The Christian Mans Calling, Treatise · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. The Subſequent duties after Prayer.
THirdly, I ſhall ſpeak to the conſequents, or thoſe duties which muſt follow after prayer; and they are principally two, Watching and Working.
1. Watching for an anſwer: Pious prayers are precious commodities; and who, unleſs a mad man or a fool, will throw away what is of value and worth? When thou haſt ſhot thine arrow, obſerve where it lights, and how near it flew to the mark. Wiſe men when they have delivered their petitions to their Prince, watch and wait ſometimes a year together, all the while longing and looking for an anſwer: Thy requeſts to God are of infinite concernment, thy Heaven, thy eternal happineſs is involved in them; with what holy impatience then ſhouldſt thou deſire an anſwer? In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up, Pſa. 5.3. The words diſcover Davids poſture in prayer, and his practice after prayer: His poſture in prayer, I will direct my prayer unto thee. Diſponam tibi Calvin.The word is an alluſion to an Archer, or to a General, as ſome obſerve on it.
1. To an Archer, and then the meaning is, I will be up betimes, and take as good aim as I can poſſibly at the mark, and ſo draw my bow, and direct my arrow that I may hit it.
2. To a General, and then it importeth thus much, I will riſe early, and ſet my requeſts to God, as Souldiers in Battalia, in rank and file, in good array: I will ſo marſhal them, that they be not routed by being out of order: I will ſee that they ſtand in their places, and keep their ground; and what then? his practice after prayer, And will look up: I will obſerve what became of the arrow I ſhot. Or the word being an alluſion to a Watchman, as the former word to a Commander in chief of an Army, ſpeaketh this, When I have marſhalled my prayers in good array, and ſent them forth to fight againſt my ſpiritual Enemies, and to wreſtle with God himſelf for his grace and love, I will get up to my Watch-Tower, to ſee what execution they do upon my adverſaries, what power they have with God, whether they get or loſe ground, whether they prevail and win the day. It was the cuſtome in thoſe days, when forces were ſent forth to fight, for the General to command one to watch in ſome high place, if he could ſpie any coming from the Armies with news. So when Davids Souldiers were engaged with Abſoloms, the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, and ſpied Ahimaaz and Cuſhi coming with tidings. Thus holy David ſtood (as it were) ſentinel and watched as a ſpie, longing every moment to hear and ſee the event, iſſue and ſucceſs of his prayers.
Men that work for a dead horſe, as we ſay, when their buſineſs is done, look no further, becauſe they had their pay before-hand; but thoſe whoſe reward is behind, labour in expectation of it, and after they have wrought, look for it: An unbeleivers hopes are in this preſent world, and therefore if he procure but ſome earthly profit, it is no wonder if he look no more after his prayers, he had his pay before hand: But a beleiver whoſe reward (not of debt but of grace) is ever behind and to come, while he is upon earth, when he hath prayed in obedience to Gods precept, cannot but expect the performance of Gods promiſe.
He that ventureth nothing in a ſhip, ſave a ſmall parcel of pins, or a few quire of paper, or ſomething which is little better then nothing, takes little thought what becomes of the veſſel, if it ſink or ſwim, its all one to him, he loſeth not a moments ſleep for it. But the Merchant who ventureth all he is worth in a Veſſel, and ſendeth it out very richly laden, though it be a long journey, yet he is impatient to hear of it: many an anxious thought hath he about it, many a time he putteth the ſuppoſition to himſelf, What if this Ship ſhould miſcarry? What will become of me, my Wife and Children? He can hardly eat or drink with comfort, or ſleep with quietneſs, till he hears it is ſafe. A wicked man that is worth nothing, ventureth nothing in his prayers, and therefore whether they miſcarry or no, it matters not much with him: when he prayed for pardon and grace, he counted them little worth, he prized his ſtock and his riches at a far higher rate, and ſo muſt needs be very indifferent whether the Veſſel wherein things of ſuch ſmall worth (in his eſteem) were hazarded, come home ſafe or no. But a godly man hazardeth all he is worth, for this, and the other world, in his prayers: he knoweth that all his happineſs is involved in the pardon of his ſins, in the righteouſneſs of his Saviour, in the love of his God, and the renovation of his nature, all which he beggeth with ſtrong cries and groans. He eſteemeth theſe things as the very life of his life, and the very ſoul of his ſoul, and O (thinks he) how richly laden, is this Veſſel which I have ſent forth! My precious ſoul, my deareſt Jeſus, my intereſt in the covenant of grace, my eternal fruition of the ever bleſſed God, are all aboard her. If ſhe ſhould miſcarry (good Lord) what would become of me? I am loſt, I am damned, I am undone eternally. Was ever Ship better fraught? Her burden is of ineſtimable value. My joy, my peace, my love, my delight, my hope, my heaven, my all, are in her. Oh what ſhould I do, if the Arch-pirate Satan ſhould ſeiſe her? or if ſhe ſhould ſplit upon the rock of my preſumption? or ſink in the quicksands of my infidelity? Alaſs, alaſs, whether ſhould I go? where ſhould I appear? Such a ſoul never failed of a rich return of his venture.
