Knowledge and Practice, Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of Communion with God.
5. LAbour to maintain a daily cloſe Communion with God, in theſe particulars following,
1. Awake with God in the morning.
2. Forget not to poure forth thy ſoul in ſecret prayer, and praiſe before him.
3. Read the Scriptures.
4. Live continually as in the ſight and view of God.
5. Live by Faith.
6. Obſerve all the paſſages of his Providence towards thee.
7. Be continually watchful.
Firſt, Awake with God in the morning: When I awake, I am ſtill with thee, ſais holy David, Pſal. 139.8. The morning is an embleme of the Reſurrection, when our bodies ſhall awake from the ſleep of death, and that long day ſhall ariſe upon us, that ſhall never have any night. O how ſhouldſt thou then, when ſleep fals from thine eyes, lift up thy ſoul in praiſes and thanksgivings to the Lord, for his gracious Providence over thee in the night ſeaſon. Had not he been exceeding gracious, thou mightſt have ſlept the ſleep of death, and from the darkneſſe of the night been ſent away into outer darkneſſe. Let not the commonneſſe of this mercy diminiſh, but the continualneſs of it rather encreaſe thy thankfulneſſe. O when thy body awakens, how ſhouldſt thou awaken and ſtirre up thy ſoul alſo, to ſome holy and pious Ejaculations; ſuch as the ſweet Singer of Iſrael, uſed to ſend up to God; O Lord, thou art my God, early will I ſeek thee. I laid me down and ſlept, and thou haſt ſuſtained me. I have been ſafe under the ſhadow of thy wings, thy faithfulneſſe, and truth have been my ſhield and buckler, And now Lord, lift up the Light of thy Countenance upon me, inſtruct me in the way wherein I ſhould go, and guid me with thine eye. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy Truth, O knit my heart to thee, that I may fear thy Name. And hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footſteps ſlip not. Let me walk circumſpectly this day, redeeming the time, Let my ſoul put on the Lord Jeſus, and be clothed with the white robe of his righteouſneſſe, and adorn me with the ſaving Graces of thy holy Spirit, &c.
After ſome ſuch pious ejaculations ſent up to the Throne of Grace, labour to get thy heart poſſeſſed, with deep, ſtrong, and powerful apprehenſions and impreſſions, of Gods holineſſe. Majeſty, Omni-preſence, Omniſcience: Conſider with reverence, and humbly admire, and adore his glorious wiſdome, his almighty power, his gracious Providence, his truth and faithfulneſſe, and eſpecially his tender love and mercy in Chriſt Jeſus. And if ſuch thoughts as theſe make ſtrong and deep impreſſions in thy mind, in the morning, thou art the more like to be in the fear of God all the day after, and to have thy mind poſſeſſed both with reverential and delightful thoughts of his Majeſty.
Pſal. 139.18. — When I awake, I am ſtill with thee.
Job 7.17. What is man that thou ſhouldeſt magnifie him? and that thou ſhouldest ſet thine heart upon him?
V. 18. And that thou ſhouldſt viſit him every morning, and try him every moment?
Lam. 3.22. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not conſumed, becauſe his compaſsions fail not.
V. 23. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulneſſe.
V. 24. The Lord is my portion, ſaith my ſoul, therefore I will hope in him.
V. 25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the ſoul that ſeeketh him.
Pſal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon the Earth that I deſire beſides thee.
Eph. 5.14. Wherefore he ſaith, Awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ariſe from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee Light.
Rom. 13.11. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of ſleep: for now is our ſalvation neerer, than when we believed.
V. 12. The night is far ſpent, the day is at hand: let us therefore caſt off the works of darkneſſe, and let us put on the armour of Light.
Eph. 5.15. See then that ye walk circumſpectly, not as fools, but as wiſe.
Rom. 13.13. Let us walk honeſtly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenneſſe, not in chambering and wantonneſſe, not in ſtrife and envying.
V. 14. But put ye on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and make not proviſion for the fleſh, to fulfill the luſts therof.
Pſal. 63.1. O God, thou art my God, early will I ſeek thee: my ſoul thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee, in a dry, and thirſty Land, where no water is.
