Gospel Worship, Sermons · Sermon 14
SERMON XIIII.
LEVITICUS. 10. 3.
I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me.
WEE are firſt to ſanctifie Gods Name in regard of the matter of our prayers. And Secondly, in regard of the manner. For the firſt, we made an end of it the laſt day, and came unto the manner, and there were two things mentioned.
Firſt, that wee muſt pray with underſtanding. Secondly, wee muſt give up our ſelves to prayer. Now in the cloſe of the exerciſe wee had occaſion to fall upon that Argument about the wandring of our thoughts in prayer, and by that we come to take Gods name in vaine, in ſtead of Sanctifying of his Name; God expects that we ſhould have our thoughts, and wills, and affections, our whole ſoules acting upon him in the duty of prayer, or eſe we doe not pray to God as unto a God; vaine thoughts in prayer do pick up the ſacrifice like the birds that Abraham drove away from the Sacrifice, that they ſhould not peck it. Wicked luſts in mens hearts are like ſwine to take the meat and all to hale it in the dirt, ſo their prayers are filthy and dirty with their luſts; but thoſe that are otherwiſe godly, yet by their vaine thoughts the beauty and excellencie of their prayers is taken away; as wine and beer that have the ſpirits of them gone, ſo the life and ſpirit of our duties are gone by our vaine thoughts, and therefore vaine thoughts do dead the heart very much. So ſaith David in the 119. Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken mee in thy Law: while our eyes look upon vanity, there will be no quickneſſe in our hearts in any ſervice that we tender up to God; now many of Gods people have experience of the evill of this, and they groan under the burden of this, and as I ſaid the laſt time, if ſo be that the Lord ſhould ſpeak from heaven to them and aske them what they would have, they having already the aſſurance of his love in Chriſt, they would aske the deliverance from a vain ſpirit in the performance of holy duties, Bring no vaine Oblations ſaith God in Iſa. 1. 13. Oh what vain oblations doe wee bring by the vanity of our thoughts in prayer! tis true, the beſt of all will have vaine thoughts ſometimes; but yet, as one compares the vaine thoughts of men in prayer, like unto a ſpaniel that goes out with a man, he walks perhaps but halfe a mile, but the ſpannel will be running up and down, this way and that way, and if all the ſpace of ground which the ſpaniel hath gone over ſhould be meaſured, it may be while you are walking halfe a mile, the ſpaniel fetching compaſſes here and there would be halfe a dozen miles, ſo our fancies are like a ſpaniel which will have fetches about this way and that way, in a thouſand vaine thoughts; but thus now it is with a godly man; as a ſpaniel though running from his maſter, yet if he give him a call, he is able to call him to him preſently; and it were well if it were ſo with us, though our fancies be wild yet if we were able to call in our fancies and to have them at command it were well with us: And I find it very much that thoſe that are new commers they complaine much of the vanity of their thoughts, they were wont to pray before, and they never had ſuch vaine thoughts as now they have; the reaſon why there is ſo much vanity of thoughts, or at leaſt ſo much taken notice of,
It is firſt becauſe there is but a little grace in the midſt of a great deale of corruption in young converts, like a ſpark of fire in the middeſt of a great deale of aſhes; now if there lies a heap of aſhes and nothing elſe, …ou do not ſtirre them; but if there be aſhes and ſome fire, then you will ſtir them and be blowing thoſe ſparkes to kindle another fire by. Now when you come to make any motion, then the aſhes will fly about, whereas before they lay ſtill; ſo it is here; before God wrought upon thy heart, there was nothing elſe but aſhes upon thy ſoule, and then they lay ſtill, but now God hath kindled ſome ſparks of grace in thy heart, and God is blowing them up to a greater heat, and is bringing of them to a flame; upon this motion that is in thy heart, aud the ſtirring to kindle thoſe ſparks further in thy heart, it is that the aſhes of thy corruptions do as it were fly about thine eares, and that there