A Warning Piece for the Slumbering Virgins, Part 7
Firſt, Watchfulneſſe helps to lift up, and keep up Prayer, as Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moſes, Exod. 17.12.
1. It helps us to opportunities of Prayer. A ſlumbring ſpirit loſes many ſeaſons of Prayer, ſleeps out ſweet breathing-times of ſupplication. Where there is deep ſpiritual ſleep, there's deep ſilence, a dumb ſpirit is there: The Sluggard is folding his hands to reſt, when he ſhould be lifting up his heart with his hands unto God in the Heavens: If we watch not, Satan will make a prey of our praying-times; the World will be ſtealing away our time and hearts too; Our praying times are precious times, our enemies envy them; and, of all times, will be interpoſing, when we are any thing diſpoſed this way; they'l loſe no time, to make us loſe our beſt times; and if they can but take us off the duty of the day, they get the day; Now a watchfull Spirit will keep time with God, (in whoſe hands all our time is) who ever ſayes Nay; It thinks much to loſe one meeting with him, he muſt not be put off, what ever is put by. Vigilancie helps much, as to conſtancie and frequencie in prayer; an awakened heart will cry with David morning, evening, and at noon; It will prevent the dawning of the Morning; and the Night watches: ſuch a Soul, only, can continue in prayer,Pſal. 55.17. Pſa. 119.147.148. and pray continually, that is continually upon its Watch.
Beſides, as watchfulneſſe helps to find out time for prayer; ſo, to chuſe out the fitteſt; when we are moſt at leaſure for Heaven, in the beſt poſture for prayer; As Jeſus Chriſt was much at faſting and prayer, (and beſt at it) ſo he watched ſeaſons and ſecrecie for prayer;Mark. 1.25. Hee's early at it, and ſolitarie; And as he counſels us to pray daily, ſo he cautions us to pray duly, ſolemnly, and ſecretly;Math. 6.6. But thou, when thou prayeſt, enter into thy cloſet, and when thou haſt ſhut thy door, pray to thy Father which ſeeth in ſecret, &c: We ſhould have nothing elſe to doe, when we have to do with God in prayer, Tis work enough alone; and he loves to have us much alone at this work; A man that is wiſe for his Soul, will watch a finding time, in all his ſeekings; and ſpeak moſt to the Lord, when ther's moſt hopes, he will be ſpoke with,Pſal. 32.6. and he ſhall ſpeed beſt.
Now a ſleepie heart is for any time, or no time; 'Tis apt to put God off with the leaſt and laſt; when it's Spirit's low, ſtrength ſpent, affections earthly; when all out of frame, no help at it, no heart to it, no time for it; He neither looks for Gods Spirit in prayer, nor at his own; And thus the Lord of all muſt be ſerved with anything, or nothing by a ſloathful ſervant; whereas a vigilant ſoul watches Golden-Goſpel-ſeaſons, when it may offer up incenſe in Golden cenſers. When the heart's ful (as the Clouds) then to be pouring it out; when 'tis as a bottle of new Wine wanting vent; then to ſpeak that it may be refreſhed (as Elihu did) when the Spirit moves,Job. 32.18, 19, 20. when the heart is fixed, when the affections are warme, when moſt retired and inward. Theſe are the heavenly breatheing times with the awakened Virgins, for this holy exerciſe. Theſe are the living lively Saints dayes for pure Spiritual recreation; theſe are their extraordinary times on earth, upon which they pray down more then ordinary bleſſings from Heaven.
2. Watchfullneſse helps us to Importunitie in prayer: A watchfull Soul is good at holding out with Gods, ſits up with him & for him.
It will not keepe ſilence, while God is ſilent; It can take no reſt, and will give the Lord no reſt, till he heare in Heaven, and ſpeak to its heart; Take an awakened heart upon deep conviction, and how mightily will it cry unto the Lord, ſaying, Awake, awake, heare me ſpeedily, and, How long Lord! 'Tis in great haſte now,Pſa. 40.1. Hebr. for an anſwer from Heaven; and the more haſte the better ſpeed in this ſenſe: Now it cannot but wait in waiting, pray with a prayer;Jam. 5.14.17. Gr. cry all the day: While its watch is up, its ſoul is lift up, that God would rejoyce the ſoul of his ſervant:Pſa. 86.3.4. Its hard at work within at this heart-duty.
Now a ſlumbring ſpirit has ſoon done; ſhorteſt prayers are ſweeteſt to it. It cares not for awakening the Lord, leſt he ſhould awaken it; It would be let alone, and therefore 'twill let him alone; it likes well to give the Lord reſt and it ſelf too: A ſleepy heart cannot lift up the hands that hang down, Heb. 12.12.and the feeble knees. 'Tis the awakened Soul which ſtretcheth forth the hand towards God, whoſe eyes fail with looking up; that wraſtles with him, as for life, (Jacob-like) and will not let him go without a bleſſing. Now importunity does much with God in prayer;Luk. 18.1.7.8.82. Gr. Will not God avenge his Elect, that cry unto him day and night; I tell you, ſayes Chriſt, (who knevv his Fathers heart, coming from his boſome) he will Speedily; aſſoon as may be: Fervent prayer, though long at it, loſes no time; life and length in this duty will carry it at laſt: It will not be put off, not away till it has got an alms; it has got the skill on't, and will not leave knocking, till the door be opened; It will have its will of God, (as one may ſay) becauſe it would have nothing but what God will. What a great word was that from Chriſt to great faith and fervency in prayer: Be it unto thee, as thou wilt: Mat. 15 28. Gr.Shee could wiſh no more, and ſhe muſt have no leſſe.