Pſal. 59.16. But I will ſing of thy power: yea I will ſing aloud of thy mercy in the morning, for thou haſt been my defence, and refuge in the day of my trouble.
Pſal. 35.28. And my tongue ſhall ſpeak of thy righteouſneſſe, and of thy praiſe all the day long.
Pſal. 3.5. I laid me down and ſlept; I awaked, for the Lord ſuſtained me.
Pſal. 91.1. He that dwelleth in the ſecret place of the moſt high, ſhall abide under the ſhadow of the Almighty.
V. 4. He ſhall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings ſhalt thou truſt; his truth ſhall be thy ſhield and buckler.
Pſal. 4.6. There be many that ſay, who will ſhew us any good? Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us.
Pſal. 32.8. I will inſtruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou ſhalt go, I will guid thee with mine eye.
Pſal. 86.11. Teach me thy way, O Lord, I will walk in thy Truth: unite my heart to fear thy Name.
Pſal. 17.5. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footſteps ſlip not.
Pſal. 90.17. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, & eſtabliſh thou the work of our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands, eſtabliſh thou it.
Secondly, Omit not daily to poure forth thy Soul in ſecret and fervent prayer before the Lord, humbly confeſſing, and bewailing thy ſins, with a deep ſenſe and feeling of the evil, danger, and deſert of them; begging earneſtly (as for thy life) a ful and free pardon and diſcharge of them all in the blood of Chriſt, and humbly imploring the aid and aſſiſtance of the holy Spirit, to enable thee to mortifie thy corruptions, to reſiſt temptations, and to perform in a right manner all the duties required of thee.
Be much in this duty of ſecret prayer, if ever thou intendeſt to ſave thy ſoul, to honour God here, or to be happy with him hereafter. And remember that to pray unto God in an acceptable manner, is not to ſay over a few prayers, or to utter a few petitions (Patrat-like) in a formal, cold, cuſtomary manner; where there is not a true ſenſe and feeling of ſin and miſery; and where the deſires of the ſoul are not carried out earneſtly to ſeek for mercy, and relief from God through Chriſt, there can be no true hearty praying, ſuch as God will accept, though the outſide and external part of the duty be performed never ſo ſpeciouſly. God more regards the ſighes, and tears, and broken expreſſions of a truly contrite and humble heart, that are powred forth in ſecret before him, than the moſt ſet, and exactly form'd devotions, that proceed either from formality or hypocriſie. If thou wouldeſt therefore pray aright, beg the aſſiſtance of the holy Spirit of God, to help and enable thee; for we know not how to pray as we ought, except the Spirit help our infirmities. Beg therefore the aſſiſtance of the Spirit, to work, and quicken in thy heart thoſe apprehenſions, affections, and Graces, which are requiſite for the right performance of this duty, And with that gracious aſſiſtance labour to pray,
1. With humility, and reverence, having an high and awful apprehenſion of the Majeſty of God.
2. With a deep ſenſe, and feeling of thy wants and neceſſities: and with brokenneſſe of heart, and true contrition for thy ſins.
3. Offer up thy prayers and ſupplications to God in the Name of Chriſt, the only Mediatour between God and man, not barely mentioning his Name, but drawing thy encouragement to pray, and thy hope of acceptance in prayer, from his Merits, Mediation, and Interceſſion.
4. Pray in Faith, humbly truſting in Gods Power, Goodneſſe, Faithfulneſſe, and gracious promiſes made in Chriſt; not ſo much a Chriſtians prayer, as his Faith in prayer prevaileth with God. And 'tis a great encouragement to Faith, to conſider, there is not only bounty in God, but bounty engaged by promiſe. O how great are the priviledges of Saints? God is their Father willing to hear their prayers; Chriſt is their Advocate willing to preſent their requeſts; the holy Ghoſt is their helper and aſſiſter to draw up their requeſts for them.
