One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 1
SERMON I. The Neceſsity of adding Prayer to Preaching for its good effect: Shewing alſo what kinde of cauſe the Word is of Converſion; And what are the requiſites of Heavenly and Spirituall Prayer.
JOHN 17.1.
Theſe words ſpake Jeſus, and lift up his eyes to Heaven, and ſaid, &c.
MY Purpoſe is (God aſſiſting) to go through this Chapter, being the Praier of Chriſt immediately before his Paſſion: If the words of a dying man are much to be regarded, how much more of a dying Chriſt? And words put up in a Praier way, which came from the moſt ſerious and heavenly affection within; Chriſts love was ſincere and naturall; Now as in naturall motions the nearer the body comes to the center, the ſwifter the motion is, Thus Chriſts Love though great alwaies, yet the expreſſions of it were overflowing moſt at laſt; His beſt wine was at laſt: And certainly if it be lawfull to preferre Scripture before Scripture, we may ſay, Though all be gold, yet this is a Pearl in the gold; Though all be like the Heavens, yet this is like the Sun and Stars: Oh that both my heart and your hearts were purified with a coal of fire from the Altar for this Subject; Not onelyonly parts but great grace is required both to preach and hear this Subject: But let us enter into this Land of Canaan.
The Apoſtle John of all the Evangeliſts is compared to an Eagle, becauſe he treateth of the higheſt and moſt ſublime matter; For as it is commonly received, He outliving all the other Apoſtles, there were damnable Hereticks riſen up that denied Chriſt to be God, at the Churches entreaty therefore he wrote this Book, mainly aſſerting Chriſts Godhead, and handling thoſe things eſpecially which the other Evangeliſts had left out, eſpecially inſiſting upon thoſe excellent diſcourſes and dialogues Chriſt had with the Phariſees; As alſo thoſe divine Inſtructions and conſolations he gave his Diſciples at his departure from them, of which the other Evangeliſts record nothing at all: Now when our Saviour had been large in inſtructing and confirming them, he bends himſelf to earneſt praier for them, that what he had ſaid might take place in their hearts, ſo that in the Chapter you may take notice of,
1. The Introduction to the matter, and
2. The Matter it ſelf.
The matter is Chriſts earneſt prayer, and that for a threefold Object,
1. Himſelf.
2. His Apoſtles.
3. All others who in time ſhould beleeve in him.
For the Introduction, there we have 1. The order of Chriſts Praier, and 2. the deſcription of his geſture.
The Order is, Theſe words ſpake Jeſus, that is, after Chriſt had finiſhed thoſe admirable and comfortable Inſtructions, then he betakes himſelf to praier, From whence obſerve,
To all Inſtructions and Conſolations Praier is neceſſary for their good effect.That to all Inſtructions and Conſolations Praier is neceſſary for their good effect. Chriſt himſelf doth not think it enough to plant, but he prays there may be a watering from above; Thus all Miniſters and all hearers are to take Chriſts way; Even as at other times we reade that Chriſt ſpent the day in Preaching, and the night in Praying; For if the Apoſtle 1 Tim. 3.5. ſay of every creature for nouriſhment, it is ſanctified by Praier, when yet the creatures have in themſelves a naturall ſtrength to nouriſh, how much more is this to be ſeen in the means of grace, which work not by inherent but inſtituted efficacy altogether? If therefore we would have our preaching and your hearing doe any good, be powerfull to an heavenly alteration and change, then look up with your eyes to heaven; It's from God that this muſt do me good, It's from God that this muſt teach my heart; In vain is a Teacher without if there be not alſo a Teacher within, 1 Cor. 3. You ſee the Apoſtle there taking beleevers off from all Miniſters and Inſtruments, and to reſt on Jeſus Chriſt; They are neceſſary but as Miniſters by whom we do beleeve, not as authours of our faith.
