A Practical Discourse of Prayer, Discourse · Part 3 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Touching uſe of means with prayer.
VVE are now to proceed to ſome other caſes of conſcience about prayer.
A fourth caſe is, how far forth means are Queſt. to be uſed together with our prayers?
In Anſwer wherunto, let us ſhew, 1 That Anſw. means are to be uſed with praier. And 2. how they are to be uſed. Touching the former.
That meanes are to be uſed with our Means to bee uſed with prayer.prayers; It is clear in all inſtances of the Suppliants of God in their prayers, and in Chriſts example alſo, uſing the meanes with his prayers. Nehemiah, as he prayed that he might bee improved as an inſtrument of good to his diſtreſſed countrey-men; ſo alſo did he uſe his intereſt in his Lord and Maſter the King, to further him therein. Nehem. 1. and 2. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. ſhew: and when hee was in hazzard by reaſon of his enemies powers and policies, as he prayeth with the people, ſo he ſetteth a watch. Neh. 4. 9. Nevertheleſs we made our prayer unto our God, and ſet a watch againſt them night and day, becauſe of them. Ezra and the reſt had confeſſed the ſins of the people, but muſt uſe the means to reforme the ſame. Ezra 10. 1. Now when Ezra had prayed, &c. Shechaniah anſwered, now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away the ſtrange wives: and from v. 3. Ariſe, for this matter belongeth to thee, &c. Abrahams ſervant with his prayers for ſucceſſe in the buſineſſe of procuring a wife for Iſaak. Gen. 24. 12, 13, 14. He uſeth the means to ſpeed therein, he beſtoweth bracelets upon her, when he began to perceive her to bee the woman. v. 21, 22, 23. &c. Paul with his praiers that the Philippians love may abound. Phil. 1. 9. 10, will uſe exhortations too for that end, Phil. 2. 1. Chriſt when to raiſe Lazarus, as he will pray, ſo commanded that the ſtone be removed from the grave. Joh. 11. 38, 41. And with his prayers for the not failing of Peters faith, &c. Luke 22. 31, 32. He uſeth that means of recovering words alſo.
Let us add three or four Reaſons hereof, Reaſons; becauſe, 1 God ordinarily effecteth our deſires by means.why means muſt be uſed with prayer.
1 Becauſe ordinarily God giveth us in the bleſſings which wee ſeek of him in the uſe of means If David pray for a victory over the Philſtins, God will give it him, but he muſt liſten to the noiſe in the tops of the mulbery-trees to know when he muſt fal on, as he muſt firſt fetch a compaſſe, the better to lie in ambuſh. 2 Sa. 5. 23, 24. 25. So he ſhall recover all upon his prayer and inquiry that the Amalekites took from Ziklag. 1 Sam. 8. But he will uſe means to come upon them where they are ſecurely, by making uſe of the information of that Egyptian ſoldier of theirs whom they left behind. ver. 11, 15. Jacob ſhall prevail over Eſau, having prevailed over God. Gen. 32. 32. But will uſe the means by a large gift to pacifie his brothers wrath. Paul hath a promiſe of the lives of all in the ſhip, Acts 27. 24, 25. Yet ſome means, as that of that boat muſt not be uſed; ver. 31, 34. and other meanes more unlikely muſt be uſed for the ſafety of all, ver. 44. they that can ſwim muſt doe it, and the reſt get upon boards, and pieces of the wrack to the ſhore. Not a bone of Chriſt ſhall be broken, yet God ordained it that he ſhould be dead, before they came to haſten his death by breaking his bones, as they did the others. Jon. 19 33, 35. compared. Of thoſe that the Father gave me, have I l…ſt none; according as it is written, Joh. 18. 9. Yet will he uſe the means, that his weakly diſciples may at that preſent eſcape that temptation of ſuffering. ver. 8. God delighteth to bleſſe the uſe of means as his owne ordinance, he will be ſeene to bee all in meanes and over means, and will have his people diſcern the ſweet accord betwixt the firſt and the ſecond cauſes.
2 Becauſe the more coſtly and difficult 2 Uſe of means maketh mercies more valued.mercies are to us, the more they are prized by us, and they ſtay and ſtick the longer with us. Hezekiah hath means preſcribed for his recovery, which God could have wrought without them, but his recovery is thereby the more memorable. Abrahams ſervant with prayer uſing ſundry means, had made many more affecting obſervations, of ſpeaking providences for accompliſhing his buſineſs, and did the more thankfully admire God therein, and repeat the ſame the more feelingly for others benefit. See Gen. 24. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. 50, 52. There are more conſpicuous varieties of Gods wiſdom, grace, power and truth in ſuch a way. Both the means and the mercies which we obtain in and by prayer, with uſe of means, are more ſutable to our humane condition here; when means are uſed by us, we are often minded of the mercies received thereby, by like caſes and means occurring, and are fitter to mind others thereof occaſionally.
