Discourses on Prayer
Thomas Boston, 1676–1732
Of the Nature of Prayer in General; with the Import of Praying Without Ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing."
THESE words are an exhortation briefly delivered, as laws use to be; and therein we have, 1. A duty proposed, "Pray." 2. The manner of it, "without ceasing."
I. We have the duty itself, "Pray." It may be asked, What is prayer? I answer, It is "an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies." Here I shall consider,
1. The object of prayer, or whom we are to pray to.
2. The parts of prayer.
3. The matter of it.
4. In whose name we are to pray.
5. The several kinds of prayer.
First, I am to consider the object of this duty, or whom we are to pray to; that is, God: not to saints and angels, as the Papists do; for prayer is a part of religious worship, and therefore due to God only, Matthew 4:10; and he only knows all things, and is present everywhere to hear us, Isaiah 63:16. To all the three persons in the Trinity prayer is due. That it is so to the Father, nobody doubts. That it is due to Christ, the Son, appears from Stephen's calling upon him in his last moments, and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," Acts 7:59. Even Christ the Mediator is to be worshiped, though his divine nature is the reason why he is worshiped, Hebrews 1:6, "And let all the angels of God worship him." The Holy Spirit also is to be worshiped, as appears from the apostolic blessing, 2 Corinthians 13:14, "The communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
In respect of the object of worship, people would do well to satisfy themselves, in their addresses to God, with the belief of the Trinity of persons in the Godhead, who are but one object of worship, and not think to comprehend God, but to make use of the names and titles he has taken to himself in the word. Beware of imaginations of God or the three persons, and of dividing the object of worship, as if praying to the Father, you did not also pray to the Son and the Holy Spirit.
It is most necessary our prayers begin with such a description of God, as may both strike fear and dread in our hearts; and confidence of being heard; as, "Our Father which are in Heaven;" "O, Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant, and mercy," etc., Daniel 9:4. And this will readily be the case, if we have due thoughts of his glorious majesty and infinite excellency.
Secondly, The parts of prayer are three,
(1.) Confession,
(2.) Thanksgiving, and
(3.) Petition.
1. Confession, Daniel 9:4, 5, "I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant, and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments: we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled," etc. It well becomes sinful dust and ashes, in addresses to God, to come with a blush in the countenance, and tears in the eye, and confession in the mouth. It is necessary to humble us in the sight of God, and it is the humble only that are heard, Psalm 10:17. Confession is the vomiting up of the sweet morsel, and God has joined pardon and confession together, 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God's ears are shut to those whose mouths are bound up from this. Some say they cannot pray: O can you not confess what you are, have done, and daily are doing? How can you want matter of prayer, while you have so many sins to confess?
2. Thanksgiving, Philippians 4:6, "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Every man is God's debtor for mercies, as well as sins; the least return you can make, is to acknowledge debt. He who is unthankful for what he has got, cannot think to come speed in addresses for more.
3. Petition, wherein prayer properly consists. It is an offering up of our desires to God. Wherein we may note the act of prayer, "offering up our desires." The prayer that God makes account of is first in the heart, 1 Corinthians 14:15, "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." It is a pouring out of the heart to God, Psalm 62:8. The Spirit of God moves on the waters of our affections, and then they are poured out before the Lord, as the water of the well of Bethlehem was by David. Many times our prayers come as mud out of a vessel; but as water they should flow freely. The
In prayer there are real desires of what we seek of God, which desires are offered to the Lord. The mouth must not speak out anything but what is the desire of the heart. It is dangerous to mock God, who knows the heart; to confess sin, and not have the heart affected with it; to seek supply of wants from him, and not have the heart impressed with a due sense of the want of them. There are two sorts of desires.
(1.) There are natural desires, which are the mere product of our own spirits, offered unto God, but not regarded as prayer (Hosea 7:14.) by the Lord. These may be not only for temporal things but for spiritual also, as those who said to Christ, "Lord evermore give us this bread." A natural man, from a gift of prayer, may seek grace and glory, as a bridge to lead him over the waters of wrath; but coming only from their own spirits, such a prayer is not acceptable.
(2.) There are spiritual desires, Zechariah 12:10; which the saints breathe out unto God, having them first breathed into them by the Spirit, Romans 8:26. And these may be for temporal things, as well as spiritual, accepted, seeing they are put up in a spiritual manner. These are always sincere and fervent, so as the soul earnestly craves the things sought.
Thirdly, The matter of prayer, or what we are to petition and seek for. These are, the things that are agreeable to God's will. To pray for the fulfilling of unlawful desires, is horrid, James 4:3. But the will of God is the rule of our prayers, 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." We find the will of God in his commands and promises. Whatever God has commanded us to seek, whatever he has promised, that we may and ought to pray for. These are,
(1.) Spiritual mercies, grace, glory, the increase of grace, comforts, etc.
(2.) Temporal mercies, health, strength, etc., mercies relating to our bodies and temporal estate in the world.
Some have no freedom to bring their temporal concerns to their prayers. ANS. That we may and ought to do it, is plain.
1. In that God has given them a place in his covenant; they are promised as well as spiritual mercies, 1 Timothy 4:8, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." Isaiah 33:16, "Bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure." Psalm 1:3, "Whatever he does shall prosper."
2. It has been the practice of the saints in all ages. Memorable is Agur's prayer, Proverbs 30:8, "Give me neither poverty, nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me."
3. Christ teaches us so to do in that pattern of prayer, Matthew 6:9, etc., "Give us this day our daily bread," where we may observe, that they ought to have a place in our prayers daily.
4. God has commanded it, Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Ezekiel 36:37, "Thus says the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them." Compare verses 30, 33, etc., "I will multiply the fruit of the tree," etc. It is a general command, "In all your ways acknowledge him," Proverbs 3:6.
5. Sin and duty are very large. Men are under a law as to their management of temporal concerns, and light and wisdom should be sought for the same from the Lord, Psalm 112:5, "A good man will guide his affairs with discretion." No doubt many things go the worse with us, that God is so little owned in them. If that be true, that "God does instruct the plowman to discretion, and does teach him," Isaiah 28:26, there is a good reason we pray, that "God may establish the work of our hands upon us," Psalm 90. Surely those Christians that neglect it, deprive themselves of many experiences of the Lord's kindness. For the temporal mercies they meet with, were they answers of prayer, would be so many experiences of the Lord's love, Isaiah 41:11. Nay, I think it were a piece of Christian prudence, for the child of God, when he finds his heart not so affected as he would have it for spiritual mercies, to make an errand to God of a temporal mercy, whereby his heart may be the more fitted for asking spiritual blessings; as we have instances often in the Psalms, and also in the famous wrestling of Jacob. Only,
(1.) Pray for temporal mercies for the sake of spiritual, not contrariwise, Matthew 6:33, "Seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Proverbs 30:8–9, "Give me neither poverty, nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."
(2.) Keep within the bounds of the promise. Now, all promises of temporal things have this condition, if they be for God's glory and his children's good. Pray so as you may be content to want them, if God see it meet. But as for grace, the favor of God, and communion with him here and hereafter, it can never be our duty to be content to want them, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.
Fourthly, In whose name are we to pray? In the name of Christ, John 14:13, 14, "Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." This is to plead the merits of Jesus Christ. We must come to God in the name of Christ, laying all the stress upon his merits. All things go by favor in the court of Heaven; the Father hears us for the Son's sake. This implies that we must be in Christ, before we can pray acceptably. But I shall consider this particular more fully, when I come, in course, to speak of praying in the name of Christ.
Fifthly, There are several kinds of prayer. I shall speak a word to these three, ejaculatory, secret, and family.
1. Ejaculatory prayer, which is a sudden dispatch of the desires of the soul to Heaven, upon any emergent occasion; sometimes with the voice, and sometimes without it. I will say of it,
(1.) It has been the practice of the saints. Thus Jacob, when making his testament, says, Genesis 49:18, "I have waited for your salvation, O Lord." And when giving charge to his sons concerning Benjamin, chapter 43:14, "God Almighty give you mercy be fore the man," etc. Moses, when brought into a great strait at the approach of the Egyptians, Exodus 14:15, "The Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore cry you unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." David, when told of Ahithophel's being among the conspirators with Absalom, says, 2 Samuel 15:31, "O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." And Nehemiah, when in the king's presence, and asked by him his request, says, chapter 2:4, "I pray to the God of Heaven."
(2.) Such prayers are very necessary. Light and strength for duty, against temptation, etc., are often needed, when we cannot get to our knees.
(3.) They are very useful for present help, and are notable means to keep the soul habitually heavenly and in a proper frame, when we make more solemn approaches to God.
(4.) It is no small mercy, that God's door stands always open, and that our prayers may be at Heaven, before we can be at a secret place.
2. Secret prayer, wherein the man or woman goes alone to a secret place, and they pour out their souls before the Lord.
(1.) It is commanded expressly by our Lord, Matthew 6:6, "When you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret," etc.
(2.) They will have much ado to evidence their sincerity, whose prayers are all before men, Matthew 6:5, 6, "When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men," etc. A hypocrite may pray in secret; but a sincere soul will be loath to neglect it.
(3.) As no man knows our case so well as ourselves, so it is a sign of little acquaintance with our own hearts, if we have not something to tell Christ, which we cannot tell before others, Canticles 7:11, 12, "Come, my Beloved, let us go forth into the field: let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards, let us see if the vine flonrish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give you my loves."
(4.) The greatest enjoyments of the people of God have been in secret prayer; as in the case of Jacob, Daniel, etc.
3. Family prayer. God must be worshiped in our families, as well as in our closets.
(1.) God commands it, in so far as he requires every kind of prayer, Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer." The scripture speaks of a church in Aquila's house, Romans 16:5. Surely the family was not such a one that shut God out of doors. The family sacrifice was God's ordinance, Exodus 12:21, "Draw out, and take you a lamb, according to your families, and kill the Passover."
(2.) It was the practice of Christ, Matthew 26:30, John 17 and of the saints, as Job, chapter 1:5, Joshua, chapter 24:15, and Cornelius, Acts 10:2. Elisha prayed with his servant, 2 Kings 4:33.
(3.) The master of the family has the charge of the souls under his roof; and surely the case of a family requires family prayer. Are there not family wants, sins, and mercies, that require such an exercise?
O what a heavy vengeance abides families that are without the worship of God! Jeremiah 10:25, "Pour out your fury upon the heathen that know you not, and upon the families that call not on your name." That house that is not sanctified by prayer, is like to be the house of the wicked, where God's curse is. How will you answer for the souls committed to your charge, who do not pray in your families? No wonder godly persons should scare at your family; though indeed it is to be lamented, that many professors like Jonah will flee from the presence of the Lord, out of a praying family to a prayerless one; whom a storm sometimes pursues.
Before proceeding to the other head, the manner of praying, permit me to make a very brief improvement of what has been said.
1. Let me address myself to those that live in the total neglect of this duty of prayer. O repent and amend, and set about this necessary duty. Consider,
(1.) A prayerless person is a graceless person, in a state of wrath, in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. No sooner is Paul converted, but, "behold, he prays." Still-born children cannot be heirs. The Spirit of grace is the Spirit of supplication. The Spirit makes us to cry, "Abba, Father."
(2.) A prayerless person is a thief and a robber of what he possesses in the world. How dare you use God's creatures, and not ask his leave? 1 Timothy 4:4, 5, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer." Surely, you prayerless one, a curse is on your house, your basket, and your store. But, alas! many live like swine; they never look up to Heaven, nor cry until the knife of death be at their throat.
(3.) It is a privilege that God will allow us to come so near him, and to pour out our hearts before him, a privilege bought by the blood of Christ. The prayerless person undervalues this rich privilege, trampling on that blood that bought it, which will be a worm in his conscience in Hell that will gnaw it forever.
(4.) Your soul lies at stake. That dumb devil that possesses you, must be cast out of you, or you are undone forever. You are lost by nature; will you not cry for the life of your poor soul? God says to you, as Pilate to Christ, John 19:10, "Speak you not unto me? know you not, that I have power to damn you, and have power to save you?" You can not be saved, without calling on the Lord by prayer.
But perhaps one may say, I will pray on a deathbed.
ANSWER. What if God cut you off in a moment? what if you die in the rage of a fever? how know you that God will then hear you? Ponder and seriously consider what the Lord says, Proverbs 1:24–31, "Because I have called, and you refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but you have set at nothing all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear comes; when your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." And remember that such a conduct will bring you to that miserable pass described, Isaiah 8:21, 22, "And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king, and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth: and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness."
Another may say, I cannot pray.
ANSWER. Will you try, for God calls you; you may expect assistance, Exodus 4:11, "Who has made man's month? or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?" Seriously consider your state and sins, and you shall have matter for confession; consider your mercies, and you shall have matter for thanksgiving; consider your wants, and you shall have matter for petition. Though you can not express yourself as some others, yet be sincere. Parents love to hear their babes that are learning to speak; and God will never refuse to hear the sincere language of a heart, though it is not expressed in the most proper words.
2. To praying persons I would say, Continue constantly in this duty of prayer, and never give it over as long as you live. Consider,
(1.) Your need, wants, temptations, snares, etc. never cease, nor will cease while you are here; and why should you cease to pray? God will have his people live from hand to mouth, because he loves to have them always about his hand.
(2) Praying is a soul-enriching trade. It is a trade with Heaven, and brings down temporal and spiritual mercies. He who drives this trade most diligently, will be found the most thriving Christian. Surely the leanness among professors is owing to this neglect in a great measure.
(3.) If ever a time called for prayer, this time does, while the ark of God is in hazard, and damnable errors are spreading. O then pray, and pray frequently, and before long your prayers shall be turned to praises.
II. I proceed to consider the manner of praying, or to show, in what respects we are to "pray without ceasing." This is not to be understood as if we should spend our whole time in the exercise of prayer: for there are many other duties, both of our station in life and as Christians, that we are bound to perform; and these must have their time; and God does not bind us to inconsistencies. But we must,
1. Pray frequently, as David did, Psalm 119:164, "Seven times a-day do I praise you: because of your righteous judgments." The Christian should be no stranger to, but often at that work. It is a piece of walking with God, wherein the soul seeks communion with Heaven, and wherein he should abound, Colossians 2:6, 7. We find Daniel frequently at it, when it was death to pray, Daniel 6:10. See Psalm 55:17, "Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Hereby may be known what case the soul is in; the more diligent one is in this duty, he will be the more thriving.
2. Pray statedly, without ceasing from the set times of prayer. These are evening and morning. The morning and evening sacrifice were called "the continual burnt-offering," Exodus 29:39, 41, 42., as being offered continually at these times. And these times were the times of prayer, Acts 3:1. The light of nature itself teaches us to begin and end the day with the worship of God. And they should be reckoned lost days that are not so begun and ended.
3. Pray occasionally, without ceasing from embracing occasions of praying which the Lord puts in your hand. Do as David did, Psalm 27:8, "When you said, Seek you my face; my heart said unto you, Your face, Lord, will I seek." An observing Christian will sometimes find himself called to pray between hands; and it is dangerous to sit the motion of an occasional tryst that God sometimes sets a person. To such a tryst there concurs,
(1.) An inward moving of the soul to converse with God by prayer, Psalm 27:8, just cited; the Spirit of the Lord exciting to duty, by representing a particular need, or fit occasion of converse with God, and so pressing a man forward to the throne to supplicate.
(2.) A fair opportunity for it, Galatians 6:10. And forasmuch as there may be motions to prayer, that are not from the Spirit of God, they may thus be discerned by the unseasonableness of them; for the Spirit of God puts people to duty seasonably, Psalm 1:3.
4. Pray constantly, Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance." There must be a persevering in this duty, in the several kinds thereof, as the Lord gives opportunity. And this imports a continuing the course of praying, never giving up with it while breath remains, nor giving it over for a time, Psalm 119:112. The latter makes way for the former, as swooning does for dying for good and all.
5. Pray "importunately," not fainting nor giving over your tabled petitions as long as your needs remain, but resolutely pursuing them before the throne; Luke 18:1, "And he spoke a parable unto them, to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Pray until you get the answer of your prayers, if it should be never so long delayed. God loves to have such petitioners about him as are resolute, and will not take a nay-say, as in the woman of Canaan's case; Matthew 15:22–28.
6. Be habitual in the use of ejaculatory prayer; for this is a kind of prayer that can be mixed with whatever other good thing you are about. There is an occasion for lifting up the heart to the Lord in an ejaculatory petition, in every business that is lawful, and in every company; and there is always an opportunity for it too. All our actions should be seasoned with it.
7. Lastly, Keep your hearts always in a praying frame; that whenever God calls you, you may be ready as the soldier at the sound of the trumpet; Ephesians 6:18. Hereto two things are necessary.
(1.) That you keep a clean conscience, watching against sin, having habitually recourse to the blood of sprinkling; Hebrews 9:14.
(2.) That you use moderation in all things, Philippians 4:5. That joy or sorrow, eating or drinking, working or diversion, that unfits a man for prayer, is too much; for glorifying God is our chief end, to which all other ends must be subordinated; 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
USE I. Of reproof to those that, being come to years of discretion,
1. Have not yet begun to pray; but live like beasts, eating, working, or playing, and sleeping, but have not begun to pray to the God that made them. Ah! know you not that you must die, and live eternally in another world? that you are criminals, and have forfeited your life by your sin? that you must be pardoned, or perish? And you that have not set up God's worship in your families, will you not give God house-room with you? Know your danger, and flee from the fury which the Lord will pour out on those who call not on his name.
2. Those that have left off praying. Sometimes they have prayed, but have given it over now; some in secret, and some in their families. Remember that this makes you apostates, and that apostasy is very dangerous. Consider the two following scripture-passages; 2 Peter 2:21, "It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." Hebrews 10:38, "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."
3. Those that pray now and then only, as it suits with their convenience. Some will pray on the Sabbath-day, when they have no other thing to do. Sometimes they are in a good mood, and take a start of praying; at other times they will rise from bed, and go to it, without ever bowing a knee to God. They will pray at even, but not at morn. Some cannot be got to set up the worship of God in their families in the morning, others for several days in a week have no family worship, sometimes in the year in the throng of business. Let conscience say, if that be "praying without ceasing." Is it not a contempt of God in his worship, and like the hypocrite; Job 27:10, of whom it is said, "Will he always call upon God?"
USE II. Pray without ceasing. For,
(1.) Satan never ceases to seek your destruction, 1 Peter 5:8.
(2.) Your need of the Lord's help never ceases; you need direction, protection, life, strength, mercies of all kinds, spiritual and temporal.
(3.) Lastly, Time never ceases to run, and you know not when it may run out. There is good reason we pray always, since we know no time wherein death may not overtake us.
OF THE SPIRIT'S HELP IN PRAYER
ROMANS 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
SOMEWHAT of the nature of prayer in general, with the import of praying without ceasing, has been explained to you; but it is not every kind of prayer that is acceptable to God. Among praying people there is a twofold cry that goes to Heaven,
(1.) The cry of strangers, not known and approved there. That is prayer wrought out by ourselves, in virtue of a natural sense of want, by a gift of knowledge and utterance.
(2.) The cry of children; that is prayer wrought in us by the help of the Holy Spirit dwelling and acting in us, and is accepted of God. Of this our text speaks. In which,
1. The connection is to be noticed, "likewise." This chapter is an inventory of the privileges of believers.
(1.) Freedom from condemnation, verse 1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
(2.) Sanctification, verse 5, "They that are after the Spirit, do mind the things of the Spirit."
(3.) Comfort against death, verse 10, "If Christ be in you, the body is dead, because of sin; but the Spirit is life, because of righteousness."
(4.) Sonship to God, verse 14, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
(5.) Glorification abiding them, verse 18, "For I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." From this high privilege the apostle looks down on the cross and afflictions here laid on believers, and shows there is no comparison between these afflictions and that glory, they being but like a prick with a pin received by one in his way to a crown. And this is a first grand consolation against the cross laid on believers.
(6.) The help of the Spirit for the present, in the text. And this is the second grand consolation of believers under the cross. They have not only, under all their afflictions, eternal glory made sure to them in end; but for the present time, while they are going under their burden, they have the Spirit of the Lord helping them, and particularly in prayer, the noted relief of the distressed, Like-wise the Spirit also helps our infirmities," etc. And that is a great consolation under the crose.
2. The words themselves, in which we may observe two things—
1st, A general assertion of the Spirit's assisting of believers in the midst of their infirmities. And here,
(1.) There is something supposed, namely, That they are compassed with infirmities while here. They are recovered of their deadly sickness of sin, but they are still weak; they are restored to life, but they have as yet little strength, and are much bowed down with pressures on them.
(2.) Something expressed, namely, the Spirit's helping of them in that case. Weak people need help, especially under heavy burdens. And believers want not help under theirs; they have the best of help, the help of God himself, the eternal Spirit of the Father and the Son, the third person of the glorious Trinity, by whom the Father and the Son do act in them. He "helps our infirmities," that is, helps us in our infirmities, to whatever we have to do or bear.
This help of the Spirit is a joint action, as the word imports. He "together over-against" takes a lift of our burden. Where the Spirit helps, the man is not idle; but while the believer is going under his burden, he lifts the heavy end of it, and makes it the lighter to us; he does as the nurse with the child learning to go; the child moves his feet, but she holds him up and helps him, holding it by the arms.
2dly, A particular condescension, namely, his helping them in prayer, which brings great relief under the cross. And here,
(1.) We have a general infirmity that believers labor under, and that is little skill of praying. Whenever the grace of God touches their hearts, they are set a-praying; however, they are in it but like children beginning to speak; while unbelievers meanwhile are but like dumb people making a roar. Their weakness and unskilfulness in praying lies in two things.
[1.] In the matter of prayer, "We know not what we should pray for." We are apt, instead of bread, to ask a stone; instead of a fish, a scorpion; to pray for what would do us ill, and against what is for our good.
[2.] In the manner of prayer, "We know not what we should pray for as we ought." We cannot put our prayers in right shape, even when we are right as to the matter of them. We cannot put our petitions in form, in the style of the court of Heaven.
(2.) The Spirit's help afforded them in this case: "But the Spirit itself makes intercession for us," etc. Where we may notice,
[1.] The agent in this help, "the Spirit itself," rather "the Spirit himself;" the meaning certainly is so, for the Spirit here spoken of is a person, not a thing; though, by reason of the language the apostle wrote in, it is expressed neutrally.
[2.] The help itself, He "makes intercession for us." Christ intercedes for us in Heaven; the Spirit intercedes in us, by his effectual working in us, helping us to pray aright, and make intercession for ourselves. He forms our petitions for the court of Heaven. No gifts could avail to this end. If the best gift without the Spirit were bestowed on a man, he could not make a prayer that would be acceptable to God, though it might be much admired of men.
[3.] An instance of a particular, whereto the Spirit helps in prayer "with groanings." Not that the Spirit's help in prayer appears in these only; but that even these groanings for divine aid, which believers have in their prayer, though they may be reckoned small things, yet are really great and prevalent with God, as proceeding from and produced in them by his own Spirit; and they are more forcible and expressive of the desires of the soul than any words; so they are "groanings which cannot be uttered." It is evident, that the Spirit of God in himself does not groan; but groanings are attributed to him, so far as he causes us to groan, by exciting our affections. Therefore his intercession is to be understood of his causing and helping us to intercede in prayer for ourselves.
The following doctrines may be observed from the words thus explained.
DOCTRINE I. It is a comfortable case under affliction, where the party is helped from Heaven to pray under their burden.
DOCTRINE II. It is the privilege of believers to have the help of the Holy Spirit, under the infirmities with which they are compassed while here.
DOCTRINE III. Such is the weakness of God's own children, that they have not skill to manage even their addresses to God by prayer aright, without the Spirit.
DOCTRINE IV. All our praying aright is so far done by the help of the Spirit, that it is justly reckoned his work, his making intercession for us.
DOCTRINE V. The Spirit helps believers to pray, particularly causing in them gracious groanings, which cannot be uttered.
DOCTRINE. I. It is a comfortable case under affliction, where the party is helped from Heaven to pray under their burden. This doctrine arises from the connection and scope of the words.
In discoursing from it, I shall consider,
I. What is the help from Heaven to pray under a burden.
II. The comfort that is in this case.
III. Make improvement.
I. What is the help from Heaven to pray under a burden. I take it up in these two particulars.
1. Help to lay the case before the Lord, and to table petitions before the throne of grace upon the case. If any are thus helped it is a token for good, they may take comfort of it; Psalm 66:16, 17, "Come and hear, all you that fear God, and I will declare what he has done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue." Little do we know how to table petitions on our case at the court of Heaven; but if a shower of trouble should fall on us, and withal the spirit of prayer be poured on us, we would have no cause to complain. Though the Lord press down a person with the one hand, and stir him up to the exercise of prayer with the other, it is a hopeful case, as was that of Jonah, chapter 2:1.
2. Help to insist and resolutely to hang on and not faint, however longsome the hearing may be, Colossians 1:11. Thus the Spirit helps the children of God in prayer; Psalm 138:3, "In the day when I cried you answerered me; and strengthened me with strength in my soul;" 2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." The patience of others in applications to the throne of grace will soon be tired out; they cannot wait, so they drop the matter, Job 27:10, and go to another door. But those in whom the Spirit dwells see no other door, John 6:68, and the Spirit is a spring of living water in them, which causes them to hold on.
II. What is the comfort that is in this case. It is manifold. I instance in the following particulars.
1. That is comfortable in it, that the native effect of affliction is stopped in such a person by influence from Heaven. Affliction in its own nature is a whip, a brier, a thorn; and the native effect of it is, to drive the sinner away from God, to harden his heart, irritate his corruption, and make his heart a Hell; Job 36:13, "The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath; they cry not when he binds them." But, by divine institution, it is a medicine, having a promise annexed to it; Isaiah 26:9, "When your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness;" and so it brings the believing sinner to God, as the bitter potion causes the sick man turn to his physician, who would all he could keep himself out of the way of an enemy that had given him such a bitter draught, Romans 10:14.
2. It is comfortable, even that the party gets a vent to his full heart. Those in a trouble find a kind of relief in pouring out their heart into the bosom of a sympathizing friend; and it is an aggravation of affliction, when the fire must burn in the bosom, and there is no access to give it a vent. How much more is it a solid comfort, to be helped to pour out one's heart unto a gracious God, able and willing to help in due time? Micah resolved to take comfort this way; Micah 7:7, "I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." And Hannah got it; 1 Samuel 1:15, 16, "And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not your handmaid for a daughter of Belial; for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto." Verse 18, "And she said, Let your handmaid find grace in your sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad."
3. It is comfortable that the Lord takes that way to draw the sinner to him, and keep him about his hand, and it is effectual; Hosea 5., "I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me early." We reckon in the world, that they are in the best case that hold all within themselves; but in respect of spiritual thriving, they are fairest for that who are kept from hand to mouth, and never want a new errand to God's door. The Lord loves to have his children always about his hand, but they would be like children at their play about meal-time, that would never mind home if hunger did not bite them; and so in effect it fares with many.
4. That is comfortable in it, that it is a sign of eternal good-will and everlasting love to such persons; Luke 18:7, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" They would be tired out, if they were not God's chosen, possessed by his Spirit. Do you see a place which is always fall of water, summer and winter, in the greatest drought? you may be sure that is no pool, but a spring, John 4:14. The man prays and wrestles against a body of death, cries and goes on under a weight of trials; he holds on notwithstanding of seeming fruitlessness. See the verdict; Matthew 24:13, "He who shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved."
5. That is comfortable in it, that his prayers shall be heard at length to his heart's content, if it should not be until he get into Heaven; Luke 18:8," I tell you that he will avenge them speedily."
