Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Concerning true Prayer, by which the faithful find Acceptance with God, by Faith in the Son of his Love, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
TRue Prayer is an Ordinance of God, and a Duty which God requires of Man, to be performed by the Power of his own gift, which came by Jeſus Chriſt, who hath commanded all men to watch and pray, in a believing frame of Spirit, which is that that God requires of all men, and all men that are in perfect Obedience to God, they watch and pray by the aſſiſting Power of Gods Spirit, by which they are made able to reſiſt the Devil in the hour of Temptation, but they who are in Unbelief of Gods Power by Jeſus Chriſt, That they ſhall never be made free from ſin in this Life, they cannot pray by the Spirit of God, becauſe of their Unbelief; for all ſin is of Unrighteouſneſs, and all Unrighteouſneſs is of the Devil, and the P…s of them that continue in ſin, are an Abomination in the ſight of God, for the Eyes of the Lord are more purer than to behold Sin, or regard Iniquity; for the Thoughts of the Wicked are an Abomination to the Lord, but the words of the Poor are pleaſant words, Pro. 15.26. By which it is plain, that by Peoples living in Sin, is the cauſe of their Prayers not being accepted with the Lord, becauſe the Wayes of the Wicked are an Abomination before him, but he loveth him that followeth after Righteouſneſs, Prov. 15.9. for ſin being loved and entertained, makes a ſeparation between God and mans Soul, in which ſtate man is incapable of receiving the incomes of Gods divine Love by Jeſus Chriſt, by whoſe Spirit of Life, the hearts of them which hunger and thirſt after Righteouſneſs, come to be enlightened, through which they come to receive his Will in what they ſhould pray for unto him; for Man in his own Will cannot know when or what to pray for, …s he ought to do, for thou, O Lord! haſt revealed unto thy Servant, therefore hath thy Servant found in his heart to pray this Prayer unto thee, 2 Sam. 7.27. By which it is evident, that true ſpiritual Prayer proceedeth from the Power of Gods Spirit, by which the Righteous come to enjoy the benefit of that which they pray for; but the Unrighteous pray for the deliverance from ſin, which living in a ſtate of Unbelief, that God will never in this Life wholly free them from Sin, which Unbelief ſtops the current of Life, and hinders the Work of God by Chriſt, whoſe Work by. Faith in him is to deſtroy Sin, and put an end to Tranſgreſſion, that is in them which believe in the gift of his Grace, by which men are ſaved; for its the Gift of God, which comes by Jeſus Chriſt, and through Faith in him, is Life Everlaſting, that is to them, who through Faith have their whole dependance on him, but where men remain in a ſtate of dayly ſining againſt the manifeſtation of his ſpirit, which all have received, to profit with all, it keeps them ſhort of Gods Grace by Jeſus Chriſt; for the Prayers of the Wicked are ſin, becauſe they remain in ſin, which cauſeth their Prayars to be ſin in the ſight of God, for the Prayers of the wicked are an Abomination before the Lord, and the Sacrifice of the wicked are an Abomination to him, but the Prayers of the Ʋpright is his delight, Pſal. 119.7. Prov. 15.2. ſo it is the Prayers of the Upright in heart, which the Lord accepts and delights in, for unto them is the promiſe of God by Chriſt, who renews the Faith of his People, by the power of his ſpirit, which begets the inward man into a lively hope of that aſſurance, which by true Faith the ſoul receives, by true Prayer unto the Lord, through which Prayer by Grace, every Diſpenſation of Gods gifts come to be ſanctified, through the Power of his own ſpirit; for every Diſpenſation is from God, and only ſanctified to the Righteous, which receive of the Lords free benefits, and rich Mercies of his Love, in the outward Diſpenſation, which through Prayer and Thanks-giveing, are ſanctified to them which live in Uprightneſs of heart and mind towards God, which the Unrighteous alſo pretend, but it is with unclean Hearts, for which cauſe the Lord will not accept their Prayers, for the Lord only dwells with the pure in heart, whoſe minds are wrought into a true and living ſence of Gods heavenly riches in Jeſus Chriſt, which is the inheritance of his faithfull People, which pray unto him, by the power of his own ſpirit which doth condemn the Prayers of all unrighteous men, who pray in their own time, and in their own wills.
But ſome may then query, Whether the Unrighteous are not commanded to pray? Anſ. The hearts of the righteous deſire the return of the Wicked, that they may forſake the evil of their way, and ſerve the Lord in Truth and Righteouſneſs, and that the Wicked are to pray, which will not diſcharge any part of their Diſobedience to God, until they come to forſake their Unrighteous way of ſinning againſt the gift of his Grace, and divine Light of his Spirit, which remains their Condemnation for ſin, Joh. 3.19, 20, 21. By which it is evident, that the Prayer of a wicked man availeth not before the Lord, that is, while he remaineth in the known Life of Sin, which he prays againſt, but let the wicked forſake their way, and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and unto our God, for he will abundantly pardon, Iſa. 55 7. So that where men live in known ſins againſt God, and in a belief of its being impoſſible to be free from ſin in this Life, the Prayer of ſuch doth not proceed from the Spirit of God, who hath Commanded his People, not to touch, taſte nor handle with any unclean thing, but to follow the leadings of Gods holy Spirit, as the Apoſtles have done for Example, and to mark them which walk otherwayes. So every man and every woman is to ſeek God for themſelves; for he hath promiſed to be found of them that ſeek, him in uprightneſs of heart; and I do not read that any of the Lords ſervants in dayes paſt, were ever lead by the ſpirit of God, to pray either privatly among People in unbelief of ever attaining that which ths Apoſtles prayed for, which is, that they might preſent every man perfect in Chriſt Jeſus; then where in remains the profit of any true Beleivers Prayer in publick, though in his own family, (which through their unbelief in the power of God, that they ſhall never be free from ſin in this Life, by which they are not as yet of the true Houſhold of Faith) at times and ſeaſons as the ſpirit of God moves in the heart of every ſuch maſter of family, he doth pray, for the return of them, and all other People, which remain in the ſame ſtate of Unbelief, which until they repent and forſake, their prayers will not be accepted of God.