Reaſons.Let us conſider, Why Praier is thus neceſſary in the uſe of all other means, And
I. On Gods part.Firſt, From God in theſe reſpects.
1. God is the ſole fountain and authour of all grace.1. He is the ſole author and fountain of all grace; It's not the gifts or parts of Men and Angels that remove the ſtone of the heart, that can make the withered dry bones to live again, unleſſe the Spirit of God breathe upon us, Jam. 1. Every good and perfect gift is ſaid to come from above, That as the naturall Philoſophers ſay, The Sun and Stars are the cauſe of all the life and perfection which is in theſe things below, inſomuch that without them all things would be deſtroyed; This is much more true in heavenly and ſupernaturall effects, therefore he is called the God of all grace, and the God of all conſolations, 2 Cor. 1.3. There is no godlineſſe, no comfort can ſtream in the heart, but from this Fountain; we lie like ſo many lumps of earth, like ſo many noiſome Lazaruſſes in the grave, till God bid us Come forth; So then to have any doctrine or truth enter into thy heart, to have the Miniſtry effectuall and powerful to thee, is of greater conſequence then thou art aware of. There muſt be much ſtrugling and ſtriving with God ere thou canſt behold him in his glory in the Ordinances; Thou muſt be Jacob ere thou canſt be Iſrael, as an Ancient ſaid; Wonder not, if you ſee men living in the ſame luſts, and roving in their former exceſſe of riot, though the clouds drop upon them daily, yet they are a barren wilderneſſe; Alas, all the rain in the world would not make the Earth ſpring forth and encreaſe, had not God at firſt commanded the earth to doe ſo, and certainly if God can by his Word make the dull, dead earth ſo glorious, that Solomon is in his greateſt ſtate not like the glory thereof, how much rather can he make a heavy, dull, earthly, carnall people, glorious and admirable in variety of graces, he can make them a Paradiſe who were a parched heath; Praier therefore is neceſſary becauſe God onelyonly hath the command over all Ordinances to bleſſe as he pleaſeth.
2. On Gods part we are therefore to pray, 2. That all the praiſe may redound to him.that ſo all the glory and praiſe in every thing may redound to him, ſo 1 Cor. 1. that he who glorieth may glory in God only; Hence it is that as in the Old Teſtament we reade of many good women, and they were moſt of them barren, to humble them, and that they might ſee it was not their goodneſſe but Gods glory and power to give them children; So it is here, God many times cauſeth not the beſt and choiceſt Miniſters, to be fruitfull in converſion of others, to be able to ſay, Behold I and the Children which thou haſt given me, that hereby all the glory may be attributed to God onelyonly.
3. Therefore after all doctrinall Inſtructions is Praier to be uſed, 3. Becauſe God in anger many times doth blaſt the Word to men for their ſins.becauſe God in anger many times for mens ſins doth blaſt the Word to them, doth not give them a tender and an underſtanding heart; Oh then how much is he to be ſought to that hath the key of all mens hearts, that openeth and none can ſhut that ſhutteth and none can open, Rev. 3.7. Obſerve that expreſſion, it denoteth Gods abſolute Soveraignty, that all the devils in hell, and all the wicked Inſtruments in the world are not able to hinder the good effect that God hath appointed ſuch a Sermon, or ſuch a Miniſtry to produce; What then, though we ſow all the day long, though we exhort, entreat and beſeech, yet if God be angry with thee, and will let thee alone in thy ſins, thou ſhalt die and be damned in thy obſtinacy and unbelief: Though Solomon with all his wiſedom were here to perſwade thee, thou wouldſt be wilful in thy iniquities; The ſeeing eye, and the hearing ear are both ſaid to be the gift of God, Pro. 20.12. and what a terrible expreſſion is that to the Iſraelites, where after all the miracles and wonderfull works that God had done before them, it's ſaid, God had not given them an heart to underſtand till that day, Deut. 19.4. and famous is that place Iſa. 6. thrice repeated in the New Teſtament, of blinding their eyes, and hardening their hearts, leſt they ſhould underſtand and be converted; Who then is there but muſt neceſſarily conclude, that God is earneſtly to be praied unto, leſt he be left to a ſpirit of ſlumber and giddineſſe, leſt God ſware in his wrath, that no preaching ſhall ever do thee good? How did Paul rejoice to be at Epheſus, becauſe an effectual and large door was opened to him, 1 Cor. 16 9 It was opened by God, the Miniſters themſelves,II. From the nature of Preaching, and what kinde of cauſe the Word is of converſion. nor the people, had not ability to doe it; Thus on Gods part we have cauſe to pray.
