THE GROANS OF THE SPIRIT, OR THE TRIAL of the Truth of PRAYER. 1 joh. 3. 21. 22. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God; and whatsoever we ask we receive of him. Cor in thuribulo Oratio pura. OXFORD, Printed by Leonard Lichfield & are to be sold by john Allen in Leicester, An Dom. 1639. TO THE NOBLE AND much honoured Company of HIERVSALEM'S ARTILLERY, all increase of skill, Success and Valour. AS the Saints were not after the flesh, so the weapons of their warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to bring down all the strong holds and mighty imaginations of devils and men, plotted cunningly against the Israelites of God; yea, all the forces of the flesh and the world must faint, and fly upon the use of these Arms. Of this complete glorious Armature, Prayer is a special part; yea, it is the very evergetical manifestation of the pow-of all the rest. It putteth on all the other parts, it keepeth the whole armature close to a man, it sanctifieth all the rest to their several uses it guardeth all the rest of the golden furniture from thiefs and robbers, it daunteth the Devil and the Devil's limbs, it carrieth the armed Soldier through out all forces and furies, as a victorious Conqueror. And hence is that saying of the Ancients, Supplications and Tears are the Arms of the Saints. As the power and excellency of this spiritual piece is unexpressible, by tongues of men or Angels; so am I the least of all to be called, of so high & heavenly a faculty; but since it hath pleased him that hath mercy on me to teach me the use of it, (though in much weakness,) and to guide me as a weak pencil in his draught of the truth of it, to whom should I then commend it both for the Touch & Tuition, but to the Military Forces of the new Jerusalem, who are experimentally acquainted with this piece of proof? To you then my dear & thrice noble Fellow-soldiers, the Trained Band of heaven, the Artillery men of the most High, I dedicate myself and this little Treatise; accounting it my only happiness if I be but a doorkeeper of the Company; bear with the feebleness of my hands in the unsheathing of this Sword: man you it with a holy and undaunted courage, and it will maintain you. Times call you all to the breach, stand close one to another; hold fast what ye have, and let no man take your Crown: Lay about you with this fiery shaking blade upon all within you & without you, that oppose Christ & his Kingdom: Walk worthy of so high a gift; make not this good commodity to be ill spoken of; part not with your Arms and you shall overcome. If these my poor pains may add any thing to your skill, the greatest recompense I crave is to have a share in your cunning Your fellow-soldier and Servant in love GEORGE FOXLE. TO THE READER AS there was never more sleight in venting bad commodities under false glosses, nor never more falsehood in counterfeiting of coin, to make it go currant, then in these our days, so never more cheating tricks in the venting of shows and shapes of holy performances, under the colour of true and essential duties, in this selfe-cosening age of ours: Instance in this duty of prayer, under the shadows and show whereof, the Devil masketh himself even as an Angel of light: All that are of any religion will seem to pray, but a few pray indeed. It is an easy thing under the means (especially of quick wits,) to draw a fair picture or dumb show of prayer; but the Spirit only can make a living prayer. As nothing is liker true friendship than flattery, so nothing liker Piety than Hypocrisy: nothing liker Prayer than painted words; but words without quickening power of the Spirit are no prayer at all. All that are of any knowledge within the pale of the Church, will acknowledge the indigested prayer of the brutish ignorant, to be but babbling, and also the prayers of such as worship a strange God, or the true God after a false manner, to be but sin but that a man may have fit words, a fluent phrase, pathetical expressions, yet no prayer, that seemeth a Paradox: but that so it may be I have showed at large in this Treatise, wherein I have endeavoured to clear by proper and distinct notes the true Being of Prayer from all Semblances of prayer. And where the comfort in prayer ariseth from the sense of the spirit in prayer, I have delivered (as I may) the means of attaining the sense of the Spirit, together with encouragements and motives to go on in prayer though sense be not present. And lastly I give directions, how they that want the Spirit of supplication, shall labour for it. Though my insufficiency in every particular may appear to an Artist in the faculty, yet, to God's glory be it spoken, I have gone along by the light and feeling of some sparkles of the Spirit, but with matter of much sorrow, for my shallowness in the duty. Take heed then, Christian Reader, how thou prayest, for it is Satan's main imposture to get thy heart to deceive thee in this duty, which is the lock and key of all other duties; read and consider, impute the failings to me, and give God the Glory if any thing pleaseth. Yours to use in Christ, G. FOXLE. THE CONTENTS of this Treatise. WHat Prayer is. 2 How a man may know when he prayeth in the Spirit. 3 How the sense of the Spirit in Prayer may be attained. 4 How a man should hold on in the duty without the sense of the Spirit. 5 How they that want the Spirit of Prayer should labour for it. THE GROANS OF THE SPIRIT. 1. What Prayer is. AS there is no evil of sin, The excellency and necessity of Prayer: nor plague of punishment, more fearful & dangerous than the Spirit of slumber; Isay 29. 10 so there is no better preservation against it, Rom. 12. 8. and medicine for the cure of it, than the Spirit of Prayer. The best of God's people are taken with some dregs of this. I sleep (saith the spouse) but my heart waketh: Cant. 5. 2. All had need therefore to be awaked, and there is no better means to awake us, then to hear God speaking to us, and to set ourselves a talking to God. These be the two means indeed that abandon all that break off familiarity with God, and keep and increase acquaintance with God; let that counsel of our Saviour ever be with us, watch and pray. It is the best means for watchmen to keep themselves awake by talking, and so rouse their Spirits by conference. This Prayer is the best medicine, the safest refuge, the truest messenger, and the most mighty prevailer with God. To stir us up then to so excellent and necessary a duty, in so dangerous, secure, and backsliding time, I have made bold to hang out a little light, that they that have erred from the way (as who doth not) may return, they that are in the way may go on with comfort, and they that never came into the way (who yet suppose themselves to be in the way) may, if it be possible, be brought into the way. For Method and memories sake, the subject of this little Treatise, contains in it, or divideth itself into these particulars. In the first, there is a description of Prayer. In the second, are discovered the marks of the Spirit of Prayer. The third directeth us how to attain to the sense of the Spirit of Prayer. The fourth showeth how a man should hold on the duty of Prayer without the sense of the Spirit. The fifth and last directeth men that want the Spirit of Prayer how to labour for it: Of these and of their proper particulars in order, and first, briefly of the first, because the manner of true Prayer doth discover fully the nature of Prayer. The Schoolmen, Description of Prayer. and Fathers have divers Descriptions; in which for me to be curious, standeth neither with the nature of the Treatise, nor with the scope or my intent: And for my own part as one said in another case, I had rather pray powerfully then define Prayer accurately: The sum of all these; The sum of all Descriptions, may be comprised in this, namely, That Prayer is a spiritual Ability infused into the heart, whereby the soul expresseth itself familiarly and immediately to God, in the name of jesus Christ, with confidence in the promises. It is called by some the pious affection of the speaker to God; August. Hom. by others the manifestation of the heart to God, and the assent of the soul to God. This definition is made good by divers places of the Scripture compared together: Rom. 8. 26. 16. First, the Spirit maketh intercession for us with Groans: Secondly, the heart is the seat etc. Lord before thee is all my desire, Psal. 38. 10. 65. 3. and my sighing is not hid from thee: This must be done immediately to God; for thou that hearest Prayers (saith the Psalmist) unto thee shall all flesh come, and that in the Name of Christ. joh. 5. 14. If ye ask any thing in my name I will do it; Neither doth Christ his Mediatorship make ours not to be immediate; for he is God as well as man, and is appointed our Mediator, as the place quoted testifieth, I will do it. Lastly with confidence in the promises, and this is the confidence that we have in him, joh. 5. 14 that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us. First, that Prayer is not an natural acquired ability. Secondly, it consists not in words though they be ornat, or well set forth with seeming holiness, but in the pouring out of the heart, by sighs and groans inexpressible. Thirdly, It is no Prayer at all that is not made in and by Christ. Fourthly & Lastly, without faith it is impossible to pray: Of these Conclusions more fully in the second particular, to which now I proceed. 2 How a man may know when he prayeth in the Spirit. AS Prayer is the special gift of God; so all men have it not that can talk well, or that seem to have it; joel, 2. 28. I will pour out my Spirit (saith the Lord) upon all flesh; that is, upon all his own; he promiseth no such thing to the wicked. Pray always, Ephes. 6. 18. saith the Apostle: Try we therefore, whether we have this or not, for good words except they be the words of the Spirit, will not serve. Would you then know whether you pray by the Spirit or no, try your Prayer by these particular evidences. The first evidence of the Spirit of Prayer is our Adoption, Evidences of praying in the Spirit. 1. Is Adoption. or Sonship, wherein we are interested. Bastards and strangers, yea, mere servants cannot pray; they learn not, nay cannot learn the language of the house, as children can do; they call not upon God; they may get some broken language, or terms of Art wherewithal to serve their necessities, as for meat, prefentment and esteem among God's people; yea, for some words they may come to be admired, but in the true pronounciation of Shiboleth they are to seek, and so they come short of that language: But the sons and daughters, be they never so weak, yea, but babes or Infants in Christ, yet they can speak the language of their Father truly, though not thoroughly, nor eloquently. All this the Apostle proveth in that Phrase to the Romans: Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father: Where observe, first, who cryeth, namely Sons, and they only: Secondly what they cry, namely Father, which if they can speak truly, if with little children, they can say little more, yet they pray truly, speaking the language of the Spirit. A second note that one prayeth by the Spirit, 2 A desire and endeavour of the presence of the Spirit. is an earnest desire and endeavour to take the Spirit along with them: They will not go willingly without the evidence of the Spirit; witness the same Apostle; the Spirit maketh request for us: Where we must understand that the Spirit is said to make request for us after an other manner, than the son is said to make request for us. v. 34. namely by the virtue and power of his merit: But the Spirit maketh request by stirring us up, and putting us on to make request. The Spirit (as one saith) by that anointing power teacheth and frameth us to frame our petitions. In this we must be like Moses, Exod. 33. 45. If the Lords presence go not with us let us not go from hence. The best of Hypocrites can be content to have an Angel go before them, give the angelical style, coming from lips touched with a coal of strange fire, moved by no internal principle, except it be from some common gift at the best, it is enough, and in this they please themselves, and gain admiration from others; but their praise is but of men and not of God; but this will not serve the children of Prayer; they will not stir without the Spirit of their Father, neither can they do it: Rom. 8. 