The Zealous Christian Taking Heaven by Holy Violence, Sermon 9
LUKE 11. 8.
—Though he will not riſe and give him, becauſe he is his friend, yet becauſe of his importunity he will riſe and give—
IIII. SERMON.THe fift particular is this. 5th. Particular. Why we muſt be importunate.What are the reaſons why Gods people muſt labour for this holy importunity in their prayers?
Reaſ 1 I anſwer. 1. Becauſe God hath tied and promiſed returnes, not to the perſons praying, but to the qualifications of their prayers. And when the Scripture makes mention of this duty of prayer, it doth alſo make mention of ſeverall concomitants, that muſt goe along with it, to make it acceptable. To inſtance, there are diverſe concomitants which the Scripture holds Concomitants of prayer.forth to be neceſſary, for the acceptance of our prayers.
1. We muſt pray beleevingly, Heb. 11. Heb. 11. 6.6. He that cometh to God muſt beleeve. Mar. 11. 24. Therefore I ſay unto you …aith Chriſt) Mar. 11. 24.what things ſoever yee deſire, when ye pray, beleeve that yee receive them and yee ſhall have them. He doth not ſay; pray how you will, you ſhall have them; but pray in ſuch and ſuch manner, pray beleevingly, and then you ſhall receive; very much to this purpoſe is 1 James 5. If any man want wiſdome, let him ask it of God.—Jam. 1. 5.
Ver. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of Ver. 6.the ſea driven with the winde and toſſed. So that you ſee God lookes to the manner, as well as to the matter of a performance.
2. You muſt pray regularly, according to the will of God.
3. Dependingly, reſting upon Chriſts interceſſion.
4. Waitingly.
5. Preparedly; but theſe I ſhall paſſe by, becauſe they doe not ſo properly concerne the Point in hand.
6. We are commanded to pray earneſtly, and fervently, and importunately; So David did, Pſal. 55. 17. I will pray and Pſal. 55. 17.cry aloud, and he ſhall heare my voyce. A full place to this purpoſe is Rom. 15. 30. Now I beſeech you, brethren, for the Lord Jeſus Rom. 15. 30. foreign. …Chriſts ſake, and for the love of the Spirit, that yee ſt…ive together with me in your prayers to God for mee. The word in the Greek is very emphaticall, it is the ſame word that is applyed to Chriſt, when he was in an agony, when he ſweat drops of blood. He beſeecheth them to contend and ſtrive in their prayers; we are to be as it were in an agony, when we are in prayer. Prayer is not a little booke labour, it is not a lip labour onelyonly, but it is a raiſing up and putting forth the heart and affections in the worke. So Rom. 12. 12. Bee continuing Rom. 12. 12. foreign.inſtant in prayer. It is a metaphor taken from dogs. A dog of all creatures is the beſt able to endure hunger, he will run from place to place, and never leave till he hath got his prey: ſo you are to hunger after God, and after mercy, and not to reſt ſatisfied, till God doth grant the mercy you ſtand in need of, pray, and pray, and pray againe, and fight till you overcome, pray till you get an anſwer. Another place is, Jam. 5. 16. The effectuall fervent James 5. 16. foreign.prayer of a righteous man availeth much. The word in the originall is ſignificant. Some expound it a working prayer; It may be interpreted a prayer well wrought in the heart, and ſo a prayer that comes from the heart,—A prayer wrought in us by the Spirit, and carried on by faith. Another place to the ſame purpoſe is, Acts Acts 26 7. foreign26. 7. Unto which promiſe our twelve Tribes inſtantly ſerving God—The word is rendered by ſome, continually, daily, conſtantly, but it ſignifies moſt properly a ſerving of God, with the utmoſt of ones ſtrength, to be as a man upon a rack, to uſe the very all of their power; or it may be it is borrowed from one that runs a race, wherein men ſtretch out their limbs to the utmoſt. The word is the ſame here that is uſed Acts 12. 5. Prayer was made Acts 12 5. foreign.without ceaſing, or (as it is in the margin of your booke, and more agreeably to the Originall) inſtant and earneſt prayer was made for Peter. The prayers of Gods people were ſo earneſt, that they opened the priſon doores for him. So Coloſ. 4. 12. Epaphras, who is one of you, a ſervant of Coloſ. 4. 12. foreign.Chriſt, ſaluteth you, alwayes labouring fervently for you in prayers.—So that you ſee it is not every prayer that God is ſatisfied with, no nor Gods people neither, it is not every prayer that ſhall prevaile with God. There muſt be importunity in it. So much for the firſt reaſon.
