A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Of the matter and subject of our prayers, and what is required thereunto; namely, that it be good and according to Gods will.
NOw followeth the matter or the subject; that is, the things for which we either do pray or give thanks. Conc…rning which this is to be noted in generall, That we have a sound perswasion grounded on the word of God that they be lawfull and good: First, because what is not of faith is s…n, Rom. 14. 23. Secondly, for what we do elther pray or give thanks to God, thereof we acknowledge God to be the authour: but it is blasphemous to make God the authour of that which is wicked & unlawfull. Thirdly, prayers must be made in faith, viz. that God accepteth our prayers and will grant them unto us. This faith must be grounded on Gods promise; and God promiseth to give good things to them that ask, Matth. 7. 11. Evil things are not within the compasse of Gods promise; for the foretelling of that which is evil is rather a threatn…ng then a promise. Fourthly, the assurance that we have to be heard, is when we ask any thing according to Gods will, 1. John 5. 14. but to ask evil things is not according to Gods will. Fifthly, they that call upon God for evil things are like the wicked, Psal. 50. who think that God is like unto them. Sixthly, if we ask good things we have assurance toMenande…. be heard, Matth. 7. 11. 1. John 5. 14. foreign.
For our direction in this behalf our Saviour Christ hath prescribed a most perfect form of pray▪ er, which is summa petendorum, the summe of things to be desired: So that whatsoever may be referred thereunto we may be assured is according to Gods will; but what cannot be referred to some part of the Lords prayer, that our Saviour hath not taught us to ask nor the Father promised to give.
There remaineth the last point: For now it mayHow we may be enabled to pray according to Gods will. be demanded, How we being so corrupt and sinfull in our selves, should be able to pray according to the will of God.
Of our selves indeed we are not able to think a good thought, and much lesse to conceive an acceptable prayer? Of our selves we cannot say that Jesus is the Lord, and much lesse call upon God as our Father in Christ: But the Spirit of God helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray as we ought; but the Spirit it self maketh intercossion for us with gronings which cannot be …ttered. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to God, Rom. 8. 26, 27. Quodnon sic est intelligendum, saithEpist. 121. Augustine, ut existimemus sanctum Spiritum Dei, qui in Trinitate incommunicabilis Deus est, & cum Patre & Filio unus Deus, tanquam aliquem qui non sit quod Deus est interpellare pro sanctis. Dictum quippe est, INTERPELLAT PRO SANCTIS, quia interpellare sanctos facit. Sicut dictum est, TENTAT VOS DEUS VESTER UT SCIAT SI DILIGATIS EUM: hoc est, ut scire vos faciat: Which is not so to be understood, that we should think the holy Spirit of God, which in the Trinitie is God incommunicable, and with the Father and Sonne one God, should pray for the Saints unto one who is not that which God is. But it is said, He prayeth for the Saints, because he inableth the Saints to pray: as it is said, Your God tempteth you that he may know whether ye love him: that is, that he may cause you to know it. It is well said of Chrysostome, Supra vires hominis est sacere cum Lib. 2. De …. 120.Deo colloquium nisi adsit vis & actus Spiritûs sancti: It is above the strength of man to conferre with God unlesse the vertue & operation of the Spirit be present. And therefore when we pray we are to crave the assistance of Gods spirit, which is the spirit of grace and prayer, Zech. 12. 10. which God hath promised to give to them that ask him, Luke 11. 13. and in and by his holy spirit we are to call upon God, Jude v. 20. For whereas many graces and dutiesZech. 12. 10. Heb. 10. 29. are required in prayer all which are above our own strength, the spirit of God, which is the spirit of grace and supplication, effecteth them all in the children of God. It is he that prepareth our hearts to prayer, Psal. 10. 17. that openeth our lips that our mouth may shew sorth his praise, Psal. 51. 15. It is he that anointeth our blind eyes that we may see, and toucheth our senselesse hearts that we may feel our misery and want, that in true humility of soul we may poure forth our hearts before God. It is the spirit of the fear of God that maketh us to come with due reverence of his Majestie. It is the spirit of suppllcations that maketh our frozen and benummed hearts to pray fervently with sighs that cannot be expressed. It is the spirit of adoption who testifieth unto our spirits that we are the children of God, by which we do cry in our hearts, Abba, Father. Finally, it is the spirit of grace which helpeth our infirmities, and furnisheth us with those graces which be requisite in prayer, and teacheth us to pray according to God. And this is that which Paul teacheth us, that we have accesse to the Father through the Sonne and by the holy Ghost, Ephes. 2. 18. that is, in the name and mediation of Christ, by the help and assistance of the holy Ghost. For being both unworthy in our selves, and of our selves unable to call upon God as we ought, if we come in the name of Christ craving the assistance of the holy Spirit, in Christ we shall be accepted, and by the holy Ghost enabled to pray according to God.
But here we are to take heed that we abuse not this doctrine concerning the help and assistance of the holy Ghost in prayer, by neglecting our own indeavour and presuming of the extraordinary inspiration of the holy Ghost: for that is to tempt God: But in doing the uttermost of our own indeavour, we are to crave the assistance of Gods Spirit, who will not be wanting to those who are not wanting to themselves. Now if it be demanded how theseQuest. things may stand together, that no man can pray without the spirit of God and without faith, and yet both the spirit and faith is to be obteined by prayer; I answer, God by his preventing graceAnsw. worketh in us a true desire of grace and of faith; which desire of grace is the beginning of the grace desired. And therefore the grace of the spirit and faith in order of nature go before prayer, which is the effect of that desire, and yet prayer goeth before the knowledge or feeling of either of both.