is ſuch ſtirrings of corruption more then there was before, 'tis not becauſe there is more corruption then there was formerly, but before there being nothing elſe but corruption it lay ſtill, and now becauſe there is ſomething elſe, therefore it is that corruption doth ſo ſtirre; and beſides you know a man that was wont to keep lewd company, if God turne him that he will keep that company no more, at firſt he ſhall be more troubled with them then he was before; and they will keep oftener knocking at his doore, and labouring to get him to them againe; ſo 'tis here, when the ſoule, vanity and luſts were as friends together there was no diſturbance, and taking notice of any thing then, but now when the ſoule is caſting out thoſe ſinfull diſtempers, and will have no more of them, they for the preſent will be more importunate, active and ſtiring then they were before. And beſides, the Lord doth this to humble thy heart the more, that thereby thou maieſt come to ſee the great corruption that was in thy ſoule before; the working of thy corruptions will diſcover much evill in thy heart, that thou dideſt not think was there before; when the corruptions of men and women lie ſtill, they think there is no ſuch thing in their ſoules, as your civill men, whats the reaſon that they bleſſe themſelves and think they are in a good condition, its becauſe their corruptions lie ſtill in them and doe not ſtirre, they cannot beleeve what abundance of wickedneſſe there is in their hearts, if God ſhould open the wickedneſſe that there is in the hearts of men naturally, and ſo all unregenerate men they would thinke you ſpeak ſtrange riddles, whereas they bleſſe themſelves; they bleſſe God; they know no ſuch thing in their hearts; not yes there are ſuch things, only they are not ſtird, but they lie quiet as mudde in the bottome of a pond, there it is, yet you cannot ſee it till it be ſtird; at firſt converſion I ſay the Lord ſuffers thy corruption thus to ſtir, that hee may diſcover to thee what an evill heart thou haſt, what abundance of ſin there is in thy heart, and therefore your young converts, they look upon themſelves more loathſome and vile then ever they thought they had been.
And beſides the Devil ſees it a vaine thing to tempt a young convert to any groſſe act of ſin; when conſcience hath life and power in it, he… ſhall never prevaile that way; but now hee thinks he may prevail to diſturbe them with vaine thoughts, and therefore he layes his ſtrength moſt that way; therefore let not ſuch be diſcouraged, that find their Spirits anoyed and peſtered with them, if they make them to be the burden of their Soules; notwithſtanding much vanity of thoughts, the Lord wil accept of any deſire that they have to ſanctifie his name in holy dutyes, and I ſhall give you theſe three or four rules to helpe you againſt theſe wandering and vaine thoughts in holy dutyes, and eſpecially in prayer.
Firſt, when thou goeſt to prayer, account it to be a great worke; ſet a high price upon thy prayer; not as having any excellencie in it as it comes from thee; but ſet a high price upon it as a great Ordinance of God, wherein there is Communion with God to be enjoyed, and the influence of the grace of God to be conveyed through it; ſo ſet a high price upon prayer, at every time thou art going to prayer; Lord, I am now ſetting upon a worke that is of very great conſequence, and much lies upon it, and I would account it to be a ſore and a great evill to me, if I ſhould loſe but this prayer: this would bee a ſpeciall meanes to compoſe thy Spirit; and to keep thee from wandering, as Nehemiah, in Nehem. 6. 3. a place that I have ſometimes quoted upon ſuch an occaſion, when the enemies of Nehemiah that would hinder the building of the Temple, ſent to him that they might talke together, no ſaith hee; I am doing a great worke ſo that I cannot come downe; ſo when the Devill and the vanity of thine owne heart, would ſend to thee to parly, and talke as it were with thee, give an Anſwer, I cannot ſtand parlying with theſe things; the worke that I am about is a great worke; there are very few people that do account the worke of prayer a great worke; if thou didſt, it would helpe thee much againſt the vanity of thy thoughts.