26. We know not (saith the Apostle) what to pray as we ought: we have neither thought to conceive, nor will to consent, nor art to perfect of ourselves. As the Spirit of God did move or flutter upon the waters for the inclining of that vast body, by a powerful and procreative heat, so the heat of God's Spirit must either quicken us to the duty, or we, and it are no better than a deed Carcase, or at the fairest but like a specious Picture. The people of God do now and then neglect (I must confess) this duty, the taking their guide with them; they weigh not so attentively, nor watch so seriously after this first mover, as they should: As a man forgetteth to set his watch, or to take his guide with him. And this is a main cause why they seek and find not; yea, why they walk not in the strength of the Spirit. Again the people of God may be without the sense and feeling of the Spirit, & yet the Spirit be there, they not being aware: howsoever they are very sensible of their insensibility, and much humbled for their neglect. The third evidence 3 A sensibility of our own inability. that we pray by the Spirit is a sensibility of our own inability: As the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, so it discovereth the infirmity of the understanding, the will, the memory, the affections; yea, the Spirit discovereth▪ all indisposition, slothfulness, impatiency, inconstancy, and too much making haste, flesh and blood cannot discover these: Indeed flesh & blood will discover want of readiness, or of an outward frame of words, or for want of some supernatural heat to inliven the outward action, which the hypocrite may take for the true heat of the Spirit; but the want of that celestial heat, or true quickening motion of the Spirit, it neither discovereth nor bewaileth: But the godly out of knowledge of these infirmities, are exceeding humbled, whereupon there is room made for the Spirit to rest in, for repairing of those ruins; yea, the child of God by the knowledge of these his wants, cometh to speed best, when in his own conceit he prayeth worst, yea, when he can say nothing with Moses, and is to himself as it were breathless, and speechless, yet out of the sensibility of his prolixity he cryeth hardest of all, and God is nighest to him, when he conceiveth him to be farthest off: If then thou findest or feelest not in Prayer that comfort that thy heart desireth, be not discouraged, but rather comfort thyself, upon the feeling of thy wants, and humiliation for them, because it is a work of the Spirit; go on then, and rather than thou pray not at all, cast thyself before the Lord, look up to heaven, if thou canst but cry like a little child, cease not till thou make the Echo of the Rock to resound. The fourth evidence of the guidance of the Spirit, 4 Help against infirmities. is a sensible helping of us in some measure against the aforesaid infirmities of Understanding, Will, Memory, and Affections. Rom. 8. 26 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities: It teacheth for what and how to pray: It strengtheneth memory with motives, Memory and Understanding. out of the which the understanding frameth arguments, as judgements, mercies, precepts, promises, renuednesse, ranking every one in his due place, and causing the soul to pick some good out of of every one of them. So the Spirit bringeth the will in Prayer contrary to its disposition to be subject to the Will of God, and to make choice of that which God willeth as the very best: in this our Saviour Christ is a perfect pattern, in his heavy and dreadful conflict, saying often and again: Mat. 26. 39 Not as I will but as thou wilt Father. The Spirit doth not only correct and change the averseness, and deadness of the affections, as fear, love, joy, and sorrow, but it sets them on with a high and heavenly temper upon their proper objects; As that the soul in Prayer, should love nothing in comparison of God, and his countenance; hate nothing so much (no not the Devil or Hell itself) as his own sin, grieve, at nothing so much as the grieving of God; fear nothing as the God of his fear. Lastly the Spirit helpeth the stupidity and benumbedness of the conscience, Conscience. making it tender and pliable, and also impartial in the applying home of the particulars to the present seat of the soul, which is the proper function of the conscience: As for instance, it either excuseth by application of mercy, the fruit whereof is present peace; or accuseth by application of judgement, the present fruit whereof is trouble and terror: yet it bringeth forth and begetteth the quiet fruit of righteousness; for upon the judging of ourselves by the afflicting of ourselves, God ceaseth to judge us. Try then what help thou findest of the Spirit, in strengthening thy weakness in the seeking of his face; for assuredly we all find the less help for want of this trial. But some will say, we find no help at all; Objection. Our understanding is darker, our memories weaker, our wills more perverse, our affections deader, our consciences heavier than ever they were. I answer, Answer 1. first there may be a neglect of the trial of the performance by the several notes, and also such a carelessness, to walk by the rule of Prayer, that the duty is fallen into a custom; so that, because we look not to take the Spirit along with us, and cast not ourselves, and the duty upon the help of it, we come to want the help thereof when we would, because we looked not for it when we should. Again, it may be answered for some, that sense is no true judge: For as some may conceive of help from the Spirit, that never had any, and conceit of sound and well ordered parts in Prayer, that have nothing but rottenness in their inward parts (for all their painted oratory & glozing words) so some may be unsensible of the aforesaid help for some mistake, or some disorder in the course, yea, by Gods hiding his presence, of sense, and yet he helped mightily by God: which may be instanced and proved by these two particulars. First, the sense of those infirmities in Prayer, is the work and evidence of a praying Spirit; Secondly, the going on with sighs and groans, under the burden of these infirmities is word for word, to take us up (as it were by the hand) and to go with us against our infirmities. If the spirit in these two be with us, it is not want of sense that can nullify his presence. Elisha's servant, while his eyes were shut could not see the armies of the Lord, but his eyes being open he saw clearly that there were more with him then against him: So let the soul of such go on, and wait upon the Lord, without censuring the Lords work for want of feeling; and let them for their better stay, view and try all the points of the evidence, for if one hold, all the rest will in some measure make for them. Yea but others will say they are so far from help against their infirmities, 2 Ob. that the infirmities of earthly and idle thoughts do strive into the very duty, whereby the work of the Spirit (for the time) is quenched, the soul beaten off, and the heart stolen away. For answer, Answer I must confess it is a shrewd encounter, and a dangerous infirmity arising out of the looseness of the heart, the atheism of the mind, the deadness of the conscience, the corruption of the memory and earthly condition of the affections; whereby we let slip & forget with whom we have to deal, and what we have to do: Here is want of devotion & want of attention. Bern. de medit. 6. 8. It is mad folly (saith one) to thyself, & great injury to another, when thou wilt neither attend him nor look to thyself; yet for all this it is no other temptation but such as may and doth overtake the children of God: but with this difference from that vagrancy in the hearts of the unregenerate men be they never so smooth: First the same spirit whose work for a time recoileth, at length like a great & sole conquering commander, routs all those rebellious thoughts, How the godly are troubled with idle thoughts in prayer. yea and taking them on a sudden, reserveth them in chains for execution; then he brings up, or rather beateth up these disordered forces or faculties of the soul with sorrow & shame enough to their neglected service; which service being done than he showeth them what base slaves had caused them to recoil from so glorious and gainful a service of so great a God; what a commander they had forsaken; and what dangerous and shameful hazard they had brought themselves into; at the consideration whereof, their hearts smite them, they abhor their own souls, they weep bitterly till they leave a Bochino or place of weeping behind them to set their feet upon their necks, and do execution upon those slavish Canaanites, to whom they had shamefully enslaved themselves; which I doubt not but many have a care to do; yet when they have done all they can, some will escape in a corner, starting out now and then to do them a mischief at unawares: As they pray therefore, so let them watch. But with the unregenerate man it is nothing so: How it is with the unregenerate. for he can draw nigh to God with his lips, but keep his heart far enough off, and yet his heart never smiteth him: he is content to have a Dove in his hand, and a Hog in his heart; thought is free with him; and that is the mark of a slave: It is one thing to let Traitors and plaguy Rogues in at doors by negligence, & so to be troubled with getting them out, and another thing to keep open house for them. The fairest sunshine may be overclouded, but darkness itself can never be light: As for the interposition of Satan's suggestions, let that be set on Satan's score. Last of all, 3 Ob. some will say, they are so far from the aid and assistance of the spirit in prayer, that they neither can pray, nor dare pray, nor have they any mind to pray; can those be the children of God? I answer, Answer though they be in an exceeding great strait, yet they may be God's children for all that; for though they cannot, neither dare pray, yet they desire to pray: & though they have no desire, yet they wish they might desire. But we must learn to distinguish between parties in a due temper both of body and soul, and themselves distempered in one or both: sometimes, through the distemper of black fumes of melancholy, the imagination is corrupt, sometimes the conscience is wounded with the sense of sin, the want of grace, or with the trouble of some blasphemous or wicked thoughts sometimes the Lord is pulling a sinner as a brand out of the fire, leaveth sparkles of his terrible wrath in him, for his greater humiliation, sometimes the Lord may seal the heart and close up the mouth for the trial of the party himself, the example of others, and the manifestation of his own power, in keeping of them in that case, and his mercy in the enlarging of their hearts according to the time of restraint. In all these cases the soul may be clear of the things, the exercise of prayer barred, and yet the spirit of prayer remain; which may be evidenced by the fruits of the spirit which are a tenderness of conscience, a hatred of sin, love to the Saints, and obedience to God. So much for the fourth note, wherein I have been the larger by reason of the power of the spirit herein. The fifth evidence of Prayer made by the spirit, 5. Fervency of spirit is that spiritual vigour or fervency of it, which as a consuming fire from heaven, causeth the odours of the prayers of the Saints to ascend like incense: To this effect is that of the Apostle, Rom. 8. 26. The spirit maketh request for us with groans that cannot be expressed: By these unpressible groans, is meant the vehemency or fervency of Prayer, being the work of the spirit, which worketh after an unspeakable manner in the hearts of all that pray; Gen. 32. 28. this is that wrestling that prevaileth with God; Exod. 32. 10. this is that which stirreth up a man to lay hold on God; Isay 64. 7. Can. 3. 4. this is that which layeth violent hold on him whom the soul loveth; This was the practice of our Saviour Christ, Heb. 6. 4. who in the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong cries and tears: Against this his own practice Christ cannot stand out; witness that parable of the importunate prevailing widow; Luke 18. 4. 7. and shall not God revenge his elect that cry day & night? The want of this wrongeth God's cause, maketh the enemy prevail, and our prayers to be forceles and fruitless, yea our courses uncomfortable; whereas on the fervency of prayer all the contrary effects attend. This fervency was Luther's excellency, and in this he and many others found most good: This smiteth and overturneth both the inward & outward Amalakite. If thou wilt sacrifice, take fire with thee; the want whereof may justly invert the saying of Abraham to thy disadvantage; here is the sacrifice but where is the fire. The golden Censer receiveth no Odours without fire, more or less to consume them, and according to the height or lowness of the fire, the motion of prayer is the swifter or flower. The lazy, cold, & frozen prayer prevaileth nothing with God, but by weeping and making earnest supplication, we may find God in Bethel, Hos. 12. 4. and speak to God, and prevail with God, as jacob did. Let us then (as Paul saith) labour fervently in prayer, Col. 4. 12. that the power thereof may be an evidence of the spirit in us; but herein we must take heed of the deceitfulness of strange fire in the heart; for as a burning fever, or the fit of an intermitting Ague, or a hecktick disposition, may manifest more heat outwardly to the touch, yea inflame the inward parts with more ardency, or scorching & consuming heat, begetting an unquenchable thirst by drinking up the radical moisture of the Spirits, then is to be felt in a due temperature; So a feverish heat, or counterfeit zeal, may exalt an hypocrite high in the outward action, yea he may have a deceiving taste of the power of God, & seeming thirst of the glory of God, and a preposterous desire of honour and immortality, yea all this may be like to the former heat and thirst in nature, an unnatural & adventitious heat, not truly inlivening & maintaining the life of prayer, but consuming and devouring the supposed spirit of prayer. Of these two if you desire to know the essential difference, I take it to consist in these particulars. First, The difference of true fervency & counterfeit in prayer. 1 Difference. this fervency is a sanctifying & saving fruit of the spirit, wrought immediately in the heart and affections, whereby the understanding faculties are much sublimated and refined, whereon followeth a more pure conception, with a swifter & director motion of prayer; because both heart and understanding are quickened and agitated by true celestial heat. Neither must you conceive that the fervency of affection must carry the understanding without information from it: this were zeal without knowledge; which the spirit peremptorily condemneth: but this sacred fire of fervency cleareth the clouds of the understanding: so that the forms of divine motions are more quickly and purely framed in the passive faculty thereof, and are more sound and judicially wrought on by the active faculty, so the fire be compact: so that you see this fire is of a heavenly operation and from heaven; well may it be compared with that divine fire which came out from before jehovah and consumed the burnt offering upon the Altar: But the strange fire in the seeming zealous hypocrite is nothing like; for first it is but a supernatural common gift of the spirit at the most; again, it is rather an inflammation of the brain, arising from the rapture of some vainglorious conceit, deceiving the heart, and running all along like a devouring wildfire, rather (I say) than any true fire, warming and quickening the life of supplication. Secondly, 2 Difference. this true celestial fire hath no fuel but the spirit, but the strange fire hath either private injury or public applause for the fuel. Thirdly, 3 Difference. this true fire hath for the end or object, God's glory and the salvation of those that are heated with it, consuming every thing that stands in the way of either of these. The spouse speaking of the nature of this zeal, Cant. 8. 