The Dignity of Gods Children, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Of the prerogatiue of Gods children by their liberty and free acceſſe to the throne of Gods grace to aske any thing, eueryevery one for himſelfe, and alſo for other: with much aſſurance of obtaining that which they aske.
THe next benefit of the children of God by their communion with Chriſt Ieſus, ſeemeth to be, that thereby they hauehave boldneſſe and liberty to come freely without any interruption, let, or diſturbance, to the throne of Gods grace, there without doubting, euen confidently, and in full aſſurance of ſpeeding, to aske what they will.
This the Apoſtle expreſly teſtifieth ſaying, In whom (that is in Chriſt) we hauehave boldneſſe, and entrance with confidence (or full aſſurance) by faith in him. Eph. 3. 12. To this another Apoſtle exhorteth, Let vsus draw neere with a true heart, in aſſurance of faith: Heb. 10. 22. This aſſurance our Sauiour himſelfe alſo maketh vntounto vsus, ſaying: Aske and ye ſhall hauehave: ſeeke and yee ſhall finde: knocke and it ſhall bee opened vntounto you: Matth. 7. 7. Yea hee addeth, that If wee that are euill can giuegive good things to our children, when they aske vsus, much more ſhall our heauenlie father giuegive good things to vsus that aske them: verſe 11. ſo he maketh God much more ready to giuegive any good thing to his children by grace, asking the ſame, then any earthly father is to giuegive his children by nature that which they doe aske. Why? Becauſe God our heauenly Father is good, yea, infinit in all goodneſſe: but all earthly fathers are euill; euen full of euil: yea, it is to be obſerued, that where Mathew ſaith, Much more ſhall your heauenly Father giuegive good things: for good things Note.Luke ſaith, the holy ghost: Luk. 11. 13. both to teach vsus what we are ſpecially to aske, viz. the holy ghoſt: and alſo to aſſure vsus, that the better and greater things we do aske (the ſame being good in themſelues and good for vsus) the more we may make our reckoning of them, and the ſooner we ſhall receiue them. The like aſſurance (euen of all ſuch good things) we hauehave made vsus alſo by our Sauiour in diuers other places, as in Mat. 21. 22. Ioh. 14. 13. 14. & 15. 17 In the which laſt place our Sauior plainly teacheth, that our aſſurance of ſpeeding in all our lawfull requeſts, is by our communion with him. For If ye abide in me (ſaith he) and my words abide in you (note here how we may know our ſelues to abide in Chriſt, viz. by the abiding of his words in vsus) aske what ye will, and it ſhall be done vntounto you. Can we hauehave greater promiſes? Can we hauehave better aſſurance? Verily we can hauehave no greater promiſe then the promiſe of the greateſt; and that of whatſoeuer we ſhall aske: yet hauehave we better aſſurance. For Chriſt hath not only promiſed whatſoeuer wee ſhall aske, but hee hath alſo purchaſed for vsus whatſoeuer he hath promiſed, and that at the ſame price, whereby hee hath purchaſed the fauour of his Father for vsus. Yea, himſelfe (I meane Chriſt) hath praied for all things for vsus: eſpecially for all things belonging to the life to come: Ioh. 17. 9. &c. yea, he doth ſit for euer at the right hand of God his father, and there maketh continuall and daily interceſſion (by vertue of his former righteouſneſſe) for the performance of all things before promiſed: Rom. 8. 34. and whatſoeuer he asketh at any time, or hath asked, therein he is heard by his Father: for ſo he ſaith to his father, I know thou heareſt me alwaies: Ioh. 11. 42. So alſo Martha had confeſſed before in the ſame Chapter, I know that whatſoeuer thou askeſt of God, God will giuegive it thee: verſe 22. Both which teſtimonies are to be vnderſtood of thoſe things that Chriſt asked for other: not of any thing for himſelfe. This is an vnſpeakable prerogatiue. If we had the like preferment, and the like liberty with the like aſſurance with ſome great and mighty monarke of the earth, were it not a great honor? How much more honorable then is this, to hauehave this boldneſſe and aſſurance with God himſelfe? This is the more, becauſe we need not feare being troubleſome in comming too often to God: For the oftner we come in faith and with reuerence, the more welcome and acceptable we ſhall be vntounto him. For he hath not only bid vsus to come, but to come againe and againe: yea, to continue in praier: Coloſſ. 4. 2. 1. Theſſ. 5. 17.
