first, Thy filthy estate; secondly, God’s promises; thirdly, The heart
of Christ. Which thou mayest know or discern, (1.) By his condescension
and bloodshed. (2.) By the mercy he hath extended to great sinners
formerly, and plead thine own vileness, by way of bemoaning; Christ’s
blood by way of expostulation; and in thy prayers, let the mercy that
he hath extended to other great sinners, together with his rich
promises of grace, be much upon thy heart. Yet let me counsel thee,
(a.) Take heed that thou content not thyself with words. (b.) That thou
do not think that God looks only at them neither. But, (c.) However,
whether thy words be few or many, let thine heart go with them; and
then shalt thou seek him, and find him, when thou shalt seek him with
thy whole heart (Jer 29:13).
Objection. But though you have seemed to speak against any other way of
praying but by the Spirit, yet here you yourself can give direction how
to pray.
Answ. We ought to prompt one another forward to prayer, though we ought
not to make for each other forms of prayer. To exhort to pray with
Christian direction is one thing, and to make stinted forms for the
tying up the Spirit of God to them is another thing. The apostle gives
them no form to pray withal, yet directs to prayer (Eph 6:18; Rom
15:30-32). Let no man therefore conclude, that because we may with
allowance give instructions and directions to pray, that therefore it
is lawful to make for each other forms of prayer.
Object. But if we do not use forms of prayer, how shall we teach our
children to pray?
Answ. My judgment is, that men go the wrong way to teach their children
to pray, in going about so soon to teach them any set company of words,
as is the common use of poor creatures to do.
For to me it seems to be a better way for people betimes to tell their
children what cursed creatures they are, and how they are under the
wrath of God by reason of original and actual sin; also to tell them
the nature of God’s wrath, and the duration of the misery; which if
they conscientiously do, they would sooner teach their children to pray
than they do. The way that men learn to pray, it is by conviction for
sin; and this is the way to make our sweet babes do so too. But the
other way, namely, to be busy in teaching children forms of prayer,
before they know any thing else, it is the next way to make them cursed
hypocrites, and to puff them up with pride. Teach therefore your
children to know their wretched state and condition; tell them of
hell-fire and their sins, of damnation, and salvation; the way to
escape the one, and to enjoy the other, if you know it yourselves, and
this will make tears run down your sweet babes’ eyes, and hearty groans
flow from their hearts; and then also you may tell them to whom they
should pray, and through whom they should pray: you may tell them also
of God’s promises, and his former grace extended to sinners, according
to the word.
Ah! Poor sweet babes, the Lord open their eyes, and make them holy
Christians. Saith David, “Come ye children, hearken unto me; I will
teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psa 34:11). He doth not say, I will
muzzle you up in a form of prayer; but “I will teach you the fear of
the Lord”; which is, to see their sad states by nature, and to be
instructed in the truth of the gospel, which doth through the Spirit
beget prayer in every one that in truth learns it. And the more you
teach them this, the more will their hearts run out to God in prayer.
God never did account Paul a praying man, until he was a convinced and
converted man; no more will it be with any else (Acts 9:11).
Object. But we find that the disciples desired that Christ would teach
them to pray, as John also taught his disciples; and that thereupon he
taught them that form called the LORD’S PRAYER.
Answ. 1. To be taught by Christ, is that which not only they, but we
desire; and seeing he is not here in his person to teach us, the Lord
teach us by his Word and Spirit; for the Spirit it is which he hath
said he would send to supply in his room when he went away, as it is
(John 14:16; 16:7).
2. As to that called a form, I cannot think that Christ intended it as
a stinted form of prayer. (1.) Because he himself layeth it down
diversely, as is to be seen, if you compare Matthew 6 and Luke 11.
Whereas if he intended it as a set form, it must not have been so laid
down, for a set form is so many words and no more. (2.) We do not find
that the apostles did ever observe it as such; neither did they
admonish others so to do. Search all their epistles, yet surely they,
both for knowledge to discern and faithfulness to practice, were as
eminent as any HE ever since in the world which would impose it.
[3.] But, in a word, Christ by those words, “Our Father,” &c., doth
instruct his people what rules they should observe in their prayers to
God. (1.) That they should pray in faith. (2.) To God in the heavens.