6. telleth us, that the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame: Of this David saith, Psal. 96. 10. 119. 13. the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up, and in another place, my zeal hath consumed me, or suppresseth me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words: But counterfeit zeal in prayer hath for its end or object, the ravishing of men's conceits, the glory of applause, the gaining of some worldly commodity; so far as the sun shine of God's glory is adored by the times and state, so much will hypocrisy seem to advance it: like clouds, they will follow the Sun, and seem to carry God's glory right on before them, but when the current crosseth it they go no further with it, but like a running hound, they cast up, and with an open mouth they run another way. Fourthly, 4 Difference. this true fire though it set all on fire within and without, and turneth all that it toucheth into the nature of fire, carrying all upward with it according to the proportion of fire; yet it humbleth the soul exceedingly, and maketh it vile in its own eyes: for by this true fervency, the stubble and rubbish of men's corruptions, and interposition being removed and consumed, God's excellency & man's means, God's mercy and man's misery the more appeareth, which be the means and motives of man's humiliation. But with the strange fire-workmen it is not so; for as Cooks by unnatural heat of the fire extinguishing the natural heat, and exhausting the radical moisture, and by excess of drinking become hydropicks; so these are puffed up with a swelling conceit of themselves, by the unnatural or adventitious heat of this strange fire; crying in effect with jehu, come with me and see my zeal for the Lord; 2. King. 10 16. yea if these counterfeits of true zeal be not admired, they are all off the hinges, they count their charges and pains to be lost: Their zeal is like to the virtues of the Heathens, from which, if you separate (as one saith) the splendour of glory, Sallust. ad Caesar. virtue itself will go bitter to them: So take from the zeal of seeming zealous Hypocrites, the swelling cloud of puffing up applause, their fervency falleth presently into an atrophy or pining away under abundance of means; so that their pride not maintained with applause either like a handful of gunpowder carrieth fire and fuel and all that lieth in the way out of the chimney top, or like a dropsy by piecemeal it consumeth the natural heat, and drinketh up the radical moisture: But the heat of the truly zealous is like the hearth of the Altar, hallowed by humility, for the receipt of God's fire, and for the keeping and increasing of the heat thereof. Fiftly and lastly, 5 Difference. the true fire of fervency is never extinguished, it is for diverse causes more intense or remiss, higher or lower in the best of God's children; yea the sparkles may lie very low overlaid with ashes; notwithstanding it is true fire, though it be never so little or never so weak in nature; always like the fire upon the Altar which burneth continually, Numb. 6. 12. 13. and shall not be put out; to the which the spirit affordeth the fuel, stirring & blowing it up for the consuming of the sacrifice: But the strange fire is but a flash, quickly out and unorderly kindled, like a fit of an Ephemera, or diary fever, and is as quickly extinguished either by the oil of prosperity, or by the water of adversity, yea like a rotten, sulphurous, fiery squib, it cracks and flashes, stinks and dieth. Let every soul examine its own fervency in prayer by the particulars, by which examination if they can find in the least measure, these notes of fervency, they may assure themselves to their exceeding great comfort that they can pray in the holy Ghost. But some distressed soul will say, Ob. they can find no life of fervency in their prayers, they are taken in the duty with syncopes, or many fainting and sounding fits of the heart, many a cold sweat goeth over them, they are taken with many Lethargies of the understanding, mad melancholy aberiations in the imagination, much forgetfulness in the memory, yea, with a cold astonishing stupefaction of the whole man; what fire of the Spirit can be here? Surely (say they) none at all. Conclude not so, Ans. 1. for true fire may be raked up in the ashes of neglect or distemper, though it do not appear. Again, the sense and sorrow of and for the overswaying suppressments must needs arise from the light and heat of true fire, be it never so weak or little; for the common gifts and most glorious excellency in counterfeit Prayer, cannot truly and ingeniously discover an essential defect in Prayer. Again, the sparkles of life that the most distressed and daunted of God's people find in Prayer, now and then make the strongest kind of demonstration, that the Fire of God's Spirit inlivens their Prayer: For where there is action, there is life, and where is life there is heat; for life consisteth in heat: As the Spirit of faith in the Disciples was very weak when they counted the relation of the Resurrection but as an idle tale; Luk. 24. 11. 32. 34. so that they would not believe it, yet the Spirit of faith was not extinguished, witness the burning of their hearts within them while he talked with them in the way to Emaus, which arose from the quickening of the Spirit, which lay as it were quenched in them; even so the fervency of the Spirit of Prayer, may seem to be quenched, & yet the flames bursting out now and then, in sighs and Groans that cannot be expressed, argueth heavenly fire to inspire thy Prayer, howsoever thou wilt not be persuaded of it. Lastly, observe thy earnest desire of fervency & striving endeavour to go on, though thou feelest but little or no comfort; these be true flames of the Spirit, which were never kindled in the least measure in the breast of any Hypocrite: will an Hypocrite with all his painted flames hold out? No, they will murmur if God hear them not; but the godly will trust in him though he slay them. Isay 58. 2. 3. Let every one then stir up the gift that is in him, whatsoever it be, and the Lord will be with us ere we be aware. job. 13. 15 The sixth evidence of the Spirit of Prayer, 6 the train of all graces accompanying. is that godly train of all-saving graces guarding it, strengthening it, and attending upon it, He that can do an errand to God is destitute of no gift, 1 Cor. 1. 7. as Paul saith of the Corinthians: that Embassy is guarded with all the graces of God in some measure, as first it ariseth from that impregnable palace of faith, which ascendeth like a Cloud with Prayer in it, never ceasing, but still increasing the motion, till it come to heaven. In, and from this Palace, Prayer is armed with an irresistible violence, and cometh forth like a valiant Champion, beating all downright before it that standeth between God & it; Innumerable instances of this in God's servants put that immediate principle of the Spirit out of all Question: Whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer, Mat. 21. 22. believing, ye shall receive: David and all the Saints make ever this foundation of their Prayer, Psal. 5. 3. 4. Unto thee will I pray jehovah, thou shalt hear my voice. Secondly, as Prayer is grounded from faith, so it is under-propped by Hope; I will look unto the Lord (saith Micha) and I will wait for the God of my Salvation; hope and patience. My God will hear me; This place expresseth also the Christian patience wherewith the Prayer of the Saints is seasoned, and also that perseverance, whereby the Chariot of faith is drawn: These set the soul upon the watch-Tower (as Habacuk speaketh) and maketh her wait, Habuc. 2. 1 and hearken what the Lord will answer, David's Prayer in his distress was thus qualified, Psal. 5. 3. I will look out saith the Prophet. Further, Preparation, Opportunity, and Diligence. Prayer made in the Spirit is attended, with Preparation, Opportunity, and Diligence: Preparation maketh ready the Chariot of faith, awaketh Prayer, & attireth it with a holy disposition of heavenly position: Opportunity as a guide taketh it the nighest way; and Diligence as the driver of the Chariot, driveth more nimbly than jehu the son of Nimshi. All these attend David's Prayer, I will direct my Prayer unto thee, or I will orderly address unto thee; there is his Preparation: In or at the morning (that is early) there is his opportunity; I will look out or else espy, there is his diligence, or I will pray, that is, still do pray and cease not. Try then, Hypocrites fail of these graces. or let thy Prayer be tried by these clouds of witnesses, whether it be of the spirit or no, for the Prayer of the Hypocrite hath none of these witnesses, or attendants: as it is said of faithless hearers, Heb. 4. 2. that the Word heard, did not profit them, because it was not mixed with faith: They may make a fair show in seeming to lay hold on God, deceiving others & their own hearts; Mich. 3. 11 they will lean upon the Lord (saith the Prophet) and say, is not the Lord among us, etc. But they build upon the sand and hence are their ruins; neither is their hope any better than Hypocrites hope, job. 3. 13. which shall perish: as for their patience wherewith their Prayer should be seasoned. If God attend not their pleasure in answering of their desires, it is quickly turned into murmuring: In this they are like that graceless servant of that godless King; 2 King. 6. 33. because this evil is of the Lord, why should I wait for the Lord any longer? As for the attendants of Prayer, namely Preparation, Opportunity, and Diligence, the Hypocrite is not acquainted with them; the counterfeit shows or shadows of these he may have, but the things themselves in the true nature of them, he neither hath nor desireth to have: The Hypocrite rusheth into God's presence without premeditation of Gods most glorious presence, and without consideration of his own vileness, and unworthiness to speak to so glorious and great a God: His best Preparation is but a vizard of Prepation, or outward show of seeming holiness, in the position of the body: Their best opportunity is base and by respect, and their diligence carrieth the duty no further then customary performance, or so far as it is in request with the times. So never an Hypocrite (you see) can be an Ambassador to God; for he wanteth both the Commission of the Spirit, and that train of attendants that do accompany the Commission. It is no-wonder then that their Prayer be converted into sin; for they are Traitors to God in taking upon them his Embassy without his Commission. Let them pray then that can pray; Trial of these graces is necessary. yea, it standeth us all upon, to look to it, whether we pray or prate or babble: For Lord, Lord, a multitude of fair words, and fair shows will not serve. An Ambassador with a gilded coach of temporary faith, will not serve the turn; yea, though it were full of miracles attended with a many embroidered Lackeys of smooth words & courtly compliments, and eare-pleasing music, shall never have admittance to God, nor audience of God: look to it then that thou be an Ambassador indeed, & that thou hast thy Commission sealed, and art sent by the Spirit, and that thy train be such as may be heartily welcome to God and make thee welcome. In the first place make trial of thy faith, and that by the inward acts of purifying the heart, Trial of thy faith. uniting it to God by victory over temptations, casting thyself upon the Lord, by contentment of thine estate: also by the extensive work of love, first to God for himself, & then to thy neighbour in him and for him. The heart so purified by faith is a fit lymbeck for Prayer. Out of this the Prophet David was bold to press his Prayer upon God; Harken to my Prayer Psal. 17. 2. that goeth not out of feigned lips, or without lips of deceit; by which is meant the sincerity of the heart, agreeing with the words of the mouth: Nothing so much adorneth the heart as faith, nothing commendeth faith more than Prayer, Esay. 29. 13. and nothing graceth Prayer more than sincerity: This (with the proud Pharisee) all Hypocrites want, Mat. 15. 8. drawing nigh God with their mouth, and honouring him with their lips, but their hearts be far from him: or as the Psalmist, they flatter or flatteringly alured him with their mouth, Psal. 36. 