EueryEvery benefit alſo obtained, is a pledge, and an encouragement for the asking of another. If we be not weary of asking, God will neuer be weary of giuing.
Yea, by Chriſt Ieſus, and by our adoption in him to be the children of God, we hauehave aſſurance, not only of the things we aske, but alſo of other things: euen exceeding abundantly aboue all we aske, or thinke: Epheſ. 3. 20. according to Gods owne promiſe, to all the ſeed of the bleſſed of the Lord, and to their buds with them: that before they ſhould call he would anſwer: and whiles they ſhould ſpeake he would heare: Iſai. 65. 23. 24.
Salomon asked but wiſedome: but God gaue him not only a wiſe and an vnderſtanding heart, aboue all that euer had been before him, or ſhould be after him: but he alſo gaue him that which he had not asked, both riches and honor, ſo that among the Kings, there was none like vntounto him all his daies: 1. Kings 3. 9. &c.
The poore man in the Goſpell, asked only the throwing of the diuell out of his child: but Chriſt did not only throw him out, but forbid him to enter any more into him: Mark. 9. 25.
God gaue vsus all that we hauehave at the firſt, before we asked any thing: and ſo he giueth daily more then we aske. For (alas) how poore, naked, and miſerable ſhould we be, if God ſhould giuegive vsus no more then we doe aske? yea, the truth is, that the gift of an heart vntounto vsus, for the asking of any thing as wee ſhould aske it, is more, then all (almoſt) that we doe aske. Yea, it is a good aſſurance vntounto vsus of any thing that we do aske. For an heart ſo to aske is the worke of the ſpirit: and the grones of ſuch an heart are called the grones, or the ſighs, and requeſts of the ſpirit: Rom. 8. 26. 27. Can God reiect the grones, the ſighs, and requeſts of his owne Spirit?
Neither hauehave we boldneſſe onelyonly to aske, and aſſurance to ſpeed when we aske by thoſe things before ſpoken, but alſo by the mighty and glorious ſucceſſe that the praiers of Gods children hauehave alwaies had with God.
For certainly a poore man that is the child of God, by his praier of faith may doe more with God, then the greateſt monarch in all the world that is none of Gods regenerate children, can doe with all his wealth, or with all the power he can make.
So mighty were the praiers of Iacob, that it is ſaid that hee wreſtled with God, and would not leaue wreſtling till God had bleſſed him: and that bleſſing of God was the change of his name Iaacob into Iſrael, with this gracious anſwer, Becauſe thou haſt had power with God, thou ſhalt alſo preuaile with men: Gen. 32. 24. &c. And that this was to be vnderſtood of Iacob in reſpect of his praiers, it is the more manifeſt, becauſe that hiſtory of his wreſtling and hauing power with God, as alſo of the gracious anſwer of God to his requeſt of a bleſſing, viz. that becauſe hee had had ſuch power with God, he ſhould alſo preuaile with men; becauſe (I ſay) all this hiſtory is ſet down immediatly vponupon the earneſt praier that in the ſame Chapter verſe 9. he had made to God to be deliuered from his brother Eſau. And indeed as he had praied to be deliuered from Eſau, and as God vponupon that praier had promiſed that hee ſhould preuaile with men: ſo although Eſau came out againſt him like a lion with a great band of men, yet the Lord made ſuch a change of his heart, that at their meeting Iaacob found him as calme, and as meeke as a lambe, as we ſee in Chap. 33.
So mighty were the praiers of Moſes, and ſuch power had he with God by his praiers, that ſo long as he held vp his hands (viz. in praying) Iſrael preuailed againſt the Amalekites; but when he let his hand downe (that is, when through weakneſſe of body he could not continue the holding them vp in praier) then Amaleck preuailed: Ezod. 17. 11 So his praiers were of greater force, then all the hoſt of Iſrael beſides.
So mighty were the praiers of the ſaid Moſes afterward, and ſuch power had they with God, when he praied for the Iſraelites hauing greatly prouoked Gods wrath by making them a golden calfe, that the Lord both (as it were) intreated him to let him alone, that his wrath might wax hot againſt them, and alſo promiſed, that if he would ſo let him alone (that is, if he would hold his peace, and not ſollicit God with his praiers for the Iſraelites) he would make of him a mighty people, Exod. 32. 10. &c. inſinuating notwithſtanding thereby, that if hee would for all that hold on in praying for them, and would not be hired by the former great promiſe to hold his peace, then hee could not proceed in his wrath againſt them as they had deſerued, but muſt needs yeeld to Moſes intreating mercy for them. What can bee more powerfull, then to ouercome, and (as it were) to withhold him that is of all power, from doing of that which otherwiſe he would hauehave done?
