Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter · Verse 7
vers. 7.
Aske, and it shall be giuen you: seeke, and ye shall finde: knock, and it shall be opened vntounto you.
In this verse and those which follow vntounto the twelft, is laid downe…. Part of Christs sermon. the third part of this chapter, concerning praier: and it consisteth of two branches: a commandement to pray, and effectuall reasons to perswade vsus thereto. The commandement is propounded in three seuerall teannes, Aske, seeke, and knocke: each whereof hath his promise annexed thereto, Ye shall hauehave, ye shall find, and it shall be opened vntounto you. Now for our better vnderstanding of Christs meaning herein, two rules must be obserued. I. That Christ here speakes not of eueryevery kind of asking in praier, but of that onelyonly which himselfe commandeth and alloweth: for we may aske and not receiue, because we aske amisse, as aIam. 4. 3.S. Iames saith: but he that asketh, according to Christs direction in this place, shall receiue.
Now in all acceptable praier to God, foure conditions must be obserued.4. Conditions in acceptable praier. I. We must aske while the time of grace and merciemercy remaineth: for if the day of grace be once past, we may aske, seeke, and knocke, but all in vaine: this is plaine by the fiue foolish virgins, who asked & sought for oyle, but found none, yea they called and knocked, but it was not opened vntounto them, Matth. 25. 8. 9. 12. Now the time of this life, while God offers merciemercy vntounto vsus in his word, is the acceptable time and the day of grace, 2. Cor. 6. 2. and therefore herein must we aske, seeke, and knocke. II. We must not aske as seemeth good vntounto our selues, but according 2to Gods will, and as his word alloweth. The sonnes of Zebedie were denied their request, because they asked they knew not what, Matth. 20. 22. But this is our assurance that we hauehave in him, that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vsus, 1. Ioh. 5. 14. III. We must aske in 3faith, that is, beleeue that God will graunt vsus those things which we aske according to his will: Iam. 1. 5, 6. If any man lacke wisdome let him aske of God—but let him aske in faith, and wauer not: for the wauering minded man shall receiue nothing of God: therfore saith Christ, Whatsoeuer ye desire in praier, beleeue that ye shall hauehave it, and it shall be done vntounto you. Mark. 11. 24. IV. We must referre the time and manner4 of Gods accomplishing our requests to his good pleasure. It was the sinne of the Israelites that they limited the holy one of Israel, by prescribing him what they would hauehave for their prouision, and when they would hauehave it: Psal. 78. 41. we therefore must waite on God, as Dauid did, Psal. 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he enclined his eare vntounto me, and heard me. God deferres the graunting of our requests, because he would trie the affections of his children. Cantic. 3. 1. The Church seeketh Christ, but cannot finde him, that is, where and when shee will. And indeede herein doe we shew forth faith when we referre the time and manner of receiuing our request, to the good pleasure of God: for he that beleeueth will not make hast. Isa. 28. 16.
The second rule to be here remembred concerning prayer, is: That2. Rule. Gods promise to hear and respect the person in Christ. these promises are not made directly to the worke of prayer, but to the person that prayeth; and yet not to him simply, as he doth this good action of praier, but as he is in Christ, for whose merite sake the promise is accomplished: and therefore Christ here speakes to them, whome he takes for graunted to be the true members of his mysticall bodie which is his Church. This rule must be remembred for the right vnderstanding of the promises of God concerning prayer; for hereby it is plaine that our prayer is not the cause of the blessings we receiue from God, but onelyonly a way and instrument in and by which God conuayeth his blessings vntounto his children: for a true praier is a fruit of our faith in Christ, in whome alone all the promises of God are yea, and amen, that is, sure and certen vntounto vsus.