(3.) For such things as are according to his will, &c. Pray thus, or
after this manner.
Object. But Christ bids pray for the Spirit; this implieth that men
without the Spirit may notwithstanding pray and be heard. (See Luke
11:9-13).
Answ. The speech of Christ there is directed to his own (verse 1).
Christ’s telling of them that God would give his Holy Spirit to them
that ask him, is to be understood of giving more of the Holy Spirit;
for still they are the disciples spoken to, which had a measure of the
Spirit already; for he saith, “when ye pray, say, Our Father,” (verse
2) I say unto you (verse 8). And I say unto you, (verse 9) “If ye then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
him,” (verse 13). Christians ought to pray for the Spirit, that is, for
more of it, though God hath endued them with it already.
Quest. Then would you have none pray but those that know they are the
disciples of Christ?
Answ. Yes.
1. Let every soul that would be saved pour out itself to God, though it
cannot through temptation conclude itself a child of God. And,
2. I know if the grace of God be in thee, it will be as natural to thee
to groan out thy condition, as it is for a sucking child to cry for the
breast. Prayer is one of the first things that discovers a man to be a
Christian (Acts 9:12). But yet if it be right, it is such prayer as
followeth. (1.) To desire God in Christ, for himself, for his holiness,
love, wisdom, and glory. For right prayer, as it runs only to God
through Christ, so it centers in him, and in him alone. “Whom have I in
heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire,” long for,
or seek after, “beside thee” (Psa 73:25). (2.) That the soul might
enjoy continually communion with him, both here and hereafter. “I shall
be satisfied, when I awake with” thine image, or in “thy likeness,”
(Psa 17:15). “For in this we groan earnestly,” &c., (II Cor 5:2). (3.)
Right prayer is accompanied with a continual labour after that which is
prayed for. “My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning” (Psa 130:6). “I will rise now, I will seek him whom my
soul loveth” (Song 3:2). For mark, I beseech you, there are two things
that provoke to prayer. The one is a detestation to sin, and the things
of this life; the other is a longing desire after communion with God,
in a holy and undefiled state and inheritance. Compare but this one
thing with most of the prayers that are made by men, and you shall find
them but mock prayers, and the breathings of an abominable spirit; for
even the most of men either do pray at all, or else only endeavour to
mock God and the world by so doing; for do but compare their prayer and
the course of their lives together, and you may easily see that the
thing included in their prayer is the least looked after by their
lives. O sad hypocrites!
Thus have I briefly showed you, FIRST, What prayer is; SECOND, What it
is to pray with the Spirit; THIRD, What it is to pray with the Spirit,
and with the understanding also.
FOURTH. [USE AND APPLICATION.]
I shall now speak a word or two of application, and so conclude with,
First, A word of information; Second, A word of encouragement; Third, A
word of rebuke.
USE First, A word of information.
For the first to inform you; as prayer is the duty of every one of the
children of God, and carried on by the Spirit of Christ in the soul; so
every one that doth but offer to take upon him to pray to the Lord, had
need be very wary, and go about that work especially with the dread of
God, as well as with hopes of the mercy of God through Jesus Christ.
Prayer is an ordinance of God, in which a man draws very near to God;
and therefore it calleth for so much the more of the assistance of the
grace of God to help a soul to pray as becomes one that is in the
presence of him. It is a shame for a man to behave himself irreverently
before a king, but a sin to do so before God. And as a king, if wise,
is not pleased with an oration made up with unseemly words and
gestures, so God takes no pleasure in the sacrifice of fools (Eccl 5:1,
4). It is not long discourses, nor eloquent tongues, that are the
things which are pleasing in the ears of the Lord; but a humble,
broken, and contrite heart, that is sweet in the nostrils of the
heavenly Majesty (Psa 51:17; Isa 57:15). Therefore for information,
know that there are these five things that are obstructions to prayer,
and even make void the requests of the creature.
