Gods Three Arrows, Section 22 – Section 24
§. 22. Of the geſtures of prayer.
EXOD. XVII. IX.
To morrow I will ſtand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
*Vide §. 1. & 9.THe Internall meanes, as promiſed on Moſes part to be uſed by him, are here ſet downe. Wherein 1. the action undertaken by him is thus expreſſed, I will ſtand. This geſture of the body is put for an action of the minde Metonymia adjuncti. Signum prore ſignificatâ.ſignified thereby, which is prayer. For ſtanding was of old an uſuall geſture of prayer. It never was the onelyonly geſture. For the Scripture expreſſeth many other: whereof ſome were geſtures of the whole body; others of particular members thereof.
There are three eſpeciall geſtures of the whole body. 1. Standing. 2. Bowing. 3. Proſtrating, or lying all Geſtures of prayer.along.
1. Of Standing, more anon.
2. *§. 23. 1. Bowing.Bowing was uſed as an action of much reverence: and that for the moſt part, when they teſtified their thankfull acceptance of ſome ſpeciall favour. Read for this Exo. 4. 31. & 12. 27. 2 Chro. 29. 29, 30. Neh. 8. 6.
3. Proſtrating, or lying all along teſtified much humiliation, and dejection of the ſoule. Read for this, Ioſ. 7. 6. 2. Proſtrating.2 Sam. 12. 16. Ezra. 10. 1. Mat. 26. 39.
The geſtures of the particular parts of the body are many more: as,
1. Lifting up eyes. This giveth evidence of our expectation of helpe from above: and of our faith fixed on him 3. Lifting up eyes.who is in heaven. For the eye in prayer when it is lift up uſeth to ſtand fixed: in which reſpect Christ is ſaid to lift up his eyes, and to looke to heaven, (Ioh. 11. 41. Mat. 14. 19.) Prona que cum ſpectent anima lia caetera terrā, Os homini ſublime dedit, coelum que videre Iuſſit, Sec. Ovid Metamorph. l. 1 See the Saints Sacrifice on Pſal. 116. §. 25. 4. Lifting up hands.and David expreſſing prayer by this phraſe, addeth the reaſon thereof, thus, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence commeth my helpe, &c. (Psal. 121. 1, 2. & 113. 1, 2.) Herein lieth an apparent difference betwixt man and other creatures. For where other creatures looke downeward, mans countenance is made more erect. And where other creatures have but foure muſtles in their eye, man hath a fift to lift the eye upward.
2. Lifting up hands, or ſpreading them abroad. Hereby we manifeſt that we can find no ſuccour in our ſelves: but are ready to receive it from him on whom we call, and to whom we ſtretch our hands. Thus Salomon in his ſolemne prayer, ſpread forth his hands towards heaven, and under this phraſe ſetteth out the prayer of others. (1 King. 8. 22, 38, 54.) So doth David, (Pſal. 141. 2.) and Ieremiah, (Lam. 3. 41.)
3. Casting downe eyes. This teſtifieth an holy ſhame, and 5. Caſting downe eyes.confuſion of face by reaſon of a mans unworthineſſe, and unfitneſſe to appeare in Gods ſight. Take inſtance hereof in the penitent publicane, (Luk. 18. 13.) and in devout Ezra, Ezr. 9. 6.
4. Knocking the breast. Contrition of heart, and compunction 6. Smiting breaſt.of ſpirit, godly ſorrow and griefe is hereby manifeſted. In ſuch reſpects the fore-named Publican is ſaid to ſmite his breaſt, Luk. 8. 13.
5. Renting clothes, pulling haire off the head and beard: 7 Renting garments, &c.theſe are geſtures which Ezra uſed, (Ezr. 9. 3, 5.) to which may be added the penitent womans teares, with which ſhe waſhed the feet of Chriſt, and her wiping them with the haire of her head, Luk. 7. 38. Deep apprehenſion of ſin, and much aggravation of griefe is by theſe and other like unuſuall geſtures declared.
6. Kneeling. This is the moſt uſuall and proper geſture for prayer. For examples, read 2 Chro. 6. 13. Ezra 9 5. 8. Kneeling.Dan. 6. 10. Luke 22. 41. Act. 7. 60. & 9. 40. & 20. 36. & 21. 5. 8. Kneeling. Deum genu poſito adoramus, & fixo in terram poplite magis quod ab eo petimus, impetramus. Legimus enim & Paulū in littore ſic oraſſe: & geniculationes in oratione praeceptas. Hier. Comment. lib. 2, in Eph. 3.The very act of prayer is implied under this geſture, Eph. 3. 14. Pſal. 95. 6. That homage which we owe to God, that reverend reſpect which we beare to him, that honour which we deſire to yeeld to him is hereby teſtified.
All theſe geſtures (as occaſions ſerve) well beſeeme thoſe that call upon God. But becauſe here mention is made only of ſtanding it ſhalbe ſufficient to have named the other.