Secondly, Every time thou goeſt to prayer, thou that art moſt troubled with ſuch vaine thoughts, renew thy reſolutions againſt them; I have been troubled with vain thoughts heretofore, and am afraid, if I looke not to it, that I ſhall loſe this prayer alſo; and therefore O Lord, here I renew my reſolutions to ſet againſt them in this prayer with all my might; it is very much that may be done by ſtrong reſolutions, and eſpecially if thy ſtrong reſolutions be renewed reſolutions; for an old reſolution begins to grow weak; a man that hath reſolved upon a thing a great while agoe, it hath little power ever him; but now when a man hath reſolved upon a thing but this morning, and juſt at the time when he is going about it, now hee doth reſolve upon it, and ſet himſelfe upon it, and doth reſolve through the grace of God, that whatſoever difficultie he meets with all, whatſoever it coſt him, that he will goe through this worke, I ſay that reſolutions renewed have a great deale of power; and you cannot imagine what a great deale of power the renewing of reſolution againſt vaine thoughts will have, if they were renewed every time thou goeſt to prayer, untill thou getteſt power over thy thoughts, do but make tryall of this; thou haſt loſt … prayer by vaine thoughts; and thou haſt been troubled for …, and yet they come againe; do but try for this weeke; as I remember I ſaid in the point of paſſion and anger, that we ſhould reſolve with our ſelves, well, whatſoever fals out this morning, I am reſolved I will beare it; ſo bethink thy ſelfe how many prayers thou haſt loſt by vaine thoughts; and now … thy reſolutions, and Covenant with God, that for this prayer, I will … my ſelfe againſt them, whatſoever paines I take, I will be ſure yet withall to look up to Gods grace to aſſiſt one, I will be ſure this prayer to keep my heart cloſe to what I am about; & perhaps that will helpe you a little; but yet ſome vain thoughts will come for all that; then the next night renew them again; and the next morning renew them again; and that till thou commeſt to a habit of keeping thy heart cloſe to the duty, though now thou feeleſt thy heart ſo wild, that thou thinkeſt it is impoſſible to bring it into order, but certainly by ſuch a means, thy heart will be brought into order.
Thirdly, Be ſure to ſet the preſence of God before you in prayer, have a reall light of the infinite greatneſſe, Majeſtie, and glory of that you preſent your ſelves unto, when you are are calling upon him; if ſo be that thou canſt have a reall fight of God in his glory, it wil keep thy heart cloſe to the duty, as if a man be wandring with his eyes, and looking after every feather, if the King or ſome great perſon come into the Room, all his thoughts would be about the King, or the great perſon that were comming in: ſo if you would preſent the Lord in his glory and greatneſſe, excellencie, majeſtie, and power, before you, and what a dreadfull God he is in himſelfe, and yet what a mercifull God hee is to us in his Sonne: this would mightily compoſe our hearts, certainly men and women that are ſo wandring in their prayers; it is becauſe their eyes are not open to look upon God in his glory, they are as it were dreaming and do not apprehend that God ſtands and looks upon them, and obſerves them, and that God takes notice of every wandring thought that comes from them; they doe not conſider that God doth converſe with the thoughts of men, as well as men do with the words of men; thats a third rule.
Fourthly, Take heed thou beeſt not deceived; becauſe that thoſe thoughts thou haſt in prayer, doe not appeare to be very evill in themſelves. This is a great deceit and hinder many in the ſanctifying of Gods name in prayer; there is ſometimes damed in ſome vain thoughts; now becauſe the thought hath no great evill in it ſelfe, therefore they thinke they may play with it; and their hearts cloſe with it, and ſo … along with it as the fiſh doth with the bait; if the Devill caſts in a thought of blaſphemie, that makes thee quake and ſhake; but if thy thoughts have no … evill in them, but they are ſlight things; matters of no moment one way or other, upon that thy heart begins to be dandling, and playing with them; therefore remember this rule, that in the time of prayer, whatſoever thoughts be in thy mind that doe not concerne the preſent duty, they are ſinfull before God, though the thoughts for the matter of them be never ſo good, yet thou art to abandon them as ſinfull at that time. Therefore never be deceived with this, that the thoughts are not very ſinfull, thats another rule.