2. We muſt have this holy importunitie in prayer, becauſe there is much ſtrength Reaſ. 2.and importunity againſt thee, when ever thou goeſt upon thy knees. There is ſtrength againſt you both from without, and from within.
1. From without; There are the powers of darkneſſe that ſtand againſt you and reſist you. As it was with Abraham Gen. 15 11. When Abraham was ſacrificing, Gen 15. 11.fowles came downe upon the ſacrifice, but Abraham drove them away. Deodate ſaith, this is a ſigne that the Devills, thoſe infernall ſpirits labour to diſturbe us in holy duties; as the good Angels behold us in our aſſemblies, and rejoyce to ſee our order, ſo the wicked Angells labour to diſturbe us and moleſt us.
2. There is ſtrength againſt us from within. There is that in thy heart that will carry thee more violently from God, then the good motions in thee can bring thee to God, there is a forcible withdrawing of the heart from God.James 1. 14. James 1. 14. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own luſt and enticed. When you have no will to doe good, even then you have a will to doe evill; nay there are foreign.wills of the fleſh, and luſts of the fleſh, ſhall we not have halfe a will for God, when we have many wills for ſin? You ſee therefore it is not without good reaſon that we ſhould be thus importunate in prayer. And ſo much for the fifth particular.
Queſt. Why ſo few importunate in prayer?The ſixt particular is this. What are the reaſons why ſo many people doe want this holy importunity, that ſo many pray, and ſo few pray with that earneſtneſſe and eagerneſſe of heart, and affection that is required?
I anſwer, that comes to paſſe for many reaſons.
Reaſ 1 1. This comes to paſſe from the injections, and inſtigations of Satan. The Devill acts not onelyonly powerfully, but alſo ſubtilly and craftily, he will endeavour to divert you from the performance of duty, he will perſwade you to neglect it if he can; But it may be thou wilt ſay, thou wilt direct thy prayer unto God, and thou wilt have thine eye fixed upon God. Why now Sathan will fall in with you, he will jogge your arme, he will take off your eye from the marke, that you ſhall not be able to hit it. Thus he dealt with Abraham, as you heard before. Thus he dealt, Job 1. 6. Now there was a day when Job 1. 6.the ſons of God came to preſent themſelves before the Lord, and Sathan came alſo among them. I am not ignorant that many Interpreters, by the ſons of God, doe underſtand the Angells, becauſe the Angells are called the ſons of God, Job 38. 7. but Job 38. 7.it cannot be ſo taken here; I will give but one reaſon to prove it; becauſe the place where the Angells are, is in heaven, and if ſo, then the Devill muſt be in heaven, which is by all denyed; he never was in heaven, ſince he was caſt out of it. And therefore Bolducius ſaith, that this day was the Lords day, and by the Sons of God are meant, the godly men, that lived in the time, and place where Job …ived, the poſterity of Seth. And you hall finde in Scripture this very appella tion given to them. Gen. 6. 2. The ſons Gen. 6. 2.of God ſaw the daughters of men. Theſe ſons of God muſt needs be men, and not Angells; And ſo they are to be underſtood in this place in Job, the people of God met together, and came before the Lord, and Sathan came alſo among them, he came to hinder them and diſturbe them. So it was Zach. 3. 1, 2. And be ſhewed me Zach. 3. 1, 2.Joſhua the high Prieſt ſtanding before the Angell of the Lord, and Sathan ſtanding at his right hand to reſiſt him; And the Lord ſaid unto Sathan, The Lord rebuke thee O Sathan, even the Lord that hath choſen Jeruſalem rebuke thee: is not this a firebrand pluckd out of the fire? You ſee how Sathan laboured to divert the thoughts, and diſtract the heart of the high Prieſt in the performance of religious duties. That is the firſt reaſon.
