Closet Prayer a Christian Duty, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Concerning the matter or words of Prayer.
SECT. I.
THere is one thing yet remains, which it may be expected ſomething ſhould be ſpoken to; and that is, The matter in praying, or words of Prayer, Whether it be lawful or requiſite to uſe a form or no? Moſt judge,Videas Ameſ. Caſ. Conſ. lib. 4. c. 17. p. 190. that as forms are lawful; ſo preſcript words may be requiſite to ſome young beginners in Religion, and other Chriſtians of weak parts that cannot expreſs their deſires to God in fit words, to help their rudeneſs, yet Chriſtians ought to preſs after more growth and proficiency, that they may lay aſide thoſe Crutches, and arrive at that gift of Prayer, that may be of ſingular uſe: As for Cloſet-Prayer,Practical Catech. pag. 277. Dr. Hammond doth aſſert it, that every one may ask his own wants in what form of words he ſhall think fit: And indeed all particular caſes incident and variable, can ſcarce be comprehended in one conſtant form: beſides, in ſecret Prayer, God doth not ſo much ſtand upon phraſes or pat ſentences, as the workings of the heart in ſighs and groans, which are the beſt Rhetorick in his ears: It's inquired, Whether we may uſe the Lords Prayer? I anſwer, we may uſe it as other prayers in Scripture; but, I conceive, the principal end of it, is not to be rehearſed every time we pray, but an example, platform, or directory, according to the contents whereof we muſt direct our prayers.
Therefore for the further help of young profeſſors, I ſhall briefly touch at the ſeveral branches of that admirable compendious rule of Prayer you have in Mat. 6. ver. 9. to v. 14. And the rather becauſe it may ſeem to refer chiefly (though not only) to Cloſet-devotion: what I ſhall ſay to it may be a practical analyſing of it, in its ſeveral parts and branches.
1. For the preface, Our Father which art in Heaven, You may thus make uſe of it: Infinite and Eternal Majeſty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, who dwelleſt in the higheſt Heavens, and in the loweſt hearts, who ſeeſt all things here below, and art a God that heareſt prayers; I am a poor worm at thy foot-ſtool, looking up to the Throne of thy Grace; caſt a Fatherly eye up on me, and though I be by Nature a Child of wrath, yet through Jeſus Chriſt make me thy child by Grace and Adoption, teach me to cry Abba Father, with holy reverence and filial confidence, raiſe my heart to Heaven, beget in me Faith in thy promiſes, love to my brethren, and due apprehenſions of thy Soveraign power, and gracious condeſcention; that praying by the help of thy Spirit, in the name of thy Son, I may obtain good at thy Fatherly hands. Secondly for the Petitions.
1. Petition, Hallowed be thy Name: Thus, O my God, I have diſhonoured thee all my days by my ignorance, pride, hardneſs, and unthankfulneſs, and I am unapt and unable to glorifie thee, but do thou glorifie thy ſelf in my converſion and ſalvation: help me to know and adore thee, to make an high account of thy titles, attributes, ordinances; to believe thy word, admire thy works, in mercy or judgment: help me with ſpiritual thoughts becoming my holy profeſſion, with divine lips ſpeaking good of thy Name, and a ſuitable converſation to walk before the Lord: Holy God, deſtroy Atheiſm, Ignorance, Idolatry, and Profaneneſs; magnifie thy Name through the World; and direct and diſpoſe all things to the advancement of thy glory, by thy over-ruling providence, and thy infinite wiſdom.
2. Petition, [Thy Kingdom come:] Thus improve it: Lord, I muſt confeſs, that by nature I am dead in ſin, and a bond-ſlave to the Prince of darkneſs, who rules in my heart, and leads me captive by ignorance, errour, diſobedience; but do thou, by the power of thy grace, caſt out the ſtrong man, take poſſeſſion of my heart; ſway thy bleſſed Scepter in me, bring my whole man to obedience, deſtroy Satans kingdom, propagate the Goſpel among all Nations, purge thy houſe, furniſh thy Church with officers, orders, and pure ordinances; make Kings nurſing Fathers to it, convert ſinners, confirm Saints, comfort the ſad; haſten thy ſecond coming to judgement, and the bleſſed Kingdom of Glory.
