Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 6 · Section 5
Remedies againſt theſe Diſtractions.
1 Be humbled for them and deſire God to cleanſe thee, Pſalm 19.12.
2 Keep thy heart with diligence, Prov. 4.23.
3 Practiſe preparation of heart, that thou mayſt not come ruſhing into the preſence of God, Job 11.13.
4 Remember the greatneſs of that majeſty before whom thou preſents thy ſelf. The Angels cover their faces before him, Pſalm 6.2. The Mountains quake at him, and the Earth is burnt at his preſence, Nah. 1.5.
5 Keep thine eye from gazing. How many diſtractions come through the eye? That the Prophet might keep his heart cloſe in the duty, he deſires the Lord to turn away his eys from beholding vanity, Pſalm 119.…7. The eys and ears are as the gates of the City, keep them well, that the Enemy enter not.
6 Trim thy ſoul. There's a twofold preparation.
1 Habitual: thus the wiſe Virgins had Oyl in their Lamps, hence get a Principle of Grace in thine heart, from this holy motions ariſe in thy ſoul.
2 Actual, as the wiſe Virgins had not onelyonly Oyl in their Lamps, but alſo trimm'd them, ſo muſt thou do, act every grace, faith, love, joy, fear, grief, upon a right object.
7 Get an heavenly frame of heart, Pſalm 45.1. My heart boileth up good matter, Eructat. Hence the tongue is as the Pen of a ready Writer which ſcantly makes a daſh. Where the heart is heavenly, the heart will be heaving uptowards Heaven; ſuch hearts converſe in Heaven and dwell there, Phil. ….20. Revel. 13.6.
8 Bring a feeling of thy wants, the more thou feel'ſt them, the more fixedly thou wilt look unto God for ſupply. God will not have the Prayer of a ſinner that feels not his ſins, becauſe he doth not underſtand nor will the thing that he prays for. Luth. Tom. 4.380.
9 Fear repulſe for thy careleſs, cold and ſlothfull calling upon God, and this will quicken up thy attention in the duty. Fear is a very wakefull affection, as being converſant about danger; hence in our ſervice we are bid to bring fear, Pſalm 2.11. Pſalm 5.7.
10 Get love to God, this makes the ſoul follow hard after God, Pſalm 63.8.
Queſt. Whether do diſtractions in Prayer nullifie the acceptation of it?
Anſw. There are two ſorts of diſtracted Petitioners,
1 Unregenerate men, who voluntarily, uſually and contentedly admit roving thoughts in duty, Prov 5.14 I was almoſt in all evil in the midſt of the congregation and aſſembly, Ezek. 33.31. Theſe deſpiſe their ways and ſhall die, Prov. 19.16.
2 Regenerate men, who groan under theſe diſtractions, Rom. 7.15, 16. theſe do not nullifie the fruit of Prayer to them: regenerate men herein make uſually reſiſtance, it matters not whence they come, whether from Satan or corruption, (as it is a thing very difficult, if poſſible to diſtinguiſh them) provided we reſiſt them and mourn under them, they are not imputed to us. Yet may even Saints ſometimes pray ſo careleſly, drowſily, and diſtractedly, that they may loſe the comfort of this or that particular Prayer, as when the diſtraction ariſes from ſloth and careleſneſs. But if the diſtraction ariſe from Satan, bodily diſtemper, or pain, God is very pitifull in this caſe, as a father to his childe, Pſalm 103.14.
Queſt. Whether may not the Devil and corruption diſtract the ſoul in Prayer ſometimes with unſeaſonable good motions, I mean ſuch motions as are for the matter good, but not good at that time?
Anſw. Yes, we ſee it in that Pithoneſſe, Act. 16.16, 17 when Paul and his company were going to prayer, ſhe cries out, theſe men are the ſervants of the moſt high God, which ſhew unto us the way of ſalvation: this was a good motion but injected by Satan, that his lyes might be believed, and the Saints diſturbed in prayer, Zach. 3.1. Satan by theſe motions intends diverſion or turning away the ſoul from what the ſoul is upon, but motions that tend to further intention in the duty, & attentneſs and further inlargement, are of God. The ſpirit moves not to draw us out of the way but to put us into it, and being in it to move us to keep on, Rom. 8.14, 15. Eſa. 30.21. Theſe motions of Satan are like miſplaced words and letters in a Printers preſs, which ſpoil the ſence.
