious concerning the event of our prayers for them let us not measure the answer and success of prayer by such a rule but let us leave all upon the care love and wisdom of our Father You will say wherefore then should we pray for those things since we may not be anxious concerning the success of such prayers Ans As we must pray So we ought to pray so as we may prevail and as we must look to our prayers So after their success but yet we must not be anxious concering the particular whether in kind it be given or not and though the particular we apprehend to be good and desirable be not (g) Hic nunc nobis good for us at such a time yet to pray for it in a regular way is good and acceptable to God and may flow from the breathing and assistance of the Spirit who helpeth us to mind our duty but not to look to the decree of God concerning the giving or with-holding of such a particular now the Lord having put such a price and opportunity into our hand as to see and consider such a mercy which in it self is not evil and may be lawfully desired and may prove a blessing to us it is our duty to improve that opportunity and to hold out the case to God referring all to his wise and holy will and begging that he would do what may be best for us And thus as 1. thou dost thy duty and obeyest the command to make thy request known to God in every thing Phil. 4.6 So 2. now thou mayst have peace while otherwise a tender conscience in no business case or particular can have rest for untill we recommend our case to God how can we expect his blessing But 3. by prayer we will not only thus have a kind of negative peace and fredom from the challenges of conscience but also a positive and promising peace Phil. 4.7 where after the exhortation to pray in every case there is a promise not that we shall get the very particular desired but whatever we get or want we shall get the peace of God to guard our hearts both against anxiety (h) As anxious care is impertinent to us who are servants and children for that lieth on the father and on the master of the master of the family So it is improfitable and can do us no good but rather provoke the Lord to smite us Mat. 6.27 and prayer is prescribed as a remedy of this care Phil. 4.6 and shall we then make our prayers become fewel to feed it by being anxious concerning the event and success of our prayers and care and against grief and disquietness when what we desired is not given and the right and sanctified use of the mercy when it is given our prayers cannot want an answer which shall be better then all outward trifles to wit the peace of God that passeth all understanding If the answer quiet and content our heart it must be full and satisfactory for all we can have is peace and contentment and let the Lord speak it by what mean he pleaseth whether by giving or with-holding such a mercy it is no great matter but certainly some one way or other he will speak peace to his Saints Psa 85.8 And as this spiritual peace is thus promised So it is promising and evidencing 1. it declareth that God hath accepted our prayers for what else is this peace but a messenger from heaven to show us that the King hath heard and welcomed our supplication And then 2. its an earnest and pledge of more and that the Lord will make his dispensation as to the particular to work for our good and thus as such a prayer is good and acceptable whatever be the indifferency of the object in its own nature So it is a mean for good to us and for procuring the blessing which as it is sought So it will not be with-held whether the particular in kind be given or not such a prayer will prove a mean for good though not by the mean that thou didst desire and name the Lord will â—less thee in reference to the particular by doing what he will make prove best for thee though he lay (i) The Saints faith doth offer as Joseph did his two sons both the having or wanting of such a particular mercy to the Lords choice only they peremptorily desire the blessing but yet
supplicant and favourit of the great King though thou hast not purchased their mercies with thy mony Ah! what hath the poor begger to give for an almes yet thy request hath prevailed and thy prayers have gotten a gracious return though the Lord hath blasted all means we essayed for our deliverance from the oppression of usurping Sectaries yet the Saints by their prayers have had a hand in it and who ever take to themselves the glory of the work yet the Lord knoweth that Scotish men and women who with fasting and supplications were wrestling with him did obtain this mercy as a return of their prayers And the hand of the Lord may evidently be seen in it he bowed the hearts of some and turned the hands of others employing them against their heart to hold the sword for the terror of those who were in armes or might rise to oppose the work which they themselves did as much hate whatever was the design of some of the chief leaders of the English army who went from Scotland in that service yet it is well enough known that the generality of instruments deserved little thanks as going about a work they neither loved nor intended O then let all and every one of us pray that this mercy may be improven for the glory of the giver the honour of the King and the good of those who did wrestle at the th one of grace till they obtained a grant And as the Saints are thus great adventurers for others and send many packs to sea in their name so there be many that are imployed in their business and who agent their cause as they are great Factors so they are great Merchants as they adventure for many so many for them The care of all the Saints lyeth upon every Saint And how pressing a motive should that be for thee O (m) Heb. 6.17 heir of the promise to pray for others while thou considerest that thy trade is going on while thou art a sleep and in as many places cities and families as call upon the name of our Lord Jesus and how should thy heart rejoyce when thou lookest upon such a town and incorporation such a house and family and canst say that 's my shop there they are treading for me there some are praying and wrestling at the Thron for some one mercy or other to be bestowed on me And how should the consideration hereof stir us up to be more and more free in opening up our condition one to another that we may know what in particular to ask for one another the (n) I shall now offer to your consideration a motion made by a judicious Divine with his regrate that few or none make conscience to seek after that promising remedy held forth by him there In such a case viz. of Spirituall desertion Commend saith he thy condition to the publick ' prayers of the Church especially upon dayes of solemn seeking God if persons be sick and in danger of death then a Minister shall have a bill handed to him to pray for their bodily health but I wonder that amongst all our bills there are no complaints of soul-sickness Oh! beloved It would do a Ministers heart good as we say to receive a score or two of bills upon a sabbath day to this purpose one that hath a hard heart that hath been often heated and is grown cold again one that hath been long under conviction and finds no gracious issue of it one that cries aloud after God and can have no answer one that is assaulted with fearfull temptations that cannot get any evidence of Gods love and goes heavily all the day long c. desires their prayers It may be God expects ye should thus make many friends to speak to him that thanks may be rendred by many on your behalf as the Apostle expresseth himself in a like case 2 Cor. 1.11 c. Sym. Ford Spirit of bond and Adopt 2. Treat Ch. 15. Pag. 30. if the Saints do thus need the publick prayers of the congregation must not ignorant secure hard-hearted sinners stand in far greater need of this help with what seriousnesse and fervency should they commend their condition to the prayers of the Church but alas many will rather perish then complain of their case and danger want of this liberty and freedom is in great part I dare say the cause why many walk so uncomfortably many are weak faint and disquieted and are ashamed to tell what alleth them and God punisheth their pride with desertion and suffereth them to (o) Psal 68â—3 ly amongst the pots till they call for help from their brethren I have sometimes reflected on Job 42.8 to know why the Lord did commend Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar unto Jobs prayers adding a threatning if they should presume to offer up a sacrifice to him till Job did pray for them though they were holy men and had pleaded zealously for the Lord yet for their mistake and want of charity towards Job though they should pray God would hide his face till Job joyned in the work but we may to good purpose apply that place to this case it may be a pardon is sealed in heaven but the sense of it is withheld till some one or other Job do pray for thee the Lord may make choice of thy brothers prayer rather then thine own as the messenger by whom he will send the mercy thou longest for now consider who this Job was 1. He was an eminent Saint a great favourit of heaven Noah Daniel and Iob Ezek. 14.14 as Moses and Samuel Jer. 15.1 are recorded amongst the worthies of the great King and that rather because of their power with him then over men and the case was rare such as that there mentioned in which they could not prevail and obtain what they askt what meanest thou O Saint thus to mourn and complain is there not a Saint on earth to whom thou mayest commend thy case and if thou be living under the charge of a faithfull Minister whâ—â— can be more fit to minister comfort and be an instrument of good to thy soul The Lord will bless his own Ordinance and he will have thee to run to it but what ever good may be expected from thence thou mayest imploy the help of others the mo joyn in the work and the more eminent they are for holiness their prayers will be the more prevalent when two or three are met together and when they agree in the mater of their supplication though they be in different places they may expect a special blessing Mat. 18.19 20. Faithfull Abraham could have obtained mercy for the abominable Sodomits if there had been ten righteous ones amongst them Gen. 18.32 and meek Moses was heard and did prevail for an idolatrous stubborn and most ungrate people Exod. 32. Exod. 33. 2. Job was one whom those his friends had wronged they added affliction to the afflicted and pronounced a rash and uncharitable
in the discharge of his ministry was more dear to him then his life Act. 20.24 And the Martyrs (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contempserunt vitam pro Christi gloria vid. Pareum Bez in Rev. 12.11 loved not their lives unto the death they were content rather to lay down their lives then God should lose the least of his glory True love as it is (m) Amor meus pondus meum eo feror quocunque feror active and resolute so it is liberal it will do much encounter many tryals and hazards and part with much yea with all rather then it will suffer the soul to be divorced from what it pursueth as the chief good and ultimat end Hence when we would try whether we ask temporals in subordination and with reference unto the glory of God as concerning spirituals this question scarce hath place while we sincerely ask them these having such an immediat and direct tendency to Gods glory that it may be called their (n) Finis intrinsec finis operis intrinsecal end and the end of the work it self though yet I deny not but the worker through the subtilty of Sathan and the corruption pride and deceitfulness of the heart may abuse and pervert these precious things to base and selfish ends which may be discerned by what we are now to say concerning temporals which may proportionally be applied to our thus asking spirituals But now to that question how shall I know what end I aim at in my prayer suppose thou heardst the Lord from heaven saying unto thee upon what terms desirest thou this mercy and wouldst thou have it upon any terms though it might prove a weapon to dishonour me what wouldst thou reply canst thou truly say nay Lord my soul abominats it as such and I would rather part with what mercies I enjoy then receive an addition to them upon such terms and thus if thou art as ready to pray against and deprecate these outward things under that redpulication as thou wast serious in asking them as supposed blessings thou needst not fear least thou hast asked amiss if thy end had been wrong thy desire had been more peremptory neither would it have thus stooped to the will of God Self and lust are impetuous and (o) Gen. 30.1 Rachel like are impatient in desiring and cannot bear a denial or delay but if they be satisfied it s no matter though God lose of his glory and the soul of its beauty and heavenly ornaments but when Gods glory is intended temporal things will be askt 1. moderatly both as to the degree of the desire and to the measure of the thing desired 2. with submission to the will of God and 3. in subordination to his glory And thus all regular prayers for temporals have two parts as we pray for such a mercy upon supposition of expediency and subserviency to the great end so either virtually or expresly we deprecat it upon the supposition of inexpediency and hurt as shall appear Part 4. chap. 1. And herein honest supplicants do imitate their Master and when they pray for any outward mercy or deliverance either actually or in the habitual intention they include a proviso and either imply in their desire or expresly ad this post-script to all such supplications (p) Mat. 26.39 42. Nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt thy will be done 2. What we much love and mainly intend will be much in our eye and will often run in the thoughts we will not need a monitor to put us in minde of it but (q) What the Poet said of the land of our nativity viz. that it will not suffer us to forget it may more truly be said of our chief good and ultimas end Sua dulcedine semper Ducet immemores non sinet esse sui the mind must frequently meditate upon that which the heart much loveth and though it be shut out yet it will intrude and insinuate it self and creep in again upon the thoughts nay absence distance hazard and difficulty will but rather inflame the desire quicken and double our diligence and arrest and more seriously take up our thoughts then divert them from looking upon that which we much love and effectually intend If then the glory of God be the great errand and business and mark thou aimest at thou must frequently meditate upon it unless the archer have the mark in his eye he must shoot at random You will say Quest Ans but we cannot alwayes actually minde the glory of God When must we then and how often minde it Ans The more we think upon it it is an evidence that we intend it the more yet we must not determine how often and for how long a time the thoughts must be thus imployed As in other works and parts of holiness so here there is a great variety and latitude A popish Casuist (r) Pet a S. Joseph in Ethic. ad quaest An detur aliquis actus humanus indifferens in individuo seu ut loquuntur in actu exercito affirmeth that once at least every day we should renew our resolution to refer all our wayes to the glory of God and well might he say that this should be the minimum the least that ought to be done albeit alas too many titular Christians never once yet to this day did make or sincerely came to this resolution but I should think that at least as often as we pray we should renew this resolution and whensoever we ask temporals we should cordially say not our will but thine O Lord be done (Å¿) Proponitur hic exemplum enimi veri pit rihil aliud spectontantis quam gloâ—iam Dei dum in tribulationibuâ— periculis auxilium divinum implorat Musâ—â—l in Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory do what seemeth good in thy eyes and what serveâ—h most to illustrate the glory of thy name but (t) Psa 140.8 grant not our foolish desires and further not our hurtfull devices c. 3. He who asketh for the glory of God when he hath obtained what he desired will be carefull to improve and lay it out for that end Thus Hannah askt a son from the Lord and lent him to the Lord as long as he lived 1 Sam. 1.27 28. It is true she did not thus consecrate her other three sons to the publick ministry in the temple and it may be the Lord will not call thee to part with all but yet thou shouldest be in readiness if it were to offer up thy Isaac and to abandon thy darling and most beloved comforts and though thou art allowed still to possess yet mayest thou not improve thy possessions better for his glory and spare so much of them as he calls for which haply will be but a little But Ah! so much health and strength so much wealth and honour and nothing of that laid
is like an Ecclipse or Sea-sickness that will quickly pass And thus 3. the one is foolishly mercifull to himself entertaining a groundless fancy of Gods mercy as separated from his holiness an justice yea and denying the truth of the threatnings thastand against him he laith claim to the promises to which he hath no right and maketh lies his refuge and so perisheth in his delusion going to hell laughing and rejoycing hoping the best till he find the worst and see his case to be remeediless the other is unadvisedly cruel to himself tormenting and vexing his own soul with a needless jealousie the one goeth laughing to hell the other weeping to heaven the one enjoyeth a fools paradise on earth the other a sort of hell in this life living in darkness till the dawning of the glorious and long-lasting day of eternity And thus both mistaking their state and condition the one apprehending it to be better the other to be worse then it is both pass a wrong sentence the one for the other against himself both mis-applying the Scriptures the one to his eternal ruine the other to his present trouble and disquiet and thus it is easie to judge whose case is most dangerous and whose fault and error most grievous only let me add a word to the doubting or shall I say unbelieving believer from (a) Non orarem si non crederem sed si vere crederem illud cor quo Deus videtur mundarem manibus tunderem pectus genas lachrymis rigarem corpore inhorrescerem ore pallerem jacerem ad Domini mei pedes cosque â—â—eiu perfunderem crine tergerem haererem certo trunco crucis nec prius amitterem quam miscricordiam impetrarem Nunc vero creberrime in oratione mea aut per portious deambulo aut de faenore computo aut abductus turpi cogitatione etiam quae dictu erubescenda sunt gero Ubi est fides Siccine putamus orasse Jonam Sic tres puerâ—s Sic Danielem inter Leones Sic cerie Latronem in cruee Hieronym dialog advers Luciser Jeroms pathetick encomium of and exhortation to exercise and act faith particularly in prayer If I saith this holy man did not believe I could not pray but having faith with what humility tenderness reverence and godly fear may we draw nigh to God c. CHAP. III. Some consequent conditions what we must do after we come from the throne of Grace 1. We must wait 2. watch 3. be busie in using the means and 4. renewing our requests and 5. we must thankfully improve what the Lord giveth in return to our prayers With a word concerning the necessity of these and the former qualifications Psa 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people but let them not turn again to folly Psa 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me 2 Chr. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one c. HAving spoken of the antecedent and concomitant qualifications of an acceptable prayer now come we to show what must be done after we go from the throne Ah! too many go to work heedlessly and without all kind of preparation and perform it perfunctoriously and in a dead formal maner and no wonder though such have done when they have said that when they leave off to speak they minde the work no more but thou who tookst heed to thy steps while thou drewest nigh and who wa st serious when thou didst approach pouring out thy soul unto thy God wilt expect some fruit of thy labour and wilt take heed to thy wayes lest by thy folly thou shouldst intercept and obstruct the return of thy prayers 1. Then after thou hast poured out thy complaint to God thou must wait listen and diligently observe when he answereth and how far he answereth thy prayers we must hear what God the Lord will speak Psa 85.8 If we presented a supplication to a King how would he think himself mockt if we did not stay for an answer If beggars knock and cry but will not wait till an alms come who will send it after them Ah! 1. are we not Gods subjects and servants and should we not look up to our King and Master and patiently wait till he have mercy upon us Psa 123.2 2. Did the Lord ever disappoint them who thus did wait and depend upon him Isa 26.3 Psa 85.8 Mic. 7.7 Psa 107.43 3. But if ye will not wait for an answer if no answer come know who should bear the blame if the beggar be gone while the alms is coming his pride impatience and sloth must be the cause of his not receiving faith is not more necessary in asking then that we may receive and if ye do not wait unbelief must say (a) 2 King 6 33. What should I wait on the Lord any longer And with them Joh. 21.15 What profit have we if we pray to him It was in vain to pray and now to look for an answer 4. Nay though the Lord answer in wrath and reward thy contempt and the dishonour done to his name with some remarkable judgment thou hadst no cause to complain who could endure such an indignity what is truth said Pilat to Christ and when he had said he goth away and will not wait for an answer Joh. 18 38. Ah! will ye deal no better with the great God then a mocking pagan dealt with Christ in the day of his reproach may ye not fear lest he be avenged on you for this dishonour injury and affront offered to his Majesty 5. As you thus dishonour God and provoke him not only to withhold the desired mercy but also to take the rod in his hand So if the Lord should answer follow and pursue you with his mercies while ye are running away from him you would deprive your selves of a double advantage 1. Of the joy and comfort that redounds to an honest supplicant when he observeth God to have hearkned to his desire nay the comfort that many times ariseth from this consideration doth exceed the satisfaction reaped by the naked enjoyment of the mercy it self that being an evidence of our adoption of Gods love towards us of our moyen with him c. 2. We thus deprive our selves of a notable mean 1. for strengthning our faith in the promises 2. for clearing the Lords fidelity in keeping his word to his servants and 3. for judging of the sincerity of our hearts and wayes and knowing when we have prayed acceptably and 4. for encouraging us to continue instant in prayer and to say with him Psa 116.2 therefore will I call upon God as long as I live And as thus you are injurious to your selves So also to the Lord and to your brethren 1. To the Lord if he should answer ye who do not hearken would not hear ye who would not look up to him would not see nor discern his
hand but would (b) Habak 1.16 sacrifice to your own net and ascribe that mercy to your own wisdom activity moyen with or power over some creature helper and second cause and thus though God should deliver us in the day of our trouble yet we would not glorifie him nor would we with him Psa 116.1 2. say I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice c. 2. If we were carefull to ponder Gods wayes towards us and laid up experiences we might be helpfull to others especially to weak Saints and to children of light walking in darkness our experiences might prove a mean to support and strengthen their faith if God regard the prayer of the destitute this shall be written for the generation to come Psa 102.17 18. See this point more fully demonstrated and improven by Mr. Goodw. Ret. of Pray ch 10. Ah! where is the man who hath not reason to smite his breast and say wo's me that I am so guilty of so vile ungrate foolish and mischievous an offence O! let us justifie God if he hath not heard us while we did not listen nor hear what he would say and O! if we were more carefull to amend this fault that is so common and ordinary that we would no more so carry as if we thought with Atheists that our praying were lost labour and if we will trust God and depend upon him we shall have no cause to be ashamed of our expectation he will not fail nor disappoint us if we will go to our watch-tower as the Prophet did after he had prayed Hab. 1.12 13. c. we would with him ch 2.3 find that an answer would at length come that at the end it should speak and not lie though it tarried as to our sense and apprehension yet if we waited for it it should not tarry nor be suspended for one moment after the fit convenient and due time But as this waiting upon God doth import a looking up to him so 2. a patient and submissive a silent and beleeving expectation and not fainting all the while the Lord delayeth to answer our prayers he that believeth will not make hast but will patiently wait upon the Lord his God till he have mercy upon him Is 28.16 Ps 123.2 he will not fret because of cross-dispensations but will rest on the Lord and commit his way unto him knowing that at length he will bring forth his righteousness as light and his judgment as the noon-day Ps 37.7 5 6. We have need of patience that we may receive the promise Least if we fret the promised mercy be withheld Heb. 10.36 It s not enough that we once believe and assent to the promise but we must wait the fit time for its accomplishment And thus as we have need of faith so also of patience that we may inherit and be put in possession of the promised mercy Heb. 6.12 Some Pagans have shown much magnanimity and composure of spirit under their trials and sad disappointments who yet were strangers to this confident and filial dependance upon God and to this Christian patience which is founded upon better grounds and spiritual motives and which is the daughter of faith and one of the priviledges and ornaments of the heirs of glory being of a heavenly descent and coming from him who is the fountain and author of all our graces we would soon faint if we were not strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Colos 1.11 There may be some appearance of joy in hypocrits and moralists in the day of their trouble and trial but there can be no real and solid joy but in beleevers who know that yet a little whi e and he who shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 And that the Lord waiteth till the fit and appointed time come that he may be gracious to us and bless us indeed Isa 30.18 As the Spirit helpeth us to pray so to wait till the fit time for us to receive come hence the Lord is called the God of patience not only because he exerciseth it toward us but (c) Especially since there also he is called the God of consolation which must be interpreted of his working of it in us and making us rejoyce because he worketh it in us Rom. 15.5 O! then let us labour to exercise this heavenly grace and our labour shall not be in vain the more thou dost venture in thy trade with heaven and the greater stock of prayers thou sendest forth thou mayest expect the larger return nay and the longer thou waitest thou maist expect the more gain as knowing thy trade to be carrying on all the while and thy stock to be in his hand who during the delay will improve it to thy best advantage who will not suffer it to miscarry nor thee to be on the losing hand who hast intrusted it to him yea and 2. such mercies as are long expected and waited for are most sweet and welcom (d) August loc cit cito data vilescunt what we quickly and easily get we undervalue but what we have often askt and desired and long waited for proveth sweet and refreshing A love-letter and token from a dear friend we thought to have been dead will bring much delight and content and those vessels when the voyages prove long and dangerous so that the owners have made their account they shall never hear of them again as they use to return with the greater advantage so their return is more refreshing and comfortable so when our faith is ready to fail and we look upon our prayers as (e) Eccl. 11 1. bread cast upon the waters and as so much lost pains when an answer cometh and a love-token from our God whom we through unbelief had almost thought to have forgotten us O how sweet and acceptable will it prove and the oftner we read and peruse those missives from our heavenly Father especially coming by the hand of a messenger we judged to be lost and as dead we will observe some precious and as it were new passages which will mightily refresh and comfort us and will become a seal and notable evidence of his love to us and strong a support of our faith and confidence in him But 3. if we weary and faint we may through our impatience and discontent provoke the Lord to recall as it were his former grant and not to answer these prayers which otherwise might have laid claim to the promise and would not have wanted a gracious return and answer But as we must thus wait so 2. we must watch as we must look up to God so we must look in to our own hearts and about us to our wayes and course as we must watch unto prayer and in prayer so also after prayer Sathan alwaies lieth in wait and we know not he may have a train laid when and where we are least apprehensive of