The help of the Spirit in prayer is a certain pledge of the hearing of prayer, James 5:18. If a poor man were to petition the king, but had no skill to draw his petition; and the king should send one from about his hand to help that poor man, and draw his petition for him; would not that be a sign that the king had a good mind to grant it? So it is equally a certain sign of God's good-will to the praying person, and a certain token that his prayers shall be heard to his full satisfaction at length, that the Spirit now helps him in prayer, and, as it were, draws his petitions for him.
6. It is comfortable, that the party is now and then getting some off-fallings about the Lord's hand; otherwise he would give over. In the way of duty, wherein people are not formal, but truly serious, there is a concomitant reward; Psalm 19:11, "In keeping of them there is great reward;" and particularly in prayer; Isaiah 45:19, "I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek you me in vain." Though the Lord does not give the main request for the time, yet be gives something that keeps the heart from fainting; Lamentations 3:57, "You drew near in the day that I called upon you; you said, Fear not." So we find it happened to Paul; 2 Corinthians 12:8, 9, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me. And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
From what is said on this doctrine, the following things may be shortly observed for improvement.
1. The Lord's cross on his people's back, is better than the world's crown on the head of his enemies. For there is more comfort in the one's being helped from Heaven to commit their case to the Lord, and depend on him for it, than in all the prosperity of the wicked. For all is well that ends well; and the former will have a joyful end, the latter a sad one, Proverbs 1:32, 33.
2. They are doubly to be pitied, who are under an afflicted lot, and withal strangers to the duty and comfort of prayer. This world is a place wherein neither good nor bad will miss their share of crosses. But to see this world frowning on a man, and in the meantime him not seeking his comfort from Heaven; to see a person full of matter of complaints, and yet having no heart to pour them out into the bosom of our heavenly Father, is a sad sight.
3. Let praying people beware of afflictions deadening them, and taking heart and hand from them in prayer. Satan will do his utmost to work up afflictions to this pitch; and when he has got it done, he has what he would wish, he has an envenomed arrow sticking in their flesh. Let them haste to get it away, as ever they would cast a coal of Hell out of their bosom; and remember that "God is love; and he who dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him," 1 John 4:16; that "the Lord does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men," Lamentations 3:33; and that "all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," Romans 8:28.
4. Lastly, Let those who are helped to pray under their affliction be thankful, and acknowledge God has not forgotten them. When the Lord's people have plied the throne of grace long for a mercy, and yet it comes not, they are ready to think that the Lord regards them not. But if you be helped still to hang on, that very thing is an evidence that it is not true; and is a token for good in your case.
DOCTRINE II. It is the privilege of believers to have the help of the Holy Spirit, under the infirmities with which they are compassed while here.
Here I shall show,
I. What are the infirmities believers are compassed with here.
II. Why in the depth of sovereign wisdom, believers are left compassed so with infirmities while here.
III. Consider the Spirit's helping believers under these infirmities.
IV. Make some practical improvement.
I. I am to show what are the infirmities believers are compassed with here.
First, They are always compassed with natural infirmities.
1. Pure natural infirmities, which though they be their weights and burdens, yet are not their sins. There is a natural weakness inwrought with human flesh, though at its prime of vigor, Isaiah 40:6, so that it was found even in the man Christ, 2 Corinthians 13:4. This makes God's children objects of their Father's pity, Psalm 103:13, 14, "Like as a Father pities his children: so the Lord pities them that fear him. For he knows our frame: he remembers that we are dust." Such are the need of meat, drink, sleep, etc., whereby the tabernacle must be daily underpropped, Matthew 26:41. Even Samson was sore pressed with such infirmity, Judges 15:18, "He was sore athirst."
2. Sinful natural infirmities, which are both pressures on them, and defilements of them, wounding and polluting.
(1.) Common to them all, namely, the remains of the corruption of nature, which makes them all a company of poor weaklings, groaning under their infirmities, Romans 7:24. Their sanctification is imperfect; every grace in them has the contrary weed of corruption growing by the side of it. Grace indeed has got the house, but dwells not alone in it; the Canaanites are left in the land, and they cannot quite drive them out. Hence is the struggle not only with those without, but those within.
(2.) Peculiar to every one of them, namely, the particular bias of corrupt nature in each of them, arising from their natural constitution and temper; and this is a cast of disposition to some particular evil, commonly called "the predominant sin, the sin which does so easily beset us," Hebrews 12:1. Thus the peculiar infirmity of some is passion, of others vanity, worldliness, etc. Every one will know their own, for it will be that which costs more struggle than anything else, and in which they will find need of the peculiar help of the Spirit.
Secondly, They are often compassed with accidental infirmities.
1. Sinless ones. Such are afflictions, trials, and temptations, which though not their sins, yet are heavy weights to them, causing them much need of help, as in Paul's case, 2 Corinthians 12:7, 8, 9. Thus diseases and ailments of whatever nature go under the name of infirmities, as weakening body or spirit, Luke 5:15. Timothy had frequent attacks by them, 1 Timothy 5:23. And in the road to Heaven such weights and pressures one way or other will not be missed, Acts 14:22.
2. Sinful ones, being wrong casts of spirit, arising from education or other circumstances, giving them as it were a second nature. Such was the infirmity of the disciples, whereby they were ready on all occasions to mind a temporal kingdom of Christ, and to be stumbled at his sufferings; and the bias towards the ceremonial law, which the believing Jews had remaining with them; Romans 15:1.
Hence the infirmities of believers may be taken up in the following particulars—
1. They have weak heads for discerning and understanding sin and duty, snares, temptations, and proper means for evidencing the one, and compassing the other, Jeremiah 10:23, "It is not in man that walks to direct his steps." The subtle enemy is ready to outwit them, and by his devices to triumph over their weakness. Therefore we are warned not to trust our own understanding, Proverbs 3:5.
2. They have weak hearts for venturing on difficulties, which make them ready to faint at the appearance of them, Isaiah 35:4. And the formidable enemy is ready to damp them, and discourage them. They know themselves how little strength they have; and their faith being weak withal, they are apt to sink in their courage for doing and suffering.
3. They have weak hands fore doing of duties in the right manner, Isaiah 35:3. They are not in themselves man enough for the most ordinary duties of religion, and therefore being left to themselves, they quite mismanage them, John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 3:5. And sometimes the Lord calls them to extraordinary duties.
4. Lastly, They have weak backs for bearing burdens, so that they are easily bowed down, yes and foundered under them, 2 Corinthians 2:16. Their suffering strength is small, considering the weak frame of their bodies, and the remaining distempers in their souls.
II. I come now to show why, in the depth of sovereign wisdom, believers are left compassed so with infirmities while here. Surely it is not for want of power in their Father to deliver them: for he is almighty, and in the moment he gave them grace, could have perfected them in soul and body. Neither is it for want of love to and concern for them; for he has the affections of a Father, and gave them his own Son, which was more than all that. But so it is ordered,
1. That the members may be conformed to the head, Romans 8:29. Our Lord Jesus did not enter to his glory, but after a long track of sufferings, Hebrews 2:10. This was necessary in the case of Christ the head, for the purchasing of our salvation, Matthew 8:17; Luke 24:26. And it is necessary in the case of believers, that they may be conformed to him, bearing the image of his sufferings, for his glory.
2. That the emptiness of the creature may be discovered, and the pride of all created glory stained, and that the crown may be put on the head of free grace only; so that we may say, "The Lord of hosts has purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth," Isaiah 23:9. There in a scene is opened, wherein there is a full display of the nothingness of the creature, that Heaven may appear to be peopled with those that could have no pretensions to it, but on the score of mere free grace.
3. That all the graces of the Spirit in believers may be brought forth into the field of battle, and exert themselves, 1 Peter 1:6, 7. There are some graces whose exercise is to be eternal, as love, reverential fear, etc. these will be exerted in Heaven as well as here. But there are others that are occasional in their exercise, such as faith, hope, patience, watchfulness, etc. which agree only to a state of imperfection: and there they have occasion to show themselves. So, for the exercise of these, and trial of both sorts, the Canaanites are left in the land. And therefore some are loaded with peculiar infirmities.
4. That the power of the grace of Christ may be magnified. The infirmities with which believers are compassed, make a scene wherein the power of Christ is signally displayed, as, says the apostle, 2 Corinthians 12:9, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." God could have seated Israel in Canaan, without stroke of sword; but then Joshua's valor, which appeared in the conquest of that land, had lain hid. Believers are committed into Christ's hand, as the great Pilot, to guide them through the sea of this world, to the shore of Immanuel's land: and it will magnify the power of his grace, that by his conduct so many broken ships are brought safe ashore, through so many rocks and shelves, and suffering so many storms.
5. That the bruised serpent may be beat the more shamefully, and Christ's victory and triumph over him may be the more signal. He encountered Christ in person on the cross; and there he was over come, the Son of God being an overmatch for all the powers of Hell. But that his defeat may be more shameful, he is yoked with poor believers with a heap of infirmities about them; and by them too, after he has done his worst, he is baffled at length, Romans 16:20. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
And here it is worth observing, that our Lord Jesus singles out some of his people to combat with Satan, loaded with some uncommon infirmity, whereby he has a peculiar advantage against them, that he has not against others: and all to make that malicious spirit's defeat yet more shameful. As if one, to pour contempt on his enemy, should say, I will take such an one of my children that are not quite recovered out of their sickness, and I will bind one of his arms behind his back, and yet make him throw you down, and tread on you. Thus Job was stripped of all his comforts, his children, wealth, and health; nothing left him but his life, and his unkind wife that Satan had use for; and Satan makes a furious attack on him to blaspheme, when he had him at all this disadvantage. And yet he was baffled in the end, James 5:11, "You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy. And when the gospel was to be spread in the world, Satan had the power of the sword and the learning in the world engaged in the defense of his kingdom; and Christ singles out a few fishermen, neither swordsmen nor bookmen, Paul excepted, and they pull it down; notwithstanding all the magistrates could do by their force, and they learned by their subtlety to support it.
6. Lastly, To screw up the glory of the exceeding riches of grace to a height, Ephesians 2:7, "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus." According to this dispensation, believers are drowned deeper in the debt of free grace, than otherwise they would have been, Romans 5:20. By these infirmities with which they are compassed, it comes to pass that their accounts of pardoning and supporting grace are swelled with many items; the view of which will make them sing the praises of God in Heaven, on a higher key than innocent Adam would have done.
III. We shall consider the Spirit's helping believers under those infirmities they are compassed with. And here I shall show,
1. The import of this.
2. How the Spirit helps them under their infirmities.
First, I am to show the import of the Spirit's helping believers under their infirmities. It imports in it,
1. A bent of heart in the believer toward his work and duty, set him by the great Master, Romans 7:22; for what people have no mind to, they need no help for. The heart of every child of God is reconciled to the whole law, Hebrews 8:10. And what God carves out for him either to do or suffer, he would gladly come up to, Matthew 26:41. Even when there is a felt averseness to it, this bent in the renewed part remains with him, to which that averseness is a burden, Romans 7:22, 23.
2. The infirmities hanging about the believer, make duty difficult to him: if it were not so, what need would he have of help? Matthew 26:40, 41. These hang like weights on him, and draw him down, when he would mount upwards; so his executive powers cannot answer his will. He is at best like a bird flying with a stone tied to its foot; whereby it comes to pass, that it cannot fly far until it light, and the short way it flies is with difficulty.
3. The believer is sensible of his infirmities, for it is supposed that he is wrestling under them, Romans 7:23, 24, He sees, he feels, that he is not man enough for his work; that his own hands are not sufficient for him, nor his own back for his burden; this is what drives him out of himself to the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 3:5. And thus he lies open to the help of the Spirit, while proud nature in unbelievers is left helpless, 1 Peter 5:5, "God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble." Isaiah 40:4, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low."
4. The believer aims at and attempts to do his duty, over the belly of his infirmities. For helping is a joint action, Philippians 3:14, "I press towards the mark." Many feel a difficulty in the weightiest parts of religion, that makes them at length to give them over. They neither have ability in themselves to master such a lust, nor have the grace to betake themselves to Christ for the help of his Spirit. But they sit down contented under it, soothing themselves with this, that every one has his infirmity, and that is theirs; and so they discover their hypocrisy. But real saints wrestle with their infirmities, sit not down, but go on though they go halting.
5. Lastly, The spirit of the Lord comes in to the believer's help in this case, so as the work and duty is got done. "For the Spirit helps our infirmities." As the nurse helps the child attempting to go, or one helps a man attempting to lift up a weighty burden; so the Spirit helps the weak believer essaying his duty, to perform it. He stretches out the withered hand, and with the aiming to stretch it out, power is sent in from above.
Secondly, I am next to show how the Spirit helps believers under their infirmities.
1. He helps them by his influence in gifts. Here he does two things.
1st, He bestows on them gifts necessary for the performance of what the Lord calls them to, of whatever nature that be, temporal or spiritual, 1 Corinthians 12:8–11, "To one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these works that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." The gifts of believers are various, according to the variety of their stations in life, and the respective particular duties required of them in their stations. Every one has not all, nor will ever have all; because there are many of them which they have no necessity for, in respect of what God calls them to. But there are two things I would have you advert to.
(1.) Whatever good gift a child of God has, he will get use for it, for God, soon or late, 1 Corinthians 12:7; though for a time he may have little or none for it. For in that case the Spirit lays in aforehand for their help. David had the gift of music in his younger years; the use of it for God appeared afterwards, when on that account he was sent for to Saul's court, and afterwards he ordered the temple service in that point. Paul had a gift of human learning; he got use for it afterwards, when he fought those at Athens with their own weapons, Acts 17:28. Moses had a gift of extraordinary meekness of temper, and Job of extraordinary patience; each got as much ado with them for God.
An unbeliever indeed may have a gift, which he never has any use for, for God. For he always does one of two things with it; either he hides it in the earth, and makes no use of it all, Matthew 25:25; or else he uses it to the service of his own lusts, James 4:3, 4. But God will not let any good gift in his own people lie by useless.
(2.) Whatever duty, in temporal or spiritual things, God calls a believer to, he will, in a way of believing, get the gift from God necessary for it, Proverbs 10:29, "The way of the Lord is strength to the upright:" and 3:6, "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." For it is the office of the Spirit to help his people's infirmities. And so a call from the Lord to any piece of work, imports a promise of a gift of ability for it, the sap of which promise is to be sucked by believing it; and it is withal a call to look to the Lord for the help of his Spirit. For the Lord treats not his children as the Egyptian taskmasters did, who would have the Israelites make brick without giving them straw. Moses is called to go Jehovah's ambassador to the court of Egypt; he is sensible of an infirmity, but the Spirit's help is secured to him, Exodus 4:10, 12. Bezalel and Aholiab must work the curious work of the tabernacle. Where should they have learned it, when they were slaves in Egypt at the brick-kilns? But the Spirit helps their infirmity, bestowing on them necessary gifts, Exodus 31:2, etc.
But in case the believer do not go to God for the gift, in the way of believing, no wonder he want it. For is it anything strange that the help of the Spirit is not given a man, in a particular, wherein he does not look for it? as he is commanded to do, Proverbs 3:6.
2dly, He influences them to the exercise of these gifts, Matthew 10:19, 20, "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you. As every good gift is from the Spirit, so the same Spirit has not given them away so to any, but that he has still lock and key on them, opening them out, and shutting them up as he will, Isaiah 29:14. Therefore there ought to be a dependence on the Lord, for the help of his Spirit, to the exercise of any gift necessary for what the Lord calls one to. That unbelievers have a common influence of the Spirit, in the way of common providence, to the exercise of their gifts, though they look not to the hand it comes from, is for the benefit of human society; but even the Spirit's influence on gifts, coming to believers in the channel of the covenant, their blunders and mismanagements in the exercise of their gifts, are rebukes to them for their not looking more to the help of the Spirit therein, and to bring them to their duty.
2. He helps them by his influence in grace. Here he helps their infirmities three ways.
1st, He preserves the grace he has planted in believers, so as it never dies out; 1 John 2:27, "The anointing which you have received of him, abides in you; and you need not that any man teach you; but, as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him." The quickening spirit of Christ being communicated to the dead elect in the time of loves, they are made to live and believe in Christ, and so are united to him; upon which union the same Spirit takes of the treasure of grace in Christ, and plants in the believer grace for grace in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 1:13, with John 1:16. And this for all time after he preserves; 2 Timothy 1:14, "That good thing which was committed unto you, keep by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us. John 10:28, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." Deuteronomy 33:3, "All his saints are in your hand; and they sat down at your feet; every one shall receive of your words," that is your Spirit. Luke 11:20; with Matthew12:28. Now, this is a great helping of their infirmities, if you consider jointly these four things.
(1.) That holy quality called grace, is in its own nature a thing liable to be lost. Adam at his creation was endowed with a far greater measure of it than any believer has in this world; yet that holy fire in him was quite extinguished; that heavenly plant, by one bite of the venomous teeth of the old serpent, died out quite, and withered away. How then is it preserved in believers compassed with infirmities, but by the help of the Spirit? Free-will in Adam lost it, but the free grace of the free Spirit preserves it in weak ones of his family.
(2.) It dwells with an ill neighbor, even the corruption of nature, that is quite opposite to it. The old man of sin had the first possession, the new man of grace is brought in upon him, and meets with a continual resistance, yet is preserved. There is the weight of a body of sin and death pressing grace in the believer, yet is it not crushed to death. Whoever looks into his own heart, and sees what powerful lusts are there, must needs wonder to see the pearl kept in such a dung-hill, and the spark of holy fire kept in the midst of an ocean of corruption; and must own it to be entirely owing to the help of the Spirit; Galatians 5:17, "The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would."
(3.) The whole force of Hell is bent for its extinction; 1 Peter 5:8, "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour." The image of God repaired in a believer, though but in part, is an eye-sore to Satan, he cannot endure to look at it. Therefore he uses all his subtlety, power, and unwearied diligence to erase it. He works against it incessantly, turns himself into all shapes that he may overturn it; employs his friends within and his friends without to the same purpose, yet it is preserved. How? but by the help of the Spirit; 1 John 4:4, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
(4.) Lastly, The believer in himself is but a weak creature; he has a weak head, heart, hands, and back; is easily outwitted by a subtle enemy, discouraged, overthrown, and bowed down. Innocent Adam's strength and skill failed in preserving the grace received in his creation; yet the believer's grace received in his new creation is never lost; though of itself it is a perishing quality, is surrounded with corruption, and the whole force of Hell is employed to extinguish it. For why? the almighty Spirit helps their infirmities.
2dly, He excites grace in them, and brings it forth into exercise; Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which works in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." If the exercise of gifts depends on a common operation of the Spirit, surely the exercise of grace on a special operation of the same Spirit. As the fire buried under the ashes will not serve the purposes of the family's provision, nor the tree with its sap retired into the heart and root bring forth fruit; so grace in the habit only is not sufficient for duty. The holy fire must be blown up, and through the return of the sap to the branches they must bud and blossom. And this is the work of the Spirit, Canticles 4., "Awake, O north wind, and come, you south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out; let my Beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." Now the Spirit excites grace in believers,
(1.) Presenting objects to their minds fit to rouse it up; and so he acts as a teaching Spirit; John 14:26, "He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said unto you." Corruption thrives most in darkness, because it belongs to the kingdom of darkness. But light let into the soul stirs up grace, therefore it is called the light of life, John 8:12. Thus the Spirit presenting a man's sin to him in its ugly colors, stirs up the grace of repentance, Psalm 51:3; discovering the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, it excites love; and discovering the creature in its emptiness, excites contempt of the world. And this is a great help, for,
(1.) We are apt to forget these things when we have most need to mind them; as to forget human frailty and divine might, when there is greatest need of confidence in the Lord, against the terror of man; and the Spirit in that case is the believer's remembrancer, and so excites grace; Isaiah 51:12, 13, "I, even I, am he who comforts you; who are you, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass? and forget the Lord your maker, that has stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth? and have feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?" Our weakness in such points makes us need a monitor, being often like Hagar, whose eyes saw not the well, though it was very near by, until God opened them, Genesis 21:19. So that when such a thing is suggested, one is often made to wonder how they saw it not.
(2.) When we do mind them, we cannot command a lively sight of them, without the blowing of the Spirit, Hosea 8:12. They lie before our eyes as so many dry bones, until the Spirit set them in motion, by setting them in a due light. Joseph's brethren could not forget that they had been guilty concerning him, nor David that he had sinned in the matter of Uriah; but until the Spirit set these things in another light to them, they were not moved to repent.
(2.) By touching their hearts and affections, and immediately bringing them forth into exercise. Thus the sleeping spouse was awakened; Canticles 5:4, "My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my affections were moved for him." And so he acts as a quickening Spirit. The hearts of men are in the hand of the Lord, to turn them what way he will; and so he moves them by a touch in common things, as he did the band of men that went with Saul to Gibeah, "whose hearts God had touched," 1 Samuel 10:26; and he also moves them by a touch in gracious actions, as the spouse found; Canticles 6:12, "Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib. As the thaw wind makes the frozen waters to flow amain, and the air in the bellows blows up the fire; so there is an influence of the Spirit on the hearts of believers, opening them in the exercise of grace, Philippians 2:13. This is a great help to believers; for,
(1.) Their hearts are oft-times very dead within them, when called to duty, either doing or suffering, Canticles 5:2, 3, "I sleep, but my heart wakes: it is the voice of my Beloved that knocks, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on! I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?" Their affections are flat, and their souls indisposed for spiritual action. But when the Spirit touches their hearts, they are fitted for duty; their spiritual life is brought forth into liveliness and activity, Psalm 80:18, "Quicken us, and we will call upon your name.
[2.] They can by no are of theirs remove their deadness of heart and affections, 2 Corinthians 3:5, but they will lie windbound in the harbor, until the Spirit blow. They may be long toiling in rowing in the use of means, and yet be still but where they were, for all they can do. But the influences of the Spirit rising and filling their sails, they will presently make way, Canticles 6:12.
Now, this double action of presenting to their minds, and touching their hearts, whereby the Spirit excites grace, is signified to us by comparing the Spirit to fire, which has both light and heat with it, Matthew 3:11. And there is a twofold mean the Spirit makes use of for that purpose, namely, the word and providence, of which afterwards.
3dly, He strengthens and increases grace in them, Ephesians 3:16, "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might, by his Spirit in the inner man." Grace is a heavenly seed capable of growth, 2 Peter 3., and so admits of various degrees of strength, not only in different persons, in respect of which some are little children, others youths, others fathers, 1 John 2 but in the same person at different times, Isaiah 40, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." And indeed of its own nature it is a growing thing, as a seed; grace has a seminal virtue in it, that fits it for growing and receiving more strength, John 4:14. Meanwhile the seed will not grow unless it be watered from above; so grace grows not, but by the influence of the Spirit, Hosea 14:5, "I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon." Now the Spirit does strengthen and increase grace,
(1.) By frequent exciting it into action. The habits of grace, as well as others, are strengthened by the repeated exercise of them. The more it shines, it shines the brighter, Proverbs 4:18. It is for this cause that God has bound converts also to the hearing of the word, whereby their graces are brought forth into one act after another, as the object is still anew proposed; and for this cause he trysts his people with a variety of incidents, afflictions, and trials, which bring their graces into frequent exercise, whereby at length they become strong.
(2.) By bringing forth into exercise one grace, he strengthens the rest, 2 Peter 1:5, 8, "And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance: and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." As a mason by laying on a new stone in his wall, fastens the rest under it; or the sheaves of corn stand the more firmly, that one is set at the side of another; so one grace is still the better of another joined to it in the exercise thereof. So humility strengthens meekness and patience, love strengthens obedience in all points, and faith strengthens altogether; like a band or keystone in an arch, the more firm it is, the firmer is the whole arch; so the Spirit, by bringing forth one grace in the believer's heart after another, strengthens the whole collection, and makes it the more firm and steady.
(3.) By affording them Christian experiences, whereby they find the truth and reality of what they have believed, and the blessed sensible advantage of the exercise of grace, Romans 5:3, 4, 5, "We glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope makes not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." Experienced Christians are therefore always the strongest Christians, even as the spoil got in one battle helps the soldier to fight the more stoutly in the next, 1 Samuel 17:36, 2 Timothy 4:17, 18. Former experiences are the traveler to Zion's way-marks in dark steps, and his cordials in difficult ascents. Every taste of divine goodness and grace refreshes and strengthens. Now it is the Spirit that gives these experiences, John 16:14, "He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."
(4.) By immediate supplies of grace, Philippians 1:19, "I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." As the lamp is preserved from going out, and is caused to burn more vigorously, by new oil poured in; so grace is strengthened by the Spirit giving new supplies thereof, Isaiah 44:3, 4. Hence the Spirit is said to "build us for an habitation to God," Ephesians 2. He works the first grace; and all the intermediate supplies of it, and the perfecting of it, are his, Psalm 138, "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." Now, this is a great help; for,
[1.] Weighty is the work that lies to the believer's hand; doing work, suffering work. The Christian life is no easy life, however men that go no further than the outside of it, may make it so to themselves. It is a striving, taking by force, running, laboring, fighting, etc. How could it be managed, without the helps of the Spirit?
[2.] Great is the opposition that they must work against, Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The wind will be blowing in their face from Hell at all times; and sometimes they will meet with violent storms. How could they stand against it, if the Spirit did not help?
[3.] Weak are the hands that work is put into, that has all that opposition. There is a feebleness natural to them, that makes them oft bang down. How could they ever do that work among so much opposition, without the helps of the Spirit?
The means which the Spirit of God makes use of to preserve, excite, and strengthen grace in believers, and so to help them, are two.
1. Providences; Psalm 92:4, "For you, Lord, have made me glad through your work; I will triumph in the works of your hands." The kingdom of providence is put into the hand of the Mediator, for the behalf of the kingdom of grace; and he guides it by his Spirit. The wheels of providence are managed by the Spirit; Ezekiel 1:20, and so managed as to help believers in their infirmities. And here two things are especially to be noticed,
(1.) Seasonable turns of the wheel of providence, whereby the believer is often kept up when it is at the oversetting; 1 Corinthians 10:13, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." Psalm 94:18, "When I said, My foot slips; your mercy, O Lord, held me up." Thus many times the believer is brought to an extremity, as Isaac when the knife was at his throat, when providence seasonably interposes for his relief; Psalm 125:3.
(2.) Seasonable intermixtures of providence. Thus the Spirit intermixes encouraging dispensations with difficult duties, Judg. 7:13, 14., merciful incidents with their sharp afflictions; and, on the other hand, afflicting incidents with their prosperity; and all that they may neither be swallowed op with adversity, nor destroyed with prosperity.
2. Ordinances, Isaiah 12:3, "Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation." These are instituted by the King of Zion, for the special means of grace, whereby his Spirit is to work, and to render them effectual. And the experience believers have of the Spirit's helping their infirmities by these, makes them very precious in their sight. And among these there are two especially used for this end.
1st, The sacraments. They are exciting and strengthening ordinances particularly, and consequently preservative of grace. The eunuch's experience witnesses this as to baptism, Acts 8:39, he "went on his way rejoicing." And the Lord's supper is "the communion of the body and blood of Christ," 1 Corinthians 10:16., which, by the Spirit's working, has been to the experience of many a great help.
2dly, The word. This is the most special mean. Providence has its efficacy from the word, and so have the sacraments. It is their continual mean of help, their every-day's meal, which they can go to when providence is most lowering, and sacramental occasions offer not. And the Spirit uses it for their help three ways.
(1.) Preached, 1 Corinthians 1:21, "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." This affords to the attentive believer a continued occasion of the exercise of his faith and love, while a variety of spiritual truths and objects are represented to him, in their turn; which the Spirit makes use of to draw forth his graces into exercise. Whence believers go away instructed, warmed, strengthened, in a word, edified, by reason of so many actings of grace, during their hearing, like the two disciples going to Emmaus, when they said, "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" Luke 24:32.
