Davids Learning, Commentary 5 · Commentary 8
VntoUnto thee.]
HEre is the third point, namely, the person to whom the godly man must pray, and that is God himselfe. Whence note, that
EueryEvery godly man in his affliction prayeth vntounto the Doctr.true God, and to him alone. Psal. 116. 2, 3, 4. In my The true God must onelyonly be inuocated in trouble.day I called vponupon the Lord, and the Lord heard me. Hezekiah in his day, when his daies seemed to be cut off, turned his face to the wall and wept, and prayed to the Lord, who heard his prayers, saw his teares, and gaue him his desires, Isai. 38. 3, 4, 5. Paul also in his day, being buffeted with the messenger of Satan, prayed thrice, that is, often to the Lord, and the Lord answered, That his grace was sufficient for him: 2. Cor. 12. 8.
The reasons of this point are these:
First, he cannot be a godly man, that in the time of his peace and prosperitie, approues not his godlinesse, by being Reas. 1.much and often in this dutie of prayer, and much more in his affliction and distresse; because, first, a godly man cannot bee without the Spirit of adoption, which makes the heart thirst after the liuing God, and formeth sighes and grones and desires in the soule after him; the Spouse calleth Christ, him whom her soule desireth: whereas it is a signe of a dead soule, and of a bad constitution, to be without these desires and requests, as DAVID makes it a note of an Atheist, not to pray: Psal. 14. 4.
Secondly, a godly man cannot deny vntounto God the principall part of his worship, which himselfe hath prescribed for his owne so great glorie, and our owne so great good and vtilitie. A godly man cannot but giuegive him the honour of Maiestie, in seeing our hearts and wants, and abilitie to relieue them, and the honour of mercy, both in confessions, petitions and praises.
Thirdly, a godly man cannot but depend vponupon God, as the Fountaine of grace, as the Father of lights, the Staffe of his life, the Length of his daies, the Strength of his heart, his Portion for euer: neither can a godly man testifie this confidence in God otherwise, then by resorting to him as a God hearing prayer.
Fourthly, a godly man cannot but sanctifie all his actions and gifts, and all Gods creatures by this meanes, which else are not pure vntounto him. Nay, a godly man cannot but increase and strengthen his graces by the meanes of prayer, and by the same meanes preserue his holinesse and grace, and exercise them, which stand or fall, are weake or strong, as this grace of prayer is.
Secondly, a godly man cannot, but much more in affliction and trouble, seeke God by prayer. If aduersities 2.presse him, disease paine him, dangers threaten him, sense of sinne pricke him, conscience of guilt wound him, and corruption worke vponupon him: now is a time of seeking God in his promises; now is a time ofneede, when a man sees his owne weakenesse; now is the time of obedience to that commandement, Is any afflicted? let him pray. And Psal. 50. Call vponupon me in the day of thy trouble, and, the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke: Now is a time when men lay fast hold vponupon God, and will not let him goe, whereas in the time of peace, we hold God but carelessely. When Iaacob wrestled with the Angell, he would not let him goe till he had blessed him. Affliction is as bellowes to our prayer, to kindle and blow vp this grace to a great flame and brightnesse.
Thirdly, no godly man will pray to any, but the true God in trouble: First, because eueryevery godly man knowes, 3.that whom hee prayes vntounto, hee makes him omniscient, that must see the wants of all men, and all the desires of all mens hearts: he makes him omnipresent, that must receiue all the prayers, preferred in all the corners of the world: and he makes him omnipotent, able to supply all the wants which are made knowne vntounto him.
Secondly, the ground of all prayer is the Couenant, as Isa. 64. 9. Now, O Lord, thou art our Father: loe, we beseech thee, behold, we are all thy people: and Psal. 77. 4. EueryEvery godly man knowes, that the Couenant is made betweene God and his people, and that all the promises of helpe in the Scripture are his, and none else can lay claime to vsus but God, as Dauid said, Psal. 119. Therefore godly men, being in couenant with none but God, they will pray to none but God.