Now hauing found Christs meaning, let vsus come to such instructions as are to be gathered hence. First, obserue that Christ doeth not barely propound this commandement to pray, but repeates the same by a kind of gradation in three distinct words, Aske, seeke, and knocke; Zeale & serueacie in praier.whereof the latter imports more vehemence then the former. And this he doth to checke the slacknesse and coldenesse of our prayers, and to stir vsus vp to feruent zeale and diligence in this duetie both in publike and priuate. And to mooue vsus to godly zeale and diligence in this dutie, consider the reasons following. I. Christs owne example, which in morall duties is a perfect rule: Now though he had little need to pray in respect of himselfe, for he did neuer sinne, yet how often, and how long, and with what feruencie did he giuegive himselfe to this dutie? he spent whole nights in prayer, Luk. 6. 12. and in prayer in the garden he swet water and blood. We hauehave also Moses example, who spent fourtie dayes and fourtie nights in praier and fasting for the people, when they had sinned, Deuter. 9. 18. 19. If he were thus feruent in prayer for their sinnes, how earnest would he be for his owne? And Daniel humbled himselfe many dayes, and prayed feruently for his people, Dan. 9. 3. 4. &c. Dauid prayed seuen times a day, and rose vp at midnight to giuegive thankes to God, Psal. 119. 164. 62. And Paul willeth the Romans that they would striue or wrestle with him by praier to God, Rom. 15. 30. All these are worthie examples vntounto vsus; and if we compare our selues with them we shall see we hauehave much more cause so to doe: for our sinnes abound aboue theirs, and therefore we had need to pray for the preuenting of Gods iudgements which our sinnes call for against vsus. Also we come far short of them in grace, and therefore had need to pray for supply thereof against the time of neede; for our dayes of peace will not alwayes last, wee hauehave enioyed it long, and therefore must looke for dayes of triall, for the state of Gods Church is interchangeable. II. Reason. All of vsus must come to deale with God, both in the day of death and at the day of iudgement; at both which times all worldly helpes and comforts will forsake vsus, and by no meanes can wee shunne that accompt; therefore it will be good for vsus while we liue often to set our selues before the Lord, that so we may make our selues familiar and acquainted with him against that day: But if now we estrange our selues from God in regard of this exercise of prayer, then at our ende wee shall finde the Lord to be strange vntounto vsus, and to professe that he knowes vsus not, which will be woe vntounto vsus. III. Reason. EueryEvery good thing we hauehave or stand in need of, comes from the merciemercy and bountie of God in Christ: and prayer is an ordinarie meanes for the procuring of Gods blessings; we therefore must giuegive our selues to the faithfull practise of this dutie. Indeede if grace and other blessings were our owne, or from our selues, we might well spare this labour, But what hast thou (saith Paul to eueryevery1. Cor. 4. 7. Christian) that thou hast not receiued? be not therefore secure and idle, for Gods blessings come not when we snort vponupon our elboes, but in the vse of meanes; and happie are we that may vse those meanes: for in asking we receiue, in seeking we finde, and in knocking it is opened vntounto vsus.
Secondly, our Sauiour Christ by trebling this commandement toCauses why w… should be seruent in prayer. pray, would giuegive vsus to consider that there is some waightie cause we should be instant in this dutie; and that is, in regard of the great miseries and manifold dangers whereunto we are subiect in this life: for as Peter saith, the righteous shall hardly be saued: and no maruell, for we…. Pet. 4. 18. hauehave without vsus, the Deuill and all his Angels plotting our destruction, and the world a daungerous enemie whereby the Deuill workes: within vsus we hauehave our owne corrupt hearts, daily drawing vsus to the practise of sinne, the bane and poison of our soules. Now what is to be done in this case? surely our onelyonly refuge, is constant and seruent praier to God, as Christ here implies by this threefold command: for in all things we must let our requests be made knowne to God, Philip. 4. 6. This hath alwaies beene the practise of all the faithfull, as we may see in Gods booke. But if we had no example, this commandement were sufficient to perswade vsus vntounto this dutie. Also doest thou want any grace of God, as faith, repentance, knowledge, zeale, patience, strength against temptation, or assurance of Gods fauour? why, aske and thou shalt hauehave, seeke and thou shalt finde. And this must be our course in outward wants, and for temporall blessings, as health, peace, libertie, plentie, &c. Indeede the wicked worldlings seeke to wise men and wise women in their miseries, but this is to forsake God, and to goe to the Deuill: Gods people must goe to their God, Isa. 8. 19.