(2.) Read, 1 Timothy 4:13, "Until I come, give attendance to reading." This has the same advantages attending it. Thereby the Spirit of God speaks immediately to the believer by his own word in his own express terms. And the experience of the usefulness of this mean has made saints prize their Bibles as their life.
(3.) Suggested, John 14:26, "He shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said unto you." The bringing of the word to mind with a man is the office of the Spirit; and by that means he helps believers' infirmities, bringing a word suitable to their case, into their remembrance, whether to clear them in doubts, comfort them under pressures, direct them in difficulties, or check them for their debordings, etc. And herein he uses often the very words of the Bible, always what is the sense and doctrine of the Bible. And,
[1.] Sometimes the Spirit barely suggests the word to the mind without any peculiar light about it, or power impressing it, John 14:26, just cited. Thus it is presented as an object for the believer to act faith on, and is a call to look up to the Spirit to enlighten it and help to believe it, Acts 8:30–31. And thus a word at first coming in this way, comes afterwards to be illuminated by the Spirit's shining on it to the man.
[2.] Sometimes there is a peculiar light and power that comes along with it at the very first, clearly holding out the meaning of it, and impressing it so on their hearts, that they must needs believe and embrace it, John 2:17, "And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of your house has eaten me up." There were many Old Testament passages speaking more clearly of Christ which they understood not, but the Spirit thus suggested this to them.
Meanwhile it is to be observed, that all suggestions of the word are not from the Spirit of God. That Satan may suggest scripture to a man, is evident from Matthew 4:6. Therefore is that warning, 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world." But the cloven foot may be discerned in such cases two ways.
[1.] They are always of a tendency to drive sinners away from Christ, 1 John 4:2, 3, "Hereby know you the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God. And they tend to drive out of the road of duty, Matthew 4:6, "And says unto him, If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone." This was the design of the testimony he gave to Christ, and to his apostles; while the testimony was indeed true in itself, he gave it maliciously for an ill end. Therefore mark the tendency of suggestions of the word. Whatever tends to carry off from faith in Christ, or from any point of commanded duty, is not from the Spirit. For his work tends to faith and sanctification. Hence,
[2.] They are always applied by him contrary to their true sense and scope, forasmuch as the Lord's word cannot serve an ill purpose, unless it is wrested; as is evident from what the devil says to Christ, Matthew 4:6, above cited, compared with Psalm 91:11, 12, "For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone." And therefore the scripture-passage is to be considered, and how it agrees with other scriptures as to the sense and scope in which it is suggested, Matthew 4:7, "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God." The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and leads to the true sense and scope of scripture, John 16:13.
I add one observe more on the means, namely, that sometimes the Spirit helps believers' infirmities, by a particular providence trysting the word to their case. This often comes to pass in hearing the word preached, while the word in its ordinary course is brought directly to what is their case in the time; so that it is like the Midianite's telling his dream, Judg. 7:13, while Gideon, unknown to him, was overhearing; or they are providentially led to such a place, where such a word suitable to their case is handled, Cant 3:3. The same particular providence appears often in the reading of the word, whether at family worship, or in secret, or by some providential casting of it in one's way. I think it dangerous to make a fortune-book of the Bible, as some under temptation have opened the Bible, to know their case by the first word that should cast up to them. This is an unwarrantable and dangerous practice, though a merciful God may sometimes condescend to outshoot the devil in his own bow as in the case of her who threw the glass at the wall, and it broke not. But when people are thus met in the way of their duty, or surprised, with a word suited to their case, the work of the Spirit is to be owned in it, as an accomplishment of the promise, Isaiah 30:21, "Your ear shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left." Certainly the Spirit gives instruction, reproof, invitations, to unbelievers this way; and much more helps the infirmities of his people the same way, for so the word is in its true use, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And this should recommend the reading of the Word of God in an ordinary.
I shall now make some short improvement of this doctrine.
USE 1. Of information. This teaches us and shows,
1. That believers owe their spiritual strength and comfort to the same hand that they owe their spiritual life to. As the mother who brought forth the child nurses it with her own breasts; so the Spirit, who is to the elect the Spirit of life to quicken them lying dead in sin, is likewise the Comforter to strengthen them under their infirmities when spiritually alive, John 6:63, and 16:13; compare Psalm 138,.
2. The Lord calls none of his people to any duty, but they may get it done acceptably, however difficult it is. For the help of his own Spirit is their allowance; Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Here is the great difference between those under the law and under grace. The law or covenant of works exacts duty rigidly, but affords no help; the covenant of grace affords the promise of help with the command; for the latter is, but the former is not, the ministration of the Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:8.
3. How that gospel-paradox; 2 Corinthians 12:10, "When I am weak, then am I strong," is so often verified in the experience of the saints. Many a time when they are strong and well buckled in all appearance for a work, it miscarries; why, they do not go out of themselves in a way of believing, and so the Spirit withdraws. At other times they see themselves quite out of case and ability to manage such a work, and yet it succeeds; why, the Spirit comes in to their help, while they are sensible of need.
Use II. Of reproof. It may reach a reproof,
1. To believers sometimes venturing on duties, more in confidence of their own abilities, than of the Spirit's help, as Peter did when he said, "Though all men shall be offended because of you, yet will I never be offended," Matthew 26:33. This is the cause that the duty is marred; the bow so bended cannot miss to break. It is sometimes marred as to the very getting it done, and always as to its acceptance with God.
2. To unbelievers, who neither have the Spirit, nor are careful to have him dwelling in them, and influencing them. Their best works are dead works, having nothing of the quickening and sanctifying Spirit in them; and they themselves are but natural men spiritually dead, Jude 19. Whatever flourish they make with their gifts in duties, their best duties will no more be accepted of God than carrion, or a beast that died of itself would have been accepted on the altar.
3. To those who press on men still this and the other duty, without leading them to Jesus Christ for his Spirit and grace. This is another gospel, that will never make men holy, Galatians 3:2, for it is not the ministration of the Spirit. And the same veil they cast over the Spirit and grace of Christ, they will always be found to cast over the corruption of man's nature too, that they may with some decency say to every man, Physician, heal yourself.
USE III. Of exhortation. And, 1. To natural men void of the Spirit. Be concerned to get the Spirit first to quicken you, and then to assist and help you. You can do nothing acceptable to God in that state; and no wonder, for you have not the gracious help of the Spirit, without which you can have no access to God, Ephesians 2:18. So you and your works are both dead carcasses before him.
Therefore come to Christ in the way of believing; for the fullness of the Spirit is lodged in him to be communicated, Revelation 3:1. So uniting with him, you shall receive the Spirit. The fire that was set to the incense, was brought from the altar of burnt-offering. See John 20:22, and Genesis 2:7.
2. To believers.
(1.) Let this comfort you under, and reconcile you to, the state of infirmities, with which you are compassed; 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10. Though sinless infirmities are not to be desired, and sinful ones are much to be lamented; yet it is matter of rejoicing, that in these the Spirit gives sweet experience of his help.
(2.) Learn to look habitually for the help of the Spirit under your infirmities. While you consider what you have to do or bear, it is reasonable you cast one eye on your infirmity, but another eye upward for the Spirit's help. And by this means you will get his help. Luke 11:13, "If you 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?"
DOCTRINE III. Such is the weakness of God's own children, that they have not skill to manage even their addresses to God by prayer aright, without the Spirit. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us." They are like children putting their hand to a work, but with so little skill, that they must needs have one to stand over them, and direct them at every turn.
In discoursing from this point, I shall show,
I. What is implied in this truth.
II. Wherein believers are ready, through their weakness, to mistake, go wrong, and mismanage in their prayers.
III. Lastly, Apply.
I. I shall show what is implied in this truth. It implies,
1. That they are not of themselves able for what is to be done and borne in the Christian life; 2 Corinthians 3:5. So far from it, that they do not well know what is necessary for their help, what to seek of God for that end, and how to seek it. If a duty is to be done, a cross to be borne, they are at a loss there through weakness and infirmity; that sets them to their prayers: but then they are at a loss there again, they know not what, and how to ask.
2. That the children of God are all praying persons; Zechariah 12:10. If they can speak at all, they will speak to God by prayer; and even when they either cannot speak, or have no access to speak, if they have the exercise of judgment, they will pray in their hearts; 1 Corinthians 14:15. So the habitual neglect of prayer is none of the spots of God's people. There is no child so unnatural, as to be still in his father's presence, and never to converse with him.
3. A gift of prayer, without the Spirit of prayer, cannot be sufficient to make one right prayer, that will be acceptable to God; John 4:24. Gifts of prayer are bestowed on believers, as well as others; but still they know not what to pray for as they ought, without the Spirit prompting them. The prayer that is the mere exercise of a gift, may indeed be edifying to the hearers, but cannot be acceptable to God.
4. Nay, habitual grace is not sufficient for praying aright; for still there is a necessity of actual assistance from the Spirit; Psalm 80:18, "Quicken us, and we will call upon your name." Life is not sufficient for making a discourse to our prince; a man may have life, and yet not be able to speak a word; but some vigor and liveliness is necessary to such a purpose. So spiritual life never departs wholly from the believer; 1 John 3:9, but it must be breathed on anew to fit him for praying; Canticles 4. New influences are still necessary; hence is the promise; Isaiah 27:3, "I will water it every moment."
5. Lastly, Prayers are marred so far as the Spirit of God does not assist the party in them; they are marred so far in point of acceptance with God; Ephesians 2:18. As no prayer can be accepted but through Christ's intercession, so none will be offered to God by the Intercessor farther than it is the product of the influence of his own Spirit. Nadab and Abihu's hearth-fire offered with the incense, was a costly lesson of this; Leviticus 10:1, 2, 3. So if, through the whole prayer, the Spirit's assistance is wanting, the whole will be unaccepted; if in any of it, that wherein it is wanting will be so.
II. The next head is to show, wherein believers are ready, through their weakness, to mistake, go wrong, and mismanage in their prayers. They are ready to do so both in the matter and manner of them.
First, In the matter of prayer, "We know not what to pray for." Even the things to be prayed for, they are not so well versed in them, but they are ready to go wrong therein. So that they need the Spirit's teaching, to tell them and make them take up their errand, when they are going and come to God in prayer; they need to be set right, and kept right in the very matter of prayer. Their weakness in this point appears, in that,
1. They are apt to pray against their own mercy. Thus did Job, chapter 6:8, 9, "O that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off." When Satan was permitted to take all from him, there was an express reserve of his life as the greatest mercy; but he prays very earnestly against it, though no doubt at long-run Job blessed God from his heart that he did not hear him in that. We are so weak, that in God's dispensations many times we take our friends for our foes, and call what is for our good, evil, as Jacob did when he said, "All these things are against me," Genesis 42:36.
2. They are apt to seek what is not so good as God has a mind to give them; 2 Corinthians 12:8, 9, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you." To be freed from the messenger of Satan was good, but to have God's grace poured in sufficiently to maintain the combat, was better. And therefore Paul upon reflection takes God's way to have been better than what he himself proposed, verse 9, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Narrow asking often makes narrow receiving. It fares with believers sometimes as with Joash; 2 Kings 13:18, 19, "Elisha said unto him, Take the arrows; and he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground; and he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, You should have smitten five or six times, then had you smitten Syria until you had consumed it; whereas now you shall smite Syria but thrice." They are straitened in their own affections in asking, and therefore they come not speed.
3. They are apt to seek what would be for their hurt. So did Jonah, when he wished in himself to die, and said, it is better for me to die than to live; chap 4:8. It would have been very ill for Jonah to have died in such a bad frame and temper of spirit, as he was then in. And if God had struck him immediately, it is like he would immediately have changed his note. David prayed for the life of the child, 2 Samuel 12:16, but God took it away, for it would have been a living blot upon him. As a foolish child seeks a knife to play with, which he can do nothing with, but hurt himself; so we are apt to seek from God, what in mercy he keeps from us.
4. They are apt to seek food for their corrupt lusts and affections; Matthew 20:20, 21, "Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children, with her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What will you? She says unto him, Grant that these my two song may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on the left in your kingdom." James and John were tickled with a lust of ambition, and they seek honor to satisfy it. And it is God's goodness to his people in such a case, not to do with them as he did with the lusting Israelites; Psalm 106:15, "He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul." Men may go wrong here, and not see their error, until the Lord correct it; for they may take lust for love; Luke 9:54, 55, and so seek to feed their enemies whom they should starve.
5. They are apt, through ignorance or inadvertency, not to pray for what they really need for their case; as the children of Israel, when they "went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?" Judg. 20:18. To pray for God's presence with them, was not in their head; but that they really needed it, they afterwards felt to their cost. Many sad experiences praying people may have of this, which may show the need of the Spirit's assistance. Hence general and formal prayers, little suited to the particular cases and exigencies of the party; which is but trifling in so solemn and serious a matter as prayer to God.
6. Though they do know and advert to it before they go to prayer, they are ready to forget it in the time. There is a forgetting of particular petitions designed or coming of course, which is an effect of the Spirit's influence; in that case the forgotten petition is from one's own spirit, not from the Spirit of God, as in the instance of the prodigal son, Luke 15, what he designed to say to his father, verse 19, "Make me as one of your hired servants," when be came to him, he forgets, verse 21. There is such a forgetting which is an effect of our own weakness; in that case the petition forgotten is from the Spirit of God, the forgetting it from ourselves, Hebrews 2:1.
Thus going to God sometimes, we forget much of our errand, whether by wandering of heart or being left to ourselves in the matter. In a word,
7. Lastly, They are apt to pray for things not agreeable to the will of God, that there is neither precept nor promise for. The many petitions in which they are not heard evince this; because "if we ask anything according to his will he hears us," 1 John 5:14. There is so much remains of corruption in the best, that it is hard even in our prayers to keep within the compass of what is agreeable to his will.
I shall now endeavor to assign the reasons why God's own children are so apt to mistake and go wrong, even in the matter of prayer.
The great reason is, the remains of darkness that are on the minds of the best, while here; Job 37:19, "Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness." It is true, God's children are not in midnight darkness, but their light is but a twilight, in which they are apt to mistake their way. And the more sensible they are of this, the more need they will find of the Spirit's help in prayer. More particularly, we know not what we should pray for, but are ready to go wrong in the matter of prayer,
1. Because we have at best but little knowledge of our own case; and no wonder that they who are not thoroughly acquainted with the nature of the disease mistake as to the remedy. The blind man, Mark 8:22–25, is an emblem of the natural man, the true convert, and the glorified saint. The child of God while here, "sees but in part," 1 Corinthians 13:12. Every believer is a mystery, Canticles 3:6, a mystery to the world, a mystery to himself. There are many folds and plies in his case, which he himself cannot unfold; plies of grace, sin, temptation, danger, etc.
2. Little knowledge of what is good and best for us, Genesis 42:36. We see the weakness of understanding in children makes them often to desire of parents what really is not for them; even so it is with God's children, and therefore it is fatherly love that denies some of their petitions; as in the case of Job, Jonah, and others. We are apt to think that that is best for us that is most pleasant and most easy, but that is often a very deceitful rule.
3. Little acquaintance with the word, particularly the commands and the promises, the measure of our petitions. There is much need of the Spirit's help in that matter, John 14:26. We are ready to measure our petitions rather by our own inclinations than by the word; and many read the Bible often, that have but very little skill of making a practical improvement thereof in their prayers, Mark 10:35, 37.
4. We are apt to take the subtle cravings of lust for the cravings of grace or innocent affection, Luke 9:54, 55. And thence good people unwittingly are made intercessors for their spiritual enemies; which, if they did discern, they would confess their error, and retract their request. Sin dwells in the believer together with grace, and that so closely that the language of the one is often taken for that of the other.
5. Believers are liable to prejudices and wrong notions of things, which they have drunk in from their education, manner of life in the world, etc. Such was the disciples' notion of the temporal kingdom of Christ, that was the spring of that rash petition of James and John; Mark 10:37, "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on your right hand, and the other on your left hand in your glory." Such was that of the case of Gentiles among the believing Jews, that was the spring of the offence taken at Peter; Acts 11:2, 3," They that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, You went in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them." An erring conscience will mislead men under pretense of divine authority, John 16:2; Acts 26:9. No wonder then it form wrong requests in prayer, Luke 9:54.
6. Lastly, They are subject to much confusion in prayer, both through natural and spiritual indisposition, Psalm 77:4. Hence they are ready as Job did, chapter 38:2, "to darken counsel by words without knowledge." The exercise of their very gift is not always ready at hand with them, far less the exercise of their grace. An influence of the Spirit is necessary both for the one and the other. And when it is wanting, so that they are in no case for praying, no wonder they know not what to pray for.
Secondly, Believers are ready to go wrong in the manner of prayer; "We know not what we should pray for as we ought." It is not in vain our Lord gave his disciples a direction in that point; Matthew 6:9, "After this manner pray you," etc. The prayer may be right as to the matter, that yet may be mismanaged in the manner of performance, 1 Chronicles 15:13. And therefore there is need of the Spirit's help in this point too; not only to teach us what, but how to pray. Their weakness in this point appears, in that,
1. They are apt to slip the best season for managing their address before the throne. Thomas missed an opportunity of communion with Christ, that left him under the feet of unbelief, while the rest were delivered from theirs, John 20:24, 25. The best season is, when the signal is given from Heaven to the petitioner, to come forward; sometimes the door is as it were cast open to him, and there is a sign given by some inward motion of the Spirit, or some providential call moving him to come forward. The spouse missed this; Canticles 5:2, 3, "I sleep, but my heart wakes," etc., and she smarted for it; verse 6, "I opened to my Beloved, but my Beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone; my soul failed when he spoke: I sought him but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer."
Moses was very careful to fall in with it immediately; Exodus 34:8, 9, "And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. And he said, If now I have found grace in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray you, go among us (for it is a stiff-necked people) and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance."
2. They are apt to enter on prayer with a temper of spirit very unfit for such a holy exercise; being either entangled with worldly cares, or unruly passions, Luke 21:34; 1 Timothy 2:8. They both make the Spirit of a man like troubled water, unfit to receive the image of the sun, unfit for divine communications. Jonah's prayer behooved to be marred when he was in a fret. Therefore the apostle exhorts married persons to take heed to their behavior one towards another, that their prayers might not be hindered, 1 Pet.3:7, nothing being more apt to do it than domestic jars, Malachi 2:13.
3. They are apt to be formal, lifeless, and cold in prayer, Canticles 3:1; Revelation 3:2. We are called to be "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." But even where the fire of grace is in the hearth, unless it be blown up by the influence of the Spirit of God, the prayers will be mismanaged, Psalm 80:18. There will be bands of iniquity on the heart which they will not be able to loose, more than to dissolve the ice with their breath; but "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the liberty."
4. Their hearts are apt to wander in duty, and will do so if the Spirit fix them not. Therefore David prays, "Unite my heart to fear your name," Psalm 86:11. When Abraham had divided the carcasses, the birds came down on them; so when one is conversing with God, evil spirits will be at work, to cast in something that may divert him from the present duty, Romans 7:21. Many a prayer is lost this way, while the heart steals away after some other thing than what it should then be on.
5. They are apt to content themselves with exercising their gift, without exercising their grace. Therefore Paul warns the Ephesians, chapter 6:18, "to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and to watch thereunto with all perseverance." Hence many petitions, confessions, thanksgivings, all of them just; yet lost for want of suitable affections coming along with them. For it is the exercise of praying graces, reverence, faith, love, humility, etc., and not the exercise of praying gifts without them, that is pleasing to God.
6. They are apt to disproportion their concern to the weight of the matters they pray for. This is carefully guarded against in the Lord's prayer, Matthew 6:9, etc., where the glory of God has the first place, and there is but one petition for temporals, and two for spirituals. But how ready are we to be more concerned for our own interest, than for the honor of God; more fervent for temporal than for spiritual mercies? This makes the prayers like the legs of the lame that are not equal, the affection being disproportioned to the matter.
7. They are apt to be too peremptory in circumstances, without leaving a due latitude to sovereignty. That is limiting the holy One of Israel. This is often done as to time, the timing of mercies, in which we are too apt to take upon us to prescribe to the sovereign manager, John 2:3, 4, as to the manner of bringing about a mercy, which, short-sighted as we are, we are very ready to determine. And the same may be said as to the measure of mercies.
8. They are apt to mix their own wild fire with the holy fire in prayer. So did the disciples, Mark 4:38, when they say, "Master, care you not that we perish?" The language of passion is sometimes mixed with the language of grace in the prayers of saints; which when they discern, they will be ready to correct, Psalm 77:7–10. Hence there are expressions of saints unto God, recorded in scripture, not for our imitation, but for our warning of this corrupt bias of the heart; as Job 30:21, "You are become cruel to me; with your strong hand you opposest yourself against me." Jeremiah 15:18, "Why is my pain perpetual? and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? will you be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?" These he looks on as the ravings of his sick children.
9. They are apt to lay too much weight of their acceptance in their prayers, on what will bear none of it. It is certain, that there is nothing will bear any weight of that, but the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ; Revelation 8:4. But the natural bias of the heart lies another way, to lay weight on the very performance of the duty, and the way how it is performed, as with such affection, pointedness, length, nay the very voice, as insignificant a thing as it is before the Lord. Hence our Lord cautions against "using vain repetitions" in prayer, "as the Heathen do; for they think (says he) that they shall be heard for their much speaking;" Matthew 6:7. And that the Heathen laid much stress on a loud voice in prayer, appears from what Pharaoh says to Moses; Exodus 9:28, (Hebrews) Make you supplication to the Lord, and much, that is, Make much supplication. Compare 1 Kings 18:28, where it is said of Baal's prophets, that "they cried aloud." There are remains of that legal bias in the hearts of God's own children; Matthew 19:27. And it is only by the Spirit that saints are brought to lay their whole weight on Jesus Christ; Ephesians 2:18; Philippians 3:3. Otherwise their deceitful hearts will be found disposed to slip aside that way, they being very ready to believe the acceptance of some fluent prayer of theirs, and hard to believe the acceptance of one that goes not so fluently though seriously; yet the blood of Jesus is still the same security.
10. Lastly, They are apt to faint and give over, upon the Lord's delaying to answer; whereas it is a chief piece of right management of business at the court of Heaven, resolutely to insist and hang on, Luke 18:1, 8. We are naturally hasty, and long trials are apt to run us out of breath. There is need of much faith, that patience may have her perfect work; and that is not to be reached without the help of the Spirit; Romans 15:13.
I shall now give the reasons why believers are so apt to go wrong in the manner of prayer. They are the following—
1. Because of the sublimity of the work, that is so far above our reach, that we can by no means know how to manage it, but as we are taught by him with whom we have to do in it. To say a prayer in a formal uttering of words, is no such hard work indeed. But rightly to manage an address at the throne of Heaven, on which sits the Sovereign Majesty; and that about the weightiest of all concerns, is such sublime work, that it passes the skill of the greatest orator on earth to do it without the Spirit; Ecclesiastes 5:1, 2. Were any of us to go on business to our earthly king, would we not need to be directed by some knowing the way of the court? How much more do we need direction from the Holy Spirit in our addresses to the throne of grace?
2. Because of the remains of corruption that yet hang about them; Romans 7:24. This is a clog at their heels at all times, and will not miss to exert itself in holy duties, verse 21, "When I would do good, evil is present with me." There is much darkness yet in the minds of the best, as to spiritual things; no wonder they know not how to pray as they ought. Much perverseness there is in the will, both with respect to God's precepts and providences. There is much carnality and disorder in the affections, as they all soundly feel, that are concerned to get the heart fit for praying, kept right in it, and kept right after it.
3. Because there is a subtle adversary busy to mar them in that their work; Zechariah 3:1. He well knows that all the hope in their case is from the divine help; and therefore while they are before the throne of mercy, he will bestir himself effectually to mar their application. He is an enemy to prayer, and therefore he will keep back from it if he can; if he cannot, he will do his utmost to mar it.
4. Lastly, Because of the weakness of grace in them. Grace disposes men to pray; Zech 12:10. But the weakness of that grace leaves them in hazard of mismanaging in it. Sometimes it is not in exercise; at best it is but weak, and mixed with corruption, in the struggle with which it will be overcome, if the spirit come not in to its help.
I shall now make some practical improvement.
This doctrine may be of use, both unto strangers to God, and to his own children. And,
FIRST, You that are strangers to God, yet in your natural state, without the Spirit, and therefore children of Satan, we may take you up in these two sorts to be spoken to, namely, prayerless natural persons, and praying natural persons.
First, Prayerless natural unconverted persons, such as are living in the state they were born in, and withal living without praying to the God that made them. I have two things to say to you from this doctrine.
1. Learn from it, that this prayerless life of yours declares your case a very sad one. It declares you,
(1.) None of God's children; for whatever mismanagements of it they fall into, they all practice the duty of prayer. So of you that is verified: Deuteronomy 32:5, "Their spot is not the spot of his children." And if so, you are the children of the devil; John 8:44, of the family of Hell. And his possession of you remains undisturbed to this day, since you have never been so far awakened, as to set you to, and keep you at prayer.
(2.) Without the Spirit of God; Jude 19. And being without the Spirit, you are spiritually dead in sin; for so are all naturally; Ephesians 2:1, and it is "the Spirit that quickens;" John 6:63. So that whoever are without the Spirit are dead still. You are then dead souls in living bodies. It is plain you are dead, for your speech is laid, your senses are gone, there is no moving nor breathing towards God in you, and the Spirit of life is departed from you.
2. Be exhorted from it to reform. And,
(1.) Set about prayer, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Remember you are God's creatures, and therefore obliged to worship him. You are men, and not beasts, and therefore should distinguish yourselves from them by religion, Isaiah 46:8. You have souls that will not die, and therefore you should be concerned to pray for them, that you live not in eternal misery.
(2.) Be concerned to partake of the Spirit, and come to Christ for that end, who "has the seven Spirits of God," Revelation 3:1. You say you cannot pray. If the Spirit of Christ were in you, it would not be so, Zechariah 12:10, Galatians 4:6. You say you have no time for prayer, or you have no place to pray in. If the Spirit of Christ were in you, you would have a heart to pray; and if you had the heart for it, you would find both time and place.
Secondly, Praying natural unconverted persons. People may be praying persons, and yet in the gall of bitterness, and none of God's children; praying persons, and yet profane, Isaiah 1:15, 16; formal hypocrites, Matthew 23:14, 27, 28. They may have a gift of prayer, that are void of the spirit and grace of prayer. To such I would say from this doctrine, Then,
1. Certainly you can pray none at all aright; an evidence of which is, All your prayers are rejected of God, Proverbs 15:8, John 9:31. If God's own children cannot pray aright without the Spirit, how is it possible you should do so, who neither have the Spirit, nor yet are children of God? If the weak man cannot go without help, sure the man void of life cannot move at all. View your own case in the case of the true saint, and think, if it be so in the green tree, what must it be in the dry? They are God's children, yet cannot pray aright to their Father without the Spirit; how much less can you who are none of his family, and therefore never have the Spirit? They always have the Spirit dwelling in them as a Spirit of life, yet cannot pray aright without actual influence from him; how, then, can you ever pray aright, who are so far from his actual influence, that he is not so much as in you, since you are not in Christ? Hence,
(1.) Your praying, though continued never so many years, without coming to Christ by faith, is but like so many ciphers, which being without a figure at their head, the value is just nothing. There is never one right or acceptable prayer among them all, Hebrews 11:6. They are all lost labor. And such a life of duties is but a wandering in the wilderness of duties, like Israel's wandering forty years in the wilderness, where they died at length, and never entered Canaan.
