One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 24
SERMON XXIV. Of vain Tautology in Prayer; And what Repetitions in Prayer are ſuch, and what not; Shewing alſo what things are abſolutely neceſſary to a good Praier.
JOH. 17.5.
And now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own ſelf, with the glory I had before the world began.
IN theſe words have been conſidered the matter of the Petition, deſcribed by the nature and external adjunct thereof, as alſo the cauſal inference.
In the matter of the Petition we ſhall not take notice of the matter it ſelf becauſe handled before.
But 1. Whereas our Saviour within ſo little a ſpace, doth repeat the ſame Petition twice, We obſerve,
That Repetition of the ſame matter in a Praier is not alwaies a ſinful Tautology, Doct. That Repetition of rhe ſame matter in praier is not alwaies ſinfull Tautology but very neceſſary. To open the Point conſider theſe things.but is ſometimes lawful, yea, uſeful and neceſſary: None can think that our Saviour in whom is the Treaſure of Wiſedom, and who is the eſſentiall Word of God, who alſo giveth the gifts of praier to the Church, that he himſelf ſhould be ſtraitned either for matter or words, but this ingemination proceeds from ſome other excellent ground.
To open this Point Conſider,
1. That the ſame matter may be repeated either inſence only but in different words, or elſe in the very ſame ſence and words; When it's done the former way, we ſay a man doth foreign, but not foreign In the latter way, unleſſe there be ſome grave and ſerious cauſe, it's a vain Tautology, for the former kinde of repetition, the Pſalms which are accounted like the Stars in the Scripture Firmament, are very frequent in it; Many verſes being the ingemination of the ſame ſence, only in ſome different words, and this we do not ſo commonly call a repetition of the ſame thing, becauſe every new word the holy Ghoſt hath doth repreſent ſome new notion to the underſtanding, ſo that it's like the ſame meat under ſeveral diſhings, that affords a peculiar taſte, or like the Philaſophers matter, which they ſay is alwaies the ſame, though under divers forms; Now our Saviour in this praier doth not only uſe the ſame matter but the ſame words, Father glorifie thou me.
2. That in our prayers which are a communion with the great God, wo ought to have a diligent attention to ſeverall things s Praier is not ſlightly, formally, and cuſtomarily to be haſted over, but being a divine worſhip of God, If ever a man would be in an heavenly, holy, fervent and indiſtracted diſpoſition, it ought to be when he ſets himſelf to this duty, Praier is like that curious oyntment to be made by the High-Prieſt, which conſiſted of many choice ingredients, You may call moſt mens praiers no more praiers then an Ape a man, or a picture the perſon it repreſents.
In praier we muſt diligently attend to theſe things.For 1. We muſt have a diligent attention to the matter that we pray for, That it be lawful, good, and agreeable to Gods will; To ask of God any thing that is unlawful and ſinful would be to make God a Patron of ſinnes as he in the Poet, Da mihi fallere, da juſtum ſanctumque videri Jupiter; So that this made Aquinas ſay, It was hard to know what we are to pray for, becauſe it's hard to know what to deſire; Hence Rom. 8. we need the Spirit of God to enable us to know what we pray for, Some Heathens have been admired for ſuch a praier as this, that they entreated the gods to give them, not what they would have, but what was good for them, whether they deſired it or not, but we that are Chriſtians are not in ſuch darkneſſe, we have the Word of God to direct us, and his Spirit to incline us; Look then that the matter thou praieſt for be ſuch as is agreeable to Gods holy will.
