Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 58
CHAP. LVIII. Of Prayer and Meditation.
IT is the nature of all men, neuer to come to God wholy, till they be destitute of all helpe, but then they wil crie to God as the Israelites did. The Israelites cried often, because of some miserie, and not because of sinne, and therefore we are not heard: but when they saw their sin, and came vntounto God, then they were heard: so God will come quickelyLuk. 18. If we will hauehave God heare vsus, let vsus first see our wants▪ Secondly, feele them. though he tarie long: quickly, that is when we are fit, & do pray with feeling: long, because of our vnfitnesse, and our want of feeling, and continue not in wayting. Let vsus obserue this in all crosses, as if any sicknes he long vponupon vsus, it is because we hauehave not profited by it in feeling our sins in humilitie of hart, in prayer to God: therefore he is long, but when we hauehave thus profited, then will be come, either to take away the crosse, or to recompence the same with inward comfort: and this may eueryevery one of Gods children claime at Gods hands, when they hauehave well profited by the crosse.
2 Prayer is so acceptable and honorable a thing in the sight of God, that oftentimes it is taken for the whole worship of God contained in the word, as Genes. 4. 26. and 12. 8.Prayer. 1. Cor. 1. 2. 2. Tim. 2 19. And in our English tōgue we vse this phrase of going to prayers, yea, our Sauiour Christ calleth the Church a house of prayer, and yet Christ knew, and we see, that it is a place of hearing the word, administring the Sacraments, & vsing of Discipline. By the way let vsus see how it commeth to passe, that few care to heare the word, fewer to receiue the Sacraments, & fewest of al to come vnderunder Discipline; and yet al or the most, shew themselues friends to prayer, yea the heretikes in other matters sundred from vsus in thisPrayer and the word go… together. point, agree with vsus. It is God his goodnesse so to ratifie the vse of praier. Neither are we to thinke that prayer, and the word are diuorced, but goe hand in hand as in a league, Rom. 10. 15. He speaketh of praier, Psal. 14. of the word, Eccl. 4. 17. hearing prepareth vsus for praying, Psal. 95. 6. The Prophet stirreth vp the Church to prayer, Psal. 7. To the hearing of the word. As it is a dutie in the people to vse both: so the Minister vseth both, 1. Sam. 12. 18. Samuel prayeth, vers. 24. & preacheth to the people, Act. 6. 4. The Apostles finding themselues troubled with the ordinary ministerie of tables, ordained new officers, that they might giuegive themselues to continuall prayer, and to the ministration of the word, 1. Tim. 2. The Apostle giueth precepts both of the word and prayer, both to pastors and people.
3 And necessarie it is, that the word should rectifie vsus before we approch to prayer, because comming vnprepared, and in the guiltines of our sinne, we cannot be heard, Matth. 7. 21. and. 15. 8. 9. Psal. 145. 18. Psal. 34. 15. 16. and 66. 18. Iam. 1. 6. & 5. 15. 2. Tim. 2. 19. And surely this point is needfully to be vrged in our time, wherein men are cold entertainers ofIgnorant and superstitious people doe much commend prayer, but neuer call for preaching. Secondly, some respect preaching, but not prayer. Thirdly, some do wisely respect both. Fourthly, some regard neither. the word, & if they go vntounto Church to pray a little, they thinke themselues very religious. Experience will proue, that ignorant and superstitious persons wil much commend prayer, but neuer call for preaching: On the contrarie, come to them that hauehave knowledge, and be truely religious, and yee shall obserue that they will more willingly heare and continue in hearing, than they will pray & continue in praying. And I doe appeale to the consciences of Gods children, who know that prayer is rather a trauel of the hart, than a labour of the lips, whether to giuegive God the glory, and to shame themselues, they must needes confesse that they had rather heare the word two houres, than continue in serious prayer one halfe houre. But let vsus learne that there be some exercises do more strengthen iudgement, than stir affection, and yet in part doe rouse vp affections too, as hearing, reading, and conferring; some other more neerely worke vponupon the affection, and yet withal inlighten the iudgement also, as praying, singing, and meditating. It is easie to renue or increase knowledge by hearing. It is hard to set a worke not onelyonly the eye, the eare, and the hand, but to trauaile with our mindes also, our affections and hearts, setting all in humble frame of holy subiection in the presence of God.