Thirdly, the trebling of this commandement in diuers tearmes mustWe must be vrge…t in prayer. teach vsus, to be instant and vrgent with God in prayer: this is an holy and acceptable importunitie, when the Christian heart giues God no rest: Ierem. 29. 12, 13. the Lord promiseth to his people, That they shall erie vntounto him, and goe and pray vntounto him, and he will heare them: they shall seeke him, and finde him, because they shall seeke him with their whole heart. Isa. 62. 7. The Lords remembrancers are commanded not to keepe silence, nor to giuegive the Lord any rest. Matth. 15. 22. The woman of Canaan is commended, because shee will take no answer nor repulse from our Sauiour Christ, till her daughter was cured: and Luke 18. 5. The poore widow by her importunitie preuailed with the vnrighteous …udge: which parable Christ propounds to teach vsus to be constant and earnest in prayer. We therefore must shake off our naturall coldnesse and negligence in praier, which is the common sinne of the world in regard of this dutie. And we must labour for knowledge both of our owne sinnes and miseries, and of Gods mercies, that so we may pray with vnderstanding, and in zeale and feruencie as Christ here requireth. Alas, many pray not at all, and others know not what they aske, though they say the Lords praier, or some other set forme of praier. And most men that hauehave knowledge, suffer their mindes to wander from God by vaine imaginations: now all comes for lacke of that feeling in praier which Christ here requireth.
Thus much of the commandement in generall. Now out of the wordes more particularly we may obserue two points. First, where Christ bids vsus Aske, seeke, knocke, he speakes not particularly to some, but generally to all his seruants, so that all must pray; which plainely implies that his best and deerest seruants are during this life in want ofThe best are not here perfect. some grace or blessing. And indeede when God giues most excellent gifts and blessings to his children, yet then he leaues them in some notable want or triall for their humiliation and prouocation to prayer. Paul was taken vp into paradise, and there heard words that cannot possibly …. Cor. 12. 4.be vttered by man in this life: this was a great grace and prerogatiue: but yet to humble him, least he should be exalted out of measure, there was giuen him a pricke in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him: hereby he was brought to pray most earnestly for deliuerance, but yet he must rest contented with Gods grace; for God will make perfect his power through the weakenesse of his seruants, v. 8. 9. This point must be obserued, to discouer to many secure persons their miserable state, who feele no want of grace in themselues, and therefore thinke all is well. But what meanest thou to professe Christ, if thou hauehave no neede of him nor of his graces? oh know it, when thou saiest in thine owne heart, thou art rich and lackest nothing; then thou art poore, and …ev. 3. 17.blind, and miserable, and wretched. And indeede if thou knewest the corruption of thine owne heart, thou wouldest crie out with the Apostle, in respect of thy wants; Oh miserable man that I am, who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death! Rom. 7. 24.
Secondly, Christ saying not onelyonly Aske, but seeke and knocke; dothGod withdrawes himselfe sometime frō his children. hereby imply what is Gods dealing many times with his own seruants: namely, that he forsakes them for a time, and in part, and in some sort hides himselfe, and as it were locks himselfe from them. Now thus he dealeth for two causes: First, hereby to chast… and correct them for their sinnes: for iniquitie separates betweene God and his people, and their sinnes hide his face from them, Isa. 59. 2. Secondly, to make triall of his graces in his children, to see whether they delight in his louelove, to shew them their owne weaknes, and to mooue th…aue vntounto him more inseparable. By all which we see it stands …and to pray earnestly and continually, for God may forsake vsus for our sinnes: and he may iustly take occasion to trie what we hauehave profited by his Gospel, which we hauehave long enioyed with aboundance of peace.