2. We are to conſider and attend to the order of our matter; That which is abſolutely neceſſary is to be preferred before what is convenient, only what relates to Gods glory and our ſalvation is farre to be preferred before any temporall good thing, as we ſee by the direction in our Lords Praier, and by Chriſts command, Seek ye firſt the Kingdom of heaven, Mat. 6.33. It's diſputed whether temporall mercies may be praied for or no, it may ſeem a thing below the heavenly Spirit of a Chriſtian, but if it be lawful then it's diſputed how far whether abſolutely or conditionally only, and it's reſolved that becauſe temporal mercies are not promiſed by God abſolutely, nor are they abſolutely neceſſary to our ſalvation; Therefore we may pray only with ſubmiſſion and ſubordination, if it be Gods will, and ſo farre as they may be a furtherance to our ſpiritual good.
3. There muſt be an attention to the words we uſe in our prayer as well as to the matter; That they be grave, decent and comely; That there be nothing of vanity, affectation, or irreverence; Praier is a worſhip of God; When Abraham was admitted to a diſcourſe with God, how greatly did he debaſe himſelf, he was but dust and aſhes, Gen. 18.27. and who was he that he ſhould ſpeak to God, Eccl. 5.2. There is a notable advice to look to our words when we have to do with God, He is in heaven and thou on earth: That is a vaſt diſtance and great diſproportion, Therefore let thy words be few: The wiſeman doth not there forbid a long praier, for he himſelf made a very long one at the Dedication of the Temple, and repeated this Petition very often, Then hear thou in heaven and forgive, and heal this people, 1 Kin. 8. But that we ſhould look to our words that they be not idle, ſuperfluous and vain; a long praier in this ſence may be ſaid to have few words, when the matter is pithy, and the words pertinent, as he ſaid of a Book, Non ſunt longa, &c. That is not a long Book from which you cannot well take away any thing, ſo that the length and ſhortneſſe of a praier lieth not ſo much in the quantity of time as in the matter; a praier held out for an hour without any ſavory matter or comely words is a long praier: Look we then to the matter in the firſt place, and then to words, but if we look towards more then matter, and make an eloquent oration to God, rather then an humble ſupplication, this is ridiculous and ſinfull.
4. We are to have our attention upon the obiect to whom we do pray, and that to God himſelf: What preparations and perfumings were there to come into Abaſhuerus his preſence; If the Majeſty of an earthly King ſtrike ſuch terrour, then what ought not the preſence of ſo great a God? ſo that a diligent attention to his greatneſs muſt greatly elevate and raiſe up the Spirit, muſt unite and ſtrengthen it to one object, how can diſtraction, and diviſions enter into thy heart when it's applying it ſelf to ſuch infinite greatneſſe?
5. We are to be attentive to all thoſe concomitant graces, without which Praier is like a Bird without wings, or a ruſty Key; Zeal and fervency, and faith in the promiſe and power of God are neceſſarily required, for Without faith it's impoſſible to pleaſe God; Heb. 11. This is the life and ſoul of all, There muſt be alſo heavenly mindedneſſe, and a hatred of all ſin, otherwiſe we are not fit to have any communion with God.
Laſtly, We are to attend to the end we have in our Praier for lawful temporal things, Jam. 4.7. You ask and have not becauſe you ask amiſſe; You ask to ſpend on your lusts, and this is very difficult, to ask health, life, and ſtrength for no other end, but thereby to glorifie God and promote his Kingdom; Thus briefly becauſe not principally intended, to declare how great a matter it is to pray.
3. Vocal praier or the uſe of the tongue in praier is not for information of God, as if thereby we would diſcover to him that which he did not know before; Nor if we uſe repetition in praier, is it to move God,Why we muſt uſe our tongue in praier. as importunity may a Judge; If it were ſo then no wonder if we did double and treble the ſame thing over and over again, but partly becauſe we conſiſting of a ſoul and body are thereby to glorifie God and honour him with both; Hence not only the heart but the tongue is called upon to glorifie God, and that is called the glory of a man, Though ſome expound it of the ſoul, and partly becauſe the voice and exerciſe thereof doth ſtir up and move the affections, there being a reciprocal efficacy one upon another, and a circular cauſality: Even as vapors make the clouds which diſtilling in rain do make vapors again, ſo out of the heart come affectionate expreſſions in praier, and theſe again do encreaſe heat in the heart.
