The Power of Godliness, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Another great advantage that wee receive from our acquaintance with the people of God, is, in reference to their prayers.
THe next great advantage which we receive from our communion with Saints, is, in reſpect of prayer, and that ſeveral wayes.
1. In reſpect of their gift of Prayer, it is a good advice to thoſe that come complaining to one, that they cannot pray, they will tell you, when they go to pray; they have no faith, no words, they cannot ſpeak, but when they look upon God and their ſins, they are overwhelm'd with ſorrow, they cannot mourn for their ſins, nor praiſe God for his mercies, nor love him for his goodneſs, I ſay, it is a good advice to bid them go and make the ſame complaints, in the ſame words to God, as they do to man, and it is a prayer, and it is a good and true comfort to tell them, that ſighs and groanes without words, is better than words without them; and that God hears the deſires of the poor, before they ſpeak them; nay, though they cannot utter them, yet notwithſtanding it is a great advantage to joyn in prayer with thoſe, that have not onelyonly the Grace and Spirit, but the gift of ſupplication, for from their ſeveral confeſſions thou wilt know more ſins, and bee made more ſenſible of thoſe thou kneweſt, than thou waſt before, by their ſeveral petitions and ſupplications, thy deſires will bee drawn forth after many ſpiritual things, which otherwiſe thou wouldſt not have thought of to have asked of God, and as from their full and clear expreſſions, thy deſires will bee inlarged, ſo from their graces thou wilt have great advantage, for doubtleſs it is much better to joyn with one that hath the gift and grace of praver, than with him that hath the gift only: I am ready to think, that as if the ſame Sermon were preached by two, of which one were truly holy, and the other unregenerate, though ſeemingly as holy as the other, the Sermon delivered by him that was a true Saint, would bee much more efficacious, for converſion and edification; ſo the prayer of a righteous man, doth not only avail much for the perſons for whom, but on the perſons with whom he prayeth; and the ſweet ſavour of their precious oyntments, their graces, which are poured out in prayer, doth fill the room where they are, and work upon the hearts of them that hear them.
It is reported of that precious man Mr. Welch, who lying at an Inne, and his ſupper coming to more than hee expected, his money falling ſhort, hee had nothing to pay the Hoſtler, who railing at him, the good man went up to his Chamber, and ſhut his door, and without the Hoſtler ſtood railing, but hee went to prayer, and prayed ſo holily, ſo fervently, that the Hoſtler hearing of him, was converted, and would neither then, nor ever after, take any thing of him when hee came that way: Surely the very pronunciation and geſture, the very countenance of a holy man, have ſo much holineſs, reverence, humility &c. that they will ſtrike an awe upon thoſe that hear and ſee them; their looks, tears, pronunciation, and geſtures, pray and move, even almoſt as much as their words: When a Saint hath his heart full of love, joy, and admirings of God, while hee is ſending up the praiſes of God to heaven, his countenance is like Stephens, like the face of an Angel.
The next advantage from the prayer of Gods people, is, by our being the ſubject of their prayers, for all Gods people have an intereſt in the prayers of Gods people, ſo that their great comfort is, that there is no minute, either of night or day, but there's many of Gods people praying in ſome part or other of the world, ſo that there is a ſtock of prayers going for us alwayes in one place or other; yet one great advantage that wee gain by the people of God, is, by a ſtrict combination and ingagement to pray one for another, which may bee mannaged thus; chuſe out of the holieſt, humbleſt, praying'ſt Chriſtians you are acquainted withal, and if they bee acquainted alſo one with another, to enter into a mutual Covenant to pray one for another particularly in their cloſet once a day, and each is to give to other a note of what particulars they moſt deſire to bee prayed for, but it is convenient that they ſhould bee confin'd to five or ſix particulars, and no more, for if the particulars ſhould bee too many, it would take up too much time of that which wee ſet apart for cloſet duties; and therefore five or ſix is as great a number as well can enter into this engagement, and it is not convenient the ingagement ſhould bee perpetual, for perpetual ingagements of this nature generally prove ſnares, therefore it is good that the ingagement bee but for a monethmonth, and then to ceaſe, or bee renewed, as you ſhall finde convenient; and the advantages of this combination are very great; for doubtleſs when wee remember perſonally the prayers of Gods people that know and love us, their prayers are more effectual than they would bee, than if wee were onelyonly included in their prayers under the general notion of Gods people; and it ſeems very probable to mee, that many mercies that wee receive, (if I may ſo ſay, wee know not how) may come to us this way. To make my meaning more plain, take it thus, ſometimes the people of God finde great inlargement in prayer, unexpected comforts, which come as it were of a ſudden, though they cannot finde that they have either taken more care for the preparing themſelves for the duty at that time, or that their prayers have been more fervent than at other times; I know this may bee from free grace, without the intervening of thine own or others prayers; ſo alſo many times wee have ſtrange deliverances from imminent dangers, and yet it may bee that day wee had beg'd preſervation with leſs ſervency and faith, than at other times; this is that I mean, I ſuppoſe if it could bee known, ſome of Gods people, or other, were at that time praying for us, ſo that as it was with that Noble man, John 4.52, 53. his ſervants met him, and told him, that his ſon was recovered; and when hee had ſtrictly enquired what time hee recovered, hee found it was the ſame houre when Jeſus ſaid, thy ſon liveth; ſo if wee could by enquiring ſearch it out, wee ſhould finde that our inlargements, comforts, deliverances, were at the ſame time, when ſuch and ſuch a Saint was praying for us.