Reader, when thou haſt prayed, wait and expect an anſwer. Though thy prayers were mingled with many imperfections, if they were the travail of thy ſoul, (upright I mean) do not give them over for loſt.
When Moſes Mother could keep him no longer, ſhe made an Ark of Bul-ruſhes, and daubed it with Pitch, and put him in, and hid it in the Flags, by the River brink; and his Siſter ſtood a far off, to ſee what would become of him. And Pharaohs daughter came to waſh her ſelf, ſpied the Ark, ſent and fetched it, the babe wept and ſhe had compaſſion on it: ſent for the Mother, gave it her to nurſe, paid for its nurſing and the Child became the great deliverer of Iſrael. Truely ſo when the fruit of thy heart, thy tears and ſighs, and groans, and prayers, are ready in the eye of ſenſe to be given over for dead, they lie floating upon the water, let thy faith and hope be near at hand, to ſee what will become of them; the Kings Son may take pity on the weeping babe, pay the charge of its nurſing up, bringing it into favour at the heavenly Court, and make it ſerviceable for the conducting thy ſoul through the Wilderneſs of this World, towards the true and celeſtial Canaan.
Though the Meſſenger thou ſendeſt to Heaven tarry long, yet wait and expect his return. Thoſe that ſend to the Indies for the golden wedges, wait many months, though they long every moment for their arrival.
If after thy expectation, thou findeſt little fruit of thy petitions, do not therefore lay aſide that calling, Continue in prayer, and watch in the ſame, Col. 4.2. Anglers, though they have fiſhed many hours and caught nothing, do not therefore break their Cane, and Line, but draw out their hook, and look upon their bait, which (it may be) was fallen off, or not well hung on, and mend it, and then throw it in again; So when thou haſt been earneſt in prayer, and yet received no anſwer, reflect upon thy prayers, conſider whether ſomething were not amiſs, either in thy preparation for the duty, or in the matter or manner of thy petitions; it is poſſible thou mighteſt deſire ſtones inſtead of bread, or fuel for thy luſts, or didſt forget to deliver thy petitions to the onelyonly Maſter of Requeſts, the Lord Jeſus, that he might preſent it to the Father, if any of theſe were the fault, no wonder if they failed; what ever it be, be diligent to find it out, amend it and fall to thy work again with confidence, that thou ſhalt not work at the labour in vain. The Archer if he ſhoot once, and again, and miſs the mark, conſidereth what the reaſon was, whether he did not ſhoot too high, or too low, or too much on the right hand, or too much on the left hand, takes the ſame Arrow again, onelyonly reformeth his former error, and winneth the wager.
Secondly, Working is neceſſary after prayer, as well as Watching. Begging and Digging muſt go together. Thy duty is to pray, as knowing aſſuredly that thou canſt do nothing of thy ſelf, and yet to work as if thou wert to do all by thine own power. He that doth not indeavour in a lawful uſe of thoſe meant which God affordeth him to attain the mercies he needeth and asketh, doth tempt, not truſt God, and may expect a rod ſooner then releif. A good uſe may be made of that ſtory; A Carter having over-thrown his Cart, ſat in the way crying, help Hercules, help, (Hercules was counted by the Heathen a God for his ſtrength) O Hercules help. At length one appeared to him in Herculus ſhape, with a good Cudgel in his hand, and beat him handſomely; ſaying, Ah thou ſilly lazy fellow, doſt thou call to me for help, and ſit ſtill thy ſelf, ariſe and ſet to thy ſhoulder, do thy part, and I will do the reſt.
