A Treatise of Conversion, Chapter 1 · Section 13
SECT. XIII.
2. ANother means that converting Grace doth turn the heart to, is, Earnest prayer to God. A man unconverted is a stranger to true prayer; either he doth nothing in his duty, or that which is next to nothing: commonly they will not be brought so much as to the our-side and form of the duty, but if they be, that is all; till some affliction or conviction come and awaken them to a little more for a time: but they never fall to this work to the purpose till saving Grace do truly change them: A carnal heart feeleth no such need of God or mercy, as to drive him to beg for it from day to day; he feels himself well enough, and therefore saith with them in Job 21. 15. What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him? as Mal. 3. 14. they scarce think it worth their labour. It may be for fear of perishing with the ungodly, and from some general conviction of conscience, they may use some formal cold expressions! or perhaps take up the out-side of this duty: but it is not prayer, without the desires of the soul which carry out a man to seek for mercy and relief to God: Unconverted men are either dumb to this holy duty, or their hearts are dumb whiles their tongues are speaking: either they have nothing to say to God; or nothing but some words that they get by rode and utter without the feeling of their souls; or else they have little else but words. Their consciences witness; and God himself is a witness, that they do not in secret beg earnestly for his mercy; they do not heartily call to him for pardoning Grace and sanctifying Grace: with their families they do not earnestly beg of God the same mercy, as a people that desire that he should dwell among them. For where there is no true feeling of sin and misery, and desire after Grace, there can be no hearty prayers to God: what need you any further mark of a graceless soul, then that they are prayer-less.
But converting Grace doth open the heart and let in the Holy Ghost, which is a Spirit of Supplication, Zach. 12. 10. and this Spirit doth help their infirmities, and whereas of themselves, they know not what to pray as they ought, he maketh request for them with groans that are unutterable, Rom. 8. 26, 27. As the new born Infants, or any living creature, will quickly shew whether it be alive, by making towards the parent or dam for its nourishment: so will the new born Christians. It is not unlikely that the Apostle referreth to this, Rom. 8. 15. We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father. As the child doth first learn to cry Dadd or Mamm; so doth the Christian first learn to make out to God as a Father, and by prayer to seek to him for relief: and for certain, as the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of Prayer, so if any man have not this Spirit, he is none of his, Rom. 8. 9. The evidence that God giveth Annanias of Sauls conversion, was this, Behold, he prayeth, Act. 9. 11. It was the proof of Cornelius his grace, that he prayed to God always, Act. 10. 2. and the Angel takes the time of his prayer to appear to him; and Peter that must be sent unto him, is found at prayer, ver. 9. Act. 11. 5. The new converted Disciples continued in prayer, Act. 2. 42. It is no small part of a Christians life to continue instant in prayer, and watch in the same, Rom. 12. 12. Col. 4. 2. Eph. 6. 18. It were easie to prove this by multitudes of Scripture-texts: He that hath not this breath of prayer, is either a dead man, or in a dangerous swoun. As the poor child when any thing hurteth it, or affrighteth it, runs to the mother, or father for help; so doth the poor Christian to Christ. He may go to Ministers, and go to other Christians, (as Cornelius to Peter, because Christ sendeth him, and so under Christ) but it is Christ that he goeth directly to, and that he is most with, he hath a very praying spirit within him, contrary to that dumb spirit that possesseth the ungodly: so that he must needs go to God when any thing aileth him, and he will not be held back. His soul would be disconsolate, and as David in the Wilderness, Psal. 42. If he were kept from God: he would be overwhelmed with his troubles if he might not go ease his mind with God: Some ease he may get from Ministers and friends, but Oh if he had not more from God, his case were very sad: He is in prayer as Jeremiah in preaching, 20. 8, 9. The word was a consuming fire shut up in his bones, he was weary of forbearing and could not stay: so are his sins and his Necessities like a consuming fire shut up in his heart, he is weary with forbearing, he cannot hold them; to God he must go. As David, Psa. 39. 2, 3. Whiles he held his tongue, his sorrow was stirred, his heart was hot within him, the fire burned till he spake to God: and Psalm 32. 