faint not Gal. 6.9 they that wait upon the Lord they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.31 O! then wouldst thou have strength and be kept from fainting wait upon the Lord in the use of the means and though for a short moment the trial continue yet be not discouraged hearken to the exhortation and promise Psa 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord Isa 41.10 fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness saith the Lord. O! do not then quench the Spirit by thy dejection and negligence do not sit down and mourn when thou art called to work but stir (h) 2 Tim. 1.6 up the grace of God that is in thee blow up the coals there is heat within and the help of the Spirit may be at hand though thou do not discern it the wind bloweth when and where it listeth Joh. 3.8 But we must press this point a little more fully in the following Section Sect. 3. Whether our deadness doth excuse our negligence and whether we should pray when we are unfit and indisposed and what will be the issue and success of those prayers that want life and fervency and which are pestred with wandring thoughts Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee c. 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath c. WE would not think it worth the while to confute those dreaming Sectaries who plead that we should not draw nigh to God till he send out his Spirit and till we sensibly find some impression from heaven drawing and inviting us to come to the throne but since weak Christians may meet with the like temptations we shall labour briefly to take out of their way that stumbling block and to shew them that their very deadness and indisposition is ground enough for them to draw nigh to the Physitian that they may be healed so far is it from being an obstruction and impediment or a plea for our negligence and omission of duty 1. Because one sin cannot be a plea for another now our deadness and indisposition is our sin and therefore must not be alledged as a reason for our neglect of prayer which is our duty as well as our priviledge 2. This were the ready way to Atheism and to cast behind us all the ordinances of life and to abandon them for ever for if thou be unfit to day and upon that account liest by thou will readily be more unfit to morrow and so from time to time the longer thou stayest away from God the distance will be the greater till at length it become an easie and tolerable burden to continue in that state omission of duty will prove a bad preparation for it but thus thou wilt contract an habit of idleness which thou wilt not easily cast off 3. If thou do not resolve to mock God and slight his work but wilt stir up the little strength thou hast waiting upon the breathings and assistance of his Spirit though thou wert never so weak and indisposed thy oblation coming from a willing mind and according to what thou hast it will be accepted in Christ who pittieth thy weakness and will not reject thy supplication upon the account of thy bewailed infirmities and thou needest not doubt whether such a prayer be more acceptable then no prayer nor ask whether it were better not to pray then to pray no better For it is granted on all hands that the very moral vertues of Pagans were more acceptable then the want of them and that those workers of moral righteousness were less guilty then those other Pagans who omitted them Hence we may well argue from (a) A pari the like that thy performance of duty must be more acceptable then the omission of it especially since there must be some life in thy work if a Saint though weak while there was none in theirs and thou being in Christ through whom thy imperfections will be pardoned and done away 4. The Spirit may draw insensibly he may be present effectively where he is not feelingly he may be stirring up the heart to the duty though thou dost not discern his motion and his help and assistance may be at hand when thou art ready to apprehend he is farthest off and have not the Saints many a time brought a heavy dejected and complaining spirit to the throne and yet have gone away rejoycing and triumphing over their fears and unbelief As the book of Psalms can afford many instances The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 The Lord useth to meet them that work righteousness and remember him in their waies Isa 64.5 When we are following our duty and improving the ordinances we lie in Christs way and he will not shut his eyes but will at length pity and heal such weak and impotent ones I may then say unto thee concerning the use of prayer and other ordinances as David did to Solomon in reference to the building of the Temple 1 Chr. 22.16 Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with thee 5. Ah! where shall the sick go but to the Physitian What should a troubled spirit do if it may not draw nigh to God for healing comfort and life The Lord commands us to call upon him in the day of trouble and hath promised to hear and deliver us Psa 50.15 and who is he that dare forbid us and threaten wrath while he thus promiseth to pity and show mercy and what trouble is there that is comparable to soul-trouble and what weakness and infirmity is like to a wounded spirit labouring under the fetters bondage captivity under which it hath cast it self by its folly sin and negligence and shall it be to no purpose for such a one to lay out his straits and weakness to God 6. The Lord complaineth when we will not call on him and stir up our selves to lay hold on him Isa 64.4 and will he chide and challenge us when we stir up our hearts to close with him and look up to the throne of mercy (k) Metaphera qua Paulus utitur sumpta est ab igne exiguo vel qui paulatim extingueretur nisi flabellum subiude admovendo lignum novum ingerendo vires resumeret ac flammam proinde meminerimus in usum applicanda esse dona Dei nerubiginem oâ—losa suppressa contrahaut Calvin in loc and do not say thou wantst the Spirit to help thee as if thou durst not go when thou art not sure of his assistance for he hath promised to give his Spirit to them that ask him
less Nam licet ex duobus malis culpa neutrum paenae tamen minimum est eligendum All the controversie then seems to stand in this Whether we may pray for any evil either of sin or suffering for to one of those two heads may every evil be referred relatively and in reference to some good and necessary end That though neither of these two be good and desirable of themselves yet since God by them and from them may bring good to us and may make them means to humble us and to cause us walk more circumspectly may we not desire and pray for them in so far as they may be subservient to such an end Ans We needed not have moved such a question were it not that some weak Saints upon a mistake may be ready to pray thus for some rod or affliction and that the great school-man (d) Non est intrinsece malum petere hujusmodi mala vel sibi vel aliis nam haec mala erunt simpliciter bona si honesta ratione propter finem simpliiâ—ter bonum appetantur Fatetur tamen hunc mâ—dum orandi fortasse non esse omnibus consulendum cum ipso Paulus ter Dominum rogaveritue stimulo carnis affligeretur Suar. loc cit lib. 1. cap. 19. Suarez affirmeth that we may desire and ask thus not only evils of suffering both to our selves and others but also temptations As for his arguments they deserve no reply and he makes it his work neither to prove nor vindicat but to explain and illustrat this his assertion But for establishing a right directory of prayer and for preventing a mistake of the weaker we shall 1. bring some arguments for confirmation and then 2. answer such objections as we conceived might readily occur or become an occasion of errour and because the main question will be concerning afflictions for few or none I think will be so impudent as to affirm that we should desire or pray for strength to sin albeit Suarez doth mention temptations to sin amongst those evils he affirmeth we may pray for and speaks of Pauls temptation 2 Cor. 12. as a thing he might have desired therefore we shall speak at greater length of suffering and affliction and only add a word concerning sin and temptations to sin Arg. 1 First As for reasons 1. that which we may deprecat and pray against that can be no fit material and object of prayer but we may deprecat rods and afflictions and pray according to that perfect pattern Mat. 6.13 that we may be (e) How we may and should deprecat evils both of fin and suffering See Mr. Gurnal loc cis pag. 491. seq delivered from evil of whatsoever nature whether of sin or suffering and our Lord Jesus who knew well what to ask what to deprecat not only thus teacheth us by his doctrine and that copy he hath left us but also by his example to deprecat the cup of suffering and affliction Mat. 26.39 I deny not that the Lord can and often doth sanctifie the furnace to his children but they themselves must not choose nor cast themselves into that furnace but if the Lord determine their particular trial and call them in his wise providence to encounter it they should not faint nor repine but should submit to the dispensation and look up to God for the right and sanctified use of it and for some good of and fruit by the trial but that not being the proper and inseparable effect of the rod and the Lord being able by mercies to work the same yea and without any outward dispensation by the immediat operation of the Spirit on the heart why should we make choice of such a rough and troublesom way and take a bitter potion and draw blood when pleasant cordials will do the turn Hence Arg. 2 2. That which is of it self bitter and evil and frequently accompanied with a bad effect and driveth the soul farther from God and to take wicked and desperat courses that cannot be an object of a regular and reasonable desire and as it must flow from inconsideratness So it would appear to take its rise from our pride and a conceit of our own strength to improve the rod aright and to make a better use of it then others who have miscarried under it but humble and considerat Christians would remember how the rod made that King immediatly after his sackcloth 2 King 6.30 to fall upon this desperat conclusion ver 33. this evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer How it sent Saul once (f) 1 Sam. â—0 9.10 among the Prophets to the witch at Endor and at length made him fall upon his own sword 1 Sam. 28.8 1 Sam. 31.4 And how often it made the people of Israel in the wilderness to murmur and rebel against the Lord nay as many rods and tryals as they were exercised with so often did they miscarry and provoke the Lord. Arg. 3 3. Arg. 3. For with-holding and removing of which we should praise and give thanks to God that we may not desire and pray for but it is our duty to praise God for with-holding deserved judgments and keeping our (g) Job 5.24 tabernacle in peace and accordingly the Saints from time to time have made conscience to perform this duty and it is a provoking sin not to acknowledge his bounty nor ascribe to him the praise of these outward mercies and for which he is often provoked to remove them in wrath Hence Arg. 4 4. That which is a token of divine displeasure and of it self the bitter fruit of sin ought not be made the object of our desire and prayer but rods and afflictions are such and do call us to fasting and mourning and to run to the Lord by fervent prayer entreating that he would remove those tokens of his wrath according to the exhortation Psa 50.15 Jam. 5.13 c. And when the Saints remember their former enjoyments Job chap. 29. they look upon them as great mercies and their present affliction as a sore and sad tryal and oh saith Job that I were as in moneths past as in the dayes when God preserved me c. 5. That which we may not procure nor bring on but on the contrary should labour and strive against and use all lawfull means for with-holding when it 's feared and removing when it 's felt Arg 5 and causeth (h) I think few will joyn with Mr Collings in his cordials Part 2. Serm. 11. where he seemeth to candemn all disquietment of spirit all sorrow and trouble for external and temporal things as sinfull unless by sorrow he understand the excess and distemper of that affection which was acted by Christ purely and without sin Mat. 26.38 as for his reason viz. that our nature is so corrupt that we cannot act such a sorrow but we shall sin If it were concludent here it would as well conclude the acting of
and such ends and hath fixed such an order and connexion between the means and the end if he I say inable us to do our duty and if we prove so wise as to follow the right way and use the means we may be confident of the success and that our labour shall not be in vain But it may yet be objected that the Lord having freely promised to give what we stand in need of Obj. 10. Ans and to withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly Ps 83.11 c. it seemeth needless to interpose our prayers and requests Ans Albeit the promises be altogether free yet the Lord calls for our prayers as a part of that worship we owe to him to testifie our dependance on him and to show his delight in prayer that we may be fitted to receive and the more engaged to improve aright what he giveth and to return to him the sacrifice of praise nay the Lord thereby not only procures our good O! what an effectual mean is fervent prayer to take the heart off the world to strengthen our faith enflame our love c. but provides for our honour also Oh saith (t) Considera quanta est tibi concessa faelicitas quanta gloria attributa orationibus famulari cum Deo cum Christo miscere colloquia optare quod velis quod desideras postulare Chrysost apud Thom. art cit ad 3. Chrysostom consider O man what honour and happiness is conferred on thee while thou art admitted familiarly to converse with God and Christ to propound what thou wilt and to ask whatsoever thou desirest O! how would we prize such familiarity with an earthly King and what an honour and high favour would we esteem it but while we are allowed and invited to this liberty with the King of Kings how do we undervalue that admirable mercy and priviledge and as this heavenly employment of it self is so honourable and excellent So usually it brings with it much beauty to him who is employed in it then the Lord manifests his glory to the soul and lets it enjoy as it were a heaven upon earth then the (u) Cant. 5.1 honey and the honey-comb is set before thee and thou art invited to eat the soul saith (x) Mr. Hodge apology for the Lords prayer pag. 35. one of a praying Saint is sometimes in a sort transfigured and shineeth as Christs body on mount Tabor Ah! from whence should heat and light come if not from the Sun it is no wonder then though such as hide and cover themselves from its beams (y) Mat. 4 1 6. walk in darkness and sit in the cold region and shadow of death But though thus we be obliged to pray though the honour of our Master and our own good do call for diligence herein yet is the promise no less free then if there were no such condition required on our part our prayers are not our money nor a price for what we receive will any man think that we give not freely to these beggers who importunatly cry at our doors and yet there is here some sort of debt and obligation lying on us to pity those who are in misery but there is no obligation lying upon the Almighty to hear us when we cry nay were it not that the promises are altogether free notwithstanding of any condition to be performed by us or any qualification required on our part it were in vain for us to pray or go about any duty looking to the rich recompence and reward which the promise holds forth since though we did all we can yea though we could perfectly obey all the Commands yet are but unprofitable servants Luk. 17.10 when we pay our debt we do not (z) This truth hath extorted a notable confession from the Jesuit Salmeron in several particulars which may serve as so many irrefragable arguments against the popish doctrine concerning merits and supererogation primum quod servi sumus c. Vid. loc Salmer in evang Tom. 7. de parab tract 30. pag. 190. vid. etiam tres rationes quibus ibidem probat nos Deo esse inutiles oblige the creditor to bestow new favours on us but ah how defective and imperfect are our best performances Isa 64.6 I grant that among men there may be so much trouble and travel in seeking and warting on that an answer may be too (a) Et sic verum est tritum illud Senecae nulla res carius emitur quam quae precibus empta Obj. 11. dear coft by the supplicant and yet even thus thy supplication doth not profit him to whom thou makes thy adress far less can our prayers and service extend to the Lord Ps 16.2 if thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he off thine hand Job 35.7 Lastly it may be objected that the father himself loveth us and what need we then ask any thing from him his love will cry and prevail though we were silent and thus our blessed Lord tells his disciples that upon this very account viz. because the father loved them he would not he needed not pray for them Joh. 16.26 27. And upon this same ground we may further argue thus thou art O man either a reprobat and an object of Gods hatred and certainly thy prayers cannot prevail for thou not being in Christ canst not obtain access Eph. 2.18 Eph. 3.12 or else thou art one of his elect and precious ones and to what purpose wouldst thou pray wouldst thou move his bowels and have them turned towards thee that is already done the Father loveth thee and is more ready to give then thou to receive and if he were not could thy prayers move and change him Ans Ans The Lords love is so far from giving a discharge from prayer that upon this very account he cal s for our prayers Cant. 2.14 because the Lord loveth us therefore he delighteth in our prayers Prov. 15.8 compared with ver 9. as a tender (b) Neque enim renuens preces nostras differt sed hac arte sedulos nos efficiens ad semetipsum attrahere vult nam pater quamvis benignus cum a puero rogatur ahnuit quasi non volens dare non ut neget sed ut ille ardentius petat sibi magis concilietur Chrysost apud Jo. Arboreum theosoph lib. 13. cap. 7. father because he loveth his child will have him come and ask the sons presence and voice is sweet to him and therefore he will not at the first haply give him but lets him stay and renew his request and add pleas and arguments and therefore though our asking be not the true and proper cause albeit it be a mean which his wisdom and love hath made choyce of why he giveth yet he will have us ask as for other reasons some of which were hinted at in answer to the foregoing objection so especially because he loveth us neither the Lords promise
the prayer of the righteous doth move and prevail with him to show mercy for as if man had not sinned the Lord would not have been angry against him nor inflicted any punishment So if the Saints did not pray they should not receive mercies from him but would provoke him to wrath and to afflict them but their prayers are his delight and a means to obtain what they stand in need of and therefore in some sort they must as it were move and affect him Thus objections being answered and obstructions removed thou mayest be convinced O man that there is no hindrance nor impediment lying in thy way but what carnal reason would suggest to hinder discourage thee if thine eyes were opened thou mightest (b) See how we retorted the several objections belonging to this place discern some motive and encouragement from thence for going about thy duty and if objections do furnish arguments and motives where can we cast our eyes and not behold some one or other motive and encouragement We will not resume the several particulars mentioned Sect. 1. only let me now by way of conclusion warn thee that unless thou be a sincere supplicant thou canst not glorifie God nor enjoy him for ever thou canst not serve God nor work out thine own salvation which being joyned together as they cannot be separated are our great business here in the world and the one thing necessary If thou callest not upon God thou art a thief and a robber in taking and using his goods without his leave and sayest with those wretches Ps 12.4 Who is Lord over us thou dost not acknowledge his propriety in all thou possessest nor thy dependance on him and subjection to him thou lookest not upon thy mercies as talents and dost not resolve to improve them for the Masters use nor render to him the sacrifice of praise for what he hath intrusted thee with the thief useth not to come and render thanks to the owner for what he stealed from him if thou cast off prayer thou drawest down wrath and openest the door that Gods judgements may enter in and every business thou puttest thine hand unto and every mercy thou enjoyest cryeth while thou art silent to the heavens for a curse and plague to be poured out upon thee for (c) Rom. 8.20 21 22. subjecting it to vanity and imploying it against it's Maker nay if thou dost not call upon God thou art a very Atheist and profess what thou wilt thou art in one class and rank with the heathen that know not God and with them lying under the same curse and imprecation Ps 79.6 Jer. 10.25 We read of some desperat fools and mad atheists who said in their heart there is no God Ps 14.1 Ps 53.1 but what is their mark and that character whereby they may be known in both Scriptures they are described to be men that call not upon God Psal 14.4 Psal 53.4 As if the holy Spirit had said would ye indeed know who is the heart-Atheist he is one who will not seek after God who casteth off fear and restraineth prayer God is not in all his thoughts All prayer-less souls are bigg with blasphemies whatever restraint be upon their mouths yet their way and course doth say and a little temptation might make them speak out with those cursed ones Job 21.15 What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Such as have no prayers have no creed and such as leave Gods door are ready with (d) 1 Sam. 28.7 Saul to run to the devils O! then wouldst thou not have the throne of mercy become a throne of wrath and indignation unto thee wouldst thou not have him whose judgment is true account thee an Atheist wouldst thou not become a prey to every temptation that would drive thee to destruction and make thee in the day of distress to run to Sathan thy sworn enemy and soul-murderer cast out this dumb devil let him not possess thy heart any longer else he will be thy ruine and damnation But on the other hand wouldst thou be happy here and eternally hereafter wouldst thou (e) 1 Joh. 1.3 have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ wouldst thou (f) Hos 12.3 4. have power with God wouldst thou have moyen in heaven and have the Kings ear wouldst thou have it said unto thee as to her Mat. 15.28 be it unto thee as thou wilt though thou shouldst ask not as (g) Mark 6.23 Herod once vainly proffered the half of a kingdom only but the whole and not a corruptible inheritance but a crown of glory that fadeth not a way wouldst thou be in such a blessed and happy condition O then hearken to the exhortation Col. 4.2 Rom. 12.12 Eph. 6.18 continue instant in prayer watching thereunto with all perseverance And now let me with dying h Moses call heaven and earth to record against you this day (h) Deut. 30.9 that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life ah will ye delay or refuse is there any question or difficulty in the matter is there any comparison between life and death cursing and blessing eternal happiness and everlasting wo and misery were it not that sinners are (i) Gal. 3.1 bewitched befooled and infatuated by Sathan would they (k) Isa 5.20 prefer darkness to light and (l) Jer. 2.13 forsake the fountain of living waters and hew out to themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water Oh! (m) Ezek. 33.11 turn ye turn ye foolish self-destroying sinners why will ye die while life is offered unto you and all that may make you happy and blessed for ever doth not the Lord to day hold out all his treasures unto thee and invite thee to (n) Rev. 3.18 buy at an easie rate do but ask ask what thou wilt and it shall be (o) Mat. 7.7 Joh. 14.13 14. c. given thee O! (p) Luk. 19 42. if thou didst know even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace before they be hid from thine eyes Ere it be long this day of grace and acceptable time will be past and if then thou be found among the number of despisers thou wilt but too late be convinced of thy folly in contemning thine own mercies that thou wouldst not be (q) Rev. 3.18 rich thou wouldst not be (r) Ps 16.3 honourable and (Å¿) Ps 32.1.5 happy that thou didst despise a crown and wouldst not be a (t) Rev. 1.6 King and Priest unto God for ever and ever (u) Act. 13.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish An Alphabetical TABLE A TO pray absolutely what it importeth For what should we thus pray whether for such a measure and degree of grace c. Page 214 c. Whether grace may be abused Page 223 227 No acceptance without the