Thus much of the commandement to earnest prayer: Now ChristReasons of the commā dement to pray. enforceth it by two reasons. First, by a promise, infolded in this verse with the commandement, and confirmed in the next. Secondly, by a comparison, verse 9. For the first, The reason from the promise in this verse may thus be framed:
If they which aske, shall receiue; if they that seeke, shall finde; and they that knocke shall be let in, then doe you aske, seeke, and knocke:
But they that aske, shall receiue, they that seeke, shall finde, &c. Therefore doe you aske, seeke, and knocke.
In this reason our Sauiour Christ teacheth vsus, that when we pray toA speciall faith required in praier God, we must bring a speciall faith whereby we are assured that the particular things we aske according to Gods will shall be giuen vsus. So saith Christ, Mark. 11. 24. Whatsoeuer ye aske in prayer, beleeue that ye shall hauehave it, and it shal be done vntounto you: and, Iam. 1. 6. Let him aske in faith: for he that doubteth of Gods promise defraudeth himselfe of the thing he asketh. Now if we must bring this speciall faith, then of necessitie must we hauehave a speciall knowledge of the will and promise of God for the things we aske: for as without faith we cannot pray aright, so without knowledge, no faith: And therefore we must be carefull to accquaint our selues with the will and promise of God, that by Gods commaundement we may know what to aske, and by faith may also aske in assurance; for if we pray without this knowledge and faith, our praiers are but lip-labour and vnprofitable.
Secondly, hence we learne that the Papists erre grossely, which teachRhem. on Iam. 1. sect. 6. Bellarm. de iustif. l. 3. c. 13 that this speciall faith is not necessarie in praier; this is a doctrine of Deuills: for we ought to bring in prayer a particular faith to applie to our selues the promise of God concerning that thing which we aske in prayer. But this we can neuer bring, vnlesse we first hauehave a speciall sauing faith whereby we beleeue our reconciliation with God in Christ: for therefore doe we beleeue that God will graunt our particular requests, because by faith wee knowe our selues to be in Christ, in whome he loues vsus and therefore will make good his promise vntounto vsus, as the Apostle saith, This is the assurance that we hauehave in …t if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vsus, 1. Ioh. ….
Thirdly, hence we learne how to carie our selues in all dangers; troubles and afflictions; namely, we must settle our hearts by faith vponupon the promise of God, who hath saide he will not forsake vsus, but be with vsus in trouble and deliuer vsus, Psal. 92. 15. This is necessarie, for without faith in great afflictions our owne naturall passions will confound vsus: Hence Habakkuc speaking of grieuous times of affliction saith, The Iust shall liue by faith. And this Dauid testified, Psal. 62. 1. Yet my soule Hab. 2. 4.keepeth silence vntounto God: of him commeth my saluation. Psal. 23. 3. Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feare none euill: for thou (Lord) art with me; thy rodde and thy staffe they comfort me.
Fourthly, this must stirre vsus vp to great diligence in praier. We beeingA moti…e to diligence in praier. Gods creatures, and our God requiring this seruice at our hands, ought to pray vponupon his commandement, though he had made no promise vntounto vsus. But now fith he hath made a gratious promise to heare and grant our requests, this must stirre vsus vp to all diligence and alacritie in prayer: see the practise hereof in Dauid, vponupon Gods promise he incourageth himselfe to pray, 2. Sam. 7. 27. 28, 29. Thou, O Lord of hosts, hast reuealed vntounto thy seruant that thou wilt build him an house: Therefore now O Lord God (for thou art God, and thy words are true, & thou hast told this goodnesse vntounto thy seruant:) Therefore now let it please thee to blesse the house of thy seruant that it may continue for euer: for thou O Lord God hast spoken it. So Daniel perceiuing by the prophesie of Ieremie, the promise of God for the returne of the people from the captiultie, doth set himselfe to most earnest prayer to God, for the accomplishment of that promise, Dan. 9. 2. 3. And so must we doe in all our wants, first search out Gods promise for the supplie thereof, and then goe boldly and diligently to God by prayer in the name of Christ.