Theſe things premiſed let us conſider,When Repetitions of the ſame matter in praier may be uſeful. When Repetitions or ingeminations of the ſame matter in Praier may be uſeful and neceſſary, and we ſhall ſpeak of ſuch a vocal Praier as is publique, wherein not only the Petitions but the edification of others is greatly to be reſpected, for this you muſt know, and it may ſerve for a fourth particular to preface this matter, That in publique praier wherein many joyn together, he that praieth is not only to attend to all the forementioned particulars, but to them that are aſſembled alſo, to conſider what Petitions, what confeſſions are fit for them to be ſtirred up unto, and that is 1 Cor. 14. The reaſon why the Apoſtle ſo much pleadeth againſt praier among other duties in an unknown tongue, becauſe it will not edifie thoſe that are conioyned with us, and ſo ſome expound that, I will pray in the Spirit, that is for his own particular, and I will pray in the underſtanding alſo, that is in reſpect of others to advantage and benefit them, ſo that in our publique, whether as a Miniſter, as a Maſter of a Family, or otherwiſe; We muſt conſider the perſons with us what they need what things moſt concern them, and this is a particular way to affect them, it being here as with a Sermon, the cloſer it comes to the heart, the more good it doth, ſo with a praier the more any Petition cloſeth with another mans heart, the more it doth affect him and enlarge him, and therefore fit words and fit matter are eſpecially to be attended unto in ſuch publique praier, where not only ſupplication but edification is intended.
Let us then conſider when the ground of repetition and ingemination is good.
And 1. When the matter is ſo exceeding neceſſary that our hearts are deeply ſenſible of it; As when a burthened ſoul lieth under the guilt of ſinne, ſinne is like a Mountain upon him, it gnaweth and devoureth within, then to beg for pardon over and over again, the ſoul cannot but do it; The neceſſity of it is ſo great, that be cannot let it go, as Pſa. 51. a Praier made by David when overwhelmed in his Spirit by the guilt of ſinne; How often doth he repeat though in different words a Petition for pardon, That God would have mercy on him; That he would waſh him, purge him, and blot out his ſinnes: This he nameth twice, for till he had obtained this pardon, there was no living for him; He could take no pleaſure in houſes, friends, yea; in his kingdom and all outward proſperity, ſo that the neceſſity of it makes him again and again repeat his praier for it, and thus our Saviour when he was upon thoſe agonies and extremities, he praieth, Father, if it be poſſible let this cup paſſe away, and the Text ſaith, he went thrice and ſaid the ſame words, Mat. 26.44. Here the neceſſity of that Praier he praied for made him ſay the ſame words, for as the ſame earth or the ſame Sun we are not weary of, becauſe of the neceſſity of it; Thus neither is it to be accounted a vain tautology when again and again we pray for that without which we cannot be.
2. When the matter is excellent then it may be repeated again, becauſe by often ſtriking the ſame ſtroak at laſt the Inſtrument enters, ſometimes a ſudden tranſient paſſage doth not touch the heart, and ſo the excellency of it is not diſcerned, but when once or twice it is ſpoken, then it may affect: It's a Rule, Pulchraſunt his dicenda, we cannot ſee the worth of a Jewell at the firſt ſight; and hence it is that there are ſome ſentences of choice and excellent vertue, that our Saviour himſelf would uſe more then once, Such as that, Many are called but few are choſen, and ſome Parables alſo are twice ſpoken to by our Saviour, yea, that Pſalm which deſcribeth the grievous pollution of every man by nature; The Apoſtle Rom. 3. doth repeat at large, it being ſuch an excellent choice Truth that every one is to be affected with, and till that foundation be laid there cannot be any eſteem or prizing of Chriſt.
