The Christian Armory, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the distresse of mind that ariseth from the sense and seeling of a Christians weaknesse and imperfectio… in sanctification, and first of all in praier.
Question.
WHat course must a Christian take to relieue and ease himselfe, that findeth and …eeleth many imperfections in his praiers?
A. First, hee must acknowledge and bewaile his wants and failings.
Secondly, he must desire from God a further addition of zeale.
Thirdly, when he cannot pray as he desireth,Rom. 8.25.26. let him then sob and sigh vntounto God in his praiers, for God who searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the meaning of his owne spirit; and no maruel, for these groanes are effects of Gods spirit in him, and are (as it were) so many glorious beames breaking out from it; and God accepteth and approueth of them, as may appeare in the examples of Moses, of the children of Israel, of Ezechias, of Iehosaphat, and others.
Fourthly, he must remember that the power of Christ remaineth to cure his infirmities, and to remoue his imperfections.
Lastly, the more imperfections that he findeth and perceiueth in his praiers, the more earnestly must hee labour for the remouall and reformation of them.
Q. What vse is to be made hereof?
A. First, hereby are met withall and condemned, all such who ignorantly count them the best proficients in praier, who neuer knew what these wants and imperfections meant.
Secondly, no man must cease from this exercise of praier, because of his wants: for so long as any man liueth here, hee is but in the beginning of perfection.
Q. But I feele my selfe cold, dull, and drousie in my praiers: how then can I hauehave any true sanctification?
A. Yes, thou maiest well assure thy selfe of the truth of thy sanctification, so thou louelove God▪ and delight to commune with him by praier.
Secondly, it is good that thou shoulde…t sometimes discouer and discerne the dulnes and deadnes in praier, that thou mightest more earnestly desire this gift: otherwise thou wouldest thinke it naturall, and wouldst attribute the glory of it not to thy God, but to thine own selfe; for thus thou wouldest offend, if thou couldst alwaies pray according to thine owne satisfaction.
Lastly,Psal. 51.17 if we can but sigh and sob (for wee preu…ile more by sighes then by words) God will heare and helpe vsus.Exod. 14.14 For shall an earthly father pitie and regard the groanes and sobs of his sicke sonne, and will not our heauenly father much more regard and pitie vsus?
Q What vses are we to make hereof?
A. First, when we hauehave an ability to pray, and a will thereunto, we must be thankfull to God for it.
Secondly, if the spirit of praier bee weake in vsus, we must call and cry vntounto God for further grace, and we shall obtaine it.
Lastly, we must by all good meanes stirre vp the spirit of praier in our selues.
Obiection.
I in my praiers am troubled and disturbed with many euill, idle, worldly, and carnall thoughts, and therefore J doubt that I hauehave not the spirit of praier.
A. (Déerely beloued brother) though these vaine and sinfull thoughts are so many sparkles of corruption that proceed from the furnace of our vncleane heart, and are like the birds that defiled and disturbed Abrahams sacrifice: yet note for thy comfort, that the most regenerate man in earth cannot sound out all the corruptions in his heart,Ier. 17.9. much lesse is hee able to remooue them. For his new birth is onelyonly begunne, and tending towards perfection, but not complete; and then no wonder though some dregs of corruption yet remaine.
Q. What course shall we take for our helpe and redresse herein?
A. Séeing that prayer is so heauenly an exercise, and so preualent with God, and so offensiue to Satan, let vsus stirre vp our zeale herein: and for our furtherance heerein, it is good for vsus, (before wee pray) to talke and conferre reuerentlie of heauenlie things, to reade the Scriptures diligentlie, and meditate in them, and then wee shall be possessed with better thoughts.
Lastly, we must not yéeld to, but resist, and earnestly pray against euill thoughts, yea and intreat the Lord of his grace to purge and purifie our hearts, and then these vaine and idle thoughts shall lesse vex and annoy vsus.
Obiection.
I hauehave long importuned the Lord by prayer, and the Lord will not vouchsafe to attend vntounto my praier, therefore I feare I hauehave not the spirit of praier.
A. You hauehave no cause thus to doubt; For God doth not deferre you, because he purposeth to deny you, but to cause you to hauehave his gifts in more high estéeme, and to make you more sound sincere, and more earnest and instant in praier.
Secondly, it may be that the thing that you desire of God, if it were granted you, would not profit you, but turne to your hurt; and therefore God in his mercy refuseth to spéed your yéeres.
Thirdly, Dauid, Job, the people of God in captiuity,Cant. 3.1, 2, 3. and the Church in the Canticles, that sought Christ in her bed by praier, and that consulted her Christian acquaintance, & the Ministers of Gods word, were long delaied, but at last graciously heard.