So mighty were the praiers of Ioſhua, and ſo did he preuaile with God by them, that (after an imperious and commanding manner) they made the Sunne and the Moone (whoſe courſe is ſwifter then the weauers ſhettle, or then the flight of the ſwallow, or of the arrow) to ſtand ſtill in the firmament, till hee and the reſt of the Iſraelites had auenged themſelues of their enemies: Ioſh. 10. 12. 13. So the very celeſtiall bodies are (as it were) at the command of the praiers of Gods children.
So mighty were the praiers of Elijah, that he praying earneſtly that it might not raine, it rained not on the earth (at leaſt in that country) for three yeeres and ſix moneths: and that praying againe for raine, the heauens gaue raine, and the earth gaue foorth her increaſe: Iames 5. 17. 18. out of 1. King. 17. 1. and 18. 42. &c. So the children of God by their praiers can make the clouds to forbeare raine, or to giuegive raine, as ſhall make moſt to Gods glorie.
So mighty were the praiers of Eliſha, and ſuch power had hee with God by them, that they obtained of God a ſonne for the Shunamite that was barren, and recouered life againe for him when he was dead: 2. King 4 16. and 35. and that alſo after that praying the Lord to ſmite the armie of the Aramites with blindneſſe, they were ſmitten with ſuch blindneſſe, that albeit they could ſee other things, yet they could not ſee (to diſcerne) their way, but (as men ſtone-blinde) were led by Eliſha, till they were brought into the midſt of Samaria, and were there in the hands of their enemies: 2. Kings 6. 18. &c.
So mighty were the praiers of Hezekiah, and ſuch power had they with God, that whereas he was ſicke vntounto the death (that is, ſo ſicke that he was vnrecouerable either by ſtrength of his own nature, or by the art and skill of any Phyſitian) and God alſo by his Prophet had told him he ſhould die, and had therefore alſo willed him to put his houſe in order (that is, to make his laſt will and Teſtament) becauſe hee ſhould die and not liue, yet the Lord reuoked that his owne word, and contrary (in ſome ſort) thereunto, as alſo aboue the ſtrength of nature, and the art of man, did reſtore him to health and added fifteen yeers vntounto his life: 2. Kings 20. 2. 3. &c.
So mighty were the praiers of Ester, Mordecai, and the reſt of the Iewes, and ſuch power had they with God by their praiers, that the Lord turned the wrath of Ahaſhueroſh from them againſt Haman and other their enemies: albeit Haman had before that ſo far preuailed with Ahaſhueroſh, that he had written his letters, and ſealed them with his ring, and ſent them by his Poſts into all prouinces, for the deſtruction of the ſaid Mordecai and all the reſt of the Iewes, yong and old: Eſter 3. 12. compared with 4. 16. and 17. and 7. 5. and 8. 1. &c. So the praiers of Gods children hauehave had power with God, for children for them that are barren: for life for them that are dead: for blindneſſe vponupon them that ſee: for health for them that are ſicke, euen vntounto death, and paſt all hope: and for the changing of the hearts of men, from extreame wrath to exceeding louelove and fauour.
So mighty were the praiers of the Church for Peter by Herod committed to priſon, and ſuch power had they with God, that the Angell of the Lord came, with great power and glory into the priſon, and brake off Peters chaines, opened the priſon dores, brought him out and made the yron gate open of it owne accord, &c. Acts 12. 7. So the praiers of Gods children are ſtronger then any yron. So mighty were the praiers of Paul and Silas in priſon, that at midnight ſuddenly there was a great earthquake, ſo that the foundation of the priſon was ſhaken, and by and by all the dores opened, and eueryevery mans bonds were looſed, &c. Act. 16. 25. 26. So though the earth be ſet vponupon her foundation that it ſhall neuer moue (viz. wholly out of her place) Pſal. 10 4. 5. yet we ſee it to hauehave been ſhaken by the praiers of Gods children.
