A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. The miſcarriages of Praying Profeſsours about Prayer.
7l. Praying Profeſsors miſcarriages,THere is not only Ungodlineſs in not Praying, (Prayerleſs Souls worſhipping God no more than Beaſts, an Oxe, or an Aſſe, &c.) but in Praying amiſs. And O! how many wayes do Profeſſours fail in and about this Duty, both before, and in, and after?
Firſt, before the Dury.How do Profeſſours fail before their entrance upon this Duty of Prayer?
1. Neglecting Meditation, Pſa. 5.1. of God,By neglect of Meditation? Few can ſay, Conſider my Meditation. Have not we ruſh'd upon this Duty, before we have meditated of the God we were approaching to? What an holy God he is, and how unworthy we are to take his Name into our mouths? What a conſuming fire he is, and what dry ſtubble we are?
Have not we ruſh'd into Gods Preſence, his Holineſs, Omniſciency, Heb. 4.13.as the Horſe ruſheth into the battel?
Have we conſidered, that his eyes are piercing, as flames of fire? That all things are naked and open (as it were diſſected) before him, with whom we have to do? We have not ſet God before our eyes: neither have we believed, that he is as certainly an Obſerver of us, as we are with our ſelves. Our thoughts would not be ſo low, ſo earthly, ſo diſtracted, did we believingly conſider into whoſe Preſence we are coming.
Have we conſidered Gods Almightineſs? Omnipotency,That He can do more for us, than we can ask or think? He that cometh to God (in Prayer) ſhould believe that God is, 1 Sam. 15.29.that He is the Strength of Iſrael, that what we are to beg of God, Pardon of Sin, Victories over our Luſts, &c. are Mercies beyond the Creatures power to reach forth to us; but the Lords arm is not ſhortened, that he cannot help.
Have we meditated on Gods bounty, Gods goodneſs and grace,pity, and tender compaſsions? As one more ready to give, than we to ask; as one who giveth liberally, and upbraids not with our oft comming? We want vaſt thoughts of the great goodneſs and mercy of God: we have baſe beggerly thoughts of God, as if we ſhould treſpaſs too much upon him, and weary him by coming to oft to his door.
Have we muſed upon the Faithfulneſs of God? his Faithfulneſs,Who is under engagements to relieve us, to eaſe us, to be found of us, when we ſeek him with our whole hearts. 1 John 5.14.And this is the conſidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
Have we meditated of the Way, of the Way unto God. Odi Deum abſolutum. Luth.by whom we muſt come to God? How daring are Souls to venture on an abſolute God? How is the new and conſecrated Way neglected? How is Chriſt laid by, as if there were no need of a Mediatour, of an Advocate with the Father? How ſeldome do we paſs through G…lgotha, to the heavenly Jeruſalem; and ſee, that none can come to the Father, but by the Son? We ſee not our need of Incenſe and Odours to be mingled with our Sacrifices: Revel. 8.3, 4.little do we conſider, that the Opportunity of ſpeaking with God, is the price of blood, of the precious blood of the Son of God.
Have we meditated of our Sins, of their Sins,of thoſe to which we are by nature and cuſtome moſtly addicted; and of thoſe with which we have ſince the laſt Duty polluted our Souls? From the want of Meditation hereof, ariſeth formality in Duties, the heart is not humbled in Confeſſion, neither is the Soul importunate with the Lord for pardon and victory.
Have we made conſcience to meditate upon our Wants, what Graces we moſtly need, of their Wants,what we are moſt defective in? From this neglect we pray as if we did not pray, without zeal, earneſtneſs and importunity: Whereas, had we viewed our Wants of God, of his Grace, Spirit, Protection, Mercy, and Preſence, we ſhould pray as for Life; and thoſe ſtragling vain thoughts would hereby have been ſuppreſſed. When the Malefactour is begging his Life at the Barr, his Soul is not running adrift after every Feather, but he minds his buſineſs, 'tis Life, and his Life that is endangered, and therefore he gathers up all poſſible arguments, that may induce the Judge to abate of the rigour of Juſtice towards him. But how oft have we been on our knees, and have been ignorant of what ailes us, ſo that we might truly ſay, we knew not what to ask? When you goe to your Markets, you conſider what you and yours want: but do we ſo, when we goe to our Spiritual Markets?