Thirdly, eueryevery godly man knowes the commandement, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serue: he knowes, that God is a iealous God, and admits no corriualls; for his glory he will giuegive to no other: see Psal. 27. 8.
Fourthly, eueryevery godly man knowes, that hee must beleeue in him, on whom hee calleth, Rom. 10. 14. And hence it is called the prayer of faith; therefore as he must beleeue onelyonly in the Father, Sonne and holy Ghost, so he onelyonly calles vponupon them.
Fifthly, eueryevery godly man knowes, that if the Spirit direct his prayer, it teacheth him to call Abba Father, and, if his prayer be squared to the rule of prayer, he must goe to our Father which is in heauen. He that is a Iew within, hates Samaritane-worship, who worshipped they knew not what, but hee knowes what hee worshippeth, Iohn 4. 22.
Well, if this be so, then no godly man euer did, or wil pray to the Angels or Saints, or to the Court of heauen; Vse 1.for this is an high vngodlinesse and idolatrie: for,
First, the Angels know not our hearts directly: 1. Kin. 8. 39. Heare thou in heauen in thy dwelling place, and be mercifull, and doe and giuegive eueryevery man according to all his waies, as thou knowest his heart; for thou onelyonly knowest the hearts of all the children of men: here we see, that it is Gods priuiledge to be foreign. And if hee onelyonly, then not the Angels, who therefore are not able to know our wants.
Secondly, the Angels are but fellow-seruants, and not gods to be worshipped.
Thirdly, they refuse all religious worship and seruice and honour (sauing honor charitatis) that is to be loued. Reuel. 22. 9. See thou doe it not; for I am thy fellow-seruant: as if he had said, If I were God, thou mightest worship me.
Yea, but Ioshua fell downe before the Angell, and worshipped him, chap. 5. 14.Obiect.
It was the Lord himselfe, the Captaine of the Lords hoste, that is, Lord of the Angels: and he is bid to put off Answ.his shooes, as Moses was, when God was present.
Also, IOSHVA called him IEHOVA, which can agree to none but God: IOSHVA non adorâsset, sinon agnouisset Deum, saith ORIGEN. Or lastly, IOSHVA was but a man, and subiect to infirmities as we are, and therefore his action, if it had been sinfull, may not be our rule.
Reuel. 8. 3. Another Angell came, and stood before the Obiect.Altar, hauing a golden censer, and much odours was giuen vntounto him, that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vponupon the golden altar, which is before the throne. Therefore we must both inuocate them, and they offer our prayers to God.
First, by prayers are meant the prayers of the Saints in Answ.earth.
Secondly, by the Angell, is meant Christ himselfe, who elsewhere is called the Angell of the couenant; he offers our prayers; and the thuribulum aureum, the golden censer, is corpus eius sanctum, and the Altar is himselfe, who sanctifieth our prayers, as the Altar doth the gift: Augustine.
Thirdly, heere is but one Angell to offer our prayers; and if it were a created Angell, it yeeldeth no ground to inuocate all, as the Papists doe, naming them seuerally, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, &c.
Secondly, as not to the Angels, so neither will a godly man pray to the Saints departed: forVse 2.
First, Whom hauehave I in heauen but thee? Psalm. 73. 25. Whom? the Papists will say, Abraham, Isaac, Iaacob, and the rest. Well, but Dauid had none of them; Adam, Abraham, and other godly men were then in heauen, yet hee knew not their helpe.
Secondly, the Saints in heauen know not our wants. Isa. 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of vsus, and Israel know vsus not. If so great Patriarkes (saith Augustine) knew not what became of the people, surely neither did other dead persons know. If ABRAHAM and IAACOB know vsus not, no more doth PETER, PAVL, the blessed Virgin, nor any other of the Saints.
Thirdly, eueryevery godly man will goe to the Father by the Sonne: for none comes to the Father but by the Son, and, There is no Mediatour but one, euen the man Christ Iesus: 1. Tim. 2. 5.