2. To pray is but to seek Mat. 7.7 O! but if thou wouldst find thou must seek with all thy heart and with all thy soul Deut. 4.29 Thou must seek God diligently Heb. 11.6 Thou must first seek the Glory of God and prefer holiness to the world Mat. 6.33 otherwise though thou wouldest seek God daylie thou wouldest not meet with successe Is 58.2.3 If thou choose not the fear of the Lord though thouseek him early thou shalt not find him Prov. 1.28 29. And therefore we are commanded to adde wrestling and striving to our seeking that we may prevail Rom. 15.30 3. If we will but knock or cry it will be opened to us Mat 7.8 O? but it is the cry of such as fear him that he will hear Ps 145 19. If we harken not to God while he calleth and cryeth to us in his word we may cry howl and complain as much as we will and he laugh at our calamity and mock when our fear cometh Prov 1.24 26 28. Hos 7.14 It s true our Prayers and praises are the fruit of the lips Heb. 13.15 Our tongue must be employed in honouring our God and the lips that are thus employed must not be feigned Ps 17.1 They must follow the heart and expresse what it enditeth Ps 45.1 Thy words must be the fruit of meditation Ps 5.1 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off their remembrance from the earth Ps 34.16 17 And then if thou wouldst have the door opened unto thee while thou knockest thou must open to Christ while he stands at thy door and knocks Rev. 3.20 Otherwise though thou wert his spouse he will withdraw for a while and shut the door upon thee Cant. 5.2 6. 4. To Pray is but to desire for the Lord will satisfie the desire of every living thing Ps 145 16. O! but whatever the Lord out of his general bounty doth for satisfying the natural desires of bruits and brutish men yet as a father he will not bestow covenanted mercies upon any who are not his children he will thus only satisfie the desire of them that fear him v. 19. and of such as walk humbly before him Ps 10 17. 5. We need do no more but look unto God and he will save and deliver us Is 45.22 O! but thou must look unto him with the eye of faith and with a mourning eye thou must in bitternesse look upon him whom thou hast peirced Zech. 12.10 He that looks to God for good things must shut his eyes from seeing evill Is 33.15 16 17. Otherwise thou mayest till thine eyes grow dimme look for peace but no good will come and for a time of health and behold trouble Jere. 8.15 14. 6. If wee draw nigh to him he will draw near to us with mercies Ja. 4 8. O! but we must draw near to him with the heart and not with the mouth only the Lord is nigh only to such as are of a broken heart and will only save such as be of a contrite spirit Ps 34.18 But wo to them that draw nigh to God with their mouth and honour him with their lips and remove their heart far from him he will draw nigh to such but in wrath and judgement Is 29 13 14. If such open their mouth he will lift up his Hand against them O! but if thou hearken to what proceeds from the mouth of God and walk not in the lust of thine own heart then open thy mouth as wide as thou wilt and God will fill it Ps 81 10 11. 7. If we will but lift up our hands unto him we will be satisfied Ps 63.4 5. O! but first we must lift up our soul Ps 25.1 and then lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting 1. Tim. 2.8 We must wash and make our selves clean otherwise the Lord will hide his eyes when we spread forth our hands Is 1.15 16 c. As to the second sort of expressions the Scripture sheweth how the Saints should be enlarged in Prayer and that often they have (a) Is 40.31 mounted up with wings as Eagles when they look towards the Throne and that they have run without fainting and weariness that they should cry (b) The pagan King could preach this point of Divinity mightily unto the Lord Joh. 3.8 and pour out their heart like water before his face Lam. 2.19 and pray night and day exceedingly 1. Thess 2.10 and make their bed to swim and water their couch with their tears Ps 6.6 and alwayes labour fervently in prayers Col. 4.12 and (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Metaphor from the Grecian Games and Combats in which as the Poet saith Multa tulit fecitque puer sudavit alsit vid. Scap. lex § 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Hammâ—nd on 1. Thess 2.8 strive and wrestle as in an agony Rom. 15.30 and pray alwayes watching thereunto with all perserverance â—ph 6.18 and never faint in praying Luk 18.1 and seek God diligently and with the whole heart and soul Heb. 11.6 Deut. 4.29 never hold their peace day nor night and keep no silence Is 62.6 Ps 22.2 and ask in faith nothing wavering Jam. 1.6 and still wrestle with tears and supplications untill they prevail Gen. 32.24 26. Hos 12.4 c. Thus the Saints should be and have been enlarged upon special occasions trials and temptations while the Lord hath poured out upoh them the spirit of supplication and hath filled their sails with a more then ordinary gale and if thou hast not met with such trials praise him who hath condescended to thy weakness but make not what should be a mark and scope at which thou shouldst aim a mark and rule whereby to judge of thy state and condition or of Gods accepting of thy performances and oblations CHAP. III. Prayer described 1. Pet. 2.5 Ye are an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ WHat Bias the Philosopher from an heroick moral Principle could say when his Countrey Priena was spoiled that enemies could not spoil him his baggage was light and could easily be transported for said he I alwayes (a) Omnia mea mecum porto Quaemea sunt virtus dat ars baec omnia mecum Porto Reus ad Symb. Fl. Pl. Valent. Imp. carry all mine about with me this may every true Israelite more truly say and upon better grounds There be two lessons 1. That of self denyal Mat. 16.24 2. Of true contentment Phil. 4.11 12. which cannot be learned in all the pagan Academies in the world It is the honest Christians incommunicable propriety to know with him Phil. 4.12 how to want and how to abound but though he can well bear the want of so many things yet he cannot while in the field surrounded with enemies while in this wilderness and exposed to the violence of so many robbers
will be his Advocat but if he sin he who came to (e) 1 Joh. 3.8 destroy the works of the devil will not own such a one who doth the devils work But yet for thy comfort O mourning sinner it s written If any man sin c. It s true it is written that thou shouldest not sin these things write I unto you that you sin not saith the Apostle by way of preface and to ward off a mistake that we should not sin is the end and designe of all our rods and mercies of all the Scriptures and of Gods works towards us of Christs death intercession c. But yet if any man sin out of ignorance frailty c. Christ pitieth them he will not desert their cause he will not justifie them in that nor plead for a liberty for them to sin but he will plead for a pardon and that they may be preserved from sin there after Ah then beware thou abuse not this mercy and rare priviledge say not we will sin that Christ may pity us and plead for us it s a sure signe of a gracelesse soul to say let us add sin to sin that grace may abound how doth the Apostle abominat such a vile inference Rom. 6.1 Though the Lord to magnifie the riches of his free grace may make grace abound where sin hath abounded Rom. 5.20 yet if thou wilt cause sin abound because grace hath abounded it is an evidence that grace hath not and if thou continue in that desperat resolution never shall abound to thee and though Christ will plead for sinners yet if thou dare sin that he may plead for thee thou hast reason to fear that thou art none of those for whom he doth or will plead But you will say if Christs intercession be such a sure and exquisite ground of consolation and confidence the people of the Jews must then have been in a sad condition they being destitute thereof Ans There be two extreams which wee should here shun the one making it begin too early the other making it too necessary and laying too much weight upon it As to the 1. Some imagine that Christ before his incarnation did interceed and thus as God for then he was not man he must appear and pray for his people We will not repeat what hath been already said against that opinion only now let us briefly view the arguments already brought or which we conceive may be made use of for that strange as it appeareth to us assertion 1. It may be objected that we have the Mediators reverend interposing represented to us in that parable of vine-dressers interceeding with the master Luk. 13. beside what is holden forth by the typicall services pointing out Christs intercession Ans We need not now run to that acknowledged rule (d) Theologia symbolica non est argumentativa Symbolick Theology is not argumentative We must not extend a parable beyond it's scope and it is certain the (e) See Diodati English Divines Dr. Hammond c. intent of this parable was nothing else but to hold out the Lords long-suffering and patience towards that people and the inevitable ruine of all those who notwithstanding would continue in their unbelief and disobedience And as for the vine-dresser who interceeds that the fig-tree might be spared (f) Quisque suae vineae cultor Theoph. in loc Theophylact thinketh that every man is the dresser of his own vine (g) Cajet in loc Cajetan will have Michael the Arch-angel who saith he was set over the Jews to be their Guardian to be this vine-dresser Others as (h) Cultor vinea suus cujusque Angelus custos Theoph. ibid. Theophylact in his second conjecture will have every mans proper tutelar Angel to be this vine-dresser and intercessor the English Divines do think the faithfull Ministers to be their vine-dressers for they like (i) 1 Cor. 3.6 Exod. 32.31 1 Sam. 12.23 Amos 7.2 5. Paul and Apollo do plant and water the vine-yard and lâ—ke Moses Samuel and Amos do interceed for the people committed to their charge And Christ as Cajetan thinketh is rather the Lord then the dresser of the vine-yard But though we would yeeld Christs Intercession to be here adumbrated as certainly it was in several types yet that is so far from concluding the point for which it is alledged that it doth sufficiently confute the same For what is typified is not as yet exhibited and therefore these shadows as useless must evanish when we may behold the substance and truth 2. Object Sympathy is a main ground of intercession but there was sympathy flowing from a covenant-relation before the incarnation Is 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted in his love and in his pity he saved them Ergo. Ans These words are spoken of the Father the Angel of whose presence is said to save them and whose Spirit is said to be vexed v. 10. as usually in Scripture the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of the Father so by the Angel of Gods presence there judicious Interpreters do understand the Mediator the eternal Son of God so that the former words cannot be meant of him according to that appropriation of works and attributes which is frequent in the Scriptures albeit it be certain that as to the thing it self which is here spoken of none of the persons of the blessed Trinity must be excluded And therefore we Answer 2. That this is a metaphorical and borrowed kind of Speech taken from the manner of men as the Jewish Doctors cited by the (k) See the English Divines and Dio. dati on the place English Divines well observe like unto that kind of expression in Deut. 32.10 Psal 17.8 Zech. 2.8 c. And therefore sympathy in the Lord Jehovah as a (l) A revâ—rend late Divine whose memory is precious in this Church whose arguments may be abused and drawn a greater length then they will go or were aâ— we may conceive intended by the Author doth grant what we have here alledged from him and which of it self is most certain and by that concession giveth us ground to interpret his assertion as spoken rather of a symbolick and typical then proper and personal intercession as may also further appear from the several replyes here made to what is objected from him and therefore do we now mention that judicious Divine not that we might confute but that we might thus essay to vindicat his assertion judicious Divine speaking to this purpose saith doth only import 1. That he knoweth the afflictions of his people 2. That he mindeth help to them and so this kind of sympathy cannot infer intercession otherwise all the persons of the Trinity must be said to interceed for us But that sympathy which we made the proper and immediat ground of Intercession was that real humane and proper Sympathy which is in the humane nature of Christ whereby he is said to be touched with the feeling
c. So much for the first branch of this Section As to the other It were a conceit too ridiculous if any would collect from these figurative invitations to the heavens and earth to praise God that they were capable of such an exercise that they could praise God or call upon him but there are one or two of these grounds for such expressions when they occur in the Scriptures 1. The heavens and earth with all their furniture may be said to declare the glory of God be cause the beholding and contemplating of them may and should be an occasion inviting and exciting man to his duty to admire and proclaim the power wisdome and glory of their maker and thus objectively and occasionally these inanimate creatures may be said to praise God 2. Because that order beauty perfection which they have (c) O quot sunc surdi qui non audiunt vocem quam insensibilia elementa audiverunt audivit sol obscuratus est lapis divisus est tetra tremuit peccator non com punctus est Gerhard harm de pas cap. 14. pag. mihi 660. kept unto this day not having as yet lost their first lustre they had when they came from the presse may shame degene rate man and cast him in the dust to confess that any of these base creatures which God hath put under his feet if it were capable of reason and to converse with God would be more fit to draw nigh to him and be employed in such an heavenly employment then sinful men who have lost Gods image and all their native beauty and ornaments who have so exceedingly polluted themselves and who take such pleasure to wallow in the mire and who dare rebell against their Maker to whom the senselesse creatures have alwaies been obedient 3. Since God out of his generall bounty and as the great Lord of heaven and earth doth provide for all their Host and doth answer and satisfie the natural appetite of inanimate creatures and the sensitive desire of the brutes these may be said in their own way and according to their capacity to call upon God viz. 1. By the voice of subordination and subjection unto and dependance upon him 2. By the voice of natural exigence and of want and indigence Thus Ps 104. 27. and 145. 15. the eyes of all things are said to wait upon him that he may give them their meat in due season and ver 21. the Lyons particularly are named and those unruly proud beasts are said to stoop and seek their meat from him and then ver 10. all his works are said to praise him who is good to all and whose tender mercies are over all his works 4. Such a glorious employment may be ascribed to these creatures not absolutely but hypothetically and by way of supposition not that they are capable of such an exercise but if they could if they were fit to be thus employed it s their duty to which they are infinitely engaged and it would be their happiness to be thus exercised though we Alas who have the honour to be called to such a glorious work do undervalue and slight this great priviledge Sect. 2. Who once were but now are not capable of nor called to offer up this spiritual Sacrifice Whether the Angels and Saints in glory do pray and whether the devils and damned may pray and call upon God That Angels and Men while viators and before they were stated into an unalterable condition might have offered up their desires to God and so were capable of and fit to be employed in this spirituall exercise will not I think be denyed by any and it is no less certain that devils and the (a) 1 Pet. 3.19 spirits in prison the souls of the damned now in torment dare not they may not now look up to God they dare not now draw nigh to him who is a (b) Heb. 12.29 consuming fire to them they will not worship him and present their supplications to him and though they were able and willing it were to no purpose God would not accept of them who have let the acceptable time pass away It is to no purpose to supplicate the Iudge after the sentence is pronounced But it is more dubious whether or not good Angels and the (c) Heb. 12.23 spirits of just men made perfect do pray that there is no unfitness in the thing is granted on all hands but the question is whether now de facto they are thus employed or if all their work be to behold enjoy admire and praise him who hath put an incorruptible (d) 1 Cor. 9.25 crown upon their heads 2. If the Church triumphant doth in the generall pray for the Church militant that God would preserve them from the rage and malice of devils and men that he would comfort and strengthen them under all their trials and temptations 3. If also in particular such and such Saints do pray for such and such mercies to such and such particular persons As for the two first branches of the question orthodox Divines do not deny that the Angels and Saints in glory do 1. pray and 2. in the general offer up their desires for their brethren while they are standing in the open field exposed to the violence of so many and potent enemies that the Lord would pity uphold and strengthen them albeit they call to Papists for some evidence from Scripture before they determine that as a point of faith and indubitable truth Hence the learned (e) Dan. Chamier panst tom 2. lib. 8. cap. 3 4. Chamier doth bring all the arguments alledged by Papists unto the triall and hath discovered their weakness yet not denying but on the contrary granting that there is much (f) P. Martyr grants that they desire the good of the Elect but he doubts if they offer up these desires prayer-wayes to God Quanquam ego facile admisero sanctos in patriâ votis ardentissimis salutem electorum optare non tamen ausim dicere cos pro illis orare praesertim cum scriptura id nusquam doceat loc com cl 3. loc 13. sect 16. probability in the thing only he doth (g) Cham. loc cit cap. 5 6 7 8. deny that the Saints in glory do know our particular exigences and straits and that peculiarly they pray for such and such mercies to such and such persons But of this more when we come to speak against our invocating of and praying unto them But it may be askt whether the souls in glory do now pray for any thing to themselves And here (h) Tho. 2.2 quaest 83. art 11. ad 1. sanctis in patriâ nihil deest beatitudinis nisi gloria corporis pro qua crant Thomas speaks more sparingly then the later Papists affirming that they only pray for the resurrection and glory of their bodies since they stand in need of no other thing to compleat their happiness But Al. (i)
offering our Priest will not mingle our blood as (d) Luk. 13.1 Pilat did the Galileans but his own with our sacrifices the smoak of his incense ascends for ever his blood cryeth while we are silent he is our ALL he is all to us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 And from him as the fountain all our streams do flow all the good and great things we have and hope for must be conveyed to us through this Conduit 1 Cor. 3.22 23. O what a spirit of delusion and desperate folly must blind-fold and act these miserable wretches who do despise this open and full fountain and run to the empty and dry pools which have no water to spare Though the wife virgins now have their vessels filled to the brim yet they have no oyl to spare though they have more now then while they did wait the coming of the bridegroom yet they have no more to spare all their flock and treasure being for their own use and employment And since they had not one (e) Acceperunt justi non dederunt coronas de fortitudine fidelium exemplae natae sunt patientla non dona justitiae Lâ—o. 1. Papa epist 83. ad Palist epis cap 4. penny wherewith they might buy for themselves how shall they be able to lend to others Their reward was not of (f) Rom. 4.4 5. debt but of grace And if with the foolish virgins we trust to their money and come to them for a supply we will speed no better then they did Long may deluded Papists knock at their gates before they open the doors are shut and they do not look out and to what purpose should they open they have not an almes to give If they did speak they would return this answer Oh Sirs ye are wrong what do ye mean why come ye unto us who live upon mercy as if we had purchased a stock whereon ye and we might live and do ye think that the unsearchable riches of Christ are so far spent that there is nothing left for you Ah leave these vanities and go to the right and only fountain that of its fulness ye may receive that ye may drink and be satisfied and may taste of that pure river of (g) Ps 16.11 pleasures that are at his right hand for evermore CHAP. VII Of the matter and object of prayer 1 Joh. 5.14 If we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us PRayer being our spritual (a) Thus in the definition it s said to be an offering up of our desires to God oblation we must take heed what we offer to the great King least he (b) Mat. 2.3 spread upon our faces the dung of our sacrifices We must (c) Mal. 1.8 not offer to him the blind and the lame far lesse the (d) ibid. v. 7. polluted and unclean we must not (e) ibid. v. 8. deal worse with him then with our Governours and who dare present to them a supplication stuffed with treason and contempt And should we not beware that our petitions to God be not treacherous and contain nothing against his majesty and holiness Our prayers then ought only be for things agreeable to his will 1 Joh. 5.14 Thus in few words we have the materials of prayer held forth And for further explication we shall speak to these three particulars 1. Of the rule whereunto our desires and petitions must be conformed And then because the matter it self and object of prayer is either things or persons we shall in the 2. place enquire what are these things for which we should pray and after what method and order and 3. for whom or for what persons we may supplicate that having shown 1. what kind of desire 2. who should offer it up and 3. to whom so now it may appear 4. for what and 5. for whom Sect 1. Of the warrant ground and rule of prayer ALbeit no reason can be given why that proud King should have appointed that none who came unto him without a call should live except such to whom he held forth the golden Scepter Esth 4.11 Yet who can doubt or needs ask a reason why stubble should not approach the fire why we rebells durst not draw nigh to the provoked King without his call and invitation if he did not stretch forth the golden Scepter unto us not only for our safety after we come but also to allure us to come we were in as desperate a case as the devils and damned in hell and durst not more then they approach the Throne But praise to his free grace who hath prevented us with his loving entreaties and ravishing invitations and hath given us so many large promises of successe that we may draw nigh to him with confidence But as thus we must have a warrant to come so for what we should say and ask when we come and the sole ground both of the one and of the other must be the will of God revealed to us in his Word We will speak of the first in its (a) Viz. part 2. in the supports of faith and part 4. in the motives to the frequent practice of this duty own place but now we must only enquire what is the rule and copy whereby we must regulate and whereunto we must conform our supplications and thus in the description of prayer the object and matter of it is qualified and limited we must not ask what our carnal will and lusts would crave but only these things that are agreeable to the will of God And thus the will of God must be our alone rule and warrant The (b) We will not here meddle with the School debates and subtilties concerning the conformity of our actions to the will of God Albeit for the most part the Rabbies are very grosse and erroneous yet I know no question handled by them with so much obscurity and confusion as this by those I have perused as Lomb. lib. 1. sent dist 48. Thom. 1.1 q. 19. a. 9 10. Scot. in lib. 1. sent dist 48. q. uniâ—a Guâ— Occam Gab. Biel ibid. Jo. Majoâ— in 1. sent dist 47. q. unica in dist 48. q un Raynand mor. discip dist 4. q. 1. a. 3. § 77. Vasquez tom 1. in 1.2 disp 72. Suarez ibid. tract 4. disp 11. and it may be enquired by what secret sympathy these two last named Doctors have so far homologated in this question as that ye would scarce discern any difference between the children albeit the parents lived at so great a distance But Arriaga in another case cleareth this mystery showing that though Valquez did first publish that tome in print yet he did see Suarez dictates and transcribed several particulars from thence we need not name those who only in the by have spoken to that question such as Becan Petrus a S. Joseph c. since these who have spent whole and entire disputations for clearing the matter have so
rule so it s 2. constant perpetual and immovable we need not fear least the Lord abrogate and disannul it but that same hand of providence which now holdeth out to us what our hears desire may in a moment be lifted up against us that same hand that now seemeth to open the door may shut it when he pleaseth and crush thee if thou stand in the way Sect. 2. For what things and in what order and maner should we pray THe promise being such a sure ground and foundation of prayer we may safely go where see this star point out our way the promises are not only precious and exceeding great 2 Pet. 1.4 But also like the (a) Ps 119.96 commandments exceeding broad and of a large extent they go as far as a rational and sanctified appetite can reach The will I confesse may chuse every (b) Bonum est quod omnia appeâ—uus Arist Eth. 1. cap. good thing and the promise is of as large a compasse The Lord hath said that he will give grace and glory and are not these very large and comprehensive yet least any should complain he will leave no room for any exception but as he hath promised to give these great mercies so that he will withhold no good thing from his honest servants and supplicants Ps 84.11 Ps 34.9 10. Ps 23.1 Ps 85.12 c. and that he will preserve them from all evil Ps 1 21.7 that he will preserve their soul ver 7. and their body their going out and coming in and that he will not suffer their foot to be moved ver 8 3 5 6. Thus the promise excludeth nothing that is good and I know no good thing which we may not pray for Goodness by the Phylosophers is thought to be a relative property and in the Schools that is called good which is fit and (c) Bonum est ens ut conveniens non fibi ut ex ternâ—â—â—â— videtur manifestum sed alteri unde Hurtado ex divisione boni in honestum uâ—ile delectabile recte colligit bonum communiter usurpari pro convenienti quia inquit honestas utilitas delectatio dicunt ordinem ad aliud Hurt metaph disp 7. § 5. § 56. convenient which general may to good purpose be applyed to this case in divinity while we enquire what is good for a Christian and what he may claim and ask as being his by vertue of a promise viz not every thing which his lust doth crave but every thing that is fit and convenient and so good for him It may be riches pleasures honours c. would not hic nunc and at such a season be convenient for him but would prove a snare and therefore there is no promise that we can absolutely and peremptorily plead as a bond for such a supposed mercy The object of the promise must be some good thing bonum tibi there can be no promise made to thee but it must be concerning something which is good and covenient for thee otherwise it were rather a threatning then a promise O! If all our prayers and desires were thus limited and did carry alongst with them this proviso we would not be so peremptory in our requests nor so impatient under a repulse nor so ready to call in question Gods love and care and the truth of his promises when in mercy he refuseth to satisfie our lusts and foolish desires And O! with what confidence security and calmness of spirit might we roll our selves and all our affairs over upon our kind and provident Father who as he will not withhold what as good so will not suffer what is evil to come near us But as thou mayest ask every good so only what is good for no evil can be an object of love and desire but rather of hatred and aversation and so falleth not under a promise but a threatning and thus cannot be a fit material for prayer and supplication but rather for deprecation or imprecation But here we might speak to this question whether we may desire and pray for any evil whether of sin or suffering though not absolutely and for it self yet as it may be a mean for humbling of us and drawing us near to God There be few of those we have read who propound and none who at any length do speak to this material as we conceive case but since there be so many particulars which we must speak to in this Chapter we shall remit this to Part 3. and handle it amongst the cases Only let us from thence suppose that the object of our prayers must be something that is good fit convenient and profitable to us and that not only respectively and in reference to such an end but also absolutly and of it self at least negatively and permissively And thus it must not be evil either morally or physically it must not of it self be either dishonourable to God and contrary to his law or afflictive and bitter to us But as to what is thus good thou art not straitned either by the promise or the nature of this performance we have both conjoyned and meeting together in this center or rather diffused through this large circumferene Mat. 7.11 Your Father which is in heaven shall give good things to them that ask him We need not descend unto particulars these being so many and different whatever thou stands in need of what ever may be useful and profitable either for soul or body for this life or that which is to come for thy state and calling for thy present exigence and condition c. thou mayest ask in prayer and plead a promise for the obtaining of it All which good and desirable things are summarily comprehended under six heads in that perfect pattern which our Lord Jesus taught his Disciples Mat. 6.9 Luk. 11.2 a commentary and explication whereof we purpose not to offer now especially since that hath been often and fully done by many judicious and learned Divines But we shall reduce what we judged necessary to add concerning the object of prayer into two generals viz. of things and persons Of the first we shall speak here and of the second in the following Section 1. Then as to these good things and mercies which are the matter of prayer it would be observed 1. that these are either temporal belonging to our bodily and perishing being in this world or spiritual which do (d) For even these temporal things have a remote tendency and should by us be referred to such a noble end more immediatly concern the soul and our everlasting being and happinesse 2. Both spiritual and temporal mercies may be subdivided for some of them are more some lesse necessary for obtaining the aforesaid ends as amongst spirituals some are necessary for our being and spiritual life others only for our greater comfort vigor and activity in doing so amongst temporals some are necessary for our bodily being and life others only for the comfort better
