Directions and Instigations to the Duty of Prayer, Sermons · Sermon 2
SERMON II.
1 Thes. 5. 17.
Pray without ceasing.
IT were for our great advantage to be mu… taken up in a serious and divine consider… tion of that most sad, but most true say i… That there are many called, but few chosen; y… if there were but one of each twelve that … within this house to day, to whom Christ th… (sadly) should speak, One of you will betray m… ought ye not all to be put to a holy inqui… and search, and say unto him, Master, is it … Master, is it I? and to be exceeding sorrowf… …ntill that concerning question be determi… unto you? How much more ought ye to … complish a secret and serious search, to kn… whether or not ye be written amongst the livi… in Jerusalem, and have passed from death to life… Seeing, alace! I think it is more probable, t… if precious Christ were to speak to each twe… that are within this house, we are affrayed th… he should thus (sadly) speak, There are ele… of you that shall betray me, and only one sh… passe free. And, O that the number of tho… who are to betray the precious Son of Go… were reduced to so few, though indeed the… be many!
If he who seeth not as man seeth, who reprov… not after the hearing of the ear, nor after the seei… of the eye, (who can reject an Elia…, the mo… fair in shew and appearance, and can choose … stripling like David) were to come to give h… verdict, and passe his sentence on all of us th… are here; ah! upon how many of our fo… heads might he engrave this dreadful sentence, Mene, mene, tekel upharsin: thou art weighed in the ballance, and art found light! I am affrayed that even some professors (who have a form of godlinesse, and yet have not the power thereof; and are like those painted sepulchres, that are fair without, but within are full of dead mens bones) he shall reject their confidence, and cut off their …ope as a spiders web. Religion that is pure and …ndefiled, is another thing then we take it to be: Wee must not go to heaven in a bed of …oses; we must strive and earnestly contend to enter in at the strait gate. And if ye would have a description and definition of those that are shut out from the presence of the Lord, who are of that woful number, to whom Tophet is ordained of old, the Psalmist giveth a description of them, Psal. 14. 4. They call not upon God.
But if ye conceive that this is the description of these that shall be eternally secluded from Gods presence, that they pray not unto God, …e will think that ye are not of that liste: for who is so absurd (say ye) that will not pray to him that is Almighty, and pay that due homage …nto him who is the Creator of the ends of the …arth.
But unto such Atheists as these, I shall propose these four things; which if you be not able to give a positive answer unto, he perswaded that ye never knew what it is to pray …nto God, so as to have your offerings coming up with acceptance upon his holy Al….
I. Did ye ever know what it was to go … …rayer upon an internal principle of love, and …e grace of Christ constraining you…? Are …here not many of you: O Atheists! who doth not know what this means, to have the prec… ous bonds of love constraining and imposing … blessed necessity upon your hearts to conver… with God in prayer? Did ye ever know what … was to bind your sacrifice to the horns of the A… tar, by the cords of love?
II. Did ye ever know what it was by pra… er, to attain to more conformity with Go… and to crucifie your l…sts? There are many, a… I may say some professors, to whom this i… mystery; through fasting and prayer to cruci… an idol or lust. It were good ye had a holy j… lousie over your selves, that you are in bonds … iniquity, and gall of bitternesse. The most p… of our mortification is rather by consent, th… by constraint; our Idols doth rather go o… nor are cast out; or else our Idols dieth rath… to us, then we die to them: Hence it is, th… oftentimes after he hath famished our gods, … sit down and bemoan our selves over the gra… of our Idols: and as David lamented over A… solom, so do we over our lusts.
III. Did ye ever know what it was to disti… guish betwixt absence and presence? When … ye meet with such a place which ye might … Peniel, that you had seen God face to face: a… in another place you might have said, Here … did turn about the face of his Throne, and did v… himself with a cloud, so that I know not wh… …o finde him.
