Influences of the Life of Grace, Part 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
It's required of the dead that they live, and that we muſt not ceaſe from running when the Lord ceaſes from drawing. 2. Commands put on obligations to duties to ſuch as are indiſpoſed and unable. 3. We are to pray under deadneſs. 4. Deadneſs renders not men lawleſs. 5. The wicked ſhift of ſuch as pray not for the preſent, becauſe they are indiſpoſed; but promiſe they ſhall pray, praiſe, &c. when a ſpiritual diſpoſition comes on.
IF the meaning of ſome be by requiring a moral command to fit us for duties, that ſuch a command is enough, becauſe it's a Goſpel-command. Then is it falſe that a moral command, as ſuch, can fit or ripen us for duties: For Eph. 5. 14. Wherefore he ſaith, Awake thou that ſleepeſt (and it…s more then ſleeping, there being life in a ſleeping man) and ariſe from the dead and Chriſt ſhall give thee light. Here is both precept and promiſe given to the dead, who of themſelves cannot live: Yet it's morally required that they live; and John 5. 25. The dead in the graves are to hear the voice of the Son of man. And the Lord binds the command on theſe that were as the men of Sodom, All, even the moſt indiſpoſed, are under a command.Iſa. 1. 5. A ſ…nful nation, a people laden with iniquity, the ſeed of evil doers, children that are corrupters. v. 10. Waſh you. v. 16. Make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Iſa. 42. 18. Hear ye deaf, and look ye blind, that ye may ſee. So the Apoſtle Peter chargeth Simon Magus, Acts 8. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedneſs, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee. And Jeremiah ſpeaking to a hardened Prince, ſpeaks as to the earth that hath no eares, Jer. 22. 29. O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord. And it's a vain thing to think that theſe are to be confounded, the obligation to obey, and the impotencie and indiſpoſition to obey. For mans wicked weakneſſe cannot remove the obligation which the Lord in his holy Law layes on us: For waſting that brings on inability to pay, makes neither the debt to be unjuſt, nor does it looſe the creditor from his right to crave and purſue the broken man, except we ſay that poverty may pay all the debts in the world.
2. The Lord layes on rebukes, where he knowes Cain cannot anſwer, Gen. 4. 6. Why art thou wroth? if thou doeſt well, ſhalt thou not be accepted? So the Lord ſpeaks to Pharaoh, Exod. 9. 17. As yet exalteſt thou thy ſelf againſt my people, that thou wilt not let them goe? Deut. 32. 6. Doe ye thus requite the Lord, O fooliſh people and unwiſe? Pſal. 95. 10. Forty years long have I been grieved with this generation; it's a people that do erre in heart, they have not known my wayes. So ſaith Elias to Ahab, 1 King. 21. 20. Thou haſt ſold thy ſelf to work evil in the ſight of the Lord. Pſal. 4. 2. O ye ſons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into ſhame? how long will ye follow vanity and ſeek leaſing? Pſal. 58. 4. They are like the deaf adder, which ſtoppeth her eare. 5. which will not hearken to the voice of the charmer. And becauſe we are ready to excuſe our ſelves from our impotencie, the holy Ghoſt beares this upon them as a charge, Jerem. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? then may ye do good that are accuſtomed to do evil. 2 Pet. 2. 14. Having eyes full of adultery, that cannot ceaſe to ſin, Deut. 29. 2, 3.
3. Threatnings and curſes are charged upon every one who abides not in all that is written in the book of the Law to do it, Deut. 27. 26. And yet it's beyond controverſie that no fleſh can keep the Law ſo as it requires, elſe Jeſus Chriſt died in vain, Gal. 3. See Deut. 28. 4. We are not freed from an obligation to obey and run, even we who are renewed in the ſpirit of our mind, becauſe the Lord drawes not. For charges and commands are layed upon us under indiſpoſitions; yea the Lord ſpeaks to ſuch as lived in ſuffering times, who could not chooſe but they muſt be in much heavineſſe. Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes, again, I ſay rejoyce. So ſpeaks he to weak ones, Eph. 6. 10. My brethren, be ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. So ſpeakes Chriſt to fainting John, when in a ſwoon he could not command himſelf, Rev. 1. 17. Fear not, I am the firſt and the laſt. And to the periſhing diſciples, Mat. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? And the mourner is moſt indiſpoſed to believe, Iſa. 50. 10. He that walkes in darkneſſe, and hath no light, let him truſt in the name of the Lord, and ſtay on his God. We are bidden be upon the wing and ready, though we be dumpiſh and indiſpoſed, 1 Theſſ. 5. 17. To obey that, pray without ceaſing, in all things give thanks. Yea under all contrary diſpoſitions and habits of unbelief we are to act, Iſa. 41. 14. Fear not, worm Jacob.
