Time Well Spent in Sacred Meditations, Part 119 – Part 127
Prayer.
1. As it is dangerous when wee like well our Tvvo extremities to bee avoided about prayer.prayers to bee therefore perſwaded God liketh them, ſeeing they have their ſpots which not ſeen defile our prayers, ſo contrarily when wee diſlike them.
2. How few prayers Fevv prayers made in faith.are there made in faith? not one of many; for beſides all cold and careleſſe prayers, even then when wee ſee and feele our wants and earneſtly deſire grace, yet hardly can wee be perſwaded that God ſo loveth us, and liketh our prayers, that he is well pleaſed and will accept thereof: Its true, when we pleaſe our ſelves and At vvhat tim… vvee thinke God is ple…ſed vvith us, at vvhat time not.feele not our wants, wee eaſily reſt, and ſay, God is with us, (which for the moſt part is either ſecurity or pride and preſumption) but when we feele our unworthineſſe and have our conſcience accuſing us of many wants, then wee feare, the Lord regardeth us not, but abhorreth our ſervice, which likewiſe for the moſt part is meere unbeleefe, although I ſay not but in either of thoſe there may lye covered ſome ſparke of faith not ſeene: but in our beſt prayers to ſee our wants, to abhorre them, and in our greateſt defects to ſee Gods Spirit to comfort us therein, and ſo in both truly to bee perſwaded that God will for the merit of Chriſt pardon our wants, and accept the worke of his Spirit, this is true faith, ſeldome ſeen in our prayers.
3. Prayer is as the Prayer the Chriſtians pulſe.pulſe ſhewing the ſtate of the heart. If the ſpirituall life bee weake, ſuch will our prayers bee, and contrarily, whoſoever is very godly hath great life in prayer.
4. As a ſicke body feels no reliſh in good meate The ſick ſoule reliſhes not prayer.and drink: ſo the ſick ſoule in prayer, whereby, who ſo findeth ſweet taſt, comfort and ſtrength, is in good caſe.
5. Wee often pray Though vve too often faile, yet is there a conſtant courſe to be kept in prayer.more for cuſtome and company then drawne by our wants, yet its good to keepe a conſtant courſe, that as in meate one morſell may get downe another, ſo by praying wee may get more ſtomach to pray.
6. The unregenerate Difference betvveene the godlies and ungodlies comming to God by prayer.may come to God in prayer, with knowledge that he is a mercifull God to his enemies, ſpecially to all that ſeeke to him, and ſo may deſire and ſue with feare, for ſome favour; but the faithfull are to come as to their father with joy and comfort of favour.
7. The Lord our God tendering our good, hath among many meanes, Prayer commended unto us by many arguments.commended unto us prayer to be an helpe at hand in all our neceſſities, Phil. 4. 6. and becauſe we by nature be altogether unapt to it, it being ſo heavenly and wee ſo earthly, he hath by all arguments commended it to us, as 1. from his owne precept, Pſal. 50. 15. Mat. 7. 7. 2. from its nature, a moſt heavenly worke of the Spirit. Epheſ. 6. 3. that its a chiefe meanes of Gods glory. Pſal. 50. laſt, 4. that its the moſt gainefull trade. Iames 5. 5. that it hath great promiſes. ibid. 6. that its moſt practiſed of the moſt godly, and may be had when all other meanes be taken away.
8. There be two common Two common evils about prayer.evills, either wee know not how to pray, or we want conſcience to uſe our knowledge.
9. Prayer is a ſpeaking What praier is.to God in Spirit according to his will, or a crying of the heart to God, which ſets out the matter and manner, not cold but fervent.
10. The voice is but an The voice not of the nature of prayer.helpe ſometimes, not of the nature of prayer, yea its more then a minding what we ſay or heare, for the heart muſt be occupied, elſe no prayer.
11. Theſe three affections muſt bee ſpecially Three affections to be occupied in prayer.occupied in prayer, joy in Gods mercies, ſorrow for our ſinnes and puniſhment thereof, deſire of merciemercy.