3. While I kept silence my bones waxed old: You may better keep the converted Christians from food, or raiment, or home, or friends, then keep them from God: they had rather be without a shop to work in, a house to dwell in, a bed to lye in, then a place to pray in. But the best is, that God hath sanctified every place to him, and commanded him every where to lift up pure hands, 1 Tim. 2. 8. His Lord and Saviour hath left him his example, who was sometime in a Wilderness, and sometime in a garden, and sometimes in other solitary places, purposely for prayer, and so accustomed to one that Judas knew of it, Matth. 14. 23. & 26. 36. Mar. 6. 46. & 14. 32. Luke 22. 41, 44. He that was perfect would shew us his dependance on the Infinite God-head, by giving us an example of constancy in this duty: so that we find him even all night in prayer to God, Luke 6. 12. and all his Disciples do learn this lesson of him, and imitate him in their measure, in this holy work. If we ask for other examples, we may find Cornelius and Daniel at it in their Families, Act 10. Dan. 6. Peter at it in the house top, Act. 10. 9. Paul and Silas at midnight are at it in the inner-prison in the stocks, Act. 16. 25. From every place can the prayers of the godly have access to Heaven, for God is every where present, and therefore though the places of publike Assemblies be in a special sort the house of prayer, Matth. 21. 13. yet doth he not confine his prayer to that house. The very soul of a Christian is habituated to Prayer; and therefore he doth it as it were continually, 1 Thes. 5. 17. and in every thing he maketh known his wants by it to God, Phil. 4. 6. So that he is seldom so deep asleep in any laps through security, but that more or less he breaths this breath of Grace in holy Prayer. If he want wisdom, he asketh it of God, for he knoweth that he giveth liberally, and upbraideth not, Jam. 1. 5. If he want the Spirit it self in a further measure, he goes to God that hath promised to give it to them that ask it, Luke 11. 13. If he want forgiveness of sin, deliverance from any evil or Temptation, it is the matter of his daily prayer, yea so is his very daily bread; his health, and life, and all the comforts of it: for he knoweth that all things are sanctified by the Word and Prayer, 1 Tim. 4. 5. If he be afflicted, he prayeth; and if in sickness he desireth the Elders of the Church to pray with him, Jam. 5. 13, 14, 16. For he knoweth that the effectual servent prayers of the Righteous availeth much, Jam. 5. 15, 16. If the servants of Christ be in troubles, tis prayers without ceasing that is the means of their Relief. Even besides secret Prayers and Church prayers upon any such occasion of their own and others; if a few Christians can get together to Prayer; it is pleasanter to them, then to the drunkard or Voluptuous when they can get together for sports or wickedness. When Peter was in prison, many were got together in a house to prayer, when he came and knocked at the door, when the Angel had set him free, Act. 12. 12. In a word, the true Convert beginneth his new life in prayer; he continueth it in prayer habitual or Actual; sometimes by the secret motions of the heart, and sometimes by the expression also of his mouth, and he endeth it, as to this world, most commonly in prayers: as the Lord Jesus himself, as his blessed Martyr Steven did, committing their spirits to God at the closing of their eyes: and the Saints do commonly follow them in that course, so by the help of these blessed gales we are carried through the waves and troubles of this world, and by this we land at the last in glory. Never think therefore to find a prayerless Convert, no more then to find a breathless living man: Oh the poor Christian feeleth that he cannot live without Prayer, because he cannot live without God. He cannot be without it one day: he cannot be at home without it, or abroad without it; he cannot travel or return home without it; he cannot labour without it in the shop or in the field; but when he wants a place to bow his knee in, he hath yet an opportunity to bow his soul; and if company or business do shut his mouth, yet it must be business indeed that quite taketh off his heart: for his eye is on God, as the eye of the servant on the hand of his master: saith David, Psal. 123. 2. Why may I not say, as the eye of our dogs, when they wait on us at our tables, is towards us for every bit they have: so the eye and dependance of the Christian for soul and for body, is upon God: and many a secret Ejaculation doth he send up, and many a groan doth pass his heart, that those that even stand by him are unacquainted with. As a beggar is known by his needy begging tone, so is he known by his begging of God, Prov. 18. 23. The poor useth entreaties, or speaketh supplication; you may know them by it; they make a trade of it, they live by begging; they will have no nay: such a one is the Christian, that even liveth by begging as his very trade: as one that must alwayes pray, and not be weary or wax faint. Luke 18. 1. so that this is the second means that Converting Grace doth turn mens hearts to.