1. When men regard iniquity in their hearts, at the time of their
prayers before God. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will
not hear” my prayer (Psa 66:18). For the preventing of temptation, that
by the misunderstanding of this may seize thy heart, when there is a
secret love to that very thing which thou with thy dissembling lips
dost ask for strength against. For this is the wickedness of man’s
heart, that it will even love, and hold fast, that which with the mouth
it prays against: and of this sort are they that honour God with their
mouth, but their heart is far from him (Isa 29:13; Eze 33:31). O! how
ugly would it be in our eyes, if we should see a beggar ask an alms,
with an intention to throw it to the dogs! Or that should say with one
breath, Pray, you bestow this upon me; and with the next, I beseech
you, give it me not! And yet thus it is with these kind of persons;
with their mouth they say, “Thy will be done”; and with their hearts
nothing less. With their mouth say, “Hallowed be thy name”; and with
their hearts and lives they delight to dishonour him all the day long.
These be the prayers that become sin (Psa 109:7), and though they put
them up often, yet the Lord will never answer them (II Sam 22:42).
2. When men pray for a show to be heard, and thought somebody in
religion, and the like; these prayers also fall far short of God’s
approbation, and are never like to be answered, in reference to eternal
life. There are two sorts of men that pray to this end.
(1.) Your trencher chaplains, that thrust themselves into great men’s
families, pretending the worship of God, when in truth the great
business is their own bellies; and were notably painted out by Ahab’s
prophets, and also Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men, who, though they
pretended great devotion, yet their lusts and their bellies were the
great things aimed at by them in all their pieces of devotion.
(2.) Them also that seek repute and applause for their eloquent terms,
and seek more to tickle the ears and heads of their hearers than
anything else. These be they that pray to be heard of men, and have all
their reward already (Matt 6:5). These persons are discovered thus,
(a.) They eye only their auditory in their expressions. (b.) They look
for commendation when they have done. (c.) Their hearts either rise or
fall according to their praise or enlargement. (d.) The length of their
prayer pleaseth them; and that it might be long, they will vainly
repeat things over and over (Matt 6:7). They study for enlargements,
but look not from what heart they come; they look for returns, but it
is the windy applause of men. And therefore they love not to be in
their chamber, but among company: and if at any time conscience thrusts
them into their closet, yet hypocrisy will cause them to be heard in
the streets; and when their mouths have done going their prayers are
ended; for they wait not to hearken what the Lord will say (Psa 85:8).
3. A third sort of prayer that will not be accepted of God, it is, when
either they pray for wrong things, or if for right things, yet that the
thing prayed for might be spent upon their lusts, and laid out to wrong
ends. Some have not, because they ask not, saith James, and others ask
and have not, because they ask amiss, that they may consume it on their
lusts (James 4: 2-4). Ends contrary to God’s will is a great argument
with God to frustrate the petitions presented before him. Hence it is
that so many pray for this and that, and yet receive it not. God
answers them only with silence; they have their words for their labour;
and that is all. Object. But God hears some persons, though their
hearts be not right with him, as he did Israel, in giving quails,
though they spent them upon their lusts (Psa 106:14). Answ. If he doth,
it is in judgment, not in mercy. He gave them their desire indeed, but
they had better have been without it, for he “sent leanness into their
soul” (Psa 106:15). Woe be to that man that God answereth thus.
4. Another sort of prayers there are that are not answered; and those
are such as are made by men, and presented to God in their own persons
only, without their appearing in the Lord Jesus. For though God hath
appointed prayer, and promised to hear the prayer of the creature, yet
not the prayer of any creature that comes not in Christ. “If ye shall
ask anything in my name.” And whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye
do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 3:17). “If ye
shall ask anything in my name,” &c., (John 14:13, 14), though you be
never so devout, zealous, earnest and constant in prayer, yet it is in
Christ only that you must be heard and accepted. But, alas! the most of
men know not what it is to come to him in the name of the Lord Jesus,
which is the reason they either live wicked, pray wicked, and also die
wicked. Or else, that they attain to nothing else but what a mere
natural man may attain unto, as to be exact in word and deed betwixt
man and man, and only with the righteousness of the law to appear
before God.
5. The last thing that hindereth prayer is, the form of it without the
power. It is an easy thing for men to be very hot for such things as
forms of prayer, as they are written in a book; but yet they are
altogether forgetful to inquire with themselves, whether they have the
spirit and power of prayer. These men are like a painted man, and their
prayers like a false voice. They in person appear as hypocrites, and
their prayers are an abomination (Prov 28:9). When they say they have
been pouring out their souls to God he saith they have been howling
like dogs (Hosea 7:14).
