_I am a worm, and no man_, Psal. xxii. 6. which, so far as they have any
reference to his own case, may give us occasion to infer, that the most
advanced circumstances, in which any are in the world, are not
inconsistent with humility, when drawing nigh to God in prayer; but if
we consider him speaking in the person of Christ, as several expressions
of this Psalm argue him to do, and cannot well be taken in any other
sense[108]; then we have herein the most remarkable instance of the
humble address that was used by Christ in his human nature, when drawing
nigh to God in prayer; which is certainly a great motive to induce us to
engage in this duty with the utmost humility.
3. We are to draw nigh to God in prayer, with a sense of our
necessities, and the sins that we have committed against him.
Accordingly, we are to consider ourselves as indigent creatures, who are
stripped and deprived of that glory, and those bright ornaments which
were put on man at first in his state of innocency; destitute of the
divine image, and all those things that are necessary to our happiness,
unless he is pleased to supply these wants, forgive our iniquities, and
grant us communion with himself; which things we are to draw nigh to him
in prayer for. We are also, in this duty, to have a sense of sin, _viz._
the guilt that we contract thereby, and the punishment we have exposed
ourselves to, that we may see our need of drawing nigh to God in
Christ’s righteousness; and also of the stain and pollution thereof,
which may induce us to fall down before the footstool of the throne of
grace, with the greatest degree of self-abhorrence. We are also to
consider how we are enslaved to sin, how much we have been, and how
prone we are at all times, to _serve divers lusts and pleasures_, Tit.
iii. 3. and to _walk according to the course of this world, according to
the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience_, Eph. ii. 2.
Moreover, we are to consider sin as deeply rooted in our hearts,
debasing our affections, and captivating our wills. If we are in an
unconverted state, we are to look upon it as growing and encreasing in
us, rendering us more and more indisposed for what is good, by which
means we are set at a farther distance from God and holiness: On the
other hand, if we have ground to hope we are made partakers of
converting grace, then we have acted contrary to the highest
obligations, and been guilty of the greatest ingratitude. These things
we are to endeavour to be affected with, when drawing nigh to God in
prayer, in order to our performing this duty aright.
4. There are several graces that are to be exercised in prayer;
(1.) Repentance: This is necessary, because we are sinners; and as such,
are to come into the presence of God with confession, joined with
supplication which must be made with a penitent frame of spirit; the
contrary to which, is a tacit approbation of sin, and a kind of
resolution to adhere to it, which is very unbecoming those who are
pleading for forgiveness: Accordingly, when God promised that he would
_pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications_, he adds, that
_they shall look upon him, whom they have pierced, and mourn for him_,
or for it, _as one mourneth for his only son; and shall be in
bitterness, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born_: And that
this shall be done by _every family apart, and their wives apart_, Zech.
xii. 10. _& seq._ So when _the priests, the ministers of the Lord_, are
commanded to _pray_, that _he_ would _spare his people_; they, are, at
the same time, to _weep between the porch and the altar, to rent their
hearts, and turn unto the Lord their God_, Joel ii. 13. 17. And when
Israel is advised to _take with them words_, and instructed how they
should pray, they are exhorted to _turn unto the Lord_; to repent of
their seeking help from Assyria and Egypt, and of that abominable
idolatry which they had been guilty of, Hos. xiv. 1, 2, 3, 8.
Now there are several subjects very proper for our meditation; which
may, through the divine blessing accompanying it, excite this grace,
when we are engaged in the duty of prayer; particularly the multitude of
transgressions which are charged on the consciences of men by the law,
that _every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before
God_, Rom. iii. 19. and especially the ingratitude which we have reason
to accuse ourselves of, and our contempt of Christ, and the way of
salvation by him, which is discovered in the gospel; and our having done
many things in the course of our lives, which fill us with shame and
sorrow, whenever we come into the presence of God, to pour out our
hearts before him in this duty.