5. Lift up pure hands without wrath, as the Apoſtle adviſeth, 1 Tim. 2.8. Before thou ſetteſt thy ſelf to this duty, labour to get thy heart purged of all malice, wrath, ill will, and deſire of revenge, if there be any ſuch vile affection in thee towards any body. When thou goeſt to pray, thou goeſt to beg forgiveneſſe of thy manifold ſins from God; which thou canſt not reaſonably expect, if thou art not willing to forgive others: Our Saviour hath taught us to pray, forgive us our treſpaſses, as we forgive them that treſpaſſe againſt us. And this is very remarkeable, he reſumes this petition of all the reſt to explain and by a ſtrong reaſon to enforce; Mat. 6.14, 15. For if you forgive men their treſpaſſes, your Heavenly Father will alſo forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their treſpaſſes, neither will your Father forgive your treſpaſses. Remember therefore, that it is thy duty, heartily to forgive thoſe that have done thee any wrong; and to pray for them, that God would pardon them in his Son, and give them ſuch a frame of heart, that they may pleaſe him, and be bleſſed by him, both here and hereafter. This is a good ſigne of Grace, to pray for a bleſſing on our very enemies.
6. Pray in ſincerity; Looke that thy end be right, and that thy aim be at the Glory of God. There is a great deal of difference betwixt a carnal deſire, and a gracious ſupplication, Jam. 4.3. Ye ask and have not, becauſe ye ask amiſſe, to ſpend it on your luſts. Praiers that want a good aim, do uſually want a good iſſue. When thou findeſt thy heart running out by a perverſe aim, check it, and diſclaim it the more ſolemnly. If our praiers be not directed to the Glory of God, there is little hope that when we receive the talent we pray for, we ſhall employ it to our Maſters uſe. They that cannot ask a mercy well, ſeldome uſe it well.
7. Labour to pray with zeal, fervency, warmth, and holy importunity, with ſenſibleneſſe, and ſtrong workings of affection. 'Tis eaſie to ſay a prayer in a formal, cold manner, when the heart is nothing affected with it, but poſſibly wandring, while the lips are praying: But that is true prayer, when the ſoul reaches out after thoſe things it praies for, in holy, ardent, and ſpiritual deſires. Sighs and groans are the Language God underſtands. When God meaneth to beſtow any bleſſing, he uſually ſtirs up the hearts of his people earneſtly to pray for it. And the effuſion of the Spirit of ſupplication, that holy, yet humble importunity, that ſpiritual violence, and wreſtling and ſtriving, and pleading with the Almighty, is a happy preſage of an approaching bleſſing.
8. Beg ſpiritual bleſſings, and the things appertaining to the ſoul primarily, and with greateſt earneſtneſſe: Beg temporall mercies, and ſuch as concern this life, and thy welfare here, with an humble ſubmiſſion unto God; reſigning thy will to his moſt holy will; earneſtly begging, that, what he ſees not good for thee, nor fit to be granted thee, he would make thee willing and contented to be without.
9. To ſupplication, forget not to adde praiſes and thankſgivings to the Lord for all his benefits; for his innumerable favours confer'd on thee in the courſe of thy life paſt, and alſo for thy preſent enjoyments. Eſpecially quicken and provoke and awaken thy ſoul to lift up the high praiſes of God, for his ineſtimable love in ſending his Son, to be a ranſome for ſin, and ſending his Holy Spirit to convince of ſin, and of righteouſneſſe, and to perſwade, and enable thy heart to cloſe with Chriſt. And laſtly, upon the receipt of any new mercy and favour from God, offer up a cheerful and hearty ſacrifice of praiſe and thankſgiving, in and through the mediation of Christ, by whom alone our Perſons, and Sacrifices are accepted with God.
And to direct and quicken thee to this duty, of rendring praiſes to the Lord; Conſider,
1. That praiſe is Gods Tribute, his Cuſtom, 'tis all the Impoſt he ſets upon his Bleſſings. There are three things to be conſidered in a mercy. 1. The mercy it ſelf. 2. The Comfort, and ſweetneſſe that may be enjoyed in the uſe of it. 3. The Glory, Honour, and Praiſe that is due for it. The two former God freely gives us; he only reſerves the latter as a tribute and homage to himſelf.
2. Praiſing God for former mercies, invites him to beſtow new mercies. God will be bountifull to thoſe that he ſees thankfull; and from whom he receives Glory and acknowledgment.