call to thee to pray for them for without them thou canst not obey the (c) Rom. 12.13 Rom. 13.7 8. c. commandment of paying tribute of owing nothing to any man thou canst not be hospital and distribute to the necessity of the Saints c. 4. And as the want of them doth thus hinder the performance of several duties so it is a great temptation to many sins O! saith Agur Let me not have poverty least I steal and take the name of my God in vain 5. Go to the Lyons and Ravens and they will teach thee thy duty they cry to God in their own way the eyes of all things wait upon him that he may give them their meat in due season Ps 104.21 27. Ps 145.15 Ps 147.9 They cry with the voice of nature and will not thou lift up thy soul and thy heart to God indigence maketh them groan and will it not send thee to the Throne and make thee cry to thy Father that he may pity thee 6. What we get by prayer hath a heavenly excellency in it though it were but a morsel of bread it hath more dignity in it then all the gems and diamonds and all the imperial Crowns of the world which come by the hand of a common providence all these things are but the bones without the marrow the whole Turkish Empire saith (d) Luth. in Gen. Luther as great as it is is but a crum which the Master of the family casts to the dogs but be it little or much that is given in return to prayer it is a blessing indeed and part of the childrens bread and it 's excellency appeareth in these particulars 1. In that it is a stream flowing from the purest fountain to wit the love and good will of our Father it is a fruit of love and a seal and pledge of love and as it cometh from love So 2. it tendeth to love it is a coal to enflame our affections and to warm our heart it is a motive and layeth an engagment on us to love our kind Father who visiteth us every morning with his tender mercies but prayerless souls take no notice of Gods hand nor do they much value his love Hence 3. it is a mercy indeed a promised and covenanted mercy as it cometh without that vexation heart-cutring and distrustfull care and excessive toyl and labour so it is enjoyed with less fear and is free of the snares and temptations that otherwise use to accompany it the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it Prov. 10.22 It is by prayer that the creatures become good to us and are sanctified as to their enjoyment and use 1 Tim. 4.45 4. The right and title of possession doth add very much to the worth and goodness of things though not in themselves yet as to us who possesse them for 1. Who doth value what a theef robber usurper or oppressor doth possesse 2. How quickly may he be called to an account and as in a moment with disgrace be stripped naked of all yes though there were not such hazard of losing them yet an ingenuous spirit yea a moral Pagan would rather chuse a little to which he hath a right then thus to enjoy great revenues Prov. 16.8 5. We use to judge and esteem of the worth of things by their price especially if laid out by a wise man and good merchant but every morsel of bread the meanest creature thou gettest in return to thy prayers is the purchase of blood it cost more then a world though thou wert the greatest Monarch on earth by all thy Crowns thou couldst not purchase a right and sanctified title to the meanest of the creatures silver and gold may give possession and a civil right but they cannot give a spiritual right unto and a sanctified use of the least crum of bread and therefore we must ask in his name who hath paid the price and in whose blood our mercies must be washen that they may become pure and sanctified and may prove blessings indeed O then since thou canst not enjoy these things in mercy and in love unlesse they be given in return to thy prayer let this be thy way which is not the way of the men of this world though it be an easie and safe way and though only the right and approven way but you will say who doth condemn this way Ans Though few dare with their mouth belch out such atheisme yet in their heart and by their life and practice too many say O let us rather chuse any other way let us imploy our wit care and industry and if that will not do the turn let us add falsehood and deceit and whatsoever course else though never so unlawfull and unjust yet if it be called our own and if we by it be thought to help our selves we will rather follow that way then rest on Gods care and providence 1. because think they if we may enjoy them without God we may be masters of them and dispose of them as we will we may cut and carve for our selves and like him Hab. 2.5 enlarge our desires as hell 2. Because we dow not away with such preciseness tenderness and circumspection in our whole conversation and such zeal and fervency in prayer as is required and therefore we rather work and toyl a week then pray half an hour we rather sweat at our calling then take such heed to our steps We know not we are not acquaint with we love not and cannot endure that way but we know our business and like our work and when it s done it s done and we are at rest but if we get any thing by prayer our work is but as it were to begin we must yet watch over our hearts and wayes and take heed how we use and employ what we have gotten we must return the sacrifice of praise to God for his bounty in giving c. And therefore the Apostle had reason to exhort us That in every thing by prayer supplication and thanks giving we should make our requests known unto God Phil. 4.6 Not as if the Apostle and we now while we are pressing this necessary though much slighted duty would have you enlarge your desires after these things or be too solicitous about them and peremptory in your requests and prayers for them No no if our zeal be spent that way as alas too often it is that will marre the acceptance of our prayers and bring down a curse rather then a blessing but the end and scope of this exhortation is that we would live in a constant dependance upon God committing to him our selves and all our affairs begging his blessing on all our wayes and endeavours and that whatever we get and enjoy be it little be it much it may prove a blessing and may be given in mercy and in love that we may have the sanctified use of all we enjoy and grace to improve
either the further degree of our affection towards them and desiring good things to them or that we desire a greater measure of these things unto them then unto others These things being premised we proceed to shew that notwithstanding we had a revelation concerning the reprobation of some particular persons yet we might lawfully pray for them albeit that general command to pray for all men did not oblige us the promise which is the main motive being removed and an infallible intimation being made that no success can be gotten thereby it can be no more used as a mean and we will not find that any where it is enjoyned as a meer duty and it is probable that the sole ground why that command is relaxed as to those who have sinned against the holy Ghost is because there (a) Heb. 10.26 27. remaineth no more sacrifice to be offered for such but a certain fearfull looking-for of judgment and therefore since there is no hope of success in the one case more then in the other the command seemeth to expire in this as well as in that case but yet our obligation may arise from another ground as our special yea perhaps general relations to such a person which may by just consequence bring us under the bond of another command warranting the performance of this duty And thus when we compare the general relaxation with this special obligation the result will be this that when we look to the decree of God and consider that our prayers will not prevail we may forbear to offer up such a vain as to the good of such a person oblation and yet when we look upon the miserable state of such a person especially if standing under some near relation to him we may pity him and may poure our complaint in his behalf to the Lord. I am not ignorant that many do approve that ancient saying or (b) Si de aliquibus ita certa esset ecclesia ut qui sunt illi etiam nosset qui licet in hac vita sunt constituti tamen praedestinati sunt in aternuÌ„ ignem ire cum diabolo tam pro cis non oraret quam nec pro ipso August de civit Dei lib. 21. cap. 24. Augustine that if we knew who were reprobats we should no more pray for them then for the devils and damned in hell which (c) Lyra in 1 Joh. 5.16 Lyra applieth to those who are guilty of the unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost but we hope before we close the disparity between those who are yet in the land of the living and those who are judged and sent unto their place shall be made manifest And here we might alledge the authority of a great Divine (d) D. Twiss vind part 2. dig 7. ad § 23. in Corvin def Armin animad pag. 256. Dr. Twisse confirmed bâ—â—yâ—w pregnant instances in our blessed Saviour who prayed that the cup might pass from him and wept and lamented over Jerusalem saying O! that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace and yet Christ knew that his Father had decreed that he should drink that cup and that Jerusalem should be destroyed And I would ask if the Lord did intimat his decree of reprobation and that he would never shew mercy to such a man might not and ought not such a one notwithstanding of that revealed decree pray for mercy and use the means whereby he might escape the wrath of the Almighty You will say it may be questioned if any man were obliged to look upon such a revelation as holding out a peremptoty and irrevocable sentence and not rather as a threatning implying a proviso and condition and a virtual promise of mercy upon repentance since all the promises and threatnings of the word though as to the letter they appear to be most absolute and peremptory yet admit a suteable condition limitation and exception Ezek. 33.13 14 15. Nay but standing to the supposition the Lord preserve us from such a sad and desperate case I think it can hardly be denied that such a one should use the means and who dare blame him if he should say Lord thy decrees and unsearchable counsels are a depth I dare not bark against the heavens but Lord keep me from sinning against thee and from blaspheming thy holy Name Lord give me grace to do my duty and to submit unto thy holy will Lord do thou unto me what thou wilt but Lord keep me from sinning against thee And thus he may pray and attend the Ordinances resist temptations c. as if such a sentence were not given out against him But you will perhaps reply can a reprobat do these things Ans The question is not what he is able to do but what is is his duty and albeit that be not the way to fulfill the revealed decree but rather to escape that sad sentence yet such a revelation doth not make that course to become sinfull and unlawfull nor doth it liberat him from any point of duty to which as a rational creature being yet on the way he was obliged (e) Qua viator though his condition be hopelesse yet he is not removed from the means nor stated in and brought to his place and the decrees of God though made known to us are not as hath been shown Art 1. the rule of our duty especially when they do not import the suturition of sin but are conversant a bout the state and finall portion of sinners But it may be enquired if such a one as he is obliged to use the means so may look after the end and pray for life and salvation Ans Albeit submission be the duty of sufferers and there be no punishment due to sin though never so great albeit the pains and torments of hell that should cause sinners murmur and blaspheme yet the decree of God coucerning events not being our rule doth not lay an obligation on us to conform our wayes and desires thereunto as we may resist temptations to sin though we with Peter had a revelation concerning the futurition of it so we may use the means to escape a revealed judgment and pray against that stroak and what is it to desire and use the means of grace but upon the matter and by just interpretation to seek after wish and desire Salvation which is the (f) 1 Pet. 1.9 end and it seemeth to be very unreasonable to imagine that we should labour endeavour and be diligent in using the means and that yet we may not desire and pray for a blessing upon them that they may prove effectuall and be subservient for obtaing the end Augustins case mentioned Sect 1. Concerning the wicked son complying with the decree in desiring his Fathers death and the godly son praying though with submission that his Father may recover and using albeit he had no hope all lawfull means for that end may serve for clearing our case
knoweth when that word Isa 11.9 shall be made good The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea c. If all nations may embrace and professe the Gospel and many Divines from several prophesies of the Scripture labour to prove that thus it shall be and none can deny that it may be then I would ask why we may not pray for this blessing unto them that all the earth may hear the joyfull sound and welcome the glad tidings of salvation and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. and from that Text we may further argue thus That which we should propose as our end in teaching exhorting c. may be a fit object of our petitions but the recovery of sinners is the end of the ministry of exhortation doctrine c. and therefore we may and ought pray that our Ministry may have this blessed effect The distinction of finis operis and finis operantis hath not place here for the work and worker must here have one and the same end whatever be the high and holy design of the first and soveraign agent You will say we are not Apostles upon whom the (l) 2 Cor. 11.28 care of all the Churches and of all mankind should lye Ans 1. What the Apostles might pray for that every Minister yea every member of Christ may pray for albeit all have not a ministerial care yet all should have a fraternal and brotherly care for all and every one 2. A Minister as some judicious Divines of late specially Mr. (m) Mr. Hudson vind of the ess and unity c. ch 6. sect 5. pag. 137. c. O! if that point were more seriously pondered by the Ministers of Christ how that thus in some respect and by vertue of their office the care of all the Churches lyeth upon them how affectionatly would they desire and with what fervency would they pray for their welfare to whom they could not preach c. Hudson have asserted and maintained against Independents by vertue of Christs institution and by his ordination to the office of the Ministry is made a Minister of and receiveth that office habitually and in actu primo in relation to the whole visible Church so that he may and ought exercise that function in relation to any part as the good of the whole doth require and as he hath a particular and orderly call So that his fixing to this or that particular congregation albeit it tye him to a constant and ordinary exercise of his office amongst that people yet it doth not limit the office it self which by his potestative mission according to Christs institution he hath received in relation to the Catholick Church indefinitly and universally And thus he may exercise not only his gifts but also his pastoral office and preach the Gospel in any place indefinitly whereever he meeteth with a call and should universally pray for all to whatsoever particular place he be fixed as to the exercise of the more speciall parts of his Ministry And albeit prayer be a common and general duty lying upon the people as well as the Pastors yet it is a pastoral duty and that not the least and as a Minister of Christ he prayeth not only for his particular flock but also for the whole Church But 3. The ground alledged by those who differ from us in this particular doth as well militat against a Pastors praying for his own congregation if there be any ignorant or scandalous persons there as against his praying for all members of the visible Church yea and for all mortals for who is the man that hath ground to hope that all his flock shall be saved But it is replyed by (n) Dr. Ames loc cit Mr. Gee treat of prayer pag. 109. some Divines Though God be (o) Luk. 6.35 kind to the evil and unthankfull and (p) Mat. 5.45 maketh his Sun to rise on good and bad and thus we may pray for common mercies to all yet God will not bestow special and spiritual mercies to all and therefore we may not pray for their conversion and salvation Ans 1. The decree of God his purpose either to give or not to give is not as hath been shown our rule 2. That Conscience must be too scrupulous to say no more because of that reverence we ow to them with whom we have now to do which dare not wish and desire which dare not pray and say Lord let all the world taste of thy goodness let them glorifie thy name and obtain (q) Ex pâ—rte boni quod amico optamus omnes homines aeque diligimus ex charitate quia omnibus optamus bonum idem in genere sc beatitudinem aeternam Thom. 2.2 quaest 26. art 6. ad 1. salvation through Christ let all the earth be filled with the saving knowledge of God let them kiss the Son that they perish not in his anger let them turn from their evil wayes and follow that which is good c. 3. It may be questioned whether to pray for common mercies for those for whom we may not pray for grace to use them aright be not to pray for a snare to them since common mercies to graceless souls are but as so many (r) Prov. 25 22. coals of fire heaped upon their head to aggravate their guiltiness and increase their misery 4. These whom we are obliged to acknowledge for our neighbours yea and brethren them we should love and by all means procure their good especially their spiritual and eternal good in which the glory of God is so nearly concerned and therefore since prayer is a principal mean which we may use for the good of all whom we can no otherwise profit we must not leave that mean un-essayed but all men on earth are (Å¿) Proximus aliquo modo est omnis homo cui aliqua ratione possiâ—mus commodare Ames Caâ— consc lib. 5. cap. 7. honor extendi debet ad omnem proximum i. e. ad omnem hominem Sciagraph â—at Chr. Domin 39. vid. Thom. 2.2 quaest 25.26 neighbours and every one according to his ability and as opportunity doth offer should perform the duties that flow from such a relation Luk 10.27.33.36 c. All men are brethren and of one blood Act 17.26 Mal. 2.10 Gen. 19.7 Ah! should we love our neighbours as our selves and may we not pray for them when we pray for our selves and shall Conscience and Religion be pretended as a Plea for (t) Nam si ab uno homine quem Deus finxit omnes sumus oriundi certe consanguinei sumus summum inter se hominum vinculum est humanitas quod qui diruperit is nefarius parricida existimandus Quod si ab uno Deo inspirati omnes animati sumus quid aliud quam fratres sumus c.
our prayers then we must pray for them as such we must consider their wickedness malice c. else how could we pray that it should be pardoned that they may repent of it and turn from it and thus we may be said to pray for Papists Jews Turks c. as such not that they should continue and that God would bless them in those courses but that he would give them grace to forsake and abandon their sinfull wayes and courses obj 1 Obj. 1. Will the holy Spirit of God dictate a prayer for a reprobate will he stir us up to pray for them he hath rejected Ans The Spirit teacheth us to pray as we ought and for what we ought Rom. 8.26 and therefore for what we are commanded and obliged to pray and thus dictateth alwayes such prayers as will be acceptable to God albeit he will not grant the particular that is askt And such prayers shall not be successelesse as to us however it fare with those for whom we pray And thus we may retort the argument and ask whether the holy Spirit who is our leader and guid who will teach us to pray as we ought will not help us to pray for all them for whom we are commanded to pray The command of God is the rule of our duty and the Spirit will help us to conform thereto but the successe and event of duty is not its rule neither the decree concerning that and therefore as we should not neither will the Spirit teach us to look on that as our copy but will help us to pray according to Gods Word and commands not according to his decree and work Would the Lord make that our duty to the performance whereof he would not give his help and assistance and if it be our sin not to pray for such will not the Spirit help us to pray for them obj 2 Obj. 2. What Christ would not do neither should we but Christ would not pray for the reprobate world Joh. 17.9 Ans Christ is our copy and pattern but not in all things he did all Christs actions were not of the same kind some of them being imitable by us and done for our instruction and example but there were other actions of Christ that were peculiar and though in them he aimed at our good yet he purposed not to set them up as a directory to us as being rather for our admiration then imitation Christ sometimes acted as a (e) Rom. 15.8 minister of the circumcision and as a preacher of righteousness both by his doctrine and example and thus he weepeth for his desperate and incorrigible enemies Luk. 19.41 and prayeth for them Luk. 23.34 At other times he acted as God manifested in the flesh and in a transcendent maner not agreeable to any meer creature and thus he pardoned sin and preached as one having authority of himself and in those actions we would distinguish between their nature and way of performance thus to preach and pardon sin is not peculiar to Christ his messengers may do the same but not after that maner they ministerially but he authoritively And thus prayer was common to him and us but there were some specialities in his prayers which we must not imitate and to go no further then the Text in the objection let us 1. look on the motives whereby he presseth his petition ver 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 18 19 22 23 c. 2. on the mater ver 15 21 23 24 26. Why should we then make this 9. ver our pattern and copy rather then the rest of that prayer Christ did pour out this prayer not as man nor as our pattern but as (f) Speciales hae preces ad Apostolos solum pertinent alias pro amicis pro inimicis pro bostibus aliisque â—mnibus oravit silius Dei Aretius in lâ—c Mediator and as our head and redeemer and therefore he would only pray for his ransomed ones and that upon the account of election donation redemption sanctification c. which are peculiar to the Elect. obj 3 Obj. 3. We cannot ask in Christs name what he hath not purchased by his death But by his death he did not purchase mercy and salvation to any but to the Elect. Ergo. Ans As in our prayers we must not look on the decree of God as a rule so neither on Christs purpose and intention its certain and granted on all hands I. that Christs sufferings of themselves were a sufficient price for all the mercies we can ask for our selves or others 2. that we cannot know for whom in particular he purchased life and happiness And therefore we must pray for none if we must only pray for such as we know he intended to save yea nor for our selves 1. before conversion nor 2. in the night of desertion when we stand most in need of prayer and 3. Thus all the reprobate are exempted from this duty and it must not be their sin that they do not pray Hence we may distinguish the proposition thus we cannot ask in Christs name that for which he hath not laid down a g Here the distinction so much tossed in the schools between the sufficiency and efficacy of Christs death will not as I conceive be denyed to have place sufficient price yet we may ask what he never intended to give nor by his Spirit to apply to such and such persons because we are not sent to his secret purpose to be the copy of our prayers but to the promises the object of which is every thing that is good either to our selves or others And all the promises are yea and amen in Christ and are accomplished through his blood If then we ask nothing but what is held forth in the promise and expect an answer only through Christ we may be said to ask in his name albeit we know not what is his secret purpose as to the person for whom we pray Which may be yet further confirmed by the Saints prayers for outward things which they ask in Christs name albeit they know not whether or not he intended to purchase and procure to them the possession of such and such particulars as they ask since they know not whether they shall enjoy them or not 2. To the assumption that Christ by his death did not purchase grace and salvation which are the things petitioned it is denyed That he did not purchase these for the reprobate to whom they are petitioned it may be distinguished thus he did not truly and in effect purchase those mercies to them for whom we pray supposing they are reprobats it may be granted that we h Sed quiae de nullo certa est viz. Ecclesia orat pro omnibus nee tamen pro emnibus exauditur August de civit dei lib. 21. cap. 24. know he did not purchase and will not give to them what we ask for them is denied It is not known to us not only in particular what