37. & with their tongue lied to him, for their heart was not right with him, or not firmly prepared with him: And this especially maketh the Prayer of the Hypocrites of an evil savour in God's Nostrils, for as he is the hearer of the heart (as one saith) and not of the voice, so he loveth the sincerity of the heart, and hateth the hollowness and rottenness thereof in Prayer above all things, because they go about to deceive him, denying him in effect to be the discerner of the heart; otherwise they would never deal so with him. Try also thy hope in Prayer, Trial of hope and patience. namely by clearing of thy Author, and casting it within the veil. The nature of hope is to keep thee from shame, by the repulse of thy desires, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, in such abundant measure and unspeakable manner, that he cannot deny us the things hoped for. Try also thy Prayer by patience, waiting on the Lord, and going on in Prayer in the time of distress. This an Hypocrite, as I have showed, cannot, nor will not do. In the time of affliction they will set very freshly upon the duty; so far as great words will carry it, but if they be brought to any straight, or put to any hard shift, like whitelivered soldiers they die downright in their own air or element, or else fling away their arms, and run from their Colours. It is much to be feared that our nations woeful experience shall teach the truth of this in one as well as the other! But God giveth his own another heart, namely to overtop the height of their affections, with the height of their Prayers, and never give over till by patience and importunity they possess the gates of their enemies and become more than Conquerors: The Scripture to this purpose affordeth abundance of remarkable instances, for a touch whereof take these two; Steven the first Martyr being cast out of the City and stoned for his worthy Sermon, as the stones were flying about his ears, in the midst of all the mischief that they could do him, by the power of the holy Ghost, Act. 7. 55. 59 60. called upon God, and that with cries kneeling upon his knees: This lesson no doubt he learof his Master Christ, the best and only pattern that any man can follow: He, though a Son, learned obedience by afflictions, in the days of his flesh, offered up Prayers and Supplications withstrong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, & was heard in that he feared: where observe what force, fear, and afflictions added to our Saviour's Prayers, which as swelling seas make well grown fish, and thundering, and lightning cleareth the air, and the nipping frost maketh the fire the hotter; So the afflictions of the Saints addeth force to their Prayers; they cry more mightily to God then ever they did, yea, where they could not speak before, now they cry and that day and night (saith the Spirit) though he bear long with them: Luk. 18. 7. where observe the patience of the Saints, they bear long in Gods bearing with their enemies: Then observe their instant continuance, they cry day and night; to the same effect the Lord speaketh by his Prophet, Zacch. 13. 9 I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as gold is tried, they shall call upon my name, and I will hear them: Affliction maketh the wicked impatient, & driveth them from God; because they are a burnished blade of terror in the hand of the Almighty: as the pearl in oysters by thunder vanisheth, so doth the Prayer of the Hypocrite by affliction; but the trial of the godly bringeth forth patience, & driveth them nigher to God, because their afflictions are but trials indeed, and at the worst they are but as a rod in the hand of a loving Father. In a word, as the Saints extremities are Gods opportunities; so the same extremities are whetstones to the Saints importunities. Lastly, as for preparation; labour to set thy heart in frame, consider what thou art about, and with whom thou hast to deal: As God bid Moses, Exod. 3. 5. put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground; whereby is meant the putting off of earthly and carnal affections, preparing the mind to spiritual and heavenly duties. Endeavour to come before the Lord with a simple and naked heart, and with affections duly prepared for so great a presence. As for Opportunity, endeavour always to be fit upon every occasion, and fea●● to choose the best occasion, not omitting it at any hand: for Diligence know this, that use maketh an Artist or Trades-man. To conclude this particular: If thou callest upon the Lord in truth, that is in faith, sincerity, earnestness and constancy, the Lord will be nigh unto thee; which is both the cause and evidence that thou prayest by the Spirit. The seventh evidence of Prayer made by the Spirit, 7 The guidance of the Spirit in all our actions. is the guidance of the Spirit in all other actions: For as he that is born of the Spirit, is Spirit, so he is spiritual in all his parts, faculties and actions; because the Spirit is of an all renewing nature, though many remainders of the flesh, and much reluctation be intermixed therewith throughout all the parts, faculties and actions. To this effect is that of the Apostle, As many as are led by the Spirit, they be the sons of God; where observe, he saith not, they that have received the Spirit, or live by the Spirit, or pray by the Spirit, or do any other action, as he saith other where, but that they are led by the Spirit, intimating thereby the inclining disposition and ever-ruling power of the Spirit, whereby the whole spiritual man is guided in all his ways, as a ship by a pilot, or a horse by his rider; the place alludeth to a blind man, or a man wanting strength, who is wholly guided or carried by another; so God's supplicants as they pray by the spirit, so they wholly resign themselves over in all their ways to the guidance of the spirit: Wherein the guidance of the Spirit manifesteth itself. The guidance of the spirit in all a petitioners ways, doth manifest itself in these two particulars; First, In the subduing the whole body of sin. in the subdueing of the whole body of sin; for though the remnans of sin remain in the best of God's Saints, yet no sin beareth dominion in them; for than should they not be led by the spirit: who are led by the spirit (saith one) but they whose counsels and actions have nothing to do with sin & Satan; according to that of the Apostle, 1. joh. 3. 9 He that is borne of God sinneth not, or committeth not sin, viz. he serveth not sin, he delighteth not in sin, he maketh not a trade of it, nor lieth not in it, giveth not way to it, but resisteth it and hateth it; it is an intolerable burden to him, he cannot bear it. But on the contrary, V. 8. he that committeth sin is of the Devil, that is, he that loveth sin, loveth and obeyeth it in the lusts thereof. Now where this sin-subduing power of the spirit beareth sway, there the prayers be the prayers of the spirit: For as diverse gifts come from one spirit, so where there is one true gift of the spirit, there be all the gifts of the spirit; but on the contrary, where one sin beareth sway, there is not the guidance of the spirit, and where the spirit is not the guide, there the prayer is not the prayer of the spirit, according to that undeniable position, God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God, joh. 9 21. and doth his will, him he heareth. viz. he heareth not, nor granteth the desires of such as live in any sin; but such as worship him according to his will, and live accordingly, have their desires granted; But a party, family, or nation, that liveth in any sin, God will not hear them. If I regard iniquity in my heart (saith David) or look upon it with a love to it, Psal. 66. 18. God will not hear me. Instances of this are innumerable in the Scripture; The Lord telleth the Israelites for choosing Saul for their King, 1 Sam. 8. 8. that they should cry out in that day, and he would not hear them: So all that set at naught the counsel of God, when fear, desolation, and destruction cometh upon them, Prov. 25. 26. 27. They shall call upon the Lord but he will not answer; they shall seek him early but shall not find him: Will men steal and rob, jer. 11. 11. commit murder and uncleanness, and conspire against God by impiety and iniquity (as God saith by jeremy) yea will they hide it under their tongue, and will they cry unto the Lord when unavoidable evil cometh upon them? yea they shall cry (saith the Lord) but I will not hearken unto them: For the farther confirmation of this point, look these places. Ezech. 8. to the 19 Micha 3. to v. 4. Zach. 7. 13. Did God ever hear the Israelites, for all their tears, supplications and cries under the oppression of the Philistines, judg. 10. 6. to 18. until such time as they put away their strange Gods, 1 Sam. 7. 2. to 12. yea their beloved Idols, Isay 1. 15. to 19 Baal and Ashteroth? No sure; witness the word; neither will he to others till they do the like: yea God doth not only deny to hear his people, though they make many prayers, but to enter so much as a parley with them, till they put away the evil of their doings from before him. Yea let the formalist hypocrite, or hollow-hearted petitioner, free from outward touch, yet hiding iniquity under his tongue, let him (I say) carry the matter as cleanly as he can, yet God will not hear him, witness that in job; What is the hope of the Hypocrite, will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? No sure; the interrogation is a vehement negation; a good reason is given of it: As he delighted not in God, make what show he can, so God delighteth not in his prayers, for they are not the prayers of the spirit, neither hath he cleansed his heart for the spirit to reside in. That thou mayst be sure that thy prayer is from the spirit, be sure to walk in the Spirit: submit thyself to the guidance of the spirit; wash thy heart and make it clean, Esay. 1. 16. Ps. 26. 6. wash thy hands in innocency, and then compass the Altar of the Lord with success; or, as the Apostle, pray every where, Tim. 2. 8. lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting: On this place one speaketh well; the hands are holy, when the heart is clean: further, in the Text observe three remarkable conditions of prayer, holiness in a man's self; love towards his brother; and faith towards God: prayers thus qualified shall surely be heard, for Amen hath engaged his promise for it: jehovah is near to all that call upon him in truth: the Lord is far from the wicked; but he heareth the prayers of the righteous. But some of God's people will here object, Ob. 1. that they feel a great deal of rebellion of sin in them, as carnality, hate, infidelity, proneness to evil, averseness to good; pride, hypocrisy, self-love, and the like; a world of disorder in the affections, a flat repugnancy in the will, an apparent impossibility of selfe-deniall: In a word, the whole inner and the outward man, is nothing but a confused mass of sin: Can the spirit govern & guide such a one where there is nothing but rebellion against the Spirit? And if the Spirit bear not the sway in all & over all, though I am somewhat affected in prayer, yet I pray not by the spirit at all, because I want the guidance of the spirit. To this I answer; Answer As the aforesaid graces accompanying the spirit of prayer, may be in a child of God in a very weak measure, without sense & feeling, yet true in their own nature; so the lusting of the flesh against the spirit, may and doth mightily domineer in them; so that they are carnal and sold under sin, Rom. 7. 14. yea they have a law in their members rebelling against the law of the Spirit, whereby they are led captive to the law of sin; which thing was the matter of the blessed Apostle's complaint, making him to cry out, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death! And yet the spirit lusting against the flesh will hold his own, not only overcoming, but giving good evidence from the very strife, that he reigns and rules there, maugre the heart of the flesh: by which they come at the length to thank God through our Lord jesus Christ, Rome 7. 25. that with the mind they serve the Law of God, though with the flesh the Law of sin. But Paul, 2. Ob. ye will say, spoke this of himself, as of his unregenerate estate. For answer; The Papists would have it so, Answer and some of the Fathers take it so, amongst whom Austin was one of that mind, but upon better consideration reversed his judgement, and that upon good grounds; for the Apostle speaketh of himself of his present estate, which none can deny to be regenerate. Again, to will was present with him; he delighted in the Law of God and thanked him for his deliverance: all which are evidences of a regenerate estate. But this is strange, say you, that he should be carnal, & sold under sin, since the Saints are bought with a price; & war not after the flesh. For answer, he was not carnal in the service of the flesh, as the unregenerate are, but he was carnal in respect of his proneness, 1 Cor. 6. 20. to give way to the flesh; 2 Cor. 10. 3. So he was sold under sin, and not as Ahab, who willingly enslaved himself to sin; but as joseph a captive or slave against his will. O but you will say, Ob. 2. if it were so, than these were Paul's strong straggling motions of concupiscence, not breaking out in effect, but I am not only troubled with the first and second motions of sin, but I am foiled with the very actions of sin: I answer, Ans. was not that Paul's case: That which I do I allow not; Rom. 7. 15 for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate that do I: where he showeth himself often to be so foiled by his carnal desires, that he did that which in the inner man he did not desire, but rather hate; And so it is with the best of God's people, who both in words & actions cross their inward desires, Yea, Quest. but where lieth the difference of failings and falls of the regenerate and unregenerate heart. I answer, in the chief desire of the heart; Answer which in the unregenerate longeth and lamenteth after good, though it have many shrewd rubs in the way through the remainders of sin; but in the unregenerate it is carried with full sway toward sin without any resistance, though it may stumble now and then upon the sting of conscience: neither would I have any, by presuming to abuse this cause of Paul, to sin, for none can benefit by this, but such as have Paul's feelings, desires, and endeavours in some measure: but let all such as are fervent in spirit serving the Lord, though with much opposition & little or no feeling of the evidence of the spirit, lay home this case to their comfort. The latter particular wherein the guidance of the spirit consisteth, is the quickening and increasing of grace: Quickening and increase of grace. for as by the spirit, the deeds of the body are mortified, so by the same spirit the graces of the soul are quickened, Rom. 8. 