3. Petition, [Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven] Thus, Holy Majeſtie, I acknowledge my natural ignorance of thy will, impotencie to obey it, yea, enmity and antipathy againſt it; my beſt ſervices are imperfect, my ſpirit repining under thy hand, and my will wilfully reſiſting grace, and ruſhing into ſin; but Dear Lord, inform my mind, conquer my will, order my affections ſweetly to comply with thy mind; teach me to do thy will in obedience, make me content with thy will concerning me in every providence; beget in me thoſe heavenly diſpoſitions that are in the glorious Angels, and glorified Saints, that with humility, chearfulneſſe, diligence and faithfulneſſe, zeal, ſincerity and conſtancy, I may be actively and paſſively at thy diſpoſe.
4. For that Petition, [Give us this day our daily bread;] Say in this manner; Heavenly Father, I muſt confeſs, that by my wretched apoſtacie in Adam, I have loſt my right to every morſel of bread, and deſerve not to breath in thy air, or tread on thy earth; my ſin hath put a curſe and ſting into every comfort, I can obtain nothing by my induſtrie, yet am prone to deſire, get, and uſe thy mercies unlawfully; thy bleſſing is only the ſtaff of my bread, help me to wait on thy providence in a moderate uſe of lawful means; give me a competencie of outward comforts, thy bleſſing in the uſe thereof, and contentment therewith; and, above all, a right thereto in Chriſt, and prevent needleſſe cares and ſenſual delights.
5. As to that petition, [Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters:] Thus plead it; Lord, I am wofully guilty of original and actual ſin, and am thereby a debter to divine juſtice: I owe millions, and cannot pay the leaſt farthing, therefore deſerve to be caſt into the dark dungeon of eternal torments; but, dear Lord, thou haſt found a ranſome who ſtands in man's ſtead to be ſurety for him, O accept me in thy beloved Son Jeſus Chriſt, waſh away my ſins in his blood, cloath my naked ſoul with his glorious robes, give me ſaving faith to embrace him upon his own terms, free my ſoul from guilt and puniſhment of ſin, pardon my daily failings, and ſeal an acquittance in my conſcience, which tells me I do freely forgive all offences againſt my ſelf.
6. The laſt petition [And lead us not into temptation, but deliver from evil] you may render thus: Lord, it were righteous with thee to leave me to be aſſaulted and conquered by Satan, my ſouls cruel enemie; my heart is growing wanton, proud, and careleſs, apt to thruſt my ſelf into temptations, but unable to reſiſt or overcome them: thou maiſt juſtly bring me into occaſions and leave me to my ſelf therein; but oh my God, keep my ſoul from being tempted, or aſſiſt me in the hour of temptation, or recover me out of my foils and falls; ſanctifie my ſlips make my ſtanding ſurer in thy ſtrength, tread Satan under my feet conquer the world for me, crucifie me unto the world, ſubdue my fleſh within, and in due time take my ſoul above all ſins and ſnares, into thine immediate preſence.
And then ſhut up all with ſuch like words as theſe on that concluſion. [For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever, Amen:] Oh my God, I am unworthy thou ſhouldſt grant my petitions for any thing in my ſelf; all my arguments in Prayer, and grounds of acceptance I fetch from thy ſelf: Thou haſt a Kingdom of Grace, and Throne of Grace, from whence thou heareſt prayers, and diſpenſeſt bleſſings; all the Power is in thine hands, to give and forgive, to kill or make alive, and the Glory ſhall be thine, if thou hear my Prayer: and bleſſed be my God, for all my mercies. I aſcribe to thee, and thee alone, eternal ſoveraigntie, omnipotencie, and glorious excellencie, which as I deſire all may be given to God, ſo I am humbly emboldened by Faith to reſt upon thy power and promiſe, that in due time thou wilt hear my requeſts; And as a token of that my deſire and confidence, my ſoul doth eccho forth, Amen, Even ſo be it.
Thus I have given you an hint from the Lords-Prayer, of directions for the matter of our prayers. I ſhall but propound another Scripture-Inſtance concerning Arguments in Prayer.
Sect. II. An example, from Jacob, of pleading with God.