4 And no maruell though our nature be so hard to pray, as thinking it a thing painfull, seeing among many exercises it is most profitable. The word maketh knowne to vsus the riches of Gods louelove, and strengtheneth faith: praier feeleth the power of it, and cōfirmeth with feelings. The word telleth vsus that God hath a care of his people, prayer proueth thatPrayer and exercise most profitable. God hath a care of his people. The word saith, God is merciful: prayer findeth by practise that God is mercifull. The word speaketh of the maiesty, power, and goodnes of God: praier obtaineth the exprience of the maiesty, power, and goodnes of God. If a man commeth to knowledge, faith, and comforts by hearing, it is rather an infusion from God into man, than an action proceeding from a man to God: but if we tast of the power of these things by praier, as there is an infusion from God as the author, so there is an action from man as the agent & instrument. This gift of praier is also a nurse of repentance, because our praiers looke with bloody cheekes, as ready to blush, when with guiltie consciences we come before the Lord. If we should hauehave a suite to a prince, we would be loth he should hauehave a iust complaint of our rebellion to lay against vsus, for feare of repulse or of a worse thing, we would not willingly hauehave our accuser stand before him, whē we are suters vntounto him: muchSimile. more are we to feare our hypocrisie, if we presume in wilful disobedience, to pray vntounto the prince of the spirits, and searcher of all mens hearts. And if we can be bold to pray in the hypocrisie of our hearts to such a God; we must needs either be abashed without comfort, or astonied without feeling, we shall find our praiers either accused, or accursed, or both.
5 Although there was but a weake faith in Moses, when he prayed, yea though it seemedMoses infirmity in prayer. rather to be an expostulation than a prayer, Exod. 5. 22. 23. yet the Lord respected his faith, and pardoned his infirmitie, Exod. 6. 1. 2. 3. &c. So great is the Lord in mercy, and readie to heare those that call vponupon him though in weaknes, which may not onelyonly serue to moue vsus to pray, but also assure vsus that the Lord will heare vsus.
6 If any would know a true faith then, trye it by one speciall fruit thereof: if our faithTriall of our faith by prayer. moueth vsus to prayer, it is true: and so much faith, so much prayer, which will take away doubting, and confirme vsus more in Gods goodnes. Where are confuted those which say, if Gods prouidence rule ouer all, what needeth praier? For then had Moses, and the children of Israel prayed in vaine: and Dauid saith, Psal. 34. The Lords care is open to our prayers. But if the promises of God, whereon our faith is grounded, make vsus to refraine prayer from the Lord; it is manifest we are too secure, and carnally minded: we are to feare that our faith is false.
7 In that the Lord heard Moses in prayer, wee may aslu…e our selues that hee will also heare vsus; for from a particular example may be gathered a generall doctrine, as is euident by the like gathering of Iam. 5. of the prayer of Eliah: so that we shall either hauehave that weIam. 1. …. couet, or else some spirituall recompence; onelyonly this let vsus care for, that we be righteous, faithfull, and continue in prayer, and then shall we hauehave comfort in our selues. For readingPrayer brīgs feeling and experience. getteth knowledge, but prayer is that, that getteth feeling and experience.
8 Notwithstanding the Lord had promised by the mouth of Moses, that hee would giuegive deliuerance to the Israelites, yet hee ceaseth not (although hee was surely perswaded that the Lord would performe his promise, to pray for the same, and that in most hartie and seruent affection: euen so did Eliah, when he prayed for raine, which hee knew wouldThe promises of God ought to stir vsus vp vntounto prayer. certainely be, which teacheth vsus first, that Gods promises doe not make such as feare him to be carelesse, but carefull to vse the meanes. Secondly, that faith will alwaies shew it selfe in prayer, & the stronger faith is, the more vehement shall be our praier. It is said, that Moses cried and yet he did not speake a word, so the holy woman Hannah, 1. Sam. 1. 5. prayed in the very bitternes of her spirit, yet vttered not a word, which teacheth vsus that the hartiePrayer not vttered by voice. Simile. prayer onelyonly pearceth the cloudes and is heard of God, and the voice is no further heard, than the vehemencie of the spirit doth cause it. For as the bullet out of the Gunne, or an arrow out of a bow, so out of the abundance of our heart must our prayers proceede. Therfore the voice may be vsed in priuate prayers, to stirre vp the affections, and to keepe the minde from wandering, and in publicke prayers, because God will bee glorified in soule and bodie, and that others may be edified; but both publikely and priuately, it is the heart onelyonly that is accepted.