(2.) The next grace to be exercised in prayer is, thankfulness, in which
respect prayer and praise ought to be joined together: Thus the Psalmist
says, _Praise waiteth for thee O God, in Zion, and unto thee shall the
vow be performed, O thou that hearest prayer_, Psal. lxv. 1, 2. That
this is a part of prayer has been observed under a foregoing answer; in
which we considered the many blessings that we have reason to be
thankful for. I shall only add, at present, that it is matter of
thankfulness, that we have liberty of access to God, in hope of
obtaining mercy from him, as sitting on a throne of grace, who might
have been forever banished from his presence, or have been brought
before his judgment-seat as criminals, doomed to everlasting
destruction.
Moreover, we are to bless him, not only that we have leave to come
before him, but have often experienced that he has heard, and answered
our prayers, and therein has fulfilled that promise, _I said not to the
seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain_, Isa. xlv. 19. And that we may be
brought into a thankful frame, we ought to consider,
[1.] The worth of every mercy; especially those that are spiritual, or
accompany salvation; and this we may judge of by the price that was paid
for it, which is no less than the blood of Jesus; which the apostle not
only styles _precious_, but speaks of it as infinitely preferable to
every thing that is _corruptible_, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. And we may, in some
measure, take an estimate thereof by the worth and excellency of the
soul, and as it is conducive to promote its eternal welfare.
[2.] We are also to consider every saving blessing, as the fruit and
result of everlasting love, and as the consequence of God’s eternal
design, in having chosen those, who are the objects thereof, to
salvation in Christ, Jer. xxxi. 3. Eph. i. 3, 4. We must also consider
these mercies as discriminating, whereby God distinguishes his people
from the world, and herein glorifies the riches of his grace, in those
who deserve to have been, for ever, the monuments of his wrath: We might
here consider, as an inducement to this grace of thankfulness, the
aggravations of the sin of ingratitude.
_1st_, It is a virtual disowning our obligation to, or dependence on
God, from whom we receive all mercies, and a behaving ourselves in such
a manner as though we were not beholden to him for them, or could be
happy without him; as though we were self-sufficient, and did not look
upon him as the fountain of blessedness.
_2dly_, It is a refusing to give him the glory of his wisdom, power,
goodness, and faithfulness, which are eminently displayed in the
blessings that he bestows.
_3dly_, It is disagreeable to the large expectations we have of those
blessings he has reserved for his people, or promised to them, or that
hope which he has laid up for them in heaven. Therefore we cannot but
conclude that ingratitude argues a person destitute of that holiness
which eminently discovers itself in the exercise of the contrary grace:
Accordingly the apostle joins these two characters together, when
speaking of the vilest of men, whom he styles, _unthankful, unholy_, 2
Tim. iii. 2.
(3.) Another grace, to be exercised in prayer, is faith. This implies an
habitual disposition of soul, proceeding from a principle of
regenerating grace, whereby we are led to commit ourselves, and all our
concerns, into Christ’s hand, depending on his merits and mediation for
the supply of all our wants, considering him as having purchased, and as
being authorized to apply, all the benefits of the covenant of grace,
which are the subject-matter of our supplications to him. More
particularly, faith exerts and discovers itself in prayer,
[1.] By encouraging the soul, and giving it an holy boldness to draw
nigh to God, notwithstanding our great unworthiness. If we are afraid to
come into the presence of an holy God, and, destruction from him is a
terror to us, if the threatnings he has denounced against sinners, such
as we know ourselves to be, discourage us from drawing nigh to him, so
that we are ready to say with Job, ‘Therefore am I troubled at his
presence; when I consider, I am afraid of him,’ Job xxiii. 15. If his
almighty power, that can easily sink us into perdition, overwhelms our
spirits, and fills us with the utmost distress and confusion, so that we
cannot draw nigh to him in prayer, considering him as an absolute God;
we are encouraged by faith, to look upon him as our covenant God, and
Father in Christ; and then all his divine perfections will afford relief
to us. His sin-revenging justice is regarded by faith, as that which is
fully satisfied by Christ’s obedience and sufferings; and therefore will
not demand that satisfaction at our hands, which it has already received
from our surety, who was ‘made sin for us’ though he ‘knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him,’ 2 Cor. v. 21. His
infinite power is no longer looked upon, as engaged to destroy us, but
rather to succour us under all our weakness; and therefore, as Job says,
‘He will not plead against us with his great power; no, but he will put
strength in us,’ Job xxiii. 6. We consider it as ready to support us
under the heaviest pressures, and so enable us to perform the most
difficult duties, and to overcome all our spiritual enemies, who would
be otherwise too strong for us: So that this attribute is so far from
discouraging us from drawing nigh to God in prayer, that, by faith, we
behold it as delighting to exert and glorify itself, in doing those
great things for us which we have in view, when we engage in this duty.