GOD would have his people converſe with him in a r…tional way, and Gods children have made uſe of many pleas in Prayer, which they have produced in vehement Expoſtulations, as we may find ſprinkled up and down in Scripture, as Moſes, Nehemiah, Ezra, and Daniel, in their approaches to God: and above all, David through the book of Pſalms is exceeding full this way. But I ſhall paſs by the reſt, and fix only upon one Scripture-inſtance, and the rather becauſe it was a ſecret or ſolitary prayer (of which we are now ſpeaking:) and there are notable Pleas therein, which may poſſibly ſuit our condition; therefore I ſhall briefly touch the parts of it, and recommend it to our imitation: It is that of good Jacob (who was trained up in this holy Art of wreſtling with God) in Gen. 32.9, 10, 11, 12. His plea's there may be reduced to theſe ten Heads.
1. He makes uſe of ſuitable Titles of God, he calls him Lord or Jehovah; which denotes Gods ſelf-exiſtence, and giving Being or exiſtence to the promiſes, in firſt making them, and then making them good. Thus do you; Sirs, raiſe in your hearts ſuitable apprehenſions of God, and let your expreſſions be anſwerable; tell God, he is an infinite, omniſcient, omnipotent Majeſty, able to do beyond what you can ask or think, and that you neither need nor deſire any more than what his almighty power can effect: tell him, if All-ſufficiency cannot ſupply you, you are content to go unſped; but you queſtion neither his hand nor heart; you are ſure he both can and will help his Children in their need; he will make good with his hand, what he hath ſpoken with his mouth, for he is Jehovah.
2. He pleads Covenant-relation to God. O God of my Father Abraham, and God of my Father Iſaac, and ſo my God! this is an admirable plea: if God own a ſoul in a Covenant-relation, he will certainly do it good; though his grace be free, yet when God hath choſen a ſoul to be his, he hath (as it were) ingaged himſelf to own it; now he hath laid his truth to pledge. Thus then a ſoul may plead, Lord thou haſt been my Fathers God, and wilt thou not be my God? And wilt thou be my God, and with-hold ſuch a mercy from me? My Anceſtors found grace in thy ſight, and obtained thoſe very good things I am craving; and am not I under the very ſame Covenant with them? Are not promiſes the ſame? Is there not the ſame Mediator? Lord, I come to thee in a Covenant-relation for a Covenant-mercy, and wilt thou deny me?
3. He pleads a warrant for his undertaking, appealing to God that he was in his way, ſaying, The Lord which ſaidſt unto me, Return unto thy Country: Oh with what incouragement may the ſoul plead for aſſiſtance and protection, that is in Gods way and work, according to his own appointment? Thus then plead, Lord, haſt not thou ſet me about this work? Haſt thou not given me a charge to do what I do? Have I not a plain poſitive Scripture-warrant to bind my conſcience? I dare not do otherwiſe: I may ſay, If I be deceived, thou haſt deceived me, but I am ſure, plain Texts are no cheats, I cannot otherwiſe underſtand ſuch a Command: and oh my God, ſince thou haſt thus ingaged me in thy work, wilt thou ſuffer me to miſcarry therein?
4. He pleads a particular promiſe, I will deal well with thee: Surely a comprehenſive word, containing in it all that Jacob wanted. Thus muſt a Chriſtian ſearch the Scriptures, get hold of a promiſe, ſpread it before the Lord, whether for ſpiritual grace, inward comfort, or outward ſupply, as thus: Lord, I find a promiſe in ſuch a place, to a perſon in my very caſe, pat and pertinent to my very condition, as if it had been calculated purpoſely for me in this juncture; now Lord, make it good to my Soul, and Seed; thou haſt made it good to others in my ſtate, and why not to me? Am not I an heir of promiſe? And muſt not I have a ſhare therein?
