The Art of Happiness, Part 3 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of Prayer.
AN inseparable companion of watchfulnesse, and an especiall aduancement of spirituall prosperitie, is Prayer: for among all the furtherances of the Spirit, Prayer goes directly to the fountaine of the Spirit, & seekes the gift of the Giuer himselfe. And indeede, whither should our indeuours most addresse themselues, but where is most of that which wee seeke? and who should exceed him in bountie, who exceedes all in that which may bee giuen, yea in that goodnesse which is the cause of giuing? Wherefore since God alone hath the true abundance of Spirit, yea since hee hath promised by his Sonne to giuegive the Holy Ghost (Luk. 11. 13.) to them that aske, why doe we not haste to this eternall and bottomlesse Spring of the waters of Life, where we may fill our selues freely by asking? Grace is a chiefe gift of the chiefest Giuer: To bee admitted into the presence of the chiefest Giuer, is a great priuiledge; but being admitted, to obtaine also a chiefe gift, is a high prerogatiue. Why dost thou not then make great vse of this thy great priuiledge? yea, why dost thou not at once purchase to thy selfe spirituall honour, and spiritual profit, which both in prayer are together bestowed? For if thou art one of those, whom God graceth by hearing, thou art also one of those to whom God will giuegive the grace of his Spirit for thy speaking. And surely, as Prayer is honorable and profitable, so it is pleasant and comfortable; for we may terme it a little saluation, since the soule in Praier, clearing her selfe by Faith from fleshly darknesse, looketh directly to the face of God, the vision of whom is our perfect beatitude: if light be pleasant, it is far more pleasant to behold the Father of light: vvhichwhich, though it bee but by the glimpses of faith, yet so much as it is, so much happinesse it is. The soule, for the time, is in heauen, & beholdeth God; yea beholdeth God, beholding her with a gracious countenance, through our elder Brother Christ Iesus. Wee see in naturall things, how ioyfully the youngones run to their dammes, yea, children with earnestnesse apply themselues to the brests of their mothers. Surely, Man hath but one true and very Father, but one true Cause and Creator; & how ioyfully should Man run to this his Originall, how earnestly should he suck from God by prayer, the nourishment and increase of that spirituall life, which himselfe hath begotten in vsus? Therefore draw neere vntounto God by prayer, and that continually and earnestly. Let thy prayer be continuall, because there is in GOD continuall abundance to be prayed for: yea, because GOD knowes the excellency of his gift, and that it is worth long seeking, and therefore if he vse long delay in the grant of thy Petition, thereby hee teacheth thee the worth of his gift, and demands of thee a large price of earnest and continuall prayer. Surely, we make no ill bargaine, if with the Prayers of a whole temporall life, wee obtayne that which is to be inioyed by a life Eternall. Therefore bee not weary of continuance in seeking, for whiles thereby thou acknowledgest the great worth of that which thou seekest, and thine owne great neede of the bountie and supply of thy Creator, God that takes pleasure in this acknowledgement of thy prayers, will grant what pleasing & acceptable prayers doe request of him. And indeede, where canst thou in thy wants better bestow thy thoughts, and whither wouldest thou turne them from God; since our helpe standeth only in the Name of the Lord, and there is none but God that heareth and granteth prayers? In GOD alone is the Sabbath and rest of our soules, battered with necessities, cares, and temptations. And therfore God inuited vsus by his Apostle to take cares and sorrowes out of our owne hearts, and to lay them in his hands; for he careth for vsus himselfe. Surely, if with the King of Iudah, before the Arke of Gods presence we vnfold the letters of defiance, which the infernall enemie sends vsus in his firie temptations; if with the same King being neere vntounto duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page death, especiall the death spirituall, we morne before God as Doues, and lift vp our eyes to him on high, no doubt but he that dwelleth on high will send downe his Angels of deliuerance, to rebuke Satan, & to chase him away into the deepe; and will also send the Spirit of life, to adde life vntounto our decaying life. And though prayers of length and continuance, doe not worke meerely by their length, yet are they powerfull by another meanes. For God being a Spirit, hath