Gods Three Arrows, Section 44 – Section 46
§. 44. Of continuing to pray.
II. *See § 42.BY continuance in faithfull prayer divine ſuccour is continued. Thus much an Angell from heaven teſtifieth, when he ſaith to Daniel, aDan. 10. 12.From the firſt day that thou didſt ſet thy ſelfe to humble thy ſelfe before thy God, thy words were heard. This, as it is true in regard of long holding out, and continuing prayer at one time by reaſon of the need of preſent and continued ſuccour from God, ſo alſo is it true in regard of frequent and conſtant returning unto prayer time after time. bExo. 30. 7, 8.The morning and evening incenſe which was conſtantly to be offered every day unto the Lord, prefigured as much. c2 Cor. 12. 8, 9Paul being long buffeted by Satan, prayed thrice, that is, oft, and all the while found ſufficient aſſiſtance. dActs 12. 5.Prayer being made of the Church for Peter, he found aſſiſtance all the while he was in priſon, and deliverance out of priſon. eLuke 22. 42, 43, 44.Christ continued to pray all the while he was in his agony, and returned to prayer againe and againe, and found ſufficient ſupportance, fHeb. 5. 7.He was heard in that he feared.
The delight which God taketh in faithfull prayer, the deſire which he hath to give evidence of his fatherly acceptance of his childrens conformity to that order which he hath preſcribed, his faithfulneſſe in performing to the uttermoſt his promiſes for hearing prayer, together with other motives ariſing from his owne goodneſſe, are the cauſes of his ordering and diſpoſing his bleſſings according to his Saints prayers.
As *§. 27.before we were taught by prayer to ſeeke ſuccour of God, ſo here we are further directed for continuance of ſuccour to continue in prayer. gThe whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6, 18. Treat. 3. Part. 2 §. 98.Of long continuance in prayer at one time: hIbid. §. 118, 120.Of praying every day, and keeping our ſet times for prayer: Of iIbid §. 137, &c.all perſeverance in prayer, I have ſpoken elſewhere. It ſhalbe ſufficient here to propound ſome caſes whereunto ſuch continuance, as is here in my text implied, may be applied.
1. If any be in ſight of an army as Moſes here was, they muſt do as Moſes here did.Caſes wherein prayer is to be continued.
2. If an army of land-ſouldiers, or a fleet of ſea-ſouldiers be ſent forth, prayer more then ordinary muſt be daily continued for them, till we heare of the iſſue.
3. If a Parliament, or any other ſolemne aſſembly do meet about weighty matters, while that aſſembly continueth, prayer for it muſt be continued.
4. If King, or other Magiſtrate of good note and name, of good uſe and proofe: if a faithfull and powerfull Miniſter; if parent, husband, wife, maſter, or any to whom we are by any ſpeciall relation bound, be in any danger by ſickneſſe or otherwiſe, prayer is to be continued for them, till we ſee ſome iſſue.
5. If any by reaſon of the ſtone, gangrene, cancer, ſiſtula, or any other torturing and dangerous diſeaſe be under the Chyrurgians hand to be cut, or to have any member cut off, prayer for Gods aſſiſtance and bleſſing is to be continued.
6. If children be put forth to be trained up to any calling, or if we be about any mariage for them, for continuance of gods bleſſing, continuall prayer muſt be made.
So in ſundry other caſes like unto theſe.
Intermitting, or ceaſing prayer before it is meet, doth oft prove *See The whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 18. Treat. 3. Part. 2. §. 116.very prejudiciall. It was ſuch an occaſion that made Eliſha the Prophet angry with Ioaſh King of Iſrael for ſmiting but thrice with his arrowes on the ground. kMoyſes vincere adverſarium non potuit; niſi poſtquam ſtabilis in ſigno allevatis jugiter manibus perſeveravit. Cypr de Exhort. Martyr. cap 8.Thou ſhouldeſt (ſaid he) have ſmitten five or ſix times: then hadſt thou ſmitten Syria till thou hadſt conſumed it. 2 King. 13. 19. Here in this place we ſee that Moiſes could not overcome the enemy, till with ſtedfaſtneſſe he perſevered holding up his hands with the rod of God in them.
§. 45. Of fainting in prayer.
III. *See § 42.SAints are prone to faint in their fervency of prayer. Theſe phraſes (aPſal 69 3. I am weary of my crying: mine eyes faile while I wait for my God. b—73. 26.My fleſh and my heart faileth. c—77. 3.I complained, and my ſpirit was overwhelmed. d—42. 6, 11.O my God, my ſoule is caſt downe within me. Why art thou caſt downe, O my ſoule? why art thou diſquieted in me?) Theſe and many other ſuch like phraſes uſed by Saints, give too great evidence of their proneneſſe to faint. eMat. 14. 30.Peters ſinking when hee walked upon the waters. f—8. 25, 26.The Diſciples feare when a ſtorme aroſe. g—26. 40, 41.Their drowſineſſe when Chriſt tooke them with him in the garden to pray, do all manifeſt their proneſſe to faint, to waxe heavy, and dull.
