The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 51
CHAP. LI. A ſecond Duty preſſed upon them; viz. ſtirring up all their graces to pray with life and fervency: upon ſix Motives.
(2) STir up the grace of God that is in you; pray with life and fervency. When we are bid not to quench the Spirit, that prohibition ſtands between two verſes, wherein the proper means of preſerving the Spirit alive in the ſoul are preſcribed, Pray without ceaſing, and in every thing give thanks 1 Theſſ. 5. 17, 18, 19, 20goes before; and Deſpiſe not prophecying, comes after. Implying, if our affections be indifferent to prayer and preaching, we need uſe no other meanes to quench the Spirit. Fire will be extinguiſhed by neglect of blowing up the coals, as well as by throwing water upon them.
To move you hereunto, conſider,
1 There is little difference (as to the comfort of grace) between grace lying dead, and no grace at all. A man that hath riches, and God gives him not an heart to enjoy them; wherein is he better, (as to the comfort of his life) then a man that hath not a penny in the world? This is an evil thing under the Sun, ſaith Solomon, Eccleſ. 6. 1, 2.
A man that hath no grace, enjoyes no communion with God, ſits dull and unprofitable under all Ordinances, makes no ſpiritual advantage of any enjoyment; and ſo doth the man that hath grace un-improved.
2 The leſſe you ſtir up your graces, the leſs you will be able to uſe them, when you have need. If a mans faith, humility, ſorrow for ſin be away in one Duty or two, he will not find them readily at hand when he would make uſe of them again. A tool a man uſeth at every turn, will not be ſo often out of the way, as one he uſeth but now and then. Beſides, ſuppoſe them conſtantly at hand▪ yet if not imployed, they will be ruſty and unfit for uſe; except they be rubbed up by conſtant imployment.
3 Corruptions will be ſtirring daily; and Satan will be perpetually blowing them up, eſpecially in the Duty of Prayer. There is no Duty in which the people of God complain Ut jugulent homines ſurgunt de nocte latrones; Ʋt teipſum ſerves, non expergiſceris?—Horat.more of diſtempers and diſtractions, then that Duty. The thief is abroad active and vigilant, and ſhall the Traveller ride on careleſly and not look about him, to keep his weapon in a readineſſe for every aſſault. There is no rode more infeſted with Thieves then the rode betweene earth and heaven; the Traffick is precious, and therefore a man had need ſtir up and quicken himſelf to all the cautiouſneſſe that may be, and muſter up all his ſtrength for a convoy to ſecure the paſſage. Now there is no convoy that more ſecures all our duties in that traffick, and all our returns, then a convoy of active graces.
4. The Saints of God have uſed to do ſo, to call upon themſelves, and to quicken themſelves unto a ſpiritual and lively performance of duties to God. David is frequent herein, Pſal. 103. 1. All that is within me praiſe his holy name. Ariſe faith, humility, ſelf-denial, joy, hope, and be ſtirring; I am about a duty of importance, and that to a God to whom I ſtand deeply obliged; do your beſt therefore to help me to praiſe his holy name. So Pſal. 57 7, 8. My heart is fixed, (or prepared, or ready.) Awake, my glory. Tongue, See you do your duty lively and vigorouſly, awake my Pſaltery, and I my ſelf wil awake early; i. e. I wil ſtir up all my graces to bear you company. And the whole Church complains of the want hereof, Iſai. 64. 7.
5 God in all his grants takes ſpecial notice of the activity of our graces in approaching to him. Jer. 30. 21. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach to me, ſaith the Lord? q. d. There are many that approach to me, but who is that (among all the reſt) that engaged his heart to approach to me? Of all the reſt, I take notice of him, he quickned all his graces, and ſtirred up all his ſoul on purpoſe that he might approach to me. As if a great man come to a Town, and publick entertainment be made him; if any one among the reſt, be more active then ordinary, he takes eſpecial notice of him; Who is this that makes ſo much ado above all the reſt, I muſt take ſpecial notice of him, and gratifie him with ſome extraordinary favour. God lets paſſe an hundred lazy Petitioners, and ſeeks out a fervent one in a throng of Chriſtians.
6 If you do not ſtir up your graces to ſeek God, God will ſtir them up for you. If an horſe that hath mettal enough grow dull, the rider puts to the spur to quicken him. If you grow dull and careleſs in Duty, God will spur up your graces, and quicken you to your pain, and coſt too. Indeed (ſaith God) is it ſo? Can ſuch a man afford me no better ſervices then ſo? is every ſlight ſlovenly performance good enough for me? Well, I will be ſerved with that that coſts him ſomething before I have done with him. With-draw thy comforts from him (Spirit,) ſmite him (ſickneſs,) vex him (Satan,) perſecute him (enemies:) I will warrant it I ſhall hear from him ſhortly in another guiſe manner. Hoſ. 5. 15. In their affliction they will ſeek me early, Take this for an uſual rule; Ordinarily, after a continued deadneſs and formality of Spirit upon a Saint in Duty, comes ſome ſharp affliction or other.