Another great advantage that we have from the prayers of Gods people, is, to know thoſe ſignal anſwers that God hath given to their prayers; for though the anſwers that God gives to our own prayers, take the greateſt impreſſion, and do moſt ſtrengthen our faith, and are the ſtrongeſt motives for the enlarging of our love and prayers, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Pſalm 116.1, 2. I love the Lord, becauſe hee hath heard my voice, and my ſupplication, becauſe hee hath inclined his ear unto mee, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live; yet the anſwers that God gives to the prayers of others, is of very great advantage, and it may bee greater than the anſwers of our own, conſidering that they are much more numerous: I grant, that the promiſes of God made to prayer, is the rock and the ſtrong foundation upon which our hope is built, but when wee find that God hath performed and made good his promiſes by ſo many inſtances and experiences of our own and others, it doth very much ſtrengthen our Faith; therefore ſo many experiences of the people of God in reference to the anſwer of their Prayers, are mentioned in Scripture, as Abrahams, and Eliaſers, Gen. 24. and Iſaac, Gen. 25.21. and Jacob, Gen. 32. what need I tell you the anſwers, given to the prayers of Moſes, Hannah, Solomon, &c. I ſuppoſe there is ſcarce any bleſſing a Saint praies for but he hath, or hath, but hee praies for; David hath recorded many experiences of others, as you may ſee Pſ. 34.6. and Pſ. 22.5. & 107.6. and 13, &c. and for his own experiences, they are too many to ſet down; But I ſhall take leave to communicate ſome eminent anſwers of Prayers, which I have had from perſons of great piety and prudence.
The Lady Herrick, whoſe acquaintance I do juſtly account as a great mercy of God, for ſhee was a Lady of eminent holineſs, and one that ſpent ſo much time (I think) in cloſet and other duties, that there are few if any Chriſtians go beyond her, among other conferences with her, ſhee told mee two ſingular anſwers of Prayer, which ſhee received from God, one was this; In the time of theſe late warres, a neighbour Chriſtian friend ſent her word, that the Kings party had reſolved to come ſpeedily to take her Priſoner, ſhee went up to prayer, and finding her faith ſtrong, and her hope not at all failing, ſhee thanks the meſſenger, and cold him that ſhe did not think as yet to remove; There came a ſecond meſſenger from another friend, with the ſame meſſage, ſhee retired her ſelf again into her Cloſet to prayer, and finding her confidence continue, ſhee reſolved to continue alſo in her houſe, for ſhee had formerly deſired of God, that he would not keep up her confidence of being preſerved, when ſhee was in real and eminent danger: The third Meſſenger came from Juſtice Babington, with a new alarm of approaching danger, ſhee went to prayer again, and her confidence beganne to abate, and the more ſhee prayed, the more it abated: and ſhee taking this as a ſign, that God would have her depart, haſted out of her houſe, and immediately came the ſouldiers and ſearched for her with Candles and Lanthorns in every place, in and about her houſe. Another time ſhee told mee a Friend of hers came, and deſired her to ſeek God in reference to marriage which he then intended, that God would be pleaſed to further it, if it would prove a bleſſing, otherwiſe to hinder it: ſhe promiſed him (as her manner was) that as God ſhould immind and inable her, ſhee ſhould do, for ſhee was very wary in her promiſing, to pray for any, her friend came twice to know what anſwer ſhee had from God of her prayer, and what ſhe would adviſe him to do, ſhe anſwered him both times, that ſhe much feared that the match would prove very unhappy; whether ſhee judged that it would prove ſo, becauſe ſhee found her heart without life, and enlargement when ſhee came to pray as to that particular, or what other way ſhee judged of Gods manifeſting his mind as to that, I remember not whether I askt her or no: but ſhee not poſitively forbidding him to go on, it ſeems ſhee having no very clear warrant ſo to do, hee proceeded, deſiring her ſtill to continue her prayers, and it was ſo, that as they were going to Church to bee married, hee was fully and clearly informed of her very unchaſt converſation, and ſo was delivered out of this ſnare.