IV. I shall in the last place propose t… question, which I conceive may not only co… …ince prophane Atheists, but also some w… have a shew of Religion: Did you ever kno… what it was to sit down and lament over … since from Christ, and think it an import… want? Oh! where is the exercise of the impa…ent grace of love now gone? O! but Christ may live long in heaven, before the most part of us give him a visite! I fear he visite us, before we visite him.
And now, O Atheists! examine your selves by these, and be perswaded, that if ye know not what those things mean, ye are yet strangers …nto the spiritual exercise of this duty of pray…r: and all your prayers that ever ye have spo…en, have been …ut as a smoak in his nostrils, and a fire that burneth all the day. Believe me in this, O men of the world! that in the day when you shall solemnly appear before God in the …alley of decision, this shall be a great Item of your di…ay, that you have prayed so much, or rather that you have profaued his Holinesse … which you pretend to love) so much. O than all of us were not almost but altogether perswaded to be Christians. Seeing Christ doth offer that precious dignity, to make us not only sons in law to a King, which ought not to seem small in our eyes; but also to make us Kings and Priests …nto God, can we refuse such an offer a… this? …ight he not summond the heavens and the …arth, and angels, and our brethen who are …ow above to behold a wonder? yea, and no doubt it is a wonder that any of us should …light such an offer?
Now if any of you would ask at …e that que…ion, what is and should be the native exercise …f a Christian while he is here below in the …nd of his exile, and a stranger from his fathers …ouse? Whether he should exercise himself in …ging, or in praying? We answer, that pray…r i… and should be the main exercise o… a Christian, while he is here below in the land of h… exile, and is a stranger from his fathers hous… when the promises are not yet accomplish… nor all the prophesies fulfilled. We confess… the exercise of joy and of rejoycing in Go… ought to be a necessary duty and exercise o… Christian: We may sing the songs of these e… cellent Musicians, and heavenly Harpers, th… stands upon the sea of glasse, having harps in th… hands. And our songs which is here below, … only different in degrees: their songs are o… higher key, and our songs are of a lower ke… though we confesse they are more expert … that divine arte, for wee oftentimes spill o… songs in the singing of them: as likewise th… are most constant in that blessed exercise, b… …alace, we are oftentimes constrained to ha… our harps on the willow trees, while we sit … …hese rivers of Babel. But if we would pra… more, we should pray more: and if we did p… more, we should praise more. O! but pray… would furnish us matter of new songs eve… day: and if we were much in that exercise, … might have that blessed Psalm to sing, He h… put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto … Lord. I think a Christian may examine hims… by this un…rring rule of his growth in gra… he may know it by the exercise of secret pray… this is the pulse of a Christian, by which … may know his constitution: and the slow be… ings of the pulse of the Christians of this ge… ration, doth prove this unto us, that grace in a remarkable decay; it is groaning with… …s as the groans of a wounded man, O! but if … were more obedient unto this precious co… mand, Pray without ceasing, our grace might … more vigorous, and our bed might be green, and we might be bringing forth fruit, even in our old age.
But now to that which we shall insist mainly upon, in going through this duty and grace of prayer (beside these things that we spoke at the last occasion) viz. what are these strong impediments and obstructions that doth imped and hinder a Christians access unto God in his secret retirements in prayer? If we were asked at, When did we last behold him? We may say that which Esther spake to the servant of Mordecay; It is thirty dayes since I did behold the Kings face. But, alace! our lot of lamentation and defection from God, may ascend to a higher pitch; yea, it is many thirty dayes since we did …ehold the King. O! but we are great strangers in heaven: and though we should be eternally so, we could nor debate with his Justice.