(2.) All your prayers are turned to sin, Psalm 109:7. If you have never prayed aright, you have always prayed wrong, spilled and marred that duty, profaned that holy ordinance. And so what you reckon so much praying to God, God will reckon so much taking of his name in vain, for which he will not hold you guiltless. Wherefore let praying persons look well to their state.
2. Think not much of your gifts of prayer, for a gift of prayer will go short way before God. If it were never such a ready, full, and taking gift, it cannot make a man pray one petition aright without the Spirit, John 4:24. Yet how are men puffed up with such a gift, that have it, and have not grace to keep them humble under it? They think themselves something on account of their gift, while God knows they are nothing, as being without the Spirit; for they see wherein they excel others, but see not wherein they come short of true prayer in the sight of God, Galatians 6:3, 4.
I have four things to say of a gift of prayer without the spirit of prayer.
(1.) It is a "good gift" of God indeed, James 1:17. But it is a left hand gift, which may be lost and taken away from him that has it now; Zechariah 11., "Wo to the idol shepherd that leaves the flock: the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened;" compared with John 10:12, for the prophecy relates to the Scribes and Pharisees. It is of that sort that is common to Christ's sheep and the devil's goats. The spirit of prayer is a grace-gift, a right hand gift, which can never be quite lost; Romans 11:29, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
(2.) It may be useful to others for the profit of their souls, but in that respect it is useless to yourselves, 1 Corinthians 13:1, 2, 3. Others may have communion with God in your exercise of your gift, but you yourself can have none, Proverbs 15:8. Gifts are bestowed on hypocrites for the good and behalf of the saints, as the purse bearer to a young prince gets his purse filled for the needs of the prince, 1 Corinthians 3:21–23. The raven, though an unclean creature, was employed to feed Elijah. The gift the carpenters had that built the ark, was of use to the saving of Noah and his family, but they themselves perished in the deluge, for all their skill of ark-building.
(3.) It cannot but be hurtful to your own souls; which hurtfulness is not from the good gift itself, but from the light and foolish heart it is lodged in, Proverbs 1:32. The very gospel, 2 Corinthians 2:16, is hurtful that way; yes Christ himself is a stumbling-block by that means. A man with a gift of prayer, without the Spirit, is like a ship without ballast; the more sail she has, she is in the greater danger of being overwhelmed.
(4.) You may perish forever, for all that gift. Judas had a gift of praying doubtless given him with the gift of preaching; yet for all it he fell from his ministry, and is gone to his own place, Acts 1:25. The light of a gift without the warmth of the Spirit of grace, serves to show the way to outer darkness. And such a gift will aggravate the condemnation of the possessor, being like a bag of gold on a drowning man, that makes him only to sink the sooner and the deeper.
3. Lastly, Come forward then another step in religion, and be concerned for a higher attainment in it, than you have yet reached. You have come the length of praying, that is good, but it is not all; if you stick there, you perish; come forward to Christ, out of all confidence in your prayers, by believing, uniting with the Son of God. You have attained to the gift of prayer; come forward until you reach the Spirit of prayer, which Christ communicates to all his members, John 1:12; with Galatians 4:6.
Secondly, You that are God's own children, to you I would say,
1. Surely many a mismanaged prayer has gone through your mouths, so that you may say, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," Isaiah 64:6. So much prayer as has been made by you without the Spirit, so much mismanaged unacceptable prayer has there been, for which you need pardon. You may here view,
(1.) The many prayers of yours, that have been the mere lifeless exercise of a gift without the Spirit from the beginning of them to the end. All which have been lost prayers by the lump. Since you were acquainted with Christ, you have kept a constant course of praying daily; but at this rate it will be found there have been many days, and perhaps weeks and months, wherein you have prayed none at all aright and acceptably. So that if you seek your prayers in Heaven, which you think you have sent thither, it will be found that many of them never came there; they wanted the wings of the Spirit's influences, and so fell upon the earth, and are lost.
(2.) The many parts of some of your prayers, and some parts of the best of them, that have been the mere product of your own spirits, and not of the Spirit of God. How much of the prayer has been over many times, before your lips have been touched with the live coal? And perhaps before you have done, you have quenched the coal, provoked the Spirit to depart. And when it has been best with you, the deceitful heart has made a sinful mixture in it. At this rate seeking many a long prayer before the throne, you would find that but a short part of it came thither; perhaps but a few sentences. For alas! the skin and dung of our sacrifices are often more bulk, than the flesh that comes on the altar.
2. Be humbled under a sense of your mismanagements in the prayers you have prayed all along to this day; "for in many things we offend all," James 3:2. See the need you have of the blood of Christ to purge away the guilt of your prayers, and apply it by faith for that end, Revelation 7:14. Lament the too little concern you have had to get the Spirit's help to your praying, and see for the pardon thereof.
3. Lastly, Learn that praying is a more solemn serious work than it is generally looked on to be; and that it is not such an easy thing to pray to purpose, as we are apt to imagine. Take these three warnings then.
(1.) Trust not to your gift of prayer, neither be vain of it, Proverbs 3:5; 1 Corinthians 1. Oh! it is sad to think of that vanity, and airiness, and self-seeking that is to be found in some people's exercise of their praying gift. It is an argument that the person forgets both God and himself. And nothing can be more contrary to the help of the Spirit in prayer. The heart is deceitful in this point, and we have need to watch it.
(2,) Trust not to your frame. One may have a good frame before he go to prayer, and yet when he comes to the work, may not find his hands; hence often least is got when most is expected; because it is expected rather on what we have, than what we look for from the Spirit. A person may have a good frame in prayer, that may quickly leave him; the wheels of the soul in swift motion may suddenly stop, 2 Timothy 2:1; Proverbs 28:26.
(3) When you go to prayer, be impressed with a sense of your inability to manage it aright, Joshua 24:19; and then, and all along in prayer, lay yourselves open, and look for the help of the Spirit. Lay the sacrifice on the altar, and look to the Lord for fire from Heaven to consume it, as Elijah did, 1 Kings 18:33, 37, 38. The Spirit is that fire.
I proceed to another doctrine from the text.
DOCTRINE IV. All our praying aright is so far done by the help of the Spirit, that it is justly reckoned his work, his making intercession for us.
In handling this point, I shall show,
I. What is to be understood by praying aright.
II. That all our praying aright is done by the help of the Spirit.
III. In what respects our praying aright is so far done by the help of the Spirit, that it is justly reckoned his work.
IV. What is the Spirit's work in our praying aright, or what his making intercession for us is.
V. Lastly, Apply the whole.
I. I am to show what is to be understood by praying aright.
Negatively, 1. It is not praying aright in a legal sense, without any imperfection in the eye of the law, attending the prayer. There was never a prayer in the world of that sort since Adam's fall, except the prayers of the man Christ. The best prayers of the best saints have always been attended with blemishes visible to the eyes of God, though not to ours, Isaiah 64:6. Such praying is our duty indeed, Matthew 5., but the attainment of none in this life, by any measure of grace to be expected, Philippians 3:12.
2. It is not praying aright in a moral sense, wherein the most rigid hearer can discern nothing contrary to the precepts of morality. A prayer may be so far right as no unlawful thing may be prayed for in it, and yet may be naught, Luke 18:11. The matter may be very good, where the manner of praying spoils all. If that were enough, the book-prayers of formalists would be sufficient help, in some cases, to pray aright.
3. It is not praying aright in a rhetorical sense, a well-worded prayer, with a suitable delivery. Words, voice, and gesture are of little moment before God, 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 2:4. It may be a right prayer, where the expression is far from being polite, where sentences are broken off before they make a complete sense; as in Psalm 6:3, "My soul is also sore vexed; but you, O Lord, how long?" The Lord himself knows what is the mind of the Spirit, though the words do not fully express it. And where all these things are accurate and exact, the prayer may be all wrong before God: where there is not a wrong word, there may not be one right affection.
Positively, It is praying aright in an evangelical sense, so that in the eye of the gospel it passes as acceptable prayer before the throne. This implies two things.
1. Sincerity in prayer, 1 Chronicles 29:17, in opposition to formality and hypocrisy, 2 Timothy 3:5; Psalm 17:1. The righteous God loves uprightness of heart in duty, Proverbs 15:8; and though there may be many blemishes in the duty, where the man is sincere in it, the Lord will regard it, notwithstanding of these blemishes. Hereby the heart is really for God as the chief good, and goes along with the tongue in prayer.
2. A perfection of parts in prayer, though not of degrees. That is to say, praying aright is,
(1.) Praying for things agreeable to God's will revealed in his word of command or promise, 1 John 5:14. Nothing can make praying for things without the compass of the command and promise, to be praying aright. For there faith has nothing to bottom itself upon, and "without faith it is impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6.
(2.) Praying in a right manner in a gospel-sense, Jeremiah 39:13, "You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart." Hereunto are required praying graces and affections in exercise, as faith, fervency, humility, reverence and the like. These are the soul and life of prayer, whereas the expressions of the lips are but the body of it. Where these are wanting, the duty will be reckoned but bodily exercise, 1 Timothy 4:8.
Such praying is right in so far as it is acceptable in the sight of God, that is, capable of being accepted according to the rule of the gospel. It is a sacrifice fit to be laid on God's altar; a prayer which may be put in the Mediator's hand, that through his intercession it may be actually accepted. For it is not anything in our prayers themselves for which they are accepted, but only the intercession of Christ, for the best things in them are mixed with sin. Only such prayers are fit to be put in the Mediator's hands, and he will take them off the sinner's hand to present them to the Father, and the Father will accept them at his hand; whereas other sorts of prayer, wherein the petitioner is not sincere, or where they are wrong as to the matter of them, or are not made in the right manner, they cannot come into the Mediator's hand, he will never present them for acceptance; and so it is impossible they can be accepted.
Hence it is evident that none who are out of Christ, unregenerate, unconverted, can at all pray aright, or pray as they ought. For what sincerity can be there, where converting grace has never touched? What faith, fervency, or humility can be exercised by unbelievers dead in sin, whose stony heart is not yet removed? Therefore the form of prayer, Matthew 6 begins, "Our Father," etc., showing that none can pray aright or acceptably but God's own children, or those who have an interest in him as their Father; and it is the Spirit that teaches them so, Galatians 4:6.
II. I am next to show that all our praying aright is done by the help of the Spirit. This is to be understood as comprehending these two things.
1. It is done by the help of the Spirit dwelling in us, Galatians 4:6. You are not to think that the Spirit as an external agent helps us to pray aright; nay, but the Spirit helping to pray is as a Spirit of life, dwelling in the man as a member of Christ, 1 John 2:27. So that until we have the Spirit dwelling in us we can never pray aright.
2. It is done by the help of the indwelling Spirit actually influencing us, Galatians 4:6, "Crying, Abba, Father," that is, so influencing us as to make us cry. Even the indwelling of the Spirit is not enough for that effect; but there is requisite an agency of the Spirit in us, whereby we may be acted in prayer, which is called "the blowing of the wind," John 3:8, Canticles 4.
Now that all our praying aright is done by the help of the Spirit indwelling and influencing, is clear,
1. From scripture-testimony. The Spirit is the author of our whole sanctification, whereof praying aright is a part, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, particularly of all our acceptable worship, Philippians 3:3. It is by him we have access to God in worship, Ephesians 2:18. And prayer by name, if of the right sort, is owing to his help, Ephesians 6:18, and that as an indwelling Spirit, a Spirit of adoption, Romans 8:15, with Galatians 4:6, and an influencing Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18, 19.
2. We are spiritually dead without the Spirit indwelling, and spiritually asleep without the Spirit influencing, Ephesians 2:1, Canticles 5:2. Neither a dead man, nor a sleeping man is fit to present a supplication to the king; so neither is a dead sinner, nor a sleeping saint capable to pray aright. The former, praying, is like a Spirit walking and talking; the latter, like a man speaking through his sleep. It is the Spirit that quickens the dead soul, John 6:63, who coming to dwell in the heart makes the first resurrection; and it is he also who awakens the sleeping saint, Canticles 5:4.
3. There is no praying aright without sanctifying grace, nor without that grace in exercise, John 9:31, Canticles 3:1. Where sanctifying grace is not, the filth and pollution of sin remains, and defiles all, Titus 1:15. So that such a man's praying is like the opening of an unripe grave, Romans 3:13. Accordingly the praying Pharisees are called "whited sepulchers," Matthew 23:27. Where grace is not in exercise, there is incense indeed, but no pillar of smoke ascending from it to Heaven; spikenard indeed, but no smell thereof. Now it is the indwelling Spirit that works sanctifying grace, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, puts that grace in exercise, Canticles 4:16, and so fits men to pray, Zechariah 12:10.
4. Lastly, To praying aright is required light and warmth, a light of the mind, and warmth of affections; the former for the matter, the latter for the manner. And it is a false light and warmth that makes some natural men think that sometimes they pray aright, Isaiah 58:2. But all genuine light, and vital warmth comes from the Spirit, Ephesians 1:17, 18; 2 Timothy 1:7. Hence the emblem of the virtue of the Holy Spirit was "cloven tongues, like as of fire," Acts 2:3, 4. And the effect thereof is someway compared with that of drunkenness (which excuses it no more than Christ's being compared to a thief excuses stealing, Revelation 16:15); for as the liquor being received to excess, influences the man, so that things come in his head which otherwise would not, and the affections and passions are wrought up by it, Proverbs 23:33, so the Spirit indwelling and influencing, presents to the mind matter of prayer, and works up the affections suitable thereto, Ephesians 5:18, 19, Canticles 7:9.
III. I shall show in what respects our praying aright is so far done by the help of the Spirit, that it is justly reckoned his work. That it is so reckoned in scripture, is evident from the text, where his interceding for us with groanings cannot be understood of himself as the subject, but of us according to the analogy of faith. It is plain also from Galatians 4:6, "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." Now the Spirit's crying Abba, Father, is meant certainly of our crying so, by the help of the Spirit, not of a crying whereof the Spirit is the subject; for God is not the Father of the Spirit, because it is the second person, and not the third, who is the Son of God; and Father and Son are the relatives. And thus the apostle explains it, Romans 8:15, "You have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Now the reasons of this are,
1. Because all that is right in our prayers is from the Spirit, and all that is wrong in them from ourselves, either as to matter or manner, 1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Peter 1:22; with 2 Corinthians 3:5. In the incense of our prayers there is smoke that goes up towards Heaven, ashes that remain behind on the earth; it is the fire from the altar that sends up the smoke, it is the earthly nature of the incense that occasions the ashes. The flesh of any such spiritual sacrifice is wholly owing to the Spirit, the skin and dung is our own, and ours only. Therefore all our right praying is justly reckoned the Spirit's work.
2. None pray aright but as they are members of Christ, and children of God, Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:15, John 15:5. Now it is the Holy Spirit of the Head that dwells in and actuates all the members acting as members, 1 Corinthians 12:11, 12. Therefore as the soul sees by the eye, and hears by the ear; so whatever the members of Christ do aright as members, is justly ascribed to the Spirit that actuates the mystical body, and is the Spirit of adoption. But there may be a defect in seeing by the eye, and hearing by the ear; these are not to be ascribed to the soul, but to some disease in the eye or ear. So whatever defects may be in the members of Christ, these are not to be ascribed to the Spirit, but to the remains of corruption in them, and their state of imperfection while here.
3. The Spirit is the principal cause of our praying aright, we are but the instrumental causes of it. The act of praying in heart and expression is done by us; but the grace, ability, frame for prayer, and the exciting and bringing forth into exercise that grace and ability, is from the Spirit, Philippians 2:12, 13. Hence prayer is said to be inwrought in us, James 5:16. If the wind blow not, the spices send not forth their pleasant smell, Canticles 4:16. As the sound of the horn ceases as soon as one ceases to wind it, so does our praying aright on the withdrawing of the Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:5.
4. Lastly, All our praying graces, as all others, are in their exercise the product of the Spirit, and his work in us, Galatians 5:22, 23. There is a root and stock of grace in the believer, implanted and preserved by the Spirit, 1 John 3:9. In prayer these are brought forth into exercise, the man acts faith, love, etc., and therein the soul of prayer lies; but look on them as they are so brought forth from the stock, and they are the fruit of the Spirit, though the believer is the tree they hang on. For the Spirit is the vital fructifying sap of the trees of righteousness, Isaiah 44:3, 4. Thus the holy lustings, longings, and desires of a believer against sin, are called "the Spirit's lusting," Galatians 5:17 (compare verse 16, 18), in the same sense as the groanings in our text. See 1 John 4:4.
OBJECT. If our praying aright is the work of the Spirit, what need have we of the intercession of Christ, for the acceptance of our prayers? Surely the Spirit needs no intercessor between him and the Father.
ANSWER. Though it is the Spirit's work, it is not his work separately by himself without us; but it is his work in us, and so our work too, Galatians 4:6, with Romans 8:15. And so far as it is done by us, we groaning, lusting, crying in prayer, everything has a sinful mixture from us at best; so there is need of Christ's intercession still. The water comes pure from the fountain, the Spirit; but running through a muddy channel, such as every saint here is, it cannot be accepted in Heaven, but as purified and sweetened by the intercession of Christ.
IV. I come now to consider, what is the Spirit's work in our praying aright, or what his making intercession for us is. And here I shall show,
1. The difference between Christ's intercession and the Spirit's.
2. The help of the Spirit in prayer.
FIRST, I am to show what is the difference between Christ's intercession and the Spirit's.
1. Christ intercedes for us in Heaven at the Father's right hand; Romans 8:34. The Spirit intercedes in our hearts, upon earth; Galatians 4:6. We have no intercession made for us in Heaven, but by Christ the only intercessor there.
2. Christ's intercession is a mediatory intercession, where in he mediates or goes between God and us; an office peculiar to him alone; 1 Timothy 2:5. But the Spirit's intercession is an auxiliary intercession to us, whereby he helps us to go to God in a right manner, prompting us to intercede for ourselves aright.
3. The Spirit's intercession is the fruit of Christ's intercession, and what is done by the sinner through the Spirit's intercession, is accepted of God through the intercession of Christ. Christ by his death purchased the Spirit for his people, and through his intercession the Spirit is sent into their hearts, where he helps them to pray for themselves; and these prayers are accepted of God by means of the Mediator's intercession, John 14:16, and 16:7, 13; Revelation 8:4. In a word,
The difference is such as is between one who draws a poor man's petition for him, and another who presents it to the king, and gets it granted. The Spirit does the former, and Christ does the latter, for us.
SECONDLY, I shall consider the help of the Spirit in prayer, which is his making intercession for us, in the style of the scripture. We shall view this work of the Spirit, more generally, and more particularly.
FIRST, More generally, and that in two things. He acts in it,
1. As a teaching Spirit; John 14:26. It is our infirmity in point of prayer, "We know not what we should pray for as we ought." He enlightens our minds, and helps our ignorance as to the matter and manner of prayer, 1 John 2:27. He is the great Teacher of the church, and none teaches like him. He will teach them who are so weak that no other can teach them; so that hearing some of God's weak children pray, one must needs say, "This is the finger of God."
2. As a quickening Spirit; Psalm 80:18. Therefore the Spirit is compared to fire, which gives both light and heat. He removes spiritual deadness, and stirs up praying graces in the heart; whence his influences are compared to the blowing of the wind, that puts things that were at rest in motion. Thus he is said to "make intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered," setting the gracious heart a laboring and working towards God, with the utmost earnestness, as one groaning.
SECONDLY, More particularly, the work of the Spirit in our prayers lies here.
First, He excites us to pray, Romans 8:15, "You have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father." He prompts us to go to the throne of grace, who otherwise would be negligent of it, and backward to it; Canticles 5:2, 3, 4, "I sleep, but my heart wakes, etc. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my affections were moved for him." Thus he leads us to God (Ephesians 2:18, Gr.) as an internal moving principle. This lies in two things,
1. He impresses our spirits with a sense of a divine call to it, and so binds it on our consciences as duty to God, Psalm 27:8. Hebrews "My heart said unto you, Let my face seek your face, when you said, Seek you my face." Thus he applies the general command for praying to particular times, that the man is made in effect to say, now God is calling me to this duty; and so he sees he cannot slight it without disobedience, but must go to it from conscience of duty. This cuts off the low motives to prayer, of custom, credit, regard to the commands of men, etc.
2. He disposes our hearts for it, inclines us to the duty, that we willingly comply with it. "When you said, Seek you my my face; my heart said unto you, Your face, Lord, will I seek," Psalm 27:8. Men may have a sense of the command on them, who for want of a disposition to the duty commanded, either neglect the command, or else are but dragged to obey it. But the Spirit powerfully inclines the will to the duty, so that the man obeys out of choice, Psalm 110:3; Canticles 6:12. This cuts off the low motives of fear of man, and slavish fear of God too, which move many.
Secondly, He gives us a view of God as a gracious and merciful Father in Christ; Galatians 4:6. Without this there can be no acceptable prayer. Where there is no spiritual view of God at all in prayer, we worship we know not what. Where we view him as an absolute God out of Christ, we may be filled with terror of him, but can have no true confidence in him. But by the Spirit viewing him in Christ, we have at once the sight of majesty and mercy. And hereby he works in us,
1. A holy reverence of God, to whom we pray, which is necessary in acceptable prayer, Hebrews 12:28. By this view he strikes us with a holy dread and awe of the majesty of God, whereby is banished that lightness and vanity of heart, that makes such flaunting in the prayers of some, as if they were set down on their knees to show their gift, and commend themselves.
2. A holy confidence in him, Ephesians 3:12, "Abba, Father," speaks both reverence and confidence, whereof the Spirit is the author, Romans 8:15. This confidence respects both his ability and willingness to help us, Matthew 7:11. Without this there can be no acceptable prayer, Hebrews 11:6; James 1:6. This is it that makes prayer an ease to a troubled heart, the Spirit exciting in us holy confidence in God as a Father. Hence the soul, though not presently eased, draws these conclusions.
(1.) He designs my good by all the hardships I am under, Romans 8:28.
(2.) He pities me under them, Psalm 103:13.
(3.) He knows the best time for removing them, and will do it, when that comes, 1 Samuel 2:3.
Hereby is cut off that unbelieving formality, whereby some expect nothing by prayer, and get as little; as also the despondency, with which others are struck, from the sense of God's justice, and their own sinfulness.
Thirdly, He gives us a view of ourselves in our own sinfulness and unworthiness, John 16:8. This always accompanies the view the Spirit gives of God, Isaiah 6:5, "Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." We are very ready to become strangers to ourselves, and to lose sight of our sinfulness. But the Spirit of prayer, according to the measure of his influence, opens out the man before his own eyes, casts abroad the many foul plies of his heart and life, Luke 18:13; Isaiah 64:6. Hereby he works in us,
1. Humiliation of heart before the Lord, fills us with low thoughts of ourselves before him, Gen 18:27; makes us see ourselves unworthy of the mercies, that either we have got, or desire to have, Genesis 32:10; fills us with holy shame, and self-loathing, Luke 18:13; Ezekiel 36:31. This fits us for the receipt of mercies of free grace; and the want of it makes sinners to be in their prayers, as if they came to buy of God, and not to beg, and so to be sent empty away.
2. Cordial confession, that comes away natively from seen and felt sinfulness, Psalm 62:8. Thus the influence of the Spirit in prayer causes full and free confession of sin with the mouth, to the honor of God, and our own shame. And the things thus being impressed on the heart, there follow natively words to express them by; and where they fail, groans do well compensate them before the throne. This cuts off the formal, hale-hearted confessions of sin, with which prayers are often vitiated.
3. Hearty thanksgiving for mercies received, Psalm 116:11, 12. Hereby the smallest mercies appear very big; and the sinner, that wondered at other times how he came not to get more mercies, begins to wonder he has any at all left him, Lamentations 3:22. But without a discovery of our sinfulness by the Spirit, all our thanksgivings for mercies are but empty compliment, like the Pharisee's, Luke 18:11.
4. A high value for the Mediator, and his righteousness, which lies out of the view of the unhumbled heart, Philippians 3:9. As the stars are best seen from the bottom of a deep and narrow pit, so Christ crucified is best discovered in his excellency and suitableness, by the humbled soul. The lower the soul is in its own eyes, the higher will the Mediator be in its eyes; and the higher the Mediator is, the more fit one is to pray.
Fourthly, He gives us a view of our wants, and the need we have of the supply of them, Luke 15:17. This may be seen, comparing the Pharisee's and Publican's prayers, Luke 18:11, 12, 13. The Spirit taught the one, and not the other. The want of this mars prayer, Luke 1:53, "He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away." Here he acts,
1. As an enlightener, opening the eyes of the mind, to discern the wants and needs we are compassed with, Ephesians 1:17, 18. The Spirit's shining in on the soul, as the sun on a moth-eaten garment held up between us and it, the soul gets a broad sight of its wants; whence it is made to say, as Isaiah 64:6, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Luke 18:13, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Psalm 19:12, "Who can understand his errors?" This the Spirit does by opening up the law in its spirituality, and giving us a view of our own circumstances in a present evil ensnaring world.
2. As a remembrancer, bringing seasonably to mind the wants we have, or might have adverted to, John 16:26. To everything there is a season; but often in the season of getting supply at the throne of grace, our wants and needs escape us, they come not in mind, until the market is over. The Spirit is a remembrancer in this case, seasonably suggesting to us our needs for ourselves or others. So he sets things before us in time of prayer.
3. As a forewarner of what we may need, John 16:13. So we find Job not only offering sacrifice, with a view to what he could not know, chapter 1:5; but also possessed with a fear of a trial before it came, chapter 3:25. Thus men are led to lay up for what they may meet with, and in prayer to have a view to the grace that may be needful in such and such emergents. Hereby he helps us,
(1.) To matter of prayer, sets before us things to be prayed for. Where the Spirit is thus at work in the soul, persons will be taught to pray, and it will supply the want of a form; and therefore they that soothe themselves with that, they cannot pray, do but betray themselves to be void of the Spirit of God.
(2.) To the right manner of praying; for hereby he,
[1.] Impresses us with a sense of need, that we are made to pray feelingly, that the tongue does but express what the heart feels, Luke 15:17, 18, 19. Insensibleness of our needs makes us formal in prayer, and therefore to be sent empty away. A mere rational sight of our wants will not cure it; but the light of the Spirit is the light of life, John 8:12; that will not miss to affect the heart.
[2.] Hereby we are rendered sincere in our addresses to God, Psalm 17:1. Feigned lips in prayer proceed from a dark and insensible heart. He who really sees his disease, and is persuaded of the need of the Physician, there is no doubt of his being in earnest for his help.
[3.] Hereby we are made importunate in prayer. Necessity has no law, and hunger breaks through stone walls, as we see in the woman of Canaan, who did hang on, over the belly of discouragement, and would take no refusal. Importunate praying is prevailing, Luke 11:8; and felt need that one cannot bear without relief, makes importunity.
[4.] Hereby we are made particular in prayer, laying our hand on our sores, and laying out our particular wants before the Lord, Luke 18:41. General prayers, like general preaching, have little of the Spirit in them. They that go where help is to be found, being indeed pinched, will readily tell where they are pinched.
Fifthly, He gives us a view of the grace and promises of the covenant, Psalm, 25:14; John 14:26. Without this, the sinner, pressed with a sense of need, has nothing to support him, and therefore cannot pray in faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ has purchased all the grace and promises of the covenant for his people, and there is enough there for all they can need. It is the office of the Spirit to open them out before their eyes, and apply them. And here the Spirit,
1. Brings to their remembrance the grace and promises suited to their case, Genesis 32:11, 12. The promises are the rule and encouragement of prayer; but while they lie out of our sight, we can neither have suitable direction nor encouragement from them; but when the Spirit draws near with the promise to us, there is help at hand in prayer.
