Divine Drops Distilled from the Fountain of Holy Scripture, Part 14
Expoſitions and Obſervations on LUKE 18. 1.
And he ſpake a parable to them, to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint.
I Do finde beloved that now a days the devil hath wondrous deſignes in the world, and truly one of the greateſt that I know among us is this, that he indeavours to cheat us of the ordinances of God, and to bring us from them one by one by degrees. He hath brought us from repetition of the word, and from ſinging of Pſalms, and many from baptizing of the infants of the godly, and divers from the ſupper of the Lord, and from hearing the word of God preached; and now he comes and begins to bring people from praying, or calling upon the name of the Lord: therefore let us do as Rehoboam did, when he had loſt Ten Tribes, he went and ſtrengthened the two that remained. Beloved there are but a few ordinances that remaine, and they are almoſt gone too, therefore let us do our beſt to keep thoſe. One is praying, or calling upon God; which our Lord Chriſt divers ways, by precept; and example, and parables, &c. doth exhort his Diſciples to, to pray alway, and not to faint. So that this is it that you ſhould do well to conſider, that
Prayer, or calling upon the name of God in Chriſt, is an ordinance, and a perpetuall ordinance of God.
And though (it may be) many of you do not doubt of it, and therefore you think why ſhould I ſpeak of it? Truly, no more did not I doubt of it, yet I have had many thoughts of it: and though we doubt not of it, yet the conſidering of it out of the word may ſtir us up to do it more then we do: for I am afraid, though many of you doubt not of it, yet many of you are ſlack; and though you believe not what the others ſay, yet you hearken ſo much to them as to ſlacken of what the old Saints did, and of what your ſelves did before, you do not ſet your ſelves ſo earneſtly, and ſo frequently, and follow God ſo hard in prayer as you have done: this I greatly fear.
For I find many times that the devill plays a double game, that when he comes to take away an ordinance from people, to cheat them of it, he knowes that ſome are ſo giddy, that he can gull, and cheat them clearly, and he knows this that thoſe that he cannot cheat yet he can caſt them into a kinde of remiſneſſe. As for inſtance, he hath taken away from many, ſinging of Pſalms, praſing God according to that manner that the Saints have had for divers ages, whereas there is no particular manner in the ſcriptures for the outward thing: now as he hath brought many that they will not ſing at all, ſo there are many that are indifferent; and ſo for baptiſing the infants of the godly, and ſo for hearing the Word; and ſo for praying. The devil hath a dilemma, if you will do ſo, ſo it is, or elſe do this; ſo I ſay while ſome giddy heads, or hearts are throwing away the Ordinance of prayer. I am afraid there is a general remiſneſs, or careleſneſs growing upon your hearts, therefore I ſhall ſhew theſe two things concerning prayer.
Firſt, I ſhall ſhew you that it is an Ordinance of God, Prayer an Ordinance of God. Prayer a perpetual duty.that it is a duty, that it is the duty of a Saint.
Secondly, I ſhall ſhew you that it is a laſting duty, a duty to be performed in all ages untill the coming of Chriſt, and that briefly and plainly.
For the firſt, That it is a duty, conſider any duty in the world, and whatſoever you would have to prove it a duty, I dare ſay it is clear in the Word concerning this duty of Prayer, that, and much more, you cannot name any duty in the Book of God, any external duty that is underpropped, that hath ſuch foundations, ſuch clear ground-works for it as the duty of Prayer.