[2.] Faith discovers itself in prayer, by enabling us to plead, and
apply to ourselves, the great and precious promises which God has given
to his people in the gospel. As prayer cannot subsist without a promise,
so we are enabled, by faith, to apprehend and plead the promises, and to
say, ‘Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me
to hope,’ Psal. cxix. 49. And hereby we look upon God as ready to bestow
the blessings which he has promised, and his faithfulness as engaged to
make them good. Accordingly the Psalmist says, ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord,
give ear to my supplications; in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy
righteousness,’ Psal. cxliii. 1. There is nothing that we want, or ought
to pray for, but there are some promises, contained in the word of God,
which faith improves and takes encouragement from in this duty: And
since what we pray for, respects either temporal, or spiritual, and
eternal blessings, these are looked upon by faith as promised; as the
apostle says, _godliness has the promise of the life that now is, and of
that which is to come_, 1 Tim. iv. 18. This might be very largely
insisted on, and many instances given hereof, which are contained in
scripture; but I shall more especially consider those promises which
respect God’s enabling us to pray, and his hearing and answering our
prayers, which faith lays hold on, and improves, in order to our
performing this duty in a right manner.
_1st_, There are promises of the Spirit’s assistance to enable us to
pray. This the apostle calls his _making intercession for us, according
to the will of God_, in Rom. viii. 27. And our Saviour says, in Luke
xii. 13. _If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit
to them that ask him?_
_2dly_, There are other promises that respect God’s hearing and
answering prayer. Thus it is said, in Psal. lxxxvi. 7. _In the day of my
trouble I will call upon thee for thou wilt answer me_: And elsewhere in
Psal. cii. 17. _God will regard the prayer of the destitute and not
despise their prayer._ This is considered as being of a very large
extent: Thus our Saviour says, in John xvi. 23. _Whatsoever ye ask the
Father in my name, he will give it you_: And in chap. xv. 7. _If ye
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you_: Which universal expressions of God’s giving
believers _what they will_, are to be understood of his granting their
lawful and regular desires; and, indeed, faith will never ask any thing
but what tends to the glory of God, and that with an entire submission
to his will; though it is far otherwise with respect to those prayers
that are not put up in faith.
Moreover God has promised to hear and answer all kinds of prayer,
provided they proceed from this grace; particularly, united prayers in
the assemblies of his saints, as he says to Solomon, after the
dedication of the temple, in 2 Chron. vii. 15. _Mine eyes shall be open,
and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place_; and
those prayers that are put up to God in families, where a small number
are joined together; though it be but _two or three_, Christ has
promised to be _in the midst of them_, xviii. 20. not only to assist
them in this duty, but to give them what they ask for. There are also
promises made to secret prayer: Thus when our Saviour encourages his
people to _pray to their Father, which is in secret_, he tells them, _My
Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly_, chap. vi. 6.
Here it will be enquired, whether it be necessary in order to our
praying by faith, that we be assured, at all times, that our prayer
shall be heard.
To this it may be answered,
_1st_, That it is not our duty to believe that every prayer shall be
heard; for God heareth not sinners, that is, those who are under the
reigning power of sin, and consequently are destitute of the grace of
faith; nor will he hear those _prayers_ that _proceed from feigned
lips_: Thus it is said, _If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will
not hear me_, Psal. lxvi. 18.
_2dly_, It is not the duty of those who have the truth of grace, to
believe that their prayer shall be heard, when, by reason of their
infirmity, or the weakness of their faith, they ask for that which is
unlawful, and not redounding to the glory of God and their real good.
