The Power of Godliness, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III The next help for the attainment of the Power of Godlineſs, are Ejaculatory prayers.
THe next thing that I ſhall ſpeak to, which is of unſpeakable ſpiritual advantage, are Ejaculatory prayers, which do firſt honor God much in his Attributes.
1. In his Omniſciency, I mean mental ejaculatory prayers, for generally all mental prayers are ejaculatory, and by this we profeſs, that God is Omniſcient, that hee knows our thoughts.
2. It honours Gods mercy abundantly; for wee ſuppoſe that God is ſo ready to hear, and waits to ſhew mercy, Iſa. 30.18. that the ſwifteſt, ſhorteſt prayer, cannot eſcape him.
3. It is a diſtinguiſhing note between regenerate, and unregenerate perſons, for ſolemn prayer, publike family, cloſet prayer, an hypocrite may perform them, but not frequent, mental, ejaculatory prayer.
4. By this means the ſoul muſt needs be perfumed, and inflamed, and eſtabliſhed; as hee that is often in a Perfumers Shop, and at the fire, muſt needs retain much of the heat of the one, and the ſweet ſents of the other.
5. Theſe ejaculatory prayers keep us in a perpetual fitneſs for ſolemn prayer; inſtruments of muſick, that are ſeldome plaid on, though they bee left never ſo well in tune, yet if hung by for any conſiderable time, will grow out of tune, and unfit to play on, without retuning of them: So our hearts, except continually exerciſed by ejaculatory prayer, will looſe that ſweet harmony they had, nor will bee fit for ſolemn duties, without further preparation; but one that continually multiplies ejaculatory prayers, is alwayes in ſuch a frame of heart, as is fit for ſolemn prayer.
6. This is the way to keep God always with us in a friendly preſence; for if ſo be ones friend, comes to ſee one, if ones buſines bee of that nature, that one cannot ſpeak with him from morning to night; or if it bee not of that nature, as divers kindes of imployments are, if one would not ſo much as minde him, hee leaves us; but if wee will converſe with him, though we bee doing ſomething elſe, hee ſtayes with us: So if thy heart bee continually ſpeaking to God by ejaculatory prayers, hee will not forſake thee; but if you will not by ejaculatory prayers ſpeak one word to God, when thy ſolemn prayer is ended, thou mayeſt not expect the preſence of God at other times, nay, nor then neither.
7. Thou wilt miſs of abundance of bleſſings and mercies, if thou neglecteſt ejaculatory prayers; for divers times thou wilt finde, while thou art in conference with the people of God, or reading ſome good book, &c. that thine heart will bee ſometimes inflamed with the love of God, and deſires after enjoyments of him, thou wilt bee brought to the ſight and ſenſe of thine own unworthineſs and ſpiritual wants, ſo that thou wilt finde many things that thou ſtandeſt in need of, for which it is very fit that thou ſhould'ſt put up thy prayers to God, and while the ſenſe of theſe things do affect thee, thou wilt pray with more zeal and fervency; but if thou wilt refer all to thy ſolemn prayers, and ſay to thy ſelf, As ſoon as the company is gone, and I have an opportunity for ſolemn prayer, then I will poure out my ſoul before God: But by this meanes two great miſchiefes will befall thee.
1. It may bee that frame of heart may ceaſe, and thou not ſtriking while the iron is hot, ten times more ſtrength and time will not ſerve.
2. Thou canſt not keep in minde all thoſe things which thou waſt moved to pray or praiſe God for, for in an hour or two, eſpecially if wee are in conference with the people of God, a multitude of occaſions, of ejaculatory prayers, will occur, which it is almoſt impoſſible for thee to remember, if thou neglecteſt them, when they offer themſelves unto thee; and if thou canſt remember them, when thou comeſt to thy ſolemn prayers, thy former ejaculatory prayers will not hinder, but further thee in the duty.
