Directions and Instigations to the Duty of Prayer, Sermons · Sermon 1

Directions and Instigations to the Duty of Prayer · Sermons · Sermon 1

p. 5SERMON I.

1 Thes. 5. 17.

Pray without ceasing.

GOdlinesse is so sublime and divine a thing, and doth so highly elevate the Believer that is endued with it, that by it hee is admitted unto that high …inacle of honour, and inconceivable pitch of dignity, as to be made like unto God, and to have a glorious participation of his divine nature; so that we need not much Rhetorick to commend this unto you who have tasted of the sweetnesse of it: for wisdom will be alwayes justified of her children, Mat. 11. 19. But there are some of you who savor not the things of God, and to whom these things doth appear but as some Europian fancy, and notions of a mans brain, who are not much in contemplation of these things. So that though we could speak upon this subject, in such a manner that the glo…ious light of it should surround us, yet the …lind heart cannot see it, because there is a dungeon within: and till Christ open our eyes (as well as reveal his light) we cannot be enlight…ed by it. But had we once as much divine understanding, as to take it up in its beauty and p. 6necessity, in its advantage and dignities, in i… comeliness and equity, we should esteem it th… principal thing which we have to do in all ou… life time, and should dig for it as for hidden treasures, Prov. 2. 4. And there is no part of th… royal and beautiful ornament of godliness, bu… it may commend & ingratiate it self to any wh… doth not close their eyes. And amongst all th… beautiful effects & parts of godliness, this dut… and grace of prayer is not the least, and do… not a little, dommend it: and though it appe… sometimes little amongst the thousands of th… graces of the Spirit, yet out of it have come e… cellent things, and it hath not counted it pr… sumption to compare it self with the highest … chiefest … is that (no doubt) by which a so… is elevated to converse and talk with God, wi… the holy and blessed T…inity, yea, and that … often and freely as the Christian pleaseth: fo… there it a door of access standing alwayes ope… by which we may enter in, and communicat … in part our thoughts to God, and to have hi… making known his mind to us. O! this is a di… nity and a priviledge that hath been purchas… unto us at an infinite rate and value, even t… precious bloud of Christ: for, no doubt, t… door of our accesse unto God, is through t… …ail of his flesh. And were this more deeply e… graven upon our spirits, we should improve th… dignity more, did we once believe the unspe… able highness of this duty of prayer, and the i… comprohensible essence of God, that which … now neglect through ignorance, we should s… to meddle with it through a sort of reveren… and fear, being afraid to touch the mount, lest … should be shot thorow, and looking upon o… selves, p. 7as unworthy to lift up our eyes to hea…en, because we have reproached him so often.

Now there are these two incomprehensible and cardinal evils which doth exceedingly ma… and intercept the obedience of Christians unto this great and precious command of praying without ceasing, and they are these two, Atheism … Idolatry; too much confidence in our selves, and too much leaning to our own understanding, which is idolatry; it being a visible breach of the first command, Thou shale have none other Gods before me, Exod. 20. 3. And too little confidence and trusting in God, which is our Atheism; imploying our selves in all, and imploying God in nothing: so that our blessed …ord may propose that inanswerable challenge and question to many of us, Hitherto have you …sked nothing in my Name, John 16. 24. And what is this practise, but an involving of our …lves in that woful curse, Cursed be the man …hat trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, …hose heart departeth from the Lord? Should the living seek the dead, and not their God, who giveth …nto all men all things liberally to enjoy? Jer. 17. 5. Were we dwelling more under the spiritual …pression of our utter inability & impotency …o save our selves, and that compleat ability …nd infinite power which is in him to help us, …e would bind this precious command of prayer …s a chain of gold about our neck, and make it …n ornament of grace to our head, Prov. 4. 9. We …ould certainly be constrained to cry forth, …ll that the Lord commands us, we will do, Deut. …. 27. And pray that there may be such a heart …ven to us, as to have our practice correspon…nt unto our resolutions.

