Milk for Babes, Questions · Question 36
36. Q. What is prayer?
A. It is a religious moving of our ſoules to God to draw our ſelves into Communion with him againſt ſinne, and for grace, and all bleſsings.
Mark this ſeriouſly. The nature of Prayer.When thou lookeſt upon thy ſelf, thou ſeeſt thouſands of wants. Thou doeſt not know how to help thy ſelf. Thou ſeeſt an all-ſufficiency in God thy faithfull creatour, redeemer and ſanctifier. The ſouls moving to God.If thou haſt not communion with him, thou ſhalt have none of thy neceſſities relieved. Therefore thy ſoul muſt move out of it ſelf into communion with him, that thou maiſt gain his help againſt ſin, and for grace, Phil. 3.and all other bleſſings. This is prayer: and by this, thou ſhalt be able to do all things through Christ, that helpeth thee. Pſa. 10.17. Rom. 8.26. Lam. 3.41. Pſal. 25.1.Prayers are a motion towards God: and therefore they are called, our deſires: and ſighes that cannot be expreſſed: and lifting up of our hearts with our hands to God in heaven: of our hands to help us, of our hearts to do the work: and our drawing neer to God. Wherein thou muſt not exclude the motion of the underſtanding; 1 Cor. 14.13.for as thou muſt pray with the ſpirit, thou muſt pray with the underſtanding alſo. Thou muſt minde God thou prayeſt unto. Thou muſt minde the things thou prayeſt for. Thou muſt minde the diſpoſition of thy own heart from which thou prayeſt, and without which thou canſt not watch in prayer: wherein though thou haſt not a conſtant and diſtinct attendance; yet thou muſt have a conſtant deſire, endeavour, and diſpoſition. Yet principally thou muſt deſire the motion of thy will to honour thy God in thy prayer. Firſt, by preſenting no deſires but good and honeſt. Next, by ſtirring up ſuch affections as are fit for the preſence of God, as ſuch as immediately follow faith, hope, and charity: and laſtly by reſting upon Chriſt for the obtaining of whatſoever thou deſireſt.
Secondly, A religious moving to God.prayer is a religious moving of the ſoul to God. A man may civilly move his heart to any of his ſuperiours, that have a civill excellency in them: as when they pray to them to help them according to their civill, or naturall power to help them to any good, or to remove any evill in their power: but for the religious motion of the ſoul, Rō. 10.14. Exo. 14.31.it muſt be onelyonly to God. For how ſhalt thou call on him in whom thou haſt not beleeved? And, I am ſure that thou muſt beleeve onelyonly in God, and in theſe that are immediately ſent from God, for Gods meſſage ſake. Thus muſt thou move to God in prayer to draw thy ſelf into communion with him. For communion with him.For as a man that is faln into a pit, and catcheth hold of a bough, doth not deſire to pull the bough to him (for that will drown him the ſooner) but doth deſire to pull himſelf to the bough, that he may eſcape danger: ſo he that prayeth, doth not deſire to pull God down to him (for this would overwhelm him), but doth deſire to pull himſelf to God that he may have the love of the Father, 2 Cor. 13.the grace of the Sonne, and the communion of the Holy Ghoſt to bring him to life. Laſtly, thou muſt deſire this, Rō. 15.30.and ſtrive with God in prayer, to have his aſſiſtance againſt ſinne, for grace, and all other bleſsings. Againſt ſin, and for grace. Job. 20.12.To the ungodly, wickedneſſe is ſweet in his mouth, he hides it under his tongue, as one loath to confeſſe it. He cares not for any of Gods graces, becauſe they are enemies to his luſts, and corruptions which he loveth. He ſaith to God, Job. 21.14. Rom. 6.depart from me, I deſire not the knowledge of thy laws: I will ſinne, that grace may abound: 1 Cor. 15.let us … at, and drink, for to morrow we ſhall die. But let it not be ſo with thee. Let thy ſoul move to God againſt ſinne by confeſſion, and ſuits for pardon; For grace by petitions, and thankeſgiving; yea and for all other bleſsings, that thou maiſt acknowledge him the fountain of them, & ſerve God with joyfulnes and gladnes of heart, for the aboundance of all things.Deu. 28.47
Uſe. Thus maiſt thou (my childe) conceive what prayer is; and therefore be ſure that thine be ſuch. The wicked are ready to ſay, Job. 21.15.what is the Almighty that we ſhould ſerve him? Eph. 6.18.And what profit ſhould we have if we ſhould pray unto him? But let thy ſoul alwayes move to God with all religion againſt ſinne, and for grace. 1 Theſ. 5.17If thy prayers be like the golden ſockets of the holy lights, boyling with ſpeculations, and not like the Bowles of the Altar, full of the liquor of heavenly religion, they will prove but like the Aegyptian fleſh-pots reeking out the hot vapours of the onyons, and garleek of thy own vain heart. If they be fair words of uncharitable hearts, they are like Ezekiahs bloudy pots, Ezek. 24.6.that boyl with the ſcum of ruſt, and luſt. But if they be the interpreters of a broken, and bleeding ſoul moving to God, they ſhall be Zacharies pots, Zach. 14.20and the bowles of the Altar, ſending up ſweet incenſe, which ſhall fill the whole heart with the ſavour, as the houſe was filled with the odour of Maries oynment. Joh. 12.3.The moving of thy feet to the aſſemblies of Gods people, the moving of thy body by kneeling, and beating thy breaſt, and lifting up of hands, and eyes to heaven: the moving of thy tongue, and lips, will be nothing without this moving of thy heart, and ſoul for fellowſhip with God in Chriſt. Oh, let thy heart move againſt ſinne. O Lord, it hath oppreſſed me, undertake for me. My ſinne in Adam, my ſinne of nature, my ſins of life in thought, word, and deed are before thee: O pardon them for Chriſt his ſake. Let thy heart move for grace. O Lord, I want thy preventing grace, thy aſſiſting grace, thy pardoning grace, thy ſanctifying grace, thy ſealing grace, thy perſevering grace. Oh give them for Chriſt, from Chriſt, or elſe I die, and periſh. Let thy heart move for all bleſſings. O Lord, I have nothing but under thee, from thee. Thou haſt given me a naturall right to meat, drink, and apparel, health, peace, and libertie. Oh give me the right of a childe, of an heir, and accept my bodie and ſoul as holy, living and acceptable ſacrifices in Jeſus Chriſt thy Sonne in whom thou art well pleaſed. The God of heaven enlarge thy heart, and give thee by his helping ſpirit, Rom. 8.26, 27.to vent thy ſoul with groanes, and ſighes that cannot be expreſſed. Theſe, God that ſearcheth the heart, and knowes the minde of the ſpirit, will underſtand to thy eternall peace.