The Nature Parts and Kinds of Prayer, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Sheweth the Neceſſity of Prayer.
Sect. 1.
WE are in the next place … ſet forth the neceſſity … prayer, which may thus be demo… ſtrated:
1. Prayer is a duty commande… by God, 1 Theſſ. 5.17. Pray contin… ally. And all Gods Command… ments are neceſſarily to be performed: To pray is a branch of th… Moral Law, and moral precep… being perpetual, do alwayes bi… the conſcience, therefore we mu… of neceſſity pray: It is the grea… deſign of the Devil to hinder … from the exerciſe of this holy duty or to make us remiſſe or neglige… therein. Satan would never labou… to keep us from this duty, were … not ſenſible that it is a duty of ſingular uſe and benefit to us, and w… ſhould never be ſo backward to the doing of it, were it not an heavenly exerciſe.
2. We ſtand in daily need of many bleſſings from God:Two things neceſſitate prayer. 1. Our duty to worſhip. 2. Our neceſſity and ſtraits. Rutherford. Penury and poverty make the poor to uſe entreaties and ſupplications for re…ief. And although God doth not give his mercies becauſe we pray, yet he giveth them to thoſe that do pray. Though he promiſe many bleſſings to his Church and people, yet for all this he looketh to be enquired of by the houſe of Iſrael. And where this is wanting, the Lord complaineth by his Prophet, There is none that calleth upon thy Name, …here is none that ſtirreth up himſelf to …ake hold of thee, Iſa. 64.7. The Prophet …here repreſenteth God as ſome great perſon, that would beſtow ſome benefit, and is ready to turn away himſelf, yet none layes hold of him, or deſireth him to ſtay: So ſaith he, There is none that layes hold on God to keep him, that he go not away from us: he meaneth, there are none that pray earneſtly, that God would ſtay among them: The way to ſtop the wrath of God, and to lay hold of him, and ſt… his hand when it is ſtretched o… againſt a people, is prayer: Pray… hath ſtopt God, Exod. 13. ſaith … to Moſes, Let me alone. Prayer do… as it were (to ſpeak with reverenc… bind the hands of God: Ezekiel 2… God complaineth, that there was n… ſtood in the gap, intimating, had a… ſtood in the gap by prayer, wh… God was pouring out his wrath up… a people, his wrath might have be… ſtopt.
3. The being of every creatu… ſhews a neceſſity of his praying … his Creator; the young Rave… when they wander for lack of me… are ſaid to cry unto God, Job 38.… They call unto him for relief, he g… veth to the beaſt his food, and to … young ravens which cry, Pſalm 147 and ſhall not Gods children rep… their wants unto him? Be caref… for nothing, ſaith the Apoſtle, … in every thing by prayer and ſuppli… tion with thanksgiving, let your req… be made known unto God, Phil. 4. One obſerveth,Zanch. de rev. lib. 1. in praec. de invocat. That there is n… thing in nature that groweth, b… that it hath a kind of a magnetick vertue, whereby it attracteth to it ſelf ſuch nutriment as it wanteth: ſo there is no ſoul that ever took increaſe of grace, but there was in it this appetite of heavenly deſire, and attractive force of prayer, by which it draws from God in Chriſt (as from its root) all things needfull for it: therefore prayer is not an arbitrary and indifferent thing, but a neceſſary duty.
Sect. 2.
3. THe next conſideration of the neceſſity of prayer, is the example of Adam, of Jeſus Chriſt, and of all the Saints of God that have ever lived, whoſe holy examples are neceſſary to be imitated.
1. The firſt Adam in the ſtate of integrity, before his fall, albeit he had no need to pray for any bleſſings that he ſtood in need of, yet doubtleſſe he prayed (as Divines think) for perſeverance in grace:Jo. Smiths pattern of prayer. For that he kept the Law of God during the time of his innocency, n… man can deny: and one part of th… Law is Prayer, as hath been ſai… before. Wherefore if Adam (… yet free from ſinne, and all the puniſhments of ſinne) did pray, whi… need then have we to pray, upo… whom both ſinne, and the curſ… of God for ſinne hath taken ſuch faſ… hold?
