The Kings Bath, Section 5
Vers. 16.Vers. 16.
And Iesus, when hee was baptized, came straight out of the water, and loe, the heauens were opened vntounto him, and hee saw the Spirit of God descending like a Doue, and lighting vponupon him.
Sect. 5.
NOw followeth the solemne inuesting of Christ into his office by three wonderfull and admirable effects: first,Christs prayer being come out of the water. the opening of the heauens: secondly, the descēding of the holy Ghost in a visible shape vponupon him: thirdly, his Fathers voyce concerning him.
But first it is said, that Christ, so soone as hee was baptized, came straight out of the water, and this not without iust reason: for 1. whereas Iohn in his baptisme of others preached vntounto them, and admonished them to looke to their faith and repentance, and before they came out of the water, instructed thē in the doctrine of Baptisme, and exhorted to bring forth fruites worthy repentance, vers. 8. so as they were stayed awhile (as it seemeth) after their baptisme, Christ presently ascēded; where Iohns wisedome is commended in putting difference betweene the person of Christ and others: he knew, that though Christ must be baptized with his baptisme, yet he needed not his instruction: and teacheth Ministers wisely to see into the estate of their people, that they performe duties to them according to their seuerall necessities.
2. It sheweth the willingnes of Christ to vndertake his office; he staied no longer than he must needs: and indeed all his obedience was most voluntarie, teaching vsus also to make haste, & not delay in doing the worke which God hath committed to vsus. Psal. 119. 60. and ver. 32. I will runne the way of thy commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart: we louelove quicke seruants, and so doth God.
3. Christ stayed not in the water, but hasted to receiue the Spirit promised in his baptism, and teacheth vsus not to stay in outward washings, but hasten our selues to the Spirit, without which, all externall washings auaile nothing: it is meet to vse the outward meanes as Christ did, but not to stay in them: for, further than the Spirit accompanies them, they are but dead and powerlesse.
4. This speedie comming out of the water, was a type of his rising from vnderunder our sinne, which his baptisme washed away, and of ours in him. Againe, the Euangelist Luke hath another circumstance, chap. 3. 21. That Christ as he was baptized, did pray. It is vndoubted,Why Christ prayed at his baptisme. that Christ both before, and in the time of baptisme, did lift vp his heart in requests vntounto his Father; but now the Euangelist recordeth, that so soone as hee was baptized, hee composeth himselfe vponupon the banke of Iordan, to solemne and humble prayer, both in respect of that which he had done, and that hee was further to doe.
For the first, he was now baptized, and in regard of that hee prayed, and teacheth vsus, 1. in that hee first was baptized, and then prayed, that wee must be first cleansed and sanctified, and then pray: men must lift pure hands with pure hearts in eueryevery place, God will not heare sinners; hands full of blood, and an heart full of hypocrisie, make prayer abominable: therefore wash you and make you cleane, and then come, and we will reason together, saith the Lord, Isa. 1. 16. 2. In receiuing the Sacrament, a holy heart knowes that hee hath to doe with God, and lifteth it selfe aboue sensible elements; it labours to approue it selfe to God, and lookes not at men, but at God and his couenant, and renewes it selfe with faith, repentance, & inuocation. 3. In that Christ goeth to God for a blessing vponupon the Sacrament receiued, we learne that all the grace, holinesse, and efficacie of any Sacrament is to be obtained, continued and encreased by the meanes of prayer.
For the second, Christ prayed in respect of that hee was to doe.
1. Hee was now to be declared that great Prophet of his Church, Deut. 18. 18. And the whole ministry of the new testament was now to be deliuered and consecrated in him, & therfore vndertaking this great worke, he goeth to his Father for blessing and successe in it.
2. He was now in a solemne manner by sundry testimonies from heauen, to be set apart for the worke of Redemption, and the saluation of man being lost, a ministry which men and Angels were all too weake for: and no maruaile if he pray to his Father for sufficient strength and grace to vndergoe the same.
3. He knew that the heauens were to be opened, and therefore he will be in prayer, to shew the power of prayer, that it pierceth the heauens, and entreth the presence of God, and preuaileth for blessing.
4. The Spirit was to descend vponupon him, and therefore hee would be in prayer, to teach vsus, that the prayers of Gods children are of that force, that they bring downe the holy Ghost with all graces vponupon earth; as else-where it is said,Luk. 11. 1…. If you that are euill, can giuegive your children good things, how much more will your heauenly. Father giuegive the holy Ghost to them that ask him?
