Consolations for the Afflicted, Book 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of the things which God requireth in the person of him who is to make an acceptable prayer, in the time of affliction.
AND these are the reasons which may moue§ Sect. 1. The first thing required in the person is, that he be regenerate & sanctified. vsus to performe this duty of prayer in the time of our afflicitons; now that wee may pray with assurance to hauehave our suits and petitions granted, there are diuers things required; some whereof respect the person of him that prayeth; and some the prayer it selfe. In respect of the person, that wee bee regenerate, sanctified, and the sonnes of God by adoption and grace; that so hauing receiued the spirit of adoption, aRom. 8. 15. 26we may crye in our hearts Abba, Father; for wee know not how to pray as we ought, but this spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh request for vsus, with sighes and groanes which cannot be expressed, framing our praiers (not according to the lusts of our owne flesh, but the holy wil of God. And if we be thus qualified, we may be assured, that we shall hauehave our spirits grāted; for what request can God deny which his holy spirit inditeth, and maketh? or how shal we not obtaine that grace and mercy from him, which is consonant to his most iust and holy will? Besides the Lord hath bound himselfe by his most free promises, that hee will heare the prayers of his faithfull and righteous sonnes and seruants, and will grant vntounto them that louelove and feare him all their suites and requests: so the Psalmist saith, bPsal. 34. 17. &the righteous crye and the Lord heareth them, and deliuereth them out of al their troubles, and elsewhere; c84. 11.the Lord will giuegive grace and glory, and no good thing will be withhold from them that walke vprightly, so by the same oracle the Lord deliuereth this gratious answere: dPs. 91. 14. 15.Because he hath loued me therefore will I deliuer him, I will exalt him because he hath knowne my name; hee shall call vponupon me and I will heare him; I will bee with him in trouble, I will deliuer him and glorifie him. And againe hee saith, that God will eand 145. 19.fulfill the desire of them that feare him, hee also will heare their crye and will saue them. So our Sauiour promiseth, that fIohn 15. 7.if we abide in him and his words doe abide in vsus, then wee may aske what we will, and it shall be done vntounto vsus. And his beloued Apostle teacheth vsus, that g1. Iohn 3. …2.whatsoeuer wee aske, wee receiue of him because we keepe his commandements, and doe the things which are pleasing in his sight. Yea this was a receyued axiome among the Iewes, and therfore the blind man herein appealeth to their owne knowledge, hIoh 9 31.we know (saith he) that God heareth not sinners, but if any man bee a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him heareth he. And therefore howsoeuer the Apostle attributeth much to prayer, yet all is limited to the prayer of a man who is iust and righteous; the prayer (saith he) of a righteous man auaileth much, if it be feruent. So that if we would pray in assurance of Faith to bee heard, and hauehave our requests granted, we must be sanctified and purged from our corruptions; and therefore these are well ioyned together by the Apostle, i1. Tim. 2. 8.I will (saith he) that men pray eueryevery where, lifting vp pure hands without wrath or doubting. For if we come vntounto God defiled and polluted with our naturall corruptions; and ouerburthened also with our manifold and haynous transgressions and actuall sinnes; the Lord will not heare vsus; neyther can we hope that our prayers and suits can be acceptable vntounto him, when our persons are odious in his sight. Manifold testimonies of holy Scripture might bee alleaged to this purpose, the Prophet Dauid saith, that if kPsalm. 62. 18.hee should regard wickednesse in his hart, the Lord would not heare him. And the wise man telleth vsus, that lPro. 15. 8. 29.the sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord; but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vntounto him; that the Lord is farre from the wicked, but heareth the prayer of the righteous, and that mand 28. 9.he who turneth away his eare from hearing the Law, euen his prayer shall be abhominable. So the Prophet Esay telleth the Iewes, that there was in God no want of louelove to heare their prayers, nor want of power, to effect their desires: but the onelyonly let and impediment was their sinnes, which like a wall of separation, or thicke and impenetrable cloud, did hinder their prayers from ascending vntounto God, and his blessings and benefits from descending vntounto them. nEsa. 59. 1. 2. See ver. 9. 10. 11. 12. and Ierem. 14. 12. Iob. 27. 9. Iohn. 9. 31.Beholde (saith he) the hand of the Lord is not shortened, that it cannot saue, neither his eare heauy, that it cannot heare, but your iniquities hauehave separated betweene you and your God, and your sins hauehave hid his face from you, that hee will not heare. The which heauy iudgement the Lord had before threatned against them, for their hainous transgressions; oEsa. 1. 