Have not we neglected to meditate of the Mercies of God, of Mercies received.which we have received? Hence we come either cuſtomarily before God, or not with that holy boldneſs, as we ſhould. One Mercy opens a door to another: The Valley of Achor was given as a door of hope to Iſrael: Hoſ. 2.Forgetting the returns of Prayer, makes our hearts ake, and knees faint. We ſhould book the paſſages of Gods grace, how he remembred us in our low condition, how he hath viſited us day by day; when we have come in as the parched ground, we have found God a dew to us, and ſprings of water have appeared in the wilderneſs: When we have come in before God with our Shackles on our Feet, with Irons that have entred our Souls, God hath made it a Jubilee, he hath proclaimed the acceptable year, he hath let us out of the Priſonhouſe, and hath ſet our feet in a large place: When we have come in before God with guilt on our Souls, and with fearful expectations, how hath God given us the white stone, and ſent us away with his bleſsing; and with gladneſs of heart? The neglect of our Diaries of the Providences and Mercies of God; the want of reflecting on all the Rings that God hath ſent us, makes us more like Slaves than Children. Do we with David cry out, Pſa. 40.5.Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works, which thou haſt done, and thy thoughts, which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and ſpeak of them, they are more than can be numbred.
Have not we neglected to meditate on the great and wonderful things, of the prevalency of Prayer.that have been done upon the Prayers of Gods People? We ſhould have in everlaſting remembrance, what a powerful Engine Prayer is. Gen. 32.28. Exod. 32.32. Jam. 5.17, 18.It hath held the hands of the Almighty: Jacob and Moſes prevailed over God: It hath been a Key to open and ſhut the Heavens; Elias was a man ſubject to like paſsions as we are, and he prayed earneſtly, that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth, by the space of three years, and ſix months: And he prayed again, and the Heaven gave rain, and the Earth brought forth her fruit. And O what wonderful things hath God promiſed to a Praying People! Jer. 33.3. Mat. 21.22.Call unto me, and I will anſwer thee, and ſhew thee great and mighty things, which thou knoweſt not. Whatſoever ye ask in my Name, &c. Here is more than Herod offered, that was but half the Kingdome; here is a Whatſoever. Did we appear before God with theſe instances of grace, and promiſes, freſh in our thoughts, we ſhould not ſay, What a wearineſs is it? Or that there is no profit in ſerving God; and gallop through our duties as we are wont.
2. Not ſtirring up Grace received.Another neglect before Prayer, is, The not ſtirring up our Graces, before we ſet upon the Duty. We too much reſt on habitual preparation, whereas actual is neceſſary. He that leaps immediately from the Shop to the Throne of Grace, and labours not to quicken his dull Soul, and to leave worldly buſineſſes behind him, (as Abraham his Servants, when he goeth to ſacrifice) no wonder if he loſe the Duty, and provoke the Lord, rather than be accepted with him. The Well is ſeldome ſo full, but that you may, nay you muſt, throw in a little, to fetch up the more. It is thought, by the redoubling of David's charge, that he found not his heart in a good frame, for the exalting of God, and therefore cries out ſo vehemently, Pſa. 103.1, 2.Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me praiſe his holy Name: Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his benefits.
2ly. When Praying.How have we failed, when we have entred upon the Duty? And that in Invocation, in Confeſsion, in Petition, and in Thanksgiving?
1. In our Invocations? In Invocation,We call God Father, and yet how unlike are we unto him: we reſemble not him we call Father: we reverence not him we call Father: we truſt not to him with that confidence we would, to receive of our Fathers of the Fleſh: we fear, when we ask Bread, he will give us a Stone: we have lower thoughts of Gods bowels, than of our own: we think our ſelves more pitiful, better natur'd, than God himſelf: If I were a Mother, and my Child in diſtreſs, I ſhould deny him nothing.
2. In our Confeſsion of Sin? Confeſsion, Pſa. 119 26.We are not full, and free, and ingenious: we ſit with Rachel upon ſome Idols: we do not declare our wayes unto him, but rather cover our tranſgreſſions as Adam. Few can clear themſelves as Job did. You will perhaps confeſs, Job 31.We have erred and ſtrayed from thy wayes like lost ſheep: We have left undone, &c. Dolus in generalibus. Pſa. 32.3.but ſtill in generals. David was in this gravelled, When I kept ſilence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long. But you deſcend not to particulars, or if to particulars, yet the Benjamin is reſerved, loth to let Benjamin goe, loth to confeſs envy, pride, breach of vowes, want of love to Saints, loving the rich only, neglecting the poor. You will confeſs what every man knows you are guilty of, or what every man is addicted to; but you ſhame not your ſelves, by inſtancing in the particular neglects and commiſſions, by which you chiefly provoke the Lord: the Agags are not brought to execution, the beſt of the Cattel are kept back, one Wedge is hid in the Tent. Or if you confeſs moſt particularly, yet it is without hatred of the ſins confeſs'd: You confeſs ſin, yet hugg it, boſome it, plead for it, within one quarter of an hour: You confeſs ſin, but without ſelf-abhorrence: 1 Kings 8.38. Job 42.6.you loath it not, as the Plague of your hearts. I abhorr my ſelf, ſaith Job: This implies a diſlike, an hatred, an indignation againſt, an utter alienation from, and an oppoſition againſt ſin. God knows how little of this is mixed with the Confeſſions of moſt Profeſſours.