professed himselfe to bee pleased by the seruice of the Spirit, and the more seruice of the Spirit, the more GOD is pleased. So while in the length and continuance of Prayer, much of the Spirit is powred out, there is much acceptation of the same with God, who is greatly delighted with spirituall sacrifices. And as much Spirit in continued prayer is powerfull with GOD, so much Spirit vented and darted forth, euen in one petition, is forcible with the same God. God suffers himselfe to be ouercome by the feruencie of the Spirit, whether by degrees vttering it selfe, or all at once. SALOMON in a long Prayer, and the Publican in a short, were both heard; the Publican shooting forth the whole strength of his soule in one petition, which SALOMON dispersed into many. But in the length of our prayers, let vsus remember this, that the Spirit is the wingednes of Prayer, by which it pierceth the heauens; and it is no longer prayer but babbling, when some measure of the Spirit doth not expresse it selfe therein. Now wee know that we pray in the Spirit, so long as by the light thereof wee behold God in Christ to whom we pray; and the fitnesse and necessitie of the things for which we pray, and by the feruencie thereof wee earnestly desire and thirst after the things wee pray for. I must needes confesse, that some-times the Spirit of prayer & supplication doth hide and withdraw it selfe, so that we cannot perfectly fulfill all these parts, but then let vsus lament our own dulnesse, and pray, or at least grone some grone of the Spirit, for the Spirit of prayer; let vsus bee earnest with God that he will open our lips, that our mouth may speake to his praise, & wee shall seldome depart without a blessing. And if God yet delaies vsus (for hee seldome finally denies vsus) let vsus cast vp short eiaculations, desiring God to accept our desires to pray, and to giuegive vsus those things which hee knowes to bee best; (which our hearts do implicitly pray for, though not openly) and finally, to forgiue vsus our dulnesse, and to heare Christ Iesus praying for vsus. But in the shortnesse of prayer, let vsus take heed that we doe it not out of idlenesse, or neglect of God, as if God were not worthy of more labour, or prayer were a thing of little profit or value; but let such short Petitions bee vented forth, either by reason of impotency in prayer, or vponupon a fulnesse of the heart, by reason of some incident meditation, or because of our shame and confusion of face, for some lothsome sinne; when with the Publican we be ashamed to lift vp our eyes to heauen, and to enter into a sudden familiaritie with God, being so newly polluted, and hauing so lately offended him; and then it may bee in stead of prayer with PETER, to weepe bitterly (for GOD heareth the voyce of PETERS teares aswell as of ABELS bloud) and anon to cast forth, Lord, be mercifull to me a sinner. I know GOD forgiueth at once, yet the comfort of that which hee doth at once, must wee receiue by degrees, and wee must not too suddenly leap out from the sorrow for sin, into the comfort of Gods promises; but with MIRIAM wee must for a certayne time (and that proportionably greater or lesse, according to the measure of the sinne) I say, wee must beare the shame of offending so high a Maiestie, and by vndergoing some burthen & punishment of sorrow, acknowledge the weight of sinne, make sinne lothsome to vsus, and feele it burthensome and intolerable; and being armed to this point, that voice of Christ is then both sweetest and fittest to be heard; Come vntounto me, ye heauy laden, and I will refresh you. DAVID hauing his pardon pronounced by the Prophet, yet after he ceaseth not to feele the lothsomnes of his sinne, and in the 51. Psalme prayeth, that his sin may bee pardoned, and his iniquity purged; that which was at once done in heauen he desires with time to feele more sealed and imparted to him on earth. Lastly, such may vse short prayer, to whom bodily infirmitie alloweth not the bent of long meditation; of such, GOD requires according to that they hauehave, and not according to that they hauehave not, and to them a short Petition may bee accepted for a long Prayer, yea a sigh of the Spirit, may bee like a Diamond of great value, though it lye in a little roome. But ordinarily let vsus thinke it best to imitate the ancient Saints, who hauehave worshipped God in a continuing and combined forme of prayer, the patternes whereof are often to bee found in the Word of life. And as our prayers must be continual, so stil let vsus striue to make them earnest, seruent, and vehement; that it may still appeare vntounto God, that wee hauehave an