9 The refuge of Moses was by prayer to flie vntounto the Lord, and this is the manner and dealing of all the deare children of God, not to keepe close their griefe within themselues,To manifest our griefe by prayer vntounto God. but by prayer to make it knowne vntounto their God, that in him they may finde helpe. If wee then, when griefe oppresseth vsus, can pray vntounto the Lord and make knowne our requests vntounto him, we may hauehave hope, that in his good time he will deliuer vsus: but if our griefe doe so trouble vsus, that it causeth vsus to fret so, that we can seeke no helpe for it, or else doe in our owne strength fight against it, there is small hope of our deliuerance.
10 Moses praved sometime very vnperfectly, and yet then the Lord heard him, which teacheth vsus that the Lord doth greatly like of prayer, yea though it bee after a stuttering manner, as Hannah praied in the Temple; or if it he but a chattering, as Ezechias prayed inNote. his sickenes: yet if it be in the bitternes of the soule, and in the vprightnes of the heart, theThe Lord liketh of a stammering prayer, if wee speake in heauines of soule and vprightnes of heart. Lord doth like of it very well. It is not the fine words, nor the well framed sentences that he delighteth in; he is then wel pleased with our praiers, whē in the vprightnes of our hearts wee offer them vp vntounto him, and when the Spirit by working vnspeakeable grones in our hearts, doth make our requests known vntounto God. OnelyOnly let vsus looke for the perfection of our praiers in Christ, let vsus still rebuke our selues, and stirre vp our hearts to gather confidence, that we may come more cheerefully vntounto praiers, as Dauid did, saying: Why art thou so heauie O my soule? And then may we be sure that such praiers are very well pleasing in his sight. And here there appeareth a special difference between the vnbeleeuing Israelites and the faith of Moses, they looked on the drie earth and vntounto Moses, where they could hauehave small hope of redresse, but they forgot the Lord: therefore they murmured when they should hauehave prayed. Contrariwise: Moses forgot them, and so escaped murmuring; he looked vntounto the Lord, and so fel to prayer. This is a certaine note of true faith, when at the first time that trouble doth oppresse vsus, wee can yet powre out our complaints into the Lords bosome, and by prayer looke for helpe from aboue. And although we can find no fruit of our prayers, yea though we thinke that our praiers be turned into sinne, yet if we can continue in prayer and be diligent therein, if we can euen then also heare the word, when wee can receiue no comfort thereby, yea though it euer rebuke vsus and seeme to make our cō demnation knowne vntounto vsus, if wee can abide our selues to bee touched, and continue our care to heare the word still, if we can doe these things, it is a notable token of true faith and the great worke of Gods good spirit doth shewe it selfe herein; yea and that more liuelyFeeling. than when a man hath comfortable feeling.
11 It is a speciall fauour of the Lord, when he giueth such Ministers or Magistrates as will pray for the people; for so they may see, that he will not punish them as he ought, butMagistrates & Ministers praying for the people. yet forbeareth them. We see in Psalm 106. That by the prayer of Moses and Phineas, the Lords wrath was stayed, and Samuel prayed for the people. Therefore Ministers and Magistrates ought to labour euen by praying, and doing good for the people, that euen for their sakes the Lord may spare them, though they hauehave deserued to be punished. Contrariwise, it is a signe▪ of Gods wrath▪ when hee withdraweth the hearts of Ministers and Magistrates from the people, and that they cannot doe them good.
12 The lifting vp of the hands, is taken sometimes for prayer it selfe, the signe for theLifting vp of hands. thing it selfe: so the speech is vsed, Psal. 141. 2. Let the lifting vp of my hands bee as an Euening sacrifice. And in Tim. 2. 6. I will that men lifte vp pure hands in eueryevery place: Where we see, that the truth of the things is ioyned neerly with the signe. For if a man hauehave not an heart, his lifting vp of hands is nothing; but if the heart be thoroughly mooued, then also will the eye be lifted vp: yet we doe lift vp our eyes, that our hearts thereby may be the better lifted vp: and our eye doth not wander, nor our care doth harken after other things, but our hearts hauehave first wandered.