3. Petition, as to the Matter,In their Petitions? Both Matter, and Manner, and End? Have not we been faulty in the Matter, Have they been alwayes for the beſt things? Life, Liberty, Eſtate, &c. are deſired; but Grace, Victory over Pride, Paſſions, Worldlineſs, &c. lye unſought for. We fail alſo, when we pray ſimply that we may not ſuffer; for there is no foundation in the Promiſe for ſuch a Prayer, and we may not pray, ſave for what God hath promiſed.
Have not we fail'd in the Manner? Manner,Have we alwayes pray'd with Earneſtneſs, Humility, Faith, Sincerity, &c. Hath the whole man been employed? Few can ſay, as David, Pſa. 109.4.But I Prayer. He was all Prayer: or all of David, or in David, was herein employed. Few can ſay, With my whole heart have I intreated thy favour. 119.58.Alas! few pray effectually. The heart and ſoul is not at work in the Duty. James 5.16.It is the effectual fervent Prayer that avails. We pray as if we had a mind God ſhould deny us. Qui frigide rogat, docet negare. Coloſ. 4.2.We are too much like Children, ſcribling over a piece of Paper, which when they have done, lay it aſide, or break it, or think no more of it. We have not continued in Prayer: we have not back'd our Prayers with Prayers, reinforced them: we have ſoon fainted: we have not been the right ſeed of Jacob, I will not let thee goe, untill thou bleſs me: we ſoon faint, and our deſires expire.
Have not we fail'd in the End? End. James 4.3.May I not ſay as the Apoſtle James, Ye ask, and receive not, becauſe ye ask amiſs, that you may conſume it upon your Luſts. Hath not our level been too low? We ſhould have made Gods Glory our End, and we have made Self, to quiet Conſcience, to obtain pardon of ſin, rather than purity of heart and life: Hoſ. 7.14.They aſſemble for Corn and Wine. You have been perhaps earneſt for the pardon of your own and Englands ſins, and yet ſelfiſh in all: You fear (and well you may) temporal Plagues, you are afraid that Sodoms ſins may bring down fire and brimſtone; and therefore, for your own ſakes, rather than Gods, you pray, and with ſome vehemency; but your End is ſtill too low. Never do you pray aright, till you pray more for Chriſts ſake, than for your own: for his glory, rather than for your own preſent, future: temporal, or eternal advantages. It is one thing to ſeek our ſelves, and another thing to ſeek God in a duty. They that pretended ſo highly, begin to expoſtulate with God, Iſa. 58.3.Wherefore have we faſted, and thou ſeeſt not, and takeſt no knowledge? Mens Luſts Pray, rather than their Graces. Pride and ſelf-love endite the Petitions: You have been ſuckling your luſts, whilſt ſeemingly devout: You make Proviſion for the fleſh, whilſt about spiritual work, and whilſt your inward man ſeems to be exerciſed.
4. Thanksgiving.In our Thanksgivings? who is free from guilt in the gratulatory part of Prayer? Some bleſs God for Juſtification, Sanctification, Adoption, &c. and are ſtrangers to theſe Privileges, yea, if catechiſed know not what theſe mercies are, no more than Parrots know what they prattle: Others if, like the Leapers they are cleanſed, yet return not to bleſs the Lord: They are large in Petitions, but very ſparing in their Praiſes. Unthankful Beggars are an abomination to God and man. We ſhould be thankful for the leaſt mercy; but though we have had the honour to be admitted into the Preſence Chambers as Favourites (an honour not vouchſafed to the moſt of mankind) yet we are ſullen, and ſlow to return Praiſes for ſo great a vouchſafement: You have not come to dry breaſts, you are every day full of mercy; 2 Chron. 32.but alas! You render not according to what you have received, therefore wrath is againſt you. Haſt thou had no meetings in Prayer, no enlargements, no deſires to fear the Lord, no importunities, no wreſtlings? why yet it is mercy, that thou liveſt upon the patience and bounty of God: 'Tis much, that thou ſhouldſt have a beeing, and be preſerved to this day: 'Tis a wonder he ſhould feed thee, cloth thee, protect thee, ſtrive with thee, ſuffer thee, who art but duſt and aſhes, to ſpeak with him: The laſt night thou might'ſt have lain on a bed of fire, or by the hedge, or have been in the great deeps; but alas! few ſo ready to praiſe, as to pray. We are too much like the Vagabonds, when we have what we come for, away we goe, and come no more till pinching neceſſity drives us: Yea, we too oft aggravate our miſeries, and over-look the benefits we enjoy, that are mix'd with our croſſes.