Indeede there is but one Mediatour of redemption, Obiect.but moe of intercession: and it is great boldnesse to rush into the Kings presence, if way be not made by some of his Councell or Guard. Absolom could not come into his Fathers sight, but by Ioabs intercession, nor Adoniah to Salomon, but by his mother.
First, Christ hath performed the whole office of mediation eueryevery way, and is our whole saluation: and the Answ.Scripture was much ouer-seene to omit that distinction, if any such were, where it had so fit place, and necessitie did so vrgently require it.
Secondly, the King hath commanded, that we should mediate onelyonly by the Prince, and not by any other of the Court or counsell of heauen.
Thirdly, it is a carnall argument from things earthly and ciuill, to heauenly and spirituall, as in the instance of Ioab and Salomons Mother.
Fourthly, it is but a glosse to vse their distinction, seeing eueryevery where they pray the Saints to intercede for them, not only by their prayers, but also by their merits; and not only set the Virgin at the right hand of God, as Salomon did his Mother, but also set her aboue Christ, diuiding his Kingdome into two, one halfe of which standing in administring iustice they leaue to him, but all the office of mercy is hers; and so they appeale from the Throne of the Fathers iustice, to the seat of the Mothers Biel in Can. Miss. Lect. 8.mercy; and so betweene them the Sonne hath nothing to doe: nay, shee must command her Sonne, in the right of a Mother, to be propitious vntounto vsus.
But the Saints departed, though they see not directly Obiect.what is done on earth, yet they see in God, or the glasse of the Trinitie, all our doings, or else the Angels may reueale them vntounto them: therefore still wee may pray vntounto them.
This argument is more brittle then their imaginary Answ.glasse, which we must handle tenderly for feare of breaking. For what is this glasse? Is it the essence of God? No, this neuer was, nor euer can be seene; if it could, as it is most simple, so neuer was there any change in it, nor any new or diuers image: and if they see in Gods essence our doings, they see all things, euen the day of Iudgement, which the Papists themselues denie. Or is this glasse a bright and glorious light, as some say? But thus it is impossible for the Saints to see any thing, because God sees it: for by common reason, doth he that sees the glorious light of the Sunne, see al which the Sunne doth enlighten? or can hee bee present where euer the beames of the Sunne are?
Oh, but they call not on the Saints as Gods, but as Obiect.Gods friends.
First, this is false: for by this inuocation they ascribe Answ.vntounto them omnipresence, and omnipotency, and therefore they inuocate them as Gods. Secondly, Idolatrie is a spirituall whoredome: now it will bee no good excuse for a woman, to say, Shee is not so bad, shee yeelds not her body to her husbands enemies, but to his speciall friends.
Aquinas stands much on one place to proue inuocation of Saints, and that is, Iob 5. 1. Call now if any will Obiect.answere, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne? therefore, saith hee, wee may call vponupon the Saints, and they will heare vsus.
A most silly argument: for, first, by Saints, Eliphas Answ.meaneth not Saints in heauen, but in earth. Secondly, by turning to them, he meanes not, that he should doe it by inuocation, but by considering of former examples: and it is, as if he had said, GiueGive me example of any Saint so punished, as thou art, and not for sinne: for that was the argument. Thirdly, suppose hee had wished him to call vponupon the Saints, yet it was the speech of a man, subiect to error, and not of God; and if he exhorted Iob to Saint-worship, he was not to be obeyed. Fourthly, Eliphas in the eighth Verse sheweth, whom he should go to for helpe, saying, I would enquire of God, and turne my talke to God, namely, to pray vntounto him, and repent before him, if I were as thou, in thy misery.
The last obiection hath more wit then good matter. Obiect.As, say they, We beleeue the communion of Saints, so wee must beleeue the communion of prayers: for this is the chiefest benefit and speciall part of communitie.