p. 8O! what a glorious and unspeakable digni… suppose you it to be, to be dayly having yo… walk in heaven, in those beautifull streets th… are all paved with transparent gold, and to … conversing with him whose fellowship is of mo… infinite worth then all imperiall dignities? … Christian that is much exercised in prayer m… have this to say when he is passing thorow t… gates of death to long & endless eternity, th… he is now to change his place, but not his co… pany. Heaven may be to him but a blessed t… sition to a more constant and immediat enjo… ment of God. O? what a blessed day suppo… ye it shall be when ye shall be altogether wi… out the reach of the necessity of this duty, a… noble exercise of the grace of prayer? For tho… it be a blessed and most divine exercise, yet … involves an imperfection in its bosome; and … it must needs pass away, when that which is p… fect shall come, 1 Cor. 13. 10. O! to be mu… in correspondance with him, and in mainta… ing communion and fellowship with him, A… of him, and it were to the half of his Kingdom… yea more, whatsovever ye ask in his Name, acc… ding to his will, and what he sees fit in his wisd… for your good, believing, be will grant it to y… Math. 21. 22. and will not at all deny yo… We conceive there is not such a comprehensi… promise annexed to any duty as this: in a ma… ner, it is the sweet compend and epitome of … Christian promises. What is included here… All things, no doubt, for your good are he… included, and nothing of that kind is exclud…. We confess if our enjoyments were regulate a… cording to our desires, they should come s… short of that which we stand in need of, a… p. 9much more they should come short of that which he is willing to give; and therefore we are blessed in this, that he walketh not in his …ispensations to us by the rule of our desires, but by that precious rule of his free and conde…cending grace: for he is able to give unto us …xceding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think, Eph. 3. 20. If you would ask what …s the great and eminent exercise which a Christian ought to have while he is here below? Believe it, I could give no answer so suitable as prayer, this noble and precious exercise of this grace of prayer. And if it were asked, secondly, what ought to be the great and eminent exercise of a Christian while he is here? It is prayer. And if it were asked, thirdly, what it ought to be? It is only prayer. Prayer above all things, and above all things prayer. I mean true serious, sincere, and nor hypocritical prayer: a pleasant retiring and diverting our selves from all other things, to wrestle with God: to leave our servants and our asses at the foot of the mount, untill we go up and worship God, and …ury our idols under the vale of Sichem, and to wash our selves from our pollutions, when we go up to Bethel: to return from the confused …oise of the multitude of our affairs, unto the pleasant delighting our selves in God. A Christian (the sound of whose feet is much heard in …he streets of New Jerusalem, who, in a man…er, is anticipating the time of his endlesse en…oyment of it; and who is dayly bringing down heaven unto earth, or rather elevating himself towards heaven, hearing of such an end…esse command at this, pray without ceasing, … Rom. 20. 12.) is constrained to cry forth; p. 10Lord, what is man, that thou should be mindful… of him? Or the son of man, that thou should vis… him, and that thou hast so highly magnified him … Ps. 8. 4. I conceive, if a Christian would loo… upon all his duties of Religion under a righ… notion and apprehension; certainly he will …sapn… ther take them up as his dignity, then his du… and rather as the singular tokens and signific… tions of the infinite respect and love of God towards him then any way given and commande… him; Seeing by the practice of them we shoul… testifie our thankfulness and obedience toward… him, surely it were our servitude, and no… our liberty to be freed from this blessed an… glorious yoke of his commandements. O! wh… a bondage were it for an immortal soul, not a… wayes to be living in a direct line of subordin… tion to him? But a natural man hearing of th… decree and command of God coming forth, Pr… without ceasing, will cry out, This is a hard saying, who can hear it? Joh. 6. 60. We ought t… study to be subordinate to God, & in subjectio… unto nothing which may hinder our subord… nation to him, and to make use of all things i… subordination unto him: And he who accoun… the service of the Lord a wearinesse, and do… snuff at it, as it were; and who never knew wha… it was to be bound in spirit, till he go to praye… believe me, that man is not much taken up i… the obedience of this noble and most excellen… commandment, Pray without ceasing.

Now being come to the words, having spoke… at large of that radical and noble grace of Faith… we are come to speak of this excellent grace o… Prayer: and I would have none of you mista… ing the nature of this command, or excelle… p. 11grace; or to conceive that the Apostle doth here so compendize and abridge Christians duties, as to confine them within this one duty & grace of Prayer, so that we should constantly and perpetually be taken up in this exercise, … so neglect the exercise of all other duties. No, surely, this is not the meaning of the words: for the words going before the Text may remove this mistake; Rejoyce evermore, 1 Thes. 5. 16. but we conceive it holds out these things to us,