2. Our very graves owe living to God, & our ſinful deadneſs ought to yield to Chriſt living in us; our heavineſs ows rejoycing to him, as the night is to remove at the dawning of the day, and the cloud is to diſ-appear and vaniſh at the out-breaking of the Sun-light.
3. We are to pray under deadneſſe, as David doth, Pſal. 119. Quicken me in thy way; quicken me in thy righteouſneſs; quicken me according to thy word, Its a ſinful ſhift to put away duties becauſe of indiſpoſition.&c. v. 37, 40, 88, 107, 156, 159. Deadneſſe, when David had much of the fulneſſe of God, hath been creeping on ſeven times, and he ſeven times prays for quickening, like one that is every hour in a ſwoon; out of one ſwoon he falls in another, he makes ſigns to ſuch as are neer by to be comforted with wine and apples, as the Spouſe, Cant. 2. 5. And therefore this is but a childiſh ſhift, I am dead and indiſpoſed, and therefore will not pray, nor believe, nor hear, nor goe about any ſuch duties. Becauſe you are dead and indiſpoſed, are you therefore lawleſſe, and freed of all debt of duties which are impoſed by either the Law of God? or 2. the conſtraining love of Chriſt? or 3. bonds and ties laid on you by the free grace of Chriſt, and the ſtate you are in, being now tranſlated from death to life?
Object. Ile goe about duties when I am free and ſpiritually diſpoſed.
Anſw. 1. What warrant from the Word to delay duties, that by preſent obligation of the Law of God are to be done while it is to day, leſt hardneſs of heart come on?
2. What aſſurance can any man have tomorrow, or the next hour, more then the preſent hour, when deadneſſe is on, that he ſhall be maſter of the Spirits breathing on him, to fetch ſpiritual diſpoſitions? Now omiſſion of praying, and of other duties, is a hainous ſin. Can ſin be a hire to purchaſe or buy the breathings of the Holy Ghoſt? Did ever man get ſweet acceſſe to God through the Mediator Chriſt in prayer, who delayes praying becauſe he wants a praying diſpoſition? And can the Lord welcome in the Mediator Chriſt the man who fathers the ſinful omiſſion of prayer, and other duties, upon the holy Spirit of God? Looſe Profeſſors delay their repentance upon this, when they are old and a dying they ſhall be more fit for repentance.
3.We are to pray away indiſpoſitions as a great affliction. An indiſpoſition to pray is a great affliction to a godly ſoul; and the ſo afflicted is to pray to remove that indiſpoſition, and to ſeek in prayer a ſpiritual diſpoſition to pray; and that pray continually, is not, pray only when a ſpiritual diſpoſition to pray is on; for that ſhould be far from praying continually; and that Pſal. 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble, ſuffereth no ſuch exception, Pray to me in trouble, but not except ye be ſpiritually diſpoſed: For it hath this good ſenſe, call and pray in the day of trouble, and in the hour when the ſpirit is under the ſoul-trouble of deſertion and indiſpoſition, and when the Lord hides his face and ſhines not. So the want of a ſpiritual diſpoſition is the frowning of God upon the ſoul; and it's an ungracious heart which will not pray when the Spirit in his ſhining influences withdraws. And therefore
4. It's not the Spirit of the Lord, but the ſpirit of Satan, which ſuggeſts any ſuch carnal arguing. I have no heavenly diſpoſition for the preſent, therefore I will not pray; for the Spirit of the Lord quickens men to duties, and that is known to be a ſpirit from hell that weakens men in praying, or in any duties.