The Generation of Seekers, Treatise 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
2. THE other ſort to whom I am now to ſpeak, are thoſe who have this great mercy, and know the Advantage of it, ſuch as can beat teſtimony to this great truth that the ſpirits help in prayer is a great Reality. Theſe alſo I ſhall rank under three heads.
1. Such as have this mercy, but are not at preſent in Affliction.
2. Such as are in trouble, and doe in ſome meaſure experience the benefit of it.
3. Such as have been in the deeps, and have taſted the goodneſs of God in this kind, though now delivered from their troubles: to each of theſe, I ſhall propoſe what I conceive moſt ſuitable and edifying.
1. To you that being yet free from calamities, know what it is to be helped in prayer, The Doctrine ſpeaks by way of Counſel and Advice: and that is, that you cheriſh and make much of, and doe what you can to perſerve this great Priveledge; take heed of ſuch fins as may grieve away the ſpirit of ſuch as have been mentioned above, eſpecially in the 6th. Caſe. This Advice I give upon a 3. fold conſideration.
1. Though you are yet at quiet, though you fit under your own vine, and under your own figtree, and the candle of the Lord Job 29. 3, 4.ſhine upon your head, and his ſecret be upon your Tabernacle; you know not how ſoon the Caſe may alter, and the Cup that others drink of may be put into your hand: David found himſelf deceived when hee ſaid his mountain Pſalm 30. 6, 7.was made ſtrong, and hee ſhould never be moved, God hides his face and then hee's troubled. Solomon's dayes were for a long time peaceable, and no likelyhood of any trouble to ariſe, God had made him terrible to all1 Chr. 8. 7 and 9. 23, 24. 1 Ki. 11. 14. 23. 26. about him, and put the necks of his Adverſaries under his ſeet, all the bordering Kings are his Feudatories, and Tributaries; yet on a ſodain a black cloud ariſes, and a ſucceſſion of Adverſaries are raiſd up againſt him. Who more proſperous then Job? or more likely to live and die in his neſt, being not leſs pious than proſperous, being a man perfect and upright, one that feared God and eſchewed evill? yet, behold him ſtript of all, ſitting upon the Dunghill, ſcraping him ſelf with a Potsheard. Who can hope to eſcape, when neither his piety, nor poſſeſſions, can ſecure him? It may be with you as with thoſeActs. 27, 13, 14. in the Ship with Paul, The South-wind of proſperity blowing ſoftly, you may ſuppoſe you have obtained your purpoſe, and think you ſhall be ſpeedily and ſafely waſted over the Sea of this world, but how ſoon may an Euroclydon ariſe, which may put you out of all hope of Safety? Then how beſteading a priviledge will it be, to have the Spirit helping your informities? what ſupport and comfort will it bring in? what a differenceCompare V. 20 with 25. betwixt Paul, and the reſt in that Ship; hee comfort's others with the comforts where with himſelf is comforted by God; they are paſt hope, but hee full of aſſurance. This was the fruit of Intereſt in God, and, if a ſtorm taught the Mariners in Jonah to call every man uponV. 23. his God, it is not to be queſtioned that Paul was both frequent and ſervent in Prayer at that time; The God (ſaith hee) whoſe I am, and whom I ſerv. Well as you deſire, in ſuch a condition, to enjoy this Priviledge, now prize it, now quench not the Spirit, be not backward to his motions now: Con…dering, in the ſecond place;
2. As you carry towards the Spirit now, ſo you may expect hee will carry toward you in your diſtreſs: if you now ſl…ght him and be ſhie of entertaining his good motions, expect the like meaſure. There is much in that word Grieve not the holy Spirit—SuchEph. 4. 30. expreſſions (as they ſpeak in the Schools) import not [affectum but effectum in Deo] they doe not ſignify that the Spirit of God is capable of being grieved, as we are, ſo as to have our hears ſadned, our Spirits of dejected or embittered; but that the Spirit being provoked by our miſcarriages will doe as wee doe when one hath grieved or vexed us: and how is that, Are wee not ſhie of coming into their company? doe wee not abſent our ſelves, or ſhew a change of Countenance wee are nothing ſo pleaſant, ſo familiar till the breach be made up, yea many times wee pay them in their own coine, and doe ſomething that may equally grieve them; Thus will the Spirit deal with us (at leaſt wee can expect no other) he will withdraw, and abſent himſelf, wee ſhall not have his quickning motions and lively aſſiſtances &c. Then will God deal with us as hee threatens, Becauſe I have called and ye refuſed, ye ſhall call upon Prov. 1. 24, 28.me, but I will not anſwer▪ ye ſhall ſeek mee early, but ye ſhall not find mee. And what the Conſequence of this will be, may be gathered from what hath been already ſaid. For,
1. There will be ſad reflexions upon thy former abuſing of God's Spirit, which will make thy Cup out of meaſure bitter, and the weight of thy affliction preſſed down, heapt together, and running over. What will be thy thoughts then? Oh, I might have enjoyed the comfortable preſence, and aſſiſtance of God's Spirit in this ſtrait. Had I not abuſed it in my proſperity: Oh, what a precious Priviledge have I robbed my ſelf of; &c.