When therefore thou intendest, or art minded to pray to the Lord of
heaven and earth, consider these following particulars. 1. Consider
seriously what thou wantest. Do not, as many who in their words only
beat the air, and ask for such things as indeed they do not desire, nor
see that they stand in need thereof. 2. When thou seest what thou
wantest, keep to that, and take heed thou pray sensibly.
Object. But I have a sense of nothing; then, by your argument, I must
not pray at all.
Answ. 1. If thou findest thyself senseless in some sad measure, yet
thou canst not complain of that senselessness, but by being sensible
there is a sense of senselessness. According to thy sense, then, that
thou hast of the need of anything, so pray; (Luke 8:9), and if thou art
sensible of thy senselessness, pray the Lord to make thee sensible of
whatever thou findest thine heart senseless of. This was the usual
practice of the holy men of God. “Lord, make me to know mine end,”
saith David (Psa 39:4). “Lord, open to us this parable,” said the
disciples (Luke 8:9). And to this is annexed the promise, “Call unto me
and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which
thou knowest not,” that thou art not sensible of (Jer 33:3). But,
Answ. 2. Take heed that thy heart go to God as well as thy mouth. Let
not thy mouth go any further than thou strivest to draw thine heart
along with it. David would lift his heart and soul to the Lord; and
good reason; for so far as a man’s mouth goeth along without his heart,
so far it is but lip-labour only; and though God calls for, and
accepteth the calves of the lips, yet the lips without the heart
argueth, not only senselessness, but our being without sense of our
senselessness; and therefore if thou hast a mind to enlarge in prayer
before God, see that it be with thy heart.
Answ. 3. Take heed of affecting expressions, and so to please thyself
with the use of them, that thou forget not the life of prayer.
I shall conclude this use with a caution or two.
Caution 1. And the first is, take heed thou do not throw off prayer,
through sudden persuasions that thou hast not the Spirit, neither
prayest thereby. It is the great work of the devil to do his best, or
rather worst, against the best prayers. He will flatter your false
dissembling hypocrites, and feed them with a thousand fancies of
well-doing, when their very duties of prayer, and all other, stink in
the nostrils of God, when he stands at a poor Joshua’s hand to resist
him, that is, to persuade him, that neither his person nor performances
are accepted of God (Isa 65:5; Zech 3:1). Take heed, therefore, of such
false conclusions and groundless discouragements; and though such
persuasions do come in upon thy spirit, be so far from being
discouraged by them, that thou use them to put thee upon further
sincerity and restlessness of spirit, in thy approaching to God.
Caution 2. As such sudden temptations should not stop thee from prayer,
and pouring out thy soul to God; so neither should thine own heart’s
corruptions hinder thee. (Let not thy corruptions stop thy prayers). It
may be thou mayest find in thee all those things before mentioned, and
that they will be endeavouring to put forth themselves in thy praying
to him. Thy business then is to judge them, to pray against them, and
to lay thyself so much the more at the foot of God, in a sense of thy
own vileness, and rather make an argument from thy vileness and
corruption of heart, to plead with God for justifying and sanctifying
grace, than an argument of discouragement and despair. David went this
way. “O Lord,” saith he, “pardon mine iniquity, for it is great” (Psa
25:11).
USE Second. A word of encouragement.
And therefore, secondly, to speak a word by way of encouragement, to
the poor, tempted, and cast down soul, to pray to God through Christ.
Though all prayer that is accepted of God in reference to eternal life
must be in the Spirit—for that only maketh intercession for us
according to the will of God, (Rom 8:27)—yet because many poor souls
may have the Holy Spirit working on them, and stirring of them to groan
unto the Lord for mercy, though through unbelief they do not, nor, for
the present, cannot believe that they are the people of God, such as he
delights in; yet forasmuch as the truth of grace may be in them,
therefore I shall, to encourage them, lay down further these few
particulars.