The first impediment that obstructs a Christians liberty in having accesse to God in his secret devotions, is that woful and carnal design which he doth propose to himself in the exercise of that duty: we are low in our designes, which makes us low in our enjoyments: this …s clear James 4. 3. where this is given as a reason why we do not receive that which we pray for: We ask amisse, to spend it upon our …usts. We pray in secret that we may be more …tted to pray, when we go abroad, and thereby …et applause: hence it is that so much of Christians pursuits are rather taken up in seeking after the ornaments of prayer, then after the …race of prayer; rather to pursue after these …hings that are adorning in it, then these things …hat are saving in it: and even oftentimes the Ministers of the Gospel have that wofull en… proposed to themselves. How oftentimes doth our heart speak that which Saul said to Samuel… Honour me this day before the people and Elders … Israel? And I think this is an evil which Christians may easily discern and take up, whethe… or not they do propose themselves as the las… and ultimate end of all their devotions? An… one that hath this woful qualification, he do… resent and grieve more for his publick stra…nings and bonds, then for these which he hath in private. Are there not many of us here wh… will rise up from secret prayer under the un… denyable convictions of much distance from God, and yet never know what it is to hat… anxious thoughts about it? O! when did absence from Christ in our secret retiremen… make us forget to eat our bread? Ah! that sicknesse of love, whether it is gone? We are s… unto death of imaginary health; and we wi… that that sickness of love were more epidemi… and universal in those dayes, which were not sicknesse unto death, but for the glory of G… And in our publick straitnings when we co… verse one with another, how much will … grieve and repine, though we confesse these a… rather the grievings of our pride, then of o… love; rather lamentations, because of the lo… of our reputation, then because of the losse … our absence with Christ? One that hath th… woful qualification of proposing themselves … the end of their devotions, they may likewi… know it by this, that when they are strait… in their publick approaches to God, and wh… others are enlarged, they envy and fret; th… are rather indued with envy, then a holy e… lation; which proveth unto us, that we are … great in the Kingdom of heaven, because we are not much taken up to glorifie God, which hath given such gifts to men: but we sit down at his wise and wonderfull dispensations, that he hath given unto others five talents, and to us but one; so that oftentimes we are provoked …o that impious course, as to bind up our talent …n a napkin, and to dig in the earth, and hide our Lords money. Studying by that practice to appropriat the estimation of humility unto our selves, when we cannot get the estimation of one that is eminent in parts and abilities, which doth oftentimes provoke God to take that from us that we seem to have, and to give to him that hath more, so that he may have abundance. One that hath this woful end, himself, as …he end of all his devotions, may likewise know it by this, that seldom or never doth he go about that exercise of prayer from a principle of love, or delight to walk with God, but to attain the expressions of prayer, rather then the grace and spirit of prayer: hence it is, when most part of Christians come abroad, they do rather prove …hemselves Orators, then Christians: the voice of words is more heard, then the voice of the affections, and these inexpressable sighs and groans of the spirit.
Ah! the real and spiritual exercise of that duty, it is far gone into decay! There is not …ne amongst a thousand that doth study earnestly after it. Think ye to pursue and win God …y your fair blossoms and florishing Rhetorick, gallantness and fineness of expressions? Will not he who is infinite in understanding, laugh it your folly? Are ye to perswade a man? Are ye not rather to perswade God? Ye may likewise know it by this, whether or not ye propose your selves as the last and ultimate end o… all your devotions, and it is when ye have mos… enlargements and access unto God in your secret retirements, and ye desire and covet t… have manyest spectators and auditors, that s… they may passe that testimony on you, that … are men greatly beloved of God, that doth receiv… such singular testimonies of his love, and of hi… respects: but wo be unto you that are such hy… pocrits, who covet the greetings in the market… and the uppermost rooms at feasts, desiring to b… called of men Rabbi: Verily, ye shall have you… reward: When he that is first shall be last, a… he that is last shall be first. When that prove… shall be taken up over you: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer! son of the morning. When satan by his tail shall draw glistering sta… down out of heaven towards the earth. An… we think this woful evil of proposing ou… selves as the end of our devotions, doth not only obstruct this grace, but likewise when w… attain to it in some measure, it breaks it off. It is certain that when a Christian hath mos… nearness with God, and is in a manner, lifted up to the third heavens, then he doth receive… great liberty of expressions, winning to som… high and eminent conceptions of God, and som… significant expressions of his own misery, th… our pride causing us to reflect upon what w… have spoken, do much quench our holy flam… of zeal and love: we study to have expressions in our memory, that we may express them when we come abroad, rather then affection in the heart: and this hath obstructed many Christians of precious enjoyments, and doth prove this eminently to you, that ye are more taken up with the expressions of your enjoyments, then with the enjoyments themselves. We confess there are some who are more rude and grosse in their carriage, who go about this exercise of prayer, that they may take advan…age to sin with more liberty, and with sewer …hallenges; like that adulterous woman men…ioned in Prov. 7. 14, 18. who after that she said, she had peace offerings with her, and that she had payed her vows, she inferreth this, That she would go and take her fill of loves, and solace her self to the morning. Your prayers, O Atheists! are alwayes an abomination in the sight of the Lord: O how much more, when ye bring them with such a wicked mind! How will you hide your sins with such a covering? O take heed to your spirits, least ye deal treacherously with God. There are many of us that prayes like Saints, but we walk like devils. Surely one that heard us pray, might prophesie good things of us; but in our life may finde their prophesies fail in the accomplishment.