Secondly, If we conſider the nature of all Preaching, and what kinde of cauſe the Word is of converſion, that will alſo compell to Praier. It's diſputed among Divines what kinde of cauſality the Preaching of the Word hath in regenerating of men. I ſhall not now lanch into that deep Ocean, but two waies are wholly to be denied.
1. The Word converts not neceſſarily.1. The Preaching of the Word doth not convert neceſſarily, as the Fire doth neceſſarily burn, the Sun doth neceſſarily ſhine; No, for then whereſoever the Word is preached, all their eyes would be opened, all their hearts ſoftened that hear it, but experience doth wofully confute this; We ſee Chriſt who preached as one having authority, and no man ever ſpake like him, yet he threw in his Net and catched few fiſh, yea, we doe not reade of ſo many converted by his Miniſtry as by ſome of the Apoſtles.
2. Nor as a natural cauſe.2. As it doth not work neceſſarily, ſo neither as a natural cauſe, that hath inward power to produce its effects; As the fire hath an inherent ſtrength to burn, the Earth an inherent power to bring forth fruit, or as a two edged Sword pierceth: For though the Word be compared to it, yet
3. Its efficacy is only by Gods Inſtitution according to his command and good pleaſure.3. This efficacy is only by Inſtitution, according to the command and good pleaſure of God: Of it ſelf it worketh no more then Exhortations to a dead man, but when cloathed with divine authority, then it beateth down every thing that oppoſeth it ſelf; If then we are bound to pray to God that he would make naturall cauſes, though with ſo much inherent proneneſſe, to cauſe their effects, as that our bread may nouriſh us, our cloaths may warm us, how much rather when there is no ſuch naturall efficiency; If man lives not by bread alone, but by every word proceeding out of Gods mouth, much leſſe is man converted, enlightned, or regenerated by Preaching of the Word only, without the power of God manifeſted from heaven; Yet oh the ſecurity, the ſenceleſneſſe of moſt people herein, They do not earneſtly contend in praier with God before they come hither; What earneſt wraſtlings and ſtrivings haſt thou had with God to day, that thy ſoul might be put into an heavenly travell, and Chriſt be formed in thee? This is the true reaſon why you heare your ſelves into damnation, and we preach you into greater and greater ſpirituall judgements daily, becauſe few are diligent in praying for a bleſſing upon that which ſhall be delivered to them.
III. Becauſe of mans inability to what is good.In the third place, After doctrinal Inſtruction there is great need of praier to God, becauſe of the utter inſufficiency and inability that is in every man to what is good: Such is the contrariety and enmity in every mans heart againſt Truth preached, that we had need pray and pray again that God would open our eyes, and ſoften our hearts; The Scripture in ſeverall places doth deſcribe mans Impotency, and his utter averſeneſſe to what is holy; He is a Tyger, a Lion, a wilde Bear, he is a meer briar and bramble; There cannot be any good wrought in him, till God make dead men to riſe out of their ſinnes; We doe not hear Sermons as the Heathens did their morall Orations, for they had ſome imbred ſtrength to doe thoſe things that were civilly good, but when we have to doe with ſupernatural things, there all muſt be planted in us: There is nothing in us to love or embrace it, yea, whatſoever we are, think, or will, it all riſeth up in rebellion againſt God; and certainly if the godly themſelves, though endowed already with an heavenly life do yet earneſtly pray that God would open their eyes, Pſa. 119. That he would quicken them, and make them to grow up in an higher ſtature, how much more do men deſtitute of Gods Spirit need this help, yea, we may take notice, Eph. 6.18. that when the childe of God is fully compleated with the whole Armour of God, he hath his helmet, his ſhield, his breſtplate upon him, yet he muſt not truſt to this, but after all this he is to pray alwaies with all praier and ſupplication; So that you ſee in all holy exerciſes, we are to be as the little childe who leaneth only upon his Father, we are like the Fowl, when we have drunk down a little, preſently to lift up our heads to heaven, that it may work on us.