15.when you shall stretch out your hands (saith hee) I will hide mine eyes from you, and though you make many prayers I will not heare, for your hands are full of bloud. So the Prophet Ezechiell threatneth them from the Lord, that for their grosse idolatry and bloodie cruelty, he would not heare their pEzech. 8. 18.prayers in the day of their afflictions, though they did crye in his eares with a loud voice. And the Prophet qMicah. 3. 4.Michah to the same purpose; Then (saith he) shall they crye vntounto the Lord, but he will not heare them: hee will euen hide his face from them at that time, because they hauehave done wickedly in their works. And therfore if in our afflictions we would make our prayers with any hope to be heard, let vsus not approach vntounto God in our sinnes; and according to the exhortation of the Apostle, r2 Tim. 2. 19.Let as many as call vponupon the name of the Lord, depart from iniquity. For as the Psalmist teacheth vsus, the Lord imputeth it as great Presumption to the wicked, that they take sPsal. 50. 16.his holy ordinances into their mouths, & he hateth the very sacrifices of praier and thanksgiuing which are offered vntounto him by impure hands, & vnhallowed lips. There is no man in his right wits would come as a sUiter vntounto his Prince, and bring his accuser with him, who is ready to testifie and proue to his face his treason and rebellion; much lesse would any present himselfe before so great and powerful a maiesty, to make petition for some benefit after he had killed and murthered his Soueraignes only sonne and heyre, hauing stil in his hand the weapon wherewith hee committed this wicked act, imbrued and defiled with his bloud: There is no adulteresse so shamelesly impudent, who would desire pardon of her iealous husband, hauing still her louer in her armes, with whom shee hath often committed filthines in times past, and is resolued againe to commit it for the time to come: or if any be so mad to make such suits in this odious manner, they are sure to be repulsed, and to find wrath and vengeance, where they look for grace and mercy: but thus doe they behaue themselues towards God, who remaining polluted with their sinnes doe offer vp their prayers vntounto him; for they bring their accusers, euen their defiled consciences and crying sinnes, which continually accuse and condemne them, and call for that due iudgment and punishment which they hauehave deserued: they bring the weapon into Gods presEnce, (euen their sinnes) whereby they hauehave crucified and slaine the onelyonly Sonne of God; and they present themselues into Gods presence to sue for grace; imbracing still with ardent louelove and affection the world and worldly vanities, with whom they hauehave often committed spirituall whoredome, with a purpose to continue still in their former vncleannesse; and therefore let not such fondly imagine that the Lord will heare them, and grant their suites, but rather expect that in his terrible wrath he will take vengeance on them, and turne their temporarie afflictions, into hellish torments and euerlasting punishments.
Yea (will some say) but this is but small comfort to thoseSect. 2. That being in our selues sinners, we are made righteous by faith in Christ, and purged from the corruption of sin by repentance, and so are heard of God when we pray vntounto him. who are in affliction, to heare that God onelyonly regardeth the prayers of the righteous, and that he heareth not the prayers of thē who come vntounto him in their sins; for who is righteous, and sinneth not daily? And what other cause is there of our afflictions, but our sinnes, which God in his iustice correcteth and punisheth? To which I answere, that howsoeuer we are all naturally defiled with originall corruption, and hauehave the reliques of sinne remaining in vsus, euen to the day of our dissolution; and though wee continually adde heereunto innumerable actuall transgressions; yet wee may appeare righteous before God, and bee as cleane purged from all sinne, as if wee had neuer fallen into it; as first when wee lay holde vponupon Christ by a true and liuely faith, and doe apply vntounto vsus his obedience and merits; for then our vnrighteousnesse is couered with the rich roab of his perfect righteousnesse, and our corruptions are washed and cleansed away in his most precious bloud, whereby it commeth toEsa. 1. 