3 Becauſe the Saints uſing means with 3 The Saints are the more quieted in the ſucceſſes.their prayers, are quieteſt and moſt at peace in the iſſues thereof, whatſoever they prove, and are ſtrongly armed againſt objections impugning their fidelity to God, themſelves, or others; being thereby alſo ſenced againſt temptations to diſcontent, &c. Hannah having prayed by her ſelfe, and having ſet good Eli alſo on work with God for her alſo, ſhe is quiet, 1 Sam. 1. 13, 16, 17, 18 David after he had with his praiers to defeat Ahithophels counſel, (2 Sam. 15. 31. Lord turn Ahithophels counſel into fooliſhneſs) uſed means to eſcape Abſoloms bloody Army, martialling his own Army for that end, 2 Sam. 18. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. how quiet he is, Pſa. 3. title, compared with v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. ſheweth. A Pſalm of David when he fled from his ſon Abſolom, v. 5. I laid me down and ſlept, &c. he can then ſleep as ſweetly in his Tent, as in his Palace.
4 Becauſe the Saints uſing means with their 4. The Saints then come to have the things themſelves, or as good.prayers, are ſure either of the good things they ſeek, or as good, and the Lords bleſſing upon them. Abrahams ſervant, Nehemiah and others had the very mercies they ſought. Paul and Moſes had the good of that which they ſought, 2 Cor. 12. 8, 9, 10. Deut. 34. God gave not Paul the deſired deliverance from the evil he complained of, but yet giveth him grace ſufficient to guard and ſupport him againſt his temptations. Moſes ſhall have all in a view at a diſtance, which they had who went into Canaan, Deut. 3. 23, 28 David earneſtly deſired to have built God a Temple, It was in his heart ſo to do, and accordingly he made ready, 1 Chron. 28 2. yet ver. 3. he muſt not build it; but 1 Kings 8. 17, 18. God honoured him in ſelecting his ſon Solomon to do it; ver. 19. and he farther honoured David with a glorious teſtimony of his gracious acceptance of ſuch deſires and endeavors of his to have done it, even as if he had actually done it, v. 18, yea he honoured him with that divine diſcovery of all the platform of that goodly fabrick that albeit Solomon ſhall erect it, yet David ſhall have the honour above him in all matters concerning the framing of it, 1 Chr. 28. 19. Abraham is denyed his deſire in Iſhmael, Gen. 17. 18. but its fully made up in the bleſſing upon Iſaak, and Iſhmael ſome way alſo fared the better for it, v. 6.
As touching the other particular, namely, Rules about the uſe of means.What Rules are to be attended unto, in our uſing of the means with our prayers. I anſwer:
1 Sanctfie even the very meanes which 1. Sanctifie even them by prayer.you uſe, with prayer for a Bleſſing upon them. So did Nehemiah, his petition to the King was ſanctified by his petition to the King of heaven, Nehem. 2. 4, 5. So I prayed unto the God of heaven, and then I ſaid unto the King, &c. and Ezra 8. 21. thoſe godly Jews ſought God by faſting and prayer, for a right way of proceeding in their return into Judea. Aſa will ſet the battel in aray, as the means, but yet ſanctifie it by praier, and yet then alſo profeſſe, it is all nothing without the Lord, 2 Chron. 14. 10. 11 We have no power, help us O Lord our God. And indeed when Chriſtians ſanctifie the means by prayer, they acknowledg God as All in All, even in the means as well as the end; this will prevent uſing of unlawful means. If Abraham, Iſaak, Rebecca, and Jacob had done ſo, they had not uſed thoſe poor ſhifts mentioned, Gen. 12. and 20. and 26. and 27. no better then lying. Beſides, it will prevent a blaſt upon that which meanes may bring about without ſuch prayer to ſanctifie the ſame: when we uſe means with ſucceſs in our deſires, without prayer, we either want the comfort of the thing attained, or it is unexpectedly ſnatched from us; or it is ſome way perverted to ſome unwarrantable uſe or rather abuſe thereof.
2 Be we choice, prudent, and pious in making uſe of the means, we pitch upon, and 2. Uſe the beſt means.as pious and prudent in the manner of uſing the ſame. Neither chuſe nor uſe any unlawful means, as Rachel and Sarai did, to give their maids to their husbands, to attain their deſire of children by them. Or as David in danger at Gath, ſupplicating for deliverance, but ſcrabling too as the meanes. Nor are we to uſe any unſutable or unſeaſonable means, or lawful pertinent means unlawfully or unſeaſonably, but uſe lawfulleſt and likelieſt means. As Mordecai with prayer uſed Queen Eſthers intereſt with her husband King Ahaſhuerus; and Jacob with his prayer ſends Eſau a Preſent, a gift uſing to proſper whitherſoever it goeth.