8. This is the way to ſpiritualize all our worldly imployments, this is our having our converſation in heaven. I have heard it reported of one, that hee kept a ſtricter communion with God, whilſt hee was walking in the ſtreets, than ordinarily Chriſtians did on their knees: By this means worldly objects, that take up the thoughts of wicked men in their worldly imployments, and alſo in holy duties: I ſay, thoſe worldly objects that diſtract others, will ſerve to imminde thee of, and give thee matter of more frequent ejaculations unto God.
9. The want of ejaculatory prayers, cannot bee any way ſupplied, not by ſolemn duties; and if the caſe were ſo, that wee muſt omit one of them, it were better to omit our ſolemn prayer in the morning, and to have our heart ſending up continually ejaculatory prayers, and breathings after God, than to ſpend an hour in the morning in ſolemn prayer, and meditation, and all the reſt of the day not to have ſo much as one thought of God. One that were to write or read all day in exceeding cold weather, which of theſe two do you think hee would chuſe? either to bee an hour at a good fire in the morning, but not to come neer it all the reſt of the day, or an hundred times a day, if hee ſo pleaſed, to go and ſtay a while, and warm himſelf, and return again to his imployment; though both were beſt, yet the laſt, if they muſt bee ſever'd, were to bee choſen, as to warmth. By our ejaculatory prayers wee do frequently warm our ſouls, and keep the heat of the love of God from going out in us.
10. Theſe are the firſt and laſt prayers of every Saint; as ſoon as hee is new born, hee cries Abba, Father; or with Paul, Lord, what wilt thou have mee to do? and it is the laſt thing that a Saint doth when hee comes to die: An ejaculatory, fervent, inflamed prayer, is the fiery Chariot, which carries the ſoul of every Saint to heaven: So our bleſſed Saviour, Father, into thine hands I commend my ſpirit; when hee dies, and takes his leave of praying, it is by an ejaculatory prayer; and ſo it is the firſt and laſt of all ſolemn duties, it prevents, and prepares us for them: When a man is converted, as hee is hearing the Word, hee cannot ſtay while hee comes home to ſolemn prayer, but is ſending up ſparks, and ejaculatory prayers, from the time that hee is wrought upon by God, it is the (Amen) which cloſeth up all our prayers, for Amen is but an ejaculation, great fires begin and end in a ſpark: So David ends his Pſalm with an ejaculatory prayer, Pſalm 19.14. As in a bell, when it ringeth out, if you let it go, it will not ceaſe of a ſudden, but will ſtrike many a Toll before it quite ceaſeth; ſo the Soul, after ſolemn duties, hath ſome motions, and returnes, and callings upon God. Mark thoſe ſolemn duties, which you have begun without ejaculatory prayers, by way of preparation, and have ended without any conſequent breathings after God, you ſhall finde ſuch duties much leſſe effectual.
11. This is the way to weary out Satan, as a City is wearied out by continual Aſſaults and Alarums, for every ejaculatory prayer gives Satan a freſh Alarm; ſo that by this means thou doſt never let Satan alone. Solomon compares a contentious Wife to a continual droping, Prov. 19.13. one that rideth in a great ſhoure, if the reſt of the day be hot and fair, his cloaths will bee dried again; but one that rideth in continual dropping weather, cannot bee dry; ſo a contentious Wife never ſuffers her husband to have a quiet hour: A ſolemn fervent prayer, is like a great ſhoure in a journey, very diſturbing to Satan, but hee will recover himſelf; but continual ejaculatory prayers (like a contentious woman) will never let Satan have a quarter of an hours reſt; ſo it alſo will eat out our corruptions, Gutta cavat lapidem non vi…, ſed ſepe cadendo; a continual dropping upon a ſtone wears it: So thou wilt finde that thy ſtony heart will bee wrought upon more, by continual ejaculatory prayers, than by ſolemn duties only.