2. This importunity is wanting in our prayers, when we know and allow our ſelves in any one ſin, and let it lie upon our hearts unrepented of. Hilderſham gathers from the 51 Pſalme, that all the while that David did lie in that ſin of adulterie, all the time that ſin was unrepented of, the heart of David was ſhut up that he could not pray, as he was wont to doe before, and as he did after he had repented of that ſin, at which time he writ that penitentiall Pſalme. You had need looke to your hearts, that there doe not lie there any ſin incouraged, and unrepented of; for be ſure of this, if thy prayer doe not make thee leave ſinning, thy ſin will make thee leave praying. That is the ſecond reaſon of the want of importunity.
3. Another reaſon is this, becauſe many take unfit ſeaſons for the performance of dutie. It is the judgement of that learned and reverend man of God, Mr Bolton, that the taking of unfit ſeaſons for the performance of prayer, doth more obſtruct, and hinder this holy importunity in prayer, then all the ſuggeſtions and inſtigations of Sathan.
Now there are three unfit ſeaſons for the performance of this duty.
1. When the body is ſleepy, and fit for nothing but to take its reſt. A ſleepy and ſluggiſh temper, is a canker to eat out many ſweet affections, Cant. 3. 1. By night upon Cant. 3. 1.my bed I ſought him, but I found him not. Some Inter preters take occaſion hence, to ſpeak againſt late prayers.
2. Another unfit ſeaſon is, when the heart is filled with worldly care and diſtractions, and the incumbrances of this preſent life; many men are guilty of this, they will ſo …log themſelves with the cares of this life, that they cannot have a praying time free from them. Some men will be down upon their knees, before the things of this world are out of their minds; and ſo they have no time to conſider, or meditate, or to put the heart into a fit frame for that work. You know we are to attend upon the Lord without diſtraction, 1 Cor. 7. 35. It was the fault of thoſe Jews in hearing, that when they came to hear 1 Cor. 7. 35.the word, their hearts did go out after their covetouſneſſe, Ezek. 33. 31. That is another ſeaſon unfit for prayer.Ezek. 33. 31.
3. Another ſeaſon is, when we are under paſſionate diſtempers. When tumultuous paſſions are up, holy affections are down, 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray every 1 Tim. 2. 8.where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; to ſhew, that where there is wrath, the duty of prayer cannot be performed in an acceptable manner. And of the ſame mind was the Apoſtle Peter; who therefore gives this counſel, 1 Pet. 3. 7. 1 Pet 3. 7.Likewiſe, ye husbands, dwel with them according to knowledg, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker veſſel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. The Apoſtle wiſely fore-ſaw, that if man and wife lived in diſcontent and trouble, then their prayers would be hindred; and therefore he adviſeth them, to prevent the hinderance of their prayers, by avoiding occaſions of diſcontent. And that is the third ſeaſon, wherein people are are unfit for prayer: ſo they are diverted from that ſervency, and importunity they might have in their prayers. We ſhould therefore chuſe the fitteſt ſeaſons for prayer. It is ſaid of Luther, by Vitus Theodorus, who was preſent with him at Coburge, and many times heard him at his private prayers, in a letter of his to Melanchthon, That there was no day paſſed over his head, wherein Luther did not ſpend three hours, at the leaſt, in prayers; and thoſe (not hours that he could beſt ſpare, unſeaſonable hours, but) ſuch hours as were the fitteſt for his ſtudy. And that was a reaſon, that Luther was very importunate in his prayers, as the ſame Author informs us; Good God, with how much reverence did I hear him pray! With how much boldneſſe and confidence, &c. And on the contrary, one reaſon why men have ſo little of this holy importunity, is for want of taking fit ſeaſons for the work.