earnest desire to bee heard. Otherwise, coldnesse in asking, may wel deserue coldnesse in granting, and since giuing is more then asking, that which doth not merit the lesser, how may wee think it should procure the greater? Againe, God himselfe, by the Parable of the vniust Iudge, like SAMSON hath shewed vsus how hee may be bound, for he hath taught vsus, that importunitie is a way to ouer-come him. Earnest prayer vseth violence toward him, and thereby, we that are weaknesse, are too hard for him who is infinite power. But how commeth this to passe, that wee who hauehave no strength but from GOD, should ouer-come him, from whom wee hauehave our strength? surely, if we looke neerly vntounto it, we shall find that praier perswades God to ouer-come himselfe. It moues his owne goodnesse to ouer-come his owne power, so that we feele only the effects of power mastered and conquered with goodnes. Therefore is God by prayer, as it were, troubled and stopped in some actions, outwardly proposed to hauehave beene effected. So LOT holdeth the Angels hand from destroying of Zoar, a towne of the sinfull Plaine, and to her growth equally lyable for wickednesse to fire and brimstone. And MOSES hindreth and doth not let GOD alone, when in his furie hee would destroy Israel, but diuerteth the plague denounced against them. Goodnes cannot denie the importunitie of beloued-ones: The bad whereof is in an earthly father, whose bowels are turned within him, if hee cannot giuegive what his hungrie childe doth craue of him. But the roote here of is God, who is goodnesse it selfe, in whom is the Fountayne of that drop which wee call good Nature in Men. The same God who is goodnesse, is also louelove, & loueth his Children farre more tenderly then earthly fathers; and louelove workes vponupon the will to make it willing, to communicate to the beloued the fruits and effects of goodnesse. The same God is also Almightie, so that whatsoeuer streames of goodnesse, the will moued by louelove would particularly distribute, the Almightinesse of GOD is able to fulfil & accomplish. Wherefore in confidence of the great goodnesse, the louelove & the power of God; let vsus boldly, hopefully, yet humbly repaire vntounto him, beleeuing that a power so mastered with goodnesse & louelove, cannot denie a vehement & importunate prayer. But if we faile of obtayning, it is certainly some impediment on our owne side; so that either we hauehave asked in an ill manner, or for an ill matter, or to an ill end, or else we hauehave limited the most High, telling him how and when we wil hauehave our request. But if wee aske for good things in a good manner, to a good end, submitting the conditions and seasons to that infinite Wisdome, to whom to submit is mans chiefest wisedome, then let vsus bee assured that wee are in the way of hearing, let vsus fasten our foote in that way, and resolue neuer to turne from it, though checked with the woman of Canaan, and deferred with IOB. This way ends assuredly in granting, and thou shalt either hauehave the same thing thou crauest, or a better. For as all Gods actions to his children are for their good and aduantage, so are also his deferrings and denyals. And this the daily experience of the Saints can testifie, who hauehave found that they were then heard vvhen they thought themselues most neglected. The vision and message of the most High (as that of DANIEL) was botimes sent forth, though the time of accomplishmēt was appointed to bee later. GOD will not breake the Couenant of Prayer; but vvould raise thy faith to that high pitch; euen to beleeue that God is good to Israel, euen when thou feelest the smart of thine owne miserie, and seest the prosperitie of the wicked; or hee would raise thy patience to such a degree, that though GOD should kill thee, yet thou wouldest submit thy self to his mightie hand; or hee would humble, chastize, and nurture thee, that he might do thee good in thy latter end. Therfore stand thou strong in the path of prayer, and therein especially hunger & thirst after Righteousnesse, euen spirituall graces, for therewith thou shalt surely bee filled. But if with the stubborne King of Israel, being grieued, thou say, It is the Lord, Why should I seeke him any more? thou turnest thy selfe out of the way of obtayning, thou forsakest him who is the onelyonly giuer of eueryevery good and perfect gift, thou changest him who only heareth and granteth prayers, for miserable helpers, who without him (like IEROBOAMS politike Calues) through a wise foolishnes, shall become their Masters destruction.
