Of Ejaculatory Prayer, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Directions for the right performance of the Duty of Ejaculatory Prayer.
NOW in the laſt place to give y… ſome Directions for your h…, to enable you to perform this Duty aright, and to be much in it.
Direct. 1. Labour for truth of Grace. For elſe you cannot pray acceptably. God will not hear the leaſt Ejaculatory Prayer that a wicked man darts up unto him. The Prayer of the wicked is Abomination. See Prov. 15. 8. and Rom. 8. 8.
Direct. 2. Be very watchful. This will be a ſpecial help to you. The Watchman cryes upon every occaſion; and ſo the Watchful Chriſtian. The Watchman is purpoſely ſet to deſcry occaſions, and for this end do you watch; watch unto Prayer, 1 Pet. 4. 7. unto Ejaculatory Prayer. Watch and Pray, Mat. 26. 41. If you watch, you will pray, elſe not: that is, not ſo frequently as you ought. He that means to throw or ſhoot a dart, watcheth diligently for his opportunity. So muſt you do, elſe many an advantag will be loſt as not obſerved. Watch therefore to ſee if any danger be towards, any temptation, any ſin, any ſuffering, that accordingly you may cry unto God, by E…culatory Prayer.
Direct. 3. Labour for quickneſs of apprehenſion, that ſo you may not watch in vain, or ſo much in vain, as you muſt needs do if you bewithout it. Some can apprehend quicker than others. Labour therefore for a ſpiritual Sagacity, a ſpirit of diſcerning, an accute ſenſe, a clear quick-ſighted eye. For a blind man to watch to is no purpoſe and for one that is poreblind is little better. Therefore,
1. Get your he arts purged from Luſts, for they blind the eye of the underſtanding that it cannot ſee. And beſides this,
2. Give all diligence to be adding to your Faith Virtue, &c. For he that lacketh theſe things is blind, and cannot ſee affar off, 2 Pet. 1. 5-9.
3. Let your ſenſes be experienced to diſcern good and evil, Heb. 5. 14. For as by frequent exerciſe real habits are begotten, ſo thereby ſpiritual habits are increſed, and perfected.
Direct. 4. Labour to preſerve in your ſouls a ſpiritual tenderneſs, that ſo you may not only diſcover, but affected with what you diſcover. When the heart is hardned, then, tho' a man have never ſo clear Apprehenſions and Convictions, yet they do not prevail, but he neglects God in them. But when the heart is ſoft and tender, it cannot endure to lie under the guilt of the leaſt ſin, or be without a ſenſe of the love of God, &c. but will preſently fly unto God by Ejaculatory Prayer for it.
Direct. 5. Labour to ſee what danger you be in continually, and then you will be ſtill looking up, and flying to God continually. Still think with your ſelves that you walk among ſnares, that you are not ſecure, and this will make you frequent in Ejaculatory Prayer unto God. Now there is no place, no company, or condition you can be in, but you need the help of God to aſſiſt, to protect and preſerve you in it. You may, nay you ought to aſſure yourſelves, that (though you do not ſee it, yet) you are in continual danger, in jeopardy every moment. For there are hidden ſnares, and the Devil goes about continually ſeeking whom he may devour. Therefore beſides the manifeſt and apparent dangers that ſome times there are to be taken notice of: (for the diſcovery of which, you are to watch (as hath been ſaid) beſides theſe I ſay, you ſhould believe that there are hidden dangers, and this will make you be continually darting up Prayers unto God for protection, and preſervation. Lord, I know not what a day, what an hour may bring forth, therefore be with me, &c. You take moſt hurt by theſe hidden, theſe unſeen danges (for in vain is the Net ſpread in the ſight of any bird) therefore labour to get your hearts affected with this Conſideration, and then you ſhall be thereby very much quickned to be much in this Duty.
Direct. 6. Set God always before you. For the ſight of God is very attractable, it's the nature of the ſight of God to draw the ſoul after him. When a man forgets God, and hath him not in his thoughts, there is no motion after him, but when he ſees him, he cannot but upon every occaſion fly unto him. When the Child ſees the Mother, he cryes after her, though before (while ſhe was out of ſight) he was well enough without her.
Direct. 7. Keep grace in continual exerciſe. Be ſtill ſtirring up the fire, and blowing it into a flame. It's the nature of Grace (as of fire) when ſtirred up, and ſet on work, to be darting upwards.
Direct. 8. Grieve not the Spirit, cauſe it not to depart. For the Spirit it is that enables to cry, Abba, Father. It is from the ſpirit that men are much in Ejaculatory Prayer.
Direct. 9. Accuſtome your ſelves to be much in Ejaculatory Prayer. For the Soul moves moſt that way, that it is moſt uſed to. This will make it natural as it were, and very eaſie. When once we are uſed to a thing, we can do it upon all occaſions, and we do it freely without difficulty.
Direct. 10. Keep Conſcience clear, for elſe you will not dare, at leaſt will have but little heart to be darting up any Ejaculatory Prayer to God upon any occaſion. Guilt unbends the bow, weakens the arm, and makes it tremble. For this end, be ſure you keep in a good way, for elſe there muſt needs be guilt, and conſequently fear, which will hinder the praying by Ejaculatory Prayer unto God.
Direct. 11. Be humbled for your neglect of Ejaculatory Prayer. for a man will not make conſcience of a Duty, and be ſerious and conſtant in the performance of it, till he be firſt ſenſible of his ſin in omitting it, and throughly humbled for it.
Direct. 12. Obſerve experiences of the evil eſſects of neglecting Ejaculatory Prayer, and frequently bring them to remembrance. As, how often you have miſcarried in Company, &c. by reaſon of your neglecting to lift up your heart by Ejaculatory Prayer to God to be with you, &c.
Direct. 13. Often conſider with your ſelves, Is there nothing that I ſhould now be ſpeaking unto God for? there may be ſome thing, and I do not ſee it. By this means you will come to ſee. Again Conſider with your ſelves, Can I now lift up my heart unto God being in ſuch a frame? Can I dart up a Prayer unto God being in ſuch a way? Am I now in ſuch a frame of Spirit, ſuch a place, ſuch a company, as that I can ſay, Lord, vouchſafe to be preſent with me. And if you cannot, endeavour ſpeedily to get out of it. For if thou canſt not pray there, what ſhould'ſt thou do there? When a man tryes a dart, or ſhoots in ſuch a place, and finds he cannot, he preſently leaves that place; and goes to a better. And ſo do you, when you find you are not where you ſhould be. Say, If I ſtay here, then I cannot pray, &c. By this means you will remove the impediment. And you ſhould take heed your Prayers be not hinhered. 1 Pet. 3. 7.
Direct. 14. Often call your ſelves to an account. Say, Have I not forgotten? Have I ſent up any Ejaculatory Prayer to Heaven ſince morning? Since I have been here? Since I have been in this place? Since I have been in this company? And if you find you have not, then cheek your ſelves for it, and ſtir up your ſelves preſently to it.
FINIS.
End of the text · Theophilus Polwheile, Of Ejaculatory Prayer (1674)