First, that in all our lawful diversions and interruptions from this divine exercise, and imployment in this noble duty & grace of Prayer, we may be keeping our selves in a praying frame and disposition; so that when occasion presents it self to us, we may retire our selves from the noise of our secular affairs, and converse with him. A practice much unknown to the most part of the Christians of this generation, who betwixt the times of their conversing with God, and their addresses to his Throne, gives their hearts leave to wander after many vain impertinencies, and to rave abroad in the path of their Idols, and to intangle themselves with the affairs of this world; so that (in a manner) they are incapacited for this holy and divine exercise of the duty of Prayer, which doth require much divine abstractednesse from the world, and the things thereof, and much composedness of spirit; in which, our involving of our selves too much in our affairs (that do but by the way belong unto us) doth so much interrupt and hinder us: And this exhortation, Pray without ceasing, holds forth unto us that there is no condition, nor estate of life wherein we can be placed, that exeemeth us from the p. 12necessity & obedience of being much in the … ercise of this noble and excellent duty of t… grace of Prayer. For if we be under bonds, … must pray that we may be enlarged: and if … lift up the light of his countenance upon us, w… must pray that we may be helped to walk hu… bly with God, and to erect to our selves a dwe… ling in the dust, when he erecteth to us a thron… in heaven; and to be enabled not to stir him up… nor awake him before he please. God hath i… the depth of his infinite wisdom and unsearchable love towards man, so ordered it, that continual dependance upon him, is both our du… and dignity.

And then secondly, it holds out this unto u… that in the midst of all our business, and oth… affairs that we go about, we ought to be sending forth secret and divine jaculations toward… God; which practice was no mystery unto Jacob, for in the midst of his testament, having blessed six of his sons, and having other six to blesse, he breaks forth with that divine thought. I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord, Gen. 49. 18. Neither was this a mystery unto godly Nehemiah, who while he was standing befor… the King with the cup in his hand, did pray unto the Lord in this secret and silent way, Neh. 2. 4. He prayed unto the God of heaven.

And then lastly, this command and exhortation, pray without ceasing, holds out this unto us, that we should lay hold; yea more, that we should watch to lay hold upon every opportunity for this duty of prayer: yea more, that we should labour for all occasions for the enjoying of this admirable dignity, which is the scope of that noble command, 1 Pet. 4. 7. But (saith he) p. 13…he end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore so…er, and wat… unto prayer. A practice, alace! …hat is not much now in request, and that the Christians of this generation do very much un…ervalue, and set at nought: and we conceive …hat which doth so much interrupt our obedi…nce unto this command of praying in publike, …nd in our praying one with another, is either our atheism, or our pride, we being more afraid …o speak before men nor to speak before God, which is our atheism; so that our silence is rather from our …everence of men, then from our reverence of God. And then our pride hinders … from it, we being afraid lest going about that duty we discover our nakedness, and make our shame to appear: & in our impertinent denials of our obedience unto this desire, we study to cover the mater with a pretext of humility, & to gain reputation amongst men, that pride is hid from our eyes, and that we walk low, when in the mean time we sit on high places: And certainly that which doth so much obstruct our liberty and our having access unto God in our praying one with another, is our greater fear of these before whom we pray, then of him whom we pray to: And, no doubt, the divine impression of a Deity upon our hearts, would much help us to get this overcome. Or it is our pride that hinders us from high thoughts of God, and hinders and interrupts this holy and divine exercise of the grace of prayer, even our selves; which is the great Diana which we do so much adore: and about the adoring of which, and her silver shrines (so to speak) so much of our talk and labour is spent: we still proposing that woful end in all our actions, the exalting of our self, and attaining reputation amongst p. 14men; and therefore it comes to pass, that the… is little or no advantage redounding to us b… the exercise of publike prayer: so that we m… say that which one spake to another purpos… Cum inter homines fui minor homine redivi… for we may say this, that when we have be… amongst Christians, we do oftentimes return l… Christians: for if in our praying one with an… ther, we be answered according to the Idols … our heart, and have liberty of words, and pe… haps some real accesse to the Throne of Grac… when God lifts us up, we lift up our selves, b… ing exalted above measure, and sacrifising to o… own net, and making a secret feast to our Dag… within the temple of our hearts; proving o… selves to be but empty vines, bringing forth fru… unto our selves, Hos. 10. 1. And hence it is (… Christian will observe it) that he doth not mu… advance in the work of mortification by h… publike enlargements, and that the power … iniquity in him is not much restrain'd by thes… but that presently after his weeping over hi… self for some short coming, some new tenta… on presenting it self unto him, envolves him … the like, or (it may be) in a worse sin: and ord… narily our publike enjoyments and enlarg… ments are not constant and permanent, by ou… quenching his holy Spirit.