There is a second impediment that obstructs … Christians liberty in the exercise of prayer in his secret retirements, which is that woful formality and indifferency of spirit that we use in the exercise of our secret prayers: the most part of us are ignorant what it is to cry mighti…y to God, when we are alone; and to wrestle with him were it untill the dawning of the day, …ill he blesse us, that so we may indeed be Princes with God; that by these two hands we may lay …old on him, Faith and Love: Love lays hold …n the heart of Christ, and Faith lays hold on his Word, and by it detains him in his gallerie… I may speak this to the shame of many of yo… that it were your advvntage to be as seriou… speaking to God when ye are alone, as ye a serious when ye are in company. A Heath… did observe this, and therefore did press it up… all to whom he wrote, and they should be wa… of woful indifferency: And we confess this w… ful indifferency of ours, is but an involving o…selves in that curse, Cursed be the man that h… in his flock a male, and voweth and sacrificeth … to the Lord a corrupt thing. O what if preci… Christ should propose that unanswerable ch… lenge to many of us who are here, Are the … solations of God small to you? Or is there any … cret thing with you, that ye do so little p… sue after these things? We confess, our for… lity and woful indifferency, doth much proce… either from the want of a solide impression … a Deity before whom we pray, or else from … want of a spiritual conviction of the absol… necessity of these things that we pray for, … formalists, whose constant practice is to be fo… mall, by your formality ye make your bo… stronger upon your spirits, and do wreath … yoke of your transgressions round about yo… necks. These impertinent rovings of spirit th… we have in the exercise of prayer, doth, … doubt, come from this fountain of woful s… mality that we have in it: Fowls doth with … berty descend upon the carcasses, when we … formal, and it is only fervency that must dr… these away.
The third impediment that obstructs a Ch… stians liberty: We are not much taken up… imploying of the holy Ghost that must help o… infirmities, and must breath upon our withered …pirits; other ways such dead bones as we are, cannot live; Our bodily exercise profiteth little, …t is the spirit that quickneth, as is clear, Joh. 3. 5. And certainly, except the North or South wind … low, our spices cannot flow out: and except the Angel move the waters, we cannot step in and be …ealed. O but that word is a mystery to our practice which is in the 20. vers. of the Epistle of Jude; (surely we may stand astonished when we read it over, and we may be ashamed that we are so little in the real practice of it) where …his is put in amongst the midst of all the Christians duties, that we should pray in the holy Ghost: and certainly that duty is required of …, although it be a mystery and an unknown …hing to the practice of the most part of the Christians of this generation. I think a Christian that is much in the imployment of the …oly Ghost, when he goeth to pray, he is put to …n holy non plus, so that he knoweth not what he shall say, and is oftentimes put without any complement to propose that desire to God: Lord, teach us what we shall say, for we cannot …rder our speech before thee, by reason of our darknesse. Think ye not that Peter, James, and John, had the spirit of prayer eminently above us all, and yet they were not ashamed to propose that desire to God, Lord, teach us to pray? It were for your concernment and advantage, to pray even as though ye had never prayed before. I am perswaded of it, that if this exercise of prayer were so gone about, we should have more liberty of words and of expressions then we have: it is certain we must have no confidence in our gifts and abilities of prayer. The Prayers that are penned in heaven, are best heard in heaven. That which the holy Ghost doth dite (with reverence be it spoken) the Father can best read. The Father can read no characters of any petition (to admit it) but that which his blessed hands doth pen.