5. God the Father was to testifie of him as hee neuer did of any: Christ would be apart at prayer, not only that the people should not mistake the person, on whom the Spirit descended, and the voice was vttered, but also that wee might note, that faithfull prayer doth cause God to giuegive some euident testimony or other vponupon those, with whom hee is well-pleased: for prayer from time to time hath procured Gods louing fauour to his children, and the fruites of it in all necessary blessings, spirituall and temporall.
Now, in that Christ here vndertaketh his office, and the Sacrament with prayer, we learne, that
Whatsoeuer we take in hand,Doct. wee must reuerently and religiously vndertake it with prayer, but especially two things aboue other: 1. The parts of Gods holy worship. 2. The duties of our callings: in both which our Lord goeth here before vsus in example. Shall Christ doe this, and hauehave not we more need?
First, the parts of Gods worship. 1.Parts of Gods worship to be entred with prayer. We are to come into the glorious presence of God, who is of pure eyes, and cannot behold wickednes, Habak. 1. 13. but requires holinesse and purity in the worshippers of him: for, what hast thou to doe with my law and ordinances, who hatest to be reformed? he will glorifie himselfe in all that come neere him; and therefore wee ought not to come without leaue, reuerence, preparation, and prayer. 2. If wee consider the vanity and profanenesse of our nature, the wandring of our hearts, and thereby our vnfitnesse and disability in Gods seruice, we shall plainly see, that we hauehave neede to looke to our feet, and to get grace by prayer, that we may be pleasing in his sight.
Secondly,So are the seuerall duties of our special callings. the duties of our callings. Col. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer yee shall doe in word or deede, doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus, giuing thankes to God: a generall rule for all the actions of thy calling, yea, of thy life, and for all the words of thy mouth, is this: Begin with Christ, and end with him, that it may be to his glory. This prayer hath two parts: 1. Petition before, whereby especially in the beginning of the day, & the work of it, a Christian craues Gods assistance, blessing, & acceptance. 2. Thankesgiuing at the end of the day, & of his labour, for his calling, for the free vse of it, and Gods blessing in the successe: Both are necessary;
1. Because eueryevery creature of God,Reasons. and eueryevery ordinance, is sanctified by the word & prayer, 1. Tim. 4. 4. the word sheweth the lawfulnesse of the duty to be done, and directeth vsus in the right manner, meanes, and ends in performance: Prayer serueth to obtaine blessing and successe; for nothing can further be blessed vntounto vsus, then we receiue the blessing thereof from GOD; and wee can looke for no blessing which wee pray not for. Consider well, and you shall see all Gods promises runne with this condition: Whatsoeuer we would hauehave God to doe vntounto vsus, our Sauiour tels vsus we must aske it in his name; Whatsoeuer yee shall aske in my name, it shall be done vntounto you: Whatsoeuer we would hauehave God to giuegive vsus, wee must not expect it out of the same condition,Math. 7. 7. Aske and it shall be giuen you. Psal. 50. 15. Call vponupon me: there is the commandement: and I will heare thee: there is the promise.
2. Such is our weakenesse, as when we doe any thing the best we can, we had need to pray to doe it better, and for pardon that we hauehave done it no better: which if it bee true in externall things and duties, wherein we are better acquainted, much more in spirituall, wherein our ability is much lesse.
3. We neuer receiue so much fauour from God, but we still stand in need to craue more, nor neuer so little, but that we hauehave much to be thankefull for.
This doctrine serues to reproueVse 1. such as content themselues with the worke of Gods worship, that come to the word and Sacraments, but beg not a blessing of God before-hand, whereas Christ himself contented not himselfe with the outward meanes, but prayed for a blessing: And this is the very cause why men find so litle taste, strength, and power in these ordinances, because Gods blessing goes not with the meanes; and therefore it is sundred from his own ordinances, because it is not asked. Is it any maruell, that whē mē come carelesly, carnally, and profanely, without reuerence & religion to the exercises of religion, that they goe away as brutishly as they come, and the longer they thus profane Gods holy things, the more senslesse and incurable they grow by them, more hardned and hopelesse? What good hath many a man gotten by customable comming to the Word and Sacraments many yeeres together? for their knowledge, babes may pose them in principles; for their conscience, we may as soone preuaile with children of three yeeres old, to sit reuerently and attentiuely, as some of three or foure score, who in the morning are so sleepy, as it were fitter they were at home in their beds, or take order to bring their beds with them; and for their profitablenesse in their places, or reformation of any thing in publike, or in their priuate families or their owne persons, God nor man can see no such thing. Now would I aske these men as old as they be, how often they can remember they hauehave humbled themselues before God, that he would blesse the Word vntounto them, and them to vnderstand it, and make conscience of it, to reforme their wayes, to comfort their consciences. Alas dead men! this is a strange motion to them, and now wee conclude, No blessing asked, none obtained, but a curse accompanied them further to harden them: whereas humble & feeling prayer would hauehave opened the heauens, and fetched downe the Spirit to hauehave accompanied the ordinance; and so some testimony would hauehave bin seene, that God had been better pleased with them and their worke.