2. He unfolds that grace and these promises, causing to understand them in a spiritual and saving manner, 1 Corinthians 2:12. The letter of the promise can only help to words in prayer; but the Spirit shining on the promise, will help to pray in a gracious manner, for the demonstration of the Spirit is always with power. Hereby,
(1.) The Spirit teaches what to pray for, according to the will of God. While the promises rightly understood regulate our prayers, and they are agreeable to the grace of the covenant, we may be sure we do not err in the matter, 2 Samuel 7:28, 29. These are God's bills and bonds to his people, and by them he shows what he allows us to ask of him. What he is debtor to his faithfulness for, we may crave.
(2.) In what terms to pray for it, the terms of the promise, terms agreeable to the grace of the covenant. And this is the rise of some expressions of God's children in prayer, which may seem strange and uncouth to others, that have not their view of the grace of the covenant, which want makes them appear unseemly to them; yes, they may seem strange to themselves. And hence also is the agreement to a nicety, that is sometimes to be found between the answer of prayer, and their expression in prayer.
(3.) Hereby he fills our mouths with arguments, helping us to plead and pray, Job 23:3, 4. The grace and promises of the covenant, held before the eyes by the Spirit shining on them to the soul in prayer, is such a fountain of heavenly oratory that will make a weak and unlearned Christian plead and pray at the rate that others are strangers to, and which themselves at another time are quite unable to reach.
(4.) Hereby he stirs up in us a faith of particular confidence as to the thing prayed for, so that we are helped to pray believingly, and not doubtingly and distrustfully. The necessity of this faith in prayer is evident from the scriptures, Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; 1 Timothy 2:8; James 1:6; and the Spirit is the author of it, 2 Corinthians 4:13. He gives a view of the promise and grace of the covenant with relation to that thing, and helps to regulate the prayer thereby, strengthens to believe the accomplishment of the promise in that particular for the Mediator's sake, and consequently the hearing of prayer in that particular. Hereby it appears what this faith is, namely, a confidence agreeable to the promise as demonstrated by the Spirit; absolute as to the particular thing, where the promise is demonstrated absolute, or by the Spirit particularly applied to the thing, Psalm 119:49, which may be in things not absolutely necessary, as Mark 5:27, 28, 34. Or indefinite, where the promise is left so by the Spirit, that is to say, a confidence of the thing itself, or of what is as good. And hereby also this faith is distinguished from presumption, in that it is founded on a Word of God, and the merit of Christ.
(5.) Lastly, Hereby he works in us a holy boldness in prayer, Ephesians 3:12. Faith coming before the throne, and spreading out the word of promise with the grace of the covenant, makes bold there for a gracious answer. How bold was Jacob in that case, "I will not let you go, except you bless me?" Gen 32:26. Foolish men have ignorantly censured this boldness in the prayers of God's children, but God is well pleased with it, when he says, "Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command you me, Isaiah 45:11; though the counterfeiting of this holy oil must needs be dangerous. It is distinguished by its attending humility, as in Jacob, Genesis 32:10, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which you have showed unto your servant."
Sixthly, He raises in us holy desires for the supply of our wants; "groanings which cannot be uttered." The Spirit working as fire, fires the heart in prayer, sets it in motion, Canticles 5:4, a lusting, longing, panting for what may tend to the perfection of the new creature, either removing the impediments of its growth, or supplying it with fresh incomes of grace for its growth. Of this more afterwards. But thus we are made to pray fervently, James 5:16; Romans 12:11.
Seventhly, He gives us a view of the merit and intercession of the Mediator, Ephesians 1:17. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, without whose illumination Christ will be a hidden beauty to us. He showed Zechariah the intercessor, at his work, Zech.1:12, and Stephen, Acts 7:56, and he shows believers the same sight for substance by the eye of faith, 1 Corinthians 2:12. Hereby,
1. He points us to the only way of acceptance of our prayers, John 14:6; while hypocrites overlooking Christ lose all their requests. He teaches us to pray as we ought, and so to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, depending on his merit and intercession allenarly.
2. He lays before us a firm foundation of confidence before the Lord; 1 John 2:1, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" an Advocate who never loses the plea he takes in hand, John 11:42, having an undisputable ground to go upon, namely, the purchase of his own blood. A fresh view of this makes faith in prayer renew its strength, and fills with confidence; Ephesians 3:12, "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."
3. Lastly, He furnishes us with an answer to all objections, that an unbelieving heart and a subtle devil can muster up against us, in prayer; Romans 8:33, 34, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies: who is he who condemns? It is Christ that died, yes, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." Are we sinful and vile? The merit of Christ is of infinite value. Are we unworthy for whom God should do such a thing? Yet the Mediator is worthy. Can our prayers, smelling so rank of sinful imperfections, not be accepted at our polluted hands? Yet being perfumed with his merit, they can be accepted at his hand, Revelation 8:4.
Eighthly, He manages the heart and spirit in prayer, which every serious soul will own to be a hard task; Jeremiah 10:23, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walks to direct his steps." Galatians 5:16. Therefore the psalmist says, Psalm 31:5, "Into your hand I commit my spirit." And,
1. He composes it for prayer; Psalm 86:11. "Unite my heart to fear your name." He frames the heart, that is out of frame for it; commands a heavenly calm in the soul, whereby it may be fitted for divine communications; saying to the heart tossed with temptations, troubles, and risings of corruption, "Peace and be still; and he blows up the fire of grace into a flame, 2 Timothy 1:7. So the preparation of the heart is owing to him; Psalm 10:17, "Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear."
2. He fixes it in prayer, that it wander not away in the duty; Ezekiel 36:27, "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them." There is need not only of quickening grace in duty, but of establishing grace; for the heart itself is apt to wander off from the serious purpose, and the powers of Hell exert themselves to divert from it. But the supply of the Spirit in prayer keeps the heart fixed. And, in the case of wandering,
3. He reduces it from its wanderings in prayer; Psalm 23:3, "He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." It will always cost a struggle to hedge in the heart in duty, and the help of the Spirit is necessary to maintain the struggle, Romans 7:21; Galatians 5:17. But sometimes the heart is quite carried off by its wandering disposition, that the prayer is quite marred, the heart leaving the tongue. In this case the Spirit convinces and humbles the soul under the sense of that sin, and so makes it more serious than before, from thence showing the corruption of nature, Romans 8:37.
Ninthly, and Lastly, The Spirit causes us to continue in prayer from time to time, until we obtain a gracious answer; and so makes us pray perseveringly, Ephesians 6:18. The Lord may keep his people long hanging on for an answer before they get it. The promise may be big with the mercy prayed for, and yet it be not only many months but years before it bring forth, as in the case of Abraham and David. This is a sore trial, and there would be no keeping from fainting if the Spirit did not help our infirmity. But he helps to hang on,
1. By accounting for the delay of our answer, in a way consistent with God's honor and our good, and so satisfying us in that point; Psalm 22:2, 3, "O my God, I cry in the day-time but you hear not; and in the night season and am not silent. But you are holy O you that inhabits the praises of Israel." He helps to discern the unsoundness of the subtle reasonings of unbelief, tending to despondency, and so hinders from making rash conclusions; Psalm 77:10, "I said, this is my infirmity; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." And so he keeps up in us kind thoughts of God's dispensations.
2. By strengthening faith and hope, which have the battle to fight in this case, Ephesians 3:16. Hangers on at the throne of grace may get a long stand, but they will get their strength renewed, Psalm 27:13, 14. This the Spirit does, by shining anew on the promise; adding other promises to it tending to the same scope; giving some present experience and off-fallings from the Lord's hand, whereby the soul is refreshed in the time; and helping to observe the signs of the approaching day while yet the night continues.
3. Lastly, Continuing and reviving on our spirits the sense of our need, which, pinching us anew, obliges to renew our suit for relief until the time we get it, 2 Corinthians 12:8, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." If in this case we were left to our own spirits, we would seek our help from another quarter, than hanging on about the Lord's hand, and our sense of need would wear off, and we would drop our petition. But the Spirit perfects what he begins; Psalm 138., "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me."
I shall now make some practical improvement of this subject.
USE I. Of information. This may let us see,
1. That men in this world are under the influence of that part of the other world which they are in the road to. If you are in the road to the happy part of the other world, you are under the conduct and influence of the Holy Spirit, prompting and helping you to do your duty to God. Whence you may gather, that they are in the road to destruction, who are under the conduct and influence of the spirit of the world, prompting and helping them to a course of sin. Consider the prevailing course of your lives, and trace it to the spring, and you will find it is the spirit you are acted by, 1 John 4:4. One part of men is led by the Spirit of God, and they are holy, heavenly, and spiritual; another by the evil spirit, and they are unholy, hellish, and carnal. He is a spirit of covetousness in some, of impurity in others, etc.
2. Praying is another thing than men generally take it to be. It is not the exercise of a gift, but of grace; not a piece of task laid on men, but a privilege they are advanced to; not a work to be done in our own strength, but by help from Heaven; not a piece of the form of religion, but of experimental religion. Consider prayer in this scripture view of it, and among many that bow their knees in prayer to God, there will be found few really praying persons; many whose hearts must say on what they have heard of it, Ezekiel 20:49, "Does he not speak parables?"
3. True praying will always make people holy and humble; for the Spirit by which it is done is the Spirit of holiness and light, Matthew 3:11. Does a man value himself upon, and appear proud and conceited of himself on the account of his good praying? still continue in his profane, untender, unholy course? His prayers are his own, they are not by the help of the Spirit in him. God regards them not.
4. Great is the encouragement that poor sinners have to apply themselves to serious and spiritual praying. The weakest are left inexcusable, if they neglect prayer still; and the formal professor, if he continue with his formal task-work of praying still. We have the Hearer of prayer to go to, the Father of our Lord Jesus, with our petitions; an Intercessor in Heaven, to present them; and an Intercessor on earth, to draw them for us, and help us to make our petitions. This is the office of the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
USE II. Of exhortation. Set yourselves for praying in the Spirit, Ephesians 6:18. Prayerless persons, give yourselves to praying, and to this kind of praying. Praying persons, satisfy not yourselves without this kind of praying. Stand not still in the outer court of prayer, with hypocrites and formalists; come in to the inner court, with God's own children. Look for the help of the Spirit, employ the Spirit in all your duties, and particularly your prayers. Remember that all the prayers are lost that are not done in the Spirit.
I shall give you some advices, how to get the help of the Spirit in prayer.
1. Come to Christ in the way of believing the gospel. The fullness of the Spirit is lodged in Christ, Revelation 3:1. He communicates the Spirit to dead sinners, 1 Corinthians 15:45, with John 20:22, and this in the word of the gospel, Galatians 3:2. It is vain to expect the help of the Spirit in prayer, until once we have received the Spirit to dwell in us, Ephesians 3:17, with 1 John 3. To receive the word of the gospel as an engrafted, quickening word, whereby we close with Christ for all, is the necessary foundation for all this.
2. Beware of maltreating the Spirit. And so,
(1.) Resist not the Spirit, Acts 7:51. Do not stave off convictions, and awakenings out of a state or course of sin. Beware of sinning over the belly of light, and persisting in sin against calls to repentance. That is to resist the Spirit, and so to provoke him to leave you.
(2.) Quench not the Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:19. If this holy fire begin to burn at any time, so as you see the light and feel the heat of it, do not withdraw fuel from it by neglecting the motions and operations of it, not taking care to cherish them; do not smother them; by not giving them vent in prayer: far less drown it out, by taking your swing in any sinful course; Luke 21:34, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life."
(3.) Grieve not the Spirit, Ephesians 4:30. The Spirit is grieved by undervaluing his graces, comforts, influences, and his means of communicating them; by sins gross in their nature or aggravations, whereby the conscience is wasted and signally defiled, whereby some have quite withered away, the Spirit leaving them.
(4.) Vex not the Spirit; Isaiah 63:10. Vex him not by your still relapsing into the same sins; Numbers 14:22, especially after convictions of the ill of them, confessions thereof, resolutions against them, and smarting for them. This is the great trial of the divine patience, whereby men are in hazard of being given up of God, Numbers 14:27.
(5.) Blaspheme not the Spirit in his operations, particularly praying in the Spirit. Take heed of making a mock of religion, preaching, praying, seriousness, talking slightingly of these things, and of making persons the objects of your derision and spite on these accounts. Sometime these things were only to be found among malignants and persecutors; but now they are to be found among people that pray themselves, and partake of the Lord's table. These Satan is training up for greater service, when such times shall come again. But take heed, it is a dangerous course, as these young blasphemers of the Spirit in his operations felt; 2 Kings 2:23, 24, "As Elisha was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, you bald head; go up, you bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord; and there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."
3. Walk tenderly and circumspectly; Ephesians 5:15. A loose and untender walk, wherein people let down their watch over the frame of their heart, and the course of their life in words and actions, provokes the Spirit to withdraw; when a tender walk is followed with the tokens of his favor; John 14:21, "He who has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me, and he who loves me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
4. When you go to prayer, be convinced of your absolute need of the Spirit. Look for him, and wait, and lay yourselves open to his influences; Luke 11:13. Labor to revive that conviction at every occasion of prayer, and to keep it up throughout it. Look for the Spirit in the promise, believing it with application; Ezekiel 36:27, "I will put my Spirit within you," etc. Lay yourselves down at his feet, to be enlightened, quickened, etc., Jeremiah 31:18, as one lays open himself to receive the fresh air.
5. Be habitually concerned for answers of prayer. They that are in good earnest to have their petitions granted, will be careful to have them right drawn; but they that are indifferent in the one, will be so in the other too; Psalm 5:3, "In the morning will I direct my prayer unto you," says David, "and will look up." If you be concerned for Christ's intercession for you in Heaven, so will you be for that of the Spirit in your own heart.
6. Let the Bible be dear to you, and look on it as God's word to you in particular, Romans 15:4, "For whatever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Revelation 3., "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." The word is the vehicle wherein the Spirit is conveyed to us; it is the channel of communicating his influences to us; and the instrument he works by in us, in all the parts of his working in us, exciting, enlightening, etc. Isaiah 59, "As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord, My Spirit that is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed's seed, says the Lord, from henceforth and forever."
7. Be careful observers of providence, Psalm 107, "Whoever is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord." The spirit is in these wheels; and the more people are set to observe their motions, the more they will readily get to observe. This is a way to carry you off formality in prayer, and give you an errand in good earnest to the throne of grace, whether in the way of petition, confession, or thanksgiving.
8. Lastly, Be watchful in prayer, Ephesians 6:18. The evil spirit watches against us at all times, and in a special manner the birds come down on the carcases of our spiritual sacrifices. When you sit down on your knees, the heart will be apt to fall a-wandering, and it will be much if before the end it do not give the slip. The Spirit of the Lord only can manage our spirits, and he will be provoked by our wanderings to withdraw. Therefore take that watchword, Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
I shall now proceed to the last doctrine observable from the text.
DOCTRINE V.. The Spirit helps believers to pray, particularly, causing in them gracious groanings, which cannot be uttered.
In discoursing this point, I shall,
I. Consider the nature of these groanings caused by the Spirit in believers.
II. Show how the Spirit makes intercession for believers with groanings.
III. In what respects these groaning are groanings that cannot be uttered.
IV. Conclude with two or three reflections.
I. We shall consider the nature of these groanings caused by the Spirit in believers. And here I shall show,
1. Of what kind they are.
2. The moving causes of them.
FIRST, I am to show of what kind these groanings are. There is a twofold groaning.
First, A natural groaning, the effect of pain, and any heavy pressure that lies on men's spirits, Jeremiah 51:52, "Through all her land the wounded shall groan." This is common to men with beasts, Joel 1:18, "How do the beasts groan?" And men may groan so, without any gracious movings of heart towards God; therefore they are none of the groanings in the text, Job 35:9, 10, "By reason of the multitude of oppressions, they make the oppressed to cry; they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. But none says, Where is God my maker, who gives songs in the night?"
Secondly, Spiritual and gracious groanings, whereby the gracious soul natively expresses its movings towards God under some heavy pressure, 2 Corinthians 5:4, "We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened." These are they with which the Spirit helps believers, and which he causes in them. When men are in a swoon, they groan none; but when they are recovering, they will discover it by groaning; an argument that their sense and feeling is returned. So by these groanings believers are distinguished from the dead in sin.
These spiritual groanings of believers speak,
1. Their feeling of a weight and pressure upon them, 2 Corinthians 5:4, above cited. Such is the imperfection of our state in this life, that if there is life in a soul, it must groan, because there is no escaping of pressures, from an evil world without, and an evil heart within. And the easy jovial life that men lead without these groanings, they owe it to spiritual death, which has taken away their feeling, Ephesians 4:18, 19.
2. Their laboring under these pressures, like one under a burden, Psalm 6:6, "I am weary with my groaning, (Hebrews) "Labored to weariness in my groaning." This imports,
(1.) An earnest endeavor to get them off, or to bear them while they are kept on. The new creature is surrounded with weights of various kinds, which in their own nature tend to hinder its growth, and coming to perfection; and there are mighty laborings and workings of it against them, that it may get forward to its desired perfection; Philippians 3:14.
(2.) Great difficulty in that laboring, so that the man is as it were out of breath wrestling with his harden which natively issues in a groan, Eph 6:12. There is difficulty in the Christian life, that will try what metal men are of, and will put them to the exerting of their utmost vigor; and therefore it is compared to the exercise of wrestlers and runners.
3. The working of their affections under them; especially,
(1.) Grief of heart, Jeremiah 45:3. Groaning is the natural expression of sorrow: and sighs, sobs, and groans, are what a heart pierced and weighed down with grief naturally vents itself in. Christ was "a man of sorrows, and so we find him groaning, John 11:38; and true Christians, whatever their natural temper is, will be found to resound as an echo to a groaning Savior.
Particularly, groans are the more heavy, when they arise from a double grief, a grief for such a thing, and a grief that it is beyond our power to help it; and of this sort mostly are the groans of believers, Romans 7:24.
(2.) Earnest desire of help and relief, 2 Corinthians 5:2. Here the heart of the believer in these groanings moves directly towards God, with eyes lifted up to Heaven. And hence these groanings are prayers in effect, and are so reckoned before God, Romans 8:27. Whence it appears how the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings, that helping to groan before the Lord, he helps to pray. These groanings may be considered two ways.
[1.] As they are joined with solemn prayer. When a Christian is seriously praying, and is so weighted, that his prayers are here and there interrupted with groanings; these groanings which the prayers are interspersed with, are in God's account parts of the prayer, and as acceptable parts as are in it all; whether they come in when a sentence is closed, or come in before it be perfected, Psalm 6:3, "My soul is sore vexed; but you, O Lord, how long?" Men know not distinctly the meaning of such groans, but the Lord sees it as plain as if expressed by words.
[2.] As they are separate from solemn vocal prayer. And thus we may also consider them two ways.
(1.) As they come in the room and stead of vocal prayer intended.
I believe it is very possible, that a child of God may go to his knees to pray, and may rise again without having been able to speak a word, but only to groan; and though he thinks he could pray none at all, he is mistaken; as far as the Spirit helped him to groan, he helped him to pray, though none could understand that prayer of his but God himself who searches the heart, Romans 8:27. As a full bottle does not orderly empty itself, so a heart may be too full to empty itself by words, but by groans, Psalm 77:4, "You hold mine eyes waking; I am so troubled that I cannot speak."
(2.) As they are without any design of solemn prayer. When a man is walking or sitting, musing on the sinfulness of his own heart and life, or on the wickedness that is done in the world, with the dishonor that comes on the holy name of God thereby; until his heart, swelling with grief, natively vents itself in a groan; that groaning is in God's account a prayer, and a prayer that shall be heard at length, as proceeding from the influence of his own Spirit. What was it that set the wheel of providence in motion, to stop the wicked career the Egyptians were in, Exodus 2:24? Why, God heard the groaning of the children of Israel.
SECONDLY, I come now to show the moving causes of these groanings of believers. Believers by the Spirit, have their groanings unto the Lord,
1. Under a pressure of trouble. While they are here, they cannot miss so much of a suffering lot, as will make them groan; Romans 8:18, 23; and by the Spirit, these groans are directed towards God, as those of a child, under the difficulties of the way, are directed to his father.
(1.) Sometimes they are groaning to him under outward troubles. So Israel groaned under the Egyptian bondage; Exodus 2:23, 24; yes Christ himself; John 11:33, 38. These are weights that press their spirits, make them to groan, and look upward for relief; Romans 8:23, longing for the day when they shall be beyond them.
(2.) Sometimes they are groaning under inward troubles; Psalm 30:7, "You did hide your face, and I was troubled." While here they are liable to spiritual desertions, wounds in their spirits under the apprehensions of the Lord's anger against them. And they groan out their case towards the hand that smites them. Both outward and inward troubles often meet together, as in the case of David; Psalm 6:2, 3, 6, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed; but you, O Lord, how long? I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears;" and in that of Job: chapter 23:2, "Even today is my complaint bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning."
2. Under a pressure of temptations. These are a heavy weight to a gracious soul; they made Paul to go groaning to God again and again; 2 Corinthians 12:7, 8. Our Lord Christ had experience of an hour of the power of darkness; Luke 22:53, "When I was daily with you in the temple, you stretched forth no hands against me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness." And his followers will not want experience of the same, wherein temptations come on thick and vigorous. These cause groanings,
(1.) Because of their disturbing the peace of the soul; they turn the calm into a storm, that the soul is tossed thereby as on a raging sea, which makes them cry, "Lead us not into temptation."
(2.) Because of the difficulty of one's keeping his ground against them; Ephesians 6:12, 16. Every temptation has a friend within us, and men's nature is unto temptation as tinder to sparks of fire, apt to take fire; so that it requires hard wrestling to keep our ground.
(3.) Because of the danger of falling thereby into sin. Temptation is the precipice, and sin is the devouring gulf; and they who have a sense of their danger, no wonder they groan, groan under the pressure, and groan for relief.
3. Under the pressure of sin. This is a light burden to the most part of mankind, but it is the heaviest burden to a child of God, and causes in him, through the Spirit, the heaviest groans. For it is of all things the most contrary and opposite to the new nature in him, whence are these continued strugglings; Galatians 5:17, "The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that you cannot do the things that you would." Many troubles Paul met with; but did any of them all ever cause in him such an exclamation as that; Romans 7:24, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Now the children of God groan,
1st, Under the weight and pressure of their own sin, the sin of their nature, and the sin of their life; Psalm 51:3, 5, "I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." It lies on them heavy as a body of death, while others being dead in sin, it is no burden to them; no burden to their heart, though sometimes it may be to their conscience. And there are three things in their sin that press them sore.
(1.) The filthiness of it, that deformity that is in it, being the quite contrary of the holiness of God expressed in his law. The soul seeing the glory of the holiness of God, and how its sin is the very reverse of that glory; that fills it with shame; Ezra 9:6, and self-loathing; Ezekiel 36:31. Beholding itself in the glass of the pure and holy law, as a polluted and defiled creature, it groans under it as one pressed down to the earth with a burden; Jeremiah 3., "We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God."
(2.) The prevailing power of it; Psalm 65:3, "Iniquities prevail against me, (Hebrews) Have been mightier than I." The new nature struggles against sin; Galatians 5:17. The new man of grace and the old man of sin are engaged in combat; and often the old man prevails, and the new man is cast down. Now the believer taking part with grace against corruption, groans under this prevailing power of corruption (Romans 7:23, 24,) as an insupportable tyranny that he longs to be rid of.
(3.) The guilt of it; Psalm 51:4, "Against you, you only have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight." In the eyes of a believer, life lies in the favor of God, the shinings of his countenance; but their guilt binds them over to his anger, and overclouds his countenance. And that is a weight that makes them groan; that when it is removed, they rejoice as one that has got a harden taken off his back; Psalm 38:4, "Mine iniquities are gone over mine head; as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me." Compared with Hosea 14:2, "take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips."
2dly, Under the weight and pressure of the sin of others; Ezekiel 9:4, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." As one cannot but loath an abominable thing on another as well as on himself; so sin, wherever it appears, on others, as well as on ourselves, will be a burden to a gracious soul, that will make it groan; Isaiah 6:5, "Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Thus Lot was under a continued burden in Sodom, while he was among them; 2 Pet 2:7, 8. And none groan spiritually under their own sin, that do not groan also under the sins of others among whom they live. There are three things in the sins of others that make them groan.
(1.) The dishonor to the holy name of God that is in them; Romans 2:23, 24. To see men trampling under foot the holy laws of God, and, by their profane courses, affronting the God that made them, and walking after their own lusts, cannot but be a burden to any who truly love the Lord, and are concerned for the honor of his name; Psalm 119:136, "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes," says David, "because they keep not your law." Zeal for the honor of God, as it is native to his children; so, where it cannot prevail against sin, natively vents itself in groaning under the burden; Psalm 69:9.
(2.) The ruin to the sinner's own soul that is enrapt up in it; Jeremiah 13:17. There needs no prophetic eye, but an eye of faith in the Lord's word, to foresee the ruin of those that go on impenitently in their sinful course; Romans 6:21. When sinners are fighting against God, by going on in their trespasses; it is easy to see whose head must be wounded in the encounter; Psalm 68:21, and who must fall at length, however long they keep foot; Deuteronomy 32:35. Now the prospect of this is enough to make a gracious soul groan for those that cannot groan for themselves; Psalm 119:119, 120, "You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments." So Habakkuk 3:16.
(3.) The hurt that is in it to others. It is Solomon's observation that "one sinner destroys much good," Ecclesiastes 9. And there is a woe pronounced on the world, because of offences, Matthew 18:7. Sin is a noxious vapor, spreading its infection over many; wounding some, and killing others; grieving to the godly, and hardening to the wicked. And a serious view of the mischief it does to others, beside the sinner himself, makes the godly groan.
From what is said it appears that sin is the fundamental and chief cause of the believer's groaning. Troubles outward and inward rise from it, temptations lead to it. That is it within them, and that is it without them that makes them groan. That is the burden to the Spirit of God that grieves him, as one groaning under a burden, Amos 2:13; Isaiah 1:24. That is it that makes the whole creation groan, Romans 8:22. And it is that which makes the believer groan.
II. The second general head is to show how the Spirit makes intercession for believers with groanings.
1. He works in them a spiritual feeling of their burdens; Romans 8:23, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves." The time was, when they lay with the rest of the world without sense or feeling of the burden on them, and he gave them life; and sometimes spiritual life in them has been so low, that they could have but little true feeling of their own case; and it was a burden to them to bestir themselves to rid themselves; Canticles 5:3, "I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?" But the Spirit excites grace, and gives them a lively feeling of their spiritual case; verse 4, "My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my affections were moved for him."
2. He gives them a view of the free and unburdened state wherein mortality is swallowed up of life, 2 Corinthians 5:4. There is such a state, it is represented in the word of truth. The Spirit strengthens the eye of faith, whereby the soul sees it clearly, though afar off; a state wherein there is an eternal putting off of the burden of trouble, temptation, and sin.
3. He excites in them ardent desires of riddance from their burden, and of arriving at the unburdened state; 2 Corinthians 5:2, "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven." Romans 8:23, "Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." What ardent desire of deliverance would a man have who was kept lying among dead corpses, rotting and sending forth their stench into his nostrils? Such ardent desire will a Christian have, when, through the Spirit, grace is put in lively and vigorous exercise, while the dead world without him, and the body of death within him, conspire to annoy him with their savor of death, Romans 7:24. Hence,
4. He engages them in earnest wrestling with their burden, in order to get clear of it, that the new creature of grace may get up its back, and run the way of God's commandments, Galatians 5:17. Here grace has a mighty struggle with its enemy, longing and panting for the victory, and pressing towards a state of perfection, Philippians 3:14.