However, by the way we would say th… which a Heathen said, It is much for a man … be as serious alone in the exercise of his min… and affections in pursuing after these duties, … when he is in company: And that which do… exceedingly hinder a mans obedience when h… is alone; unto this command to pray withou… ceasing, is either the want of a solide convictio… p. 15… the necessity of this duty, or else it flows …om a not being deeply convinced of the ad…antages that may be found in this exercise of …ur secret retirements with God, and abstract…g our selves from the noise of the world, to …onverse with him. What joy in the holy Ghost? What mortification of our idols? What divine …onformity and likenesse to the Lords blessed …d glorious Image might we attain to by this? …s likewise we may superadd this, the want of …he solide conviction of these unspeakable dis…dvantages that are to be found in our wof…ll …eglecting, and sinful suspending of the exercise …f this duty when we are alone, which are best …nown to these which are most conversant with their own spirits: but sure we are through, …he sloathfulnesse of our hands, our house dropeth …horow, and our building doth decay; and we are …ecome remarkable servants unto our own …sts and corruptions.

Now is there any of you that at the very …eading of these words, pray without ceasing, may not retire himself, and judge himself emi…ently guilty of the breach of this command & …xcellent duty? That whereas Eliphas did ac…use Job, Thou restrainest prayer before God, Job …5. 4. surely he may justly charge it upon ma…y; yea, and alace! upon the most part of the Christians of this generation, there are many, I …ear, here, who doth passe under the notion of Saints and real Christians, who never did much …tudy to obey this command: there are many …ere who need not much Arithmetick to calcu…at all their prayers that they have powred out …efore his Throne. O! whither is your devo…ion gone? If David and Daniel were now alive, p. 16would not their practice condemn the Christ… ans of this generation, who at morning, at no… and at the evening tide did call upon him, ye… in the silent watches of the night, and at mi… night did rise, and seek their Maker, who giv… unto his own their songs in the saddest night … their afflictions? We conceive also if Anna th… precious woman were now alive (to who… that excellent testimony is given, Luke 2. 3… She was a widow about four score four years, whi… departed not from the Temple, but served God wi… fasting and praying night and day) might not sh… provoke many women; yea, all men and wom… unto an holy emulation in this so singular at… divine a practice? Alace! there is none now… dayes upon whom so brave a testimony cou… be passed, as was upon her. We must eithe… conceive that the way to heaven is more eas… then it was before in ancient times, or else th… there is not so much delight and solace to … had in him, as was before. Were we daily tasting of that pure river of life that flowes out fro… beneath the Throne of God; and of its sweetne… which causeth the lips of those that are asleep … speak, wee would be more taken up in givin… obedience unto this precious command of pra… er. And if we were sleeping more in the bed o… love, we would be lesse sleeping in the bed o… security: we would likewise imbrace more abstractednesse from the world, and more fami… arity with God. O! but our visites are rare, because we are not constant in prayer, and serve… in spirit, seeking the Lord. It is no wonder th… we forget what an one he is, because it is … long since we did behold him: We may forg… his form and livelinesse, there is such a numb… p. 17of dayes and wofull space of time interveening …etwixt our enjoyments of him.

Now we shall not dwell long in pointing out …nto you what prayer is; we conceive it is a sweet travelling and trafficking of the soul betwixt emptinesse and fulnesse, betwixt wants and all-sufficiency, and betwixt our inability to …elp our selves, and his ability to help us; the one depth calling upon the other depth; or in short, it is a souls conference with God.

Neither shall we stand in the proving of this unto you, that it is the duty of a Christian to be much taken up in the continual exercise of this duty of prayer, the Text doth sufficiently prove it: But we shall only for the more full clearing of this, point out one place of Scripture, and that is in Eph. 6. 18. where we are exhorted to pray with all manner of prayer and supplication, &c. which we conceive to be understood both of publick and private prayer, and that we should watch to the exercise of both these; and that we should not be in the exercise of these by starts & fits, but that we should …ontinue in them with all perseverance, as the …ext doth clearly hold forth.

Neither shall we insist long in speaking unto this, what is the spirit of prayer: We conceive … doth not stand in that promptness and volubility of language that we use before him; for there may be much of that, and little of the spirit: and upon the con…ain, there may be …ittle of that, or nothing at all, and yet much of the spirit; yea, we are certain that the spirit … sometimes an impediment unto much lan…uage; for either in our presenting or expres…ing our grief before God, our spirits are so p. 18overwhelmed within us, and so troubled, … we cannot speak, so that sighs or silent gro… are rather our oratrie, then the multitude words. So likewise in the exercise of joy, … soul is so filled, and in a manner, over shadow… with the holy Ghost, that the Christian is … up in holy admiration and astonishment; … that in a manner, he loses not only the exerc… of invention, but also the exercise of speec… He is so much taken up in gazing at that whi… he doth enjoy, and in a pleasant beholding a… contemplation of him who hath ravished hi… with one of his eyes, & with one chain of his ne… so that he can speak no more, but beginneth… wonder, his tongue cleaveth to the roof of … mouth, and his judgment is so confounded wi… the inexpressable sweetness and glory of hi… that appeareth, and his affection doth so swe… and run over all its banks, that in a manner, … is cloathed with a blessed impossibility to ha… the use of his tongue, & therefore is beginni… to admire that which he cannot speak: however, he that hath much of these things, hath nothing over: and he that hath little, hath no lack.