10 Let thy prayer be full: prayer is a powring forth of the heart before God, Pſal. 62.8. 1 Sam. 1.15. yea we are to powr them out as water before the face of the Lord, Lam. 2.19. It may be thou powreſt out thy prayer like tarre out of a tarre box, half ſticking by the ſides, but when thou prayes thou muſt powr out all before God, provided there be time and no hindrance, powr out all thy wants, be humbled for all thy evils, when thou giveſt thanks remember all Gods benefits, Pſal. 10….2. Many men make quick diſpatch becauſe they are eager to be about their buſineſs, hence they gallop over their prayers, but thy prayer muſt have its full growth, that is, when convenient time affords, we muſt powr out ſupplications confeſſing our ſins, petitions deſiring pardon, healing, and new diſpoſitions of heart, interceſſions to turn away judgements from others, and thanksgiving for benefits on our ſelves and others, 1 Tim. 2.1.
11 Pray with frequency. Its bad when the ſoul contents it ſelf with ſeldome approaches to God. If David Pſal. 55.17. and Daniel, cap, 6.10. could finde time to pray three times a day, what ſhame for us who come ſo ſeldom before the Lord? ſometimes David praiſed God ſeven times a day, Pſal. 119.164. Anna continued in prayer night and day, Luk. 2.37.
12 With aſſurance of obtaining whatſoever things ye deſire: when you pray believe that you receive them, and ye ſhall have them, Mark. 11.24. Matth. 7.7. ask, and ye ſhall have; Matth. 21.22. Doubt not of your prayer, but know when the word is gone out of your mouth, your prayer is writ in the eyes of God, ſo that that ſhall be done which is deſired, or its expedient not to be done. The Lord is like a moſt bountiful king, that ſignes all petitions with a fiat quod petitur, Oratio ſinelaude dei, eſt thuribulum ſine prunis. Luth. Tom. 4.124.let that be done which is deſired.
13 Joyn praiſe with prayer, Phil. 4.6. In every thing by prayer and ſupplication with thanksgiving, let your requeſt be made known unto God. Prayers are the ſeeds of prayſes, when we have ſown we may look to reap, what we receive as a a fruit of our prayer is more ſweet then what we receive of common providence. Praiſe is that imployment we ſhall have in heaven when prayer ſhall be no more, mean time joyn we them together whiles we are here on earth, and ſo much more in that we have but a drop of affliction and a ſea of benefits.
14 Break through all hindrances and uſe all furtherances, as 1 hindrance is multitudes of buſineſs: what buſineſs ſo great almoſt but ſhould give way to this?
2 Brokenneſs in expreſſions, why God hears ſighs.
3 Dumbneſs and barrenneſs, if this come from unacquaintance with God, be humbled for thy coldneſs, and by ſtirring thou mayeſt get warmth, if dumbneſs come from overwhelming temptations, it's no otherwiſe with thee then it was with Aſaph, Pſal. 77.3, 4. Green wood with long blowing will be made dry and take fire, ſo motion in prayer fits for the duty.
4 Our own unworthineſs. Who acknowledged his own unworthineſs more then Daniel? Dan. 9.7, 8. However thou art unworthy, yet muſt thou pray, for God hears thee, not for thy own worth, but of his meer mercy.
5 Prayer will take up much of our time; to this I ſay remember the comfort that will redound to the conſcience in time ſo ſpent. We think not long of the time ſpent in the refreſhment of our bodies, why ſhould we think long in the time ſpent in refreſhing of our ſouls? of four and twenty hours can we not afford God one or two? who took more time in prayer then David and Daniel, and who did proſper better? Time ſpent in this brings a bleſſing on our affairs.