18. passe, that though our sinnes were as crimson, they shall be made as white as snow; and though they were as red as scarlet▪ they shal be white as wooll, as the Lord hath promised. And this is the purging of iustification, whereby God in Christ doth freely forgiue al our sins, and reputeth vsus as iust and righteous. But besides this, there is also a purging away of our sin and corruption by sanctification, when by vertue of Gods spirit & a liuely faith, we are made partakers of the power of Christs death, which mortifieth the flesh & the lusts thereof, and the power of his resurrection, whereby wee are raised to holynesse and newnesse of life. And hereof it commeth to passe, that though sinne dwell in vsus, yet it doth not raigne in vsus; though some reliques thereof remaine in vsus, yet wee are not reputed sinners before God; not onelyonly because we hauehave receiued the grace of iustification, and so hauehave all our sinnes forgiuen, and are clothed with the perfect righteousnesse of Christ, applyed vntounto vsus by a liuely faith; but also the grace of sanctification, whereby the power of sinne is abated in vsus, and all our corruptions, partly mortified, and partly deputed to mortification, and shall at last bee fully abolished. And therefore seeing our sinnes hauehave receiued a mortall wound, and still languishe vntounto death, we cannot properlie be called sinners, seeing it is dead to vsus, and wee to it; but iust and righteous, because righteousnesse and holinesse is begunne in vsus by vertue of Gods spirit, regenerating and sanctifying vsus, and shall daily grow and encrease, vntill it come to full perfection; neither can sinne bee said to liue in vsus, being appointed to death and finall abolishment; but rather to be crucified and destroied, euen as wee commonly say of a condemned person, that he is but a dead man, when as hee is condemned and deputed to death, though hee be not as yet brought forth to execution. And in these respects and no other were the saints of God in the Scriptures, called righteous and iust, and had all the gracious promises of the Gospel applyed and made good vntounto them; not that they were free from sinne, for there is no man righteous that doth Eccles. 8. 22. Iam. 3. 2.good and sinneth not, and in many things wee sinne all; nor because there way any perfection in their legal righteousnesse, or any full and exact conformitie with the law of God; but because they were iustified by Christs righteousnesse, applied by faith, and were sanctified by his holy spirit: the which their sanctification was (like ours) imperfect, consisting in a sight and sense of their corruptions, and an hearty sorrow for them; and also in a sincere desire and earnest endeauour in the vse of all good meanes appointed by God, to mortifie these corruptions, forsake all their sins, and serue the Lord with vpright hearts, in the contrary duties of holinesse and righteousnesse. And therefore if we be indued with this liuely faith, and labour in the practise of sanctification, then shall not wee be reputed sinners, but be accepted as iust and righteous in Gods sight; and consequently hauehave full right and interest vntounto all Gods gracious promises; and particularly to those which assure vsus of deliuerance out of all our afflictions, or of strength and patience to beare them with ioy and comfort.
But yet it is not enough that we be perswaded of our iustificationSect. 3. That we must shew our faith by our repentāce and our repentance by the fruits thereof. by Christs righteousnesse applyed by faith, and of our sanctification by his holy spirit, vnlesse we approue them both to our selues and others, by the fruits of vnfained repentance, whereby (as it were by sense and motion) this spirituall life is made knowen to the glory of God and our owne comfort; and vntounto this God requireth that we should not onelyonly in generall bewaile and forsake all our sinnes; but especially and principally, those which we thinke to be the causes and occasions of our present crosses and afflictions; and then when the causes of our calamities and tribulation are taken away, these miserable effects also shall soone cease and be remoued. And if wee thus draw neere vntountoIam 4. 8. God by vnfained repentance, hee will also draw neere vntounto vsus heare our prayers and deliuer vsus out of all our afflicitons; if we will cleanse our hands, and purge our hearts, and sorrow and weepe because of our sinnes, turne our laughter into mourning▪ and our ioy into heauinesse, and humble our selues before the Lord, hee will lift vsus vp, as the ApostlePsal. 34. 18 speaketh. For the Lord is neere vntounto them that are of a contrite Esa. 66. 2.heart, and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit, as the Psalmist telleth vsus. And this is his owne gracious promise by the Prophet Esay, that he will looke vntounto him, euen vntounto him, that is poore & of a contrite spirit, who trembleth at his words. From which mercy, the greatnesse and multitude of our sins cannot exclude vsus, so that wee turne vntounto the Lord by vnfained repentance, as wee may see in the example of the Iewes; whom though the Lord had taxed and accused by his Prophet to be most haynous and notorious offenders, yet he offereth them mercy vponupon the condition of their repentance. Wash you (saith he) and make you cleane, take away Esa. 1 16. 18.the euill of your workes from before mine eies, cease to doe euill, learne to doe well, &c. and then, come and let vsus reason together, saith the Lord, though your sinnes were as crimson, they shall be white as snow, though they were red like skarlet, they shal be as wooll.