Neither doth the spirit of prayer consist … the finness and eloquency of our dictions; thes… things being rather to prove our selves Or… tors, then such as pray in the holy Ghost.

But we conceive it doth more consist in th… voice of the affections, not in the voice o… words, and in having unexpressable and unutterable sighs and groans of the spirit, which is … deed that true spirit of adoption which he hat… given unto us, whereby we cry unto him, Abba… Father, Gal. 4. 6. If we spake no more in praye… then what our affections and souls do speak… p. 19truly, we would not speak much: if we spake …re with zeal and affection, that vain pro…ity that we have in this duty of prayer, …uld be much compendized and abridged.

Neither shall we speak long on this, how …uch it is of a Christians concernment to be …nvinced of the absolute necessity of a Media…r and of a Dayes-man that must lay his hands …on us in all our approaches to God: & truly … conceive if many of you were posed when … the deep impression of the need that you …ve of Jesus Christ (and of him that hath taken that glorious title and attribute unto himself, of being the Counsellor, Isa. 9. 6.) were …graven upon your spirits when ye went to prayer, you should find it a difficulty to fall …pon the number of the days: and I conceive, that the want of the right apprehensions and …p-takings of God, and of our selves, is the reason why this great mystery and divine duty of the Gospel, to wit, the imploying of Jesus Christ in prayer, is so great a mystery, both un…o our judgements and affections: However, know that this is a duty belonging both to your knowledge and practice. There are many Christians who to their own apprehension, have made a great progresse in the course of Christianity, who yet may turn back and learn that great & fundamental lesson to call on his Name. Sure we are, were this more believed that God is a consuming fire without Jesus Christ, we would not be so presumtuously bold as to approach before God, either in publick or in private, without him who by his blood must …uench this divine flame, and who must remove that Angel that stands with the flaming sword p. 20in his hand, marring our accesse to God: Chr… must be to us Melchisedeck a King of righteo… nesse, and of peace. He, no doubt, is that trysti… place in which God and finners must meet: h… that glorious ladder that reaches from hea… unto earth, by which we must ascend up to G… his humanity (which is the foot of that ladd… is the door of our accesse, by which we must … cend to the top, which is his Divinity. We … once by our iniquity fix a gulf betwixt God… us; but Jesus by taking on him our nature, … make a golden bridge over that gulf, by whi… we may go over and converse with God.

And first, surely want of the conviction… this, doth make us come with lesse confide… unto him: for upon what can yee build y… hope, except it be upon that stone of Israel, … on his beloved Son in whom hee is well please… Matth. 3. 17. We ought to rest upon him … is that Immanuel, God with us.

2. As likewise the want of this, is the ca… of the little reverence that you have to God… your approaches unto him: for did we o… take him up under this notion, how inac… sible God is, except he be made accessible … him who is the way, the truth, and the li… John 14. 6. O! how would we fear to d… near such a holy God!