In the laſt place obſerve this rule, if ever God hath helped thee at any time in prayer, that thy heart hath been kept cloſe to a duty, and thou haſt had Communion with him, bleſſe God for that, bleſſe God for that helpe; tis a rule of very great uſe for us to get further aſſiſtance from God in any thing, if ſo bee our hearts be inlarged to bleſſe God for any aſſiſtance wee have had heretofore; and the reaſon why we gaine and proſper ſo little in our Chriſtian courſe, it is becauſe we do not take notice of what God hath done for us, to give God glory for mercyes formerly received, and therefore God takes little or no delight in comming in with further mercyes to us; as if you had a young nurſery of trees, and they began to thrive very well, but there comes a company of Caterpillars and ſpoiles almoſt all the young Trees that are ſet, only two or three are kept from the Caterpillars; a man goes into his orchard, and looks upon his Trees, and this is ſpoild, and that is ſpoiled; but he ſees two or three and theſe flouriſh fairly, and theſe are full of buds, and are like to come to ſomething, and he rejoyces mightily in thoſe, becauſe they are ſav'd when ſo many others are ſpoil'd; and ſo doe thou view thy prayers, and conſider how many hath been ſpoiled as it were by theſe Caterpillars; for I compare wandring vaine thoughts in prayer unto Caterpillars that are upon the trees; and we ſee that if ſtormy rainy weather comes the Caterpillars will fall; and one would thinke that theſe bluſtering ſtormes and the hand of God that hath been out againſt us, ſhould have clenſed our thoughts and ſoules from theſe Caterpillars that have been upon our dutyes, but many duties have been ſpoiled; yet thou maiſt ſay, that through Gods mercy ſuch a Morning in my cloſet, the Lord hath preſerved a prayer to himſelfe, and I have gotten power over this vaine heart of mine, bleſſe God for this, and ſo the Spirit of God will be more ready to come in and help thee another time; but thus much ſhall ſuffice to ſpeak to this, thats the ſecond thing, we muſt give up our ſelves wholly to this duty.
The third thing for the ſanctifying of Gods name in prayer is this, there muſt be the breathings of the Spirit of God, otherwiſe Gods name is not ſanctifyed; that in Rom. 8. 26. is cleere for this, likewiſe the Spirit alſo helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we ſhould pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it ſelfe maketh interceſſion for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; if any of you ſhould ſay how can wee ſanctifie Gods name, we are poore and weak, we can doe little? marke, it is ſaid here, that the Spirit helpeth our infirmities to pray, and the word is exceeding emphaticall in the originall; in your books tis but meerly helping our infirmities, but the meaning of the word is, in theſe two things, the Spirit helpes; that is, look how a man that is taking up a heavy peece of Timber at one end, he alone cannot get it up, but there comes another and takes it up at the other end and ſo helps him; The word ſignifies ſuch a kind of helping, as when a man takes a thing at the other end, or on the other ſide, one ſtanding the one way, and the other ſtanding the other way, or one taking up one end, and the other the other end, that is the meaning of it; he helpes our infirmities, the poore foule is pulling and tugging with its own heart, and finds his heart heavy and dull, like a logge in a ditch, and have not many of you found your hearts ſo? but now then when you are tugging with your hearts, and would faine lift up your hearts to God in prayer, there comes the Spirit of God at the other end, and takes the heavieſt end of the burden and helpes you to lift it up; if a child were at one end of the logge, and that were but light, and the other end very heavy, if one come and take up the heavieſt end, a little ſtrength will ſerve for the lighter end; ſo the Spirit comes and takes up the heavier end in duty, and ſo helps our infirmities; helpes together, and then the other word is The Spirit; that is together with the acting of the graces of the Spirit in our hearts, you muſt not ſay ſo; alaſſe, what can I doe? it muſt be the Spirit of God that muſt doe all; it is true, hee doth all.