And this is that repentance which must continually bee§. Sect. 4. That repenting of our sins, we must make hūble confession of thē. renewed when we present our selues in prayer before God, euen as we daily and hourely renew our sinnes; with which we must ioyne as an inseparable companion, an humble confession of all our transgressions, together with an vnfained acknowledgment, that by reason of them, wee are vtterly vnworthy of Gods least mercy, and most worthy if he should enter into iudgment with vsus, not onelyonly of those light and momentany afflictions which lye vponupon vsus, but also of the fearfullest of Gods plagues in this life, and of euerlasting destruction, death and condemnation in the life toPsa. 103. 8. come; and finally, that it is Gods wonderfull mercy that he dealeth so fauourably with vsus, not punishing vsus according to the merit of our sinnes, but like a gracious father with all louelove and tendernesse for our amendement. Concerning the confession of our sinnes, whereby wee lay them open before the Lord, wee are encouraged thereunto by Gods most gracious promises; namely, that if wee confesse and forsake our Pro. 28. 13. 1. Ioh. 1. 9sinnes, we shall find mercy; and that if we acknowledge our sins, he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vsus our sinnes, and to cleanse vsus from al vnrighteousnes. And contrariwise, we are terrified frō the neglect thereof by Gods seuere threatnings; for hee that hydeth his sinnes, or denyeth them, shall not prosper; because he maketh God a liar, who by his word conuinceth all men of sinne, as it is in the same places. So the Lord threatneth that seeing the Iewes said, that surely Gods wrath should Ierm. 2. 35turne from them, because they were guiltlesse, therefore he would enter into iudgement with them, because they said, wee hauehave not sinned. In regard whereof Iob professeth, that though he were Iob. 9. 15. 21.iust, yet he would not answere, but would make supplication to his iudge; and that though hee were perfect, yet because he did not know his owne soule, therefore did he abhorre his life. And of both this displeasure of God threatned against those who hide their sinnes, and of this mercy promised to those that acknowledge and confesse them, Dauid had experience; for he saith, that being in affliction, and hauing Gods handPsal. 32. 3. 5. heauie vponupon him, and holding his tongue, his very bones consumed, though he roared all the day. But then (saith hee) I acknowledged my sinne vntounto thee, neither hid I mine iniquitie: for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vntounto the Lord, and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne. And of this we hauehave innumerable examples in the Scriptures. As in the Israelites, who being afflicted for their sinnes do continually after their repentance, make their humble confession of their wickednesse, as an introduction vntounto their praiers for helpe and deliuerance, as wee commonly read in the history of the Iudges and the Kings. Thus also in the time of their captiuity, they cry out vntounto God; We hauehave sinned, we Lamen. 3. 42.hauehave rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared. So Iob in the time of his affliction, maketh the like confession vntounto God; I hauehave Iob. 7. 20.sinned (saith he) what shall I doe vntounto thee, O thou preseruer of men? And Dauid likewise, as appeareth throughout the whole booke of the Psalmes. Yea not onelyonly these and all other the Saints of God, but euen Pharaoh himselfe, who inExod. 10. 16 the time of his prosperitie, asked who was the Lord, yet in his affliction, maketh confession of his sinne, and craueth pardon. How much rather therefore should we lay open our sinnes before our heauenly father, who is ready to forget them, when we remember them; to hide them, when we discouer them; and to forgiue them, when we confesse them? For hee is our spirituall Chyrurgeon and Physition of our soules, and therefore to whom should wee lay open our festered sores of sinne, but vntounto him, who by applying that soueraigne falue of his mercy, and the precious balme of Christs bloud is able to heale them? To whom should wee make known the sicknesses & diseases of our soules, but vntounto him who hath both will and skill to cure them?