3. And this likewise is the occasion of t… little delight we have in conversing with h… we are perswaded that there is no deligh… this blessed exercise, but through him who … the vision of peace betwixt the Father and u… his divine nature is an impregnable rock whi… we cannot scale but by his humane nature: a… we must make use of Christ in all our appro… ch…s p. 21to God, not only as one who must give us …ess unto him, & open a door unto us, throgh …ich we must enter into the Holiest of all▪ (he …st draw aside the vail that is hanging over … face, and wee must go in walking at his …k, as is clear, Rom. 5. 2.) But we must likewise …ke use of Christ in all our approaches unto …d, as one by whom we must be enabled to … every thing he calleth for at our hands, of the …h of that saying which is in Joh. 15…5. With… me, you can do nothing, were more deeply en…ven upon, and stamped on the tables of our …s, we would be walking alongst our pilgri…ge with the sentence of death in our bosome … have our confidence fixed on him above. …r there is not only an inability in our selves …o any thing; but also we are cloathed with …oful impossibility, as that word doth hold …th, Without me, ye can do nothing. And cer…nly the lower we will descend in the thoghts …our own strength, we are the more sit to re…ve this divine influence from him, by which … are capacitated & rendred able for the do… of every duty. We must like wise make use … Jesus Christ in all our approaches unto God, …ne before whom all our prayers must be ac…ted before him. The sacrifices of Judah can… come up with acceptance upon that golden …r before the Throne, except they be presen… by him who is that great Master, of requests. …is is clear from Rev. 8. where by the Angel …t is spoken of there, we understand to be the …senger of the Covenant: and by that incense, … understand the merits of Jesus Christ, which …hat precious vail that is spread over these …ul imperfections of our duties, which they p. 22must be mixed with, before they be an acc… table savour unto God. O! how doth he a… minate and abhor all our prayers, if they w… this precious ingredient, that sweet-smell… incense the merits of our blessed Lord Je… Christ! It is he that doth remove all these … vings, and vain impertinencies of ours, that … have in the exercise of that duty; and doth p… sent them in a more divine frame and co… ture. He reduces them into few words, … makes them more effectual for the obtai… of our requests. If the consideration of … were more with us, O how would it make … sus Christ more precious in our eyes! As … wise it would discover unto us a more abso… necessity in having our recourse to him in… our approaches to God: Such is the dep… the unsearchable grace of Christ, and of … his finite love towards sinners, that the voice … complaining on them was never heard in h… ven. Christ he never spake evil, but alw… good of believers before his Father, notw… standing he hath oftentimes spoken repro… to themselves: this is clear from John 17. … where giving an account of the carriage … practice of his disciples unto the Father, … doth exceedingly commend their faith & t… carriage towards him; and saith, They have r… ved me, and have known surely that I came … from thee, and they have believed that thou d… send me; and yet in Joh. 14. 1. he doth chall… their unbelief: the one speech he directeth … God his Father, and the other he directeth o… them. Love in a manner, doth silence all … noise of complaints with him; and maketh h… alwayes breath out love in his expression… p. 23…em before the Throne. He will while… speak …ughly to Believers here to themselves; but to …y with reverence to his blessed Name, he never …lleth an ill tale of them behind their backs.

But now we shall insist a little in pointing …t what things are convenient and suitable …r a Christian to exercise himself into, before … go about this divine and holy duty in con…sing and speaking to God.

And first, we think a Christian before he come …d take upon him this holy & divine exercise … talking with God, he must be much in the ex…cise of meditation, not only of the inconceiv…le highness & dignity of that glorious & inex…essable person with whom he is to converse: …t also upon the inconceivable basenesse and …wnesse of himself; so that the consideration … the highness of the one; he may be provockt … reverence, and by the consideration of the …her, he may be provockt to loathing.

2. A Christian before he go to prayer, would …dy to have a deep impression of these things …ich he is to make the matter of his supplica…n of to God, and to have them engraven …on his heart: and truly we think the want of …is is oftentimes the occasion of that wofull …ll of lying unto the holy Ghost: for we com…in in prayer, and personate or counterseit re…ntment for these things which never before …s the grief of our hearts: Oftentimes we speak …ny things with our lips, ere we study to have … hearts endyting these things that we speak. …d likewise in the exercise of blessing & prai…g him, from the consideration of any great … desirable mercy, we do personate and feign … from the consideration of these things, p. 24which before we never made the matter of o… joy; because they never were much the matt… of our consideration. It were, no doubt, t… great advantage of the Christian in the exe… cise of prayer, to be much taken up in the ob… dience of that command, Eccles. 5. 2. Be … rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be ha… to utter any thing before God: for God is in h… ven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy wor… be few, Seldom doth the Christian talk … speak with God, but if he had as much grace … to reflect upon it, he may be convinced that … is uttering things that are not fit to be spok… to God. O to be studying that divine abrid… ment of our prayers, which, no doubt, wo… make us to speak nothing before him, b… what our hearts doth endite, there is so… thing of this holden our in the practice of … vid, Ps. 45. 1. where he beginneth with th… My heart doth endite a good matter: and then … subjoyns, My tongue is as the pen of a ready w… ter. Our ora…y might be more refined … confined likewise; and it would be more e… ctual for the obtaining of our desires, if … were studying this. O that our hearts mi… speak more in prayer, and our tongues les… We through the multitudes of businesse, p… duce multitudes of dreams to our selves.