Chriſt in that place gives this reaſon hereof, hSee The whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 18. Treat. 3. Part. 5 § 134.The ſpirit indeed is willing, but the fleſh is weake.
As this, it being a fruit of the fleſh, an evidence of the corruption of our nature, miniſtreth much matter of humiliation, ſo, it being no other kind of corruption but that which the beſt Saints are ſubject unto, it affords matter alſo of conſolation: ſo as we need not be over-much dejected at our proneſſe thereto, ſeeing it is that condition that none (while they remaine in the fleſh) are exempted from. And this is one uſe that we may make of ſuch weakneſſes as are noted to be in ſuch as the Holy Ghoſt regiſtreth in the Kalender of true Saints.
Yet are we not hereupon to ſooth our ſelves too much in our weakneſſes: but rather this proneſſe to faint ſhould make us with our uttermoſt power iHeb. 12. 12.to lift up the hands which hang downe, and the feeble knees: to rouze up our ſoules, and to quicken our ſpirits when we go to prayer. Directions hereunto have been given kThe Whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 18. Treat. 3. Part 5. §. 136. Periculum eſt ſi ſit oralio tepida, & non ex vivâ affectione procedens. In aſcenſu langueſcit, & deficit eo quod non habet vigorem. Bern in Quadrageſſ, Serm 4elſwhere. There is danger if prayer be cold. It fainteth and faileth in the aſcent thereof, becauſe it hath no vigour.
§. 46. Of the prejudice of failing in prayer.
IIII. *Interdum graviter impeditur oratio á puſittanimitate ſpiritus. Bern Ioc, citat.INtermiſſion of faithfull and servent prayer oft proves very prejudiciall. Here it was an occaſion of the enemies prevailing againſt his Church. It endangered Peters life, (Mat. 14. 30.) for it was the cauſe of his ſinking in the water. In this kind of fainting may be reckoned b1 Sam. 10. 8.—13 8, &c.Sauls preventing the time that Samuel had appointed to come to him: which coſt him his kingdome: and that weariſomneſſe which is taxed in the Iewes that ſaid, cAm. 8. 5.when will the New-Moones and Sabbaths be gone? and ſaid of the ſervices which they performed to the Lord, dMal. 1. 13.Behold what a wearineſſe it is. Of a faint ſpirit which eIam. 1. 627.the Apoſtle oppoſeth to faith, he ſaith, Let not that man thinke that he ſhall receive any thing of the Lord.
1. To intermit faithfull prayer while the occaſion remaineth, is to intermit the means whereby the bleſſing deſired is to be obtained. It is as if (before the battell be ended) ſouldiers ſhould ceaſe to fight, or runners in a race fall downe and lie ſtill, before they be come to the goale.
2. By ſuch fainting and intermitting prayer, as the weakneſſe of fleſh in man is manifeſted, ſo the power, truth, wiſdome, goodneſſe, and other divine properties are impeached. How then can it be thought but that much prejudice muſt needs come to ſuch men thereby.
The reaſon why mens prayers do in the iſſue prove fruitleſſe, Information in the cauſe of fruitleſſe prayers.may hence be gathered. They faint, they faile, they intermit, they give over praying before that for which they pray be accompliſhed. When any judgement publique or private is beginning, or is feared, as plague, famine, ſword, reſtraint of liberty, or the like, hearty, earneſt, extraordinary prayer is oft made, yea and faſting added thereto: but if God ſeeme to tarry long before he remove that judgement, men think it in vaine ſtill to wait, (as he who ſaid, f2 King. 6. 33.What ſhould I wait for the Lord any longer?) and ſo looſe the fruit of their former prayers, by not following them, and continuing to hold out till the time appointed of the Lord. The like may be ſaid of prayer for obtaining ſpeciall bleſſings, given over.
How fitly now may that generall encouragement of the Apoſtle, (gGal. 6. 9. See The whole Armour of God, on Eph 6. 13. Treat. 1. Part 4 § 12. let us not be weary of well doing) yea and the reaſon thereof (for in due time we ſhall reape if we faint not) be applied to prayer. There is nothing whereunto continuance and perſeverance is more requiſite then prayer. Of the benefit of perſeverance in prayer we ſpake h§ 44. Neceſſitatibus implicatus or a fortiter & dic Deo quod habes in Pſalmo, In neceſſitatibus meis erue me. Aug. Bonifac. Epiſt. 70.before. Here we ſee the prejudice of the contrary. If therefore deſire of good, or feare of evill be motives of force, there are motives of force to provoke us to all perſeverance, and in holding out to be fervent. Therefore when thou art in ſtraits be ardent, and inſtant in prayer, and ſay to God as thou art taught, (Pſal. 25. 17.) O bring thou me out of my distreſſes.