13. & therefore is the spirit called the spirit of grace: Zac. 10. 12 Now the spirit of grace is joined with the spirit of supplication, as the Cause and the convertible Effect, the state & the demonstrative evidence of the state: I will pour out (saith the Lord by Zachary in the place quoted) the spirit of grace and supplication or deprecation: Where by the spirit of grace is meant the gracious spirit of regeneration, proceeding from the grace of God, guiding and quickening his own in all the ways of grace: & by the spirit of deprecation, that spiritual immediately infused ability (as I have showed,) whereby his penitents do beg and obtain pardon of sin and all other things conducing to God's glory, and their own good. Between this spirit of grace, and deprecation there is a mutual strengthening or corroboration: As health is the cause of walking, and by walking is strength assured and increased; so grace is the internal, immediate, conjunct cause of prayer, and is also quickened and strengthened by prayer: Or as the heat of the sun reflecting upon some solid or impenetrable body, is made more forcible; So the radiant beams of grace, exercising themselves upon that firmly framed object of prayer by a gracious reflection, they become out of measure gracious. If thou wouldst then excel in grace, labour to excel in that eminent ability of prayer, which doth not consist (as I have showed) in the excellency of words but in the heigtht & depth of the groans of the spirit, which no words are able to express. Try also by the gage or landmark of prayer, the ebbing or floing of the tide of grace: for so much as thy soul is taken up with the true strain of prayer, so much dost thou gain in the rich traffic of grace; and so much as thou losest in the faculty of this heavenly Oratory, so much thou losest in the stock of grace. Therefore for the keeping of both stock and interest on foot, it shall be good, in my judgement, to put these two particular observations in practice: First look what particular sin either of person or calling thou art most addicted unto; & in what particular grace thou art most deficient; Means of keeping & increasing of grace. labour to countermand, and subdue the particular sin by the opposite grace, and to quicken & strengthen the weak and decayed grace by the special or proper remedies. This is the wisest policy, the highest point of war, the richest trade, and the proper employment of our precious talon. Another remarkable observation to be practised is this; Let no day pass thee wherein thou dost not call thyself to a strict account, of the well employment, ill employment, or misimployment of the day; record as near as thou canst thy commissions and omissions, in thy calling or out of thy calling, in thought, word, or deed, against piety, equity, or sobriety; recall thy company and conference, thine or others profiting thereby or unprofitableness; recount the favours, the frownings, the cherishments or chastisements, mercies or judgements towards thee and others as nigh as thou canst; observe what corruption hath prevailed against thee, or in what particular grace thou gettest any better footing. This course deserveth neither obloquy from the wicked, nor should it seem unnecessary, strict, or impossible to professors: For the very Heathens by the guide nature have given order for it in their morals, namely, that we should not suffer our eyes to sleep, nor our eyelids to slumber, till we had recompted all the passages of the former day. But alas they had but a leaden rule to walk by, turning all their strictest & most glorious actions into glistering sins! but we have a golden rule of trial, which by a true touch will (indeed) turn us and our actions into the purest gold. It is a double shame therefore that they in this should shame us: this same point was a particular of Moses his Petition; So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom! Ps. 90. 12. There is no better ways to thrive than for a man to be a good accountant, & to observe well his losses and his gains, his receipts and his layings out; what is owing to him, & what he oweth to others. This gains a wise heart or a heart of wisdom (saith Moses) which is more worth than all the wealth in the world. This is the only means whereby to redeem the time: in which phrase the Apostle implieth the calling a man's self to account, and his actions, as thrifty Merchants do; the Apostles words look both back to the time past, advising us to make good one time what we lose at another, which cannot be done without reckoning, with ourselves; and also forward to the time to come, enjoining us to take all occasion and opportunity of serving the Lord, with more strictness, sincerity and alacrity, than heretofore we have done, suppose it be with temporal loss or incommodityt: he very word Redeem includeth this evidently, that for our profits, ease and pleasing of others, we put off, or altogether neglect the casting up of our accounts; now if we will redeem that loss, we must be content to part with all these to become good accomptants; not that men hereby should neglect their callings; for this will make them more strict, sincere, and diligent in their callings; but as to this strict course and the attending it many incommodities are incident; (For you must know the Devil, World, Flesh, and it may be some of the household are no friends to it:) So we must account all are for Ciphers for the furthering our accounts. These strict accomptants must make this a part of their reckoning, that the Cross will follow them; for the bearing whereof they must resolve upon self-denial, with the hatred of father and mother, wife and children, and life itself, Col. 1. 21. which shall be no disadvantage to them, for Christ's sake; and life and death is to such advantage. Of the necessity of our summoning up of The necessity hereof ourselves, and our ways, the Apostle gives good reasons; Ephes. 5. 15. 16. First, we must walk strictly, not declining a hair's breadth from the mark: Secondly the way is hard and difficult, that is also implied in the words: Thirdly, the days are evil, nay sure never worse: Many stumbling blockings & rubs, much opposition both on the right hand and on the left, within and without, when Trading groweth hard, Wares grow slight, Pirates abound, Merchants cheat their Chapmen, & Chapmen fill the earth with bankrupts, and the Prisons with black smoke and beastliness, is it not very hard for a fair trader to walk with a straight foot, to give every man his own, and to make good his stock, and maintain his family? yes sure, every man averreth it: How much harder is it in these woeful times, to make good this spiritual traffic; wherein the Parents will defraud the children, the children cheat the parents, the husband the wife, & the wife the husband, the brother the brother; yea, a man will cheat and cozen his own soul? It standeth every one therefore upon it, to look to his own accounts; because every one must give an account for himself. This task I must confess is somewhat hard to set upon, The difficulty hereof. the rather because it will not stand with neglect or intermission; but assuredly the constant use of it shall make a man see better and more comfortable days then ever heretofore he hath seen: By this course he shall be brought to see himself often as in a glass, and by the sight of his failings, he shall be brought to softness of heart, to tenderness of conscience, to deprecate the evil of commission and omission, and to supplicate for power against future assaults: This shall make him watchful over his ways, wary of his company, strict in his carriage, zealous for his God, and holy and profitable in all manner of conversation. In a word, the experimental utility of this practice will show such necessity of it, that thou wilt not believe it till thou try it: Try then, and hold fast the practice, & it shall never repent thee. To this daily account join thy weekly account and thy account of more weeks, Weekly and more general accounts. before thou go to the sacrament, and by use of time thou mayst become an excellent accountant: The more thou attendest it, the less thou shalt have to do; yea, by the practising by it, thou shalt be the more willing to attend it; though thou canst not be like that Emperor, that attended suits till he had no suitors (for thou shalt always find enough to do,) yet thou shalt find thyself by God's mercy much enabled to go cheerfully through with the work, and if thou art faithful in thine accounts, thou shalt every time find thyself a gainer. The eighth particular of the Spirit's evidence in Prayer, 8 The precious promises. is from that infallible ground of the faith of the Saints viz. The precious promises of God. The same Spirit called the Spirit of supplication, is also called the Spirit of promise, which doth not only signify to us the residence of the Spirit in the Saints, whereby they are distinguished and discerned from the wicked, but also, after an Hebraisme or Hebrew Phrase, the assuring of them of those great and precious promises, or things promised is understood: on which the Prayers of the Saints make their stand and rise. These were the supporters of David's faith; Psal. 119. 49. Remember thy word to thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope; wherein is well observed by the Ancient, Ambrose. that David in all his supplications had recourse to the promises of God. 2 Sam. 7. 25. 28. And now Lord God (saith the same Prophet) the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, establish it. And again, thou art God and thy words are true: whereupon shall the weak sights of a weary and overladen soul, and the heavy groans of a loaded conscience cast themselves, but upon that sweet and comfortable promise of our Saviour, Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you! How shall the poor distressed self condemning bankrupt press home his earnest suit upon God with any confidence of discharge, but by putting God to his promise of the new Covenant; I am he, Isay 43. 25. I am he (saith the Lord) that blotteth out thine iniquities, for my name's sake, and will not remember thy sins. The soul in Prayer may put God to remembrance of his promise, not to remember sin. Also how should the soul tyrannised over by the body of some corruption ever look by Prayer to prevail against the power of it, but upon the promise of God, to put the power of the word into the heart; whereby the heart is changed from a stony and rebellious dispsition, jer. 38. into a soft, Ezech. 36. pliable and obedient disposition. How shall the fainting soul support her supplication in the day of distress; or how should she wrestle with God in the time of calamity, when God by contending desireth not only to be gone, but in sense is already departed, except they have at hand that promise, Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee? Lastly, how shall ever the soul attain by Prayer to rest itself upon the hope of glory, but by interessing itself into the promise of the Crown of Glory, laid up for him, and all them that love the appearing of the Lord jesus Christ? So that these promises are like Aaron and Hur holding up the hands & strengthening the heart of Prayer; yea, as the remembrance and application of these, faileth or increaseth, so the Spirit of Prayer faileth or increaseth. Prayers of the regenerate and unregenerate differ. And here lieth a main difference, of the Prayers of the regenerate and unregenerate: The Prayers of the former are upholden and supported from an external principle, namely the promises of God that cannot fail but the Prayers of the later lean upon the broken reed of something within themselves, namely, some works of charity, equity or outside piety, the worth of their Prayer itself, or the mudwall of civil honesty; all which are but as a rotten wall, whereupon the best Prayers that they build are but straw and stubble, and both foundation and building being naught, they must be burnt with fire. If any object that Nehemiah Ob. 1. Nehem. 13. 14. desireth the Lord again and again to remember his works of Piety and justice, and that he would not wipe out the good deeds he had done, for the house of his God, and for the offices thereof: So King Ezekias in his Prayer 1 King. 20. 