5. Lastly, Finding themselves still entangled with their burden, notwithstanding of all their wrestling, he helps them to groan out their case before the Lord, as a case that is beyond their reach to help; Romans 7:23, 24, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But the groaning through the Spirit's aid is not groaning and dying, but,
(1.) Groaning and looking to the Lord for help; Psalm 123:1, "Unto you lift I up mine eyes, O you that dwell in the heavens." The believer groans and looks upward to God for relief. His burden of trouble, he will lie under it, until the Lord take it off, and will not take any sinistrous course for his deliverance; Isaiah 28:16, "He who believes shall not make haste." The burden of sin, he is never to be reconciled with that, but however long he wrestles with it without the desired success, he will ever be looking and longing for deliverance, Philippians 3:13, 14.
(2.) Groaning and waiting for relief, Romans 8:23. Unbelief makes one to groan and despair of deliverance, either in temporals or spirituals, Jeremiah 2:25. But the Spirit makes the believer to groan and wait in hope, Galatians 5:5. Though the eyes fail while they wait for their God, yet still they will wait in hope of the promise, Luke 18:1.
III. I come now to show in what respects these groanings are groanings that cannot be uttered.
1. The working of their affections, thus set in motion by the Spirit, is sometimes such as stops the coarse of the words. This is often seen in the workings of natural affections, how that either joy or grief filling the heart, mars the ordinary course of words; the heart being too full, to be vented easily in expression. It is not then to be thought strange, that it so falls out in the case of spiritual affections pat in mighty motion by the Spirit. Yes they do,
(1.) Sometimes interrupt the expression, and the groaning fills up what is wanting in the words, Psalm 6:3. Even as a hurt and pained child tells his case to his mother, in imperfect expressions, filling up the want with tears, sighs, and sobs; so that she may have difficulty to understand what ails him; but our Father in Heaven has no difficulty in coming at the meaning of his children so expressed, Romans 8:27, "He who searches the hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit." Our elder Brother sometimes spoke by broken sentences from the same cause, Luke 19:41, 42, "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things which belong unto your peace! but now they are hidden from your eyes." So Genesis 3:22.
(2.) Sometimes stop the expression altogether, like as a multitude of people rushing all together to a door, they all stick, and none can get out, Psalm 77:4, "I am so troubled that I cannot speak." So a child of God may go to prayer, and not be able to speak a word. But let them go to their knees before the Lord for all that; and if they cannot speak a word, let them groan their case before the Lord. That is a proper way of praying in the Spirit, and God will certainly hear and accept that kind of praying, though there be nothing but groaning in it. Do you put away dumb people without an alms, because they cannot speak? are you not more moved with their signs and humming noise, than with the cries of common beggars? Do not the sighs and sobs of your frighted or hurt children move you more than their complaints formed in words? And do you think that God will disregard the groans and sighs of his people, when they cannot speak a word to him? No, surely; he will hear the groaning of the prisoner, Psalm 102:20.
2. What they feel and see in this case, by the Spirit, is always beyond what they can express in words. I own that what a child of God sometimes feels and sees in prayer, is so small, that their words may sufficiently express it; but when the Spirit helps them to these groanings, it is quite otherwise, their words cannot come up to their affections. When the Spirit gives a Christian an experimental feeling of the burden of sin, realizes to him the glory of the unburdened state, and makes him groan between the two, there is something there that is truly unspeakable. As the gift of Christ is unspeakable to those who truly see it, 2 Corinthians 9:15, and the joy in the Holy Spirit to those that feel it, 1 Peter 1:8, so are the groanings by the Spirit unutterable to the groaners.
I conclude with two or three reflections.
1. God's people are a groaning people. For they have the Spirit of Christ, and he makes intercession for them with groanings; they have put on Christ, and he was a groaner. And those that are strangers to these groanings, their groaning time is coming; walking now in the vanity of your minds, will make eternal groaning.
Question How are God's people regarded when they get leave to groan on?
ANSWER. They must abide the trial of their graces, and be conformed to the image of a groaning Savior. In due time their burden will be taken off, and they will groan no more.
2. Prayer is a business of great weight and seriousness. It is one thing to say a prayer, another thing to pray indeed acceptably. Wherefore from this, and all that has been said,
3. Lastly, Learn to pray by the help of the Spirit, for no other praying is acceptable to God; look to him in all your addresses to the throne, and depend upon his guiding and influence; that through Christ Jesus you may have access by one Spirit unto the Father, Ephesians 2:18.
OF PRAYING IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
JOHN 16:23, "Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you."
OUR Lord Jesus is here comforting his disciples under the want of his bodily presence which they had so long enjoyed, showing them that it should be well made up to them. They should see him again after his resurrection, though not to return to that familiarity with them as before; they should see him by the Spirit, in his exalted state; and should find God so reconciled to them by his sacrifice of himself, that they should have a boldness of access to the throne in Heaven, which they had not before; that in that day they should ask him nothing in that manner they used while he was with them in the days of his flesh; but in a manner more to his honor and their comfort. Here he declares,
1. What that manner is, and that in two things.
(1.) They should apply themselves, in asking or petitioning, directly to the Father as their God and Father allowing them access to him, for the supply of all their needs.
(2.) They should apply to him in the name of the Son, the exalted Redeemer, expressly, seeing more clearly the way of sinners treating with God through the Mediator, than either the Jewish church had done, or they themselves while they had his bodily presence with them.
2. The success of that manner of applying to God. It should be successful in all points. Whatever, in spiritual or temporal things, they should petition the Father in the name of Christ, he should give it them for his sake.
The following doctrine arises from the words.
DOCTRINE.—Whoever would pray to God acceptably, must pray to him in the name of Jesus Christ.
In treating this point, I shall,
I. Show what it is to pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
II. Give the reasons why acceptable prayer must be in the name of Christ.
III. Lastly, Apply.
I. I am to show what it is to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. That this takes in whatever is necessary in prayer, both as to matter and manner, is evident from the text, "Whatever you shall ask in my name," etc. And no man can thus pray but by the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:13.
Negatively, It is not a bare mentioning his name, in prayer, and concluding our prayers therewith, Matthew 7:21, "Not every one that says unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven." We must begin, carry on, and conclude our prayers in the name of Christ, Colossians 3:17, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." The saints use the words, "through Jesus Christ our Lord," 1 Corinthians 15:57; but the virtue is not in the words, but in the faith with which they are used. But alas! these are often produced as an empty scabbard, while the sword is away.
Positively, we may take it up in these four things.
FIRST, We must go to God at Christ's command, and by order from him. This is the import of the phrase "in his name," Matthew 18:20, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." If a poor body can get a recommendation from a friend to one that is able to help him, he comes with confidence and tells, such a one has sent me to you. Our Lord Christ is the friend of poor sinners, and he sends them to his Father to ask supply of their wants; and allows them to tell that he sent them; John 16:24. And coming that way, in faith, they will not be refused. This implies,
1. The soul's being come to Christ in the first place; John 15:7, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." Sense of need brings the soul to Christ, as the poor man's friend, who has the favor of the court of Heaven, that through his means the soul may get its wants supplied there. See Acts 12:20. We must first come to Christ by faith, before we can make one acceptable prayer to God.
2. That however believers in Christ are relieved of the burden of total indigence; John 4:14, yet while they are in the world, they are still compassed with wants. God will have them to live from hand to mouth, and so to honor him by hanging on daily about his hand for their supply from time to time. In Heaven they shall be set down at the fountain; but now the law of the house is, "Ask, and you shall receive;" Matthew 7:7.
3. That Christ sends his people to God by prayer, for the supply of their wants. This he does by his word, commanding them to go, and by his Spirit inclining them to go. For thus the whole Trinity is glorified by the praying believers, the Father as the Hearer of prayer, the Son as the Advocate and Intercessor presenting their prayers to the Father, and the Spirit as the Author of their prayers; Ephesians 2:18, "For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father."
4. That acceptable prayer is performed under the sense of the command of a God in Christ; Isaiah 33:22, "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us." Men may pray, though not acceptably, with little or no sense of the command of God on their consciences; that is, not serving God, but themselves. They may pray under the sense of the command of an absolute God out of Christ; that is but slavish service to God. But the believer has the sense of the command, as from Jesus Christ, where majesty and mercy are mixed in it; and that is son-like service.
5. Lastly. That the acceptable petitioner's encouragement to pray is from Jesus Christ; Hebrews 4:14–16, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." It is Christ's token that he has given them to carry with them, that affords them all their confidence with God; that is the promises of the covenant sealed with his own blood. Faith laying hold on these, carries them as Christ's token to the Father, upon which a poor criminal may expect to find acceptance and supply.
SECONDLY. We must pray for Christ's sake, as our motive to the duty. This also is imported in the phrase, "in his name;" Mark 9:41, "Whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, in my name, because you belong to Christ,—he shall not lose his reward." As we must be influenced by his command, as the reason of our praying, so with regard to him as our motive. As there is no coming to God but by him; so there is no kindly drawing of us to God, but by the allurement of the glory of God in the face of Jesus; 2 Corinthians 4:6. Any other sight of the glory of God would fright the sinner away from him, as from a consuming fire. So we must behold God in Christ, and go to him as the object of our love and adoration. This implies,
1. An high esteem of Christ in the acceptable petitioner; 1 Peter 2:7, "Unto you which believe, he is precious." No man's prayer will be acceptable to God, who wants a transcendent esteem of the Lord Christ; for God is honored in his Son; John 5:23. And the more the esteem of Christ has place in one's heart, the more it will be found, he will give himself to prayer.
2. Complying with the duty out of love to Christ; Hebrews 6:10, "God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labor of love." The soul must discern Christ's stamp on every duty, and so embrace it for his sake. The duty of prayer some embrace and use, because of the usefulness of it to themselves; but God's children embrace it for the sake of Christ; 2 Cor 5:14, "For the love of Christ constrains us." Love natively leads to desire communion with the party beloved; and love to Christ recommends prayer to a holy heart, as a means of communion with God in Christ.
3. Complying with the duty out of respect to his honor and glory; Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ." Christ humbled himself, and therefore the Father has glorified him; chapter 2:9–11. And every act of praying in his name glorifies him, being an acknowledgment before God of the unspeakable dignity of his merit and intercession, as procuring that access for sinners unto God, that no other way could have been obtained.
4. Lastly, Doing it with heart and good-will; for what is done for Christ's sake by a gracious soul, must needs be so done; Isaiah 64:5, "You meet him that rejoices, and works righteousness, those that remember you in your ways." One praying indeed in the name of Christ, is acted by a principle of lore to him, which, oiling the wheels of the soul, sets all in motion, so that the heart is poured out like water before the Lord. And where that principle is wanting, there is acting by constraint.
THIRDLY. We must in praying to God act in the strength of Christ. This also is imported in the phrase; Luke 10:17, "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through your name." So Zechariah 10., "I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in his name." We must go to prayer, as David went against Goliath; 1 Samuel 17:45, "I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts." And here consider,
1. What this pre-supposes.
2. Wherein it lies.
FIRST, Let us consider what this acting in prayer in the strength of Christ pre-supposes. It pre-supposes,
1. That praying acceptably is a work quite beyond any power in us; 2 Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves." The want of this persuasion mars many a prayer, and makes many a rash and inconsiderate approach unto God. To manage aright an address to God on his throne of glory, cannot miss to appear such a work in the eyes of all, who have due thoughts of God's majesty, or of their own ignorance and weakness.
2. That there is a stock of grace and strength in Jesus Christ, for our help, as to other duties, so for this duty of prayer; 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you." Man at first had his stock of grace in his own band, and he made a sad account of it. Now the Lord has lodged it in the Mediator, as the head of believers; Colossians 1:19, "For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell." In him there is not only a fullness of sufficiency for himself, but of abundance for his people, as of water in a fountain, or of sap in the stock of a tree; John 3:34, "God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him."
3. Sinners are welcome to partake of this stock of grace and strength in Christ; 2 Timothy 2:1. For it is lodged in him as a storehouse, to be communicated. The fountain stands open, and whoever will may come and take; Zechariah 13:1. They are very welcome; as it is an ease and pleasure for the mother to have the full breast sucked by her babe, so it is a pleasure to Christ to communicate of his fullness; Isaiah 66:12, 13, "For thus says the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream; then shall you suck, you shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."
4. We must be united to Christ, as members to the head, and branches to the vine, if we would act in prayer or any other duty in the strength of Christ; John 15:5, "I am the vine you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing." We cannot partake of the stock of grace and strength for duty in Christ, without partaking of himself; Romans 8:32. As the soul in a separate state does not quicken the body, so the soul not united to Christ cannot be fitted for duty by strength derived from him. The graft must knit with the stock, before it can partake of the sap.
SECONDLY. I am to show wherein acting in prayer in the strength of Christ lies. It lies in two things—
1. The soul's going out of itself for strength to the duty; that is, renouncing all confidence in itself for the right management of it; 2 Corinthians 3:5, forfeited. Every duty is to be undertaken, begun, and I carried on, under a sense of utter weakness and insufficiency for it in ourselves.
(1.) Gifts are not to be trusted to; Proverbs 3:5. That is the way to get gifts blasted, for they are but an arm of flesh; Jeremiah 17:5, 6. And though you should have the free exercise of your gift; yet a bare gift can never make a man do a duty graciously. The work will still be but a dead work, without the life of grace derived from Christ the Lord of life.
(2.) Nay grace received and implanted in us is not to be trusted to for this end. Learn you, that even of our gracious selves we can do nothing; 2 Corinthians 3:4, 5. There must be continued supplies of grace from Christ unto us, else we will bring forth no fruit; John 15:5. It is true, grace is a seed that in its nature tends to fruit; but what will come of the seed, if the showers, and dew, and heat of the sun be withheld?
2. The soul's going to Christ for strength to duty, by trusting on him for it; Isaiah 26:4, "Trust you in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." This is the exercising of faith, by which the saints live; Galatians 2:20, and derive grace and strength from Christ their head; John 1:16. Faith is that grace by which the weak soul fetches in strength and grace from the fountain of it in Christ. So he prays in the name of Christ, in this respect, who goes about the duty in confidence of, and trusting in Christ for, strength and ability to manage it acceptably; Psalm 71:16, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of your righteousness, even of your only." To make this more plain, consider,
(1.) By faith a Christian sees, in the glass of the word, an utter inability for duty in himself, believing, on the testimony of the word, that of himself he is unable to work any good work, Isaiah 26:12; nay, not to begin it well; Philippians 1:6, to will it; chapter 2:13, nor so much as to think it; 2 Corinthians 3:5. In all which the Christian's faith is strengthened by experience.
(2.) By faith he sees also a fullness of grace and strength treasured up in Christ the head, to be communicated to the members of his body; 2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Colossians 1:19, "It pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell." And he beholds the promises he has made of it, as the conduit pipes by which it is conveyed unto them; 2 Peter 1:4, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature." These things the Christian believes on the testimony of the same Word of God; and thus he sees a sufficiency to oppose to his own emptiness, and a fullness of strength to remedy his own weakness.
(3.) By faith he trusts that this fullness in Christ shall be made forthcoming to him, in a measure of it, for the duty, according to the promise; Psalm 18:2, "The Lord is—my God, my strength, in whom I will trust." Habakkuk 3:19, "The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." Thus there is a particular application in faith, that the Christian trusts in the word of promise, that grace and strength shall be given to him. So the word holds it out for particular application by faith; 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you;" and this is the way to bring in strength, as the Psalmist's experience testifies; Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusted in him, and I am helped;" and so the promise secures it; Jeremiah 17:7, 8, "Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Take away that trust, that particular application, the soul is left helpless, having nothing to gripe to, and the communication of strength is blocked up; according to what the apostle James says, chapter 1:6, 7, "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind, and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."
FOURTHLY. We must in praying to God pray for Christ's sake, as the only procuring cause of the success of our prayers; Daniel 9:17, "Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake." Going to God in prayer, we must as it were put off our own persons, as not worth noticing in the sight of God, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ; come and receive the blessing in the elder Brother's clothes, having all our hope from the Lord's looking on the face of his Anointed. This is the main thing in the text, a relying on the Lord Jesus for the success of our prayers in Heaven. Here I shall show,
1. What is pre-supposed in this.
2. Wherein it consists.
FIRST. I am to show what is pre-supposed in praying to God for Christ's sake. It pre-supposes,
1. That sinners in themselves are quite unacceptable in Heaven, even in their religious duties. Not only are the wicked so; Proverbs 15:8, but even the saints considered in themselves; Isaiah 64:6. The reason is plain, God is holy, we are impure and defiled. There is such a rank smell of sinful pollution about us, that the opening of a sinner's mouth in prayer is like the opening of an unripe grave; Romans 3:13. It is too strong, that we cannot sweeten ourselves. The loathsome savor of the sins about the best, cannot be mastered by any sweet savor of their duties, but only by the sweet savor of the sacrifice of Christ; 2 Corinthians 2:15, with Ephesians 5:2.
2. Christ is most acceptable there; he is the darling of Heaven, the prime favorite there; Matthew 3., "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He is acceptable there as God, the only begotten of the Father from eternity; but that is not it. He is acceptable as God-man, Mediator, who has in our flesh fulfilled his Father's will, by his obedience and death; Ephesians 5:2, "Christ—has given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. And he is acceptable to the Father,
(1.) In himself; Matthew 3., above cited. The Father is well pleased with his person, and delights in him, as the brightness of his own glory, and his own express image. He is well pleased with his undertaking the work of our redemption, and his management of that work; he is pleased with his holy birth, righteous life, and complete satisfaction; so pleased with his humbling himself, that he has "highly exalted him;" Philippians 2:9.
(2.) He is so well pleased with him, that he accepts sinners for his sake; Ephesians 1:6, "He has made us accepted in the Beloved." For his sake rebel sinners are accepted to peace and favor, criminals, to eternal life, their performances, mixed with much sinful imperfections, are accepted as pleasing in his sight. The sweet smell of his sacrifice so masters the rank savor of sin about them, that they are for his sake brought into his presence and made near. The Father knows not to refuse him any request; John 11:42, "I knew that you hear me always."
3. Sinners are warranted to come to the throne of grace in his name; Hebrews 4:15, 16, "We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." It is sinners of mankind, not of the angel tribe; chapter 2:16, "For truly he took not on him the nature of angels: but he took on him the seed of Abraham." Whatever be our case, he will do for us to the uttermost; Hebrews 7:25. He is an Advocate that will take our most desperate causes in hand, carry them through, and that in a way agreeable to justice; 1 John 2:1, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." The petitions put into his hand cannot miscarry.
SECONDLY, I am now to show wherein this praying to God for Christ's sake consists. And,
First, In general, it consists in our relying on the Lord Jesus only, for the success of our prayers in Heaven. And,
I. Consider what we are in this matter to rely on him only for.
(1.) We are to rely on him only, for access to God in our prayers; Ephesians 3:12, "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." In vain do we pray, if we get no access to the prayer-hearing God; and there is no access to him, but through Christ; John 14:6. Whoever attempt to draw near to God otherwise, will get the door of Heaven cast in their face; but we must take hold of the Mediator, and come in at his back, who is Heaven's favorite and the sinner's friend.
(2.) For acceptance of our prayers; Ephesians 1:6, forfeited. Our Lord Christ is the only altar that can sanctify our gift; Hebrews 13:10, 15. If we lay the stress of our acceptance on any person or thing, but Jesus Christ, the crucified Savior, we cannot be accepted. For our best duties being mixed with sinful imperfections, cannot be accepted of a holy God but through a Mediator; and there is no Mediator but he; 1 Timothy 2:5.
(3.) For the gracious answer of prayer in granting our petitions. So the text, "Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." We have forfeited all other pleas for Heaven's favors, by Adam's fall. And now no prayers can be heard and answered in Heaven; but for Christ the second Adam's sake. A sinner cannot have the least favorable glance from the throne of God, but what is given for Christ's sake. What men get otherwise, they get with a vengeance, an impression of wrath on it; Hosea 13:11; Psalm 78:29.
2. Consider how we are to eye Christ as the object of this reliance. We are to eye him in it as our great High Priest; Hebrews 4:15, 16, forfeited. A believer is to eye Christ in his prayers, in all his offices. We are to eye him as our Prophet, teaching us by his Spirit how and what to pray for; as our King, having the office of distributing Heaven's favors to poor sinners; but in point of our access, acceptance, and hearing, we are to eye him as a Priest; for it is in that office only we can find what to rely on before God, for these ends. And here we find,
(1.) The infinite merit of his sacrifice to rely on; Romans 3:25, "Whom God has set forth to be a atoning sacrifice , through faith in his blood." Man by sin lost himself, and all Heaven's favors from the greatest to the least, from heaven's happiness to the least drop of water to refresh him. Accordingly Christ redeeming sinners by his blood, paid the ransom not only for their persons, but for all Heaven's favors to them, from the greatest to the least. Therefore he says, "Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David; Isaiah 55:3. He bought their seat in Heaven, their peace, and pardon, yes and their seat on earth, their bread, and their water; Isaiah 33:16, "He shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks, bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure." Now, would we pray in his name?
Then in prayer eye Christ on the cross, bleeding, dying, and by his bloody death and sufferings paying for the mercy you are seeking. Is it a spiritual mercy, or a temporal mercy? It is a purchased mercy, the purchase of the blood of Christ; seek it of God as such, as the purchase of the blood of Jesus.
(2.) His never-failing intercession to rely on; Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them." Our great High Priest having offered his sacrifice on earth, is now gone into the heavens, presenting there the blood of his sacrifice in the infinite merit thereof before his Father; that he may obtain the purchased mercies for his people. So that the supply of the needs of his people, is his business in Heaven, as well as it is theirs on earth. And he offers their prayers to his Father; Revelation 8:4. Therefore if you would pray in his name,
In prayer eye Christ as your Intercessor at the right hand of God, Romans 8:34. If the price of his blood was extended to the purchasing of all the mercies we need; surely his intercession extends from the greatest to the least of them also. And therefore we need not stick to put our petitions for any mercy we need, in his hand. Hence it may appear,
Secondly, More particularly, wherein praying in the name of Christ, and for his sake consists,
1. Renouncing all merit and worth in ourselves, in point of access, acceptance, and gracious answer, saying with Jacob, Genesis 32:10, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which you have showed unto your servant." If we stand on personal worth, from the consideration of our doings or sufferings, or anything in or about ourselves, we pray in our own name, and will speed accordingly. Self-denial is absolutely necessary to this kind of praying, that stopping our eyes to all excellencies in ourselves or duties, we may betake ourselves to free grace only.
2. Believing that however great the mercies are, and however unworthy we are, yet we may obtain them from God through Jesus Christ; Hebrews 4:15, 16. There can be no praying in faith without this. If we do not believe this, we dishonor his name, whether our unbelief of it arise from the greatness of the mercy needed, or from our own unworthiness, or both. For nothing can be beyond the reach of his infinite merit and never-failing intercession.
3. Seeking in prayer the mercies we need of God, for Christ's sake accordingly. So we present our petitions "in his name;" John 16:24. We are to be ashamed before God in prayer, ashamed of ourselves, but not ashamed to beg in the name of his Son. Our holy shame respects our unworthiness; but Christ's merit and intercession are set before us, as a ground of confidence.
4. Pleading on his merit and intercession; Psalm 84:9, "Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of your Anointed." We are not only to seek, but to plead in prayer, as needy petitioners whose pinching necessity makes them fill their mouths with arguments; Job 23:3, 4. Christ's merit and intercession is the fountain of these arguments; and to plead on mere mercy, mercy for mere mercy's sake, is too weak a plea. But faith founding its plea on Christ's merit, urges God's covenant and promise made thereupon; Psalm 74:20, his glorious perfections shining in the face of Jesus, the honor of his name manifested in Christ.
5. Lastly, Trusting that we shall obtain a gracious answer for his sake; Mark 11:24, "What things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." The soul praying according to the will of God, is to exercise a faith of particular confidence in God through Christ, which is not only warrantable, but necessary; James 1:6, 7. This glorifies the Mediator, and glorifies the faithfulness of God in the promise; and the want of it casts dishonor on both.
II. The second general head is, to give reasons why acceptable prayer must be in the name of Christ. I offer the following—
1. Because sinners can have no access to God without a Mediator, and there is no other Mediator but he; Isaiah 59:2; 1 Timothy 2:5. Innocent Adam might have come to God immediately in prayer, and been accepted; for while there was no sin, there was no need of a Mediator. But now the justice of God bars the access of sinners to him; and there is none to mediate a peace between God and the sinner but Christ; John 14:6.
2. Because the promises of the covenant were all made to Jesus Christ, as the party who fulfilled the condition of the covenant; Galatians 3:16. The promises are the measure of acceptable prayer; what God has not promised, we cannot warrantably pray for. In prayer we come to God to claim the promises; and we cannot claim them, but in the right of Christ the head of the covenant, to whom they were made; that is to say, we cannot pray acceptably but in his name.
3. Because our praying in the name of Christ is a part of the reward of Christ's voluntary humiliation for God's glory and the salvation of sinners; Philippians 2:9, 10. He gave his life a ransom for sinners, and a price of redemption of their forfeited mercies; therefore God has stated and ordained, that sinners shall crave and receive all their mercies in his name, that they shall kneel in him to receive the blessing, as his members.
4. Because it is not consistent with the honor of God, to give sinners a favorable hearing otherwise; John 9:31, with 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21. Where is the honor of God's justice, if Heaven's favors be bestowed on sinners otherwise than on the account of a satisfaction?—the honor of his holiness, if they may have communion with him as they are in themselves?—of his law, if they may get their petitions of mercy answered, but in the name of one who has answered its demands? They dishonor God, his Son, and his mercies, that ask anything but in the name of Christ.
5. Nothing can savor with God, that comes from a sinner, but what is perfumed with the merit and intercession of Christ; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Ephesians 1:6. It is not the inward excellency of the prayers of the saints, that makes them acceptable in God's sight; but the righteousness of Christ, which is by faith on the praying saint praying in faith; Hebrews 11:4. The merit of his righteousness, presented in his intercession, with the prayer, makes it acceptable; Revelation 8:4. It savors in Heaven out of his mouth.
6. Lastly, The stated way of all gracious communication between Heaven and earth, is through Jesus Christ, who opened a communication between them by his blood, when it was blocked up by the breach of the first covenant; John 14:6. Whatever favor is conveyed to us from Heaven in a way of grace and love, whatever we offer to God in a way of duty or desire, must go through him. This was represented in Jacob's ladder; Genesis 28. If we would come to God, or present a petition to him, it must be through Christ; Hebrews 10:19, 20. If the Lord comes to us, or sends us a gracious, answer, it is through him; 2 Corinthians 5:19.
I shall now make some practical improvement of this subject.
USE I. Of information. From this doctrine we learn,
1. What a holy God we have to do with in prayer, who bath said, "I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified; Leviticus 10:3. He sits on his throne of majesty, and we can have no access to him, being sinners, but through Christ. His very throne of grace, from which he breathes love and good-will to sinners, is founded on justice and judgment; Psalm 89:14. We must come to him under the covert of the Mediator's broad righteousness and efficacious blood; otherwise we cannot stand before his spotless holiness.
2. Let us prize the love of Christ, in making an entrance for us into the holy place, through the veil of his flesh; Hebrews 10:20. The flaming sword of justice, which guarded the way to the tree of life, was bathed in his blood, to procure us access to God. He bought again the estate that Adam forfeited for us, and he bought it with his precious blood; that since we could not have it again in our own name, we might have it in his.
3. There can be no acceptable praying to God but by believers united to Christ, having on the garment of his righteousness; John 9:31, "God hears not sinners." An unregenerate man, living in his natural state, may pray; but can never pray acceptably, while in that state; for he cannot pray in the name of Christ, which is not the work of the tongue using these words, but the work of the heart by faith relying on Christ, his merit and intercession.