3. Watchfullneſs helps to idoneitie in prayer; Awakened hearts are readieſt to cry to the Lord, and to heare him ſpeak: 'Its an inſtrument in tune to pray with; ſuch an heart God himſelf has prepared for himſelf, and he will cauſe his eare to heare, and prepare of his goodneſſe for it too; A Chriſtian upon his ſpirituall watch may ſay, My heart is readie, O God, my heart is readie; Pſa. 10.17.'Tis an excellent frame of ſpirit for any ſpiritual duty, at any time.
A ſlumbring Spirit is moſt unfit for holy ſtrivings and ſtruglings with God; none more indiſpoſed to this ſtirring duty, or leſſe affected at it; When the heart is aſleep, prayer is but a dream; 'Tis phanſie works then, not faith; there's onelyonly a ſound of words, no ſound words; All's but as ſounding braſse, or as a tinkling Cymball; it makes no muſick in Gods eare; All's to ſeeke in ſuch a heart, faith, deſires, hope &c, it's ever at a loſſe; All's dead in a manner here, there's no breathing almoſt; Oh what a diſtempered, diſtracted ſpirit in prayer, where no watch is kept? what averſions from it, what diverſions in it? How will the heart wander up and down, and give us the ſlip, if not watched? What ſtrange withdrawings, & miſgivings of ſpirit, when we draw nigh to give up our hearts to the Lord? what a croud of confuſed thoughts in a ſleepie heart? weak and low graces are ſoon loſt in it; 'Tis ſuch a thorow-fare for Sctans ſuggeſtions, that Chriſt has little or no room there; Now a watchfull Spirit will be ſure to ſhut the door againſt all theſe: that Chriſt may have all to himſelf, the heart muſt be kept, as a cloſet for him and the Soul to meet in.
4. In point of Receptivitie; watchfullneſſe puts a Soul into a capacitie to take in much from God by prayer: as to be much at it, and to do much in it, ſo to get much by it; God will be ever giving to that Soul, that gives it ſelf unto prayer. A man that is all prayer (to allude to the expreſſion in the original) whoſe heart is all upon it,Pſa. 109 4. Heb. as Davids, muſt needs be a getting growing man; hee, drives ſo thriving a trade thoroughly; Now there's none better at it, then awakened hearts, and ſo none fitter to wait.
1. For ſupply and ſupport in prayer; Spiritual ſupplications cannot be carryed on but by the ſupply of the Spirit of Jeſus-Chriſt, which Paul reckoned ſo comfortably on;Phil. 1.19. theſe ſweet ſpices will not flow without the breathings of the holy Ghoſt; It's well known to an awakened Soul, that we cannot think a good thought of our ſelves; 'Tis onelyonly Gods good Spirit, that can teach us to indite good matter;Pſa. 45.1. Hebr. his quicknings make our Spirits as a living Spring, to buble up and boyle over in fervent prayer;Iſa. 6.6. when he touches the lips with a living coale (as one of the Seraphims did the Prophet Iſaiah) then our tongues will be like the pens of a readie writer. Rom. 8.26. Gr.An experienced Chriſtian, when awake, feeles at his heart; he cannot help up himſelf in prayer, and therefore he waites for the Spirit to help his infirmities, he knows not how to turn his hand or heart to the work, without an helping hand from Heaven at every turn; and therefore he waits and weeps for the Spirit to help him out, with ſighs and groans that cannot be uttered: and though he have no ſtrength of his own, yet he has power with God, having power from God.
2. For ſucceſse and ſatisfaction after Prayer. He that watches unto prayer and in it, will wait for the return of prayer, day after day, as Noah did for the Dove, till it returned with an Olive leaf in its mouth: when he has ſowen in tears, he waits for the precious fruits of a ſpiritual harveſt, till he reap in joy: he looks long and longingly after his prayers and tears with an open eye and heart; hee's ever and anon hearkening what the Lord will ſay, after all his ſpeaking to him, and pleading with him by a ſpirit of ſupplication; he muſt hear and feel at his heart, that God hears in heaven: when he has done praying, his faith is as buſie with God at his promiſes, as the Bee at flowers, and will not have done, till prayer comes home laden with honey. Thus poor beggars, that have the skill of waiting in prayer, and after it, get a good living by it; 'tis a good ſtock, that brings in great ſtore of new and old; Now a ſlothfull ſpirit has no heart at all, to look after his prayers, that had no heart in them; they die in the birth, and are ſtill-born; how can he expect God ſhould hear thoſe prayers, which he ſcarce hears himſelf? They make no noyſe in heaven, and there can be no good newes of them on earth; they'l find Gods ear heavy, who find their hearts ſo; whereas a watchfull heart may reckon much of the incoms of prayers, and ſhall have a good account of them one day.