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction, From this order of Chriſts, learn we in Preaching,Ʋſe. and you in hearing what we ought to do, know it muſt be Praier that will ſanctifie every Sermon; According as thou haſt laid up Praier beforehand, ſo do thou expect to ſpeed; What a wofull thing will it be if God make this Heaven braſſe and iron, theſe helps of ſalvation furtherances to damnation, and all becauſe thou doſt not carefully ſeek to him. Canſt thou pray in other things and not here? Is not every Sermon of eternall conſequence? Is not heaven or hell delivered at this time, why then are we ſuch ſtupid blocks as not to lay faſt hold on God, and ſay, I will not let thee go till thou giveſt me a bleſſing; It's taken up as a ſad Queſtion, Why in theſe latter daies the Word preached makes no more wonderfull works? At firſt Propagation of the Goſpel, ſo many fiſh were caught in the Net, that it was ready to break; And at the firſt Reformation out of Popery, the Kingdom of God ſuffered violence, but now he that is prophane is prophane ſtill, the blinde are blinde ſtill, the proud proud ſtill: What is the matter? Is not the Word of God as powerfull as ever? Is not the Lords arm as ſtrong as ever? Yes, but the zeal of people is grown cold; There are not ſuch fervent praiers, ſuch high eſteems of the means of grace; Men do not beſiege Heaven, giving God no reſt day or night till he come with ſalvation into their ſouls, and truly the Spirit of praier is a ſure fore-runner of ſpirituall mercies to be beſtowed, Optat dare qui mandat orare, when God will bleſſe the Word and Miniſtery to thee, he will ſtir up thy appetite, make thee hungry and thirſty, fill thee with daily pantings after his grace. And thus much of the order.
I proceed to the geſture uſed in praier, He lifted up his eyes to heaven: In the Scripture we reade of ſeverall geſtures in praier, one of the Publican clean contrary, He caſt his eyes upon the earth, and that did ariſe from the great and reall ſence he had of his unworthineſſe, and of the multitude of ſins that were upon him, but yet that which is moſt commendable and indeed moſt natural, is to lift up the eyes to Heaven, the place of Gods ſpeciall preſence, though he be alſo every where, for the eye in this caſe ſhould be the demonſtration of the heart, Cor in oculis, that if it were poſſible we would both in ſoul and body, while praying, be lifted up into heaven; Now how our Saviour, who was God as well as man, could pray, and what kinde of Praier this was, will hereafter be cleared. From this geſture Obſerve,
That all our Praiers ſhould come from a ſpiritual and heavenly heart.
It's the very definition of praier, that it's Elevatio mentis ad Deum, Doct. That all our praiers ſhould come from a ſpiritual and heavenly heart.The lifting up of the minde, and of the whole ſoul to God; To pray is a farre more difficult and noble exerciſe then moſt are aware of; It's not the running over a few words like a Parrot, but the ſoul is then to be on the Mount of Tranſfiguration: There muſt be many things meeting together ere thy praier be an heavenly Praier: It's good to ſet this home, for praier is the univerſall Inſtrument of all thy good, if that be blunted or unprofitable, all is marred; If a poor man that liveth by his handy labour hath marred his tools that he cannot work by them, how ſhall he ſubſiſt? Praier is the Key to open heaven, if that be empty and unprofitable, how canſt thou be repleniſhed? You ask, and pray, and have not; Jam. 4.2. No ſins are removed, no ſpirituall mercies are beſtowed on thee, and all becauſe thy praier is not heavenly;The requiſites to ſpiritual praier. Now theſe things make an heavenly Praier.
1. It's neceſſary the Spirit of God do enable and move the ſoul to this duty, Rom. 8.1. The Spirits enabling and moving the ſoul to this duty. It is the Spirit of God that helpeth againſt our infirmities, and enableth us with groans unutterable. The heart is but as ſo much dull earth, till the Spirit of God inflame thee; Thy praier is a body without a ſoul, if there be words but not Gods Spirit in the heart; But oh what ſhall we then think of moſt mens praiers that have nothing but cuſtome and formality in them: No wonder if theſe be birds without wings, Meſſengers without feet, good for nothing at all; Thou ſaieſt thy praiers, and thou haſt thy praiers, but oh conſider the Spirit of God muſt move upon thy heart, elſe thou art onelyonly a worm crawling on the ground.