Fourthly, God by putting off your praiers, will exercise and set on worke your faith,Luk. 18.8. patience, constancie: and when he prospereth your petition, he wil replenish you with the greater ioy.
Lastly, though God heare you not, according to your wil, yet he heareth you for your wealth; and though he heare you not according to your expectation, yet he heareth you to your saluation, and therefore you must take all in good part.
Q. When God delaieth and deferreth to grant our praiers, what duties then behoueth it vsus to performe?
A. We must not faint in our praiers, but persist therein, and cry vntounto God day and night, and then God will heare vsus, and we shall preuaile with him as Iacob did. Our petition shall not be returned non inuentus est, but we shall hauehave corpus cum causa.
Secondly, we must look that the things we beg and craue, bee lawfull and conuenient for vsus, and then (if wee with patience wait Gods leasure) he wil spéed our desires.
Obiection. But I feare that I hauehave committed that vnpardonable sinne against the holy Ghost, because I commit so many sinnes against knowledge.
A. Thou (déere brother) hast no cause thus to doubt, because thou art sory and grieued for thy sinnes. Secondly, thou repentest of them: but he that committeth this sinne, neuer sorroweth nor repenteth for so doing.
Secondly, they that sinne against the holy Ghost, tread vnderunder foot the Sonne of God, they count the bloud of the new Testament, as an vnholy thing, they despite the spirit of grace,Heb. 10.29 they f…ll away wholly and finally from the reue…led truth of the doctrine of Christ,Heb. 6.6. and of their redemption, yea they incessantly blaspheme, deride, and persecute it; but thou continuest in the approbation, profession, and practise of the truth, and remainest sound in iudgement, and sincere in affection; therefore thou art farre from this sinne. OnelyOnly thou art to be aduised, that thou beware of backe sliding, and the occasions thereof, & that thou (as often as thou sinnest) so often thou renew thy faith & thy repentance, and so preuenting the beginnings of apostasie, thou shalt neuer come to the extremity of it.
Q. What if a man finde himselfe remisse, carelesse, and negligent in the duties of praise and thanks-giuing vntounto God, can he then assure himselfe that he standeth in the state of grace?
A. Yes: for he doth acknowledge his infirmity, and would faine be cured of it, and this is a print of the seale of Gods blessed spirit in him.
Secondly, all Gods children are subiect to this sinne, for either they forget, neglect, or losse esteeme Gods benefits, then their worth and excellency requireth: but yet they are reuiued and stirred by preaching, doctrine, exhortation, admonition, and Gods fatherlie corrections in depriuing them of, or in diminishing his blessings formerly bestowed vponupon them.
Q. What restauratiues are there for a mans recouery?
A. These meditations and practises following. First, that he by nature is depriued of the life of God, and vtterly destitute of grace, and therefore vnworthy of the least of Gods mercies.
Secondly, that the benefits of redemption, and the graces of saluation, do far excell and excéed (in vse and continuance) all earthly blessings: for they are transitory, they cannot quiet the conscience, much lesse saue him, or any man, from the wrath to come, or from death & euerlasting destruction: but these spiritual graces & blessings make the possessor of them truly blessed in this life, and perfectly blessed in the life to come.
Thirdly, that thankesgiuing vntounto God is more excellent and acceptable then praier for it sometimes is hypocriticall and constrained;Apoc. 7. but thanksgiuing is a frée will offering, a swéet smelling perfume in Gods nostrils, and the principall exercise of the Church triumphant in heauen, and therefore we must herein imitate it, and giuegive God all the glory of it.
Lastly, the forgetfulnesse of Gods benefits, whether in sauing vsus from euill, or in leading vsus into good, is a brand of a prophane man, and a thing most distastefull to the Diuine Maiesty.
Q What practises are good for our helpe and furtherance herein?
A. First, we must sundry times and seriously meditate vponupon our vowes of repentance and new obedience which we made to God in our baptisme, whereof thanksgiuing is a part.
Secondly, we must renew our thanksgiuing by the often and holy receiuing of the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper: for herein is a liuely representation of our redemption, and of the heauenly blessings of Christ bestowed vponupon vsus, and wrought for vsus.
Thirdly, we must wonder at, extoll, and admire Gods gracious gifts and blessings; for this practise wil make vsus more thankfull for them.
Lastly, we must note that many, yea and most kingdomes, countries, nations, prouinces, cities, townes, villages, and in them many millions of people, hauehave not so much as the outward means of those graces of saluation, wherewith we are (or may be) richly adorned: and therefore how thankfull should we be?