12. Pure prayers are Prayer melodious.ſweet melodie.
13. As one man excells another in muſick, ſo in In prayer one may excell another.ſkilfull prayer.
14. There is a double gift in prayer, one of A double gift in Prayer, of ſpeech of Spirit.ſpeech effectuall for edification of others, which ſo farre forth is to be laboured for, but this may be in a reprobate. The other, in Spirit, whereby ſpecially our ſelves be inflamed, and ſo doe heate others with whom wee pray, which is rare and proper to the elect: this God likes.
15. As they who would Frequency bringeth skill in prayer.bee ſkilfull in any thing muſt bee much exerciſed therein, ſo in prayer.
16. Its a matter of ſingular Matter of comfort and terror in prayer.comfort to a true heart that God ſeeth our meaning Rom. 8. 27. as of terror, that God ſeeth our corruptions in prayer: both muſt breede conſcience.
17. As its a rare merciemercy To pray in faith is hardly got and kept.to pray in faith, which God gives to none but to his children, and not alwayes to them, but when hee is well pleaſed with them, ſo this is hardly got and kept, and therefore ſuch as will enjoy it, muſt ſpare no coſt for it, and be carefull not to diſpleaſe God.
18. Its not meet in variety of Gods dealings, to Prayer upon occaſion to hee varyed.have alwayes one forme of prayer, but upon occaſion to varie the ſame.
19. Repetitions in prayer are not unlawfull, Repetitions in Prayer not alvvayes unlavvfull.when as they ariſe upon ſome great ſenſe of ſinne, or our wants, or ſeeing our ſelves to have prayed before in faſhion, would now deſire to pray in truth, or if it bee through forgetfulneſſe of what we prayed for before, elſe they are vaine.
20. To avoide tediouſneſſe in prayer it is good How to avoide tediouſneſſe in Prayer.to pray briefely and often, as our Saviour did in the garden, yet as in long prayer we muſt take heede of cuſtome, ſuperſtition and ambition, ſo in ſhort of prophaneneſſe and careleſſeneſſe.
21. If it come to paſſe that the Lord croſſe our Why the Lord often croſſeth our fervent, bleſſeth our cold and vveake prayers.fervent prayers, and bleſſe our cold and weake ones as oft he doth, it is not to quench our zeale, and favour our coldneſſe, which is the way to hereſie and prophanneſſe, but to teach that on the one ſide wee leane not too much to our prayers, as tying the Lord to them, and on the other ſide to heate our coldneſſe in prayers, that ſeeing the Lord heareth our cold prayers, how much more will he heare our fervent and faithfull prayers.
Pride.
1. If God preferre us In proſperity pride to be avoided.and lift us up, take wee great heede of pride, leſt God caſt us downe into ſome foule ſinne or reproach.
2. The Lord hath ſuffered many ſtrong, pure, Why many have fallen by vvomen.and wiſe men to have fallen by women, to puniſh their pride in his graces.
Priviledges of the Saints.
1. Aſſurance of ſalvation, Gods protection, a Ten priviledges of the Saints.godly life, to be kept from reproachfull falls, to enjoy the helps to godlineſſe, to delight in Chriſtianity, to uſe proſperity well, as alſo adverſitie, to encreaſe in grace, perſevering therein.
2. Its a ſore evill that Moſt think not of, knovv, o… glory in their priviledges.we who perſwade our ſelves to be heires of ſalvation, doe ſo little thinke of, therfore ſo little know, therefore ſo little glory in our priviledges, and comfort our hearts in the expectation of them, and ſo by all good meanes haſten for the poſſeſſion of them, the want of all which is no ſmall cauſe of our ſo little profiting in godlineſſe.
3. The Saints are free: Seaven other priviledges.God is their father, loves them, will withhold no good thing from them; will ſave them, are protected by him, are taught to live godly.
4. They which bee in Divers ptiviledges out of the eight to the Romanes.Chriſt are freed from condemnation being juſtified by him, Rom. 8. 1. They have Chriſts Spirit dwelling in them, and guiding 1.them ſo to live as pleaſeth 2.God, whereby their corrupt nature is mortified, and a new nature quickned in them. ibid. 9. By the ſame Spirit they bee 3.boldened to call God their ſweet father, ibid. 15. being ſure they be his children, and therefore coheires 4.with Chriſt, that ſuffering with him, they may be glorified alſo. ibid. 17. They be taught alſo by the ſame Spirit to ſigh 5.waiting for their adoption even their full glory. ibid. 23. and truly hoping for 6.is with patience to abide it. ibid. 25. likewiſe they 7.be taught ſo fervently and faithfully to pray as God will accept thereof. ibid. 26 8.Howſoever God dealeth with them, and whatſoever befalleth them, God diſpoſeth it ſo, that its better ſo then otherwiſe, which comes to paſſe by the eternall determination of the Lord accordingly effecting the ſame in every degree. ibid. 28.
