A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. Of Faith, which is chiefly required in prayer.
BUt the chief thing which maketh prayer effectuall is Faith: whereof Fervency it self is a fruit: And therefore our Saviour attributeth the earnestnesse and importunity of the woman of Syrophenicia's prayer to the greatnesse of her faith, Matth. 15. 28. For that prayer which S. James, chap. 5. 16. calleth foreign, in the 15. verse he calleth foreign, the prayer of saith.
Now in prayer there is a double faith required:A double faith required in prayer The one more generall, apprehending the promises of the Gospel concerning salvation by Christ, by which we are in some measure perswaded that we and our prayers are accepted of God in Christ: Of which I have spoken before in the general doctrine, Rom. 10. 14. Heb. 11. 6. Ephes. 3. 12. The other more speciall, giving speciall assent to the promise made to our prayer, whereby we are perswaded that our particular requests shall be granted unto us according to Gods gracious promise in this behalf; Matth. 7. 7, 8. John 14. 13, 14. and 16. 23, 24.
To pray effectually therefore is to pray faithfully. For what things soever, saith our Saviour, ye Mark 11. 24. Matth. 22. 21desire when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them. And it is usuall with our Saviour Christ to dismisse his suiters with this answer, As thou believest so be it unto thee. On the other side he prayeth not effectually who doubteth whether he shall be heard or not: Wherefore, as S. James saith, chap. 1. 5. If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God, and it shall be given him: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed to and fro. Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. So S. Paul, 1. Tim. 2. 8. would have men pray without doubting. Examples; Psal. 4. 3. and 55. 16, 17. And the Apostle S. John saith, This is our confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us: and if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him, 1. John 5. 14, 15. Wherefore seeing in Christ we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him, Ephes. 3. 12. we ought as we are exhorted Hebr. 4. 16. to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtein mercy and find grace to help in time of need; and draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, Heb. 10. 19, 22.
But here a distinction is to be used. In mattersThat we must pray for spiritual things absolutely; spirituall necessary to salvation, as we are to ask them absolutely, as being perswaded that God hath subordinated our salvation to his own glory; so are we absolutely to believe that the Lord will grant them unto us. Yea, this may be added for our comfort, that if God hath given us grace unfeignedly and earnestly to desire any saving grace, the same grace is begun in us. In matters temporall or spirituallfor temporall things conditionally. which are not necessary to salvation, as 2. Cor. 12. as we are to ask them conditionally, so far forth as they may stand with Gods glory and the good of our selves and our brethren, so are we to believe that he will so far forth grant them, and therefore that he will either grant our desire or that which is better. For which cause in such requests we are most willingly with our Saviour Christ to submit our will and desires to the will and pleasure of God, Matth. 26. 39, 42. who as he knoweth what is good for us better then our selves, so he is most ready to give good things unto us, Matth. 7. 11. and therefore we are alwayes to believe that our requests being rightly conceived shall be granted unto us.
I would believe that I should be heard, were itObject. not for mine unworthinesse and my wants in prayer.
Indeed thou mayest be such an one, and suchAnsw. may be thy prayers, as thou canst have no hope to be heard: that is, if thou be an impenitent and unbelieving sinner God will not heare thee; or if thou pray in hypocris…e and dissimulation the Lord will not heare thy prayer. But if thou art a penitent and believing sinner, yea, if thou dost unfeignedly desire to believe and repent, and dost pray unto the Lord in truth with unfeigned lips, thou oughtest to pray with assurance to be heard: and this thy faith and assurance must not be grounded on thine own worthinesse or dignitie of thy prayer, but on the undoubted promises of God, and on the merits and mediation of Christ, in whom both we & our prayers are accepted of God. As for the sense of thine unworthinesse, if it be in truth and joyned with unfeigned desire of grace, it ought to make thee the rather to pray in faith: for such, as I have shewed, our Saviour calleth with promise to heare and help them: And such he pronounceth blessed, Matth. 11. 28. John 7. 37. Matth. 5. 4, 5, 6.
Now for the helping of our faith, we are in ourMeditations to strengthen our faith in prayer. preparation to meditate of these things especially: First, of the power of God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we do ask or think, Eph. 3. 20.
Secondly, of his fatherly good will, who will deny us nothing that is good, Matth. 7. 11. The consideration of both which our Saviour hath prefixed before the Lords prayer, when he teacheth us to call upon God as our Father, therein noting his love & good will; which is in heaven, therein noting his power, Psal. 111. 3. that being perswaded that God is both able and willing to grant our requests, we might pray in faith and assurance that our prayer shall be heard.
Thirdly, of his gracious promises made unto prayer: as Matth. 7. 7, 8. John 16. 23, 24. which if we cannot find in our hearts to believe, we are not to pray; for in not believing we make God a liar.
Lastly and especially, of the merits and mediation of our Saviour Christ who sitteth at the right handRom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. of his Father making intercession for us.
Though our prayer must be fervent and confident, yet with submission to the will of God; Quid, Quale, Quantum, Quomodo, Quando, Vbi, what, of what kind, how much, after what manner, when and where he is pleased to give, knowing that he is able foreign, exceeding abundantly. We are not to limitEphes. 3. 20. God or to circumscribe him by circumstances. It is reckoned, Psal. 78. 41. among the faults of the old Israelites, that they circumscribed the holy One of Israel; and is effectually reproved by Judeth, chap. 8. 11, 16. in the governours of Bethulia, who appointed to the Lord the term of five dayes to deliver them, otherwise they would give up their city. Not that it is simply unlawfull to mention circumstances, so it be done with submission to the will of God either expressed or understood; Gen. 24. 12, &c. Psal. 102. 2.
Now, as I said, we do by prayer effectually crave that which we do well, that is, lawfully and profitably, desire at the hands of God. Lawfully, when we desire that which is good, and to a good end: For if it be not good which we desire, then is our desire unlawfull, and we sinne in going about to make God the authour of sinne. God hath promised to give good things to them that ask, Matth. 7. 11. But if they be not good, they are not within the compasse of Gods promise, nor ought to come within the compasse of our desire. If not to a good end, our desire is not lawfull nor our prayer acceptable, Jam. 4. 3. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amisse, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
But as the thing must be good in it self, so also it must be good unto us, that is, expedient and profitable: for God as a most wise Father doth not alwayes grant his children their desires; for many times they ask that which would be hurtfull: for we know not what to ask as we ought, Rom. 8. 26. But he heareth them alwayes though not ad voluntatem, to their will, yet ad utilitatem, to their profit. And therefore when he seemeth not to satisfie our particular desire, he graciously heareth our prayer, if it be rightly conceived. For we ought all to be of that mind which some of the heathen expressed in their prayer mentioned in Plato and in the Greek Epigramme,
foreign.
Good things, great Jove, pray or pray not, impart To us; but bad, though crav'd, from us avert.