Neither are the praiers of Gods children ſo effectuall for other only of their own ſort, but alſo ſometime for the wicked & reprobate. How did the Lord heare Abraham for Abimelech king of Gerar? Gen. 20. 7. Moſes praying often for Pharao? and the Prophet praying for the reſtoring of the withered hand of Ieroboam? 1. Kings 13. 6. Do not all theſe mighty effects of praier (beſides many other the like both old and new) plainly teſtifie in what grace and fauour the children of God are with God? Verily they doe: for all the praiers before mentioned (whereof we hauehave heard thoſe mighty effects) were not the praiers of any wicked men, but only of the children of God. For indeed none can pray, ſo by praier to hauehave power with God, but only Gods children. For how ſhall they call on him in whom they hauehave not beleeued: Rom. 10. 14. This queſtion, how ſhall they, &c. noteth it an impoſſible thing for them that hauehave not faith to call vponupon God. But ſuch are all the wicked, (as before we hauehave heard) therefore none of the wicked can call vponupon God. Therefore all the commandements of God for praier, are only to the children of God, and to ſuch as are godly.
When the Prophet had ſet downe the commandement of God for calling vponupon God in the day of trouble, with promiſe of deliuerance, &c. Pſal. 50. 15. preſently by way of oppoſition he addeth, But vntounto the wicked God ſaid, What haſt thou to doe to declare mine ordinances, and to take my couenants in thy mouth, &c. verſe 16. He teacheth hereby, firſt that the former commandement for calling vponupon God in the day of trouble, was giuen only Note.to the godly, becauſe by way of oppoſition, God immediatly ſpeaketh otherwiſe to the wicked: Secondly, that if the wicked for all that will pray, yet the Lord is ſo far from approuing them in ſuch praiers, that he reproueth them rather for vſing that his ordinance not belonging vntounto them, and for taking his couenant in their mouth, without which all praiers are without grace, without good ſucceſſe.
So the Lord by the Prophet Iſaiah alſo reproueth the Iewes and all their ſacrifices, with their obſeruation of new moones, and appointed feaſts, and with their praiers (all which notwithſtanding he had commanded his people) the Lord (I ſay) reproueth all thoſe things in the Iewes for their wickedneſſe, and ſaith, Who required this at your hands to tread in my courts? Iſaiah 1. 12. and therefore afterward he biddeth them (if they will hauehave their ſuch ſeruice accepted of him) to waſh and make cleane themſelues, to take away the euill of their workes from before his eyes: to ceaſe to doe euill: to learne to doe well: to ſeeke iudgement, &c. verſ. 16. 17. So by the Prophet Ieremiah he ſaith to the Iewes of that time: Will ye ſteale, murder, and ſweare falſly and burne incenſe vntounto Baal, &c. and come and ſtand before me in this houſe, whereupon my name is called, &c. Iere. 7. 9. &c? Doth not the Lord thereby teach vsus, that the wicked ſhould not without repentance ſo much as once enter into the houſe of praier?
In the ſeuenth of Matthew, and words of our Sauiour before alledged, If ye that are euill can giuegive good things to your children that aske them, how much more ſhall your father in heauen giuegive good things to them that aske them: and in the preface to the forme of praier preſcribed by our Sauiour; Our father which art in heauen, Mat. 6. 9. doth not our Sauiour teach vsus, that praier belongeth only to the children of God, that may call God their father? doth not the Apoſtle likewiſe teach the ſame, when he ſaith that We hauehave receiued the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba father? Rom. 8 15.
We may alſo obſerue that the Apoſtles doe ſeldome command Note.praier but in the latter end of their Epiſtles, after they hauehave taught God to bee the Father of them to whom they write, and them to behaue themſelues like children towards God, as Rom 15. 30. Epheſ. 6. 18. Coloſ. 4. 2. 1. Theſſ. 5. 17. 2. Theſſ. 3. 1. Heb. 13. 18.
So alſo the Prophets do ſeldome exhort to praier, but after their exhortations to repentance, and to the honoring of God as a father: Hoſe 14. 2. Ioel 2. 13. and 17.
At the leaſt the Prophets and Apoſtles do ioine ſeeking of God whiles he is neere, and calling vponupon him whiles hee may be found, with exhortations for the wicked to forſake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations, and to returne to the Lord, &c. Iſa. 55. 6. 7. and drawing neere to God with hearts ſprinkled from an euill conſcience, and bodies waſhed with pure water, &c. Heb. 10. 22. and with cleanſing of hands, and purging of hearts, Iames 4. 8. So it is alſo ſaid, Let eueryevery one that calleth on the name of Chriſt depart from iniquity, 2. Tim. 2. 19.