2. We have the example of ou… Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who knew n… ſinne, in whoſe mouth there wa… no guile found: he prayed; an… being made under the Law for us there was a neceſſity he ſhould pray he ſtood in our place, ſuſtained ou… perſon, and therefore would giv… us an example. That Chriſt … the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God having no Superiour (ſaith a learned man) and therefore owin… honour unto none, neither ſtanding in any need, ſhould either give thanks, or make petition to God, were moſt abſurd: but, as man, what could beſeem him better, whether we reſpect his affection to Godward, or his own neceſſity, o… his love and charity towards man. And again, ſaith he; Some things he knew ſhould come to paſſe, and prayed for them notwithſtanding, becauſe he alſo knew, that the neceſſary means to effect them were his prayers; and inſtanceth in thoſe words of the Father to him, ſet down Pſalm 2.8. Ask of me, and I ſhall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoſt parts of the earth for thy poſſeſſion. That, ſaith he, which here God promiſeth his Son, the Son prayeth for, John 17.1. Father, the hour is now come, glorifie thy Sonne, that thy Sonne alſo may glorifie thee, according as thou haſt given him power over all fleſh. We read that Chriſt prayed at his Baptiſm, and while he was praying, The Heaven was opened to him, Luke 3.21. Likewiſe he ſpent a whole night in prayer, going up into a mountain to pray, Luke 6.12. and Luke 9.20. it is ſaid, that Chriſt was alone praying, and his Diſciples were with him; And about eight dayes after he took Peter, James and John, and went up into a mountain … pray, verſ. 28. He prayed likewi… John 12.27. Now is my ſoul trouble what ſhall I ſay, Father ſave me fr… this hour? But for this came I i… this hour; Father, glorifie thy Nam… Chriſt had never a greater bu… neſſe in hand than now; he wa… to tranſact with God and divi… Juſtice, and the Law of God, the weighty bargain of paying of ranſome of his moſt precious blou… to open the new way to Heave… as one obſerveth: Rutherf. Chriſt dying.He had to … with Devils, Principalities an… Powers, to ſubdue death, hell a… Devils, and he was to offer … himſelf a Sacrifice to God throug… the eternal Spirit, for the ſins … all the elect, and he muſt uſe prayer in all this great work: An… ſaith the ſame Author, thoug… Chriſt knew of his own deliverance, and was ſure of it, yet h… will not have it, but by prayer likewiſe we read that going up t… the Mount of Olives, he exhorteth his Diſciples to pray, and then with draweth from them about a ſtone… caſt, and kneeleth down, and prayeth, Luke 22.…9, 40, 41. And this was not …he firſt time of his going up thi…her for this exerciſe; for the Text ſaith; He did this, as he was wont; whence we ſee how he uſually ſpent his time, ſc. the dayes in preaching, and much of the nights in prayer. Gregory ſaith, That all his moral actions were our inſtructions; he did not walk in the fields for digeſtion, nor go into the garden for to gather flowers for his delight and pleaſure; nor go to the river to bathe and waſh himſelf for recreation: Though I will not hence conclude, that to do theſe ſometime is unlawfull, or condemn thoſe that uſe lawfull recreations moderately, to refreſh their dull and over-wearied ſpirits; but ſurely it condemneth the prophane cuſtomes of many perſons in many places, who (their Tables being removed,Qui remotis vel potiùs everſis menſis, ad aleas taxillos, chartas, & tripudia ruunt. or rather over-turned) runne preſently to cards and dice, and dancing, like the Idolatrous Iſraelites, That ate and drank, and roſe up to play, Exod. 32.6. Chriſt undertook nothing witho… prayer; and when he was in … agony he prayed more earneſ… than before,When our Saviour prayeth, Father, if it be poſſible, let this cup paſſe from me, &c. Gods will was not abſolutely impoſſible; ſed tantum ex hypotheſi, ſc. ex ſuppoſitione finis; and ſo it was neceſſary that Chriſt ſhould drink of that cup. 1. In regard of the manifeſtation of Gods juſt. 2. His mercy. 3. His wiſdome. 4. His hatred to ſin. 5. … love to mankind.—See a Dialogue between Juſtice and T… at the one ſide accuſing, and pleading againſt man; and m… and peace on the other ſide interceding and pleading for … and Wiſdome moderating between both. Boſquier. The… patient. pag. 150, 151. Luke 22.44. his ſw… being as it were great drops, or cl… of bloud trickling down to … ground: Before he had pray… Father, if it be poſsible, let this … paſſe from me, verſ. 22. and now … prayeth more fervently; and … only in the garden, but alſo up… the croſſe he prayeth for his en… mies. Now our Saviour thus prayin… how doth it behove us alſo to pr… for that which we would obtain at t… hands of God?
3. All the Saints that ever live have prayed, and had need to pra… Prayer, as it is a common-place ſo it hath been the common pr… ctice of all the Saints in all age Multitudes of examples there are in the Book of God, of the Saints that have prayed, ſometimes alone, ſometimes with others, and in all conditions have ſought the Lord by hearty prayer. I need not give particular inſtances, the practice is ſo general; that to be a Chriſtian, and to call upon the Name of the Lord, is in effect one thing. Ananias ſaid Paul had authotity to bind all that called on the Name of the Lord, Acts 9 14. Thus Paul deſcribeth the Saints to be ſuch that in every place do call upon the Name of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 1. 2. As ſoon as a child is born, thoſe that are about it, ſay preſently, It crieth; ſo when men are regenerate and new-born, and renewed by the work of the holy Ghoſt, they preſently cry,Pſalm 53.4. Abba Father. It is the note of an Atheiſt not to call upon God, Pſalm 14.4. and an hypocrite praieth but now and then, he hath not a ſtock or ſpring of prayer, and therefore will he not alwayes call upon God, Job 27.10. Prayer (as one obſerveth) is the firſt thing, wherewith a holy life beginneth, and the li… wherewith it endeth: for prayer… the breath of faith, and as we b… lieve, ſo we ſpeak: The hypocri… flattereth God with his mouth, Pſal… 78.36. and crieth not to God wit… his heart, when he howſeth upo… his bed, Hoſ. 7.11, 14. his praye… are moon-calves that are dum… and cannot ſpeak: Hypocrites … beſt do but lough as beaſts,Crooks hypocrite part 1. chap. 21. or ba… ble as Heathens, as a judicious D… vine noteth.