They may likewise see their errour and reforme it,Vse 2. that attempt the ordinary duties of their calling, without calling vponupon God for a blessing; whereas it is prayer whereby all needfull things are obtained, both publike and priuate, for our selues and for others, belonging to this life, and the life to come; and the neglect hereof is the cause why many men thriue not, but rise early, goe late to bed, and eate the bread of carefulnesse, either in vaine, or else get money and put it in a broken bagge: and all is, because they humble not themselues morning & euening with their family, for a blessing on their labours, and neuer pray but coldly, and for custome, and that in the Church onelyonly. If some mans conscience now tell him, that although hee hath neuer vsed this course of prayer with his family, and yet hee thriues, and prospers, and his worke goeth well enough forward: to him, I say, 1. That he holdeth nothing that he hath, by any speciall fauour of God, but by the generall prouidence whereby he feeds the bruit creatures; and all this while God hath no more respect of him than of them. 2. He holds nothing by vertue of any promise, not being in Christ: for whatsoeuer God hath promised, he applieth it in this meanes of prayer, and not otherwise. 3. Wealth and prosperity beeing not had, or held by vertue of any promise of God, nor yet in the meanes of God, is so farre from being a blessing vntounto him, that the curse of God abides him and it; hee by it corrupts himselfe, hardens his heart, withdrawes it from God, drownes it in the things of this life, and is to be drawne to a reckoning for his vniust vsurpation.
Thirdly, let this example of Christ,Vse 3. vndertaking all his actions with prayer, somtime publikely, sometime priuately; yea his whole Passion, as in the garden often and feruently, mooue vsus to accustome our selues to this duty: for,
1. Heerein lies a difference betweene the child of God,Motiues to feruent prayer. and a worldling, betweene a sound Christian, and an hollow hypocrite: the one walketh with God, lifting vp his heart to God in holy meditations and prayers continually, as iust occasion is offered; and therefore by this title the Scripture describeth true Christians, Act. 2. 41. And Paul saluteth all the faithfull that call vponupon the name of the Lord, 1. Cor. 1. 2. The other are noted, Psal. 14. 4. by this marke, They call not vponupon God. Prayer is as the breath, whereby wee know whether a man liue the spirituall life or no: a child that cries not, is dead and still-borne, as we say; no prayer, no breath of the Spirit, & no breath, no life.
2. Our owne benefit calleth for this duty; all good comes vntounto vsus by reason of the great power of prayer, which auaileth to set heauen open, to bring down the Spirit, to pacific God, and appease him being offended. We see what great and extraordinary things the Saints hauehave obtained by prayer; Moses, Elias, &c. And lest we should thinke that these examples appertaine not to vsus weake and silly men, the Apostle Iames vrgeth this as an argument to force vsus to prayer, by the practice of Eliah, who prayed that it might not raine,Iam. 5. 17. and it rained not in three yeeres, &c. Not that we should pray so, that it may not raine for so many yeres together; but, if the power of prayer bee so preuailing with God, that therefore wee should be much and often in this duty: and surely he that can pray well, can want no good thing, needs feare none euill.
3. It is a notable fence against sinne: for, as the more sin preuailes, the lesse can a man pray; so, the more he prayes, the lesse is he ouertaken with sinne. When the true man is assaulted, if he cry for helpe, the theefe runnes away; and so doth sinne, (a theefe which euer doggeth and besetteth vsus to rob vsus, and steale away grace) if we can cry mightily to God.
4. Acquaint thy selfe with God; for the times come when nothing will stand by thee but his helpe; and therefore vse prayer, to be familiarly acquainted with him: know him now in the time of thy prayer, that he may know thee in the day of thy distresse.