2. Hence will follow that thy preſent burden will be exceeding heavy, as wholly lying upon thine own back. It will bee with you as with Paul, preſſed beyond meaſure, 2 Cor. 1. 8.above ſtrength, ſo that I deſpaired even of life—this will aggravate thy miſery, and exceedingly weaken thy ſtrength to bear…i….
3. And (as you have already heard) there is great danger of running thy ſelf into the ſin of taking indirect Courſes: Thou lieſt open to Sathans Temptations who often makes our extremity his opportunity to doe us a miſchief: thou wilt, a thouſand to one, be tempted either to ſiniſter and ſinfull courſes for relief, or to take deſperate courſes; it may be (as ſome have done) by ridding thy ſelf out of temporal, to haſten into eternall miſery. Oh, then as you deſire to avoid theſe ſad Conſequences, avoid that which is the proper cauſe of them, namely, grieving, ſlighting, abuſing, quenching the holy Spirit of God. The only way to have him befriend you in your ſtraits is to Cheriſh, prize, and improve his motions now, as you have been already taught in ſome of the Caſes above. Eſpiceally, conſidering in the Third place.
3. Suppoſing (which yet is ſcarce poſſible▪) that you ſhould paſs through the world w…thout any conſiderable affliction, yet you ſtand in dayly and hourly need of the Spirits aſſiſtance: Its not only needfull then; though it be ſingularly comfortable. Are there not ſnares in proſperity, which you have need to pray againſt? Agurs prayer imports that there is is much danger of denying God, and ſaying who is the Lord, in proſperity (that is, of withdrawing our confidence and dependance▪ from God to the Creature▪ or revolting from our obedience) to him) as of S…ealing, or taking the name of Prov. 30. 9God in vain, in poverty. Beſides, are there not burdens of duty too heavy for thy weak ſhoulders without the Spirit helping thee? Add, that how ever thou mayſt eſcape other Troubles, yet thou art ſure of Temptations, If Chriſt himſelf eſcaped not, how canſt thou hope to eſcape? but without the Spirit of ſupplication, theſe will eaſily prevail; thou wilt find the Tempter too ſubtile, too powerfull for thee, except thou call in Divine Aſſiſtiance. Here is as much need of the Spirit of prayer, as in any other kind of affliction. Paul ſound Prayer his beſt weapon, and therefore hee made much uſe of it. For this I prayed thrice—More over, there are2 Cor. 12. 9 1 Cor. 1. 28 ordinary Troubles with few eſcape, Troubles in the fleſh, cares about the things of this life, ſuch as a man is born to, and as naturallyJob 5. 7. ſubject to, as 'tis naturall for the ſparks to fly upward. Theſe will not be borne, or not as a Chriſtian ſhould bear them, without prayer for ſupport, direction, ſanctification: The moſt inconſiderable of theſe without divine ſupport (ſetch't in by prayer) will be ſufficient to disſpirit, to overwhelm thee, to put beſides thy Patience. To conclude then, What need have wee to keep the Spirit our conſtant friend, that wee may have its aſſiſtance in all exigencies? It is as needfull as prayer it ſelf is, and that is the very trade, the very lively hood of a Chriſtian, you may as well live without ayre or breath (as you are living Creatures), as to live without prayer (as your are Chriſtians). Therefore take heed you doe nothing whereby the Spirit may be eſtranged from you, or be provoked to withdraw his aſſiſtance; if you doe, it will be to your unſpeakable loſs and diſadvantage.
If you would be directed in this thing, Look back to the filth Caſe. So much to the firſt ſort.