12. Ejaculatory prayers are the freeſt from diſtraction, whether it is, becauſe they generally ariſe from the heart, except in prophane perſons, who have their accuſtomary O Lords, and Lord have mercy upon mee, without thinking of God whom they name, who are neer of Kin to common ſwearers; or whether they being ſo ſhort, ſudden, and mental, they do not awaken Satan to tempt us, until they bee over; and then, though they awaken him, yet they weaken him alſo: As for ſolemn prayers, our preparations to them, if only by the alteration of our geſtures, gives notice to Satan what wee are about to do; but in ejaculatory prayers, wee have done, as ſoon as Satan perceives what wee are a doing; hee cannot ſhoot any of his darts, that are ſet on fire of hell, ſo ſoon againſt us; but our darts, that is, an ejaculatory prayer, ſet on fire with the love of God, will bee in heaven before.
13. Theſe kinde of prayers are very powerful, one of the ſtrangeſt Providences that wee read of in Scripture, viz. that a Heathen King that had led the Jewes captive, ſhould bee ſo active in building, and re-building the Temple. I ſay, that was attained by a mental ejaculatory prayer, Neh. 2.4. and a vocal ejaculatory prayer, obtained a vocal anſwer from heaven, John 12.28. By Chriſts ejaculatory Prayer on the Croſſe, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do, thouſands were converted, Acts 2. So the converſion of S. Paul, was procured by the ejaculatory prayer of Stephen.
14. In theſe kinde of prayers eſpecially God deals familiarly with man, and doth, as it were, put off the robes of his Majeſty; or rather, God ſuffers man to deal familiarly with him; for in our ſolemn prayers wee do, as thoſe that with a great deal of ceremony and diſtance, and abundance of outward reverence, delivers a Petition to a great Monarch, who doth not hereby abate any thing of his Majeſty, nor doth the delivering of a Petition ſo, argue any familiarity or acquaintance; but if one ſhall ſee one ſpeaking two or three words to the King, and as often as hee pleaſed to ſpeak ſo to the King, wee ſhould argue, that hee had the Kings ear, and that the King dealt after a familiar way with him: So our ſolemn duties do not argue our acquaintance with God ſo much, as theſe ejaculatory prayers: A ſtranger may deliver a Petition in a ſolemn way, wee give God the glory of his Majeſty more in our ſolemn prayers, but God doth more glorifie his goodneſſe and condeſcention, in giving us leave to uſe frequent ejaculatory prayers.
15. They may bee moſt frequent; ſo that what they want in magnitude, may bee ſupplied by their number: It's a Proverb among ſome, that light gains make a heavy purſe; ſo thoſe ſpiritual gains, by ejaculatory prayers, though it ſeems to bee ſmall and light, yet will much encreaſe the weight, both of grace and glory: Solemn duties can bee but ſeldome, ſince they require retirement, and more time, than this kinde of prayer doth, though wee read but of three times of ſolemn prayer that Daniel uſed, and ſeven times that David uſed it, yet it may juſtly bee thought, that ejaculatory prayers were, or might bee without number.
16. Theſe kinde of prayers, if wee uſe not, there is no excuſe, for 1. They hinder nothing, they hinder not cuſtomers from coming to your Shop, nor them that come from buying, they diſturb no buſineſs, but they are like Varniſh, that puts a luſtre on all colours, but changeth them not; it makes a vermilion colour, not leſs red, but orient; like the Bee that gathers honey from every flower, but leaves it as fragrant and beautiful as ſhee found it.
17. As they hinder no buſineſs, ſo no buſineſs hinders them, riding, ſelling, walking; nay, nor ſleeping hinders theſe prayers, although thou ſleepeſt, thy heart may wake; thoſe that keep thee from ſolemn prayer, cannot keep thee from theſe, thy perſon may bee impriſoned, but not thy prayers; though they ſhould cut out thy tongue, as they did Policarpus his, and ſo keep thee from vocal, yet they cannot hinder thee from mental prayer; wicked perſecutors may hinder ſolemn, but nothing but a wicked heart can hinder from ejaculatorie prayers.