3. Praiſing God is the beginning of Heaven, 'tis the employment of the holy Angels, and glorified Saints there.
4. To have a heart delighting in praiſing God, is a great evidence (in conjunction with others) of ſincerity; ſelf-love forceth prayer oftentimes from us; but to praiſe God aright, cometh from a more heavenly affect…on, and a ſanctified frame of heart.
5. To ſet upon this duty of praiſing God is one of the beſt waies to mitigate any ſorrowes that at any time are upon us. If we can work our hearts to praiſe him for the mercies that are continued to us, it will exceedingly abate the ſenſe and feeling of any preſent Croſſe, or affliction that lies upon us.
6. Conſider who they are that are the moſt unthankfull to God; even Devils, and damned Spirits, who are full of envy, malice, and pride; they will not praiſe God, but do wretchedly blaſpheme him; and wicked men, who imitate their Father the devil. And wouldeſt thou be like theſe?
Upon theſe Conſiderations ſtir up thy heart to be much in this heavenly duty of praiſing God, and remember 1. To praiſe him with thy heart. 2. To praiſe him with thy tongue. 3. To praiſe him with thy life.
Let there be an abiding ſenſe of his favours on thy heart, and let thy life and converſation praiſe him alſo. Let thy works praiſe him, that others ſeeing thy good works, may glorifie thy heavenly Father. Labour to ſecure thy ſtate in Grace, and thy intereſt in Gods favour, through Chriſt, and then thou maiſt be aſſured, that whatever God gives thee, he gives it thee in pure love; all comes ſwimming to thee in the blood of Chriſt; and this Conſideration will exceedingly raiſe thy heart to thankfulneſſe, and make thy tongue ſound forth the praiſes of the moſt High.
Theſe Directions may help thee in the performance of that great Chriſtian duty of praier, and thankſgiving,
After thou haſt praied, Conſider
1. What thou haſt praied for. As before praier we ſhould conſider and labour to find out our wants; So after prayer we ſhould conſider of our petitions, and what we have begged of God.
2. Humbly expect a gracious anſwer, and return to thy praiers, not for any worthineſſe or deſert in thy ſelf, or praiers, but for Chriſt's ſake alone.
3. Serve Providence in the uſe of fair and lawful means, for the attaining thoſe good things thou haſt prayed for.
4. To Prayer add watchfulneſſe. If through Grace thy heart hath been wrought to a good temper, and holy frame in prayer; labour to keep it afterward; labour to preſerve thoſe apprehenſions and thoſe affections in thy ſoul, which thou foundeſt in time of prayer; And therefore one well adviſeth, that for ſome little time after we have prayed, we ſhould keep our ſelves ſilent, and quiet; nor preſently (and in the next moment as ſome do,) but fair and ſoftly removing our hearts from our prayers to our worldly buſineſſes and occaſions.
Zach. 12.10. And I will poure upon the Houſe of David, and upon the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications: and they ſhall look upon me whom they have peirced, and they ſhall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his onelyonly Son, and ſhall be in bitterneſſe for him, as one that is in bitterneſſe for his firſt born.
Rom. 8.26. Likewiſe the Spirit alſo helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we ſhould pray for as we ought: but the Spirit it ſelf maketh interceſſion for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.
V. 27. And he that ſearcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, becauſe he maketh interceſſion for the Saints, according to the will of God.
Eph. 3.12. In whom we have boldneſſe and acceſſe with confidence by the Faith of him.
Heb. 7.25. Wherefore he is able alſo to ſave them to the uttermoſt, that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever liveth to make interceſſion for them.
John 14.13. And whatſoever ye ſhall ask in my Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
V. 14. If ye ſhall ask any thing in my Name, I will do it.
1 Tim. 2.5. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jeſus.
John 16.23. And in that day ye ſhall ask me nothing: verily, verily I ſay unto you, whatſoever ye ſhall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
1 Pet. 2.5. Ye alſo as lively ſtones are built up a ſpiritual houſe, an holy Prieſthood, to offer up ſpirituall Sacrifice acceptable to God by Jeſus Chriſt.
Iſai. 48.17. Thus ſaith the Lord thy Redeemer, the holy One of Iſrael, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou ſhouldſt go.
Pſal. 32.5. I acknowledged my ſin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I ſaid I will confeſs my tranſgreſsions unto the Lord, and thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin, Selah.