sentence against him and the Lord would not accept their payers till Job whom they had accounted a very hypocrite did interceed for them if then thou hast injured thy brother if he hath ought against thee leave thy gift before the Altar go thy way first be reconciled to him and then come and offer thy gift Mat. 3.23 24. But offer not alone let thy brother joyn with thee in the sacrifice it may be thy acceptance depends upon his concurrence but especially if he be a Saint whom thou hast wronged if thou hast been uncharitable to him and dealt hardly with him go to him and confess thy fault and beg the help of his prayers and thus ye may mutually conspire and lay a mighty siege to heaven and continuing thus to (p) Rom. 15.30 wrestle together ye must prevail Such professors as are proud disdainfull censorious envious and living at variance with their brethren if their graces be weak their enlargement little and their consolations rare let them consider where the blame lyeth 3. Job was one whom the Lord had grievously afflicted The terrours of God did as he (q) Job 6.4 complaineth set themselves in aray against him the arrows of the almighty were within him (r) Job 10.6 the Lord hunted him as a fierce Lyon and (Å¿) Job 7.20 set him up as a mark at wâ—â—◠〈◊〉 did shoot he (t) Job 9.17 multiplied his wounds and he did breâ—◠〈◊〉 with a sore tempest his (u) Job 13.24 25 26 27. feet were casten in the stocks and he was broken as a leaf driven to and fro and pursued like dry stubble the Lord did write bitter things against him as if he had held him for his enemy c. And should not to him that is afflicted pity be (x) Job 6.14 shown by his friends but they (y) Job 6.15 dealt deceitfully with him He was wounded in the (z) Zech. 13.6 house of his friends They proved miserable comforters and (a) Job 13.4 physicians of no value therefore the Lord did break them with a grievous wound putting the plaister that only could cure them into Jobs hand As a tender parent takes special notice of the sick child so the Lord of the afflicted Saints and most severely punisheth the injuries done to them See Obad. 10 11 12 13 24. c. And the prayers of the afflicted are very powerfull and prevailing the sick child must not be refused If then thou (b) Obad. 22. hast spoken proudly in the day of distress recommend thy self to the prayers of the afflicted least (c) Job 42 8. the Lord deal with you according to your folly Thus I have insisted a while in discovering this treasury of the Church far more precious excellent and usefull then that of gold and rubies not that popish treasure filled with the fictitious merits and (d) Quarum alioquin nullus esser usus nec enim quae semel applicatae fuere redire possunt sed ipso usu consumuntur pereunt adeoque papistae ut bene observat Chamierus candem ponunt divinae liberalitati legem quam severitati ut nec bis vindicet in id ipsum nec bis idem remuneret Dan. Cha. panst tom 3. lib. 24. cap. 3. superfluous as Cajetan speaketh satisfaction of the Saints departed but the treasure of the living Saints intercession the Dispensation whereof belongeth not to the Pope but to every Saint all who have an interest in this treasure have a key and may open it when they will for the relief of themselves and all their brethren And this treasure viz. the common stock of the Saints prayers if we would speak properly is rather the key then the true treasure it self which is only Christs satisfaction and intercession but yet in that the other is the porch whereat we must enter and the messenger which bringeth from thence a supply for all our wants and maladies it may metonymically be called a treasure and rather then that anti-scriptural and irrational popish dream of Saint-satisfaction As for these who as (e) Job 15.4 Eliphaz unjustly charged Job cast off fear and restrain prayer what good can the prayers of all the Saints do to such 〈◊〉 albeit through their prayers the Spirit of prayer and supplication may be poured out upon thee who wast as a (f) Jer. 31.18 bullock unaccustomed to the yoke yet unlesse at length thou put in thy neck and joyn in the duty the prayers of others cannot profit thee It s the character of a gracelesse heart when Gods hand is stretched out against it to imploy others to interceed but not to lift up a voyce for it self as we may see in Pharaoh Exod. 10.17 Jeroboam 2 King 13.6 Simon the Sorcerer Act. 8.24 Yet you will say Moses was heard for Pharaoh Obj. and the man of God for Jeroboam Ans As the Lord out of a common providence Ans may bestow many outward mercies and deliverances to the wicked for his peoples sake with whom they are incorporated so they may meet with some special dispensations as to these outward things upon the prayers of the Saints The Lord to evidence the greatness of his love towards his chosen ones will thus hear them while they interceed for the wicked as that (g) Vid. hist aepud Euseb lib. 5. cap. 5. Magdeburg cen 2 Luc. Osiand cenâ— 2. lib. 3. cap. 12. c. legio fulminatrix obtained water to refresh and a notable victory unto the host of the pagan-persecuting Emperour Marcus Aurelius Antonnius But these mercies though never so great and singular yet wanted the marrow and substance and in the issue proved through their abuse rather cursings then blessings And as for spiritual mercies which only deserve the name no prayerlesse soul did ever â—ast of these But you will say who is he that doth not pray Ans But I would rather ask who is he that doth pray That which is currant and passeth for good coyn amongst men God will reject as (f) Jer. 6.30 reprobare silver the prayer of the wicked is an abomination rather then devotion Prov. 28.9 Prov. 2.27 The Lord doth not regard the prayer of him who regardeth iniquity in his heare Ps 66.18 O then cast off and break asunder the cords of sin and call upon God with the whol heart that he may bear thee when thou cryest and may fulfill the desires of others for thee And if the prayers of the Saints for prayer-lesse wretches prove unsuccessefull and can do those misers no good what shall we think of their prayers for others who make not conscience to pray for themselves O! how should it vex our souls to hear that cursed crue of vagabond beggars who have no other rhetorick but their counterfeit prayers and flattering praises to interpose the name of the great God for every morsel of bread they ask and to take his dreadfull name in vain in their frequent prayers promiscuously poured
Christi existimari potest in quibus tam como unis orat notitia Messiae venturi aâ— apud nos Christi jam nati â—xâ—ra illum vero populum qui sideles erant apud gentes justi vel illuminati fuerunt divinitus per Angelum Vel notitiam fidei per homines acceperant id fieri non poterat niâ— vel quio à Judais eam acciperent vel per traditionem in aliquibus familiis conservatam At sine notitia Mediatoris futuri fides Judaeorum non communicabatur quae ex traditioâ—e Patriarcharum simul cum notitia veri Dei conservabatur apud eos in quibus conservabantur vera Religio â—ides unius Dei Lâ—g loc cit § 101. And albeit Thomas doth think that in some case an implicit faith may be sufficient viz supposâ—ng some of the Gentiles to have been saved to whom no revelation of this mystery was made which yet he doth not absolutely affirm and though he say that these amongst the Jews whom he calleth minores had but velatâ—m cognitionem de Christo venturo which he supposeth to be an explicit knowledge of the Mediator 22 quaest 2 art 7. ad 3. in â—orp Yet elsewhere he pleadeth for the necessity of an explicit faith in Christ as while he maintaineth that faith which is necessary to salvation consistere in duâ—bus viz. in vera cognitione Dei mysterii incarnationis 22. quaest 174. art 6. in corp And while he affirmeth that articuli fidâ—â— non creverunt quoad substantiam licet quoad explicationem sâ—cundum successionem temporum vicinitatem ad Christum 22 quaest 1 art 7. in corp quaest 2 art 7. item â— part quaest 61. art 3. ad 2. Scotus Bannez Becanus and Lugo cited on the margent There is another distinction which may also be here alledged for clearing the present question It is one (g) Aliud est petere in nomine Christi aliud dare concedere vâ— virtute ejus vel potius ut infra addit aliud virtute Christi impetrare Toâ—et com in Joan. cap. 16. thing saith Tolet to ask in Christs name and another to obtain for his sake or as Bannez speaketh it is one (h) Aliud est fidem Christi esse necessariam aliud siue Christo non esse salutem vel justificationem Bannez loc cit pag. 192. Concl. 3. thing to say that faith in Christ is necessary to salvation and another thing to say that salvation is impossible without Christ And in this sense also may that distinction of Lugo which he bringeth from Augustine be understood We must saith he put a difference between the faith in Christ as the Object (i) Alia est sides Christi ut objecti seu ut loquitur â—ugustâ—nus qua Christum credimus alia est sides Christi uâ— causae meritoriae sâ—u quam pâ—r Christum accepimus viz fides explicita unius Dei remuneratoris quam â—atuit essenecessarium necessitate medii propter ilâ—uà Pauâ—t ad Heb. 11.6 oportet c. hanc fidem statuit esse supeâ—naturalem infunâ—i ac dari propter Christum quamvis ipse Christus ignoretur loc cit disp 12. sect 5 â— 108 sect 4.885 disp 13 sect 3 § 5 〈◊〉 vid etiam sect 1.2 2.5 disp â—â— and the faith of Christ as the meritorius cause or between that faith whereby we know and beleeve in him and the saith which we obtain for his sake and merit viz the faith of God as the remunerator of them that seek him of which Heb. 11.6 which saith he may be supernaturall and given for Christ to them who know not Christ but yet as we heard he denieth that ever any obtained salvation by that faith without the faith and knowledge of Christ as Mediator Albeit this distinction may be thus abused and too far extended yet however it be applied it cannot make for the Socinian cause but much against it as to the present case of prayer We grant that we obtain for Christ many things we do not ask and so not in his name for he doth for us and giveth to us exceeding aboundantly above all that we ask or think Eph. 3.20 We know not all our wants nor the mercies we stand in need of nay the prime and radicall the most excellent mercies both in nature and grace both our naturall generation and spirituall regeneration our life and grace which is the life of the soul are previous to our asking in faith and yet they are given to us for Christs sake which Tolet. (k) Multa magna Deus etiam non rogatus nec petitus concedit tam temporalia quam spirituatia bona doctrin a hac est Basil Clement Alex experientia ipsa confirmatur quis enim nostrum petiit a Deo animam corpus multa alia natu alia quis petiit ut Christianus fieret nemo tamen obtinuit sunt infinita hu jusmoai quae enim non rogatus Deus dat multo plura sunt quam quae rogatus concedit Tolet. com in Joan. cap 16. tom 2. col 192. though a Jesuit and it is some what rare to bear one of that sect to plead for the free grace and bounty of God previous to our works and endeavours confesseth adding the testimony of Basil and Clement and appâ—aling to experience but though we may obtain so many things from Christ and for Christ which we dâ— not ask in his name yet unlesse we know him and beleeve in him and improve his name whensoever we come to the Throne of grace we receive nothing for his sake but all our mercies must come to us by a common providence such as are not in Christ and never (l) Though they receive before they beleeve yet at length they must beleeve and acknowledge all to come from him shall be engraffed into that noble vine do receive nothing for his sake and therefore there is no ground from this distinction to think that Pagans who lived and died in the ignorance of Christ were saved by his blood for as (m) Dom. Bannez loc cit pag. 192. § est autem in hoc Bannez though he doth not affirme that the knowledge of Christ is necessary necessitate medâ—i well observeth the vertue and merit of Christ is applyed to none but by faith in his name Rom. 3.22 25 26 27 30. c. Nay every passage of Scripture that holdeth out the necessity of faith and how many be these do clearly show that all these places which speak of the impossibility of salvation without Christ do also intimat the necessity of knowing and beleeving in him as Act. 4.12 Rom. 5.15 16 17 18 19 21. 1 Cor. 15.22 2 Tim. 1 9. c. especially since the Apostle Act. 15.11 affirmeth that by the grace of the Lord Jesus we are saved even as they I have proceeded further in this argument then I intended but I hope it will not be
unacceptable to the reader who desireth to know something of the grounds and judgment of the learned concerning this intricat question we shall now only 1. point out some scriptures from which some judicious divines have and not without probability might collect that if not the whole body of the Jewish church yet some who were more eminent for knowledge and holinesse did pray in Christ's name 2. we will propound a distinction and 3. obviat an objection As for the first these and such like expressions seem to intimat that the ancient people of God did tender up their supplications in the name of the Mediator as 1 while they ask of God for his names sake Psa 25.11 Psa 79.9 if we look on Exod. 23.21 where Gods name is said to be in the angel which did conduct the Israelites which angel was the (n) Mal. 3.1 messenger of the covenant the promised Messiah may we not conceive that while they desired to be heard for the name of God they askt for his sake in whom Gods name saith (o) Diodat on Exod. 23.21 Diodati is said to be because he is of one essence and glory with the Father 2. while they desire an answer to their prayers for his mercies sake as Psa 6 4. Psa 109.26 might they not look to the Messiah in whom the bowels of mercy are opened to sinners 3. while they plead Gods faithfullnesse and truth as Psa 40.11 Psa 143.1 did they not plead in his name in whom all the promises are yea and amen 4 While they ask for Davids (p) And albeit they might mention the promites made to David and the kindness shewed to him yea and mention his obedience and sincerity as that which the Lord might be pleased graciously to remuneratin them they being in some sense his children and he their Father and governor and so might look to the promise Exod. 20.6 yet they could not ask for his sake as the meritorious cause the type must not thus rob the truth of his honour sake as Psa 132.10 did they not rely on him of whom David was a type would they run to the shadow and neglect the substance especially since the Messiah once and again is called David as Isa 37.35 Ier. 30.9 Eze. 34.23 24. the truth going under the name of the type why may we not think that they rather lookt after the typified David then him who only was the type and figure 5. while they prayed the Lord to hear for his own sake thus the Lord promiseth and they accordingly might have prayed him to defend Jerusalem 2 King 19.34 where by way of explication is added and for my servant Davids sake viz. for him whom David did typifie thus also we have that same phrase expounded 2 King 20.6 Isa 37.35 and may not he be said to be the Fathers own Who is the brightnesse of his glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1.3.6 Hezekiah hath his recourse to him as his cautioner and undertaker and David runs to him as his Surety Isa 38.14 Psa 119.122 But you will say what ever truth may be in such a commentary upon these places yet none of them do expressly and convincingly hold out the point Ans 1. It cannot be imagined that the Jewes who did see Christ afar off and whose light in comparison of ours was but darknesse should speak so distinctly and expressly of Christ as we who live in the dayes of the Gospel 2. As of sermons so of prayers for the most part we have only some brief notes set down in the Scriptures and therefore we may not conclude what was not spoken from what is not written so that if we would know how the ancient people of God did tender up their worship to him whether in the name of a Mediator or not it seemeth a surer and better way to survey all the Scriptures of the old Testament which speak of his person and offices then to confine our inquiry to these few and brief parcells of prayers recorded there But since so much weight is laid upon an expresse text let us look on Dan. 9 17. Where the Prophet prayeth thus O! our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolat for the Lords sake After which manner and in the same words we Christians to this day use to pray while we expresse our dependence upon the merit and intercession of our blessed Saviour and why should we conceive that Daniel using the same words did not express the same thing Albeit there be 1. thus so many several expressions in the prayers of the ancient people which may have relation to Christ yea 2. though there be so many clear predictions of his Incarnation Passion c. And 3. although some eminent Beleevers might expresly offer up their prayers in his name yet for ordinary and as to the body of Beleevers we need not speak of the rude and carnall multitude who rested on their outward oblations and lookt no further then sense could reach We think with (q) English Divines on Joh. 16.24 Tolet Cajetan ibid Calvin Mayer Diodati c. judicous Divines that they did not use to express the name of Christ of the Messiah or of the Mediator in their prayers albeit relying on his merit and satisfaction they expected to be heard and thus they did not ask formally and expresly in his name but virtually and really and therefore our Lord in that perfect pattern of prayer which he taught his Disciples though between as it were the Levitical and Gospel way of worship yet did not enjoyn them to ask expresly in his name And that place Joh. 16.24 which may be objected against their praying in the name of Christ doth only serve to clear this distinction for it may be supposed that Christ there doth not simply deny that his Apostles had askt any thing in his name could these who knew him to be the Saviour of of the world draw near to God in any part of worship not relying on him but he denieth that directly expresly and by name they had askt any thing for his sake although after the former maner of worship they had askt in his name viz. virtually implicitly under types and shadows Hence (r) Cajet loc cit Cajetan calleth that maner of invocation viz. expresly in his name which he prescribed to his disciples a little before his death and to all the true Israelits to the end of the world notum orandi modum But though the main scope of that place be to hold out these two different wayes of asking in his name the one formerly followed the other now prescribed yet it may rationally be thought that our Lord there doth also upbraid them for living too much by sense and that being too much taken up with his bodily presence they had too much neglected the spirituall improvment of his Mediatory office Albeit
presence (h) Gen. 3.10 O! but the Spirit removeth that terror and dread and faith to the fugitive and trembling sinner what Christ by an audible voyce to the paralitick Math. 9.2 Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee and if thou be a Son what needs discourage thee if a child then an heir an heir of God and joynt heir with Christ Rom. 8.17 and so you may ask what you will it will be given to you will the Father withhold any part of the portion from the heir or needs the son be afraid to draw nigh to his kind Father Thus the Spirit of adoption by discovering and witnessing our relation doth enable us to come with 1. boldnesse 2. confidence and 3. importunity crying which is a token as of seriousnesse so of boldnesse and who but the Kings son and child dar cry in his presence (q) Abba is a Syriack word signifying Father coming from the hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which it only differeth in the termination it may be thought strange that the learned Augustin did herein so grossly mistake as to say that Abba was graecum Vocabulum August epist 178 where we have his dispute rather then an epistle with Poscentius the Arrian Lamentius being arbiter Abba which sheweth the familiarity and confidence which every son hath not the liberty to use but must make choyce of another kind of compellation importing greater distance and reverence Abba Father thus doubling the word to be an evidence of fervency and importunity Rom. 8. 15. Galat. 4.6 It s true this confidence and boldnesse admitteth a latitude but every step and degree of it must come from the Spirit by 〈◊〉 only we can have accesse Eph. 2.18 and therefore that accesse with any measure of boldnesse and confidence mentioned Ch. 3.12 But though it must come from the Spirit yet not alwayes by that witnessing act whereby he testifieth to our Spirits that we are the sons of God Rom. 8.16 but by applying other grounds and making some sort of confidence arise from thence as 1. Sense of our need and wants will banish shame and fear yea and sometimes modesty necessiâ— as non habet legem necessity shakes off all bonds it made those lepers 2 Kings 7.3 5. venture to go to the camp of the Syrians and Esther go to the King with her life in her hand Esth 4.16 Extreamity will make a dumb man speak will it not open a mouth morally shut while once it opened the mouth of Craesus son which nature had closed I am ashamed to beg saith the unjust steward while he lived in abundance Luk 16.13 but stay till he was stripped naked of all and he can see no remedy his (r) Durum telum necessitas extreamity would banish away his shame If the conscience were once awakned as in the Saints to see our guilt and misery and our need of Christ though we wanted the immediat light of Gods countenance and manifestation of his favour yet would we venture and go boldly to the Throne resolving if we should perish to perish if it were posible there This is the first and lowest step and rather of our boldness to pray then boldnesse in prayer which may 2. be promoved from the sense of our obligation flowing from the command conscience of duty may pull and strongly draw us to the throne in obedience to him who hath commanded us to call upon him and pay him this homage though we be not assured of the successe of our work But 3. and more properly this boldnesse may arise from hopes of successe which though grounded upon certainties viz. the command of him who never said to the seed of Iacob seek ye my face in vain his gracious attributes his mercy compassion forbearance c. his invitations intreaties expostulations promises threatnings and judgments upon the disobedient who will not call upon his name the success that others have met with c. Though the soul doth not doubt of these in the general and as to others yet as to thee while thou sittest in darkness and wants the light of assurance flowing from the inward testimony of the Spirit these can only beget a probable hope and thereby raise up the heart to a proportionable boldness and confidence banishing slavish fear despondency of spirit and such discouragments as may draw off the heart or weaken the hands and thus 1. negatively viz. by removing obstructions the foundation-stone of confidence is laid 2. and positively enlivening and quickning the soul by a rationall expectation of success But betwixt this probable hope and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 There is a middle and third kind of confidence arising from divine argumentation the Spirit breathing upon and sealing all the propositions of the practical Syllogisme but especially the minor by discovering to us the reality and sincerity of our graces and thus enabling us to assume and say I love and fear God keep his commandments c. From which supposing the knowledge faith of these general discoveries held forth in the major the conclusion concerning our state and condition doth clearly and necessarily flow You will say if the conclusion do clearly follow it must beget as full an assurance as the immediat testimony of the Spirit Ans We will not now compare the immediat and direct irradiation and evidence of the Spirit with the mediate and argumentative reflex by a practical Syllogism in which the word is applyed and from thence a conclusion drawn concerning our state and condition or compare as I may speak the Spirit 's wit-nessing to our spirit and (Å¿) Rom. 8.16 bearing witness to our spirit But to the question we grant that a great measure of confidence and boldness may be had both wayes and whensoever the soul can say with her Cant. 6.3 I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine by whatsoever means this assurance be attaiâ—ned h may draw nigh to God in full assurance of faith grounded upon this particular interest in him but often by reason of the small measure of irradiation from the Spirit the assent given to the minor is so weak that it diffâ—reth not much from a meer opinion having much fear and jealousie mixed with it so that albeit an assent be given to the assumption yet cum formidine partis oppositae and thus the conclusion as the effect must be in part tainted with that imperfection as of the cause and so cannot be the foundation of such a measure of confidence and boldness as mâ—ght arise from a clear evidence and full assurance But here there is a great latitude concerning which we shall now say no more but that if there be such a measure of assent as doth banish and calm the storm boistrous winds of dispair distrust unquietness anxiety c. and doth carry the soul to trust and stay it self upon God and to adhere rely and depend upon him
the name of attention as being not an act of the mind but of the will and so more fitly as also it is sometimes by (i) Art cit in corp Aquinas called the (k) Velle attendere non est pâ—atinde in re Cajet in Sum. 1.2 quaest 83. art 13. purpose and intention How would those Rabbies declaim against hereticks if they had fallen into such a gross mistake and confusion its true the object of that intention is attention for thereby we purpose to attend but who is so childish as to confound the act and the object for so we might take quidlibet pro quolibet And yet attention cannot alwayes be the object of their intention especially when they go to pray in an unknown language for how can they resolve to attend to what they know not unless it be to the sound and pronunciation of the letters And thus Parrots may as well be said to pray to God as Papists Hence our first argument they who teach plead for a brutish way of worship must be the followers and admirers of (l) Rev. 13 4. and 16.2 the beast who have his mark upon their fore-head But beasts having learned to utter words may pray to God in the popish way without reverence and attention Ergo But it is not strange to see them who make so many gods of idols and images in giving them divine worship and honour to make an idol of the true God and to serve him as if he neither knew nor (m) Jer. 10.5 could do good or evil Hence 2. Who dare thus mock a King or Ruler Will any speak to such and not take heed what he faith If thou didst (n) Mal. 1.8 offer such irreverence to thy Governour would he be pleased with thee 3. If God be a Spirit he must be worshiped in spirit and truth Joh. 4.24 What doth the holy Lord value the gesture of the body and the moving of the tongue if the heart be not imployed in the work there must be as (o) Ratio redditur ex parte naturae ipsius Dei quia scil natura ejus est non corporeum aliquid sed spiritus propterea oportet adorantes eum adorare in spiritu veritate ut adoratio conformis sit adorato Sub spiritu voluntas sub veritate intellectus comprehend itur In spiritu non cultu temporale non lingua sed interiore cultu consistente in spiritu hoc est in adnimo c. Cajet in Joa 4 23 24. Imo ipse Suar. loc cit cap. 4. § 4. fatetur adorationem Dei requirere attentionem mentis aliaâ— fieri solo corpore non in spiritu quia licet adoratio in spiritu non excludat actionem corporis requirit tamen principaliter spiritus influxum ut sit vera adoratio Cajetan confesseth a conformity between our worship and him whom we worship We must seek to the father of Spirits with our spirit and whole soul the mind must attend and direct and the will must intend and follow the pursuit otherwise the name of God is taken in vain and the holy one is not worshipped but dishonoured by our babling we may thus fear to meet with a return in wrath and that the Lord will deal with us according to our folly but have no (p) Non remisse nec mente huc vel illuc evagante eo quod talis non solum non impetrabit quod petit sed magis Deum irrit abit Basilius apud Thom. dict art ground to expect an answer in mercy and that God will accept such vain oblations 4. We may argue from the nature of this exercise What is prayer but a lifting up of the soul to God Psa 25.1 and 86.4 Or as commonly from (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ascensus mentis ad Deum Damascen it is defined an elevation of the mind to him And this as (r) Suarez loc cit § 5. Suarez confesseth is essential to prayer So that there can be no prayer unless the soul and mind be thus elevated to God but it were ridiculous ro imagine that the mind is lifted up to God when it doth not attend but wander and run away from him and divert to other objects Ergo 5. How did the Apostle abominate this strange doctrine while he would not permit that any man should utter words in prayer before others which they did not understand albeit the speaker did well know their meaning But saith he I will pray with the spirit and will pray with the understanding also and in the Church and before others he would rather speak five words to their understanding then ten thousand in an unknown tongue 1 Cor. 14.14 15.19 Hence some of the Papists themselves yea some of their great (Å¿) Ex hacâ— Pauli doctrina habetur quod melius ad edificationem Ecclesia est orationes publicas quae audiente populo dicuntur dici lingua communi clericis populo quam dici laâ—ine Cajer in 1 Cor. 14. ad 17. Quod si populus intelligat orationem benedictionem saecrdotis melius reducitur in Deum devotius respondet amen Lyra in 1 Cor. 4.15 Doctors have been forced to acknowledge that it were better and more profitable for the people that their prayers and publick service were performed in their vulgar language that all might understand and joyn in the work then in latine which few or none except the Priest yea haply not he doth understand thus Lyra and Cajetan And as for private prayers (t) De privata autem oratione non improbabiliter dici potest utilius esse personis idiotis vocaliter orare in sua lingua vulgari quam in latina vel alia sibi ignota nam per se loquendo hoc videtur fructus sius ad fiuem orationis Suar. loc cit cap 5. § 4. Suarez granteth that it were more fit and convenient that the multitude and rude people should pray to God in their own language then in latine whereof they are ignorant You will say what then can be the reason why still they retain that ridiculous practice and at other times plead so earnestly for it Ans The Pope and his Cardinals being earnestly sollicited and pressed with fear had almost yeelded at the Council of Trent to reform this and several other abuses from which little gain might be reaped and whereby the Popes treasure was not much encreased till at length they considered that this was an ill preparative and might prove dangerous if thus once they suffered the foundation concerning the Popes infallibility (u) Nihil-ominus ex istis ritibus quovis uno mutato subrui conti nuo fundamen ta prorsus omnia Ecclesiae Romanae prudentis esse non tam principia quam fines rerum animadvertere c. Sva Pol. hist conc Trident. lib. 7. pag. mihi 775. to be shaken for thus the people might be brought to believe that they who had erred in these