6 That many do well enough that never pray, as thoſe do that uſe to pray: to this, know, they onelyonly receive temporal things, as the ſhining of the ſun, and the falling of rain, Matth. 5.44, 45. But the Saints receive the Spirit in prayer, Luk. 11.13. Neither can prayerleſs men be ſure to have earthly things when they want them, nor to hold them when they have them, Job 21.15, 16. What profit is there that we ſhould pray unto him, ſeeing we have earthly things? ver. 16. Lo, their good is not in their hand.
7 Becauſe the ſoul hath lately been in paſſion of anger; to this I ſay lay aſide paſſion, and then come, 1 Tim. 2.8. Lift up holy hands without wrath; pray for the party with whom lately thou haſt been angry, and that is a ſign thou comes with a new diſpoſition.
8 Take heed of Satans temptations, who will be ready to propoſe buſineſſes then to hinder thee.
2 Uſe furtherances for prayer, as 1 when the ſpirit beſpeaks prayer and puts the ſoul into a frame to long to be alone to vent it ſelf to God, when the wind and tide ſerves its good then to hoyſe up ſails, Pſal. 27.8. Seek my face, thy face will I ſeek.
2 The ſecond furtherance is when the ſoul is in tribulation. Tribulation ſets an edge on prayer, hence Pſal. 50.15. we are bid to call on God in the time of trouble, no better maſter to teach a man to pray, next to the ſpirit, then neceſſity. In trouble the grace of prayer is much revived, Eſa. 26.17. Lord in trouble they have viſited thee, they powred out a prayer, when thy chaſtning was upon them. Look upon Paſſengers in a ſtorm and arrived at the haven, look upon perſons in priſon and at banquets, compare perſons on beds of ſickneſs, and the ſame perſons in ſtrength of health, and abounding with outward comforts, in the one eſtate they are full of contempt of God and ſecurity, in the other prone to cry earneſtly for mercy. Hezekiah when Sennacherib came againſt him very much given to prayer, when he was delivered from his enemy ready to be lifted up. David in adverſity gave himſelf to prayer, Pſal. 109.4. in proſperity falls to number the people.
3 A third furtherance, is, calmeneſs of ſpirit, when the ſpirit is neither in a hurry of paſſion, nor a hurry of buſineſs; for unfiniſhed buſineſs is apt to run in the mind and to diſturb at that time, the ſoul having ſo many buſſings in its ear, can neither hear it ſelf ſpeaking to God, nor hear God ſpeaking to the ſoul.
4 In Gods approaching to our ſoul, Lam. 3.57. Thou dreweſt near in the day that I cryed unto thee, thou ſaideſt fear not. Eſa. 55.6. call upon him while he is near. Noble Princes in their progreſs are wont to grant petitioners their ſutes; its wiſdom then to petition the Lord when near to us. Pſal. 145.18. one time or other God's near to every holy heart, therefore then call on him, Pſal. 34.18. Quicken us and we will call upon thy name. Pſa. 80.18.
5 When promiſes are near fulfilling, Pſa. 102.13. Thou ſhalt ariſe and have mercy upon Sion, for the time to favour her, yea the ſet time is come, meaning of ſeventy years. This is ſome good hope that Chriſts coming is near, becauſe the Saints are ſtirred up ſo generally to pray for it. The reading of Jeremies prophecy, Jer. 29.10. that God would viſit his people after ſeventy years, put Daniel upon praying for the accompliſhment thereof, Dan. 9.2, 3, 4.
Object. I would thus pray, but I finde I am ſo ſtraitened that I cannot pray.
Anſw. It is ſo with the beſt of Saints ſometimes, that their ſouls are bound up, they are like poor Infants that feel pain, but cannot tell where their pain lies, hence Pſal. 51.15. Lord open thou my Lips. By grieving the ſpirit we become ſtraitened, for when the ſpirit is withdrawn we are like Mills that want Winde or Water, and cannot grinde. In ſuch times it is perſons are backward to ſtir up their ſouls to take hold of God, Iſai 64.7. To help us againſt ſtraitnings,
1 Uſe holy motion. Motion is the cauſe of heat, motion brings a benummed member to feeling; let us make eſſays even when deadneſs is upon us, yea when moſt ſtraitened, a gracious heart is to ſtir up it ſelf, 2 Tim. 1.6. Stir up the gift of God which is in thee, Exod. 35.21. They came every one whoſe heart ſtirred him up, and every one whom his ſpirit made willing to bring the Lords offering.
