A Warning Piece for the Slumbering Virgins, Part 8
Secondly, Prayer helps to keep up our Watch; it cannot fall down, while Prayer is up with faith and fervency.
1. It helps up a Chriſtians Watch, and keeps it up, as it brings in the Keeper of Iſrael, who neither ſlumbers nor ſleeps, to help us to watch. The prayer of faith crys loud in his ears, and awakens him, to a waken us; it followes him (as for life) to quicken up our ſpirits to this ſpirituall Watch; It has power with God, and fetches power from him, to ſtrengthen weak hands and feeble knees,Iſa. 40.31. in this holy duty. Prayer upon the wings of faith, will fetch down Eagles wings in a promiſe, to mount up with, in this high and heavenly exerciſe, of waiting on the Lord, and watching for him; Watching is hard work, and long duty; and alas, we are ſoon tyred out in any thing of ſpiritual duty; eſpecially if any thing of difficulty in it, we are ready at every turn to lie down to reſt.
Now lively prayer ſtirres up the Lord to ſtirre us up; It will ſet him awork at our hearts; and his heart-workings are heartawakenings; while we are knocking at the gates of Heaven, and jogging (as it were) of Chriſts elbow, by ſtirring and ſtrong cryes; his ſpirit will be knocking at the door of our hearts; and jogging our ſpirits, to keep them awake: Let a poor heart but cry in the Ears of the Lord, and it ſhall hear a voyce from heaven behind it, yea within it, ſaying, Ariſe my Love and come away, &c.
2. Prayer helps in watching,Pſal. 121. as it engages the Lord to watch over our watchings, without whom all our watchings would be in vain; he keeps a ſtrict watch over his waiting ſervants day and night, for he neither ſlumbers nor ſleeps. Alas, we cannot keep our ſouls alive, nor our heart awake; but prayer takes the Lord into the Watchtower with us, and he ſets a guard upon our hearts, a watch before our lips, &c. Hee's a tower of ſalvation to his people, and keeps them as in a garriſon by his own power,1 Pet. 1.5. while they are upon his Watch, and at his Work. The Watch muſt needs be ſafely and ſweetly kept, where Jeſus Chriſt is Captain of the Guard; we ſhould be certainly ſurprized even upon our ſpiritual Watch by thoſe ſpiritual wickedneſſes in high places, who are too high and too many for us. Were we not ſet upon the Rock that is higher then we,Pſal. 61.2. that is higher then they, the Rock Chriſt: we ſhould be taken as naked men, even at our arms, did not the Captain of our Salvation watch with us, and over us; now Chriſts waiting-ſervants are ever calling him in, by the prayer of Faith, to keep up their Watch for them, by watching over them;1 Sam. 28.2. Achiſh to David. their effectual prayers lay ſtrong hands upon him, to keep him with them, as the Keeper of their heads and hearts for ever.
3. Prayer helps a Chriſtian to Watch, as it brings him in to commune with God, who is glorious in holineſſe, fearful in praiſes, doing wonders. When a poor ſilly, ſinful Wretch comes to preſent himſelf before the Holy One, who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity. How will the ſerious thoughts of the tranſcendent majeſty, and reſplendent purity of Jehovah awaken him? Will not his excellency make him afraid, Job 13.11.and his dread fall upon him? When Abraham drew near to commune with the Lord, what awakened poſture does he appear in?Gen. 18 27. Behold (ſayes he) I have taken upon me to ſpeak to the Lord, who am but duſt and aſhes. Oh let not the Lord be angry, &c. When a Child of God finds in his heart to plead with his Father in Heaven, he firſt pleades with himſelf in theſe or the like words;Mic. 6.6. Wherewithall ſhall I appear before the Lord, or bow my ſelf to the mighty God of Jacob? Awake, O my ſoul, awake, and offer not the dead, the lame and the ſick in ſacrifice to the living God: Hee's a great King, Mal. 1.14.and his Name is dreadfull: And as a gracious ſpirit communes with its own heart, before it commune with him that tryes the heart; ſo the Lord communes with it in and after prayer: now the voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce, which ſhakes the Cedars; and will it not then ſhake a bruiſed reed, and make it tremble at his Word? A broken heart that can ſpeak its mind freely and feelingly to the Lord, and hears him ſpeaking home to his heart, muſt needs be effectually awakened; ſuch heavenly entercourſe maintained by a ſpirit of prayer, will keep up a Chriſtians ſpirit in a watchful frame, till it go up to God that gave it.
4. Prayer helps exceedingly at this heart-watch, as it is marvellouſly heart-affecting: In fervent prayer, how does the ſoftned heart melt in godly ſorrow, (as ſnow before the Sun, or wax by the fire?) mourning over the Lord and after him? how does the thirſting ſoul pant and breathe, and break with longings after the living God, as a thirſty land? how are the affections carried up towards heaven, in a pure flame of Divine life and love, aſcending as pillars of perfumed ſmoke? And will not ſuch unconceiveable Soul-ſtirrings & ſtrugglings as theſe awaken the heart? Sure there is a mighty ſpirit of activity goes forth in this Saints-exerciſe, when performed in the power of the holy Spirit, which will prevent heart-benumming ſecurity; when a man of God wraſtles with the Allmighty in his might as a Gyant refreſhed with Wine; what heart-raiſing and rowſing work muſt there needs be (think ye)? 'Tis too buſie a time this, to ſleep in, when an immortal ſoul is working, as for life, with the ever-living God, about the things of Eternity.