Thirdly, this is likewise requisit for a C… stian before he go to prayer, to be studying … linesse, to be endeavouring to have these fil… garments wherewith he is cloathed, chang… with change of rayment, he must pu… off … shoes off his feet, because he is to go to stand… on an holy ground. This was the commend… practice of that holy man David, Ps. 26. 6. p. 25…ill wash my hands in innocency, then I will com…ss thine altar, O Lord. This is likewise clear …m Exod. 30. 18, 19. where Aaron and the …ns of Levi were to wash their hands and their …t in that brazen Laver that did stand betwixt …e Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Al…, when they came neer to minister or bur… …ferings by fire unto the Lord: We must like…se endeavor much to symbolize that practice, …d to have our selves washen in that laver of …eneration, and in that precious fountain that …pened in the house of David, for sin and for un…annesse, Zech. 13. 1. before we enter into … Holiest of all. What ornament is so sutable … one that is walking unto that higher Palace, … that glorious ornament of holiness, with… which we are rendred unacceptable to God, … with which we may with confidence and …duess, go and serve him in his holy Temples … doubt, if the deep impression of that abso… holiness, and purity of that Majesty with …om we are to converse (when we go to …yer) were engraven upon our spirits, we …uld study to be like him: for the foundation … …riendship and fellowship, doth somewhat …d in a similitude of natures, and in some …formity one with another.

And lastly, when a Christian is going to …er, he ought to be much in the considera… of that advantage and dignity that is to be …d in the exercise of this duty, this would …e us more ardent and serious in the study o… …ormer; and unlesse we superadd this to …est, we cannot long continue in a constant …avour, after the attainment of these three …er qualifications, who are required of one p. 26that would approach unto God.

Now we shall shut up our discourse by sp… ing a little unto this, what ought to be … sweet companions of a Christian that is go… about the exercise of this duty, in a serio… and not in a hypocritical manner.

I. He would study to have his spirit u… the deep impression of a Deity; and …ake … this, that he is talking with one before w… Angels (these glorious and excellent spiri… doth cover their faces with their wings: wh… no doubt, doth point out that holy rever… that they have of him: their long familia… and constant conversing with God, hath no… moved that due and convenient distance w… they ought to keep with him: And cert… were he known to us by none other Nam… by the Name of being merciful, yet ough… to fear the Lord, and his goodness. O! … much more he being made known and rev… to us by that great and terrible Name Jeh… by which he is exalted above all Names t… in heaven, or in earth? Phil. 2. 9. A… which is pointed out that infinite distanc… is betwixt God and us. No doubt, if th… pression of a Deity were with us, it woul… move much formality that we use in pra… it would likewise remove much of our m… lief that we have in all our approaches … him, were we afraid lest that woful inseri… that Paul did discern to be engraven on … tar at Athens, to the unknown God, were … on us. Alace! I fear it may be engrav… most part of our devotions; and likewis… wherewith Christ did challenge the peo… Samaria, he may challenge many of us, … p. 27… 23. And it may be written on our practice, … worship, ye know not what; we are as those …o bless an Idol: And, no doubt, such sacri…es as these, are as if we were offering swines …od, and cuting off a dogs neck, which are abo…ation unto God, Esa. 66. 3.

That should be the sweet companion of a Chri…n in this exercise of prayer, the excellent …ce of humility: we must put off our orna…s, and cloath our selves with sackcloath, and …ead ashes upon our head, when we begin to …ak to him. He that sits nearest the dust, sits …rest the heavens. We must be walking under … impression of this, that we are not worthy …lift up our eyes to heaven: And with holy …raham (upon whose effigy this was engraven. …mes 2. 23. That he was a friend of God) when … begins to talk to this glorious and incom…hensible Majesty, in a manner, he conceived …o be presumption, Gen. 18. …7. Behold now, …h he, I have taken upon me to speak unto the …d, which am but dust and ashes, He doth pre…a note of admiration, behold! importing so …ch, that it was a bold adventure for so low …rson to speak to so high a Majesty; or for …inful a creature to open his mouth unto so …e and spotlesse an one; that the footstool …uld speak to him who is the Throne; and …oubt, were this more our exercise, we …ht be receiving more remarkable significa…s of his respect and love towards us. What …e Royal gift which he giveth to these that …umble? Grace. For as the Apostle saith …es 4. 6. He giveth grace to the humble, &c. …ove is seeking that person that sits low…, … …s the waters do seek the lowest ground. p. 28He that is first in his own estimation, is last … the estimation of God: but he that is last in … own estimation, is amongst the first in the … mation of God. Therefore, no doubt, that … suitable cloathing for a person that is to go… the Court of Heaven, which the Apostle P… doth require, 1 Pet. 5 5. Be cloathed with h… lity. O! but that woful evil of pride wh… doth either arise from our ignorance of … selves, or from our ignorance of God, doth b… obstruct our access unto him, and the retur… our prayers. If we should give a descrip… of the person that is admitted to detain C… in his galleries, we could not give it in … convenient and suitable termes nor this, tha… is a humble and contrite spirit, Isa. 66. 2. & 5…