2 Complain of thy ſtraitneſs; ſay, Lord I am in Priſon and cannot come forth, I would willingly diſplay all my wants to thee but cannot, weep over my unbelief but am not able. Why withdraweſt thou thy ſelf? Why art thou ſo far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? Pſal. 22.1, 2 Iſai 63 17.
3 Beg enlargement of God, Pſalm 119.32. I will run in the way of this Commandment as well as other, but when? when thou ſhalt enlarge mine heart. Iſai 35.6. The tongue of the dumb ſhall ſing, when waters break forth in the wilderneſs.
4 Take heed thou ſtraiten not thy ſelf neither for time nor place. For time, perſons often cauſleſly put themſelves into the compaſs of ſo little time, that they cannot enlarge, perſons frequently inuring themſelves to ſtraitning, in the end begin to like it well enough. So for ſtraitneſs of place, they do not uſe their voices becauſe they cannot uſe them without being heard of others: let it be your wiſdom to chuſe ſuch a place wherein you may not be ſtraitned, as to your voice or otherwiſe.
5 Conſider what a dangerous thing it is to … taken with a Palſey in the tongue, that a man cannot tell where his pain lies. All Impriſonment is comfortleſs, but this the worſt; in other Impriſonment we may perhaps have much acceſs to God, but not in this; many men have enlargements of all ſorts of bleſſings upon them, as Liberty, Eſtate, &c. onelyonly as it was ſaid of the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6.12. They are ſtraitened in their own bowels, for Prayer and Praiſe, and yet little lay it to their hearts. Such kinde of ſtraitnings when they are long they are dangerous, for perſons that have lain long under ſtraitnings are ready to lay aſide endeavours for their liberty, becauſe they have often uſed it to no effect.
6 Uſually reade the word before thy cloſet prayer, and meditate of it, in the uſe whereof the fire kindles; beſides thoſe good things which thou diddeſt reade out of the Word will remain in thy thoughts, and conduce to ſeaſon thine heart.
7 Walk humbly under ſtraitnings, eſpecially when they are of any long continuance; ſo the Church, Song cap. 5. v. 5, 6. I ſought him, but I could not finde him, I called unto him but he gave me no anſwer. Job 30.20. Job cries out, I cry unto thee, but thou doſt not hear me, I ſtand up, but thou regardeſt me not.
Queſt. But ſeeing Saints are ſometimes ſtraitned in Prayer, as well as carnal men, wherein is the difference?
Anſw. Godly perſons, though ſometimes they have ſtraitnings, yet have they alſo enlargements now and then, Lam. 3.44. compared with v. 57. One while the Church ſaith, The Lord compaſſed himſelf with a cloud that her Prayer could not paſs through, anon ſhe ſaith, Thou dreweſt near in the day that I cried unto thee, thou ſaidſt, Fear not, Pſalm 31.22. I ſaid, I am caſt out of thy ſight: here was the Prophets ſtraitning, nevertheleſs thou heardeſt the voice of my ſupplications: here was his enlargement, ſee Pſalm 6.1. compared with v. 8. Jon. 2.7.
Carnal men they may ſometimes have enlargement of words in Prayer, but never of holy affections, as the face of God was hid from Cain, Gen. 4.14. ſo from all carnal men. As Haman's great miſery was that he was covered from beholding the Kings face, Eſther 7.8. ſo it is with theſe.
2 The godly mourn under their ſtraitnings, Iſai 63.17. Why haſt thou hardened our hearts? Pſalm 13.1. How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? but wicked men are not ſenſible of their ſtraitnings, becauſe they never had any holy enlargements.
3 The godly are wont to rejoyce in the removing of their ſtraitnings, as a man that was a cloſe Priſoner is glad when he gets his liberty. Pſalm 6.8. Carnal men never have them removed, therefore they can never rejoyce therein.
Uſe. For application. 1 Be exhorted to pray. 2 To pray in a right manner.