Now that our prayer may yet hauehave a farther increase of force, and so a fuller preuayling, let our prayers partly consist of praise. Let the remembrance of benefits past, accompanie the Petition of benefits to come, let vsus pray that Gods Name may bee hallowed, when wee pray that his Kingdome may come more into vsus. In the Law of Nature, thankfulnesse for one benefit, inuiteth another, and much more with the Father of Grace and Nature, doe thanks for a lesse degree of Grace, perswade for a greater. Praise & glorie to God, is the end and fruit of Gods gifts, and where God reapeth this fruit abundantly, there will he abundantly sow the seed of this fruit. For if Christ called his Father an Husbandman, wee may boldly say he is a good Husbandman; and therefore he will not commit that ill husbandrie, to sow little that hee may reape little, when hee sees that by much sowing he may reape much. GOD will not bee wanting to his own glorie, by sowing smal grace, where by much grace hee might reape much glorie. That this was agreeable to the heart of God, well knew that holy Man, who was according to GODS heart, and therefore continually hee mixeth his prayers with praises; yea sometime he plainly discouereth the secrets of this skill; as when hee saith: Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee, then shall the earth bring forth her increase, and God, euen our God, shall giuegive vsus his blessing. Examples confirme this instruction. NOAH gaue a sacrifice of praise for his deliuerie from the floud, and God being praised for that one deliuerance, perpetuateth his benefit, and promiseth an euerlasting deliuerance to the earth from any more flouds. When SALOMONS Leuites, Singers, and Priests, made one sound in praising the Lord, the glorie of the Lord filled the house of God. When the Singers of IEHOSAPHAT praised the Lord, because his mercy indureth for euer; God laid ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, and they slue one another. What doe these things shew, but that prayer is sharpned with praise, and it enters more powerfully into the acceptation of the Highest? They teach vsus plainly, that God willingly opens his eare to receiue his due praises, and into his eares so opened, the adioyned Petitions hauehave more speedie admittance. Surely, God well accepts his owne glorie; he accepts his glorifier; and with his person, his prayers. But as farre on the other side, doth vnthankfulnesse shut vp the bountie of God, and make it fast against our selues; God will not long giuegive benefits, whereof himselfe may hauehave no benefit; but if there bee gifts like benefits, bestowed on the vnthankfull; let it be thought that these seeming benefits are very curses; euen gifts giuen in wrath, as Quailes, and a King vntounto Israel. For how can a Creator continue his bountie, when hee sees his Creature doth onelyonly make vse of him, that he sorues his owne turne vponupon him, and makes himself the end of God, and not God the end of himselfe? Therefore euenholy HEZEKIAH, while he is more carefull to shew the glorie of his Treasures to the Heathen Ambassadors, then to giuegive glorie to God for his health, by which he inioyed them, the treasures must bee carried duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page away to the same Babylon, whose Ambassadors he had intertayned with the sight of them. The heart of man being filled with blessings, must not bee lifted vp within it selfe, but it must bee lifted vp with praise and thankfulnesse to the Authour of those blessings. Therefore hauing receiued some Talents of grace, let vsus returne vntounto God some other Talents of glorie; and then to vsus by whom hee receiues aduantage, shall more bee giuen: but if otherwise, that which wee hauehave, shall be taken away. God hath put al things in order to himselfe, and vponupon this order the God of order rayneth his blessings. If then wee will bee vnderunder his blessings, we must be vnderunder this order; wee must looke towards him, glorifying & praising, if wee will hauehave him looke towards vsus, blessing & sanctifying. Therefore in summe, Let vsus pray continually, and feruently, and in al things giuegive thanks, which is the will of God in Christ Iesus towards vsus. If wee conclude our Psalme 33. with Prayer, Let thy mercy and grace bee multiplied vponupon vsus, as we trust in thee, let vsus begin it with thankfulnesse; Reioyce in the Lord, O ye righteous: for it becommeth vpright men to bee thankefull. For, if thus, Psal. 66. we call to him with our mouth, and also exalt him with our tongue, God will heare vsus, and will consider our prayer, wee shall againe praise God, who doth not put backe our prayer, nor his mercy from vsus.