There are four main grounds of duty, and one of Four main grounds of dutie.them many times is a ſufficient ground for any one, as
Firſt, that it is a thing that the law of Nature hath 1. The … of Nature.written in the heart of man, to call upon God, it was written in the Creation. There are many duties among us that are not ſo, under the Goſpel, eſpecially. Now that you ſee in all ages, all kinde of people call upon the name of their God. As in the ſhip where Jonah was; the Heathens by the dictates of Nature, they awake Ionah to call on his God, and they were calling on their god: it is a thing in the law of Nature. And (by the By) that is the reaſon why we may pray with carnal men, though we may not receive the Lords Supper, becauſe the Supper of the Lord is an Ordinance by inſtitution, the other is a natural Ordinance or duty. Now when a man doth a Natural duty, it is ſuppoſed that it is in the heart of a wicked man, and he doth but what he ought when he doth it. A carnal man when he prays he ſins, not in that he prays, much leſs do I ſin in doing the duty with him, in doing what he ought: But wherein doth he ſin? In the maner, that he prays without faith, it is his fault and not mine; and ſo an hypocrite that prayeth without faith: when I do the duty, I look that the thing be good, but for the maner of his heart, and ſpirit, that is for him to look to. So a man may pray with carnal people, though he may not receive the Supper of the Lord, becauſe that is an Ordinance by inſtitution, and is onelyonly for the Saints. That by the by.
Secondly, There is this ground for it, for prayer 2. Command of the Word.we have more precepts then for any other dutie, Chriſt Jeſus ſaith here, Pray always, And the Apoſtle, 1 Theſ. 5. he bids us pray evermore, pray alway, I need not ſtand to prove this.
Then you have alſo preſidents for it, almoſt in every 3. Preſident and Example.Saint in the Book of God; you ſeldom hear of a Saint, but he was a praying Saint. And let me tell you this, that Saints, and Churches, or Aſſemblies, (for ſo the Greek word is indifferently) and people that call on God▪ with a pure heart, they are Synonomies. Sometimes Paul ſaith, Grace, mercy, and peace to the Saints, ſometimes to the Churches, and ſometimes to thoſe that pray, and call on the name of the Lord Ieſus, 1 Cor. 1. 1. It is a thing ſo proper to a Saint, that it is uſually taken for the deſcription of a Saint. Therefore in Zech. 12. where there is a Propheſie concerning the converſion of the Iews; ſaith God, I will poure on them the Spirit of Grace and Supplication. What is that? That is, they ſhall be converted. To have a ſpirit of Supplication, a praying heart is the ſame as converſion: to convert the Iews is to give them a ſpirit of Grace and Supplication: As ſoon as Paul was converted, Act. 9. when Ananias inquired of him, he was praying, therefore you have examples enow.4. Promiſes entailed on it. Pſalm 50.
And then you have Precepts for it, and Promiſes to it, all along in the Book of God; Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will deliver thee; So in the new Teſtament, Iohn 14. And in the Epiſtles of Iohn; If we call upon God, he will hear our prayers, and grant our petitions, and if you ask any thing in the name of Chriſt, you ſhall have it. You know theſe things; onelyonly I minde you, as Peter, and the reſt of the Apoſtles often minded them of what they knew already, leaſt they ſhould be carried away with the error of the wicked. That is one thing; it is an Ordinance, you ſee four great pillars under it, it hath the Law of Nature, there are Precepts, and Examples, and Promiſes to perform what we pray for: And there are threatnings to thoſe that do it not, Curſe the Families that call not on thy Name.
Secondly, I ſaid it was an everlaſting Ordinance or duty, and you may ſee that three ways.
Firſt, If you look upon the old Teſtament, you ſhall ſee there all the people of God, they practiſed it, I need not inſtance in any one place.
And ſecondly, you will eaſily grant, that if you look upon the times of the new Teſtament, the dawning of it in Chriſts time, (for that was the dawning of the new Teſtament) there you ſee Chriſt prayed whole nights, and before day he was on the mountain ſeeking God; and there are many Parables, one in Luke 11. and another here, wherein he exhorts his diſciples to be earneſt with God, and though God as it were ſeem as if he had no minde otherwiſe to do it, yet by the very importunity of prayer (for that is the drift of that Parable in Luke 11. and of this) the Lord will be intreated. Then come after to the times that the new Teſtament was fully ſet up; you ſee when Chriſt was gone to the Holy of Holies, there they prayed, and called on God continually, all thoſe Churches did call upon God, there is nothing more clear.