§. 23. Of ſtanding in prayer.
EXOD. XVII. IX.
I will ſtand.
FRequent mention is made of ſtanding at prayer. For proofe whereof, among others, take notice of theſe 9. Standing. Stantes oramus quod eſt ſignum reſurrectionis. Aug. Ianuatio Epiſt. 119. Et de Serm. Dom. in monte … 2.Scriptures, Gen. 18. 22, 23. & 24. 13. 1 Sam. 1. 26. Neh. 9. 2, 4, 5. Mat. 6. 5. Luk. 18. 11, 13. Mar. 11. 25. Chriſtians in the Primitive Church on the Lords daies, and alſo on ſundry other Feſtivals did uſe to pray ſtanding.
In many reſpects doth this geſture well become the divine exerciſe of prayer.
1. It is a reverend manner of preſenting ones ſelfe to God.
2. It is an outward means of raiſing mens hearts and thoughts from earth to heaven. For in this kind of geſture is the head raiſed furtheſt from the earth, neareſt to heaven. It is not ſo in bowing, ſitting, kneeling, lying.
3. It is a teſtification of our acknowledgement of Gods Soveraignty, authority, and dignity. Therfore among men, inferiours ſtand before them under whoſe command they are, 1 King. 3. 16. & 10. 8. Dan. 7. 10.
4. It is a ſigne of ſtedfaſt faith in prayer. It is oft put for a geſture of ſteddineſſe: and oppoſed to leaning, wavering, reeling, 1 Cor. 16. 13. Eph. 6. 13, 14.
Hereby Moſes might then imply
1. That he would preſent himſelfe before the throne of God for them.
2. That he would elevate his heart, and lift up his deſires to heaven.
3. That he would do what he did with due reverence, and reſpect to Gods excellency and ſoveraignty.
Stabat Moyſes expectans fidem coelestium promiſſionum. Amb Comment in Pſal. 118. Ser. 19.4. That he would with the beſt ſtedfaſtneſſe of faith that he could pray for them, expecting the truth of divine promiſes.
Thus he ſheweth that on his part he would not be wanting to do what belonged to him, that they might be the more ſtirred up to do on their part what belonged to them, and that all might with the ſtronger confidence expect a good iſſue. Therefore this he profeſſeth to do before hand, thus, (as our Engliſh tranſlates it) I will ſtand. Or, (to turne it word for word) *foreign in Niphal Benoni. Me conſiſtente. Trem. & Iun.I ſtanding, which implieth a continuance in doing what he undertooke to do, together with an outward manifeſtation thereof. For by ſaying, I will ſtand, he meaneth as much as if he had ſaid, I will pray, and you ſhall ſee that I pray.
This geſture of ſtanding being proper to prayer, ſheweth what they may do who are ſo thronged as they cannot kneele. They may ſtand. So as it taketh away their pretext who in ſtrait pewes ſit at prayer, becauſe forſooth they cannot kneele. But I conceive that where a man can ſit, he may much better ſtand.
§. 24. Of the time and place of Moſes his prayer.
THe time which he limiteth for performing the forementioned duty is not much delayed, nor farre put off: but rather the firſt opportunity is taken. For this word,*foreign tomorrow, hath relation to Amaleks ſetting upon them, and implieth the next day: ſooner then which, an army could not have beene gathered together.
The place alſo is expreſſed. (On the top of the hill.) At the time that Amalek ſet upon them they were in a vallie, or in a plaine, and there Ioſhua went out againſt them. But Moſes Why Moſes went up to the top of an hill.goeth to the top of an hill neare to that vallie, and that for ſundry juſt and weighty reaſons: as,
1. That he might the better diſcern the battell, and know whether Iſrael or Amalek had the better, and anſwerably order his prayer.Quando flamus ad orationem, vigilare & incumbere ad preces toto corde debemus. Cypr. Ser. 6. de Orat, Dom. Vtiliter orationis tempore etiam corporalis loci ſecretum quaerimus. Bern de Aſcenſ. Dom. Serm. 4. Clamat cor noſtrum ſublimita te cogitationum. Amb. Cōment. in Pſal. 118. Ser. 19. verſ. 1.
2. That Ioſhua and his ſouldiers might behold Moſes lifting up his hands: and thereby be the more encouraged.
3. That he might be the more quiet and free from diſturbance and diſtraction, (which he could not have beene, if he had remained in the plaine among the people: or if he had been in the army.) For when we ſet our ſelves to prayer, we muſt ſet our ſelves therto with the whole heart Therefore in time of prayer we may uſefully ſeeke ſecrecy of place.
4. That by the open ſight of heaven, his ſpirit might be the more cheared, his thoughts more elevated, and ſo his prayer the more ſharpned, and his faith the more ſtrengthened. For by the ſublimity of our thoughts our heart is enlarged.
By all theſe we ſee that he choſe a very fit place for his purpoſe.