circumstances 1. of time when 2. of the means by which 3. or of the maner how neither 4. as to such a measure and degree of the thing here in this life nor 5. to evidence these spiritual things to our sense feeling and discerning and therefore we must patiently wait untill by the event or by what other mean he pleaseth he reveal to us his purpose as to these particulars especially considering that albeit in this case there may be a delay and suspension yet there shall be no denial nor final frustration see Part 1. Ch. 7. Sect. 2. Concl. 11. Faith may perswade the soul that temporal and outward things which we stand in need of and which may be usefull for us shall never be askt in vain faith can assure thee that it is the language of cursed Atheists to say with these miscreants Job 21.15 Mal. 3.14 It is in vain to serve the Lord and what profit should we have to pray unto him c. Faith never wanteth an object wherewith it may close in seeking Gods face he that cometh unto him whatever be the errand and particular shall not be sent away empty for he is a rewarder of all that come unto him as hath in the general been shown Concl. 8. What you will say can be the object of faith in such a case We cannot know what God will do whether he will give or with-hold the particular and therefore we must doubt and waver concerning the success and answer of such prayers Ans Albeit we be not obliged and have no warrand to put out an act of faith as to the Lords giving the particular we prayed for yet we may and are obliged to believe that our labour shall not be lost and that our prayers shall not be fruitless and successless You will say if we obtain not what we desired what good can be expected upon our praying Ans In these few particulars 1. It is a mercy to be found faithfull in doing our duty (y) Mat. 24.46 blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so imployed You will say what thus seeking his daily bread many will then be found busie at that trade Nay but whatever be the occasion and particular such as will then be found conversing with God shall abide with him for ever It is true many seek but from the wrong hand there be but few that look up to God but to ask in obedience to that command Phil. 4.6 and that we may approve our selves to God in the discharge of our duty is not the course and custom of the world 2. If thy bodily appetite be not satisfied yet by prayer the desire of the soul may be enlarged and thou mayest be fitted for receiving more grace and strength for subduing thy lusts and are spiritual mercies and the good of the soul not worthy to be taken notice of shall our labour be accounted lost when we get gold in stead of brass and when we enjoy a nearer and more intimat fellowship with God albeit we get no new portion of trifling vanities Many Papists when their interest is not touched nor concerned prove better Casuists then carnal Protestants we (z) Viz eb 1. heard from Thomas Alensis and Swarez what ends we should (a) But what they thus build with the one hand they overturn with the other in pleading for lip devotion without reverence yea and knowledge or attention as hath been shown loc cit propound in prayer and that among other things that should draw us to the throne that sweetness and delight which may be had in a communion with God should be one and certainly not the least now he that obtaineth one of his ends especially if that be better nor what he hath not yet obtained cannot be judged to have laboured in vain if then the Lord hath smiled upon thee and lifted up the light of his countenance when thou came before him wilt thou think thy travel lost If an earthly King would thus entertain and feast with royal dainties a mean supplicant would he not prize that favour and honour more then if his petty suit had been granted and hath the great (b) Cant. 2.4 and 5.1 King taken thee in to the banqueting house and spread the banner of love over thee and wilt thou complain because some trifle is withheld Ah! be ashamed of thy base ingratitude and bruitish sensuality but yet the great Mountebank Cardinal Bellarmine that famous Patron of formality and lip-devotion hath in a good mode proven a better Divine then any of his fellows and doth more fully (c) But before he open the fountain he prepares poyson to cast into it and tells us that those he subjoineth and which we now mention must not be accounted the chief and principal ends of prayer but 1. to satisfie and 2. to merit must have the precedency Bell. de bon oper in part lib. 1. cap. 3. enumerat the fruits of prayer then any of these we have named and by way of preface he showeth from Chrysostom that prayer is the (d) Oratio est organum organotum qua si hemo bene utatur omnia fine dubio obtinebii Bell ibid. instrument of instruments whereby without doubt we may obtain all things whatsoever we stand in need of either for life (e) 2 Pet. 1.3 or godliness And then he cometh to particulars which have place when the desired mercy is not obtained as 1. Prayer enlightneth the mind there is light in Gods countenance none can frequently converse with him and continue in darkness and ignorance and this knowledge is not empty and speculative but practical and influential such must taste and see that God is gracious 2. Prayer strengtheneth our faith hope and expectation familiarity with beget confidence 3. It doth enlarge and capacitat the soul for receiving more and a greater measure of the best things it will leave a heavenly impression behind which is a fit disposition for heavenly blessings 4. Prayer will encrease our humility and godly fear then certainly it must banish all opinion of merit and so must overturn that which Bellarmine calls one of the principal and chief ends of prayer but let us further observe the reason he annexeth and we may consider-with what conscience or candor Papists do oppose the truth For saith he we must know we are beggars and therefore must carry in all humility when we approach before God 5. It will beget in us a contempt of earthly things for he that is often in heaven cannot but look down upon all things under the Sun and be sensible of their vanity 6. As we heard from Suarez it begetteth and bringeth with it admirable sweetness and delight while in that ordinance we taste and see the goodness of the Lord. And 7. it bringeth great honour and dignity to the soul O! what honour is it to converse with a King but how much more to have continual access to the
undone us And now I would ask at carnal hearts who undervalue this heavenly and soul-enriching exercise being ready to say if I might have my desire satisfied none should pray more frequently then I but I see little good that may be expected thereby no income nor advantage since they who are most employed in that work have as many wants and trials as other folk I see no good they get by all their prayers why should I loss my pains Ah! Atheist dost thou not know that a little which a righteous man hath is better then all the riches and great revenue of the wicked Ps 37.16 Prov. 15.16 Prov. 16.8 Whatever the righteous hath be it litlte be it much it is a blessing and mercy indeed Nay his wants and crosses become blessings unto him they are medicines prescribed by the great Physitian for the health of the soul and preservatives to keep us from infection while we live in a contagious world but on the other hand all that the wicked have their choycest blessings are according to that threatning Mal. 2.2 (u) Aliquando Deus iratus dat quod petis Deus propitius negat quod petis August de verbis Domini serm 53. nocitura toga nocitura petuntur Militia Juvenal Sat. 10. cursed they are snares and thorns to prick them and will prove as coals heaped on their head to encrease their misery and torment for ever and their present rods and sufferings are an earnest and prelude the first fruits and beginning of their eternal wo and punishment The godly and the wicked while under one and the (x) Multum quippe interest non quid accipiat sed quis accipiat nec quale sit quod datur sed qualis sit ipse cui datur nam bona obsunt mala prosunt sicut fuerint quibus dantur August tract 62. in Joan. same outward rod and in the same furnace find it not to be the same to both the furnace that purgeth the dross from the gold doth by little and little consume the tinn the godly are gold and are more refined by trials but that fire in which the wicked are now cast doth drie up their marrow and fat till at length it consume them by a never ending consumption But while thou sayest thou wouldst ask if thou thought'st thou wouldst obtain dost thou think that thou art a loser by any limitation or qualification of the promise of audience unless thou be an Epicure (y) We heard the confession of Pagans and wilt not thou who art called a Christian come their length and wilt thou grudge when the Lord doth that to thee and for thee which Pagans have askt and prayed for to themselves Ah shall they allow to God the liberty to make their choyce of their mercies as knowing what is best for them to have or want and wilt thou prescribe to him and mindest no more but the satisfying of thy beastly and sensual appetite Ah! is not the promise while thus limited to thy eternal happiness and spiritual good more z sweet and full then if it wanted such a proviso What wouldst thou have God to joyn and comply with thy foolish and hurtfull desires and to give thee upon thy asking a serpent to sting thee to death and a delicious potion full of deadly poyson because perhaps it is pleasant to thy taste whether is it better for a Pupil to be guided by a wise Governour then to be left to his own choyce and to follow his youthfull and unadvised courses albeit the discreet Governour will curb and hold him in and often withhold what he craveth yet it s for his good that he thus dealeth with him if the inconsiderat youth might have his will he would quickly lavish and spend his large patrimony and with the Prodigal bring himself into great extremity And our kind Lord dealeth with us as pupils and children this is the time of our under-age and if now we had our wills we would undo our selves Adam was more knowing and wise then we who yet being left to the counsel of his own will did prove a prodigal and quickly spent one of the largest patrimonies that ever did fall unto any meer man Is it not then for our good that the Lord himself will be our Tutor and Governour and will give us what is good for us but will not satisfie our (z) Recordaris dixisse te in plarima dubitatioâ—c discrimineque versari ne teipsum falleres cum mala quandoque pro bonis opâ—ares verum mi hi vâ—detur ab animo tao prius oâ—ortere caliginem qua nunc offunditur auferre deinde illa proâ—iuâ— admovere per quae seu bonum quid fit five malum dignoscas nunc enim impos esse videris insanum quiddam mibi videtur temero Deum precari ac diligenter considerandum ne quis seip um fallat mala petens dum bona se putat orare prudentior poâ—ta qui precabatur mala ab orantibus abesse Plato temo primo Alcib 2. pag. mihi 139 140 136. interpret Mars Ficin hurtful and sensual desires But you will say albeit from what hath been said I be now convinced that the Lord often yea even then while he withholdeth the particular that was askt doth that which is best by way of return to the prayers of his honest supplicants and though I would fain beleeve that the Lord doth alwayes thus hear and answer our prayers because the Scriptures seem to hold out this point most frequently and very convincingly yet there be some cases in which the Lord doth not satisfie and fulfill the desires of his children which cannot fall under the exception of non expediency hurt and evil particularly these three 1. when we pray against our sins and corruptions and that we may not be led into temptation 2. when we pray for spiritual mercies to others that the Lord would open their eyes and change their hearts and bring them out of the snare in which they are caught 3. when we pray for outward and publick mercies to the Church and people of God what evil can there be in those petitions that the Lord should not alwayes hear and answer them In answer to this question we shall first speak to the first case by it self because it is concerning a personal mercy to the supplicant himself then in the second place we shall speak to the other two joyntly because they are concerning mercies askt for others and thirdly we shall obviat objections To the first we answe 1. albeit it be our indispensible duty to subdue and mortifie sin so that we should alwayes be opposing and fighting against our lusts and resisting temptations yet the Lord may have his holy and wise ends why he will suffer us for a while to wrestle before he give the victory or remove the temptation and though the mortification of sin and the removing of temptations be absolutely good and alwayes yet in the issue
O! let us labour to curb our lusts and beat down this their impetuousness and importunity but let us cherish and maintain that holy and spiritual importunity which is so acceptable and prevalent with God and profitable to us and if we would pray more confidently let us pray more fervently and importunatly when we are cold and formal in prayer we cannot be very confident of success as knowing a lazy and careless way of asking to be a kind of invitation to deny qui timide rogat docet negare Yea the heathens though they thought much babling acceptable to God Mat. 6.7 yet in their sacrifices they had a shadow that might have served for confuting that folly for (f) Neque enim sine igue ullum sacrificium fieri licebat Si autem mortus carbone sacrificetur signum neglectae religionis fore perniciosum nemo dubitavit Alex. ab Alexandro genial dier lib. 4. cap. 17. they would not presume to sacrifice without fire and if the fire had gone out they looked upon that as a sign that Gods worship was neglected and as a sad omen and presage to him for whom the sacrifice was offered 2. If frequency in praying be added to fervency as it may be a further ground So another evidence and mark of confidence without faith we would soon weary I believed therefore have I spoken Psa 116.10 But will believing David faint and leave off having once spoken Nay saith he but I will continue instant in this exercise and my faith being strengthned by renewed mercies given in return to former prayers I will call upon him as long as I live v. 2. As in handy-trades men would soon weary in following them if no gain were reaped or expected So the Saints would too quickly faint in trading with heaven if they did not see their reward and therefore when we continue instant in prayer when we constantly follow that course and not superficially and perfunctoriously but seriously and with the whole heart our faith must be acting and there must be some confidence that our labour shall not be lost But there be two cases in which after a signal maner this restless importunity diligence frequency and continuing instant in prayer doth evidence our faith and expectation 1. When we meet with long and continued delayes if notwithstanding we continue and still renew our supplications thus David under his long-continued persecution by the hand of Saul continued all the while busie at the throne he would not run away from God because he seemed to hide his face but rather maketh that sad dispensation an occasion to draw nigh to God and turneth it in matter of complaint not of but to God as Psa 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord But if we ask what kept David all this time from fainting I have saith he trusted in thy mercy his faith kept his head above the waters and sent him often to the throne Hope deferred maketh the heart sick Prov. 13.12 but when all other remedies prove ineffectual faith will cure that discase 2. When we not only meet with delayes but also many discouragments and contrary blasts in our face to make us streek sail and give over if we notwithstanding still follow our duty and continue to wrestle with God in his Ordinances while be thus seemeth to sight against us by his providence we must have our loins girt and our spiritual armour on and above all we must make use of the shield of faith in this great conflict thus while Christ seemed not only to slight the woman of Canaan and not take notice of her or her request but also to reproach her as a dog yet she continues to enforce renew and pursue her suit she being according to Christs testimony of her a woman of great faith Mat. 15 28. Thus also blind Bartimeous when checked and charged to hold his peace cryeth the more a great deal and will not be put off till he get an answer from Christ himself because he believed hence our blessed Lord ascribeth the whole work to his faith Mark 10.52 If falth be strong it will set it self against all discouragments and like an impetuous river will over-flow and carry down all ramparts and bulwarks that stand in its way and therefore if we faint in the day of adversity our strength must be small Prov. 24.10 But let none imagine that while we say that the believing sould will not be beaten from the throne whatsoever impediments and discouragments it may meet with in the way as if we excluded the use of other means nay faith will stir thee up to every mean the Lord in his providence offereth unto thee as knowing that to trust God and to neglect the means is to tempt God to work a miracle and to provoke him to do no more for us who would not improve what he offered for our help O! but faith in the use of the means will 1. regulat our choice and keep us back from all sinfull and unlawfull means though our strait were never so great and they never so probable and promising 2. Faith will regulate the use of them and will make us keep them in a due subordination not relying or trusting in them but only in God who can as he pleaseth bless or blast them and who can work for us though they were removed and therefore though all creature-help did fail yet a believer could hing and depend upon a word of promise till the Lord did beat him off by declaring his purpose as to the particular and then submission will come in the place of faith 3. As faith dare not tye God to the means So neither as to the time way and manner of working it dare not limit the Lord nor prescribe to him but will securely rest upon Gods wisdom love and care and leave all to Gods disposal 3. Quietness serenity calmness and composure of spirit after prayer is a good evidence of faith acted in prayer what can liberat the heart of anxiety fear sollicitude and carking cares what can rebuke these storms and make a calm in the soul if the Lord himself do not speak peace to it and if he do not fasten the hand of faith upon the rock of strength and defence and cause the soul rest safely there notwithstanding all the boisterous winds that may blow from without Deep calleth unto deep all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me saith the Psalmist But what had he no stay nor shelter under this storm his faith discovered a rock and unto that he did flee his faith did close with a promise which being pleaded in prayer he espied a command for mercy and deliverance flowing from thence Psa 42.7.9.8 And then particularly he applyeth the remedy to this distemper and chideth his own soul for being disquieted and cast down having the cure at hand What O my soul hast thou not put up a prayer to God v. 8. and yet art
in dispensing of mercies to us and that eternal covenant and transaction whereby in time all good is conveyed to us and which we should eye and make use of in our addresses to God And thus we may hearken to the voice of the Father as from all eternity saying How do my bowels yern towards the sons of men I am willing to pardon all their iniquities and receive them graciously (a) Joh. 3.16 Behold I so love the world as to give my only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life I pity poor foolish self-destroying sinners and I will (b) Hos 14.4 heal their back-slidings (c) Is 53.5 with the blood of my dear Son and will love them freely (d) Is 63.7 according to the multitude of my loving kindnesses And we may behold the Son himself concurring and consenting to that blessed motion and saying O! let the ungrate rebel have a pardon though it should be subscribed with my blood let bankrupt sinners have a discharge and all their debts be laid on me I am willing to lay down my life that they may live Lo I (e) Ps 40.7 8. 1 Joh. 4.10 come to be the propitiation for their sins I delight to do thy will O Father and to (f) Tit. 2.14 give my self for them to redeem them from all iniquity and to purifie by my blood a peculiar people zealous of good works And we may hear the holy Spirit saying Behold I am willing and ready to tender to them the gracious offer of peace and reconciliation to perswade and allure them to embrace that offer and to convince and (g) Cant. 1.4 draw them after thee to (h) Jer. 31.33 write thy Law in their hearts to (i) Joh. 14.26 comfort and strengthen them and (k) Rom. 8.26 help their infirmities to defend and keep them from all evil and to fit prepare and (l) Joh. 14.16 preserve them unto eternal life But it would be remembred that though virtually and as to our apprehensions these several steps may be distinguished in that gracious transaction yet properly there cannot be such a stipulation such conditions offers consenting and as it were consultation where there is but one nature will and understanding but that there was such a Covenant having eminently these things in it cannot be denied by any who acknowledge our salvation to be carried on according to an eternal Covenant between the Father and the Son and when we shall understand that conference and as it were consultation concerning the creation of man Gen. 1.26 we shall be more able to comprehend this transaction concerning the salvation of man but now let none from thence imagine the love of the Father to be really different from the love of the Son and holy Ghost and that they did not contrive and had no hand in predestinating us to life but as consenters and approvers of the Fathers free purpose of love For albeit predestination be ascribed to the Father by some sort of appropriation as being according to that mysterious order in the Trinity the first person yet we must not think that there is such a priority or distinction of persons as doth import a distinction of nature or a real difference among the essential attributes as they are in these glorious persons and so conceive that there is another will power and understanding in the Father then in the Son and holy Spirit and accordingly different acts flowing from these different principles O! let us not rob these blessed persons of the honour of being (m) Phil. 2.6 equal with the Father and having the same nature and divine properties because they of their meer good pleasure have stoopt so low to exalt us and do us good and because voluntarily and of their free accord they have undertaken an economy and dispensing of offices for us to make us happy and have received as it were a commission the Son to redeem us and lay down his life for us and the holy Spirit to sanctifie and prepare us for the heavenly inheritance and have thus undergone a sort of (n) Inaequalitat officiorum non tollit aequalitatem naturae aut personarum inferiority dependance and subordination in being sent to execute these offices which they undertook in mercy and love to us O! who is able to (o) Eph. 3.18 19. comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height of this love of the Son and holy Spirit which passeth knowledge O! let us praise and magnifie God the Son and God the holy Ghost for undertaking an economy and as it were ministry for us now unto the ever glorious and blessed Spirit of grace and unto him that (p) Rev. 1.5.6 1 Pet. 2.5 loved us and washed us in his own blood and hath made us Kings and a royal Priest-hood be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen And O! let us thankfully and diligently improve this noble and and admirable way of conveyance of all good to us and let us in all our adresses to God desire and wait for every mercy from the Father through the Son and by the holy Spirit looking upon Christ as the inexhaustible treasure and (q) Col. 1.19 store-house of all blessings and depending on the Spirit as the great dispenser giver and disposer of all that fulness and riches that is in Christ from the (r) 2 Cor. 1.3 Father of mercies and God of all comfort of (Å¿) 1 Cor. 8.6 whom are all things as the fountain and first person of the Trinity who laid the foundation of our redemption and who is the Father of our blessed Lord and Saviour We cannot perform any duty acceptably we cannot praise God nor pray to him unless we come in the name of Christ as our Mediator and Advocat and wait for the help of the Spirit and depend on him as our shield strength leader and guide and yet we must look over that economy and dispensation and close with the Father Son and holy Spirit as that one God to whom in every part of worship we should come as to the chief and ultimat object to which primarily it is directed and in which it doth rest Here we will stand we can go no further and praise be to his name who hath brought us this length albeit our light be darkness in respect of the light of glory yet the light of the ancient Church was but like the morning star before the Sun (t) Mal. 4.2 which now shineth before our eyes And O! when will that day come when we shall behold so much in this mystery as shall ravish our hearts and fill our mouths with songs of joy admiration and pâ—aise to all eternity when we shall not see through a glass darkly but face to face when we shall not know in part but as we are known when we shall be like him and see him as he is 1 Cor.