1. That scripture in Luke 11:8 is very encouraging to any poor soul
that doth hunger after Christ Jesus. In verses 5-7, he speaketh a
parable of a man that went to his friend to borrow three loaves, who,
because he was in bed, denied him; yet for his importunity-sake, he did
arise and give him, clearly signifying that though poor souls, through
the weakness of their faith, cannot see that they are the friends of
God, yet they should never leave asking, seeking, and knocking at God’s
door for mercy. Mark, saith Christ, “I say unto you, though he will not
rise and give him, because he is his friend; yet because of his
importunity,” or restless desires, “he will rise and give him as many
as he needeth.” Poor heart! thou criest out that God will not regard
thee, thou dost not find that thou art a friend to him, but rather an
enemy in thine heart by wicked works (Col 1:21). And thou art as though
thou didst hear the Lord saying to thee, Trouble me not, I cannot give
unto thee, as he in the parable; yet I say, continue knocking, crying,
moaning, and bewailing thyself. I tell thee, “though he will not rise
and give thee, because thou art his friend; yet, because of thy
importunity, he will arise and give thee as many as thou needest.” The
same in effect you have discovered, Luke 18, in the parable of the
unjust judge and the poor widow; her importunity prevailed with him.
And verily, mine own experience tells me, that there is nothing that
doth more prevail with God than importunity. Is it not so with you in
respect of your beggars that come to your door? Though you have no
heart to give them anything at their first asking, yet if they follow
you, bemoaning themselves, and will take no nay without an alms, you
will give them; for their continual begging overcometh you. Are there
bowels in you that are wicked, and will they be wrought upon by an
importuning beggar? Go thou and do the like. It is a prevailing motive,
and that by good experience, he will arise and give thee as many as
thou needest (Luke 11:8).
2. Another encouragement for a poor trembling convinced soul is to
consider the place, throne, or seat, on which the great God hath placed
himself to hear the petitions and prayers of poor creatures; and that
is a “throne of grace” (Heb 4:16). “The mercy-seat” (Exo 25:22). Which
signifieth that in the days of the gospel God hath taken up his seat,
his abiding-place, in mercy and forgiveness; and from thence he doth
intend to hear the sinner, and to commune with him, as he saith (Exo
25:22),—speaking before of the mercy-seat—“And there I will meet with
thee,” mark, it is upon the mercy-seat: “There I will meet with thee,
and” there “I will commune with thee, from above the mercy-seat.” Poor
souls! They are very apt to entertain strange thoughts of God, and his
carriage towards them: and suddenly to conclude that God will have no
regard unto them, when yet he is upon the mercy-seat, and hath taken up
his place on purpose there, to the end he may hear and regard the
prayers of poor creatures. If he had said, I will commune with thee
from my throne of judgment, then indeed you might have trembled and
fled from the face of the great and glorious Majesty. But when he saith
he will hear and commune with souls upon the throne of grace, or from
the mercy-seat, this should encourage thee, and cause thee to hope,
nay, to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that thou mayest obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).
3. There is yet another encouragement to continue in prayer with God:
and that is this:
As there is a mercy-seat, from whence God is willing to commune with
poor sinners; so there is also by his mercy-seat, Jesus Christ, who
continually besprinkleth it with his blood. Hence it is called “the
blood of sprinkling” (Heb 12:24). When the high-priest under the law
was to go into the holiest, where the mercy-seat was, he might not go
in “without blood” (Heb 9:7).
Why so? Because, though God was upon the mercy-seat, yet he was
perfectly just as well as merciful. Now the blood was to stop justice
from running out upon the persons concerned in the intercession of the
high-priest, as in Leviticus 16:13-17, to signify that all thine
unworthiness that thou fearest should not hinder thee from coming to
God in Christ for mercy. Thou criest out that thou art vile, and
therefore God will not regard thy prayers; it is true, if thou delight
in thy vileness, and come to God out of a mere pretence. But if from a
sense of thy vileness thou do pour out thy heart to God, desiring to be
saved from the guilt, and cleansed from the filth, with all thy heart;
fear not, thy vileness will not cause the Lord to stop his ear from
hearing of thee. The value of the blood of Christ which is sprinkled
upon the mercy-seat stops the course of justice, and opens a floodgate
for the mercy of the Lord to be extended unto thee. Thou hast
therefore, as aforesaid, “boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus,” that hath made “a new and living way” for thee, thou
shalt not die (Heb 10:19, 20).