As all commandements for praying doe thus belong onelyonly to the children of God, ſo all commendations of praier are only of the praiers of faith, and of the righteous, Iames 5. 15. and 16. and of the Saints, Reu. 5. 8. Therefore alſo the blinde man whoſe eies Chriſt had opened, ſaith of the praiers both of ſinners, and alſo of the worſhippers of God, We know that God heareth not ſinners, but if any man bee a worſhipper of God, and doe his will, him heareth he: Ioh. 9. 31. The Prophet ſaith, If I regard wickedneſſe in my heart, the Lord will not heare me: Pſal. 66. 18. Salomon ſaith, The ſacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord: but the praier of the righteous is acceptable vntounto him: Prou. 15. 8. And againe, The Lord is farre off from the wicked: but he heareth the praier of the righteous: verſ. 29. And againe, He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law, euen his praier ſhall be abominable: Pro. 28. 9.
As I hauehave ſhewed by diuers examples before how acceptable the praiers of Gods children are vntounto him: ſo I might by diuers examples ſhew how the Lord hath reiected the praiers of the wicked from time to time: not only of the Iewes, as before we heard at Iſaiahs firſt prophecying, and in the daies of Ieremiah, but alſo afterward, as appeareth, Iſa. 58. 3. &c. and 59. 1. and Ier. 14. 12. Eze. 14. 1. &c. and 20. 3. &c. and of the Iſraelites long before, Iudg. 10. 10. &c.
That ſometimes God hath heard the praiers of ſome wicked men, it is either becauſe ſome of his children hauehave ioined in ſuch praiers, or becauſe the things granted by the Lord hauehave as much concerned ſome of his children, as them that hauehave made ſuch praiers: or that by hearing ſo the wicked, he may either breake their hearts, or make them the more inexcuſable.
Furthermore, let vsus vnderſtand concerning praier, that thereby the children of God hauehave not onelyonly a priuilege, in that they may come themſelues to make their owne praiers vntounto God: but alſo in that they are likewiſe partaker of the praiers of one another. EueryEvery child of God through the world, is partaker of all the common praiers of all the children of God liuing vponupon the earth whereſoeuer diſperſed. No man at any time in faith and truth praieth according to the forme of praier preſcribed by our Sauiour, but that therein he commendeth vntounto God, all the members of Chriſt liuing vponupon the earth: and that may as well as any other, call God their Father which is in heauen. They that are dead (as before wee hauehave heard) hauehave no need of the praiers of the liuing; neither any benefit by ſuch praiers: yet the liuing hauehave very great neede of the praiers one of another; and hauehave alſo great benefit by ſuch praiers: Eſpecially ſuch as are ſpecially and particularly by name ſo commended to God by other, hauehave the more ſpeciall benefit by ſuch remembrance. Yea not onelyonly hauehave the meaneſt of Gods children much benefit by the praiers of them that are of the greateſt faith, zeale, and godlineſſe: but they that hauehave the greateſt meaſure of faith, zeale, and godlineſſe hauehave helpe alſo and benefit, by the praiers of the meaneſt and weakeſt. Therefore as all the Iſraelites fearing death both for their owne ſinnes, and alſo for their asking a King, did earneſtly intreat Samuel to pray for them, leſt (according to their feare) they died 1. Sam 12. 19. So Paul himſelfe doth often very inſtantly craue the praiers of all thoſe to whom he did write, of poore and rich, of great and ſmall that did beleeue: as Rom. 15. 30. Epheſ 6. 18. &c. and in other places before alledged. Yea, he hoped for great comfort by their ſuch praiers: Philip. 1. 19. Philem. 22. If it be a great benefit to hauehave a good friend for furtherance of our ſutes to mortall Princes, is it not much more for eueryevery child of God to hauehave all the reſt of Gods children on earth (ſpeciall fauorites with God) to be furtherances of their ſutes vntounto him? Verily though a man deſpaire of his own praiers, yet might he hauehave exceeding comfort in the praiers of all the reſt of Gods children. This ſhall ſuffice to hauehave ſpoken of the prerogatiue of Gods children, both by their liberty and boldneſſe for making their own praiers to God: and alſo by that, that other, yea all other of Gods children do remember them: euen eueryevery one another, ſo often as they pray to God themſelues.