A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the great and wonderfull efficacie of prayer.
AS first in the elements, the earth, the water, theOf the efficacy of prayer, in respect 1. of the …lements: aire, the fire. At the prayer of Moses the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram with their families, Numb. 16. At his prayer also the hard rocks sent forth rivers of waters, Exod. 17. Samson having slain a thousand Philistines with the jaw-bone of an asse, Judg. 5. 18, 19. (whereupon the place was called Lehi, which signifieth a jaw-bone) and being ready to perish with thirst, by prayer obteined a well of living water which continued to posteritie, which the Lord opened unto him in Lehi (not the jaw-bone, but the place so called) which for a perpetuall monument of the efficacie of prayer, he called Enhakkore, the fountain of him that prayed. At the prayer of Moses, Exod. 14. the waters of the red sea gave place to the Israelites and overwhelmed their enemies.
But come we to the aire. Elias being a man* subject foreignto the like passions with us (which the Apostle James noteth chap. 5. 17, 18. that we might in like manner hope to be heard) prayed a prayer, that is, prayed effectually, that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth for three yeares and six moneths: and he prayed again, and the heavens (that is, the aire) gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Concerning fire, we have two examples of the same Elias: the former, 1. Kings 18. where by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice: the latter, 2. Kings 1. where also by prayer he brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two captains with their fifties.
But leaving the elements, let us in our cogitations2. of the heavens and heavenly bodies. ascend into heáven. For most admirable is that example Josh. 10. 15. where at the prayer of Joshua (for he is said to have spoken to the Lord, and the Lord to have hearkened to his voice) the sunne stood still in the middest of heaven for the space of one whole day, untill the Israelites were avenged on their enemies. And no lesse admirable is that example of the Prophet Isaiah, 2. Kings 20. 11. at whose prayer not onelyonly the shadow in the sunne-diall but the sunne it self in the firmament went back ten degrees, Isa. 38. 8. Ecclus 48. 23.
Neither is the efficacie of prayer seen upon those creatures alone which are without sense, but upon those also which are indued with sense and reason. Jonah when he was swallowed up of the whale, and lay in the belly thereof as in a grave for the space of three dayes and three nights, having cried to the Lord de profundis, he was restored safe to land, Jonah 2. As touching men; the efficacie of prayer3. of men. appeareth in the deliverance not onelyonly of particular men, but also of whole cities and countreys from the fury and force of their enemies were they never so mightie or so many. When Peter was by Herod cast into prison, and kept by foure quaternions of souldiers, lying in the night before he should be put to death between two souldiers bound with two chains, the keepers also before the doore keeping the prison, at the instant prayer of the Church which effectually prayed for his deliverance, the Lord sent his angel to set him at libertie, Acts 12. 5. Elias the Prophet being armed with the spirit of prayer when Ahaziah the king had sent three captains of fifties one after another to apprehend him, he not onelyonly brought down fire from heaven to destroy the two first with their fifties, as I said before, but also he brought the third captain upon his knees, humbly intreating him that his own life and the lives of all his companie might be precious in his sight, 2. Kings 1. Elisha also, upon whom the spirit of Elias was doubled, when Ben-hadad king of Syria had sent an armie of men with horses and chariots to apprehend him, the armie having by night environed the citie where the Prophet was and besieged it, by prayer he had them in his power, striketh them blind, leadeth them to Samaria, and having2. Kings 6. by prayer opened their eyes that they might see their present danger, he victualleth them, and sendeth them away as vanquished.
Now for the defense and deliverance of whole peoples and common-wealths, such is the efficacie of prayer, that those who are indued with the spirit of supplication may not unworthily with Elias and Elisha be called the horsemen and chariots of Israel. By prayer Asa, 2. Chron. 14. Jehoshaphat, 2. Chron. 20. 25. Hezekiah, 2. Kings 19. overcame most mighty armies of their enemies, which by their own strength they were in no sort able to resist. But most remarkable is that example of Moses at the battel of Rephidim: whereby it appeareth to be true which Chrysostome upon that occasion noteth,Chrysost. De orat. lib. 2. cap. 1. Preces justorum plus valere quàm arma, the prayers of the righteous more prevail then arms. For whilest Moses being on the hill with Aaron and Hur holdeth up his hands and is fervent in prayer, Israel hath the better; but when his hands fall down and he ceaseth to pray, Israel hath the worse; as if the welfare of Gods people did depend upon his prayer.
But what speak I of men? That which subdueth4. of sicknesse, death, and devils. all men giveth place unto prayer, as sicknesse and death. For the former; Jam. 5. 15. The prayer of faith shall save, or make whole, the sick. Examples, Num. 12. 13. in Miriam; Acts 28. 8. in the father of Publius; but especially in Hezekiah, who, though he had received the sentence of death, obteined by prayer the prolonging of his life, 2. Kings 20. 2. For the latter; we reade of many who by prayer have been restored from death unto life: as namely, the widows child of Sarepta, 1. Kings 17. 21. the sonne of the Shunamite by Elisha, 2. Kings 4. 35. Dorcas by Peter, and all by prayer. Yea, the devils themselves, who are said to have the power of death, give place to prayer: yea, that kind of devil which by no other means can be cast out, is cast out by prayer, Matth. 17. 21.
And yet we stay not here: For the efficacie of5. of God, prayer is of greatest essicacie. prayer is not onelyonly seen in and upon the creatures; but the effectuall prayer of a righteous man availeth much with God, Jam. 5. 16. For the Lord being omnipotent and of a most simple and pure nature, and therefore not subject to passive power, cannot properly be said to suffer any thing: yet having by most gracious promises bound himself to grant the faithfull prayers of his children, they are said to prevail with him; both because they obtein such blessings at his hands as otherwise would not be granted, and turn away such judgements as otherwise would have been inflicted. For else when the Lord was ready to have destroyed the Israelites for their idolatry, had not Moses stood up in the gap, Psal. 106. 23. why did the Lord bid him let him alone, Exod. 32. 10. but that Moses by prayer laid hold upon God, as the Prophet speaketh, Isa. 64 7. and staid his hand? And why is Jacob said to have prevailed with God, and thereupon is called Israel, but that the Lord suffered himself as it were to be overcome by his prayer? whereby he laid hold upon Christ, who is meant by that Angel, and would not suffer him to depart untill he had granted him a blessing, Gen. 32. 26, 28. And so the Prophet Hosea teacheth, that when Jacob wrestled with the Angel, he prevailed with him not so much by strength of body, as by earnest and effectuall prayer: He had power, saith he, chap. 12. 4. over the Angel and prevailed, he wept and made supplication to him, &c. And in this sense the Apostle exhorteth the Romanes, chap. 15. 30. foreign, together with him to wrestle in their prayers for him. And Epaphras in like manner is said, Col. 4. 12. to have wrestled for the Colossians in prayer. And what else meaneth the parable of the widow and the judge, Luke 18. 2. and of the two friends, Luke 11. 5. but that the importunitie of our prayers prevaileth with the Almighty? And thus the woman of Syrophenicia, Matth. 15. 22, 28. having taken divers repulses, yet at the length by the importunitie of her faithfull prayer prevailed with Christ.
The use of this doctrine is, 1. That by considerationThe uses. of the great efficacie of prayer we should be moved upon all occasions to pray without fainting: Luke 18. 1. Jam. 1. 16. 2. That we may be encouraged to pray with confidence and assurance to be heard. And so much of the first question.