Firſt, he gives converting and habituall grace, and aſſiſting and actuating grace; but now when the Spirit hath wrought grace ſo as to convert the heart, and hath given habituall grace in thy heart, why then when the Spirit comes to aſſiſt it, doth expect that thou ſhouldeſt ſtirre up all the gifts and graces of the Spirit, and the very ſtrength of thy body; the Spirit of God expects that thou ſhouldeſt act to the uttermoſt thou art able, what power hath been given thee by God, and when thou art in acting, then the Spirit comes and helpes together with us; noting that we are to put forth what ſtrength we have, and thus Gods name will be ſanctified, when as wee putting forth the graces of the Spirit in us, then the Spirit comes and helpes; and what comes from us now, comes from the breathings of the holy-Spirit in us, and then God who knowes the meaning of the Spirit, will know now the meaning of our ſighs and groanes; therefore when thou art going to prayer, thou art to eye the Spirit of God; thou art by the eye of faith to looke upon the Spirit of God, and to caſt thy ſoule upon the aſſiſtance of the Spirit of God, thou art to looke upon the holy-Ghoſt, as appointed by the Father and the Son to that office, to bee a helper to his poore ſervants in the duties of worſhip, and eſpecially in that great duty of prayer; now upon the reading of this text, and having it thus opened, this is one good helpe for thee in prayer; read this text, and then exerciſe thy faith upon it; Lord haſt thou not ſaid that thy Spirit helpes our infirmities, when we know not what to pray for, nor how to pray for any thing as we ought? but the Spirit will come, now Lord make good this word of thine to my ſoule at this time, and let mee have the breathings of the Spirit of God in me; alaſſe the breaths of men, if it come from gifts and parts, I know thou wilt never regard it, except there be the breathings of the holy-Ghoſt in mee in prayer; now, if you would know whether the Spirit of God doth come in or no, you may know it by this; the Spirit of God carries unto God, and it makes the prayer ſweet and delightfull, ſo much of the Spirit of God as is there, it comes to the ſoule in the duty, and it leaves a ſavour behind it; a gratious ſavour is alwaies left behind, when the Spirit of God comes to breath; O the breath of the Spirit of God is a ſweet breath, and it makes prayers ſweet; it never comes into the Soule but after it hath done any worke it came for, it leaves a ſweet ſent, after that, the ſoule finds a ſweetneſſe in that prayer; now many of you have been in the morning at prayer, but I appeal to you; what ſweet ſavour of the Spirit of God is left behind? certainly if the Spirit hath been there it is like civil that is put into a little box, though you ſhould take out the civit, yet there will be a ſweet ſavour left behind; ſo though the Spirit of God, in reſpect of the preſent aſſiſtance, withdraws it ſelf, yet it leaves a ſweet ſavour behind.
The fourth thing is, purity of heart; pure heart and hands, in Heb. 10. 22. Rev. 5. 8. having every one of them harpes, and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of Saints; mark, the prayers of the Saints are odours in golden vials, the golden vials I may compare to the heart; the hearts of the Saints muſt be as golden vials, and then their prayers will be as odours; in 1 Tim. 2. 8. the holy-Ghoſt giving directions how wee ſhould pray, it is with this qualification, I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting; the outward converſation muſt be pure, and the heart pure; in Job 22. 26. marke whats ſaid concerning that holy man; theres a promiſe made to him for the lifting up of his face to God, putting away iniquitie from his Tabernacle, that by putting away evill from our Tabernacles, and ſo from our hearts, we may be able to lift up our hearts with joy to goe; and thats the fift thing, purity of heart and hands.
The ſixt thing is, in truth, when we come to call upon God, we muſt call upon him in truth, Pſal. 145. 18. the Lord is nigh unto all, to all that call upon him in truth; you will ſay what is the meaning of that? to that I anſwer;
Firſt, there muſt be inward diſpoſitions anſwerable to the expreſſions; as for inſtance, when I come to expreſſe the greatneſſe of the majeſtie of God, then I muſt have an inward diſpoſition ſutable to this expreſſion, I muſt have a feare and reverence of the infinite majeſtie of God.
Secondly, When I come to confeſſe my ſin, to judge my ſelfe for my ſin, there muſt be an inward diſpoſition ſutable to ſuch a confeſſion; O how many men and women will come and ſpeak great things againſt themſelves for their ſins, and judge themſelves for their ſins, and yet there is no ſuch diſpoſition in their hearts ſutable to their words; you ſhall have ſome in praying with others, they will be a meanes to break the hearts of others, they will ſo follow their ſin; and take ſuch ſhame and confuſion upon themſelves for their ſin, and yet God knows their hearts not ſtird all this while; and then they will call upon God for pardon of ſin, and for power againſt their ſin, and yet God knowes that their hearts do cloſe with their ſin, and are loath to part with their ſin in the mean time, this is falſeneſſe of heart; when the inward diſpoſition is not anſwerable to outward expreſſions; I beſeech you my brethren conſider of the prayers you have made, and eſpecially you that pray much with others, look what expreſſions you have made, and ſee whether there be anſwerable diſpoſitions to the expreſſions you have made, and how that the Lord doth remember every expreſſion that you have made.