3. When the affections are very fervent and zealous, then it cannot but they will expreſſe the ſame thing again: It's not want of matter but height of affection and zeal that makes the tongue utter the ſame thing twice, as Gal. 4.6. it's ſaid The Spirit of God is ſent into our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father; Here is an Ingemination, we cry Father, Father, and why ſo? the Spirit of God doth ſo kindle and inflame the heart, that it's ſo ſweetly and paſſionately affected, that as he ſaid pro dulcedine vix labris expedire poſſit, he is unwilling to let this hony out of his mouth: As Peter when he was in the Transfiguration ſaid, It's good to be here; So the heart of a godly man thus filialized by the holy Ghoſt, cannot but utter the ſame dear relation over and over; It's uſuall with the Hebrews when they would expreſſe their earneſt affection and deſire to a thing, to double it, and when Eſau was in that great extremity, and deſired Jacobs pottage, he crieth out, Give me of thy red pottage, as it's in the Original; The heart that is ſtrongly affected and zealouſly drawn out is not contented with once naming of that, which he ſo much deſireth, ſo that commonly cold and cuſtomary praiers have no ingeminations.
4. Repetition of the ſame matter may be when he would by faith perſwade our heart of the certainty of the thing we pray for; Thus that crying Abba Father, did not only argue zeal but aſſurance and certainty: They were ſo fully perſwaded that they were bold to ſpeak it again and again, and ſo alſo it's a Rule among the Hebrews, to expreſſe the certainty of a thing by the ingemination of it: Thus dying thou ſhalt die, So when it's ſaid Amen and Amen, that repetition is to ſhew their affection, that they would have it ſo, or that it is ſo, and thus indeed thoſe Petitions which God ſets home with certainty upon the heart they are again and again mentioned, The Lord will do them yea, he hath done them.
Laſtly, There may be a repetition of ſome Petitions eſpecially in publique Praier, when the matter doth greatly concern us; and ſo it's ſuch as we ought to be deeply affected with, for as it is with Preaching, that matter which doth greatly concern the hearer, it's lawful to mention it over and over again, as the Apoſtle Peter did think fit to write the very ſame things which he had formerly delivered, as alſo the Apoſtle Jude in his Epiſtle did; So it is in publique praier, ſuch ſinnes as we would have the Congregation ſenſible of in their confeſſions, ſuch duties as we would have them diligently perform, it's uſeful in praier to mention theſe more then once, for how dull and diſtracted are our thoughts, how hard and ſenceleſſe are they? So that like Moſes his rock, till we be ſtricken over and over again, water cannot come forth, like the Shunamites dead childe; Till we be often rubbed over there cannot come any ſpiritual heat into us; Do not then alwaies look for new matter, but rather deſire thy heart may be affected with that which is old ſometimes; It's a great ſinne in all, that they endeavour not to have their hearts affected in publique praier, in our Congregations, we ſhould all be like ſo many Jacobs wraſtling with God, We ſhould be like ſo many Hezekiahs or Jonahs crying out of the Whales belly, but oh how few when God takes notice doth he finde that have ſpiritual mourning hearts, ſome ſleeping, ſome roving, ſome weary and wiſhing it over.
But you will ſay,Queſt. though this indeed prove that ſometimes a doubling of the ſame Petition may be uſefull, yet may there not be idle bablings and ſinfull repetitions in the ſame Praier? May there not be ſuch Tautologies as may be offenſive and diſtaſtful to a godly heart?