4. Even believers cannot pray in the name of Christ, and so not acceptably, without faith in exercise. It is not enough for this end, that one have faith in the root and principle; but faith must be exercised in every duty; Galatians 2:20, "The life which I now live in the flesh," says Paul, "I live by the faith of the Son of God." It is as necessary to every acceptable performance, as breathing to the common actions of life; John 15:5.
5. Lastly, We have great need not to be rash in our approaches to God in prayer, but that we prepare our hearts and compose them aforehand for such a solemn duty; Ecclesiastes 5:1. We should beware lest custom in these things, and particularly in the more frequent and less solemn approaches to God in prayer, at our meals, turn us to formality; but should labor to impress our hearts with the holiness of God, the necessity of a Mediator, and stir up grace in our hearts.
USE II. Of reproof to all those who approach unto God in prayer, otherwise than by and in the name of Jesus Christ. The idolatrous Papists allow other mediators of intercession, besides the one only Mediator; and pray to, employ, and rely on saints and angels, to intercede in Heaven for them, though religious worshiping of the creature is directly forbidden; Matthew 4:10, and angel-worship; Revelation 19:10, and the saints departed are not acquainted with our particular cases; Isaiah 63:16. But those also among us are to be reproved, as approaching to God in prayer otherwise than in Christ's name,
1. Who make approach unto God in prayer, as an absolute God, without consideration of the Mediator. This is the effect of the natural blindness and ignorance of men's minds; not knowing God, nor discerning the flaming sword of justice guarding the tree of life, they rush forward on the point thereof to pull the fruits. Let such consider their dangerous rashness, and reform; Hebrews 12., "For our God is a consuming fire;" knowing they can never worship God acceptably in that way; John 5:23, "He who honors not the Son, honors not the Father which has sent him." Hence the knowledge and belief of the doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all acceptable worship, without which it cannot exist; Ephesians 2:18, "For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father;" and the Christian, church is thereby distinguished from the rejected Jews; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, and it must be practically improved in every piece of true worship.
2. Those who, in their approaches to God, put other things in the room of the Mediator, or join other things with him. For as there is no access to God without a Mediator, so there is none but by the one Mediator only; John 14:6, "No man comes unto the Father, but by me." But who do that? Even all those who in their approaches by prayer, lay the stress of their access and acceptance with God, in whole or in part, on anything but Christ. Whatever then relies on for these ends, besides Christ, has his room, and so mars the duty; Philippians 3:3, and provokes God; Jeremiah 17:5, 6. There is a bias in the hearts of the best this way.
There are four things which men are apt to put thus in the room of Christ in whole or in part,
(1.) Their own worth, in respect of their qualifications and good things done by them; Judg. 17. This the proud Pharisee relied on in his approach; Luke 18:11, 12, "God, I thank you," says he, "that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." So proud and conceited professors go to their prayers, and with their money in their hand miss the opened market of free grace. They say they beg for Christ's sake, but yet in reality they have more expectation from their own personal worth, than from the merit of Christ's blood. Their want of a humbling work of the Spirit raises the value they have for themselves; and the want of saving illumination sinks the value of Christ's merit with them.
(2.) The mercy of an unatoned God, that is, mercy considered in God without a view to the satisfaction of his justice by the Mediator. This the ignorant and profane are apt to stumble on, whose eyes are open to the mercy of God, but blind to his justice, which therefore they are in no concern about the satisfaction of. It never enters into their hearts, to question, how it is consistent with the honor and justice of God to accept them; but the notion they have framed of the mercy of God answers all their difficulties. Howbeit, no such mercy is proposed to sinners in the gospel; Isaiah 27:11; Psalm 85:10. It is true, it was a good prayer of the publican, Luke 18:13, "God be merciful to me a sinner;" but his words bear an eye to mercy through a atoning sacrifice ; and so was the mercy of God held forth to the Old Testament church in the mercy-seat, as well as to the New.
(3.) The manner of their performing the duty itself. Great weight is laid here, as if a well-said prayer were sufficient to recommend itself and the petitioner too. Cain laid such weight on his sacrifice; Genesis 4:4, 5. A flash of affections and seeming tenderness in prayer, is in the eyes of many a prayer that cannot be rejected; Isaiah 58:3, "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and you see not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and you take no knowledge?" Enlargement in duty raises the value of it so in their own eyes, that they cannot think but it must be valuable in the eyes of God too. So in the earnestness of the prayer, and many words used; Matthew 6:7. Let men examine their expectations, and they will be fair to find more weight laid there than on the merit of Christ, though this only can bear weight.
(4.) Their own necessity; Hosea 7:14, "They have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me." Sense of need is a necessary qualification in acceptable prayer; but pinching necessity, where the heart is unhumbled, is apt to be set in a room higher than becomes it, as if of itself it were a sufficient plea. When it is thus abused, may be known by this, That on the not hearing of the prayer, the heart rises against God; a sign that the petitioner is not as a needy beggar craving an alms, but a needy creditor craving his own. Our necessity should quicken us to seek, but it is the merit and intercession of Christ alone that is to be relied on for our access.
USE III. Wherefore rely on Christ, and on him only, for access to God in, and acceptance of, your prayers; that is, pray in the name of Christ.
MOT. 1. In this way of praying you may obtain anything you really need. So says the text, "Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." There is no mercy so great, nor any sinner so unworthy, but he may have it, coming to God this way; Hebrews 7:25, with John 11:42. God can bestow it in that way with the safety of his honor, the sinner may confidently expect it on good grounds. For Christ's merit is infinite, his intercession always prevalent.
2. There is no access to God, nor acceptance of prayer another way; John 14:6. It is through him our persons can be accepted, Ephesians 1:6; and through him our duties can be so; Hebrews 11:4. Every sacrifice not offered on this altar, however valuable it seems, will be rejected. There is no return of prayer in a gracious manner otherwise.
I conclude with giving you a few directions for praying in the name of Christ.
1. Labor to impress your hearts with a sense of the spotless holiness and exact justice of God, Psalm 89:7. This will show the necessity of a Mediator to interpose, as in Israel's case.
2. Be sensible of your need of, and look for, the help of the Spirit in every approach, Romans 8:26. As the sending of the Spirit is the fruit of Christ's merit and intercession; so the Spirit being come leads back to the Mediator, Ephesians 2:18.
3. Shake off all confidence in yourselves, and see your utter unworthiness of the least mercies, however great your need of them be, Genesis 32:10. As Jacob put off his own clothing to put on his elder brother's for the blessing, so do you cast off your own filthy rags, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Satisfy not yourselves with bare seeking for Christ's sake; that is not enough: but be confident that you shall get access, acceptance, and a gracious return for his sake, Mark 11:24. Raise a believing expectation in him.
QUESTION, How may one reach that?
ANSWER,
(1.) By a believing view of Christ on the cross purchasing, and at the Father's right hand, interceding for, our mercies; and particularly eying his sufferings, agreeable to your wants, as in the case of your want of light, the darkness came on him; in the case of your want of bread, his hunger, etc.
(2.) By a believing application of the promises suitable to your needs.
(3.) Considering this as God's ordinance for communication between Heaven and earth, Galatians 3:8.
5. Lastly, Watch against your hearts going off to any confidence in the duty itself; for that is to dishonor the name of Christ, and will provoke the Spirit of the Lord to depart from you.
OF GOD'S HEARING OF PRAYER
PSALM 65:2, "O you that hear prayer, unto you shall all flesh come."
WHAT avails prayer, if it be not heard? But God's people need not lay it aside on that score. Our text bears two things with respect to that matter.
1. A comfortable title ascribed to God, with the unanimous consent of all the sons of Zion, who are all praying persons, "O you that hear prayer." He speaks to God in Zion, or Zion's God, that is, in New Testament language, to God in Christ. An absolute God thunders on sinners from Sinai, there can be no comfortable fellowship between God and them, by the law; but in Zion from the mercy-seat in Christ, he is the hearer of prayer; they give in their supplications, and he graciously hears them. Such faith of it they have, that praise waits there for the prayer-hearing God.
2. The effect of the savor of this title of God, spread abroad in the world, "Unto you shall all flesh come;" not only Jews, but Gentiles. The poor Gentiles, who have long in vain implored the aid of their idols, hearing and believing that God is the hearer of prayer, will flock to him, and present their petitions. They will throng in about his door; where by the gospel they understand beggars are so well served. They will "come in even unto you," (Hebrews) They will come in even to your seat, your throne of grace, even unto you yourself, through the Mediator.
The doctrine I chiefly propose speaking to, is,
DOCTRINE, God in Christ is the hearer of prayer.
In handling this doctrine, I shall show,
I. Wherein God's hearing of prayer lies.
II. The import of his being the hearer of prayer.
III. What prayers they are that God hears.
IV. More particularly consider the hearing and answering of prayer.
V. Lastly, Apply.
1. I am to show wherein God's hearing of prayer lies. God being omniscient and everywhere present, there can nothing be said or done in the world, but he hears or discerns it. But the hearing of prayer in the sense of the scripture is a peculiar privilege of the Lord's people, and lies in the following things.
1. God's accepting of one's prayer, Psalm 141:2, "Let my prayer be set forth before you as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening-sacrifice. Many prayers are said in the world, that are so far from being accepted of God, that they are an abomination to him, Proverbs 28:9. God turns them away from him, as one flings a petition over the bar, that he is displeased with, Psalm 66. But the prayers that he hears, he is well pleased with them, he approves of them. Hence he is said to attend, hearken to the voice, and consider prayer, as one listens to a sound that pleases him, and dwells on a pleasing thought, Psalm 66:19, "Truly God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer." He delights in the petition, Proverbs 15:8, "The prayer of the upright is his delight." He loves to hear the petitioner's voice, Canticles 2:14, "Let me hear your voice; for sweet is your voice." He accepts the petitioner's person, and his petition too, as the angel said unto Lot, Genesis 19:21, "See I have accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which you have spoken." For where prayer is heard, the person is accepted too, as Genesis 4:4, "The Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering; Job 42:9, "The Lord also accepted Job."
2. His granting the request, Psalm 20:1, 4, "The Lord hear you in the day of trouble;—grant you according to your own heart, and fulfill all your counsel." The sinner coming to God with a petition, lays it before him, and his desire is granted. God wills it to be unto him accordingly, Matthew 15:28, "O woman," said Christ to the woman of Canaan, "great is your faith; be it unto you even as you will." The mercy prayed for is ordered for the sinner, in kind or equivalent. Thus prayer is heard in Heaven, heard and granted.
3. His answering of prayer, Psalm 102:2, "In the day when I call answer me speedily." This is more than granting the request, being a giving unto the petitioner's hand what is desired. It is an answer not in word to the believer's faith only, but in deed to the believer's sense and feeling. Thus Hannah prayed for a child, and she got one; Paul prayed for the removal of a temptation, and he got grace sufficient to bear him out against it. Thus prayer heard in Heaven comes back like the dove with the olive-branch of peace in her mouth.
II. I shall show the import of God's being the hearer of prayer. These comfortable truths are imported in it.
1. God in Christ is accessible to poor sinners, 2 Corinthians 5:19, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." Though he sits on the throne of glory, and we are guilty before him; yet he is on a throne of grace, so as we may have access to him with our supplications. The flaming sword of justice guards the tree of life, on the side of the law; so that on that part our God is a consuming fire, which sinners are not able to dwell with; yet behold him in Christ, and through the veil of his flesh he is accessible to the worst of sinners.
2. He is a sin-pardoning God, Exodus 34:6, 7, "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin." Prayer is made particularly for the pardon of sin; the daily cry at the throne is, "Forgive us our debts." If then he is the hearer of prayer, he is a sin-pardoning God. We cannot pay our debt, but God can forgive it, and will forgive it to all that come to him in Christ for forgiveness. All kinds of sin he forgives freely, Micah 7:18; Isaiah 1:18. There is no exception, but of the sin against the Holy Spirit, which in its own nature makes the guilty refuse pardon, Matthew 12:31. The pardon is proclaimed in the gospel, Acts 13:38; not to encourage presumption in any, but to prevent despondency in all, Psalm 130:4, "There is forgiveness with you; that you may be feared."
3. He is an all-sufficient God, Genesis 17:1, "l am the Almighty God, (Hebrews) "All sufficient." He is self-sufficient for himself, and all-sufficient for his creatures. If he were not so, he could not be the hearer of prayer; the needs of praying persons would soon exhaust his treasure. But though all flesh come to him for supply of their various wants, he is the hearer of prayer; he has enough for them all, to answer all their needs, come as oft as they will. He is a fountain of goodness, that never runs dry, but is ever full.
4. He is a bountiful and compassionate God, Psalm 86:5, "You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon you." He is willing and ready to communicate of his goodness and mercy to poor sinners for the supply of all their needs. He is more ready to give, than we to ask; we are not straitened in him, for he is the hearer of prayer; but in our own affections. He has laid down a method, how we are to ask; and in that method, it is ask and have, James 1:5, 6, 7, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind, and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." The faith of this is necessary to acceptable prayer, Hebrews 11:6. "For he who comes to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
5. He is an omnipresent and omniscient God, Psalm 139:7, "Where shall I go from your Spirit; or where shall I flee from your presence?" Hebrews 4:13, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked, and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." How else could he be the hearer of prayer? Whatever part of the world the petitioner is in, whether he prays with the voice or with the heart only, God is the hearer of prayer. Idolaters might choose high places to worship their idols in; but it is all one to the hearer of prayer, whether the petitioner be on the top of the highest mountain, or as low as the center of the earth. Jonah was heard out of the whale's belly. Though thousands of voices be going in prayer to the throne at the same time, the infinite mind comprehends them all, and every one, as easily as if there were but one at once.
6, Lastly, He is a God of infinite power, Revelation 4:8, "They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty."—While there is such a variety of cases, that the creatures have to lay before him in prayer, he could not be the hearer of prayer, if there were anything too hard for him to do. But nothing is impossible with him; he calls things that are not to be as if they were, at the voice of prayer.
III. I proceed to show what prayers they are that God hears. It is not every prayer, nor every one's prayer that God hears. But it is the prayers of his children, for things agreeable to his will, made by the assistance of his Spirit, and offered through Christ.
1. They are the prayers of his own children, who are justified by faith, and reconciled to him, James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Our Lord teaching how to pray, teaches as to call God "our Father;" which can be only through faith. Our persons must be accepted in justification, before any work of ours can be so. Where there is no peace between God and the sinner, what communion can be there? Amos 3:3, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" The scripture is plain, "God hears not sinners," John 9:31. God's way of giving graciously, is to give other things with Christ, Romans 8:32, "He who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" It is in the covenant only that one can have a bottom for acceptance of his prayers.
OBJECTION. Then it is in vain for any to pray, but true believers.
ANSWER. There is less evil in praying by an unbeliever, than in his omitting it; and consequently less punishment will be. But going to pray, go to Christ by faith, and so your prayer shall be accepted; and no otherwise.
2. They are such prayers of theirs as are for things agreeable to God's will, 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Even in saints there are remains of a corrupt will, and so it is not left to them to pray for what they please; not what is the choice of their corruption, but what is the choice of their grace. When James and John would have prayed for fire from Heaven to consume the Samaritans, Christ rebuked them, and said, "You know not what manner of spirit you are of," Luke 9:54, 55. Elijah did it, but they might not, not having his spirit.
3. They are prayers made by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, hence called "inwrought," (Gr.) James 5:16. No language is acceptable in Heaven, but what is learned from thence. It is not the art of payer, but the Spirit of prayer, that is pleasing in the sight of God. The former may be reached by God's enemies, whose false heart may vent itself by a flattering tongue, as Israel did, Psalm 78:36, 37, "Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant." The latter is the peculiar privilege of God's children, yet common to them all; Galatians 4:6, "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
4. Lastly, They are prayers offered to God through Christ the Mediator, the soul trusting on his merit and intercession alone for the hearing of them, Daniel 9:17, "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake." John 14:14, "If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." Christ is the altar on which our spiritual sacrifices can be accepted; and it is not consistent with the honor of God, to hear the prayers of sinners otherwise.
The doctrine being thus explained in the general, I come in the next place more particularly,
1. To confirm it, and show that there is such a thing as hearing of prayer, the privilege of the Lord's people in this lower world.
2. To show in what manner the Lord hears prayer.
FIRST, I am to confirm it, and show that there is such a thing as hearing of prayer, the privilege of the Lord's people in this lower world, God is in Heaven, they are on the earth; voices from Heaven, or angel-messengers to report the acceptance of prayers there, are not to be expected. Nevertheless we are sure there is such a thing still in being, and it is necessary to prove it.
1. For the sake of a profane generation, who, as they are strangers to, so they are despisers of, communion with God.
2. For the sake of formalists, who go about the duty of prayer as a task, but are in no concern for the fruit of it; send away the messenger, but look for no report.
3. For the sake of discouraged Christians who go bowed down, because they cannot perceive it as they desire.
That God is the hearer of prayer, and will hear the prayers of his people, is evident from these considerations.
First, The supernatural instinct of praying that is found in all that are born of God, Galatians 4:6, forfeited. It is as natural for them to pray to fall a praying when the grace of God has touched their hearts, as for children when they are born into the world to cry, or to desire the breasts; Zechariah 12:10, "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications." Compared with Acts 9:11, where, in the account that is given of Paul, at his conversion, it is particularly noticed, "Behold he prays." Hence the whole saving change on a soul comes under the character of this instinct; Jeremiah 3:4, 19, "Will you not from this time cry unto me, My Father, you are the guide of my youth? I said, You shall call me, My Father, and shall not turn away from me." This supernatural instinct being the work of God in the new nature, cannot be in vain. Accordingly it is determined; Isaiah 45:19, "I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek you me in vain." But it would be a vain appetite, if it were not to be satisfied by hearing.
Secondly, The intercession of Christ; Romans 8:34, "It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." It is a great part of the work of Christ's intercession, to present the prayers of his people before his Father, Revelation 8:4, to take their causes in hand contained in their supplications, 1 John 2:1. So we find him interceding for his church of old in her low condition, Zechariah 1, and in the New Testament, John 17. He is ever at the work, and cannot neglect it, Hebrews 7:25, and it cannot be without effect; John 11:42, "I knew that you hear me always," said Jesus to his Father.
Thirdly, The promises of the covenant, whereby God's faithfulness is impawned for the hearing of prayer; as Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Isaiah 65:24, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and whiles they are yet speaking, I will hear." Psalm 145:19, "He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him; he also will hear their cry, and will save them." The promise of hearing of prayer, is one of the great lines of the covenant; Hosea 2:20, 21, "I will even betroth you unto me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, says the Lord, I will hear the heavens," etc; and it is so proposed with his being his people's God; Zechariah 10:6, "I am the Lord their God, and will hear them."
Fourthly, The many encouragements given in the word to the people of God, to come with their cases unto the Lord by prayer. He invites them to his throne of grace with their petitions for supply of their needs; Canticles 2:14, "O my dove that are in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see your countenance, let me hear your voice; for sweet is your voice, and your countenance is lovely." He sends afflictions for to press them to come; Hosea 5, "I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me early." He gives them ground of hope of success, Psalm 50:15, whatever extremity their case is brought to; Isaiah 41:17, "When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." He shows them, that however long he may delay for their trial, yet praying and not fainting shall be successful at length; Luke 18:8, "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily."
Fifthly, The gracious nature of God, with the endearing relations he stands in to his people; Exodus 22:27, "And it shall come to pass, when he cries unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious." Matthew 7:9–11, "What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him?" He wants not power and ability to fulfill the holy desires of his people; he is gracious, and will withhold no good from them that they really need. He has the affections of a Father to pity them, the affections of a mother to her sucking child. He has a most tender sympathy with them in all their afflictions, the touches on them are as on the apple of his eye; and he never refuses them a request, but for their good; Romans 8:28.
Sixthly, The experiences which the saints of all ages have had of the answer of prayer. The faith of it brings them to God at first in conversion, as the text intimates; and they that believe cannot be disappointed. Abraham, Moses, David's and Job's experiences of this kind are in record, with many others, Paul's, etc. The Psalmist sets up his case as a way-mark to all the travelers to Zion; Psalm 34:6, "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him; and saved him out of all his troubles." And to this day the saints' experience seals the truth thereof.
Lastly, The present ease and relief that prayer sometimes gives to the saints, while yet the full answer of prayer is not come; Psalm 138:3, "In the day when I cried, you answered me; and strengthened me with strength in my soul." The unbosoming of themselves to the Lord in prayer, comforts and strengthens the heart; 1 Samuel 1:18. This is on the faith of the Lord's hearing of prayer; Micah 7:7, "I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."
SECONDLY, I come to show in what manner the Lord hears prayer. For clearing of this, I lay down the following observations thereon,
FIRST, A thing desired of God may be obtained, and yet the prayer not heard and accepted, as in Israel's case; Psalm 78:29, "So they did eat, and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire." For as it is plain on the one hand, that sinners out of Christ may sometimes obtain a thing they pray for, as in the case of the Ninevites, it is as plain on the other, that no prayer of theirs can be accepted of God, according to John 9:31, "God hears not sinners." It is one thing to get a thing prayed for, another to get it as an answer of accepted prayer; Psalm 78:34–38. Now this falls out in two cases,
1. When the thing prayed for is given downright in wrath, as it was in the case of the Israelites seeking a king; Hosea 13:11, "I gave you a king in mine anger." Men often need no more to ruin them, but to get their will; and God may give it them with a vengeance. They get their desire, but it is far from being accepted; for it is in anger it comes to them.
2. When it is given in the way of uncovenanted condescendence. Thus sinners out of Christ may get particular requests of theirs answered, as Ahab; 1 Kings 21:29. For though God does not accept their persons, nor any performance of theirs; yet he may show regard to his own ordinance of prayer, and therefore make it not fruitless even to them. And thus the Lord does to train sinners to the yielding themselves to him, and to depending on him by faith and prayer; Hosea 11:3, "I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms."
Answers of accepted prayer come in the way of the covenant of grace, but these in the way of common providence. And they may be discerned by these attending signs:
(1.) Willfulness and unhumbledness of spirit in asking; 1 Samuel 8:19, "Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay, but we will have a king over us." When one's will is peremptory, and is not brought to a holy submission to God in the matter, but they will wring the mercy out of God's hand, and have it at any rate, whether with or without his good will; be sure that is what comes in the way of common providence only.
(2.) Strengthening and feeding of lusts by them when received, Psalm 78:29, 30. Hence on such receipts men commonly grow worse, and their mercies are short-lived; being greedily snatched off the tree of providence, before they are ripe, their teeth are set on edge with them, verses 30, 31.
(3) A frame of spirit, in asking and receiving, not of the mold of the gospel, but of the law; whereby more stress is laid upon our own necessity than on the intercession of Christ; there is much desire of the mercy, but no believing dependence on the Lord for it in the promise as a free promise through Christ; and ordinarily it leaves the heart fixed on the gift, and does not carry it back to the Giver.
Secondly, A prayer may be heard and accepted, and yet the desire of it not granted. That is to say, God may be pleased with, and accept of the prayer as service to him; and yet may see meet not to grant the thing prayed for. Even as a father going to correct one of his children, may be very well pleased with another child of his interposing for sparing, though he may not see it meet to for-bear for all that.
The truth of this is put out of doubt, in the case of Jesus Christ himself, Matthew 26:39, who prayed, saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." Compare, Hebrews 5:7, "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard, in that he feared." If it was so done with the Head, no wonder it be so with the members too, as David, 2 Chronicles 6:8, 9, "But the Lord said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in your heart to build an house for my name, you did well in that it was in your heart; notwithstanding, you shall not build the house, but your son which shall come forth out of your loins, he shall build the house for my name." A thing may be very agreeable to the command of God, to be prayed for, which yet may be otherwise ordered in the holy wise providence of God. It is one thing what he requires of us by his revealed will, another what in his secret will he minds to do, Deuteronomy 29., "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed, belong unto us, and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
Now of prayers accepted and not granted, it is to be observed,
1. They are not absolute and peremptory, but with holy submission to the divine pleasure, as of our Lord's, Matthew 26:39. If we pray absolutely, for what God has not so promised, and such a prayer is not granted, it is not accepted neither. So all that this amounts to is, that God sees meet to refuse what the petitioner did seek, but with submission to his will either to grant or refuse it.
2. Where a prayer is accepted and not granted, there is in the bosom of the denial an unseen greater mercy. Had that cup passed from Christ, where had been the glory of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the salvation of an elect world, that was enrapt up in the denial of that sinless desire of Christ's holy human nature? Had David's child lived for whom he prayed, he had been a lasting stain on his father's reputation; but God refused David's petition in that, where the refusal was a greater mercy than the granting would have been.
3. Hence that treatment of such prayers is agreeable to the chief scope and aim of the petitioner, which is God's glory and his own good. This is the design of believers in all their accepted prayers, which, being agreeable to the promise, there is no jarring there between God and them. Only, they in this case look on such a thing as they pray for to be the most proper mean for that end; God sees it is not, and therefore refuses it. So all that this amounts to is, as if one should desire one to lead him such a way to such a place; he refuses not to lead him to the place, but he will not lead him that way, but a nearer and better way.
QUESTION. How may I know such prayers of mine to be accepted, when they are not granted?
ANSWER 1. When the heart is brought to submit to the denial as a holy and righteous dispensation; Psalm 22:2, 3, "O my God, I cry in the day time, but you hear not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But you are holy, O you that inhabits the praises of Israel." When the sinner from his heart clears the Hearer of prayer, leaving his complaint on his unworthy self, such an effect is an argument of prayer accepted, though not granted.
2. When though the thing be denied, yet divine support under the denial is granted, and made forthcoming, Luke 22:42, 43. Christ having prayed, saying, "Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but your be done; there appeared an angel unto him from Heaven, strengthening him." And he was carried through all his sufferings by his Father, so that he was victorious over death itself. Thus often God, denying the petitions of his children, with respect to temptations, troubles, etc., yet testifies his acceptance of their prayers by the supports given under the same; Psalm 138:3, "In the day when I cried," says David, "you answerered me; and strengthened me with strength in my soul."
3. Lastly, When such a soul is helped to go back to the same God with new petitions in faith and hope of hearing; 2 Sam 12:20, "Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord and worshiped." This argues a faith of the promise of all things working together for good, Romans 8:28, a leaving a latitude of dispensation to sovereignty, well becoming a submissive and resigned petitioner.
Thirdly, The desire of a prayer may be heard and granted, and yet it may be long before it be answered. That is to say, all prayers not answered to our sense and feeling, are not lost; they may stand granted in Heaven, and yet it may be many a day before the answer of them come to us. A prayer may be granted, and yet the mercy prayed for be still withheld, so that the petitioner may be obliged to send new petitions day by day for it still.
I shall first confirm this, and then show why it may be so ordered.
First, To confirm the truth of this, consider,
1. Scripture instances. Abraham prayed for an heir, it was granted, Genesis 15:3, 4, yet it was more than thirteen years before that prayer was answered, in the birth of Isaac., Genesis 17:25. So the Israelites in Egypt, Exodus 2:23, 24; and Daniel, chapter 9:23. Such instances are recorded for our learning.
2. There is a difference between the granting of a petition, and the intimation of that grant to us; between Heaven's order for our getting of the mercy, and the execution of it. The one is the hearing and grant of prayer, the other is the answer; and though these sometimes may come both in one instant, as Matthew 15:28, "Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith; be it unto you even as you will; and her daughter was made whole from that very hour;" yet often they are at a great distance of time, as in Abraham's case.