5. Jacob lays himſelf under the ſenſe of his own unworthineſs, I am not worthy, ſaith he, of the leaſt of all thy mercies. This is the property and excellency of a Saint, to nullifie himſelf, and Omnifie God, as I may ſo ſay: thus Abraham in his pleading calls himſelf duſt and aſhes, and the Centurion judged himſelf not worthy that Chriſt ſhould come under his roof. Thus then, abaſe thy ſelf. Lord, I am not worthy to enjoy any common mercy, not fit to lift up mine eyes to thee, leſs than the leaſt of thy mercies; behold I am vile, I am not only deſtitute of merits, but full of demerits. Hell is my deſert, I can challenge nothing as mine but ſin, and the fruits thereof, Lord, I condemn my ſelf, do not thou condemn me, and caſt me from thee.
6. He is affected with Gods faithfulneſs in the performance of his promiſes; acknowledging the truth of God ſhewed to his ſervant. There is mercy in Gods making a promiſe to Abraham, Mic. 7.20. truth in making it good to Jacob. Well then, with Jacob, thus plead: Lord, 'tis true, there was nothing of deſert in me to engage thee, either to make or keep thy gracious promiſe, but ſure, the word is gone from thee, yea and notwithſtanding all my treachery and unfaithfulneſs thou haſt kept it to this day: Oh keep it ſtill it depends wholly on thee; let not my vanity alter the courſe of thy mercy, but pardon and accept as thou haſt done from my Aegypt until now.
7. Jacob further recounts his former meanneſs, his low condition: With my ſtaff I paſſed over this Jordan, I came hither in a poor contemptible manner, a ſorry pilgrim: thus do you plead, Truth it is, Lord, thy grace is abſolutely free, there was neither wit nor wealth to move thee to do what thou haſt done; I can remember the time when I was as ſorry and ſilly a creature, as was in all the Countrey; there was no capacity in me to do thee any remarkable ſervice, thou didſt not ſet thy love upon me for any natural or moral accompliſhments, even ſo Father becauſe it pleaſed thee: and wilt thou now forſake me? Thou mighteſt have done that at eaſier rates.
8. Here's Jacob's Stone of memorial for by-paſt and preſent mercies, Now, ſaith he, I am become two bands, i. e. two great companies of wives, children, ſervants, flocks, herds; I may ſay, Theſe where had they been? 'Tis ſtrange to ſee poor worm Jacob thus rich, oh the bounty of God! So do thou ſay, Lord take notice what thou haſt done for me, muſt all this be in vain? Wilt thou throw away theſe good things? Wilt thou not rather crown theſe gifts with continuance of thy kindneſs? Wilt thou return to do me hurt, after thou haſt done me all this good? Doſt thou not remember my convictions, conſolations; my fears, tears, doubtings, refreſhments? Oh the paſſages of love betwixt thee and me! Shall I be the grave of theſe mercies? Lord forget me not.
9. Here's his ſenſe of approaching danger, Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my Brother—for I fear him, &c. A Brother offended is harder to be won than a ſtrong City. Jacob's danger was a ſpur to his Prayer. A purſued Hart runs faſt for ſhelter; ſo do thou, Soul, when afraid; flie to the Lord, and ſay, Oh my God, I have deadly enemies, within, without; my caſe is forlorn, deſperate; I have none to run to, but thy ſelf: Haſt not thou ſaid, that in thee the fatherleſs find mercy? Other refuge fails me, no man cares for my ſoul: Lord relieve, deliver this ſinful wretch, elſe I go down into the pit.
10. Once more, doth Jacob plead the promiſe, and inlarge the granted Charter: Thou ſaidſt, I will ſurely do thee good, and make thy ſeed as the ſand of the Sea: Thus do you; ſtill ſeek out, ſuck ſweetneſs from, and put in ſuit the promiſes by earneſt prayer: In this manner; Lord, haſt thou not promiſed an heart of fleſh, a broken heart? Why then is my heart hardened from thy fear? Doſt thou not ſay, thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to them that ask it? This Lord, I want, to be a ſpirit of truth and illumination, a ſpirit of prayer and ſupplication, a ſpirit of grace and ſanctification, and of ſatisfaction; Oh beſtow this mercy upon me: Doſt thou not promiſe to take away my inqiuities by pardoning Grace for thine own Name ſake? And to ſubdue my corruption, and increaſe grace, and bring me to glory? Lord, remember thy word unto thy ſervant, in which thou haſt cauſed me to truſt:
Thus much, for helps in pleading with God, and for that uſe of Inſtruction.