2. An heavenly heart.2. An heavenly Praier muſt have an heavenly heart, that which pants after and delights in heavenly things, but Pſ. 4.6. Many ſay, Who will ſhew us any good? Every one can pray for earthly and temporall good things, for health, ſtrength, peace, and outward plenty, but few with David, Lift thou up the light of thy countenance. In the Lords Praier we are firſt to pray for thoſe ſpirituall things that relate to Gods glory, before we are to ask for our temporall comforts; yea, while we pray for temporall mercies we are to do it in a heavenly manner, for this end, that we may be more inſtrumental to Gods glory, and be brought nearer to him; Difficile eſt erare, quia difficile eſt deſiderare, ſaid Aquinas. It is a very hard thing to deſire heavenly things, and therefore as hard to pray for them; how happy then is it when the matter praied for and the frame of the heart are both heavenly; Now like Chriſt he is gone up to the Mount, and praieth alone, he is above all earthly things, alone with God himſelf.
3. When the heart and affections are purified and made fit for the enjoyment of God.3. That Praier is heavenly when the heart and affections are purified and ſanctified fit for the enjoyment of God: In praier we have an immediate approach unto and fellowſhip with God; There cannot be greater honour vouchſafed unto a creature then to be admitted to pray to him, but who is ſufficient for this duty? The Heathens did often preſſe this, that God was to be worſhiped prae mente, but the Apoſtle more divinely, 1 Tim. 2.8. Lifting up holy or pure hands, Mat. 6. Bleſſed are the pure in heart for they ſhall ſee God; A ſore eye with corrupt humours is not fit to look on a bright object, and truly in all our praiers we ſhould think nothing ſo comely as to have heavenly hearts for heavenly work; If the godly mans converſation even in buying, ſelling, and all other lawfull emploiments, is to be heavenly, much more in praier, then there ſhould be Sabbatum mentis the reſt of the Soul, there ſhould be no diſtractions, no debaſings of it by earthly affections, we ſhould have a garden readily dreſſed for the Spouſe to walk in; If Chriſts body was to be in a Sepulchre where none ever lay btfore, how much rather will whole Chriſt abide in a clean heart; The devil would not come into his Lodgings but becauſe they were ſwept and ready garniſhed for him, how much rather will Chriſt expect that the ſoul ſhould be in an holy and heavenly manner fitted for to enjoy him.
4. Heavenly praier moveth the heart to more love and delight in heavenly things.4. An heavenly Praier is, When it ſtirreth and moveth the heart to more love and delight in heavenly things; Praier is not to be only heavenly in its nature but in its effects; By praying holily we are made more holy; It's like exerciſe to the body, which makes it more ſtrong and active; It's the rich Ship that brings in glorious returns from God: Heavenly Praier leaveth an heavenly frame, it keepeth a ſoul in longings after God; As Moſes who had been in Gods preſence his face did ſhine with great luſtre. Thus the ſoul that is heavenly in Praier to God, leaveth an excellent and ſpiritual luſtre upon all his actions, his conferences, his converſation ſpeaks the mighty glory of this praier; oh what godly man may not fall down with ſhame and confuſion to think how far ſhort he comes of this heavenly praier.
Ʋſe.Ʋſe of Inſtruction in two things, 1. How hard it is to pray indeed; You may ſay of the dull Formaliſt that hath bare words and no heart, he praieth but it is as unprofitable as a body without life; Oh that the God of grace would work this in you, that he would pour the Spirit of praier and ſupplication upon you; I know nothing wherein people are more to be inſtructed and rectified then in this particular; They have good praiers, and they ſay good praiers as they ſpeak, but underſtand nothing at all about an heavenly praier.
2. Why it is that after many publique and private praiers thouſands of people live in the ſame wickedneſſe they did. Who would not think their ſinnes would make them give over praying, or praying their ſins, how can this fire and Ice ſtand together? The reaſon is, they are not heavenly praiers, neither private or family praiers do raiſe thee up, like Elijahs fiery Chariot: You ask and receive not becauſe you ask amiſſe; He doth not ſay you ask mala but male, you do not pray for unlawfull things, only you pray not in a right manner; Oh then ſay, the decay of all my godlineſſe, all my comforts ariſe from my decay in praier, Pray heavenly and all will be heavenly; and on the other ſide, meer dead and cuſtomary praier leaveth a man in a deſtitute eſtate, he may pray in that manner all his life, and yet receive nothing at Gods hand; Think and meditate of this more, ſay, the beginning of all my ſpirituall conſumption is in my lean empty praiers,