I am willing alſo to relate a ſtory that much affected mee when I heard it, and it is of a ſingal manifeſtation that God gave of himſelf to a little Child, which I ſet down amongſt Gods anſwers of prayers, becauſe this child was ſo eminent that way, and it was thus;
A Child of a Chriſtian Gentlewoman, was ſo given to prayer from its infancy, that before it could well ſpeak, it would uſe to get alone and go to prayer, and as it grew, it was more frequent in prayer, and retiring of it ſelf from company, and would ask of his Mother very ſtrange queſtions; farre above the capacity of one of his years, in ſo much that the mother thought that the child had heard thoſe queſtions ſpoke of by others, and much lik't it that the child ſhould take notice of ſuch things, and bee able to underſtand them ſo farre as to remember them, but at laſt when the child was but five years old, and whipping of his top, of a ſudden hee flung away his ſcourge ſtick and top, and ranne to his mother, and with great joy, ſaid unto her, mother, I muſt go to God, will you go with mee? ſhee anſwered my dear Child, how doſt thou know thou ſhalt go to God? hee anſwered, God hath told mee ſo, for I love God, and God loves mee; Mother, will you go with mee? Shee anſwered, Dear Child, I muſt go when God pleaſeth, but why wilt not thou ſtay with mee? The Child Anſwered, I will not ſtay, I muſt go to God; and the Child did live about a month after, but never cared for play more, and then fell ſick, alwaies ſpeaking, that hee muſt go to God; and dyed of that ſickneſſe: Bleſſed be God, that out of the mouths of babes, and ſucklings, he hath perfected praiſe, Mat. 21.16.
One who had a brother, that ſpent his time in Hawking, and given to drinking and ſwearing, going one Saturday out of Town to a Hawking match, his brother being much afflicted to ſee his carriage, and how little hee minded the things of God, ſet apart that Saturday for faſting and prayer, to ſeek God for the converſion of his brother, who came home next munday a much reformed man, in ſo much that hee frequently afterwards kept daies of humiliation by himſelf alone, and gave evident tokens of his converſion, and lived and dyed (I verily beleeve) a child of God, I knew both the Brothers very well.
A Chriſtian Gentlewoman of mine acquaintance being very dangerouſly ſick, ſent to a Chriſtian Friend of hers about twelve miles off, deſiring to ſee her before ſhee dyed, ſending her word that ſhee was afraid ſhee would come too late; ſhe went up to prayer, deſiring of God, that in caſe ſhee might come time enough to do any Chriſtian ſervice to her friend, hee would encline the heart of her husband to bee willing to let her go, for he never uſed to bee willing that ſhe ſhould go any whether from home, when ſhee came down from her prayer, her Husband met her, and told her that ſuch a friend of hers was ſick, and wiſh't her immediately to go, and did forward her exceedingly, and it pleaſed God ſhee came in time to bee a help and comfort to her Chriſtian friend, with whom I am very intimately acquainted.