Nay, thirdly, (for there is the main hint of it) in the laſt times, in theſe times, and in later times then theſe (though theſe be called the laſt times) the glorious times that ſhall be juſt at the end of the world, the people of God will be a praying people in thoſe days. I will give you but one place, Zach. 12. that is clear concerning the converſion of the Iews in the laſt times, that they ſhall look on him whom they have pierced, and ſhall mourn every family apart. Now the Iews are not yet come in, neither are thoſe glorious times yet come to the Iews and Gentiles that ſhall follow upon their coming, yet it is ſaid when they ſhall come in, praying ſhall be in ſuch requeſt in thoſe days that even the converſation of the Iews is called a pouring on them the ſpirit of grace and ſupplication.
Therefore ſay not now, the laſt times are come, and theſe are glorious times, and we can live immediatly upon God without Ordinances, &c. No, thoſe times are not come, and yet when that time is come, they ſhall have a ſpirit of grace and ſupplication to call upon God. And therefore I beſeech you, let not the devil ſteal away any of your Ordinances, for I tell you again, and again, he drives on a wonderful deſign among you in that reſpect. And of all Ordinances, labour to keep Prayer: for caſt off Prayer, and caſt off Saintſhip; for to be a Saint, and to call on the name of the Lord with a true heart, are the ſame. I will call thee no longer a Saint then thou calleſt on God. Therefore notwithſtanding all pretences look to that. Some object, God knows our wants, and what need we pray? Saith our Saviour, Mat. 5. Your heavenly Father knows what you have need of, and yet Chriſt taught them to pray. We muſt manifeſt our obedience notwithſtanding that God will do one thing when we pray for another: that is a fooliſh objection, becauſe we know not what is good for us, neither how to pray according to the minde of God: but if it be according to his minde, and for our good, God will not deny it to us.
But the maine Engin that the devil hath to cheat us of this Ordinance, is, that there were times when there was neede of Ordinances, and theſe beggerly rudiments, (this is the language of ſome) theſe carnall Ordinances, it is true they were good in the times of the Apoſtles, and thoſe former times, but now glorious times are come for Saints to live immediately on God, and therefore there is no need of them.
I told you that when the Iews ſhall be called there will be need of theſe Ordinances; and though as we grow more perfect in glory, ſo we have leſs need of them; therefore as we are more glorious, and have more of the Spirit of Glory in the new Teſtament then they had in the old, ſo we have fewer Ordinances then they; and when we ſhall come to heaven, when ſhe ſhall be full of glory, we ſhall have no Ordinances for ought I know: but yet we have infirmities, and the Lord knows what is beſt for us, and we have a great deal of fleſh, and carnalneſs, and we ſhall have in a great meaſure till we be in heaven: therefore God in mercy affords us theſe Ordinances, and helps to deal with him, and to keep our Communion with him, and to live in, and from him: Therefore I pray you without partiality and prejudice weigh the Word of God, whether this be not the Will of God, and then take heed how the Devil cheat you of this bleſſed Ordinance; for truly I may ſay, as Chriſt ſaid, Now is the Ax laid to the root, to the root of Prayer, and if the Devil take away that, thou art no more a Saint, my life for thine, if thou once throw away calling on God. Therefore learn that word, and endeavor to keep up the Ordinances of God: and you that do not, but are grown into remiſneſs by the Opinions that are abroad concerning this duty, I beſeech you renew your care and diligence every one of you in publick and private to ſeek the Lord.
And conſider with your ſelves whether there be not a greater remiſneſs on your ſpirits then before, did you not ſet your ſelves oftner and more earneſtly apart to ſeek God before, then you do now? If it be ſo, in the name of God, ſay as David, O how ſweet is thy Word! by it thy ſervant is warned. Now this is the goodneſs of God, the ſweetneſs of his Word that hath warned thee when thou wert going to undo thy ſelf, and to throw thy ſelf away: Therefore ſet thy ſelf to it, and let not the ſin of others in throwing away of Ordinances, make you remiſs in uſing them, either throw them away quite, or uſe them as the Ordinances of God, for the careleſs uſe of Ordinances is abominable to God.