V. 6. For this ſhall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time that thou maiſt be found, ſurely in the floods of great waters they ſhall not come nigh unto him.
Pſal. 17.1. Hear the Right O Lord, attend unto my Cry: give ear unto my Prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
Phil. 4.6▪ Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and ſupplication with thanksgiving let your requeſts be made known unto God.
Pſal. 65.2. O thou that heareſt Praiers, unto thee ſhall all fleſh come.
Mich. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſseth by the tranſgreſſion of the remnant of his Heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, becauſe he delighteth in Mercy.
Pſal. 145.18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
V. 19. He will fulfill the deſire of them that fear him, he alſo will hear their cry and will ſave them.
Pſal. 50.15. And call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie me.
Dan 9.14. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth: for we obeyed not his voice.
Mat. 7.7. Ask, and it ſhall be given you; ſeek, and ye ſhall find: knock, and it ſhall be opened unto you.
V. 21. Not every one that ſaith unto me, Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.
1 John 5.13. Theſe things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternall life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.
V. 14. And this is the Confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
V. 15. And if we know that he hear us, whatſoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we deſired of him.
Pſal. 10.17. Lord, thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cauſe thine ear to hear.
Eph. 6.18. Praying alwaies with all praier, and ſupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereto with all perſeverance, and ſupplication for all Saints.
1 Tim. 2.1. I exhort therefore, that firſt of all ſupplications, praiers, interceſſions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
V. 2. For Kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godlineſſe and Honeſty.
Jam▪ 5.16. Confeſſe your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed; the effectual fervent praier of a righteous man availeth much.
Ma…. 5.44. But I ſay unto you, love your enemies, bleſſe them that curſe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which deſpitefully uſe you, and perſecute you.
2 Sam. 7.29. Therefore now let it pleaſe thee to bleſſe the Houſe of thy Servant, that it may continue for ever before thee, for thou O Lord haſt ſpoken it, and with thy bleſſing let the Houſe of thy ſervant be bleſsed for ever.
1 John 5.16. If any man ſee his Brother ſin a ſin which is not unto death, he ſhall ask, and he ſhall give him life for them that ſin not unto unto death; there is a ſin unto death, I do not ſay he ſhall pray for it.
Gen. 18.27. And Abraham anſwered, and ſaid, behold, now I have taken upon me to ſpeak unto the Lord, which am but duſt and aſhes.
Luke 18.13. And the Publican ſtanding afar off, would not lift up ſo much as his eies unto Heaven, but ſmote upon his breaſt, ſaying, God be merciful to me a ſinner.
V. 14. I tell you this man went down to his houſe juſtified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himſelf ſhall be abaſed, and he that humbleth himſelf ſhall be exalted.
Pſal. 51.17. The ſacrifices of God are a broken ſpirit; a broken, and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not deſpiſe.
Job 22.27. Thou ſhalt make thy praier unto him, and he ſhall hear thee; aad thou ſhalt pay thy vowes.
1 Sam. 1.15. And Hannah anſwered and ſaid, no, my Lord, I am a woman of a ſorrowful ſpirit, I have drunk neither wine nor ſtrong drink, but have poured out my ſoul before the Lord.
1 Cor. 14.15. What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit, and will pray with underſtanding alſo: I will ſing with the Spirit, and I will ſing with the underſtanding alſo.
Mark 11.24. Therefore I ſay unto you, what things ſoever ye deſire, when ye pray, beleeve that ye receive them, and ye ſhall have them.
Jam. 1.6. But let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the Sea, driven with the wind, and toſsed.
Pſal. 145.18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
1 Tim. 2.8. I will therefore, that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.
Mat. 26.39. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and praied, ſaying, O my Father, if it be poſſible, let this Cup paſſe from me: nevertheleſſe, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Luke 11.13. If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your Children: how much more ſhall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Rom. 8.15. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father.
Acts 12.5. Peter therefore, was kept in priſon, but praier was made without ceaſing of the Church, unto God for him.
Mat. 6.9. After this manner therefore pray ye; Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Luke 11.2. And he ſaid unto them, when ye pray, ſay, Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdome come, Thy will be done, as in Heaven, ſo in earth.