About the year 1646. We kept a publike faſt in New-Sarum in the County of Wilts, where a woman, whom (to my knowledge) I never ſaw before nor ſince, ſent a Bil to be prayed for, largely ſetting forth how ſhee was vexed by Satan, and accordingly the bill being read, effectual prayers were made for her deliverance, from that ſore and ſtrange affliction; the next Lords day following the faſt, the ſame Woman ſent another Bill, deſiring that thanks might bee rendered to the Lord for hearing the prayers of that Congregation on the womans behalf, and for his mercy in delivering her from the Devils power. On both thoſe daies there was a Citizen preſent, who curſed both the Miniſter and woman in his heart, ſaying, within himſelf, this is a meer juggle, a holy Siſter (forſooth) muſt bee brought in pretending to be poſſeſſed of the Devil, and then prayers muſt bee made for her deliverance, and after thanks muſt bee returned for the mercy obtained by their prayers; and whereto doth all this tend, but to win credit to them and their prayers? But while the Citizen became thus a judge of unrighteous thoughts, the righteous God met with him; For immediately was the man ſurprized by Satan, in like manner as the woman formerly had been, as hee himſelf (about a month after being weary of his life) comming to me of his own accord, confeſſed, and after private conferences, and both publike and private prayers, hee found relief: Here was a judgement turned into a bleſſing, for by this means God was pleaſed (I hope) to work a good change in him. About a year after, another Inhabitant in that City was addicted to ſome courſes diſpleaſing to God and his friends, eſpecially his wife, who deſired nothing more than his Converſion and perceiving the next Lords day, by the drift of a Text whereon the Miniſter then treated, that ſome thing might bee handled the next Lords day following, which would highly concern her husbands ſpiritual condition, ſhee importunately ſought God for him, and invited him to bee preſent at the next Sermon, but hee, whether hee ſuſpected any thing, or no, that ſhee had informed the Miniſter ought concerning him, that ſo hee might fit his matter to his particular, I cannot ſay: but ſo it was, when the morning of the Sabbath-day was come, hee could by no means be perſwaded to riſe out of his bed, till the Sermon bell had ceaſed, and then ſaid hee preſumptuouſly (now will I riſe in ſpight of any) but having raiſed himſelf half up, hee was there held, how they knew not: but ſo, as hee could not riſe up, nor lye down again, this continued for ſome time, till his wife by her earneſt prayers, obtained his releaſe: and then hee got up, and dreſſed himſelf, and made haſte to the Church, and by reaſon of ſome occaſion falling out at that very time, he came before Prayers, or Sermon began, and heard the ſubject which his Wife had deſired of God he might hear. At Ballyhaes in the County of Cavan after the Engliſh were almoſt all departed, the Rebels ſtopt three Brethren, viz. Thomas North, Richard North, and William North, and becauſe they was skilful workmen, they ſtayed them to work for them, at length there came to the houſe where they were, a Jeſuite, a Prieſt, and a Fryer, with Souldiers attending them, who told them unleſſe they would turn Roman Catholikes, they ſhould be hanged, who anſwered, we hope you will ſatisfy our Conſciences firſt about the truth of your Religion; why ſaid the Jeſuite what do you make doubt of in our religion? Sir, ſaid, Th. North, do not you affirm that ſome of you can keep the whole Law of God? yea, ſaid the Fryer ſo can I: then Tho replyed, St. John teacheth us, if any ſay he hath no ſin hee deceiveth himſelf, and there is no truth in him, whether now ſhall wee beleeve, St. John or you? in the mean time, the Prieſt found a Bible lying in the ſhop, which the Fryer took and opened, and perceiving it to bee an Engliſh Bible, hee tore it in peices, and uttered theſe words; This is the Book which maketh ſo many Hereticks; then ſaid Thomas North, Sir, you ſaid even now, you could keep the morral Law, but now you have broken both Law and Goſpel, which words ſo incenſed them, that they commanded the Souldiers to take the ſaid Themas, and to pinion his armes behind him, and to carry him to the Gallowes, which they did, and when they came to the place of execution, Thomas had a cloth before his eyes, and hee deſired ſo much liberty as to pray, before hee went up the Ladder, and obtained leave, hee fell upon his knees, and imagining that to be his laſt prayer, continued therein a good while, when hee had done, hee raiſed up himſelf, but heard no body about him, then hee made a ſhift to pluck the cloath from before his eyes, and ſaw no man, and ſo came home to his brethren, who unbound his arms, and told him, that the Jeſuite, Prieſt, and Fryer, had been there before him, and told them (their Brother was yet alive, and that they were beaten with lightning from the Gallowes) That was ſtrange (ſaid Thomas) that there ſhould be lightning on ſuch a fair day as this hath been, for my part, I ſaw none, neither did I minde their departure, my ſpirit being taken up in Prayer.
Theſe paſſages the three brethren comming afterwards ſafe up to Dublin, all juſtified to be true. Dr. Teate.