Thirdly, wee muſt call upon God in truth; that is, conſcionably to performe the ingagements of prayer, prayer puts an ingagement upon the heart; now thoſe that call upon him in truth are conſcionable to performe the ingagements; as now, do I pray for any good thing, I am ingaged to endeavour in the uſe of all meanes for the attaining of the good thing? when you confeſſe a ſin, why, you are ingaged by that meanes to endeavour all your might againſt that ſin; and when you pray for my grace, you are ingaged to make uſe of all means you can for the attaining of that grace; and then beſides, in prayer there is much profeſſion unto God of our ſincerity and uprightneſſe, and of our willingneſſe to be at his diſpoſe, performe theſe ingagements that thou makeſt to God in prayer; if God ſhould preſent to us all our profeſſions that we have made to him in prayer, and tell us how we have come ſhort of them, it would make us be in ſhame and confuſion in our owne thoughts.
Another thing in prayer muſt be faith; pray without doubting as in the former Scripture, the prayer of faith prevailes much; James 1. 6, 7. a man that wavereth and doubteth muſt not thinke to obtaine any thing of God. But I ſhould have opened what that faith is that wee ſhould have in prayer, wee muſt have faith to beleeve that the thing that we doe pleaſeth God, and faith in Gods promiſes, and faith in Gods providence, this ſhould be exerciſed in the time of our prayers; And therefore after we have done, to goe away beleeving, as Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 18. wee read of her, that after ſhee had been praying ſhe went away, and lookt no more ſad; the text faith, noting that after wee have been powring forth our ſoules to God, wee ſhould beleeve and exerciſe faith and not go in as drooping a way as ever we did.
Object. You will ſay, yea, if wee knew certainly that God will hear us.
Anſw. The way to be aſſured that God will hear you, is by caſting your ſelves upon God, how can you know that he will hear, but by reſting upon him? I have been with God, and I have been doing the duty of a poore creature, and for the ſucceſſe I leave it to God, and therefore it muſt bee with faith.
But I have ſo many ſins mixt with my prayers, how can I beleeve?
You have an excellent Scripture for that to helpe a ſoule, to exerciſe faith in prayer, notwithſtanding there hath been many infirmities; in Pſal. 65. 2, 3. O thou that heareſt prayers, unto thee all fleſh ſhall come; Thou heareſt prayers, but I have a great many ſins that hinders; no, marke, what though iniquity prevailes againſt me, as for our tranſgreſſions, thou ſhalt purge them away? O make uſe of this Scripture, though you remember not other things; yet you that have dejected hearts and are afraid that God will not hear your prayers, ſee what the text ſaith, Thou heareſt prayer Lord, but will not my ſins hinder? no ſaith David, iniquity prevailes againſt me, as for our tranſgreſſions thou ſhalt purge them away; exerciſe faith in this; and know that God doth not heare prayer becauſe thou art not ſinfull, becauſe of thy worthineſſe, but meerly for his free grace.
Another holy diſpoſition in prayer ſhould be this; the ſoul ſhould come with a holy freedome, with the Spirit of adoption to God, crying Abba Father; if thou comeſt to God meerly as to a Judge, though its true, thoſe that doe not know that God loves them, yet are bound as Creatures to pray, but thou canſt never ſanctifie the name of God, till thou haſt a child-like Spirit, the Spirit of adoption; the Lord loves to have his Children come with freedome of Spirit to himſelfe in prayer, to come as children, and not to come with dejected countenances, and diſcouraged hearts; but come freely to open thy heart to God, as any child would open his heart to a gracious and loving Father.
Another diſpoſition is fervencie in prayer; the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, and that will be a meanes to help againſt vain thoughts too, as when the honey is ſcalding hot then the flyes will not come to it; if thy heart were as it were ſcalding hot in prayer thou wouldeſt not have ſuch vain thoughts.