_3dly_, If what we pray for may be for the glory of God, and redound to
our advantage; yet it is not our duty to determine, with too great
peremptoriness, that he will certainly grant what we ask for,
immediately, or in that particular way which we desire; since he may
answer prayer, and yet do it in his own time and way.
_4thly_, It is not our duty to believe assuredly, that God will give us
all those temporal blessings that we ask for; especially if they be not
absolutely necessary for us, since he may answer such-like prayers in
value, though not in kind, and so give spiritual blessings, instead of
those temporal ones, which we pray for; in which case none will say,
that he is unfaithful to his promise, though we have not those blessings
in kind that we desire: Therefore it is our duty, and the great concern
of faith in prayer, to be assured, that as God knows what is best for
us, so he will make good his promises, in such a way, that we shall have
no reason to conclude ourselves to have been disappointed, or that we
have asked in faith, but have not obtained.
I am sensible that there is a difficulty in the mode of expression used
by the apostle James, in chap. i. 6, 7. _But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering; for let not that man think that he shall receive any
thing of the Lord_: By which, the apostle does not intend, that he who
doubts whether his prayer shall be answered, cannot be said, in any
sense, to pray in faith; for, as assurance of our salvation is not of
the essence of faith, so that faith cannot subsist without it; in like
manner assurance, or a firm persuasion that the very thing we ask shall
be given, is not such an essential ingredient in prayer, as that we
should determine, that for want of it, we shall receive nothing that is
good from the Lord. Therefore, I conceive, that the apostle, by
_wavering_ in this text, rather respects our being in doubt about the
object of faith; or else our not being stedfast in the grace of faith,
but praying with hypocrisy, as he illustrates it by the similitude taken
from a _wave driven with the wind_; which sometimes moves one way, at
other times the contrary; and he farther explains it, when he says, in
ver. 8. _a double-minded man, is unstable in all his ways_; so that the
person, whom he describes as wavering is the same with a _double-minded
man_, or an hypocrite: Such an one cannot ask in faith; therefore the
apostle does not hereby intend that no one can exercise this grace in
prayer, but he that has a full assurance that his prayer shall be
answered, in that particular way and manner as he expects.
_Obj._ 1. It is objected by some, that they have no faith; therefore
since this grace must be exercised in prayer, they are very often
discouraged from performing the duty of prayer.
_Answ._ That though the want of a prepared frame of spirit, for any duty
affords matter of humiliation, yet it is no excuse for the neglect
thereof; and as for prayer in particular, we are to wait on God therein,
for a prepared frame of spirit, that by this means, we may draw nigh to
him in a right manner, as well as for a gracious answer from him.
[2.] If we cannot bring glory to God by a fiducial pleading of the
promises, or applying them to ourselves; we must endeavour to glorify
him by confessing our guilt and unworthiness, and acknowledging that all
our help is in him.
[3.] It is possible for us to have some acts of faith in prayer, when we
are not sensible thereof, and at the same time, bewail our want of this
grace.
[4.] If none were to pray but those who have faith, then it would follow
that none must pray for the first grace, which supposes a person to be
in an unregenerate state; nevertheless, such are obliged to perform this
duty, as well as they can, and therein to hope for that grace which may
enable them to do it as they ought.[109]
_Obj._ 2. It is objected by others, that though they dare not lay aside
the duty of prayer, yet, inasmuch as they do not experience those
graces, which are necessary for the right performance thereof, nor any
returns of prayer, they have no satisfaction in their own spirits.
_Answ._ To this it may be replied;
_1st_, That there may be faith in prayer, and yet no immediate answer
thereof. God herein acts in a way of sovereignty, whereby he will have
his people know that if he grants their requests, it shall be in his own
time and way. Therefore it is their duty to wait for him till he is
pleased to manifest himself as a God hearing prayer, and thereby
removing the discouragements that, at present, they labour under.
_2dly_, There are other ways by which the truth of grace is to be judged
of, besides our having sensible answers of prayer. Sometimes, indeed,
God may give many intimations of his acceptance of us, though, at
present we know it not.