3ly. How have we, After the Duty.when our Prayers have been ended, fail'd of our duties toward God, by running poſt haſt from the Throne of Grace to the World, if not to our Luſts? Not conſidering how our hearts were in time of duty, whether ſtraitned, or enlarged; Nor examining how the Duty hath been done,whether compoſed, or diſtracted; whether we had the face of God toward us, or his face vailed; whether we were lively, or lifeleſs; dead-hearted, or quickned; ſerious, or ſlight; what Faith was ſtirring, what Repentance exerciſed? The Church and People of God obſerved their hardneſs in duty: Iſa. 63.17.Why haſt thou hardned our hearts from thy fear? We ſhould look back upon our Prayers, that we may be humbled for all our vain thoughts, untowardneſs, diſtractions, and unbelief in the duty: and we ſhould do it, then, whilſt we are in the higheſt capacity to know the miſcarriages of the Soul, what the aggravating circumſtances thereof are, &c. And not only in order to Humiliation, but Reformation, that for the future we may not dare to touch the Mount of Gods Preſence with ſuch beaſtly frames.
In caſe we were in a good frame in the Duty, quickly loſing what was got in the Duty,Did we labour to retain the influences of the Ordinance upon our hearts? Did not we let the fire goe out again? Have not we, like ſome in a great ſweat, gone into the open air too ſoon, and took a cold? That's dangerous. David was more careful to maintain his freſh and lively frames, and therefore he intreateth the Lord to keep the ſame in his Servants heart for ever.
How have we been faulty, not looking for an anſwer, Pſa. 5.3.85.8.in not believing that our Prayers ſhall be anſwered We direct our Prayer unto God, but we do not look up, till God look down, as David. We do not hearken what God the Lord will speak. Paul obſerved how long the Lord was ſilent to his Prayer, 2 Cor. 12.8. Hab. 2.1.For this I beſought the Lord thrice, and yet no anſwer. O! when ſhall we reſolve with Habbakkus, to ſtand upon our watch, and look and ſee what he will ſay to us? The neglect of this hath bred ſo many Formaliſts in our Congregations. After we have put our Prayers into Gods hands, we never mind them more. We would be angry with Beggars, if they begg'd an almes, and away preſently, as careleſs of anſwers.
The ſincerity of thy heart would be more evidenced, Not bleſſing God for anſwers.if thou didſt conſider what returns thou haſt that thou mayſt bleſs God for them, and improve them for God, and in caſe of denials, 1 Sam. 1.15.to be of a troubled Spirit as Hannah was, for that her Prayer for a Child was ſo long denied.
What mournings haſt thou for that thy Pride, Not mourning for denials.Worldlineſs, Unbelief, hardneſs of Heart, &c. are not yet pardoned and ſubdued. Poor creature, thou continueſt in the road of Duty, but obſerveſt not whether God hears thee, or not, Saul went beyond thee: 1 Sam. 28.6.He obſerved, and was troubled, that God anſwered him not by Urim, nor yet by Prophets. Have not we by careleſneſs, by returning to our vomits and mires, intercepted our own Prayers.
Have not we torn our own Petitions, Tearing their own Petitions. Iſa. 59.1, 2.and ſnatch'd them out of Gods hands? Behold the Lords hand is not ſhortned that it cannot ſave, neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have ſeparated between you and your God, and your ſins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear?
How ſeldome have we took Bernards advice in his gloſs upon, Not joyning endeavours. Oremus & Laboremus. Jo. 8.21. Ezek. 39.23.Let us lift up our hearts with our hands, that is (ſaith he) let us pray and endeavour. We love to employ God to ſubdue our ſins, &c. But we ſit idle, we hate taking pains; we are not co-workers with God. I may ſay unto you, as Chriſt, I goe away, and ye ſhall ſeek me, and ſhall die in your ſins. The Heathen ſhall know that the houſe of Iſrael went into captivity for their iniquity: becauſe they trespaſſed againſt me, therefore hid I my face from them. Then ſhall they cry unto the Lord, Mic. 3.4.but he will not hear them, he will even hide his face from them, at that time, as they have behaved themſelves ill in their doings. Prayer is a Key to open Heaven to Believers; but it may be ſo managed, as to open Hell to thee.