The Generation of Seekers, Treatise 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
I Have only a Third ſort to addreſs my ſelf to in a few words, and thoſe are they who having been in the deeps, have there ſeen the wonders of the Lord: who can bear witneſs to this Truth, and ſay that, had not the Spirit upheld and ſtrengthned them, they had periſhed in their affliction, the proud waters had gone over their Soul: Canſt thou ſay as Jonah? I cryed by reaſon of my affiction, Jonah 2. 2.unto the Lord and he heard mee. Out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardeſt my voyce? Hath God both prepared thy heart and cauſed his care to hear? hath he both helpt the to pray, and helpt thee upon thy prayer, ſo that thou haſt an undeniable Teſtimony of both parts of the Text. viz. that God both gives his Spirit to help our infirmities, and that hee knows, and accepts the deſires of his Spirit, becauſe they are according to the will of God? What remains but that thou be preſſed and exhorted to this 4. ſold duty? To the doing of which, thy own experience may be motive ſufficient.
1. Beg and uſe the ſame help in Prayſe, which thou hadſt in Prayer: If thy prayers in affliction were ſpiritual, let not thy joy be carnall, There's a great difference betwixt prayſe and gladneſs. Then are they glad becauſe Pſalm 107. 30, 31.they be quiet—O that men would praiſe the Lord? True joy which hath the Lord for its Object hath the Spirit for it's Authour; you read of the joy of the Holy Ghoſt: well,Rom. 14. 17. Eph. 5. 18. 19. labour to get your hearts tuned by the Spirit, Be filled with the Spirit, ſpeaking to your ſelves in Pſalmes and hymns and Spiritual ſengs ſinging, and making melody in your hearts to the Lord: The Spirit hath (as I may ſ…y) helpt thee into debt, by enabling thee to pray and prevail; now intreat that hee alſo may help thee out, by enabling thee to give unto the Lord (in ſome meaſure) the glory due unto his Name, and the rather becauſe the mercy coming in a way of prayer is more then common, and therefore cals for more than ordinary thankfulneſs, the high praiſes of God ſhould be in thy mouth. Thou ſhouldſt…ing that new ſong, which is peculiarRev. 14. 3. to the ſaved of the Lord, which none can ſing but by the Spirit of God: Spiritual praiſes are a language too high for fools; none can praiſe aright but they whoſe hearts are toucht' and tuned by the Spirit of God.Iſa. 43. 21. This people have I formed for my ſelf, they ſhall ſhew forth my praiſe: Till wee are God's workmanſhip, wee cannot righly give God glory. Nor only doe wee need habituall qualifications, but actuall excitations: Oh, deſire this additionall mercy, that hee who hath delivered thee at the requeſt of his own Spirit making Interceſſion in thy heart, would by the ſame Spirit raiſe up thy ſoul to a high pitch of Spiritual joy and Thanksgiving.
2. Turne this experience into obedience, be ready at the call of God's Spirit, as God was at thy call. This is Davids improvement: Then I called upon the Lord—I was Pſalm 116. 4, 6, 9.brought low and hee helped mee—I will walk before the Lord (i. e. in obedience to the Lord) in the Land of the living. Be carefull therefore in hearkning to the motions, and following the conduct of the Spirit under Enlargements: Oh, reſolve through grace (and beg grace that thou mayſt both reſolve and perform thy reſolutions) that thou wilt never grieve thy Comforter by ſlighting or ſinning againſt him. When thou art about to doe any thing which might ſadden or provoke him, refrain thy ſelf upon a double account—. Let ingenuity hold thy hands, Shall I grieve him now, that was my greateſt Comfort in my affliction? ſhall I thus requite his kindneſs? Oh, I remember his quicknings, his ſweet enlargments wrought in my heart, Oh, what cordials did hee provide mee in my ſainting fits? how did hee ſtay up hands and heart, and keep mee in a waiting, praying poſture till the Lord at laſt heard my cry and delivered my ſoul out of trouble? Think, thou heareſt him calling, and ſaying, Is this thy kindneſs to thy friend? did I ſtand by thee in thy affliction, help thy infirmities, ſupport thee under thy burdens? did I enable thee to pray and wreſtle and prevail to be thus requited? Oh, doe not wound him in thy proſperity, who was thy beſt friend in adverſity.
2. If Ingenuity will not let Prudence reſtrain thee; The Tables may be turned, thy preſent gleam may be overclouded, a ſtorm may be breeding. Then mayſt thou expect him as much a ſtranger to thee, as now thou art to him. I think it was Luthers ſaying (mihi crede, res delicata eſt Spiritus …ita nos tractat, ſicut tractatur) Beleeve it the Spirit of God is a very tender thing, it will deal with us, as wee doe with him: and this know that thy former experience of his aſſiſtance in trouble, will make his abſence doubly afflicting: Let therefore this double cord draw thee to obedience, let ingenuity to the Spirit of God, let reſpect to thy own future comfort keep thee from putting forth thy hand to iniquity, and engage thee in a courſe of obedience.