(3.) The next grace to be exercised in prayer, is, love to God: This
implies in it an earnest desire of his presence, delight in him, or
taking pleasure in contemplating his perfections as the most glorious
and amiable object. Desire supposes him, in some measure, withdrawn from
us; or that we are not possessed of that complete blessedness, which is
to be enjoyed in him; and delight supposes him present, and, in some
degree, manifesting himself unto us. Now love to God, in both these
respects, is to be exercised in prayer. Is he in any measure withdrawn
from us? we are, with the greatest earnestness to long for his return to
us, whose loving-kindness is better than life. Is he graciously pleased,
in any degree, to manifest himself to us as the fountain of all we enjoy
or hope for? this will have a tendency to excite our delight in him, and
induce us to conclude that our happiness consists in the enjoyment of
him. These graces are to be exercised at all times, but more especially
in prayer, which is an offering up of our desires to God; in which we
first press after the enjoyment of himself, and then of his benefits.
And, as we are to bless and praise him for the discoveries we have of
his glory, in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, in order to the
securing our spiritual good and advantage; this is to express that
delight in him, which is the highest instance of love.
(4.) Another grace to be exercised in prayer, is submission to the will
of God; whereby we leave ourselves and our petitions in his hand, as
being sensible that he knows what is best for us. This does not include
in it a being indifferent whether our prayers are heard or no; for that
is to contradict what we express with our lips, by the frame of our
spirits. Whatever may be concluded to be lawful for us to ask, as
redounding to our advantage, and is expressly promised by God, that we
ought to request at his hand, in prayer; and if we pray for it, we
cannot but desire that our prayer may be heard and answered; and this is
not opposed to that submission to the divine will, which we are speaking
of, provided we leave it to God to do what he thinks best for us, being
content that the way and manner of his answering us, as well as the time
of his bestowing those blessings which we want, together with the degree
thereof; especially if they are such as are of a temporal nature, ought
to be resolved into his sovereign will. Thus concerning the graces that
we are to exercise in prayer.
There are other things mentioned in this answer, which are necessary to
our exercising those graces, _viz._ our minds being enlightened, our
hearts enlarged, and our having sincerity in the inward part.
[1.] There must be some degree of understanding, since ignorance is so
far from being, as the Papists pretend, the mother of devotion, that it
is inconsistent with the exercise of those graces, with which we ought
to draw nigh to God in prayer. The affections, indeed, may be moved,
where there is but a very little knowledge of the doctrines of the
gospel; but they will, at the same time, be misled; and this can no more
be called religious devotion than the words or actions of one that is in
a phrenzy, can be called rational; therefore, as prayer is unacceptable
without the exercise of grace, so grace cannot be exercised without the
knowledge of the truth, as derived from the sacred treasury of
scripture.
Here we might consider, that we must know something of God who is the
object of prayer, as well as of all other acts of religious worship. We
must also know something of Christ the Mediator, through whom we have
access to, as well as acceptance with him; and something of the work and
glory of the Holy Ghost, on whom we are to depend for his assistance in
presenting our supplications to God. We must know our necessities,
otherwise we cannot tell what to ask for; and also the promises of the
gospel, otherwise we cannot be encouraged to hope for an answer.
[2.] In order to our exercising grace in prayer, we must have some
degree of enlargedness of heart; that is, when every thing that tends to
contract our affections, abate the ferfency of our spirits, or hinder
that importunity which we ought to express for the best of blessings, is
removed. Now our hearts may be said to be enlarged in prayer.
_1st_, When we draw nigh to God in this duty with delight and earnest
longing after his presence, and an interest in his love, which we reckon
preferable to all other blessings.
_2dly_, When we are affected with a becoming sense of his glorious
perfections, and our own nothingness, in order to our adoring him, and
coming before him with the greatest humility.
_3dly_, When we have suitable promises given in, and are enabled to
plead them with a degree of hope, arising from the goodness and
faithfulness of God, that he will fulfil them; and that more especially
as we draw nigh to him as to a covenant-God.
_4thly_, When our thoughts and affections are engaged without wandering,
weariness, or lukewarmness, and filled with importunity, agreeable to
the importance of the duty, and our absolute need of the blessings we
pray for.