Next there muſt be conſtancie in prayer; in 1 Theſſ. 5. 17. by that I mean this never to give over untill we have that wee pray for, or ſomething elſe in lieu of it; it may be thou haſt prayed and nothing is come of it; be not diſcouraged, thou haſt to deal with a great God, and therefore pray again and again, and again, and pray with this reſolution, well, let God doe with mee what he will, I will as long as I live call upon him, and if God ſhall caſt mee away yet he ſhall caſt me away calling upon him, as the poore woman of Canaan when Chriſt call'd her dogge, and diſcouraged her, yet ſtill ſhe would pray; I but dogges may have crums, that heart is in an ill condition that is diſcouraged in prayer, becauſe it doth not get what it would, and therefore to thinke with themſelves I had as good not pray at all, take heed of any ſuch thoughts.
Againe, if you would pray to God indeed, ſo as to ſanctifie his name in prayer, there ſhould be humility in your hearts ſo as to be ſenſible of your own unworthineſſe; I ſpake ſomwhat about being ſenſible of the diſtance between God and us, when I ſpake about ſanctifying of Gods name in general. The laſt that I ſhall ſpeak of is this, when you have done all, this all, theſe qualifications will not ſanctifie Gods name, except all be tendred up in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, and in the power of his merits; let a man or woman pray with as much fervencie, zeale, conſtancie, purity, in truth and ſincerity; yet except hee puts up all in the name of Chriſt, I ſay hee cannot be accepted; our ſpirituall offerings muſt be tendered up in his name; but I have Preached much about that, but now put all that hath been ſaid together, and this it is to pray.
That is, when as I pray underſtandingly: when I give my ſelf to prayer: when there are the breathings of the holy Ghoſt in my prayer: when there is purity of heart like a golden viall: together with ſincerity, when it is in truth of heart, when it is in faith, when it comes from a ſpirituall Adoption, when its in fervencie, when in conſtancie, reverence, humility, and all put up in the name of Jeſus Chriſt; now a man prayes, as it is ſaid of Saul, behold hee prayeth; ſo I may ſay of thoſe that are inſtructed in this Art, behold they pray; you ſee now that prayer is more then to read in a book, more then to ſay a few words; yee ſee it is a very hard thing to pray, a work of great difficultie, and no marvell though we have loſt ſo many of our prayers as we have done; we muſt not charge prayer and God with it, but look to our ſelves (I mean not charge the Ordinance of prayer) but the vileneſſe of our carriage in our prayers; and let us for time to come know what a Chriſtian life meanes, it is ſaid of Chriſt in Luke 9. 29. that as hee was praying the faſhion of his countenance was changed. Oh thats an excellent thing, that when wee have been in our cloſets at prayer, to come away with our faces ſhining; my Brethren could we but pray in ſuch a manner as this is, the very faſhion of our countenances would be changed, as Moſes when he came from the preſence of God upon the Mount, or as Chriſt that had the faſhion of his countenance changed. Prayer, it is the ſweet eaſe of ones ſpirit, its the help at a dead lift, its the great Ordinance of our Communion with God in this world; and therefore let us learne this Art of ſanctifying Gods name in Prayer.
I ſhall conclude all in this, you have heard the myſtery of the ſanctifying the name of God in worſhipping God; now I beſeech you, you that have been a long time in the ſchool of Chriſt, as it were Apprentices to Chriſt to learn Chriſtianity; be aſhamed that you have underſtood ſo little of this art in Sanctifying the name of God in prayer; It is an art and a myſtery that you muſt be inſtructed in, and you are not Chriſtians till you are inſtructed in this, as in an art and myſtery: And that man and woman that ſhall be inſtructed truly in this art and myſtery in Sanctifying Gods name now in the worſhiping of him, ſuch a man and woman ſhall be to all eternity Sanctifying the name of God in prayſing of him. There is a time coming when all the Saints muſt be in the preſence of God, and be alwaies praiſing of him, and they ſhall then Sanctifie Gods name for ever; let us now learn this art of Sanctifying Gods name in praying, that we may eternally Sanctifie his name in praiſing of him.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
PAge 94. line 9. for capitall, read corporeall. Pag. 182. l. 25. for world, r. word. Pag. 226. l. 36. f. come, r. we come. Pag. 247. l. 3. f. which, r. with. Pag. 251. l. 21. f. with, r of. Pag. 252. l. 34. f. body, r. blood. Pag. 259. l. 20. f. is, r. as, Pag. 263. l. 9. f. whereas, r. when. Pag. 267. l. 3. f. plucking, r. partaking.
FINIS.