There is this fourth impediment and obstruction which obstructs a Christians liberty and accesse to God in his secret retirements and prayers, That we are so little taken up in the imploying of Jesus Christ as a Mediator in our approaches unto God. I think it is impossible for a Christian to delight and enjoy himself with God, but through Jesus Christ, who is that vision of peace. O Christians! through what door will ye enter into the Holiest of all, if ye enter not in through him, even through Jesus Christ, the vail of his flesh? In a manner, he is the door of heaven, and we must enter into heaven through the door. Christ is that great Courtiour in heaven, by whom we must have accesse and permission unto the King. If any person dare adventure to go to prayer without him (who is that blessed Dayes-man betwixt God and sinners) he comes without his wedding garment, and so that question shall be proposed to him: Friend, how camest thou hither? or rather, O enemie! how camest thou hither without a wedding garment: and be perswaded of it, that ye shall remain speechlesse, not opening your mouth.
The fifth impediment and obstruction which obstructs a Christians liberty and access to God in his secret retirements, Is the woful entanglements and engagements of heart that we have to the impertinent vanities and trifles of this passing world: our hearts are mightily taken up with the perishing & decaying things of this life; yea, the most part of our hearts are married to the world, and to the things thereof; and we think, & are perswaded of it, that that doth exceedingly obstruct and mar our liberty & access to God: This Divinity was well known to godly David, Ps. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer. Hearing …nd accesse, although they be not much different, yet alwayes the last presupposeth the first: and this Divinity was also well known unto that blessed man that is spoken of in John 9. 31. And this wee know, that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and obeyeth his will, him he heareth. I think those woful and dreadful evils that doth so easily beset us, doth exceedingly hinder and obstruct us to ascend in a spiritual cloud of divine and holy affection unto God: the souls of the most part of us are divided amongst many, even amongst so many lovers, that it cannot devote and resign it self to God: every impertinent Idol and lust, doth claim a right and relation unto the soul, and then that obstructs a Christians liberty in his secret retirements. O to be more in the exercise of this precious and excellent grace of faith, whereby wee may purifie our selves from all uncleannesse of the flesh, and of the spirit, and may be able to perfect holinesse in the fear of the Lord. O can it be that such a fountain, that such a defiled and corrupt fountain that sends forth only salt water, can send forth any sweet, precious, and soul-refreshing springs of living water? This was a mystery and a paradox unto the Apostle James in his chap. 3 12. Can fig trees bear olive berries? Or can an oliv… tree bear figs? so can no fountain yeeld salt water and fresh. And certainly it shall alwayes remain impossible for us to do both good a… evil. Would ye know the livery which th… Church of Christ must have and her members▪ It is to be cloathed with holinesse; for, … doubt, that is the robe and garment with whic… we must enter into the Holiest of all; and m… not that incite and provoke your desires to fo… low after it which is so excellent and preciou… Believe it, we are not able to tell the worth of i…
There is this sixth impediment which obstructs a Christians liberty and access to God … his secret prayer, and it is that woful resistin… and quenching of the motions of the Spiri… that oftentimes we fall into: hence it is, th… when a Christian doth go unto God, he is d… barred, and his prayers is shut out from God… and the reason of it is, because he debared Go… before: and this is remarkably clear from t… Brides practice, Cant. 5. 2. compared with th… following verses; she held Christ at the doo… notwithstanding his locks were wet with the d… of the night, and his hair with the drops of t… morning. But when she had condescended … open to him, he had withdrawn himself fro… her. O who would hold out …uch a precio… guest? Surely it were a more suitable exerci… for us, that we should admire and wonder a… stand astonished at his low condescension, th… ever he should have condescended so low as … come unto us, rather then to requite that ma… velous and unsearchable grace of his toward… us, after such a way as many of us so sinfully d…