4. Another reaſon of the want of this holy importunity is, the difuſe and neglect of prayer in your Chriſtian courſe. Many there are, that pray ſometimes, and leave off praying again; now this doth very much dull mens affections in prayer. There is a Proverb, Uſe makes perfectneſs; I am ſure it is ſo in the duty of prayer; let a Chriſtian pray often, and he will come to pray well, and to pray with much enlargedneſſe of heart; and let him leave off prayer, and he will finde his heart exceedingly ſtreightned. Take a Key, if you uſe it frequently, it will be bright, but if you lay it aſide, it will ſoon grow ruſty; thus will it be with a mans heart, uſe prayer much, keep it cloſe to the performance of duty, it is the way to have thy heart bright. Let this Key of prayer, which doth open heaven, be uſed, it will be kept bright, and thy prayer will enter into heaven; but let this Key of prayer be laid aſide, and do not thou often uſe it, and it will quickly grow ruſty again; thy prayers and performances, will not be able to enter neaven, and thou wilt not be able to perform duty in that manner that God expecteth. If thou doſt not watch unto prayer, with all carefulneſſe, thou wilt looſe thy zeal and ſervent affection, and thy holy deſires after God in duty. As it is with a Pump, uſe it every day, and water will come, but if you forbear the uſe of it two or three dayes, water will neither come ſo eaſily, nor ſo plentifully. If you do not pump out your holy deſires every day, they will quickly flag and grow remiſſe. Phyſitians obſerve, concerning the teeth, that that ſide of the teeth that is not uſed, is moſt ſubject to rheumes and diſtillations. That heart that is not inured to prayer and holy duties, is moſt ſubject to Satans inſtillations and ſuggeſtions. This is the fourth reaſon.
Reaſ 5 The fifth reaſon why this importunity is wanting, is this, becauſe men tye themſelves to preſcript forms of prayer. I do not ſay, that it is unlawful to uſe ſet forms of prayer; we finde that Jeſus Chriſt himſelf uſed a form, Matt. 26. 39. Chriſt went Matt 26. 39.and ſaid, Father if it be poſſible, let this cup paſs from me. Verſ. 42. He went again the ſecond time, and prayed, ſaying, O my Father, if this cup may not paſſe from me, thy will be done. Verſ. 44. He went away again, and prayed, ſaying the ſame words. To ſhew, that it is lawful … forms of prayer, but not alwaies. You are to ſtrive for the ſpirit of prayer. A man that will uſe his crutches conſtantly, ſhall go …ame all the dayes of his life. … live in an age, wherein Religion is … profeſſed, and the Goſpel is fully … known. Do not content your ſelves … forms, labour for the ſpirit of prayer, … you may go to God, and ſpread … him your wants and neceſſities, and … thoſe mercies, that are moſt ſutable to … wants and exigences. Forms ind…ed will teach you to beg pardon for ſin, in general; but you muſt beg pardon for particular ſins. You muſt not onelyonly beg mercy in general, but you muſt alſo beg … particular mercies, that are moſt … you. And this, ſet forms are … which yet is the main work in prayer. He that tyes himſelf alwaies to another mans form, will not be able to pray alone, but weakly, and coldly, and formally. This is the fifth reaſon.
6. Another ground of this importunity, is a giving way to an accuſtomed continuance in a ſleight and careleſſe performance of duties; this enervates the affections, and emaſculates the ſpirits; what men are accuſtomed to, that they get an habit of, ſo that they cannot do the contrary. As a Carriers horſe, that is uſed to a dull and ſlow pace, cannot go out of it. The leſſening of Acts, makes Habits more remiſſe. That is the laſt reaſon. And ſo much ſhall ſuffice for anſwer to the ſixth Queſtion.