But as wee must in our afflictions confesse our sins before God, so must we in all humility acknowledge, yt we are not worthy of the least of those benefits which we still enioy, & that if the Lord should enter into iudgement wt vsus, he might as wel depriue vsus of all his blessings that remaine, as of those which for our sinnes he hath iustly taken from vsus. We must say with Iacob, that aGen. 32. 10.we are not worthy of the least of Gods mercies, and of all the truth which he hath shewed vntounto vsus, in fulfilling of his gratious promises; but contrariwise deserue much more heauy plagues and punishments, And this humiliation the Lord requireth of his People, bEzech. 36. 31Then shall you (saith hee) remember your owne waies, and your deeds that were not good, and shall iudge your selues woorthy to hauehave beene destroyed for your iniquities, and for your abominations. An example wherof we hauehave in the afflicted Iewes, who in all their great extremities, humbly confēssed it to be the great cLament. 3. 22merciemercy of God that they were not vtterly cōsumed; & adiudged themselues to hauehave deserued dCap. 5. 16.woe because they had sinned. As also in Ezra who humbling himselfe in the sight and sense of his owne and the peoples sins, cryeth out, eEzra. 9 6.O my God, I am confounded and ashamed, to lef… vp mine eyes vntounto thee my God: for our iniquities are increased ouer our head, and our tresp…sse is growne vp vntounto the Heauen. And if we thus f1. Cor. 11. 31.iudge our selues we shall not be iudged of the Lord; if we accuse & condemn our selues, he will excuse, and acquit vsus; and if gIam. 4. 10.wee thus cast downe our selues before the Lord, he will lift vsus vp. For hEsay. 66. 2.he… looketh to him that is poore, and of a contrite spirit, who trembloth at his word. Yea iand 57. 15.he dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to re…iue the spirit of the humble, and to giuegive life to them that are of a contrite heart. An example heereof wee hauehave in Rehoboam and in the rest of the Princes of Iudah, who k2. Chro. 12. 7.humble… themselues and said, the Lord is iust; and when the Lord saw that they humbled themselues, the worde of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying; they hauehave humbled themselues, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will send them deliuerance shortly, l 2. Chro. 33. 12 13.&c. As also in Manasses, who when in his tribulation hee prared to the Lord his God, and humbled himselfe greatly before him, God was intreated of him, heard his prayer, and restored him to his kingdome. And thus Daniell praying and humbling himselfe before God, receiued this comfortable message from God. mDan. 1…. 12.Feare not Daniel, for from the first day that thou diddest set thine hart to vnderstand, and to humble thy selfe before thy God, thy words were heard, &c. Yea so much doth the Lord esteem of this humiliation, that he would not let that counterfeit humiliation of Ahab goe vnrewarded, but gaue him in regard thereof, a n1. King. 21. 27.temporary immunity from those iudgements and punishments, which by his Prophet he had threatned against him. If therefore in our afflictions wee would poore foorth vntounto God such acceptable prayers, as may obtaine comfort in our crosses, and deliuerance from all our calamities; we must confesse our sinnes, and humbly acknowledge that wee hauehave not deserued Gods smallest benefits, but are woorthy to hauehave the wrath of God to burne more hotly against vsus, and to be ouerwhelmed with much more heauy plagues and punishments. And so the Lord willSi seruulum tuā videas peccata propria confitentem, vlt…ò …fferre se poenae, inflecteris et ignoscis; de domini miseratione diffidis? Ambros. in Psal. 37. excuse vsus, when we accuse our selues; remit our sinnes when we remember them; and absolue vsus from punishment, when in al humility we acknowledge that we hauehave iustly deserued the fearefullest of his plagues. For if we, who hauehave but a little mite of mercy, are moued with compassion, when eyther our sonne or seruant doe humble themselues, acknowledge their faults, and of their owne accord offer themselues to suffer that punishment which they hauehave deserued; then how can we doubt that God wil be pittifull and ready to forgiue vsus, when he seeth vsus thus humbled, whose louelove and mercy towards vsus is infinite and incomprehensible? As therefore a man skilfull in the Art of swimming, being through casualty cast into the sea, and labouring by his skill and labour to recouer the shore, doth not when hee seeth a billow approaching oppose against it, because it would cast him further into the maine, his weaker force being farre too feeble to withstand the violence of the mighty waue; but stoopeth and diueth vnderunder it, and so suffereth it to passe ouer him without receiuing any hurt; so when wee see the huge billowes of troubles and afflictions raised by the stormy blasts of Gods wrath and anger, neere approaching, and comming against vsus; it is both vaine and dangerous to oppose against them by pride and impatiency, or to imagine that wee can resist and withstand them with our strugling, murmuring and repining; seeing this will rather hinder vsus from arriuing in the hauen of safety, and cast vsus backe into the depth of misery; but like these cunning swimmers wee must diue vnderunder these waues, which it is …mpossible to withstand; bearing ou… burthen with patience, meekenesse and humility, and acknowledging that farre greater punishments are due vntounto vsus. And of both this confession and humiliation we hauehave notable presidents in those excellent praiers of oEzra. 9.Ezra, pNehem. 9.Nehemiah, and qDan. 9.Daniel. As also in the speech of the prodigall sonne after his conuersion, and returning to his Father; rLuc. 15. 21. 22.Father (saith he) I hauehave sinned against heauen, & before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne; vponupon which humiliation hee was raised out of his afflicted estate, and receiued both the pardon of his faults, and large testimonies of his Fathers fauour.