There is this last impediment that hinders a …hristians liberty and accesse to God in his se…ret prayers, and it is that woful evil of pride wherewith we are cloathed so much in our ap…roaches to God: we ought to how our head se…en times towards the ground, when we begin to …ake our approaches unto him, even unto him …ho is greater then all the Kings of the earth: …elieve it, if the grace of humility were more …r exercise in secret prayer, certainly we …ould enjoy more of him then we do. This is …ar in 1 Pet. 5. 5, 6. where he saith; God …veth grace to the humble, but he resisteth the …oud. And it is likewise clear from Isai. 57. …5. though he be that high and lofty one that …habiteth eternity, and whose Name is holy, …t he saith; I dwel in the high and holy place, …ith him also that is of a humble and contrite …irit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to re…ive the heart of the contrite ones. And although …e be that high and holy one, he loveth one …at is of a pure and contrite spirit. O! might …e not alwayes say, that we are not worthy that …ou should even condescend so far as to come …nder our roof? Modesty and reverence might …ake us admire such wonderful and precious …isits: Whence is it, saith Elisabeth, that the …other of my Lord should come to me? Much more …ay we say, whence is it that our Lord himself should come to us? We may challenge our …lves, that our enjoyments of God are not more then they are.
Now we shal speak secondly, a little to you before we shut up our discourse) how a Chri…ian may be helped, after his enjoyments in …rayer (and after he hath been admitted to taste of that pure river that flowes out from b… neath the Throne of God) to rest in his love … Christ, and not to stir him up, nor awake hi… before he please. We confess, it is as much di… ficulty (if not more) to maintain communio… with God, when it is gained, as to gain it wh… it is lost. Oh! but satan hath oftentimes ca… ched much advantage over the people of Go… after their enlargements. When was it th… John fell down to worship the Angel? Was … not when he had seen the Bride, the Lam… wife adorned? as is clear from Rev. 19. 10. co… pared with the preceeding verses: and it … clear again from Johns practice, Rev. 22. … compared with the fore-going words: A… when was it that the disciples did rove, n… knowing what they spoke? Was it not wh… they were upon Mount Tabor, and did see … fashion of his face change before them? M… 17. 2, 4, 6. Though we confess we must give… indulgence unto that, it was nothing but t… rovings of holy love that made them do so which, …lace! is not much heard in these day… we rove in a more impertinent manner, A… we think a Christian after his enjoyments a… enlargements, ought especially to stand on … watch, and to pray lest he enter into temptati… for the stroak that he doth receive after enjo… ments and enlargements, is one of the most d… couraging stroaks, and most anxious that … meeteth with; it hath been the occassion … much misbelief, and hath made his own … mourn not only over the foundation, but al… even to raze it down: arguing thus with the… selves, if that when Christ was present wi… them, upon whom their strength was la… they were led captive unto the obedience of …eir lusts, Rom. 7. 23. how much more shall …ey be led captive with them when Christ shall … absent and away: They have been put to …aw that conclusion, One day shall I fall by the end of some of mine enemies. We should guard …ainst such a stroak, because it doth alwayes …most make the Christian call in question the …ality of his enjoyments: It is hard for a Chri…an to receive a stroak by the hand of his ini…ities after enlargements, and not presently …ll in question the reality of them; yea more, … call in question his estate in grace; for they … thus often debate with themselves: If i… had …en he who visited me, would he not have enabled … to sing a new song of triumph over my lusts? …d also ye would guard against it, because it …one of the most dishonourable indignities and …ronts that can be put on precious Christ: and …here were no more to provoke you to guard …ainst it, may it not be sufficient unto you that …at stroak which ye have received by your ini…ties after your enlargements & enjoyments … God, if it be by your own consent (believe … and be perswaded of it) that in a manner, it …h this much to you, that ye have preferred …dol and lust even to Jesus Christ? We think … Jews preferring Barrabas before Christ, …en the crown of thorns was upon his head, … when he was spitted upon and buffeted, is …ot such an indignity and disgrace that ye … upon him, when ye prefer your lusts and …s unto him, even when he is appearing …h a crown of glory and majesty unto you, with a robe of righteousnesse and of joy? … are ye even in his presence prefer any thing before him? Might not Angels, and the souls … just men now made perfect, and all that … round about the Throne, might not they … take up that lamentation over you, Do ye it… require the Lord, O foolish people and unwise! A… we think there are these three woful evils th… readily befals a Christian after enlargeme… and enjoyments that he meets with.