Luke 11.13 Let none then pretend his unfitness and indisposition as a cloak to cover his negligence and unwillingness but the less our strength fitness and ability is we had need be the more busie and diligent the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.6 useth an excellent allusion while he exhorteth Timothy to stir up whether the (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gift or grace of God was in him neither of the two I think should be excluded both being very needfull in the discharge of his ministry to which that exhortation mainly relateth the word c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifying to blow up the fire that is buried under ashes And thus as it were to give and restore again life to that which seemed to be dead and thus the words of the exhortation are general and though spoken to Timothy who had a large measure both of gifts and graces yet are applicable to all the Ministers of the Gospel yea to all Christians every one having received mo or fewer talents and some measure as of grace so of gifts and thus we may to our point from thence collect that every one is obliged to stir up and diligently improve that measure of strength he hath and the weaker and less the measure be there is the greater need of diligence it were foolish to say because the fire is weak and seemeth to be dead and extinguished that therefore it were needless to blow the coals nay but the weaker it be there is the greater need of blowing and that without delay lest in the interim the little spark die and go out it were our wisdom then so soon as we perceive deadness to seize upon us to stir up our hearts and to blow upon the coal lest our deadness become universal and remeedyless a candle when first the flame is blown out may with little difficulty be blown in again which after a little delay will become more difficult and then impossible Hence we may see how foolish and unreasonable the children of men are in their pleas and excuses for to (d) And thus may be a seventh argument against those dreamers who dar plead for the omission of duty in the case of unfitness and indisposition say we should not go to God till we find the heart quickened and enlarged what else is it but to plead that we should not use the means till we have obtained the end For is not prayer and meditation a most notable mean to quicken a dead heart and to beget familiarity boldness and confidence the Lord hath not deprived us of the means for removing that sad stroak and should we not use them and if we will not we may fear that sad threatning against Laodicea while in the like case Rev. 3.16 Because thou art luketwarm I will spue thee out of my mouth Such a temper is very loathsom to God he cannot endure it and shall we rest in that state and be at no pains to be rid of it but if we will not awaken and stir up our own hearts if the Lord mean to do us good he will put the spur to our dull sluggish spirits and shake the rod over our head and send out some one or other storm to alarm us and were it not better to prevent such a rough messenger Ah! how should we fear that curse Ier. 48.10 when we do the work of the Lord (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Kal ejoculari in Pihel eludere quasi aliquem arous fallacis more excuiâ—re è spe sua Mercer in rad If our hands slâ—ck and if our work prove as a deceitfull bow the hurt will redound to the archer negligently O! if we were sensible of our danger and were more humbled for offering to the great King a corrupt and vain thing Mal. 1.14 I will be sanctified saith the Lord in all that draw nigh to me Lev. 10 3. If ye will not stir up your selves to sanctifie him in his Ordinances he will sanctifie his great Name and vindicat his Glory in your just punishment as there he did in the destruction of Nadab and Abihu he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 far less will he suffer his Name to be taken in vain in the immediat acts of his Worship and therefore when we draw nigh to him without reverence and godly fear what a mercy is it that he becometh not a consuming sire to devour us Heb. 12.28 29. 2. Though the Lord would not add his stroak yet by our dead formal and careless performances we so dull and indispose the heart and contract such an habit of deadness that if the Lord were not gracious to us laying hands on us as on u Lot and pulling us as it were (f) Gen. 19.16 by force out of the snare we would go on from evil to worse till there were no remedy for when we become negligent and careless of God's work we become fearless and aweless of his majesty and what a mercy is it that the next step is not black atheisme contempt of God and total apostasie Ah! have we not enemies enough against our souls and shall we also become our own enemies Sathan that active cruel and busie enemy is still in arms going about like a roaring Lyon and seeking to devour us 1 Pet. 5.8 Our lusts are alwayes in readiness and the world hath every where stumbling blocks to cast in our way and is it time for us to sleep especially when we are upon the watch-tower and have our sword in our hand yea and in the time of the assault while we seem and profess to be fighting against our spiritual enemies and laying hold upon the Lords strength when we profess to look up to him and to wrestle with him and thus at once as it were wrestle with the Almighty and against hell and our lusts O! that we were convinced of our folly and abominable security and negligence 3. Though there were no other hazard but the loss of the present duty and of mis-improving that price the Lord puts in our hand how might that rouse us up and set us a work this is like but much worse then that evil whereof Solomon complaineth Eccles 6.1 2. While we have liberty to draw nigh to the King and present our supplications to him he openeth all his Cabins and sets the full Treasure before us So that the supplicant needs want nothing for his soul of all that he desireth but if he be careless slack and remiss in asking he hath no power to eat he wants a stomach and appetite and in his supposed fulness goeth away as empty as he came then and not till then shall ye seek and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Jer. 29.13 Weak pangs do not further the deliverance not bring the desired mercy to the birth and as (g) Lambunt Petram mel non sugunt good never a whit as not the better Ah!
be enough bewailed these ravens have sucked all the marrow and fat out of thy sacrifice and have rendred it a vain and unprofitable oblation those (n) Eccles 10.1 dead flies cause thy ointment send forth a stinking savour They will overspread the whole duty command and captivate the man so that now they will not be repelled and thus they become constant abiding and universal these weeds over-grow and choak the good seed and what crop can be expected and thou willingly entertainest these robbers and evil guests and therefore thou art inexcusable This argument concerning wandring thoughts deserved a larger and more particular disquisition had it not been so fully and judiciously handled by others See Mr. Gurnal loc cit pag. 310. to pag. â—32 Morn Exerc. Serm. 19. Mr. Cobbet Part 3. Chap. 2. Only let us adn as in the like case Part 2. Chap. 3 some few passages from these modern Divines whose words may have weight with such disconsolate ones as are daily mourning under the burden of roving thoughts in holy duties Believe it Christian it is not thine (o) 2 Cor. 12.10 inevitable weakness nor thy (p) Mark 14.38 sensible dulness nor thy (q) Psa 73.21 22. lamented roavings nor thy (r) Gen. 15.11 opposed distractions nor thy (Å¿) 1 Joh. 5.13 mistaken unbelief it is not any nor all these that can shut out thy prayer if thou dost not (t) Psa 66.18 regard iniquity in thy heart Morn Exerc. Serm. 1. If we fail in the manner of our prayer and if it be a total failing if we pray without faith without any faith at all without zeal and the like farewell to the success of such petitions but if it be a partial failing and that failing strived against and prayed against the case is very different by the evangelical allay we do what we desire to do in Gods gracious acceptation our Advocate strikes in with us and begs his Father to regard the matter and not the manner of our prayers Mr. Newton on Joh. 17.24 pag. 499. Believers prayers pass a refining before they come into Gods hands did he indeed read them with their impertinencies and take our blotted coppy out of our hand we could not fear too much what the issue might be but they come under the correctors hand our Lord Jesus hath the inspecti-of them who sets right all our broken requests and misplaced petitions he washes out our blots with his own blood his mediation is the fine searse through which our prayers are boulted and all that is course and heterogeneal he severes from the pure what is of his own Spirits breathihg he presents and what our fleshly part added he hides that it shall not prejudice us or our prayers This was the sweet Gospel-truth wrapt up in the Priests bearing the sin of the holy offerings Exod. 28.38 Mr. Gurnal loc cit pag. 330. I have the rather added these testimonies because though it be too ordinary for the most part of titular Christians not to regard what they offer to the Lord though they come in their pollution and offer a corrupt thing to the great King yet their heart never smites them they rest in the work done not caring how it be done though the fowls come down upon their sacrifice and eat it up yet they will not be at the pains to drive them away nor do they lay their loss to heart nor mourn for it but though it be thus with the multitude yet the generation of the righteous will take heed what they offer to the Lord they know that their is no road more infested with thieves then that which is between heaven and earth and therefore when they pass that way they put on the whole armour of God imploring the conduct of the spirit and a convoy from heaven to guard them thither that they may with success carry on that precious traffick and they will follow their dull hearts as closely all the while as a Carrier will do the unruly Horse fearing least if for one moment they should not attend and drive their heart should stand still or start aside and yet notwithstanding all their care and diligence their hearts will mis-give them and those cheaters and robbers will draw on a parly and get advantage of them for the flesh will lust against the spirit so that they cannot do what and as they would Gal. 5.17 The law in the members will war against the law of the mind bringing us into captivity to the law of sin so that though to will be present with us yet how to perform we find not and thus the good that we would we do not but the evil that we would not that we do as the holy Apostle complained and lamenteth and where is the Saint on earth that may not take up the same complaint even when he is most spiritual and best employed in meditation prayer c Rom. 7.15 18 19 21 22 23 24. Though carnal hearts do not value a communion with God yet who knows what a sad affliction it is to the children of God to have their fellowship with him thus interrupted I verily believe saith (u) Mr. Burroughs gosp worsh pag. 281. a late Divine there are many that have already good assurance of Gods love in Christ that if God should speak to them as he spake to Solomon bidding him ask what he should give him who for themselves would put up this petition Oh! Lord that I may be delivered from a wandring spirit in holy duties and especially in the duty of prayer that I may thereby come to enjoy a more holy communion with thy self then ever yet I have enjoyed and such would account this to be a greater mercy then if God should give them to be Kings or Queens over the whole world O Christian is thy deadness and wandring thoughts thus thy burden and is it the great desire of thy soul to be rid of them and art thou striving and endeavouring against them I might tell you those glad tidings which one tendered to his friend in the like case who seing him oppressed with such distempers under such sad complaints came cheerfully to him said I can tel you good news the best that ever you heard viz. as soon as ever you are in heaven you shall serve Christ without interruption and weariness which words saith (x) Thomas Shiphard in a letter from new England pag mihi 39. my Author well thought on revived the man Though the Lord will not utterly y drive out these Canaanites out of the land that they may be for our trial exercise and humiliation yet it is through our fault and negligence if they be not brought under the yoke and are not already become tributaries (z) Judg. 3.4 and ere it be long the victory shall be compleat and they shall no more molest any true Israelite ah why should the Saints be too much discouraged they will not stay long in
all the other affections of the soul to be sinfull and that they should be abandoned but we would rather think with this Author Serm 2 Pag 16 that beleevers must not be stocks altogether senceless of Gods judgments and dispensations towards them As for these sinfull grounds and effects of this sorrow which be mentioneth Page 141 142 144. these may and should be guarded against But why doth he not as well condemn all fear as sinfull there will be found to be parity of reason here and yet he pleads for such a kind of fear as not being sinfull See Serm 2. sorrow that we may not desire and pray for we (i) Quomodo Paulus desideraverit mortem quam sibi inferre non liciut statim videbimus must not set our hands a work against our heart and tongue nor make our prayers and endeavours to be at such variance and contrariety but we may not procure afflictions nor cast our selves in the furnace but should use the means for keeping us from and bringing our feet out of the fetters the law of God and nature obligeth us to the duty of self-defence and preservation from such evils we will not rashly condemn the practice of holy men of old those eminent Martyrs who in the time of persecution did offer themselves to the flames not knowing but they might have been stirred up by an heroick and extraordinary impulse the Lord intending to make their ashes the seed of the Church for as their courage and zeal did strengthen their brethren and encourage them to stand So it invited strangers to come and embrace the faith but their practice is no warrand to others not being in the like case nor so moved and strengthened to follow their foot steps and even among them some by their fall did leave us a warning to mind our own frailty and not to be rash in running upon trials without a call least our courage fail us while we are in the waters And thus though the great Physician can extract honey out of the sowrest herbs and make the most bitter pills medicinal and healthfull to us yet we are not licenciat to take and prescribe to our selves such a remedy as nature first and last sinless and corrupt abhorreth such a course and diet So the Lord whose commands are equal and full of condescension hath not made that an object of our choice and desire neither will he prescribe a bitter potion when cordials are more pertinent he k doth not afflict willingly and there is no time when we can say that the rod would do us more good then mercies and therefore we must never take upon us to determine and to prescribe to our selves that which the only Physician of souls hath reserved in his own hand but supposing his appointment and while in his holy providence he calleth us to suffer we are commanded to submit and patiently bear the chastisement of the Lord to hearken to the voice of the rod and to improve it as our talent but thus it is not made an object of love and desire but is left to be the matter and an occasion to exercise our patience submission and faith and thus while we are in the furnace we should pray for the sanctified use of it and before we be called to the trial we should prepare for it and pray that the Lord would fit us for and do us good by every rod and trial he purposeth to exercise us with and would make these as well as our mercies contribute for and all work together for our good according to that word Rom. 8.28 Obj. 1. What God promiseth that we may pray for but the Lord promised to hedge up the way of his ancient people with thorns and by cross dispensations to drive them in to their first husband Hos 2.6 7. This is clear saith a late Author from Psa 89.31 32. where in the midst of the promises that of visiting their iniquities with rods is put in the bosome and if it were believed that crosses were the accomplishment of the promises it would help a Christian to much humble submission and holiness under the cross Ans In both these Scriptures as frequently elsewhere threatnings are mixed with promises and both may well be said to belong to the covenant the promises as its object yea rather as its integral parts and the threatnings as the hedge to keep us within the bounds of the covenant and as a cord though sharp to draw us back when we step aside and do not perform the conditions to which the promises are annexed and thus both threatnings and rods which are the execution of threatnings to the Saints may be called evangelical as proceeding from the same fountain from which the promises do flow and having a like gracious event and effect afflictions to them loss as it were their nature and name and though in themselves they stil continue to be bitter and evil yet to them they prove good they are fatherly chastisements and medicinal corrosives and still the object of the threatning though as to the sanctified use of them and the good reaped by them they may fall under a promise indirectly in obliquo But thus not the rod it self but the fruit of it is the proper object of the promise and this may be desired and prayed for You will say that the Saints are afflicted in faithfulness Psa 119.75 and therefore their crosses must be an accomplishment of some promise Ans Fidelity and faithfulness appeareth as well in accomplishing threatnings as promises and thus the Psalmist in the words cited explaineth their scope while he saith I know O Lord that thy judgments are right viz. according to thy righteous threatnings and thus he justifieth the Lord in all the evil afflictions and trials he had met with 2. Obj. What is good may be desired and may be the object of the promise but afflictions were good to David for saith he It is good for me that I have been afflicted ver 71. and gives his reason ver 67. and 71. before I was afflicted I went astray but now c. And we may here again argue thus That which is matter of praise to God because he hath done it may be a fit material of our prayers to him and we may desire that he would do it but if we view that context we will find the Psalmist there collecting and gathering together motives and grounds of praise and he reckoneth his afflictions as not the least Ans The Prophet calls not his afflictions good they being of themselves evil and bitter and for removing of which he prayed most frequently and fervently and praised God when and because he removed them but he saith that it was good for him that he was afflicted thus pointing out the sanctified use and fruit of the rod for which he had reason to praise God yea and now all things being considered it was better for him that he was afflicted then if he had
ejaculation till thy business permit thee to go to the throne in a more solemn and continued way But let not such ejaculations be pretended as a cloak for laying aside a constant course of continued prayer that were to make things act contrary to their nature and to make the means which are subordinat and should be subservient unto the end to exclude the end for this is one and a main fruit of such ejaculations to fit and prepare the heart to continue instant in prayer when of purpose we perform that solemn duty But least any should abuse these Scripture-instances making these a cloak for their negligence and want of love to the work saying what should we be more holy and continue longer in prayer then those eminent Saints whose supplications are recorded in the Word Let such consider 1. that as of sermons So of prayers for the most part we have but some brief notes all was not written that was at such an occasion spoken by the Saints though all was spoken that is written of them and yet as to the present case there is so much written as may rather make us tremble then thus boast and presume as if it were no great matter to come that length for though the words be not set down yet the time is sometimes specified and such a proportion of it as few will make their measure thus our blessed Lord continued all night in prayer Luk. 6.12 Nehemiah spent certain daies in fasting and prayer Neh. 1.4 and a fourth part of a day is spent in prayer and confession Neh. 9.3 The Jews fasted and to what purpose did they fast if prayer was not joyned therewith neither eating nor drinking three daies Esth 4.16 17. And David professeth that he had cried himself hoarse and that his throat was dried Psa 69.3 that all night he made his bed to swim and watered his couch with tears Psa 6.6 And will any dare yet to boast that they have come the length required or recorded in Scripture But 2. such would remember that the prayers that are set down in the Scriptures were poured out upon some special occasion and were framed only or mainly in reference to the present particular but we in our daily and constant course of prayer must look to all our wants and necessities and must petition not some one mercy but what we stand in need of (z) 2 Pet. 1.3 for life and godliness personal mercies and publick mercies mercies for our selves and for all the Saints and we should particularly confess our sins with their several aggravations and beg pardon for all our provocations and grace and strength for every duty and praise God for all his mercies And can all this be to purpose performed in so short a space of time as those vain talkers and mockers of the holy Scriptures would allow But yet as we said in the entry we will prescribe no time only we would not have any upon a mistake to limit themselves to a shorter time then the nature of this exercise and their own need doth require But here we may behold our duty and great priviledge to pray alwaies as we are obliged So it would be our happiness to improve every season and opportunity of prayer Christ purchased to us not with his money but with his blood this liberty to draw nigh to the King as oft as we will and as our need requireth I have read of one who offered to his King a great sum of money but to have leave once or twice a day to come and say God save your Majesty But you may not come once or twice but as oft as you please to the King of kings you will alwaies get access and will never be sent away empty and without the blessing if you come to bless and praise his great Name you shall be blessed of him if you come to ask you shall receive not only (a) Mark 6.13 unto the half of a kingdom but a whole kingdom and an incorruptible crown of glory that fadeth not away Ah! who would not come to his doors who hath such an almes to give But ah the folly and desperate negligence of secure sinners who will not enter in at such an open door who will not knock nor cry though their need press them never so much and who will not seek though they have a promise to find O! what diligence and frequency is necessary here An earthly King will get great attendance and yet what hath he to give to his followers and supplicants Solomons servants waited upon and stood before him continually 1 Kings 10.8 and yet we soon weary in standing before the King of kings the importunate widow Luk. 18. did not faint but from time to time renewed her complaint till she was answered and yet though our business be great though our life and happiness and matters of soul concernment be lying at the stake we are secure and negligent as we are foolish and injurious to our own souls So we are unfaithful to our Master and Lord and a scandal and reproach to our holy profession though no master can so reward his servants yet what master is so ill served The Idols of the nations were more diligently and frequently worshiped no cost was spared in their service how sumptuous were their sacrifices Nay they did not (b) Jer. 7.31 and 32.35 vid. Alex. ab Alex gen lier lib. 6. cap ult Polyd. Vergâ—l de invent rer lib. 5. cap 8. spare their children yea nor their own lives in their sacrifices and yet though our Christian sacrifice be so easie and reasonable how slow are we to offer it Maâ—umeâ—ans and Papists will rise up in judgment against us Mahomet and canonized men and women are more carefully and frequently worshiped then the true and living God and the ordinances of that great Impostor and of Antichrist are better observed then the commands of the Lord of heaven and earth (c) Alex. Rosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sect 6. pag. 171. Mahomet appointed his followers to pray five times a day and they do so the Papists have their seven canonical hours of prayer and these must be observed no business nor employment will hinder or divert them and this is the (d) Certum est horas canonicas non esse panciores quam septemâ— uar loc cit lib 4. cap. 6. unde Rainerius cum glossa interpretatur haec verba Psal 119.164 septies quotidie laudo te sic septies inquit in die i. e. septem vicibus seu septem horis canonicis incumbit religiosis laudare Deum Rain pantheel in voc orat cap. 7. least their canons will allow and yet though our Lord and Saviour command us to pray alwaies and without ceasing many will not pray at all and not a few but for the fashion And who are they that continue instant in prayer at all seasons and occasions and how shall we then be able to stand in