3. desireth the Lord to remember his walking before the Lord, his integrity of heart, and doing good before the Lord. I answer, Ans. that neither the zealous Ruler, nor the godly King did presume any whit upon the worth of their works, as though thereby they should make their Prayers of acceptance with God; but if the places be well observed, they cast themselves wholly upon the mercies of God, and not upon the merit of their Prayers, desiring God out of his promise made, to respect the integrity of the heart, and the righteousness of the actions, to make good his promise; like unto that in job; He shall call upon God, and he will be favourable to him; and he shall see his face with joy: For he will render unto man his righteousness. False and forged then is that gloss of the Doctors of Douai, upon that place of Nehemiah: Ajust man that hath merited by good works, may pray with great confidence of reward. Further, Ob. 2. if any object; If Prayer depend upon promises, what need men pray, since God will acknowledge his promises, without our Prayers, for all his promises are Yea and Amen? For answer, Answ. briefly, he that hath promised to hear, hath commanded us also to pray, and without praying no promise to hear; yea, the Son of God himself, who doubted not of his glorification, did notwithstanding pray, Father glorify thy Son. Try then thy interest to the promises, by the laying hold, or desiring to lay hold on the promises, & thereby thou mayst know, whether thou prayest in the Spirit or no, keep always thine eye upon the promises; for as the load stone keepeth always the point of the needle towards the north-pole, so the loadstone of God's promises keepeth always the point of the Prayer touched therewith, directly towards the Mercy seat of God: But as the unregenerate man hath no portion in the promises, so the promises are no point of that Compass whereby his Prayers are guided. It is true indeed, that a wicked man out of the darkness of his thoughts may charge God with such a promise as God never made, by misconstruing of the promise; as for instance, His argument. (Call upon me in the day of distress, and I will release thee: This promise a wicked man may thus urge; Thou hast bound thyself by promise (Lord) to deliver all those that are troubled and call upon thee; but I am in trouble and call upon thee; therefore thou hast bound thyself by the promise to deliver me; and so from thee I seek for deliverance. The Argument is a sophism Ans. (as we speak) from the homonumie, or divers significations of the word, all which in the former proposition must be taken for calling upon the Lord in truth; but in the later in cannot be so taken; for the wicked may prate and babble, but he calleth not upon the Lord, as I have showed, & therefore he hath no interest in the promise: He leaveth out the main evidence, namely, the Glorifying of God, which a wicked man never doth; so that he presumeth himself to do that he doth not, and God to promise that which he never meant. Again, a wicked man may obtain that which he payeth for, as success, honour, wealth, temporal deliverance, and the like; whereupon he presumeth of some interest to the premises; but it doth not follow: For as God heareth not in every thing or always, the children of the promise, because they are not fitted, or it is not good for them, or the the time is not come; so he often giveth the wicked things they crave, in his wrath, they having no ground to ask or receive any thing from him, as a promise to them; for they are none of the children of the promise: They have neither promise of the things of this life nor a better; neither do they with patience wait the Will of God, that they may receive the promise; but the children's only care is to make good to themselves some interest to the promises, and that by cleansing themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and by doing the Will of God, waiting with patience for the promises, endeavouring to bring them home by faith and supplication without ceasing. The ninth Evidence of the Spirit of Prayer, 9 the directing of Prayer. is the directing of Prayer to God in the name of Christ: we are commanded thus to do; for what is it to seek the Face of God according to his own appointment, but to seek him in the Face of his anointed? Drawing near unto God in Christ, hath only the promise of hearing, witness Christ himself, binding it with an asseveration, Verily, joh. 16. 25 verily I say unto you, what soever ye shall ask the Father in my name that will I do; By no other, nor in no other can we speed, but in and by him; what other can appease the wrath of God against us? Dare man by any other show his face in God's presence? In the worth of Christ only our Prayers find acceptance with God in him as in a golden Censor, Rev. 8. 34. all the Prayers of the Saints come to be fragrant and sweet-smelling odours: He is the only mediator as well of Intercession as Redemption: He is the Priest, the golden Altar by whose virtue our Prayers come to be a Sacrifice. Did there ever any prevail with God but in his name? Is there any way or access but by his name? He is that high Priest going into the Sanctuary, carrying on his shoulders, and also on his breast the twelve precious stones, representing the twelve Tribes, or all the faithful. Hence it is clear that Papists go not to God, going in the name of Saints and Angels; sometime in the name of Traitors and godless persons! In the name (I say) of their own worth and merit: neither doth any reprobate go to God in the name of Christ, for Christ is no Intercessor for him; I pray not for the world, joh. 17. 19 but for them which thou hast granted me; for they are thine. A great rabble of the unregenerate, as Hypocrites, carnal Gospelers, mere civil men, will tell you they defy Popery; they hold it foolery and madness to pray to Saint or Angel, and also robbery to go to God by them; and therefore they scorn it, they acknowledge no other mediator of Intercession but Christ jesus: All this is well spoken, but what availeth this them? They will tell you further, in Christ his name they daily make their Prayers to God: This is not so, for they have no interest to take his name in their mouths, or to make mention of it, hating to be renewed. It is true they may speak of his name, and so egregiously abuse it, as they that will allege it in the great day, that they prophesied and cast out Devils in his name, of whom he will profess (that is openly proclaim) he knew them not: viz. he never acknowledged them for his, yea he detesteth them and biddeth them away, as workers of iniquity; so shall it be with all corrupt pleaders, usurping the name of Christ. They only that know this name (as the Psalmist saith) can trust in it, Psal. 9 11. and fly unto it as a strong tower. They know the Lords name & the Lord knoweth theirs; I say. 52. 6. My people (saith the Prophet) shall know my name, etc. And because he hath set his love upon me, or cleaveth to me (as the Psalmist speaketh,) therefore I will deliver him: Psal. 91. 14 15. I will set him on high because he knoweth my name: He shall call upon me and I will answer him. Look then to it in all thy supplications to look towards God in Christ: The necessity and benefit hereof As Moses, desiring to see the face of God, was put by God in the Clift of the rock, and covered with his hand till he passed by, that he might see his back parts; so thou and thy prayers must be put in the Rock Christ jesus, if ever thou comest to see the face of God in favour. As they that would make an echo repair to some rocky place whereupon the words resound, so they that will have an answer from God, must either ply their prayers upon the Rock Christ jesus, or no ccho, no answer at all: As they that are dim-sighted make the object more apparent by the use of spectacles; or as some speak through a trunk that they may be the better heard; So the Saints look through Christ, & speak through Christ; that they may see God and hear God giving a gracious answer. As some glass maketh things presented by it, to be the same colour; So God looking upon us in Christ, seeth us to be of the colour of his Son, and we looking on God through Christ, see God reconciled to us in Christ: Therefore whatsoever we offer to God, let us present it to him through Christ; set always Christ between thee and him; and whatsoever God giveth to thee, labour to entertain it always & through Christ: herein comfort shall abound to thee & honour to God. As by some kind of Perspectives a man may bring two objects together; So by the Perspective of faith, directing the prayer to God, in and by Christ, thou mayst bring God and Christ & all the promises home to thy soul at one sight. The tenth evidence that a man prayeth by the Spirit, 10. Praying in a time of trouble. is the betaking of himself to it in the time of trouble, as to a rock of defence, or the making of it his especial remedy in the time of misery. For this indeed is the very best: as David said of Goliah's, there is none like this; so there is no sword like unto the sword of the Spirit. This is a true Panacea to heal all maladies, a balm for the wounded conscience, a precious medicine for all diseases of the body, a plaster for all sores, a cordial against all discomforts, arms invasive & defensive against all enemies: The Apostle delivereth all this in few words; If any be afflicted let him pray. It is the safest guard against all evils of sin, Prayer an all sufficient remedy. and evils of punishment, 1. Reason. it is the only best means of deliverance from both these: witness first that great Physician God himself (for so he calleth himself) Exod. 15. 26. I am jehovah that healeth thee, or I am thy healer or Physician: Now what receipt giveth he thee? this is it: call on me in the day of distress. Secondly, 2. Reason look but on the sovereign nature of the medicine itself, where in it differenceth itself from all other means of life and godliness: All other means are sanctified by this, but this is the immediate motion of the spirit, of an unexpressible virtue and irresistible force. Thirdly, 3. Reason what glorious things in God's book are spoken of this inestimable piece of spiritual arms, witness S. james for all the rest, laying down the excellency of prayer, first in general terms, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much; jam. 5. 16. then he instanceth it in the prayers of Elias, what great effects were wrought by it. The devout Ancients, hardly satisfy themselves in commending this excellent piece: Bernard. de med. ●. 7. There is nothing (saith one) so sensibly sweet to the soul; nothing doth wean the mind so much from the love of all this world, nothing stirreth up a man to the exercise of all and every grace, nothing prevaileth so much against evil of sin and evil of punishment, whether for preservation or deliverance, nothing standeth in better steed for the increase of God's kingdom by the conversion of souls; For as prayer broke Peter's fetters, set open the prison door; so it shaketh the chains of sin in pieces, openeth or breaketh up the iron gates of a sinner's heart, & offers violence to heaven for the entrance of a sinner. One of the Ancients doth attribute Paul's conversion to Stevens prayer, Had not Steven prayed for Paul (saith he) the Church should never have had Paul for a teacher. In a word, nothing maketh a man so amiable to his God, so dear and faithful to his friend, so formidable to his foe, so contentful to himself, and so profitable to the place where he liveth. Fourthly, 4 Reason. all the people of God in all their straits have made this their Masterpiece, and prospered by plying it; were it famine, pestilence, sword, captivity, contempt, persecution, or any other evil to be feared or inflicted, yea or evil of sin whereby God was offended or the soul troubled, did they not always fall hard on the work of petitioning; and did they ever in sincerity so do & went away without a gracious answer? Instance jacob, Moses, jehosophat, Ezekias, Manasses, Samuel, Eliah, the Cananitish woman, the Publican, the Thief upon the Cross, with many others, known to the meanest reader of the book of God. What was Moses his best fight when Amaleck charged Israel? Prevailed not this sword of prayer, Neglect of prayer argueth want of the spirit. more than the sword of joshuah. If this be so then of the excellency and efficacy of prayer, why do not men run to it, and trust to it in the time of need? Because the spirit dwelleth not in them: Every one that hath but a show of profession, yea & profane men too, will acknowledge the theory or speculative truth thereof; but a woe it is to see how few confirm it by their practice: The worse sort of men cannot do this, if they would, and the better sort will not do it (to their shame be it spoken) in that measure and manner they should, and as the troublesome times require it: How the hypocrite useth prayer. and for the hypocrite when he cometh into any straight, he maketh a fair show in the flesh at the first onset, bearing the world in hand that he esteemeth prayer above all the means in the world; but first his heart can tell him that he relieth more upon subordinate means (which may and ought to be used in their time and place) and useth prayer only for a trial of a conclusion, which if it prove not according to their expectation, then farewell prayer, they will have no more to do with it; they look for good of it and find none, and not being acquainted with the virtue of it, they say of it as the ignorant say of Christ, What is this so much extolled medicine more than another medicine? Cant. 5. 