3 Look we that there lye no fault or ſin upon us, in ſuch ſort as might blaſt both our 3. Remove what might blaſt the meanspraying and means uſing alſo. As in Joſhuahs crying whilſt Achans ſin lay upon the Congregation, Joſh. 7. 10, 11, 12, 13. Why cryeſt thou?—Iſraet hath ſinned, &c. So the Iſraelites for avenging that horrid crime of Bejamin, Judg. 19. gather an Army, and pray too; but for ſins among them, and too much truſting to their numbers, &c. twice blaſted, Judg. 20. Hence when godly Ezra would uſe means for their ſafe return to Judea, he putteth his company upon ſolemn humiliaation of themſelves before God, Ezra 8. leſt their ſins might way-lay them.
4 Uſe the means in faith. Set faith on 4. Uſe means in faith.work, as well in the uſe of means as of prayer. Nehemiah prayeth, ſetteth a ſtrict watch, encourageth all ſorts to fight, but all in faith, Our God ſhal fight for us. Neh. 4. 9, 13, 14. compared. Moſes cryeth, Ex. 14. 15. ſo did the people, Neh. 9. 9. and withal Moſes uſeth means preſcribed of God for to paſſe thorow the red ſea, Exod. 14. 26. he ſtretcheth out his hand over the red ſea to divide it; but all this was in faith, looking through all their prayers, and all ſecondary means, unto the Lord as All in All: By faith they paſſed through the red ſea, Heb. 11. 29. Aſa ſetteth the battle in array, and prayeth, but reſteth neither on his war-like power nor on his prayers, but on the Lord alone, We reſt on thee, 2 Chro. 14. 10. 11. And indeed wee have need to uſe means in faith, looking through means and reſting on the God of them, and on his promiſe for ſucceeding the ſame. Jacob prayeth as well after he had pitched upon the means of pacifying Eſau as before, and yet reſteth on the charge of God that he ſhould return; and his promiſe That he wil be with him and do him good, Gen. 32. 10. and on that ver. 28. With men thou ſhalt prevail, compared with verſe 30. Uſe the means alſo in faith, reſpecting the warrantableneſs thereof, leſt in that reſpect what is not of faith become ſin to us. And let all be done in faith alſo, eying and owning God in all ſucceſſes of prayers and means, as the chief, as all. So Exod. 15. 1. &c. He hath triumphed gloriouſly, the horſe and rider hath hee throwne into the ſea.
5. Be diligent and patient in uſing means, 5. Be diligent and patient therein.waiting upon God for the ſucceſs, as they do that dig for Mines, Prov. 2. 3, 4. Our eyes wait on thee, as the eyes of the handmaid upon her Miſtreſs, &c. Pſal. 123.
6 In uſing means be we ſubmiſſive. Bind 6. Be ſubmiſſive to God therein.not God to our praying, or meanes uſing, much leſſe to this or that means, or manner, or ſeaſon, either of the uſe, or of the ſucceſs of the ſame; but leave all with the Lord, to do, delay, or deny as he pleaſeth. Even Joab ſpake nobly herein to his brother, 2 Sam. 10. 12. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for our God, and the Lord do that which ſeemeth him good. This he ſpake after he had uſed all warlike means for a good ſucceſs, mentioned v. 10, 11. David, though he ſo earneſtly deſired, and induſtriouſly indeavoured to build a Temple, and was denyed the ſucceſſe as to himſelfe, yet reſteth quiet and ſatisfied in Gods mind touching his ſon, and his acceptance of him for other ſervice, although not for that. So Paul denied of that he ſo earneſtly begged and endeavoured, yet reſts quiet in Gods anſwer. My grace is ſufficient for thee; ſaying, 2 Cor. 12. 9. 10. Moſt gladly therefore will I rejoice in my infirmities.
7 When means have been thus uſed with 7. If meanes proſper not, ſearch out the cauſe.prayer, and yet do not ſucceed, ſearch out the Cauſe, be humbled for it, and redreſs it; find out the Achan that troubleth Iſrael, and execute holy vengeance upon him, Joſh. 7, and be not diſcouraged then to go on uſing means, as Joſhuah uſeth ſtratagems to take Ai and the men thereof, who had the better but then of Iſrael, Joſh. 7. & 8. compared. So did Iſrael after their twofold defeat by Bejamin, humble themſelvs greatly before God, enquire his counſel, and uſe ſtratagems againſt Bejamin, and proſpered, Judg. 10. So Paul hiadred oft from going to the Romans to do good among them; albeit he prayed and endeavoured it yet was ready to it ſtill, Rom. 1. 10, 11, 13, 15.