18. It ſhewes, that thou art but an hypocrite, that is, a Stage-player, for ſo the word properlie ſignifies, for thou doſt carry thy ſelf juſt as they do; for the Church is but a ſtage for hipocrites to act their parts in: For as thoſe that act upon a Stage, their fear, joy, ſorrow, though they are acted to the life, yet as ſoon as the Play is done, there remains not any impreſſion of theſe affections; if he was ſad before, though hee acted a Part, of joy, returns to his former ſadneſs; and if hee acted the Part of ſorrow, yet hee remains not ſad when the Play is done, for that matter which hee pretended to bee ſo much grieved for on the Stage, but for that for which hee was affected before; nay, while hee acted his Part of ſorrow, it was not that which hee pretended to bee ſorrie for, but his former cauſe of grief hath made him act ſo to the life: So when Hipocrites confeſs their ſins, as ſoon as ever their prayer is ended, and their confeſſion is ended, they return to their imployments, there remaines nothing of their acted ſorrowes; nay, many times when an hypocrite ſeems to weep for his ſins, while hee is confeſſing of them, his teares flow from another fountain, viz. from the ſenſe of ſome affliction that lies heavy on him. Now, if when thy prayer is done, thy joyes, forrowes, deſires, breathings after God, all expire with the laſt word of thy ſolemn prayer, it ſhewes, that thou haſt been but acting of a part; for ſorrowes that are rooted and fixed in us, do not fall from their paroxiſme quite to ceaſe, but by degrees: When did you ever ſee a tender mother, that was weeping, like Rachel for her children, to fall from the heighth of her ſorrowes, to mirth and laughter, ſuch a carriage is rather fit for thoſe that were hired to mourn at Funerals amongſt the Jewes, than for thoſe that imploid them.
19. No temporal or ſpiritual imployment can bee rightlie mannaged without it; while thou art ſelling thy wares, thou wilt danger to ſell thy ſoul alſo; while thou art walking in the ſtreet this way, thou mayeſt bee journeying toward heaven: But I ſhall rather endeavour to ſhew it in holy duties, it is an excellent practiſe to uſe theſe ejaculatory prayers, while we are hearing the Word, I mean mental ejaculatorie prayers, for vocal may diſturb others, and eſpecially ſavour too much of hipocriſie; yet I will not judge thoſe that uſe it, for I do not finde our Saviour doth blame them that uſed vocal ejaculatorie prayer, while he was preaching, Joh. 6.34. And though the Apoſtles would not interrupt our Saviour with any queſtion, whilſt he was Preaching, but ſtayed while bee came into the houſe privatelie, Mark 7.17. Yet while hee was preaching, they ſent an ejaculatory prayer, Luke 17.5. and were blameleſs. When thou heareſt any grace commended, how canſt thou abſtain (as ſuppoſe Faith) Lord encreaſe my faith: So if any ſin reproved, and thou findeſt thy ſelf guiltie of it, thou may'ſt, and ſhould'ſt in the ſecret of thy ſoul ſay, Lord, lay not this ſin to my charge. If a Sermon preach'd of the Excellencie of Chriſt, that Bread that came down from heaven, why may'ſt thou not ſay as they did, John 6.34. Lord, evermore give us of this bread; nay, wee read that our bleſſed Saviour, while hee was preaching, in the midſt of his Sermon, breaks forth into a vocal ejaculatory prayer, Ma. 11.25. And ſurelie, while Miniſters are preaching, they may finde ſometimes, I wiſh it were not often, that their hearts are cold in the ſervice, either not actuallie, or not ſo ferventlie deſiring the glorie of God, and edification of his people; then by an ejaculatory filent prayer to fetch ſtrength from heaven, is of great advantage; nay, even in ſolemn prayer, theſe ejaculatory prayers are to bee mixt: For when one findes ones heart dead and cold, then to call down fire from heaven to inflame us, is of great and frequent uſe; and indeed the benefit of ejaculatory prayers is not to bee known, but by experience; and therefore I ſhall commend it as one of the greateſt helps that I know.
Object. But if you ſhall object and ſay, I have abundance of worldlie imployments, and I muſt follow my particular calling, as for familie prayer, morning and evening, and for Cloſet prayer ſometimes, I think them fit, and am content to do them; but to tell mee, that I muſt be frequent in theſe ejaculatory prayers in my Shop, as I am ſelling, or buying, &c. is a thing I cannot do, for I muſt minde my buſineſs I am about.