3. You that have found the ſweetneſs of this Priviledge in a day of trouble, declare it to others, that they alſo may ſeek after i… Pſalm 66. 16, 17. 18Have you not David a Pattern in this very particular? Come and hear all yee that fear God, and I will declare what hee hath done for my ſoul. Well, what is it? I cryed unto him with my mouth, and he was enrolled with my tongue. But was it only mouth and tongue that prayd? No. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer, but God hath heard—q. d. had my prayer proceeded from hypocriſy, or a carnall principle, God would not have heard it, but it was put into my heart by his holy Spirit, it proceeded not from ſeignedlips, Therefore hath hee heard it: And, this experience hee invites others to take notice of, to what end think you? ſurely that they might both joyn with him in praiſing the Lord, and might alſo take the like courſe in their ſtraits. The like Inſtance you have elſehere: This Pſalm 34. 6, 7, 8.Poor man cryed, and the Lord heard, and ſaved him out of all his troubles,—Then comludes; O taſt and ſee that the Lord is good—q. d. take it not up upon my report, but make tryall your ſelves, doe you cry and pray, and ſee what a bleſſed iſſue you ſhall have. Well let this be thy practiſe, when thou ſeeſt any poor ſeals ready to be overwhelmed, direct them to this Courſe, tell ſuch; The only way is to beg and make uſe of the Spirits help. Commnuicate your experiences, and the unſpeakable advantages you have found. How ready are wee to communicate our experiences for the relief of others under bodily diſtempers? If you ſee one afflicted with the Tooth-ach, Gout, Ague or the like diſtemper, every one almoſt hath ſomething to propoſe, This did mee good, I found eaſe and remedy in the uſe of ſuch a Medicine. How much more precious are Spirituall experiments? and how ready ſhould wee be to impart them, if wee had that tender reſpect wee ought to have to the Spirituall good of our Brethren? wherefore be ready to impart ſuch experiences: let poor afflicted ſouls know that there's no courſe like this, even to betake themſelves to the Throne of Grace, and there to give vent to their ſorrows, and if they cannot pray in the Spirit, yet to pray for the Spirit of grace and ſupplication.
4. In all your addreſſes to the Throne of grace, beg and uſe his help, which you have found ſo ſucceſsfull in the day of your diſtreſs: Praying with all manner of prayer and ſupplication Jude 20. Eph. 6. 18.in the Spirit—Praying in the Holy Ghoſt—His help is not only neceſſary to bear the Burden of Affliction, but to lift at the burden of duty. Obſerve the Text, Though the Special ſcope and intendment be a ground of comfort under ſtraits, yet the expreſſions are generall, reſpecting the duty all times and upon all occaſions: for wee are here told that wee have Infirmities againſt which wee need the Spirits help, theſe are continuall, and therefore our need of his help is continuall. Again, wee know not what to ask, therefore wee have need to be dayly inſtructed, and to have the Spirit endi…e our petitions for us. Further, God knowes the mind of the Spirit. i. e. hee underſtands, ownes, approves what proceeds from his own Spirit (and that excluſively) not what proceeds from our Spirits. Then laſtly, Hee maketh interceſſion for us acording to the will of 'God. i. e. hee teaches ſo to regulate our prayers for matter, manner, and end, that wee (ſo far as wee are guided by him) ask nothing, nor in any manner, or for any end, but what is agreeable and pleaſing to God. Theſe Things would have afforded a large field of diſcourſe, but I am willing to leave roome for your own meditations? Only ſee hence what neceſſity there is to have and uſe the Spirits help in all your addreſſes to God: you cannot pray according to God's will, you cannot have God's care open; your ignorance, your infirmities will hinder, except the Spirit come in, and afford his help: and let mee leave this with you, The way to have the Spirits help it to uſe its help. God is not like other friends, Nor his ſpirit like other helpers. Wee think it a piece of impudence to be always troubling our friends, and wee may tire them out, but the oftner the welcomer to God; hee that ſees moſt need, and goes moſt to the Spirit for help, ſhall doubtleſs find him moſt helpfull. This is what I ſhall ſay as to the improvement of this Comfortable Truth;
Now may theſe poor labours be ſo attended with his bleſſing who teacheth to profit, and may that Spirit of grace (whoſe help is neceſſary in other duties as well as prayer) ſo impreſs theſe things upon your hearts, that you may both deſire his help, and experience the ſweetneſs and advantage of it: Oh, that it might be ſaid of ſome poor ſoul that hath hitherto lived without God in the world, as was ſaid of Paul, Behold hee prayeth! Oh, that ſuch as have ſeoffed at thisAct. 9. 11. great reality, might not only have their mouths ſtopt in that reſpect, but opened in Prayer, that they might practiſe according to the advice given by Peter to Simon theAct. 8. 22. ſorcerer, and heartily pray to the Lord that the thought of their heart might be forgiven them … Yea that hee who hath received giftsPſal. 68. 18 for men even for the rebellious—would beſtow upon ſuch rebels this unſpeakable gift, how would they then be in bitterneſs for their blaſpheming againſt it? Oh, that thoſe who have ſatisfied themſelves with the form and ſhadow of this duty, might experimentally know the difference betwixt words of Prayer, and the Spirit of Prayer? And thoſe who have taſted of this heavenly gift, might increaſe both in the gift and grace of prayer with the increaſings of God! With ſuch breathings, and deſires I put theſe weak labours into your hands, and now Brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are ſanctified.
Matthew 6.9.-14. After this manner therefore pray yee, Our Father, &c.