excellency of this notable piece of armour that it is not only a weapon for defence but a talent also wherewith we may trade for time and eternity its usefull in times of peace as well as war and therefore it shall continue and abide even then when according to that sweet promise concerning the dayes of the Gospel Isa 24. men shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into prunning-hooks and shall learn war no more What is said of godliness in the general 1 Tim. 4.8 may well be applied to prayer in particular it is profitable unto all things and in all times in every trade and condition of life in every business and occurence it may be improven to advantage the praying soul as he only so alwayes is happy and successfull he cannot miscarry nor be disappointed when his faith and expectation is regulated by the promise the least jot whereof shall not be un fulfilled to him the Lord will hear him when he crieth and satisfie his desire Psa 145.18 19. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and we know that we have the petitions we desired of him if we ask it shall be given if we seek we shall find if we knock it shall be opened and we shall receive liberally not some few things but all things whatsoever we shall ask in Christs Name 1 Joh. 5.14 15. Mat. 7.7 Mat. 21.22 Mark 11.24 Luk. 11.9 10. Jam. 1.5 Ioh. 14.13 14. Ioh. 16.23 24. c. We will not now stay to enumerat the several promises made to prayer these being so many and obvious nor to vindicat the Lords fidelity from atheistical cavils or to hold forth some grounds for supporting our faith in waiting upon the Lord for the accomplishment of his promises having at so great a length insisted to these particulars Part 2. Ch. 2. Sect. 2. Let us now only view some few Scriptures and ponder how pithily the Spirit of God there expresseth the efficacy power and prevalency of prayer Let me alone saith the Lord to praying Moses Exod. 32.10 Domine quis tenet te who holdeth thee O Lord saith Austin an honest supplicant holds as it were my hands and will not saith the Lord let me alone though I would compound with him and buy his peace yet he will not be put off but I must yield to him v. 10.14 And then let us consider what is recorded of praying Jacob Gen. 32.24 25 26.28 Hos 12.3 4. first that he had power with God yea and 2. that he had power (c) Vid Calvin supr citatum in loc over God and prevailed over the great (d) See Diodat on Hos 12. Angel of the Covenant 3. that though he said Let me go yet he would not let him go till he blessed him and 4. wherein his strength did lye viz. in his tears and supplications but let none through their folly and ignorance strain and abuse these words which do most significantly hold forth the power and success of prayer but not any weakness and imperfection in our holy and mercifull God Who did as Calvin speakeah hold up Jacob with his right hand and fight against him only with his left To these we shall add no moe but a word or two from Isa 45. where v. 11. the Saints are invited to to ask him of things concerning his sons which we may conceive to be spoken of spiritual mercies to every thirsting soul or of publick mercies to the Church and concerning the works of my hands or things that fall under a common and general providence viz. temporal and outward mercies (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praecipietis mihi Pagnin Jubete mihi Mercer in rad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 command ye me saith the Lord who commands all the host of heaven and earth v. 12. If these words had dropt from the pen of a man we might justly have abominated them as blasphemous but the Lord himself having thus stoop'd so low to strengthen our faith let us admire this wonderfull condescension and improve it to the right end for supporting our confidence when we draw nigh to God What shall worm Jacob have power with God and pot-sheards on earth strive and wrestle with their Maker yea and may they in the combate prevail and carry the day Yea saith the Lord this honour and priviledge have all the Saints all mourning Jacobs shall become prevailing and victorious Israels What may the base beggar and wretched rebel come to court and have access to the King Yea saith the Lord the beggar may come in his rags and lay out all his sores and if the rebel hath submitted and gotten a pardon he may present his supplication to me and all my subjects and servants of whatsoever rank or condition may not only come and ask what they will but they may command me surely the Lord doth not complement with his poor creatures when he saith they may command him There is here the reality of the thing but in a way that is suitable to the glorious majesty of the great and infinite Lord in that the Saints have more power and moyen with God then the greatest Courtiers and Favourits of an earthly King have with him and in that they shall as certainly prevail as if they could command O! when will we be sensible enough of this astonishing condescension and love that the high and lofty one will regard us and take notice of our requests and then stoop so low to express his tender bowels and to encourage us while we draw nigh to him as in our own dialect to speak to us and to hold out himself as one with whom and over whom we had power yea and shall I say what he himself hath said whom we may command and shall we be so base and ingrate as to doubt any more O! let us rebuke our ignorance and unbelief and from henceforth with confidence and in (f) Heb. 10.22 full assurance of faith draw nigh to him knowing that though the fig-tree do not blossom nor fruit be in the vines though the labour of the Olive fail and the fields yield no meat though the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls yet all honest supplicants may rejoyce in the God of their salvation who will not suffer the promise to fail nor disappoint those that wait upon him the return of prayer is more certain and infallible then the seasons of the year though these long ago were established by an un-alterable covenant Gen. 8.22 yet the Lord hath reserved a liberty not to follow alwayes there the same course and by such variations of providence to punish when it seemeth good to him the delinquencies of men but this word of promise concerning the success of prayer is so absolute and peremptory that it admits of no exception and the return of prayer being grounded
at or about that very time when thou art most instant and earnest in prayer for it as Peter was sent from prison to the Church while they were assembled to pray for him Act. 12.12 2. if in the most fit and acceptable time as first when thou hast most need and thy extremity is great as Peters delivery in that night which Herod had decreed should be his last Secondly to encourage thee against some new trial and conflict Thirdly when thy heart is most weaned from such a temporal mercy and thus thy heart is fitted to receive and improve it which otherwise might have proven a wofull snare and might have become thine Idol if it had been given before the inordinacy of thy affection was cured as the Lord doth not with-hold such mercies from his servants out of want of love So neither so much for what is (i) Former sint if bewailed and pardoned do not hinder the success of prayer past as for the present evil disposition of their hearts and to keep them from hurt thereby 3. If we see the Lord observe as it were some proportion in his dealing with our prayers and walk as there is often a proportion between sin and the punishment of it So between our work and reward and thus when thy desires were spiritual and thy prayers fervent thy success in business was proportionable but now thou art grown faint in prayer and negligent in thy walk and all thy hopes are as it were dasht and now while (l) Exod. 17.11 Meses his hands fall down Amaleck prevaileth if as the more pure and spiritual thy ends in praying were the mercy proveth the more pure and stable and the less zeal and fervency thou expressed in prayer and the more self-interest did prevail the more of bitterness and worm-wood is mingled with the mercy when granted c. and how should the consideration hereof that the Lord will notwithstanding our failings yet regard and in some manner answer our prayers and discover his hand that he takes notice of our way and walk how should this 1. humble us for our manifold failings and not regarding the Lords hand 2. stir us up to thankfulness for thus warning and waiting upon us and filling our hands with so many mercies 3. provoke us to diligence and circumspection zeal and sincerity in every part of his worship and in our whole course and conversation 4. We may discern whether our mercies be given in answer to our prayers by their (m) Ibid. cha 8. effects upon the heart as 1. if they prove not fewel to feed thy lusts but do rather kindle thy zeal for and love to God if they draw thy heart nearer to him and make thee rejoyce more in his favour discovered by the giving of such or such a mercy then in the thing it self and to prize it as a greater mercy that thy prayer hath been heard then that such an outward thing hath been given 2. If the receiving of mercies enlargeth thy heart with thankfulness self-love makes us more forward to pray then to give thanks but thankfulness of all duties proceeds most from pure grace if then the Spirit of grace doth stir thee up to praise God for his mercies he hath helped thee to pray and to obtain such a mercy by thy prayer it must then be a good sign that a mercy hath been won by prayer when it is worn with thankfulness 3. If the receiving of mercies make thee carefull 1. to pay thy vows made in prayer and 2. to improve what thou hast received to the honour of the Giver it is an evidence that such mercies have come from God otherwise they would not thus lead in to him 4. If thou look over second causes by faith acknowledging his sole hand who governeth and ordereth second causes according to his pleasure it is an evidence of thy dependence on him and that thou hast prayed in faith and so must have prevailed 5. If the mercy obtained encourage thee to continue in prayer and in all other cases to run to God making thee say with him therefore will I call upon God so long as I live Psa 116. 1 2. if it quicken thy diligence and strengthen thy faith in prayer it s a token the Lord hath spoken and thou hast heard his answer 6. If with the mercy there come some evidence of love if the Lord smile upon thee and lift up the light of his countenance and intimat his favour there will be no place left for doubting since thou hast not only a love-token but a letter also with it to bear witness of his love And 7. the event will bring with it an additional confirmation that such a mercy hath been obtained and sanctified by prayer if it prove a real and stable mercy if the trouble vexation and snare that otherwise might accompany it be removed it may be an evidence that it is a blessing indeed Prov. 10.22 Now for the right (n) A Caution improvement of these directions I deny not that these and the like particulars deserve our serious consideration and when they occur may be helpfull for discovering the Lords mind in his dispensations towards us but we would distinguish and put a difference between those necessary qualifications of prayer which are required on our part and which belong to the performance it self and so are indispensably required at our hands and between those gracious dispensations which the Lord according to his meer good pleasure may impart or with-hold As to the 1. we would carefully observe those directions that concern our duty for if we be negligent in prayer and in those other duties that relate thereto or if we be loose in our walk we may fear the rod but cannot expect a gracious return to our formal prayers But 2. as to those signs that depend upon the good pleasure of the Lord to bestow or not we would beware of curiosity in requiring expecting or looking to much after them and of rashness and presumption in laying too much weight upon them if they shou d occur Therefore the safest and surest course must be not to lean too much to sensible demonstrations of providence but rather to reflect on Gods Word both on the word of promise and precept and according to that rule to judge of our prayers and their success and thus though we can espy no ground of hope and encouragment from any dispensation of providence yet if we find our prayers run parallel with the promise and the qualifications and conditions thereto annexed and that we have prayed according to the will of God both as to the matter and manner of performance we need not doubt of their success whether we have gotten the particular we askt or not But here it may be enquired whether those mercies which the Saints receive when they are on the declining hand and are negligent in their walk and cold and formal in their prayers be given in
fore-tell the inevitable destruction of those wretches but also represent it in a prayer to God for the greater terror and conviction of those who should read their own names in that dreadfull imprecation But such as will not now cry to the (g) Deut 32.15 2 Sam. 22.47 c. rock of salvation and (h) Is 55.6 seek his face while he may be found shall ere it be long cry to the mountains and rocks to destroy them fall on them and hide them from his face Rev. 6.16 Now he lovingly inviteth you to draw nigh to him and offers you the help of his Spirit and ye will not come but nill ye will ye in that day of his wrath when ye shall not be (i) Rev. 6. â—7 able to stand before him ye shall be brought before his Tribunal to be judged 2 Cor. 5.10 such as in their life derided holiness and said it was in vain to call upon God will then say in vain with the foolish Virgins Mat. 25.11 Lord Lord open to us O! if thou wouldst know in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace before they be hid from thine eyes Luk. 19.42 Sect. 2. Objections answered and this Queree considered whether prayer may be said to move him with * Jam. 1.17 whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning Dan. 9.2 3. I Daniel understood the number of the years that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem and I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications c. Jon. 3.8 9 10. Let man and beast be covered with sackcloath and cry mightily unto God And God saw their works and repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not THere be scarce any material question and case handled in this Treatise from whence we could not gather some one or moe objections which might be here propounded as Obj. 1 1. Obj. I cannot pray I know not what to ask as I ought Ans See where our strength lyeth Ans and from whence help may be brought Part 1. chap. 9. Obj. 2 2 Obj. But I am dull and indisposed and am not in a fit condition and frame of spirit to speak with God Ans Ans How thou mayest maintain and recover a praying disposition see Part 3. chap. 2. Obj. 3 3 Obj. O! but the mercies I stand in need of are great and second causes are far off and I see litle probability of success Ans See supports for strengthening thy faith Ans Part 2. chap. 2. sect 2. and Part 1. from Christs intercession ch â— sect 1. and from Christs death chap. 8. Obj. 4 4 Obj. Ah! but I fear lest I be an enemy and the Lord prove a consuming fire if I should draw nigh to him and were it not better to stay away then to cast my self in the fire Ans Whatever be thy fear yet thou must draw nigh to him or perish if thou wilt come in sincerity Ans there is hope but otherwise he will come against thee to tear thee in peeces See thy duty vindicated obstructions removed and encouragements held forth Part. 1. chap 5. sect 3. Obj. 5 5 Obj. O! but I fear lest the day of grace and the acceptable time be past and that it were in vain for me now to seek the Lord. Ans Ye have this case discussed and this plea removed here Ans chap. 2. sect 2. Obj. 6 6 Obj. But I cannot call God Father nor follow that copy Christ hath set down and according to which every supplicant must frame his prayers Mat. 6.9 Luk. 11.2 Ans Either thou art a child of light walking in darkness Ans and thy case is propounded Part 3. chap. 1. sect 1. page 560. or thou art yet in the bond of iniquity but wouldst fain shake off those grievous fetters and then I have spoken to thy case Part 1. chap. 5. sect 3. And now let me only tell thee though God be not yet thy Father reapse à parte rei thou not being as yet begotten born and regenerated by his Spirit yet he is thy Father voto ac desiderio fortassè etiam decreto ac aeterna electione as to the longing and desire of thy heart and perhaps as to his secret purpose and decree otherwise if thou dost not so much as desire to have such a Father and to stand under the sweet relation of an obedient son thou hast no (a) Act. 8.21 part nor lot in this mater what hast thou to do to take his Covenant in thy mouth or to lay hold on any federal relation to him Ps 50.16 But if thou wish and desire if that be the one thing thou wouldst ask if thou wert put in Solomons case 1 King 2.5 whâ—t mayest thou not thus call him thy Father thou hast a sâ—rt of claim by this thy desire unto that high relation which the Lord will never challenge nor upbraid thee for laying hold on it unless thou forfeit that plea by (b) 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. returning with the dog to thy vomit for sincere wâ—shes and (c) Mat. 5 6. desires pass as current money in the Kingdom of Heaven But not to insist on particulars which might here be multiplyed if that labour had not been prevented by handling them in their proper places neither could they have been there omitted without much confusion and deficiency and many needless repetitions here There is one objection which like (d) 1 Sam. 10.23 7 Obj. Saul among the people is by head and shoulders higher then all the rest and it is this many have what their (e) Job 21.7.14 15. Ps 73.7 qfq Ps 44 22. qgq 1 Cor. 4.13 hearts can desire and more who yet make no conscience to call upon God but cast off fear and restrain prayer before him and on the other hand the Saints for the most part are f killed all the day long and are counted as sheep for the slaughter and are g made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things they ask but receive not they seek but find not they knock but it is not opened unto them what then doth prayer avail and what truth is there in the many promises that are made to it Ans This is that mountain which blind Atheists cannot look over Ans this is the stumbling block on which they fall and cannot rise again and which often hath proven a sore temptation tryal and exercise to the Saints therefore we spak to it at so great length here chap. 1. where we shew 1. that prayer could not want an answer 2. that no good thing was with-held from honest supplicants and 3. that no good thing was enjoyed but by prayer and that the mercies of prayerless souls were cursed and all the crosses of the godly were blessed c. We come now to the objections that
nor purpose to give nor his love and fatherly affection toward us can hinder the Lord from saying to us in reference to all our mercies what he said to his ancient people Ezek. 36.37 concerning the mercies there promised I will yet for this be enquired of by my people to do it for them It is true the Lord often (c) We heard the Jesuit Tolet confessing that the prime and principal mercies both in nature and grace are previous to our asking part 1. chap. 8. pag. 317. with whom Salmeron joyneth tom 5. in evang tract 45. in haec verba scit enim pater vester quid opus sit vobis antequam petatis prevents us with his mercies Isa 65.24 but not to take us off but the more to engage and encourage us to pray and praise him As to the place Joh. 16.26 27. Christ doth not there deny that he will pray for them that being contrary both to his promise and practice but he would there lead his disciples in to the fountain and principal cause of all their mercies viz. the eternal love and free grace of God which did put a difference between them and others from which fountain through his blood all our mercies do stow so that not only our weak and imperfect prayers but also his most effectual and powerfull intercession is but a mean for obtaining and conveighing to us those mercies which our gracious Father of his meer good pleasure and love in Christ Jesus hath appointed and prepared for us from all eternity as we have shown at length and vindicated this place Part 1. Chap. 5. Sect. 1. Pag. 68. Christs scope there is not to exclude his intercession but to prefer the Fathers love and his death and to prevent that mistake that is incident to mourning sinners ah think they Christ is mercifull and tender-hearted toward sinners else he would not have shed his precious blood for them but we are afraid lest God prove a consuming fire to us and pursue us with his justice O but saith our blessed Lord I would not have you even after your eyes are opened to see my love in laying down my life for you and going to heaven to prepare a place and to intercede for you so to look on my death and intercession and my kindness toward you thus sealed and manifested by such convincing demonstrations as to exclude the father and to imagine that he hated you and were unwilling to do you good for saith he the father himself loveth you And though I did not intercede for you yet having elected you to obtain salvation through my blood he would show mercy on you no less then on your forefathers who had not the benefit of my intercession the love of the Father is the first fountain of all our mercies for though we were elected in Christ yet the free love of God who is Father Son and holy Ghost in order did preceed every thing that can fall under the notion and consideration of a mean hence it s said that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. Joh 3.16 1 Joh. 4.9 10. And now we may (d) It s observable that all the objections here may be as we have shown made use of as so many arguments and motives to encourage us in going about this duty where can we then look and not see some one or other motive and encouragment since all that can be alledged by devils or men against this work may serve as a mean to stir us up to the diligent performance of it retort this and the preceeding objection which are so far from holding forth a discharge from and discouragment to pray that in both we have a notable encouragment and engagement to this duty ah what can more sweetly and strongly draw a poor indigent sinner to the rich treasure then the cords of the free promises and where is there such a cordial for a fainting soul that dare not look up to the throne of grace as the consideration of Gods mercy and fatherly love toward us in Christ and what madness must it then be to make these become a heavy burden and so many weights to press us down while we would lift up our hearts to the Lord and to make those healing medicines become deadly poyson to us Ah! had not the Lord prevented us with his free love and gracious promises in Christ what warrant had we more nor devils to draw nigh to God but now having such a loving Father such gracious Promises and so great a Mediator and Advocat we may come with boldness unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Eph. 3.11 12. Eph. 1.13 Act. 26.6 7. 1 Joh. 3.1 and 4.10.2 2 Cor. 7.1 Heb. 4.16 c. As to the question whether we intended by our prayers to move God its commonly answered and but briefly and in a word that prayer works a change in us but not in God who of himself is willing to give if we were ready to receive he (e) Isa 30.18 waits only that he may be gracious and (f) 1 Chron. 4.10 bless us indeed and prayer enlargeth the heart and those pleas and arguments we use in prayer do serve to strengthen our faith and to beget such a holy humble and confident frame of spirit as the promise of audience doth require and which will be ready to receive mercie aright and to improve them to the honour of the Giver and thus prayer is that rope whereby as the Jesuit g Salmeron from the supposed Dionysius saith we pull our vessel to the rock (q) We do the rather take notice of this allusion as being owned by a Jesuit who otherwise teacheth according to the principles of of the pelagian School that God will concursus scil in actu primo seu voluntas qua Deus statuit cum causis secundis concurrere c is determinable by the will of the creature to this or that act Est ergo inquit oratio que madmodum magnus ait Dionysius de div nominib cap. 3. veluti catena aurea è caelo demissa per quam qui ascendunt videntur quidem cattnam ad se trahere sed revera ipsi potius ab ea trahuntur in caelum dum precamur Deum ' non ipse sit aptior paratior ad nos audiendos sed nos capiendis illius beneficiis preparatiores Salm. in evang tom 5 tract 45. prope finem vid etiam Toletum in Joan. cap. 16.26 27. but not the rock to us But albeit upon the matter this be a truth yet not a satisfactory answer to the question for clearing of which we would offer these few considerations 1. it cannot be denyed that as the exercise of every grace is a mean for the growth and strengthening of it and quickning the heart for for a communion with God So in a speciall manner that spiritual and
belong to this place and we shall only name these few Obj. and 1. some may object and say the Lord knoweth what we stand in need of Mat. 6.32 wherefore should we then labour to make our requests (h) Phil. 4.6 known to him by prayer Ans Ans We do not pray to God that we might inform him of our wants but that we may obtain a supply of our wants though a father know what his son standeth in need of yet he will have him to ask that thereby he may testifie his subjection to reverence of and dependance on his father You will say but why then doth the Apostle exhort us to make our requests known to God Ans 1. with (i) Zanch in Phiâ— 4.6 Cajet ibid. Zanchius and Cajetan that the Apostle speaks not there of simple knowledge but of such a knowledge as importeth an approbation and thus Christ in the day of judgment will say to hypocrits depart from me I know ye not And then the sense will be let your requests be such as that they may be accepted and approven of God ask only such things as are lawfull and honest 2. It s (k) Apud Zanch. ibid. answered that the Apostle there condemneth pharisaâ—cal boasting as if he had said let it suffice that your requests are known to God when ye pray do not like the Pharisees sound a trumpet Mat. 6.5 6. But as to the present difficulty we would rather answer 3. that the Apostle by (l) Per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making known doth not hold forth any kind of information but a simple representation and intimation of our requests to the all seeing eye of God from whom nothing can be hid and thus to make known to God importeth only a communication and laying out of our desires before the Lord And the reason of that expression may be 1. because such a communication and representation among men doth often bring along with it some light and information 2. because on our part there is a readiness and willingness that God should know and search our hearts but that the Lords omniscience is no discharge nor discouragement to pray but on the contrary a notable engagement and motive thereto may appear from that conclusion which our blessed Lord immediatly subjoyneth Mat. 6.33 and whom shall we think to reason best and whether shall we hearken to his inference or to that which is held forth in the objection after he had told that our father knows our wants and need he exhorteth us to (m) Quaerite ore opâ—re preeibus laboribus seek and shows after what order and manner we should seek the consideration of Gods infinit knowledge should strongly draw us in to him ah who would not come to him who knoweth who we are what is our condition and what would do us good and who will hear us whensoever we call upon him but what a comfortless work must it be for poor Pagans to run to their idols who have eyes but see not and ears but hear not Ps 115.5 6 8. But again Obj. 9. you will say the Lord hath from all eternity appointed and determined what shall come to pass in time what he will do unto or bestow upon the children of men and his purposes and decrees are unalterable and therefore prayer must be to no purpose it can neither be better nor worse with us whether we pray or not for Gods purpose what ever it be must stand Job 23.13 Ps 33.11 Prov. 19.21 Isa 46.10 Heb. 6.17 c. The great moralist Seneca propounds the same objection in the name of those who pleaded for blind fortune and an inevitable necessity in all sublunary events thus (n) Aut futurum est quod prâ—caris aut non si futurum est etiamsi non susce peris vota fiet Si non est futurum etiamsi susceperis vota non fiet Huâ—c dilemmati respondit Seneca mediam inter ista exceptionem praeteriri futurum iuquit hoc est sed si vota suscepta fuerint c. what ye would pray for is either to come to pass or not if it be future whether ye pray or not it must be and if it be not decreed and to come thy prayers will not mâ—ke it to be To which dilemma he answereth that the third member which is true is left out viz. that it is to câ—me to pass if thou pray and so not to come to pass if thou pray not and thus saith (o) Ita non est hoc contra fatum sed ipsum quoque in fato est he our prayers fall as well under fate and destiny as other events Which answer being purged from the Pagan dialect will serve our turn we must not separat the from the means as if the one did not as well as the other fall under the counsell and decree of God and as if his purpose were not as infallible concerning the means as concerning the end concerning thy praying as his giving what thou desirest And this objection hath no other ground but these two most gross errors viz. 1. that the Lord in his eternal counsel hath decreed the end but not the means 2. that the Lord hath not appointed and fixed a connexion between the means and the end We will not so far digress as to show the absurdity of both those principles but these being rejected as unworthy to be owned by any who professeth himself a Christian yea or to know the first principles of reason the decrees of God are so far from discharging us of our duty that they may be a notable encouragment thereto and particularly as to prayer Thus Daniel knowing not only that the Lord had determined the time of Israels captivity but also what that time was takes encouragment from thence to pray for the decreed mercy Dan. 9.2 3 16. c. And though we had no particular revelation as to the event yet when we consider the wisdom and unchangeableness of Gods counsell we may very confidently go to the throne of grace expecting that he who hath appointed nothing in vain having put a word in our mouth will also fill our hands and his decree being immutable and he having appointed prayer to be a mean for obtaining what we stand in need of and promised success thereto we need not fear lest he cause us (p) Isa 45.19 seek his face in vain Why then should we vex our selves with unwarrantable and needless questions concerning Gods decrees or ask whether he hath decreed to give or with-hold such a mercy Thou art beyond thy sphere and wilt find no place to rest so long as thou wanders in this wilderness the decrees of God are a depth thou canst not fathom secret things belong unto the Lord our God but he hath revealed to us our duty that we may do all the words of his law Deut. 29.29 Let us not then be anxious concerning events the Lord knoweth