Profeſsion and Profeſſors.
1. Foure ſorts there are Foure ſorts of profeſſors.of Profeſſors, 1. falſe brethren, great profeſſors but 1.groſſe hypocrites, knowing they diſſemble. 2. ſuch 2.as are choaked with worldly cares of honour, riches, and the like. 3. ſuch as are 3.forward in Chriſtian exerciſes, but neglect the practice of godlineſſe. 4. which ſo heare, that they doe underſtand, 4.and that doe they practiſe in their words, workes, thoughts.
2. If we will have joy in our profeſſion, the word Hovv to rejoyce in our profeſſion.muſt winne ground daily in us, in ſubduing ſinne, even in the roote of the heart, as well as in the branches, otherwiſe wee doe onelyonly draw nigh with our lips.
3. This ſeemeth a ſound difference betweene true Difference betvveene true and falſe profeſſors.and falſe profeſſors, the true preferring grace before all vanities, and thinking them that have moſt, moſt happie, ever complaine of their ſpirituall povertie, thirſting and labouring for grace more and more. The falſe, they reſt in that little grace they thinke they have, and are drawne to the earneſt purſuit of vanitie.
Promiſes.
Promiſes properly appertaine Difference betvveene promiſes and threatnings.to the renewed part, threatnings to the unrenewed.
Puniſhment of ſinne.
When our ſinnes proceede What ſort of ſinnes the Lord doth eſpecially puniſh.of particular and not of generall defects, if we offend of infirmity and not of preſumption, the Lord will not puniſh ſo ſtraitly in temporal things for the particular ſinne bringeth not wrath, but the being in that ſin, and not repenting for it, which drawing in other ſinnes withall, may draw wrath from the Lord, ſo that one ſinner is ſaid to bee ſpared, five puniſhed, if for his particular ſinnes he being admoniſhed ſhall be humbled as David by Nathan, 2 Sam. 12. Iehoſaphat by Iehu. 2 Chron. 19. Or being afflicted ſhall profit thereby, becauſe in this caſe he ſeeketh not to draw other ſinnes, but laboureth to put away that one ſinne puniſhed, when notwithſtanding admonitions for merciemercy, and threatnings for judgements, hee maketh a way for the Lords indignation: ſo that we may comfort Comfort againſt particular offences.our ſelves for particular offences, if in the generall courſe of our life wee follow the Lord: neither have the wicked here any liberty to nouriſh ſin ſecretly, who uſe to ſinne by degrees: but when they preſume Gods judgemēts on the vvicked.to lye ſtill in one ſin, thinking that for it they ſhall not be puniſhed, it is the judgement of God to ſuffer them to fall from one ſinne to many, ſo from little ſinnes to groſſe offences.
Reconciliation.
1. IN reconciliation making, this is the beſt way Hovv enemies may become friends.that either party weighing their owne ſin (which ſhall moſt hurt them) doe chiefely accuſe themſelves and excuſe the other, and withall doe profeſſe they will no more ſo offend, but will love, though they ſhould not bee loved againe.
2. Its in vaine to ſpeak unto God for others, unleſſe Hovv needfull reconciliation vvith God is.wee our ſelves bee reconciled unto him through Chriſt.
Redemption.
Unleſſe a man ſee himſelfe even utterly loſt, unable any wayes elſe to bee By vvhat meanes a man may pri… demption.delivered, he never priſeth redemption, whereof this is the power, profit, and praiſe, that when all helps faile, and all creatures bee againſt us, yet a full ranſome is given to our hands, and perfect reſtitution beyond all hope.
Regeneration.
In regeneration or dying The tryall of the heart in regenerationunto ſinne, wee then come to the tryall of our hearts, when wee come at thoſe things wherein either nature or cuſtome doth breede delight.