I anſwer. 1. Speak out, and mince not the matter, but let thy heart ſpeak out, for God verie well ſees the thoughts of it; and give mee leave to ſpeak what thy heart thinks: My Shop, and my particular calling, and to get riches, is my great buſineſs; for matters of Religion, and in particular for prayer, in the morning before my cuſtomers come, or at night when they are gone, I am content to uſe them, ſince it is a general cuſtome ſo to do; but for the reſt of the day, I deſire to be free, and that God would not trouble me with the motions of his Spirit, the reſt of the day: For though hee deſires but a word or two, by way of anſwer, in ejaculatory prayers, yet that's a diſturbance, though when by his Spirit hee ſpeaks to my heart, Seek thou my face, for mee to anſwer, thy face, Lord, will I ſeek, were enough, and hee will accept of it; yet this is an interruption. Let mee tell thee, thou that canſt not tell how to keep communion with God in worldlie imployments, and doeſt not prize communion with him above all worldlie imployments, art not worthie of him; thou mayſt bee a Profeſſor, but thou art no Saint.
2. I muſt ask thee, whether thou art as much againſt this, that worldlie thoughts ſhould mingle themſelves with thy ſolemn prayers, as that holie thoughts ſhould bee mingled with thy worldlie buſineſs; and this ſhewes the rottenneſs of thy heart, that thou wilt admit the world to come and ſpeak with thee in the midſt of thy ſolemn duties, or converſe with God, but wilt not afford God a word, or a look, while thou art converſing with the world.
3. Theſe ejaculatorie prayers will not hinder, but ſanctifie thine imployments; the having thy thoughts frequentlie upon God and heaven, will keep thee from all unlawful gains, from grinding the face of the poor, in buying, and making advantage of the ignorance of the buyer in ſelling; and this indeed is the reaſon why thou loveſt not to have thoughts of God at ſuch times, for they awaken thy conſcience, ſo that thou canſt not ſin ſo ſecurelie, and without diſturbance.
4. Thy not having frequent thoughts of God, in the midſt of thy worldlie imployments, ſhewes, that thou doeſt not follow thy particular calling out of obedience to God, but out of love to riches, ſo that thou haſt given the world thy heart: It is a better frame of heart, to bee willing to obey God, when hee bids us buy and ſell, &c. but to rejoyce to obey him, when hee bids us pray: When the duties of Gods immediate ſervice ſerve as recreations, to ſweeten and lighten the burthen of thy particular calling, and not the works of thy particular calling; as things that ſweeten duties of Religion, when thou calleſt the Sabbath a delight, and ſayeſt, when will the Sabbath come, and not, when will it bee done: This is that frame of heart, from which ejaculatorie prayers proceed. But you will ſay, how ſhall I gain this heavenly art, to bee frequent in ejaculatorie prayers? I ſhall add therefore to what I have ſaid ſome directions.
1. Get thy heart inflamed with the love of God, and of ſpiritual things, and then thou needeſt ſcarce any other means or helps; for it is impoſſible to give ones love to God, and keep ones thoughts from God; then theſe holy ſparks will not bee like thoſe that are ſtruck out of a flint, procured by violence and force, but like ſparks, coming from the fire of their own accord; and as the ſparks, ſo forced from a flint, fall downward, but ſparks from the fire, fly upward; ſo thoſe thoughts of God, and thoſe ejaculatorie prayers that proceed not from the flames of love, but from a flinty ſtony heart, are earthie, and to earth they return.
2. Bee frequent in reading the Pſalmes of David and the Song of Solomon, for they are the breathings of an inflamed, loveſick ſoul; and thou ſhalt find ſtore of theſe ejaculatorie prayers and praiſes; as, Bleſſe the Lord, O my ſoul, and all that is within mee, praiſe his holy Name, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and what is there on earth that I deſire, in compariſon of thee? and ſo in a multitude of Pſalmes; as Pſalm 145.148, 150. &c. for indeed it is a Store-houſe of theſe kinde of prayers, in all occaſions, whether of ſpiritual joy, ſorrow, love deſire, &c.