3. The hearing and granting of prayer is an object of faith, the answer of prayer an object of sense and feeling, 1 John 5:14, 15; Matthew 15:28. A prayer made through the assistance of the Spirit, according to the will of God, and offered to God through Christ, is heard and granted in that instant wherein it is made; and this is what we are to believe, on the ground of the faithfulness of God in the promise, before we get the answer to our sense and feeling; for "faith is the substance of things not seen, and we walk by faith not by sight;" and therefore this is the ordinary way to put the grant and answer at some distance of time, though not always, Isaiah 65:24.
Secondly, I shall show why the answers of prayers heard and granted, are kept up for a time, and may be for a long time.
1. To keep the petitioners hanging on about the throne of grace; Proverbs 15:8, "The prayer of the upright is his delight." The Lord by this means gives them many errands to the throne, so that they must always be going back again, and renewing their suits. So fathers make their little children follow them, and hang about them, and speak to them as they can; and no father has such delight in the company and converse of his children, as God has in his, Canticles 2:14.
2. For the trial of their graces; James 1:12, "Blessed is the man that endures temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him." This life is the time of trial, and God's withholding for a time the answers of granted prayers, is a piece of trial that will go in through and out through the child of God. It tries their sincerity and earnestness for an answer, Job 27:10; with Luke 18:7; their patience and disposition to wait on God, Habakkuk 2:3; their hope in God, Psalm 147:11; and 42:5; especially it tries their faith in the word of promise, and that is a trial of great estimation in the sight of God; 1 Peter 1:6, 7, "Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) you are in heaviness through manifold temptations. That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Every new act of faith in the word, is more valuable than all the famed exploits of carnal, selfish men; especially when faith keeps hold of the promise like a rope in the water, while providence is bringing one wave after another over the man's head, Psalm 56:10. So Matthew 15:21–28.
3. Until they be prepared and fitted for receiving the answer; Psalm 10:17, "Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear." Mercies we need, but we are not at all times meet to receive them. God gives his left-hand gifts to strangers, in the way of common providence, whether they be prepared for them or not; and hence many are ruined getting much laid to their hand before they have the grace or wisdom to manage it, for God's honor and their own good. But his right-hand gifts to his children, in the way of the covenant, though they be ready for them, yet he will keep them back until they be made ready and prepared for them too. So he is at pains to humble them, and work them for that thing. Saul was brought to the kingdom easily, but David not so.
4. Lastly, Until the best time come, for their getting it, when it may come to them with the greatest advantage; Ecclesiastes 3:14, "I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God does it, that men should fear before him." There is much in the timing of a favor; the same thing may be worth double to a man at one time, beyond what it will be at another. And be sure, if God is keeping back the answer of a granted prayer, he is only reserving until the best time of bestowing it; John 11:14, 15, and 2:4.
Question How may a Christian know his prayer is heard and granted, while yet it is not answered?
ANSWER. 1. If you have prayed in faith, no doubt your petition is heard and granted, though it should not be answered forever so long after; Matthew 21:22, "All things whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." God refuses not, nor rejects any prayer for things agreeable to his will, made in faith of the promise, through the assistance of the Spirit, and offered to him through his Son. And you ought to believe, that such prayers are granted, but that God for holy wise ends delays the answer.
2. If you are strengthened to hang on about the Lord's hand for the answer, hoping and waiting for the Lord; Psalm 138:3. It is a certain truth, which you may build upon; Galatians 6:9, "In due season we shall reap, if we faint not." This is the very character of an elect believer, on his trials for glory; Luke 18:7, "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bean long with them?" Granted prayer brings something in hand, namely, grace to wait on; Psalm 27., "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart; wait I say on the Lord." Compare verse 13, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
3. Lastly, It is a good sign when you are encouraged to wait for the desired answer, by the Lord's answering you in other things that fall out in the meantime of the delay. For the Lord lays these to your hand to support your faith and hope in point of the delayed answer. How was David's faith of the promise of the kingdom kept up, so many years during Saul's reign? Why, David in that time had many experiences of answers of prayer, and fulfilling of promises in other things, as Psalm 34:6, "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him; and saved him out of all his troubles."
FOURTHLY, Prayers accepted and granted, shall certainly be answered to the believer's sense and feeling at length. The answer may be delayed, but it cannot be forgotten nor miscarried. Such prayers will surely be turned into praise at long-run; and faith will bring in sense and feeling, when it is tried a while.
I shall first confirm the truth of this, and then show when they shall be so answered to their sense and feeling.
First, To confirm this, consider,
1. The interest the Mediator has in the matter, which secures and puts it beyond doubt. It is upon his merit that the prayer is accepted, on his intercession that it is granted; so that he is nearly concerned in the obtaining of the answer; and then he is the great Steward in Heaven, into whose hands the whole fullness of covenant-benefits for sinners' supply is put. How then can it fail, when the mercy petitioned for is lodged in the hand of our Intercessor?
2. The faithfulness of God in his word; Psalm 89:8, "O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto you? or to your faithfulness round about you?" This stands as a rock immoveable in all the changes that befall his people. His word must be accomplished, and his promise fulfilled, whatever stand in the way of it. Heaven and earth shall rather be removed than it fail, or fall a minute behind the set time of its bringing forth; Habakkuk 2:3, "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
3. The love and pity God has to his children that cry to him "His ears are open to their cry; Psalm 34:15. He forgets it not; Psalm 9:12. As he is their God, so he will be "a God to them," as the expression is; 1 Chronicles 17:24, namely, to do the part of a God to them; that is, to hear and answer their prayers.
4. Lastly, Such prayers are the product of his own Spirit in them; Romans 8:26. And be sure, the mouths that he opens, he will fill; the holy appetite and desires that he creates in them, he will satisfy.
Secondly, I shall show when they shall be answered to their sense and feeling. There are two periods in general, wherein God gives answers of prayers accepted and granted. Answers of prayer are given,
1. In time, during the petitioner's life in this world; Psalm 58, "Truly there is a reward for the righteous; truly he is a God that judges in the earth." Believers in this life have communion with God, and do get answers of prayer, as provision allowed them of their Father, for their journey through the wilderness. But one may wait a long time of his life for an answer of some prayers, and before he go off be made to say, "Lord, now let then your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for mine eyes have seen your salvation;" Luke 2:29, 30.
Of the seasons of life for answers of prayer, we may say in the general, there are four seasons thereof.
(1.) A time of the Lord's return to a church and people from whom he had hidden his face; Psalm 102:16, 17, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer." The children may cry long to their Father, before he let on he notices them, when he is angry with their mother; but when he is pleased with her, they get speedy answers from him; Daniel 9:1, 2, 23. Times of reformation, and outpouring of the Spirit on a land, are times of answers of prayer to particular persons; which should move us to carry along the public case, with our private cases, as David did; Psalm 51:18, 19, "Do good in your good pleasure unto Zion; build you the walls of Jerusalem;" etc.
(2.) A time of greatest extremity, when matters are carried to the utmost point of hopelessness; Deuteronomy 32:36, "For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants; when he sees that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left." When God's people are brought to that, they can do no more, then is the special season of God's doing for them; Isaiah 41:17, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." When the child was laid by for dead, the well was discovered. When the knife was at Isaac's throat, the answer comes from Heaven, "Stay your hand." A sentence of death is often passed on all probable means, the thing is put as it were in the grave, and the stone sealed; and then comes the resurrection of it; 2 Corinthians 1:8–10. Psalm 126:1, "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream."
(3.) A time of the petitioner's deepest humiliation, when he is beat down from all his heights, and brought as low as the dust of the Lord's feet, as in Job's case; chapter 42:6, 7, etc., and the woman of Canaan's; Matthew 15:27, 28. It is the Lord's way with his children to lay them very low, before he raise them up; to empty them soundly of themselves, before he fill them. They must be made to see their own utter unworthiness, that God is no debtor to them, be wholly resigned to the divine pleasure, and become as a weaned child. And that may cost much hewing; but it is the way they are prepared for mercy; Psalm 10:17.
(4.) Lastly, A time wherein the mercy may come most seasonably for God's honor and their comfort, Galatians 6:9, "In due season we shall reap, if we faint not," The gardener expects to reap his crop in the harvest, for that is the most proper season. Our God is the best judge of time for this or that purpose, and he does all in judgment, Deuteronomy 32:4. So that the petitioner shall be fully satisfied as to the delay of the answer, and the whole steps of providence in the matter, and be made to sing as Revelation 15:3, saying "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, you King of saints.
2. In eternity, when the believing petitioner is got into another world, then will be a season of answers of prayer, Malachi 3:17, 18, "They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him. Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serves God, and him that serves him not." I do not say, they will pray in another world, but prayers poured out in this world will be answered in another world, partly after death, and fully and completely at the resurrection. For consider,
(1.) There are accepted and granted prayers that are never answered on this side of time; yet they cannot miss to be answered, Psalm 9:18, "For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever." Therefore they are answered in eternity. Such is that prayer of all the children of God, Romans 7:24, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The complete victory over all their enemies, and being set beyond their reach, which is delayed until the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death."
(2.) There are prayers that are answered here in part, but are not fully answered until the petitioner comes into another world. The prayers for the coming of Christ's kingdom are begun to be answered now, but they will not be fully answered until the last day. Petitions for deliverance from temptation, the power of lusts and corruptions, are answered so as an earnest is given, but the full answer is until then in reserve, Romans 16:20, "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."
(3.) Lastly, All the accepted prayers of those that wait for the Lord, whether for their souls or their bodies, will be at once answered in Heaven fully; there the promises will be told out to them forever in full tale. There are many prayers for deliverance from temptations, trials, and troubles, which God sees not meet to answer now; but they will be all answered at once then, Revelation 21:4, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall so no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away."
Therefore, let none think that all the prayers are lost that are not answered during this life; for prayers here made in faith, may be delayed as to their answer, until the petitioner come home to his Father's house; and there will be a second crop there of prayers here answered.
Question When an answer of prayer comes, how shall it be known to be an answer of accepted and granted prayer, and not come in the way of common providence?
ANSWER. 1. Mercies that come so make the soul more holy, tender, and watchful, whereas others prove snares and fuel to men's lusts, Psalm 6:8, "Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping." Common providence filled the rich man's barns, then said he, "Soul take your ease."
2. They enlarge the soul in thankfulness to God, Psalm 116:1, 12, "I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice, and my supplications. What shall I render unto the Lord, for all his benefits towards me?" And they make it to rejoice more in the Giver, than in the gifts, 1 Samuel 2:1, "My heart rejoices in the Lord." The signature of God's good will that is upon the mercy, makes it of a great bulk, though it may be a small thing in itself, Genesis 33:10, "I have seen your face, said Jacob to Esau, as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me." Thus coming from God in the way of the covenant, it leads back to God; but others not so.
3. Lastly, They come seasonably, the heart being in some measure prepared for the receipt. Psalm 10:17, when the soul is molded in a submissive disposition. Exercised souls will be afraid of a mercy coming too soon.
Fifthly, God answers prayer, either by giving the very thing itself asked, or the equivalent of it. As a man may pay his bond, either in money, or money worth. So there are two ways of God's fulfilling his promises, and answering his people's prayers.
1. Sometimes God answers prayer by giving the very thing desired. So he answered Hannah's prayer for a child, and Solomon's prayer for wisdom. And what comes that way will bear much bulk in the eyes of a gracious soul, because of the good will of God that is stamped on it, whereby it is distinguished from what comes in the common road.
And what comes that way, readily comes with a good incast to it, especially if the petitioner has been kept long hanging on for it. Such an incast got Solomon, 2 Chronicles 1:12, "Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto you, and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had, that have been before you, neither shall there any after you have the like." They that wait long for their answer, ordinarily get as it were both the stock and interest together. So Abraham and Sarah waited long for the promised seed, even until they were come to extreme old age; and then they got it with a renewing of their age.
2. Sometimes by giving, though not the thing itself, yet the equivalent of it, that which is as good; as one may pay his bond, by giving, though not money, yet what is as good as money. Thus though God did not give David the child's life, yet he gave him a Solomon, a mercy as good and better. Paul, though he got not free of the temptation at his asking, yet he got grace sufficient to bear him up under it, 2 Corinthians 12:9.
And God's as-good that he gives his people, will readily be found better, all things considered. That is best which is best for God's honor and our good, and God knows better than we what is most suitable to these purposes. It would have been more easy for Paul, to have been freed from the messenger of Satan; but it was more for God's honor and his spiritual good, to be helped to fight that messenger and overcome.
Learn then, that your prayers may be answered, though you get not the very thing you ask. Though God answer you not in kind, if he answer you in kindness, you have no reason to say your prayer is not heard. If he take not off your burden, yet if he gives you support, he hears you, Psalm 138:3. There are two ways how God gives his people as good.
(1.) Sometimes he gives them as good in the same kind: though he gives them not the same temporal mercy they would have had, he gives them another of the same kind as good as it. Though he gave not David the life of the child he asked, he gave him a Solomon. So God reserves to himself the choosing.
(2.) Sometimes he gives them as good in another kind; as not giving them such a temporal mercy, he gives them a spiritual mercy and enjoyment in the room of it; and surely there is no loss there.
QUESTION, How may one know that God answers his prayer, by giving him the as-good.
ANSWER 1. When that which is given answers or serves the purpose as well as the thing desired would have done. David desired the child's life as a token of God's reconciliation with him; but Solomon's birth answered the same purpose, 2 Samuel 12:24, 25. So there was no loss as to the main thing in view.
2. When the heart is brought to rest contented with what is given in the room of what was desired. So Moses was sufficed with a sight of the land from Pisgah, instead of entering into it. When the thing given takes the heart off what is withheld, it is a sign it comes as an answer of prayer by the way of an as-good.
3. When a person is to his own conviction a gainer by the choice God makes for him. Thus the Lord sometimes answers his people's prayers in trouble for deliverance, by giving them manifestations of his love and mercy, which they would not have gotten if the trouble had been removed, Lamentations 3:57, "You drew near in the day that I called upon you; you said, Fear not."
Sixthly, God's answer of prayer sometimes agrees with the expression used in prayer, though not with the preconceived design and desire of the petitioner. There is a special help of the Spirit allowed God's people in prayer, beyond what they have otherwise, Romans 8:26. Hence going to God on such a particular errand, they are sometimes carried so to express their desire, that the answer agrees exactly to the expression used in the petition, though the petition as expressed does swerve somewhat from what they intended.
It will therefore be profitable on the receiving an answer of prayer, to compare it with the expression in which the petition was made; and the harmony between them being observed, will set the matter of the answer in a clear light.
Lastly, One mercy may be the answer of the prayers of many. Whether it be a public mercy to a society, or a private mercy to a particular person, it may be given in answer to the prayers of many, and many may take the comfort of that answer. As when the prayers of a congregation are heard, or a mercy is given which many have privately prayed for, though the answer is one, it may belong to many.
QUESTION, How may one know that in such a case there has been any regard had to his prayer for the mercy?
ANSWER 1. If your heart did join in prayer for the mercy, with others, your affections being touched with earnest desire of the mercy, your soul lifted up to depend on the merit and intercession of Christ for the granting it, you need not doubt but it is an answer to your prayer as well as to others, Matthew 18:19, "I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven."
2. If you find your heart enlarged in thankfulness to God for the mercy when it is obtained, that is another evidence that it is an answer to your prayer as well as others, 2 Corinthians 4:15, "For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God." Many a prayer had been put up for the coming of the Messiah; Simeon when he saw him is transported with thankfulness of heart, as having obtained his desire, Luke 2:29.
I shall now shut up this subject with some practical improvement.
USE I. of information. Hence see,
1. How much we poor sinners stand indebted to free grace providing a Savior for us. We could have had no access with our prayers to an absolute God; justice would have barred our acceptance. So fallen angels have no access to God allowed them; for Christ took not on their nature. But great is our privilege in this point; 1 John 2:1, "For if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2. The heinousness of the sin of neglecting prayer. A price is put in men's hands to get wisdom, but they have no heart to it. The door of mercy and grace stands open, but they will not come to it; God sits on a throne of grace, ready to answer petitions; but they have none to put in his hand.
3. The impiety and profaneness that is in abusing of prayer, making a scorn of it in ordinary conversation, as "God pity you, help you, bless us, save us," etc. How lamentable is it, that the name of God, and the ordinance of prayer, should be thus prostituted to the lusts of men at every trifle! The day will come, when God's pity, help, etc., which you make so light of now, will appear more valuable than ten thousand worlds, and you shall not have them, if you repent not of that contempt which you now treat them with.
4. The folly of those who are in no concern for the hearing of their prayers. Surely, they forsake their own mercy. You would have little satisfaction in your meat, if it did not feed you; in your clothes, if they did not keep you warm. What satisfaction then can you have in your praying, if you cannot find it is heard?
5. Lastly, This shows why serious souls do so much value prayer, and betake themselves thereto in all their straits. Slight it who will, it will not be slighted by those who have experience of the Lord's hearing their prayers, Micah 7:7, "I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Daniel was such a man; and he would rather venture on the den of lions, than forego his praying to God. The neglect of it, is a sign of unacquaintedness with that.
USE II. Of direction and comfort to the people of God, in all the trials and troubles they meet with in the world. Here is your course you should take, go to God with your case, whatever it be, and make your prayer to him about it, Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Here is your comfort, God is the hearer of prayer, Isaiah 45:19, "I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek you my face in vain." There are four things I would suggest to you here for your direction and comfort.
1. God has made the way to Heaven lie through many tribulations, that his children might have the more errands to his throne of grace. That this is the path-road to the kingdom of God, is clear from scripture testimony, Acts 14:22, "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God; John 16, "In the world you shall have tribulation;" and the experience of Christ the Head, and the saints in all ages. That this is the design of it, appears also from the word, Hosea 5. "I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me early." Prosperity seldom fails to issue in forgetting of God, Deuteronomy 32:15. Adversity causes to feel a need of his help, Zephaniah 3:12. So God keeps the thorn of affliction at the breast of his people, to keep them waking, and sends the cross to invite them to the throne of grace.
2. The way to Heaven in that respect never alters, though the external circumstances of the church in the world do alter. Sometimes there is persecution in the church, sometimes peace; but in the most peaceable time of the church, God's people shall go through the world to the kingdom through much tribulation. The seed of the serpent will vent their enmity one way or other against the people of God, though they have not law on their side to bear them out in persecuting them. God will have his people tried, and caused to suffer in their bodies, goods, liberty, and life, if not by the hands of persecutors, yet by his own hand one way or other. For that is a perpetual rule, Matthew 16:24, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Luke 14:26, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." So there is no change, but only as to the means and instruments of trial.
3. Whatever be your trial, whether it be in temporal or spiritual things, you are welcome to the throne of grace with it, Philippians 4:6, forfeited. Whether it come on you immediately from the hand of God, or men, you may carry it to God by prayer, and pour out your heart before him as a prayer-hearing God, in confidence that he can help you, and will do it in due time.
4. The more trials and afflictions God's people meet with, the more experience readily they will be found to have of God's hearing prayer; Romans 5:3, 4, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience experience; and experience, hope." Of all the patriarchs Jacob had the most trials, and accordingly was richest in experiences. The more battles the Christian soldier is engaged in, the more is he enriched with spoil. The Israelites had not sung that triumphant song recorded Exodus 15, had they not been in that great strait at the Red Sea.
USE last, of exhortation. Then,
1. Improve your privilege of access to God through Christ in prayer. Since God has cast open the gates of mercy, come enter in by them; since he is saying to you, "What is your petition and it shall be granted you?" slight not the golden season of petitioning. Consider,
(1.) Your need is great. Whatever you have or want in temporals, surely you need a resting place for your conscience and for your heart; you need something to make you happy in time and eternity.
(2.) The whole creation cannot answer your needs. There is an emptiness in every creature, that it cannot be a resting place to you, Isaiah 55:2. The soul is of such a make, that no less than an infinite good can satisfy it. Only God in Christ can make you happy.
(3.) He offers to supply all your needs; Psalm 81:10, "I am the Lord your God; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it." Ask in faith, and you shall receive.
(4.) Lastly, This door of access will not always stand open; Matthew 25:10, 11, 12, "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Truly I say unto you, I know you not." Now is the accepted time.
2. Be concerned for God's hearing of your prayers; look after them and see what speed they come. There are two things wherein this concern should appear.
(1.) In making your addresses to the throne of grace, being careful so to manage that, as you may be accepted. They who are rash in their approaches to God, and careless how their petitions are formed and presented, cannot be duly concerned for a hearing of them. Labor, therefore, so to pray, as your prayers may be heard and accepted.
(2.) In depending and waiting on after prayer for an answer; Psalm 5:3, "My voice shall you hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto you, and will look up." Do not drop your suits, but insist for an answer, depending for it on the promise of God in his word.
Thus far of God's hearing of prayer. I shall shut up this with a word to another doctrine for the use of the whole.
DOCTRINE. Such is the glory of God as the hearer of prayer in Christ, that it will make all flesh that discerns it come unto him.
Here I shall show,
I. What is that glory of God as the hearer of prayer in Christ, that is so attractive.
II. How this glory of God in Christ is discerned by a sinner.
III. What that coming unto God is, that is the effect of discerning that glory.
IV. Lastly, Deduce an inference or two.
I. I am to show what is that glory of God as the hearer of prayer in Christ, that is so attractive. It is twofold.
1. The glory of his all-sufficiency; Genesis 17:1, "I am God all-sufficient." He is not only all-sufficient for himself, but for his creatures; if he were not so, he could not be the hearer of prayer. But sinners in the darkness of their natural state discern it not; they cannot comprehend what way he can be so, and therefore they traverse the round of the creation, seeking in the creature that sufficiency; until the light of the glory of God's all-sufficiency shine into their hearts in Christ. Then it shines unto them with a threefold ray of glory.
(1.) An absolute suitableness to their case, which must needs be very glorious in their eyes, since that is what they were always seeking, but could never find before, according to that; Isaiah 55:2, "Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfies not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." Therefore with the wise merchant they "sell all to buy the one pearl," Matthew 13:45, 46. The heart of man is an empty, hungry thing, going among the creatures seeking a match for itself, in which it may rest; but there they cannot find it; but discovering it in a God in Christ, they are attracted with the glory of that sight.
(2.) A complete fullness for them; Colossians 1:19, "For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell." In his all-sufficiency the soul sees the fullness of a Godhead, an infinite boundless fullness, to answer and satisfy the boundless desires of an immortal soul. That is a fountain for the thirsty soul to drink at to the full; a treasure to enrich the soul oppressed with poverty; a salve for all its sores, and a remedy for all its wounds. So it cannot miss to attract.
(3.) An ability to help in all possible incidents, Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them." The arm of the creature is weak in all cases, and quite too short in many cases; but so is not the arm of an all-sufficient God; Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." There is nothing too hard for him, there is nothing that Omnipotence can stick at. Who can but draw towards such a one for a Friend?
2. The glory of his free grace and good-will to poor sinners; hence the heavenly host sang; Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men." When the Lord would show Moses his glory, he proclaimed the name of the Lord before him; Exodus 34:6, 7, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin." The glory of all-sufficiency may attract the desire of sinners; but the sinner cannot come to him, while that treasure appears to be locked up from him, a gulf fixed between him and it. But when once an all-sufficient God appears in the glory of his free grace in Christ, the treasure appears open to the sinner, there is a bridge for him laid over the gulf; and so he comes freely away to God in Christ. This shines to the coming sinner with a threefold ray of glory.
(1.) Readiness to forgive sin; Psalm 130:4, 7, 8, "But there is forgiveness with you; that you may be feared. Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." He is gracious to pardon the sins for which he might justly condemn the sinner; he is willing to be reconciled to offenders, and receive them into peace, 2 Corinthians 5:19. This is an attractive glory where the conscience is awakened.
(2.) Willingness to give and communicate all that is needful to make the sinner happy; Revelation 21:7, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." He is gracious to give, as well as to forgive; Hosea 14:2; not only to lay by his wrath against the sinner, but to load him with benefits.
(3.) And all this freely, without any view to any worth in the creature, as Isaiah 55:1, "He, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he who has no money; come you, buy and eat, yes, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price." No condition, no qualification is required; only the sinner is welcome to take and have, whatever he has been.
II. The next thing is to show, how this glory of God in Christ is discerned by a sinner.
1. The mean of discerning it is the gospel; 2 Corinthians 3., "Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord." As by means of light in the air we discern bodily objects, so by the means of the gospel we discern this glory of God, 2 Corinthians 4:4. By the law we discern the glory of an absolute God terrifying and confounding to a sinner, but by the gospel the glory of God as in Christ, attracting and refreshing to a sinner. It is as a looking-glass wherein we see the image of things; 2 Corinthians 3. It brings before us the lovely image of a God in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
2. The organ or instrument of discerning it is faith, Habakkuk 2:4. Though there be full light in the air, and the looking-glass presenting the beautiful image of a person, be set before one's face, if the man's eyes be out, he cannot discern it. So the glory of God in Christ is held forth unto men in the gospel; but they are spiritually blind who are unbelievers, they perceive it not; 1 Corinthians 2:14, "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." But faith sees the glory; John 1:14, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth."
3. The author of sinners discerning it is the Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3. It is he who illuminates the dark mind, that cures sinners of their natural blindness. He works faith in the soul, brings home the gospel-report to the sinner in particular, demonstrating it to be the Word of God, and God's word to him in particular, and so makes the soul embrace it by believing it, Isaiah 53:1.
III. The third head is to show what that coming unto God is, that is the effect of discerning that glory. The sinner discerning the glory of God in Christ as the hearer of prayer,
1. He comes away from all other doors, which before he used to hang about for supply. He despairs at length of coming speed there, Jeremiah 3:22, 23, "Return you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings; behold, we come unto you, for you are the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel." The light of the glory of God shining into his heart, discovers the emptiness of all the poor shifts the sinner makes to get supply in his natural state of blindness.
(1.) He comes away from the door of the empty creation, where he had long labored to find a rest; and despairs of finding it there any more. The profits, pleasures, comforts, and conveniences of this world, appear lying vanities that can never give rest to the heart; and they must have another portion; Jeremiah 16:19, "O Lord, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto you from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit."
(2.) From the door of sin, where he expected a satisfaction in the fulfilling of his lusts; and he despairs of ever finding it there, Job 33:27. He finds that puddle-water will not quench his thirst, that the pleasure of it is but short, but the pain and sting of it lasting.
(3.) From out of the world lying in wickedness, 2 Corinthians 6:17, as he would escape away from lions' dens and mountains of leopards, Canticles 4:8. He despairs of ever finding his account in the way of the world.
2. He comes away unto God in Christ, for all, and instead of all; Jeremiah 3:22, "Behold, we come unto you, for you are the Lord our God." And he comes unto him,
(1.) As a Savior, that will save his submissive supplicants, Jeremiah 3:22, 23. Faith apprehends him as God our Savior, and so comes to him and trusts on him for salvation from sin and from wrath, Matthew 1:21, "You shall call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins."
(2.) As a portion, that will eternally make up impoverished and ruined creatures, Psalm 142:5, and in which the poor petitioner may find what he has so long sought for in vain, in the world and the way of sin.
(3.) As his resort forever in all his needs, whatever they shall be, Psalm 71:3. The soul coming unto God, comes to him as one that will never go back to another, but will hang on about his door, though he should die at it.
I conclude with an inference or two.
1. Whoever come not unto God in Christ, as a Savior, etc., are certainly ignorant of him, and see him not in his glory; "For they that know your name," says the psalmist, "will put their trust in you," Psalm 9:10.
2. Great and powerful must that glory be, which draws sinners from all other doors unto God. By nature we are backward to come unto God; it must be a very ravishing glory that has such an effect on perverse sinners.
3. Lastly, Be concerned to discern that glory; to discern it by faith, and by experience, in order to your coming to him as your Savior, portion, and continual resort.