In the naturall body, common sense is distinguished Answ.from eueryevery proper sense: so is it in the mysticall body; the Saints that are absent, helpe vsus in common consent of nature, but the present Saints, which are on earth, onelyonly they helpe vsus with the proper sense of our misery, which they know, and therefore lend vsus helpe: in generall, they desire our good, crying with a lowd voyce, and saying, How long, Lord, holy and true, &c. but in speciall they know not our estate. Againe, there is a twofold communication; one of person, in the same mysticall body; and so wee acknowledge wee are one▪ with the Saints in heauen; the other of office and speciall administration; and thus only the Saints on earth are in communion with vsus; they in heauen cannot doe the same office for vsus, as we can doe one for another.
Thirdly, much lesse can any godly man pray to dead Use 3.things, to Images, stocks, and stones, to a piece of bread in the Masse, to Relikes as bones and rags, and much lesse to the woodden Crosse: all which directly ouerthrowes the horrible Idolatrie of the Church of Rome, whose Idols are aboue the Idols of the Gentiles, both in basenesse and in multitude.
For the first: if the Heathens had worshipped Mice, or Rats, or Frogs, yet they would hauehave scorned to worship rags and bones, and mouldy bread, and a rotten stick, or block, for the Crosses Relike, and yet these the Papists doe inuocate. As for the number, Augustine notes, that the Heathen had three thousand knowne gods, and in diuers places three hundred Iupiters, or chiefe gods: but the Papists hauehave multiplied three thousand by thirty thousand: eueryevery Citie, nay not only eueryevery City (for not according to the number of their Cities, but of their families, is the number of their gods:) eueryevery house, nay, eueryevery person hath his speciall Angell to bee prayed vntounto daily; eueryevery state, order, art, disease hath a speciall Patrone and Physician to be inuocated. EueryEvery Altar, eueryevery consecrated Host receiued or boxed vp, is a God, new made by the Priest and Baker, and this must bee inuocated. Yea the holy beasts in Popery hauehave their seuerall gods; the horse hath S. Loy to pray vntounto if he can, and the Pigs hauehave S. Anthony: the Sea hath her Neptune among the Heathens, the Woods their Satyres, the Waters their Nymphs, the Corne Ceres, the Wine Bacchus, and the very like heathenish superstition and idolatrie is in Popery. I will not speake of the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, Bishops, and Fathers, and a Legion of Legend-Saints canonized, and speciall prayer directed vntounto them. Whence I conclude, that Religion to bee an heape of Idolatrie, and a sinke of damnable heresie.
Fourthly, we see by this doctrine, where to speede our Vse 4.selues in affliction, and whither to goe, namely, to God: for so did the Prophets, Apostles, Saints, and Christ on the Crosse, and we hauehave no example to the contrary.
Yea, but the worst will runne to God in trouble and Obiect.danger, and seeke him diligently, Hos. 5. 15.
First, the wicked first try all meanes abroad, if they Answ.can hauehave any helpe and refuge. Psal. 4. 6. Many say, Who will shew vsus any good? if they can finde helpe there, that is their god for the present.
Secondly, if an vngodly man see no helpe there, his heart is downe, he must then to God, but he prayeth not; he only howles vponupon the bed of his sorrow like a beast, through sense of paine.
Thirdly, in his shewes of prayer, hee seekes not God, but himselfe, not Gods fauour, but present ease.
Fourthly, the manner of his prayer is tumultuous, his desires are not distinct, his prayer not settled in his soule vponupon true sense of his want, his voyce not tuned by the Spirit; his lips walke, but his heart mooues not; so hee babbleth wordes, he is soone wearie, he is in a businesse that hee is not vsed to, and at least hee holds not on till God answere him.
Fifthly, if he obtayne reliefe or release, he can impute it to second causes, and then he hath done with God till he need him againe. Thus he hath neither experience of Gods louelove, nor increase of louelove to God. Thus it is hard for him to pray in affliction, and he can neuer doe it well that is not a godly man, accustomed to prayer in his peace.