13 When Moses preuailed with the Lord by prayer, then did he also preuaile against his enemies. S. Iames saith, The prayer of a righteous man preuaileth much, if it be feruent: So thatThe feruent prayers of a righteous man. if he be not a righteous man that prayeth, or if the righteous mans prayers are not feruēt, it will not preuaile. As S. Iames therefore gathereth a generall of a particular, so may we gather, that if we be feruent in prayer, then we shall preuaile: but if we be not feruent, we can hauehave no hope. And that is the cause that in our matters we bring not our purpose to passe, because we are cold in praier, or trust too much to our owne wisedome, or such like. Therefore in what matter soeuer we hauehave in hand, if we do first seeke to God by prayer in feruencie as did the men of God herein, then shall we preuaile as well as euer they did.
14 Those things which wee heare and reade, are other mens, vntill by applying them to our selues by Meditation they be made ours.
15 As reading, hearing, and conferring of the word, do more encrease knowledge then feeling: So praying, singing, and meditating, doe more increase feeling then knowledge.What exercises increase knowledge most, & what feeling. Genes. 46.
16 It is not certaine how long after his sacrifice and prayer Iacob receiued comfort, and therefore we see that the comfort of the Spirit doth not alwayes depend vponupon the meanes, neither is bound thereunto, but sometime cōmeth long after the vsing of them. As Christ saith of the Husbandmen, that they sowe, and looke long after for the fruites of the earth: which may teach vsus comfort, for that our prayers are neuer in vaine, but alwayes graunted though sometime long after: and here are those corrected which looke for comfort immediately vponupon their requests, not knowing that sinne is the cause why wee receiue not when we aske, and for that we vse not the meanes aright: this also trieth our obedience, if we will with patience continue vsing the same meanes, though presently we feele not the fruite of them, and learne with Marke and the Apostles, to lay vp things in our hearts: to trie what will come of them afterward. Iacobs vision is not a bare and mute thing, but is ioyned withGen. 31 3. the word, and teacheth that all comfort must come out of the word: and therefore what comfort by Sacraments, visions, apparitions, and such like, doth not leade vsus to the word?Isaack. nor worke in vsus greater obedience to the same, nor giueth vsus some victory ouer sinne, that is vaine and proceedeth of error. It is Faith in the Promises, that worketh in vsus obedience:False cōforts. and therfore in eueryevery commandement there is a promise, either vnderstood or expressed: for the law is spirituall, and requireth a spirituall obedience, which we cannot performe because we be carnall, and by nature disobedient, except the Lord do minister grace vntounto vsus.
17 Violence (as it were) must be vsed in the heart, when we pray: because it is the heauieVerball prayers how dangerous. iudgement of God, that verball prayers bring vsus to great blockishnes.
18 It is good to reade before prayer, to the better preparing of our hearts thereunto.
19 Where prayer wanteth, the action of sinne is as ready as the temptation.Temptatiōs. Barren in grace for wāt of payer.
20 Generally, we must desire Gods mercies greedily: but particularly wee must aske them conditionally, and with affection as well to leaue the thing asked as to hauehave it.
21 Manie are barren in grace, because they are barren in prayer. We cannot be drie in the grace of God so long as wee resort to Christ by prayer, who hath the seauen Vialls of gold full of seuen-fold mercies.
22 In singing of Psalmes without some speciall occasion, he would say in company, speciallySinging of Psalmes. of such as were of some generall instruction: although priuately for himselfe, according to his griefe, ioy, or affectiō, he would sing proper Psalmes; yet he thought they that did most reioyce, might sing the Psalmes of greater griefe, to put them in mind what was, or may bee in them; as also, to season their ioyes with the remembrance of the sorrow of some of the Saints. Againe, those that are most throwne downe, might reape fruit in vsing the Psalmes of greatest comfort, that they may see what hath been, and what is belonging to them, after that they hauehave sowne in teares, and mourned with that holy repentance which is not to be repented of.
23 There be two extremities of singers. Some hearing the action to bee good, vse it of custome. Some hearing that wee must vse it, with prepared hearts, stay so long for fitting themselues thereunto, that they leaue it often vndone. Others vse it so often, and yet so vnfruitfully, that their customable singing breedes wearisomnesse▪ wearisomnesse causeth tediousnes, and tediousnes causeth to leaue all. Then wee are indeede prepared to sing when the word dwels so plentifully in vsus, and we be so filled with the Spirit, that the assurance of our sinnes pardoned; the perswasion of God his fauour; the hatred of sinne, the louelove of the life to come, and such like prouoke vsus thereunto.