If thou prayeſt for thy dayly bread, be thou diligent in thy calling, or elſe expect a crop out of the Ocean. If thou prayeſt againſt ſome particular ſins, avoid the occaſions of thoſe ſins. If it be againſt Drunkenneſs, avoid evil company; If it be againſt Pride, avoid and diſcourage ſuch as will flatter thee, for otherwiſe thou doſt as he that runneth into the fire, and prayeth to God that it may not burn him; ſuch a man mocketh God, but himſelf moſt; if thou prayeſt for Holineſs and Grace, hear, read, meditate, watch, uſe the means, and expect a good iſſue from God.
Obſerve David, his prayer was, Set a watch O Lord before my mouth, keep the door of my lips, Pſa. 141.3. But now becauſe he had committed the main charge of this unruly priſoner, his tongue, to God, deſiring him to lock the double doors of his lips and teeth faſt upon it, and to have a main guard always watching before the doors, leaſt it ſhould break through and attempt an eſcape, doth he therefore ſleep himſelf, thinking the priſoner was ſafe enough? no, he himſelf would be upon the guard. I ſaid I will take heed to my ways that I ſin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a a bridle while the wicked is before me, Pſal. 39.1, 2. David as he deſired God to put a good bit into the mouth of this wanton beaſt, ſo he would himſelf keep a ſtrict hand and rein him in.
A good Wiſh about prayer, wherein all the forementioned particulars are epitomized.
PRayer is one of my neareſt and ſolemneſt approaches to the moſt high God, The Introduction to prayer analyzed.and one of my choiceſt priviledges on this ſide the place of praiſe: wherein I may go to my God at all times and acquaint him what I ail, where it is well, where it is ill with my poor ſoul: I wiſh in general that I may never ſuffer this key (to Gods own treaſury) to ruſt for want of uſe, nor to be ineffectual to the opening of the Divine bounty by my unskilfulneſs in turning it, that neither by my unfitneſs for the duty, miſcarriage at the duty, nor misbehaviour after the duty, I may demean my ſelf unworthy of ſo great a favour, ſo high an honor, and ſo good a Maſter. In particular, I wiſh that I may (at leaſt morning and evening) before I enter upon this ordinance, The antecedents to prayer, 1. Meditation Of ſins.whether in my cloſet or family, make a privy ſearch for thoſe Barabaſſes which have moved ſedition in my ſoul, and murthered my deareſt Saviour, and that I may have ſuch a ſight of them all, in their horrid nature, and bloody colour, that I may arraign them at the Tribunal of God with confuſion of face, and contrition of heart, and may with all poſſible ardency plead for their execution. Of wants.I wiſh that my neceſſities may ever be in my memory, that as the ſick childe, I may point readily to the place of my pain, when ever I go to make my moan to my heavenly Father, and that affected with the weight and importance of them, I praying feelingly, may pray the more fervently.
I wiſh that the many and weighty mercies which I unworthy Wretch enjoy, Of mercies.may be written ſo firmly in my minde, and preſented to me before prayer, in the various and lively colours of their freeneſs, fulneſs and ſeaſonableneſs, that I may never ſteal the cuſtom of thanks from my God (which is all he deſires) for thoſe rich and full veſſels which he ſendeth me in every day: but may pay him this impoſt of Praiſe and Glory, with all uprightneſs and alacrity.