3. Obſerve providences, and all occurrences, for there is nothing almoſt, that thou ſeeſt or heareſt, but thou may'ſt eaſilie ſpiritualize. It is ſtored of M. Dod, who intending to marrie, but being troubled with fears and cares, how hee ſhould bee able to live in that condition, ſince his incomes were but ſmall, and but enough to maintain him in an unmarried condition; looking out of the Window, and ſeeing a Hen ſcraping for food for her numerous brood about her, thought thus with himſelf: This Hen did but live before it had theſe Chickens, and now ſhee lives with all her little ones; upon which hee added this thought alſo, I ſee the Fowles of the Ayr neither ſow nor reap, nor gather into barnes, and yet my heavenlie Father feeds them: And if thou getteſt that ſpiritual Art, like the Bee, to draw ſweetneſs from everie flower; and if thou canſt turn everie thing thou heareſt, and ſeeſt, into holy meditations, theſe ejaculatorie prayers will come of themſelves; for holy thoughts of God, end in holy prayers to God.
4. Get a ſenſe of thy own vileneſs, and inabilitie of doing any thing that is good, or reſiſting any thing that is evil, and that will make thee cry to God upon all occaſions, whether of dutie or temptation.
5. Hinder not the motions and breathings of the Spirit upon thee, quench not the Spirit, and the Spirit of God will inflame thee; for when the fire of his love is kindled in thy heart, what would hee, but that it ſhould burn? nay, wee muſt not only not hinder, but earneſtlie deſire theſe breathings of the Spirit, Cant. 4. & ult. Awake, O North winde, and blow, O South winde, upon my garden, that the ſpices thereof may flow forth; for if the fire bee blown, the ſparks will ariſe.
6. Much frequent the company of Gods people, for their companie will much inflame; green wood will burne, when it is mixt with that which is very dry; and if thou canſt get thy heart inflamed, love will dictate and furniſh thee with thoughts enough; but I muſt give ſome few cautions.
1. By this expreſſion of ejaculatorie prayers, I meane all manner of holy thoughts, whether they are praiſes of God, or prayers to God; whether they bee any admirings; as, Lord, what is man that thou regardeſt him? or any abaſing thoughts of our ſelves, Pſalm 73.22. how fooliſh was I, and ignorant, &c. or whether by enquiries after God; as, when ſhall I come and appear before God? Pſalm 42.2. or with our own ſoul, Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? Pſalm 42.5, 6. ſo that I uſe the word (Ejaculatorie prayers) very comprehenſively.
2. Let thy ejaculatorie prayers bee frequent, but not cuſtomary; for as I have already ſaid, ſuch kinde of cuſtomarie ejaculations, whoſoever uſeth them, is neer of kin to a common ſwearer.
3. Though they bee ſhort, let them bee fervent.
4. Let them generally bee mental, except thou art alone, and if they bee vocal, bee rather paſſive than active in them: As David held his tongue, until the fire burnt, and hee could hold in no longer, but burſt out in this expreſſion, Lord, let mee know my end, and the meaſure of my daies.
5. You muſt not leave off ſolemn duties, and think to ſupply the want thereof by ejaculatory prayers, for they are not to juſtle out, but help one another: This is, as if the Prieſts ſhould content themſelves with keeping the fire burning alwayes on the Altar, and neglect their morning and evening Sacrifice: And as when Solomon firſt offered Sacrifice at the Dedication of the Temple, there came down fire from heaven to conſume it; but afterwards, they were to keep in the fire day and night, by continual ſupplies of fewer: So that if they let the fire go out, they were not to expect that God ſhould by fire from heaven conſume their Sacrifices, as oft as they were to offer them: So it is with every ſoul that belongs to God, at firſt God doth inflame the ſoul with fire from heaven, but when once God hath kindled that fire, wee are to keep it in by continual ejaculatorie prayers, for elſe how can wee expect that God will alwayes kindle it anew, when wee go to our ſolemn duties?