A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 156
§. 156. Of deprecation againſt euill.
Q. VVHat is to bee obſerued about the order of the fift Petition?
A. 1. That which it hath common with the ſixt?
2. That which is proper to it ſelfe.
Two things are common to them both.
1. The diſtinct kinde of them both is the ſame.
2. The generall matter
The diſtinct kinde wherein theſe two laſt Petitions differ from all the reſt, is Deprecation, that is, Prayer for the remouall of euill. In the fift Petition we pray to bee freed from the guilt and puniſhment of ſinne. In the ſixt, from the power and bondage of ſinne.
Q. What doe we hence learne?
A. Deprecation muſt be added to Petition. We muſt be carefull as well to pray againſt thoſe euils which doe, or may annoy vsus, as for thoſe good things which may, or doe helpe vsus,aforeign 1. Tim. 2. 1. This kinde is expreſſely mentioned among the other warrantable kindes of Prayer: and on all occaſions it hath been vſed by the Saints. Accordingly it may and muſt be vſed by vsus, and that in regard of Gods glory, and our owne good.
1. The glory of Gods pittie and power is much magnified hereby. Of his pittie, in that by going to him in all our miſeries we acknowledge him to be a God of compaſſion, moued with our miſeries: elſe could we hauehave no heart to goe to him. The ſeruants of the King of Syria perſwade their Lord, being ouerthrowne in battell to go with ſackcloth vponupon their loynes,1. King. 20. 31. and ropes vponupon their heads to the King of Iſrael, on this ground, We hauehave heard that the Kings of the houſe of Iſrael are mercifull Kings. Were we not perſwaded that he to whom we goe, is pittifull and mercifull, ſcarce ſhould we be moued to lay open our ſores before him. Well, markebNum. 14. 18, 19. the prayers of the Saints, and you ſhall finde the mercy, pitie and compaſſion of God much pleaded in them.Dan. 9. 9. The glorie of Gods power is alſo magnified by Deprecations,Pſal. 51. 1. in that he is acknowledged to bee for all turnes able to doe, and able to vndoe. Able to doe that good for vsus which he ſeeth to be needfull for vsus: and able to vndoe that knot of miſery wherewith thorow our owne folly we are bound, and to breake thoſe ſnares wherewith wee are entangled.
2. Our need requireth, that being in miſery we ſhould be deliuered out of it: or elſe all the good that can be beſtowed vponupon vsus, will bee but as a ſhew or ſhadow of goodneſſe: no ſweetneſſe thereof can be taſted: no benefit can bee reaped thereby. Abraham conceiuing it to bee a great miſery to be childleſſe,Gen 15, 1, 2. when God graciouſly promiſed him to be his ſhield, and exceeding great reward, he anſwered, What wilt thou giuegive me, ſeeing I goe childleſſe? This ſuppoſed euill tooke away the ſweetneſſe from that exceeding great reward which was proffered to him. The Iſraelites being in grieuous bondage, when Moſes came to them in the name of the Lord to comfort them,Exod. 6. 9. They hearkned not to him for anguiſh of ſpirit. All the delights which the heart of man can deſire are as nothing to him that is ſicke at heart, or tortured with tormenting diſeaſes, if he bee not freed from that ſickneſſe, and eaſed of that paine.
In what a deſperate caſe may we now thinke them to be, that, being in miſerie, either ſeeke no helpe at all: or, which is all one, ſeeke helpe of ſuch as can afford them no true helpe.
Of the former ſort are
1.Refuſers of helpe in miſery. Such as thorow a blockiſh ſtupiditie, like beaſts, lye vnderunder that euill which lyeth vponupon them: and ſeeme not to be moued therewith, as thoſe Iewes of whom the Prophet thus complaineth, O Lord thou haſt ſtricken them, Ier. 5. 3.but they hauehave not grieued, &c.
2. Such as through wilfull obſtinacie are ſo farre from praying to hauehave the euill that is on them remoued, as by continuing in ſin, they bring more and more euill vponupon them: like Ahaz, who therefore is thus branded,2. Chro. 28. 22. This is Ahaz.
3. Such as through a malitious impudencie, when they are pinched and preſſed with the euill that lyeth on them, blaſpheme the Name of God, as the prophanem2. King. 6. 33. King of Iſrael, andnRen. 16. 8, 9. they who were tormented at the pouring out of the fourth viall, did.
Of the latter ſort are,Seekers of helpe where no helpe is.
1. Such as truſt to meanes without God: aso2. Chro. 56. 12 Aſa, who ſought not to the Lord, but to the Phyſitians: and thepIſa. 31. 1. Iſraelites who went downe to Egypt for helpe, but ſought not the Lord.
2. Such as ſeeke helpe of ſuch things as hauehave no powre or vertue at all to helpe them in that for which helpe is ſought: as they, who, being troubled in conſcience and wounded in ſoule, ſeeke to eaſe themſelues by merrie company, muſicke, gaming, and the like. Soq1. Sam. 16. 17. Saul, when the euill ſpirit came vponupon him, muſt needs hauehave muſicke: and ther1. King. 18. 26, 28. Baalites when their requeſt was not granted, Leaped vponupon the Altar, and cut themſelues with kniues and lancers: and Papiſts to like purpoſes whip themſelues: yea alſo they ſeeke to driue the Diuell away with holy water, holy oile, crucifixes, croſſing themſelues, and other like fooliſh toyes.
3. Such as ſeeke helpe of him that will take all aduantages againſt them, and worke them the more miſchiefe for truſting to him, euen the Diuell himſelfe. All that go to Witches, Coniurers, Sorcerers, and ſuch inſtruments of Satan, for helpe in any need, ſeeke helpe of Satan: asſ1. Sam. 28. 8. Saul that went to the Witch at Endor: andt2. King. 1. 2. Ahaziah that ſent to Baal-zebub.
All theſe, and other like helpes are no better then auEzek. 29. 7. reede, whereupon if a man leane it breaketh, and renteth his fleſh that leaneth thereon.
For our part therefore let vsus take notice of the euils whereunto we are ſubiect,What euils are to be prayed againſt, and how, See in the whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 18. and of the remedie warranted and ſanctified for remouing of them, and wiſely and conſcionably vſe the ſame.
This of Deprecation, which is the diſtinct kind of the two laſt Petitions.Treat. 3. §. 32, 33 &c. The generall Matter of them both followeth.