There is this first evil of security, Cant. 5. … compared with the first verse, where G… when he was come into his garden, and … gathered his myrrhe with his spices, and … eaten his honey-comb with his honey, and … drunk his wine with his milk, and yet for … these enjoyments the Spouse was sleeping: … likewise in Zech. 4. 1. compared with the p… ceeding chapter, where the Prophet fell a… after his enjoyments, until the Angel came … awaked him. Ah, we readily sleep in the bed … love! and that hath impeded many excell… visits we might have. O what a visite was … of the Spouse! Cant. 5. 2, we may questi… whether ever she got such an one while was here below.
And secondly, that woful evil of pride, … certainly presupposed in 2 Cor. 12. 7. wh… lest Paul should be exalted above measure, thr… the abundance of revelations, there is a messe… of Satan sent to buffet him. O! but it is a d… gerous exercise for a Christian to search his … glory. We confess we do not search to stre… then our own confidence, or our love: bu… add oyl to that fire of pride in our reflexi… upon our selves: The wind doth lift us upon … wings, and we ride upon it till our substanc… dissolved.
And there is that third evil which is n…t so …ious; but, no doubt, doth oftentimes he… …l the Christian, and that is self love, which …entimes he falleth into after his enjoyments; …d this evil certainly doth break off many of … enjoyments, to the disadvantage of the …istian, and hinders him to exercise himself … that grace of true love, which always we …ght to be keeping in exercise, because it is … oyl by which ou… chariot wheels must …ve swifter, and be as the chariots of ….
Now for that which we proposed, viz. how … Christian may be helped to keep his enjoy…nts which he hath attained to by prayer? …e shal only propose these two things: …. Be …ch in the exercise of watchfulness after your …rgements, that ye enter not into temptation. …d 2. be much in the exercise of humility, …t when grace lifts you up, ye may not lift …ur selves. O but a Christian that walketh al…ys with his feet towards the earth, and doth …er mount an hand broad above it, he wal…h most safely. I know nothing to keep your …joyments in life, and to keep you from snares your enjoyments, so much, as the grace of …mility: but we need not insist long i… …elling …n how ye shal maintain your enjoyments; …re are; alace! so few of them in these days: …en were ye in heaven? Or when was hea… brought down …o you? in a manner. If the … of us did now behold Christ, we …uld not know him, it is so long since we … him. O precious Christ! how much is he …dervalued in these days? I think if such a … position as this were possible, that if Christ would go down to the pit to those damned p… sons that are reserved in everlasting chains, … preach that doctrine unto them, Here am I, … ceive me, and ye shall obtain life; we questi… whether obedience or admiration would … more their exercise; Would they not bind th… command as a chain of gold about their neck… But know it; ye that refuse him now, …r… lo… he shall refuse you. Oh! when shall that p… cious promise that is in Zech. 8. 21. be acco… plished, And the inhabi…ants of one city shalSpan… to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray … fore the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I … go also. Or (as the word may be rendered) … tinually. O! when shall such a voice be he… in this city of Glasgow? Seeing our breth… above sing without ceasing, let us pray wit… ceasing. And to you that prayes, I shall … this word, ye that fervently pray without … sing, it is not long before ye shall sing with… ceasing, and without all interruption.