III. And a third sweet companion of a Ch… an in the exercise of this duty of prayer … faith and confidence in God; but we have … with one who is the hearer of prayer, and … is willing to give unto us all things that we… sire, if we ask in faith: for we must exe… faith, not only upon his promises, but like… upon that glorious and incommunicable … bute of God that is given unto him, Psal. 6… that he is the hearer of prayer: want of … maketh us come little speed: and wee … likewise, that the want of this doth mak… live so little in expectation, and wait wit… tience and hope at the posts of his door, … we receive a return. Is it any wonder tha… prayers be as the beating of the air, and the … ring out of some empty words, if we be not … vinced in this, that he is not like unto us? … is not like Baal, who because of sleep, or … other businesse, cannot give present aud… p. 29… our desires, so that we need not be constrai…d to cut our selves with knives, or to leap up… the Altar, to provoke him to cause fire to …scend upon our Altar to burn our drowned …rifice; he is able to give audience to us, as …here were no other to imploy him. Multi…des of supplications will be no interruption …o the audience of our desires: he hath that …yal Prerogative, and Eminent Excellency …ve all Judges of the earth, that he can take … many bills at once, which is a demonstration …he omnipotency and infinite understanding … knowledge of God, if that word, Matth. 21. … 22. were believed, Whatsoever you ask in …er, believing, you shall receive it. O! how …ld we study to have this necessary and sweet …panion of saith going alongst with us in all … prayers! and as James speaketh, chap. 1. 6. … that asketh, let him ask in faith; for he that …ereth and doubteth, is as the Waves of the sea, … can receive nothing.

…V. A fourth sweet companion in the exer… of prayer, is fervency. Can we live under … a woful delusion, as to conceive that God …eth those suits and petitions which we do …cely hear our selves? Can we have much … in proposing our desires, when we do it …h such a woful indifferency? We have the …ple of that holy man David, to commend … unto you, Psal. 39. 12. where we may …old a glorious gradation and climax: for …he sayes, hear my prayer; and that not being …cient, he doth ascend one step higher, and …, Hold not thy peace at my …ry; that voice …g a little louder then the voice of prayer: …yet again he ascendeth one step farther, and p. 30saith, Hold not thy peace at my tears. These … lent cryes, the tears of a Christian, have m… Rhetorick, and the loudest voice in heav… These sweet emanations and flowings ou… water from that precious fountain of a con… and broken spirit, they do no doubt, ascend hi… and have great power with him who is Alm… ty. Jacob, in a manner did hold that Angel … wrestled with him with no other cord, … with the cord of supplications, as is clear s… Hos. 12. 4. and in Gen. 32. 26. Did ever y… eyes behold such cords and bonds made of t… No doubt, these are of a beautiful frame … contexture, and of infinite more value the… most precious and rare chains that the gre… Princes in the world doth wear as ornam… And truely the want of this doth proceed f… the want of the solide conviction of the a… lute necessity that we stand in of these this … for as one siad well, strong necessities, … strong desires. And also it doth proceed s… the want of the consideration of these pre… excellencies that are to be had in these th… that we ask. The eminency of a thing … encrease the vigour of our pursuit after it; … maketh us with seeking of it, mount up … wings as Eagles, over all these difficulties … ly as impediments in our way: ought w… to be emulous of the practice of Ninive… whom this is recorded, that they cryed mig… to God, Jonah 3. 8. we think many Chris… of this generation (because of their w… remisnesse and coldnesse of affection in p… sing their desires) may be constrain… mourn over all their mournings, and pray… all their prayers.

p. 31Now if a Christins heart be the Temple of …e holy Ghost, O! how ought he to pray! For … is the diamond which the Apostle puts in …e upshot of all the graces of the Spirit, Ephes. … 18. and after which he exhorteth a Christi… seriously to pursue. Oh! I think it is a …ystery that we cannot well take up: but these …at are most in the exercise of it, can best re…lve it, and take up its precious effects: But …elieve me, I think it is one of the most dark …ysteries that is to be found in the practice of … Christian, except he in whom is all the trea…res of wisdom and knowledge, do unsold this …e divine sentence, Pray without ceasing; it …all always remain a mystery to our obedi…ce. It is a question, we confess, that is some…me difficult to determine, whether some du…es of a Christian that are commanded to be …ne by us, be more mysterious to our under…nding to take up the nature of them, and …hat is commanded in the lively and spiritual …xercise of such a duty? Or whether they be …ore mysterious to us in our practice and o…dience? We confess, it holdeth not alike in … things, it being more easie for us to know, …en to practice many things: but we conceive … holdeth out in some, and even in those things …d duties that are most obvious (as we con…ive) and that have least of the mysterious…ss of the Gospel engraven upon them, &c.