I wiſh that my Graces may never be, like Jonah, Quickning of grace.aſleep, when I am to call upon my God, but as the Heavenly Hoſt they may be moving in their ſeveral places, and fighting in their courſes againſt my ſpiritual Enemies; O that like holy Bradford I might never leave confeſſion, without ſorrow for ſin, petition, without ſome ſenſe of the worth of mercies, nor thanksgiving, Laying aſ… what may hinde pr…y….without ſome ſolace and joy in God, the Author and Fountain of all my happineſs. I wiſh that I may draw nigh to God with a pure conſcience, and before I go to deſire the lovely portion of his friends, All ſin in general.give a bill of divorce to all my luſts and (at leaſt) baniſh from the bed of my heart thoſe enemies of his which would not have him to reign over me. I wiſh that I may never deſire mercy at his hands with the leaſt degree of malice in my heart, Anger.but may love (as Saints, becauſe they are Chriſts ſeed, ſo) ſinners, and them that hate me, for Chriſts ſake: and as a ſpecial medicine againſt that poiſon, whatſoever friend I ſhould forget in my prayers, I wiſh I may reſolve before hand to remember in particular my Enemies, to beg of God that he would pardon, ſanctifie, and ſave them. I wiſh that my affections may not as Sauls perſon, Worldly thoughts.be hid among the ſtuff of Worldly affairs, when I ſhould be buſie about the concernment of an eternal crown; but that I may leave thoſe ſervants always at the door behind, while I go in to ſpeak to the King of Nations, Concomitants of prayer.and may all the time of the duty ſerve and ſeek the Lord my God without diſtraction. I wiſh that I may be ſpecially careful to look up to the Maſter of requeſts, Perſon muſt be juſtified.the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: Firſt, for the juſtification of my perſon, and then for the acceptation of my prayer, and that I may be ſo enabled with the hand of faith, to put on the glorious robes of his perfect righteouſneſs, that neither the nakedneſs of my perſon nor performance, may appear to my ſhame. The matter of prayer.I wiſh that all the flowers which I preſent to my God, in the poſie of prayer, may be gathered out of his own garden, the Scriptures; I mean, that I may never exceed thoſe bounds which he hath ſet me, for the matter of my prayer; but may uſe much caution that all thoſe ſpices which I make my incenſe of, may be of his own preſcription: and O that to this end, his holy ſpirit who knoweth his mind fully, Properties of prayer.might draw up all my petitions for me. I wiſh that my prayers may be ever preſented upon the bended knees of my ſoul, Humbleand alſo in regard of my body in the loweſt and moſt ſubmiſſive poſture; Ah how humble ſhould duſt and aſhes be, when he takes upon him to ſpeak to the moſt High God. HeartyI wiſh above all that I may never mock the moſt jealous God in this duty, by ſpeaking Parrot like, what I neither mind nor mean, but whatſoever diſh be wanting on the Table, to which I invite my God, my heart which I know he loveth above all, may be there, and that my prayer may be the travail of my ſoul, and not the labour of my lips. I wiſh that I may ſo feel my ſpiritual wants, that my bowels may ſo pinch me, that as the hungry and almoſt ſtarved begger, I may cry aloud for the bread of life, yet not ſo much, Ferventin regard of the extenſion of my voice, as the intenſion of my ſpirit. When I am petitioning for pardon and grace, I wiſh I might beg as earneſtly and beſeech God as importunately as if it were in the power of my prayer, to change his mind, and procure the bleſſing, but when I am asking temporals; CautionI would not as the dry earth, cry, and cleave, and gape, for corn and wine and oyl, but willingly be at my fathers allowance, and deſire no more then what his infinite wiſdom ſeeth needful to hear my charges, till I come to my bleſſed and everlaſting home. ConſtantI wiſh that I might obſerve that ſtanding law: according to which Heavens bounty is diſpenſed: In all things to make my requeſts known to God, and never expect, though the mercies of God be never ſo ripe, that any of them ſhould fall down upon me in mercy, unleſs I ſhake the tree by prayer. I wiſh that every mercy may come flying to me upon the Wings of prayer, and may fly back to God upon the Wings of praiſe; that prayer may be the Mother to breed and bring forth all my bleſſings, that not one child of them but may be named Samuel asked of God, that when I firſt open my eyes in the morning, I may then in ſome ejaculatory prayer, open my heart to my God, that at night prayer may make my bed ſoft, and lay my pillow eaſie, that in the day time prayer may perfume my cloaths, ſweeten my food, oyl the wheels of my particular vocation, keep me company upon all occaſions, and guild over all my natural, civil and Religious actions. I wiſh that after I have poured out my prayer in the Name of Chriſt, Subſequents of prayer.according to the Will of God, having ſowed my ſeed, WaitingI may expect a crop, looking earneſtly for the ſpringing of it up, and beleiving aſſuredly that I ſhall reap in time, if I faint not; yea, that though the promiſe may ſtick long in the birth, yet it will at laſt bring forth, when God will give me large intereſt for my forbearance. Finally I wiſh that (though before ſorrowful) having opened my mind to God about any ſuffering, my countenance like Hannahs, may be no more ſad; that I may never buſie my ſelf about Gods work, the ſucceſs and event of things, nor like an idle lazy begger, Workingbe careleſs about my own work, but may in my place and to my power be induſtrious in the uſe of all thoſe lawful means which his providence affords me, for the enjoyment of my deſires, that as I did lift up my heart in praying, ſo I may lift up my hands in working, to God, who dwelleth in the Heavens.