Yes certainly, And this is expreſly forbidden, Mat. 6.7. a notable place,Anſw. Ʋſe not vain repetitious, foreign; Some derive it from that fooliſh man the Poet ſpeaks of, a Shepherd called Battus, ſub illis montibus inquit, erant, & erant ſub montibus illis, Others more probably from the Hebrew word baetta, that ſignifies to pour out froth, a blatero, and ſo Heſychius expounds it foreign, empty words of any ſence or matter, when there are many words and no true grave matter; Therefore our Saviour cals it foreign much ſpeaking, not that he condemneth long praiers, but to make many words without ſence or the affection of the heart; Heſychius expounds it alſo foreign unſeaſonable and unbeſeeming; So that then are Repetitions forbidden by our Saviour,
1. When they ariſe either from want of judgement to prepare good matter, When repetitions are forbidden.or a dry ſenceleſſe heart; For Praier is a ſtream, and if there be not fulneſſe in theſe two Fountains that muſt needs be dried up; If repetitions then come for want of judgement, they have not a good underſtanding to digeſt and order their matter, this is not a ſeemly Sacrifice to offer to God; It's a ſtrange poſition of ſome devout Papiſts, that this is the beſt Praier, When a man is ſo raviſhed that he knoweth not what he ſaith, So when Repetition comes for want of an affectionate heart, this is blameworthy, affections make eloquent and copious, and heavenly affections do wonderfully enlarge the heart in Praier; This is the fire that makes the heart boil over, Praier without the heart in it, is like the body without the ſoul,
2. When repetitions are out of affectation and oſtentation, thereby to lengthen and protract their praiers, this is alſo vanity; For although there is a neceſſity as occaſion may ſerve of long praiers, eſpecially when we intend ſolemnly to humble our ſelves, and we have examples of ſuch in Scripture, yet out of oſtentation to affect length, and thereby to come over with the ſame things in a tedious and empty manner; This is not to perform the duty aright.
3. When Repetitions are ſo often iterated thereby thinking for the work-ſake to pleaſe God: To think God eſteemeth of the length and ſo much ſaid, rather then the affections and heart therein; and this ſeemed to be the Heathens ſinne, our Saviour ſaid, they thought by their foreign their many words, in that ſo much was ſaid, to have a good anſwer; And thus it is in Popery, The ſaying of ſo many Paternoſters, The mumbling over ſo many Ave-Maries, this is enough to expiate ſinne; They regard the number, and when the number is done all is well, and thus moſt people amongſt us put their confidence in a praier ſaid, and never at all conſider with what heavenly affections and a ſpirituall heart they approach unto God; Thus you have heard when a repetition in praier is lawful and when unlawful.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction, That to pray is ſuch a ſolemn worſhip of God, that it requireth the whole man, the intellectual part, all our judgement, invention, and memory is to be imploied therein, as alſo the whole heart, the will and affections, yea, and body alſo; and beſides this there is alſo required the Spirit of God to enlighten the minde, and to ſanctifie the heart for meer judgement, and invention, without Gods Spirit enlivening of them, is like a Sacrifice without fire; Oh then if all theſe things go together, may we not cry out, Who is ſufficient to pray? It's a great work to be a Miniſter, and it's a great work to be a private Chriſtian, for every one is bound to be much in Praier, and yet how many requiſites go to this? Oh therefore that we could awaken three ſorts of men by this: 1. The ignorant man that hath his praiers but without any underſtanding, any affection, and therefore praieth while he is doing other work, or ſluggiſhly in his bed, yea, he knoweth not whether it be a praier or not, only he is told ſo, and therefore they think the Creed and the Commandements a Praier; Miſerable blinde people, what will become of them! 2. Superſtitious perſons, who lay their whole ground of acceptation upon ſuch▪ and ſuch praiers, or upon ſuch a number, but as for the ſpirituall diſcharge of the duty that they do not underſtand. 3. All formall and cuſtomary people who dare not but pray publikely, and ſometimes privately, yea, and in Families alſo, but no ſtone is colder then their hearts; Oh what dead empty things are their duties, with what anger doth God look upon them when all is done: They riſe up and ſay, Now is all well; Oh but God is provoked by ſuch formall lukewarm duties; You have a better heart and more lively affections, and why then put you God off with the worſt? Doth not the Prophet ſay, He is curſed that hath a Male in his Flock, and yet offers the maimed; Thou haſt more maſculine affections to other things though they be not ſeen in Praier.