9 we have tried it & found no good in it, but rather hurt by neglecting the means; & therefore we will use the means that most prevails amongst men; & for prayer we will not altogether cast it out of doors, but we will lay it up in some by-corner of the house, & reserve it till it come in request; we will peruse it now and then, but this is not time to trust to it: In this the hypocrite is like one labouring of an inveterate disease, who will try a little of this man's skill & a little of the others, but will not set himself to any constant course of physic, by which he might be perfectly cured, & finding no good by this course, he resolveth peremptorily never to take any more Physic; yea further, desperately determineth to forbear nothing, be it never so hurtful, but use every thing that his mind giveth him to: Just so the hypocrite in his distress will have about with prayer, & fall very fresh upon it for a fit or a start; but finding the event not immediately to answer his desires, he falls a quarrelling with it and casheeres it, with a resolution to attend it no further, yea and not only casteth himself upon the subordinate means, but embraceth the worst means that the Devil will offer him: A pregnant instance we have of this in Saul, who in his distress made a seeking of God (for he is said to inquire of the Lord;) But he did it neither in sincerity nor constancy; and therefore in another place he is said not to inquire at all, he enquired not of the Lord; for not to inquire of the Lord in truth, is not to inquire at all. But God not vouchsafing him an answer, he cometh from him to the Devil for an answer. Let every soul then put itself to trial upon this point, whither dost thou go in thy troubles? whereon dost thou stay thyself? dost thou be take thyself to prayer? dost thou walk with this staff over the rocky, steep and envious mountains of thy distressful troubles? Then thou talkest by the spirit, thou walkest by the spirit, the spirit protecteth and directeth thee; though thy feet stick fast in the clay, & thy soul be sunk in the pit, the Lord will take thee out, and set thy feet upon a rock. If thy troubles (as job saith) were more and heavier than the sand of the sea, yet the Lord will ease thee, and deliver thee: though all the waves of the Lord go over thee, ply but the oars of prayer, in the boat of faith, and they shall neither drown thee in the depth of despair, nor split thee upon the rock of Apostasy: If all thine enemies conspire against thee, and all thy friends for sake thee, be thou ever with God in prayer, and God will ever be with thee to preserve thee; yea in life and death he will never forsake thee; and this shall be an undeniable evidence in thy soul's deepest distress, that God is with thee: But if thou canst be content in thy trouble, only to make thy trial of prayer, and if thou findest not present success to prefer other means to this, and yet thou wilt use this but as if thou used it not, than thou dealest in this case as Achas dealt with the Altar of God, He brought in (as the History telleth us) the Altar of Damascus, 2. Kings from v. the 10. to 16. whereon all his offerings, and the offerings of the people must be laid; but the Altar of the Lord must have an inferior place, and be reserved only to consult withal a little for fashion sake; So though thou canst be content to prate with prayer, having given it an inferior place and respect, yet all thy sacrifices are for the subordinate means. As the Lord abhorred Achas, and his offerings, so will he never look upon thee in this case, nor on thy prayers to do thee any good: Therefore look to it as thou lovest to thrive: All lawful means (as I have showed) thou mayst and must use, because the neglect of them is a tempting of God, but be sure to use them in subordination to prayer, by which they must be either sanctified or supported, or they will prove but rotten and deceitful reeds. But here by the way, thou must observe a necessary Caveat, Comfort for such as cannot or dare not pray. that God's dearest children may be so deadened with distress of soul, and pressure of afflictions, that they cannot pray, or, as I have showed, so distempered and distracted, that they dare not pray; but this may stay their heart, that they would fain pray; their heart beareth them witness, that they prise nothing so much as prayer; if they had all the means in the world at command, they will give none the place of prayer; yea they had rather pray then be delivered. And there is great reason, why thus they should esteem of prayer, above all other means, because the greatest thing that they can effect, is but heart's desire, in things like the means themselves: but prayer, over and beside, procureth greater familiarity with God, which is the highest honour and the richest profit, that the soul can attain unto. A notable instance we have of this in Daniel, who though he understood by holy Writ, that the time of jerusalem's deliverance was come; Dan. 9 2. 23. yet he falls hard to prayer, and that to his great rejoicing: for the Angel of the Lord becometh the Herald of the Lords affliction towards him, calling him a man of desires, or as it is translated, much beloved or desired of the Lord. So if thou hast assurance of the thing desired, yet thou shouldest not cease to desire it in prayer. It is further true, that God's dear people may in the damp of their distresses look more to the subordinate means than they should, and less to prayer than they ought, yea in this particular we may all lay our hands upon our mouths, and with shame enough confess our faultiness. In this we labour of the squintnesse of the eye of the soul; for as this is caused in the eye of the body from looseness of the muscles or nerves, or from inversion of the Crystalline humour, or from the sudden sight some fearful object; So the other of the soul, ariseth from the weakness of Faith, the terrors without and the fears within, making us look a squint upon that which should help us, and more directly to that which cannot help us: but the cause being removed, & the sight being rectified they look straighter and more directly upon the proper object: or if you will, we may be compared to unadvised patients, who being in a direct and approved course of Physic, & not feeling such present good as they look for, they fall presently upon some Empiric medicine, either from a Mountebank Foe or an ignorant Friend; the evil and disorder whereof when they begin to feel, they confess their error and resolve thence forth to walk by the rule: So the people of God in their brainsick fits count with Naaman the rivers of Damascus more medicinable than the rivers of Israel: but upon better consideration they conceive and find it to be true, that one bucket full of jordan, is better than all the rivers of Damascus; A few grains of the spirit are of more force than all the friends and means whatsoever in the world. And as a wise patiented grown wise to his cost from foolery and experimented evil of a hurtful Medicine, resolveth hence forth to cleave to a methodical course, and to die or live by the Book; So the fooled and ashamed Christian by relying too much upon subordinate means, recalleth his wits, chideth himself for his foolery, & resolves for ever to make more account of Prayer than all means that the whole world can afford him. Our neglect of Prayer, relying on other means what evil it is unto us. And thrice happy were the people of God at this time, if we could now at length fall upon the second and sounder thoughts; for woeful experience hath taught how our more relying upon other means than Prayer, hath made God's Inheritance every where a prey to the enemy: When the troubles first began, we took them to heart; we began together our forces together, and importune God; but God denying his ear (it may be not only for the faults of our persons and Prayers, but also to try our perseverance) we quickly give over, leaving the cause and the persons as buried in oblivion, caring little or nothing what become of them or ourselves: It is no evidence of the Spirit to begin to run, and to break off in the mid way: Natural motions are the swifter, the nigher they come to their end. Is not Prayer as powerful as ever it was to prevail with God? Have we not to do with the same God that heareth Prayer? Desireth he not to hear the voice of his own, as much as ever he did? Are not suppliants now the men of his desire? Hateth he not his enemies as much as ever he did? Have we not the same command, the same promise? And shall it not find the same entertainment? Yes verily. What is the cause then the Lord is so far from us? Even because we are so far from him; we follow not to the mark, we turn back in the day of battle; we endeavour not by wrestling to stay the Lord, and not to let him go till he give us a blessing. And how should the Lord be entreated of us? We are like to johas King of Israel in our Prayers, who smote the ground (as the man of God commanded) with his arrows, but not often enough, & therefore the man of God was wroth with him; for if he had smitten often enough he should have smitten the Assyrians, till he had consumed them: So had we followed the business in the power of the Spirit & smitten often enough, we should have smitten the Babylonians till we had consumed them; but we have not done it, & therefore they prevail: The breaking off of Prayer, and the negligent performance of it, is a fearful evidence that God will never honour us with being the means of their deliverance. But to leave them in the pit, (for there they are like to be for us,) what shall we say of ourselves, or what shall we do for ourselves? We look indeed for peace, jer. 8. 15. (as the Prophet saith) and for a time of health, and behold trouble; Deut. 22. 25. And, to use Moses his words, Is not the day of our calamity near? And do not the things that are threatened make haste? And what remedy, namely this, to cry mightily to God by continuance in Prayers: johas, though a wicked man, knew reasonable well the worth of Prayer when he gave the Prophet this testimony on his deathbed, weeping bitterly that he should depart, O my Father, the Chariots and horsemen of Israel! By which speech, what other meant the King, 2 King. 13. 14. then that the Prophet and his Prayers were of more worth for the good of the state, than all the forces of the Kingdom. One of the Learned telleth us, that the sincere Prayers of an old, weak, godly woman, will prevail more with God for help from heaven against the enemy, than thousands of armed Soldiers in the field. But with woe and grief of soul we may say, where be the men that stand up in the gap to turn away the wrath? Exod. 32. 33. Who, with Moses offereth that violence to God, that God should say to him, let me alone? Who will stay by the Lord as he did, and will not off, nor go one foot till he have the Lord to go with us? O how that complaint of the Prophet may pierce us to the very heart; Esay 64. 7. There is none that calleth upon thy Name nor stirreth up himself to take hold on thee! And what followeth? even that which partly is upon us, and partly like to come upon the, Thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us because of our iniquities. Who is it now, with the Spouse in the Canticles, that layeth hold upon Christ till he have brought him into his Mother's house? Cant. 3. 4. Whereby is meant both the Heart and the Church, which is the house of God: For there indeed is God's dwelling. Let us awake then since now is the trouble some time, and draw nigh to God; Hab. 2. 1. yea, let us stay ourselves upon the Tower, and stand upon the watch to see what the Lord will say unto us: Though he be angry with our Prayers let us not give over, but let us pray continually, not returning again to folly; and we may be sure it shall go well with us in the day of trial. Another Evidence of the Spirit on Prayer, 11 Respect to order & matter of Prayer. is a due respect had to the Matter and Order of Prayer: As to the former, when they pray for nothing but that which is pleasing to God: Rom. 8. 18. We know not indeed of ourselves what to pray for, nor how to pray, but the Spirit teacheth us in both; against that old and new Pelagian Heresy of man's abilility in both duties, the Spirit teacheth us to ask that, and nothing but that, which is agreeable to his Will; for that hath the promise and confidence in the promises annexed unto it: 1 joh. 5. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: So that the Will of God must be the Rule and Square of our Prayers; God gave Solomon his choice to ask what he would, yet Solomon knew very well (as appeareth by his choice) that 1 King. 3. 5. that was included according to will: So that place in Matthew is to be understood, Mat. 7. Ask and it shall be given you etc. For we must take heed (as it there followeth) that instead of bread we ask not stones, nor a Scorpion instead of fish, that is, hurtful and not lawful things, instead of useful and lawful. The man destitute of the Spirit of God asketh ever amiss jam. 4. 3. (as S. james saith) either for quantity or quality, or for ill ends; he asketh there that which is naught in itself; or if it be good it is not fit for him; or if it might be fit for him, if he were such as he should be, yet he is not fitted for it because he is not such as he should be. I must confess upon woeful experience, that the Children of God in their Lunatic fits, fall often foul upon these shelves or sands: As for ask things unlawful; the Disciples would have fire from heaven; Luk. 9 45. Mat. 20. Zebedees' sons would sit on the right hand, and on the left of Christ; Psal. 55. David would have the wings of a Dove that he might fly from his colours: and so they ask things not fitting for them, though to good intent, and often they are not fitted for the things they ask. But thus they do in their haste, the Word of God checketh them; God's Spirit & their own conscience diverteth them from this course; and they endeavour to square their desires according to the Will of God. But the wicked are like to Elies' sons, They will have what they will, if they perish for it. Try thy Prayer then by the object of thy desires; if thou canst heartily submit thyself to the Will of God in all things, than thou hast assurance of the guidance of the Spirit; but if thou wilt be both beggar and chooser, thou art too saucy to be guided by the Spirit. The order to be observed in Prayer. Secondly, as for the Matter so they have due respect unto the Order: The Spirit whereby they are guided, is a spirit of Order & not of confusion. They first seek heaven and heavenly things, 1 Rule. because they are heavenly minded, according to that rule of our Saviour, Mat. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you: where by the Kingdom of God and his righteousness is meant heaven and all the means of God's appointment, that bring us to heaven, which both for excellency and order we must seek and esteem above & before all things; not but that we may and must seek earthly things, for there is a necessity of them, we have the promises for them, but it must be as they are necessary helps to the better things, giving them their due time and place: A pattern for this our Saviour giveth us in that perfect pattern of Prayer, wherein he teacheth us first to pray for heavenly things, and then for earthly things. Where if any object, Ob. That the ask of daily bread is prefixed to the ask of forgiveness of sins, the former being earthly, the later heavenly; Answer I answer, it is not needful (with some of the Fathers and others) to expound this bread of the sacramental bread, for the temporal bread is the bread of the children (as one of them well observeth) as well as the spiritual bread; but the petition for Bread is put before the petition of Remission of sins, as some think, because the former of petitions is for good, the later is in the number of the deprecations for evil: Others, that from the sight of our necessities of earthly things, we are led to a sight of our necessity of heavenly things: According to this pattern is the practice of the Saints; Solomon makes first choice for Wisdom, 1 King. 3. 9 and letteth other things follow in their course; David first desireth the light of Iehovah's face or countenance, Psal. 4. and letteth the corn, and the wine, and the oil follow in their order. But it is nothing so with the wicked, they desire earthly things in the first place because they are earthly minded, as for heavenly things, they never question the attaining of them: Give Esau first his red pottage, and let him deal afterward for the birthright as he can; let Saul be honoured before the people, and he will take his venture of the honour from God. Again, 2 Rule. we must ask heavenly things absolutely (I mean in their kinds, not in any particular measure or quantity;) but for earthly things we must ask them conditionally, for so they are promised; In some sort, namely, so far as they are absolutely necessary for the maintaining us in God's service, and making good of his promises, so far we may crave them absolutely; for as we crave the end, so we may crave the means that lead to that end. Then try thyself by the right ordering of thy heart towards the object of thy desires; if thy heart pant, and thy soul thirsteth after the living God, and the promises of God Christ jesus: Dost thou desire the loving kindness of the Lord more than Life itself, then let this assure thee, though thou want other assurance, that thy desires are the desires of the Spirit; for every desire is of the nature of the thing desired: Beasts affect only sensual objects, because their desires are merely sensual, and the natural man desireth natural things as the adequat object of his desires, though by some sparkle of common instinct he may glance at better things, which he neither knoweth, nor truly affecteth. So the Kingdom of God and his righteousness is the adequat object of the spiritual man's desires, although the stomach may be affected with the malkin, or such a disease as women with-child and men also labour of, arising from an excrementious or venomous, humour, whereby they long extremely for things hurtful, like the humour itself, and desire them more than wholesome food: But as this is cured by vomiting, so the Lord by some cross or other purgeth out his malignant menstruous humour, after which they come to hate their own desires: David was taken with a longing 2 Sam. 23. desire for the water of Bethlem, but not when he perceived it to be the price of blood; by hazarding the lives of his worthies, he would not give it to his desires. So when the Saints perceive their inordinate desires to hazard their esteem & desire of christ, they say to them, as Ephraim to his Idols, get you hence, what have I to do with you? Look to it then, for if thou set thine ease, profit, pleasures, honour, or any thing else before Christ, thy desire is not of Christ. The last note of Evidence of the Spirit, 12 Expectation of the thing desired. is the looking for an answer from him to whom we pray: The end of every action, is first in intention. A man can never intend that which he looks not to see in execution; the end of Prayer is to be heard: Hear (O Lord) the Prayer of judah, Deut. 33. 7. and bring him unto his people: To hear is no other thing but to answer; he who prayeth then intendeth to have answer, looketh for an answer; it will follow then by conversion, that he that looketh not for an answer, prayeth not at all. That speech of the blind man, joh. 9 God heareth sinners, carririeth these two things in it; First, as I have showed, the living in any sin cannot stand with the Spirit of Prayer: This hath been the course of all the Saints: jacob looked for a blessing, and he would not away without a blessing; The Canaanitish Woman will not away till she have somewhat, though it be but crumbs; David will look out, that is, (as I have showed) he will wait for an answer; My soul waiteth for jehovah, Psal. 136. 6. more than a watchman for the morning: Psal. 123. 2. 3. As the eyes of servants are unto the hand of their Masters, or as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress; So our eyes are toward jehovah, our God, until that he be gracious unto us: The leadeth us unto this duty by the very instinct of brutish creatures; The eyes of all look attentively to thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Plin. l. 2. c. 4. The Humanists tell of Oryx a kind of Goat in Egypt, that it is so affected with the fear of scorching heat at the rising of the dogstar, that it standeth with tears in the eyes looking up to the heavens, as though it seemed to deprecate the intolerable fervency thereof, and to thirst with an unquenchable desire for some moisture from the heavens: So the soul taken up with desire of that it prayeth for, will wait for it till it hath it: And this is more than an unregenerate man doth or can do; he hath not the promise, which is the ground of the answer, nor careth he for the best things; how then can he wait for an answer? He may conceit that God will answer him, yea that he doth answer him, because he obtaineth some earthly things, but his conceit is groundless, for God answereth not his prayers neither will he, though he make many prayers, although it please God to cast those things upon him for the further convincing and condemning of him: Put thy soul therefore to it in this particular, and look on thy prayer with like or dislike, according to thy looking or not looking for an answer. The Godly fail herein. Our coming short of this maketh us come short of our suits for ourselves & others; we are like the children that shoot their shafts, & never look after them; or careless petitioners, who never look after an answer of their petition: This is one main cause of the Lords absence from his Church, and of his standing out notwithstanding our prayers, in that we have not waited still on God, and importuned him for an answer. Then let us set ourselves upon the wall continually, to watch and wait for it, and the Lord in his due time will give a gracious answer. If a wearied soul object Ob. his waiting for an answer till his eyes hath failed, and his heart fainted; I answer, Answ. if thy suit hath the promise for its ground, thou shalt have it, for God denieth not what he delayeth, yea in this he answereth thee that he stayeth thy heart to look for answer; for therein he answereth the heart, though he answereth not the hand, he knitteth thy heart unto him that it do not depart from him. But if thou hast no promise for thy particular, then know, that denial is the very best answer; for private blessings are every way as good as positive. Thus much I hope shall The Conclusion of this particular. serve for the particular marks of the Groans of the Spirit, which in some measure are in all God's children. All these marks indeed, or, at the least, some of them be very conspicuous; yet through disuse or neglect the characters may be mightily razed, and illegible, mosse-grown with the cares of this life, and the remnants of carnality, hypocrisy, & security, yet they are not quite razed out, so that they are not there at all; but in the unregenerate they are not at all, or in any measure. I have been the larger in them, because of the deceitfulness of the heart, the neglect of trial, the presumption of hypocrites and profane men, and for stirring up of God's people to look better to it, that they may not only pray in the spirit in some measure, but also that they may pray in sense of the spirit, which is the third Point in order to be handled. 3. How the Sense of the Spirit in Prayer may be attained. BEFORE I Quest. come to open this particular, it shall not be amiss to answer a question which I heard moved; Whether a man without the Spirit, especially understand close hypocrites, may go frequently and ordinarily to God in secret, because all other objects and by-respects removed, the soul cometh in a more direct aspect to talk with God? Answer For answer hereunto, I must acknowledge, that as the prayer of the wicked is never mentioned but with professed detestation of it, so I never read of any prayer of the wicked in secret; But the Pharisees, the very picture of hypocrites, are reproved for turning the course of secret prayer to public ostentation: It is discovered in the Scripture to be the practice of the Saints; Gen. 24. 63. Isaac went out into the fields with deep meditation (for so the word signifieth.) It was daniel's ordinary practice to go into his chamber Dan. 6i 10. three times a day to pray; So David, Ps. 55. 17. 33. 4. evening and morning and at noon will I meditate; Act. 10. 9 And at the sixth hour Peter went into prayer. Lastly, Luk. 6. 12. it was the frequent practice of Christ himself, the pattern of all goodness: yet notwithstanding all these, a profane man may stumble now and then on his knees before God, as a nightwalker may a dangerous way in his sleep, not knowing what danger he is in, yea a close hypocrite may so harden his face against the fear of God's presence, or upon some selfe-fantasticall ground of libertinism, live in gross sins, one or more & go ordinarily to God in secret, which the Lord in judgement doth suffer for a time, that they may be hardened in sin, and clothed with judgement as with a robe, but failing of their ends, or their ends or their sin being discovered, they fall off from the practice to open profaneness, Apostasy of profession, or Terror of conscience, which is the best that can befall them. Now having answered this Question, I come directly to the point itself, namely, The means of attaining the sense of the Spirit in prayer: For as many think they pray, & yet pray not at all; so many pray indeed, and do not believe they pray. As it is the highest happiness of the soul to converse with God in prayer, so is it the heavenliest consolation of the soul, to know itself to be conversant with God in prayer: Now for the attainment of this, thou must, 1 First stir up and quicken the motion of the spirit: As in nature, Motion stirreth up natural heat, and natural heat maintaineth Motion, making the part moved more sensible of liveliness, and activity; so the stirring up of any spiritual faculty, maketh it more active & agile, and the activity thereof maintains the vigour of the faculty, and maketh the subject more sensible of its own activity: It is directly so in prayer; to this the Apostle is very pertinent, 1. Tim. 1. 6 Stir up the gift that is in thee. The property of the word is to stir up the sparkles of fire, covered as it were with ashes, and by laying fuel to them, to kindle them up, and make them burn again. So that if thou wouldst feel the heat of the spirit, thou must by a devout endeavour & careful assiduity, gather together the sparkles of the spiritual motions, raked up in the ashes of corruption, and the rubbish of careless neglect, and by laying on the fuel of the groans of the spirit, with the soft breath of the bellows of heavenly meditations, thou must resuscitate and kindle up again that spiritual fire, which is like to be extinguished. The neglect of this maketh want of sense, and want of sense want of comfort; and therefore (as the Apostle saith) neglect not, or be not careless of the gift that is in thee. If ever then thou wouldst have comfort from the sense of prayer, dig thyself out of thine own security, dull not, neither drown thy precious thoughts in cares, pleasures, worldly joys, or sorrows; be ever bringing the dispersed sparkles of the Spirit together, and like a good workman, look well to the fire, and then the Lord will not only take notice of thy prayer, as he did of Paul's, but he will also give thy soul to know, that it is such a prayer as he taketh notice of; so that thou mayst confidently aver with David, I have called upon thee, & mayst urge it with an argument, Ps. 31. 18. let me not be confounded. 2 The second Mean of procuring sense, is the removing of hindrances, as the distemper of the body by intemperancy, the distemper of the soul by passion, dividing cares or loose and unprofitable company; these be the rubbish of our ruinous disposition, that keep us from the view of the strain of prayer in us: These be the ashes that cover the sparkles of the Spirit, & keep us from the sensible heat of them. Away then with these if thou desirest the sense of the vigour of the Spirit! First the soul followeth the temperature of the body; thou must labour, as much as may be, for a sound mind in a well tempered body: The overwearied, and overtoyled bodies, whereunto most men reserve their families and secret duties, are unfit to organize the soul, or to vent the soul's desires in prayer; It is good therefore to ply the duty in health, & strength of body, that hence comfort may arise in time of sickness, and weakness. As for the Passions or Perturbations of the mind, if they be the symptoms of evil affected bodies, the body must be brought in frame; but if they be the more spiritual perturbations, or such turbulent commotions as we call properly the sickness of the mind, as anguish, slavish fear, sadness, & the like, these being of an aerial and subtle nature, do trouble and miscarry the temper, as the wind doth carry the calmest air and smoothest water against the rocks: So that for want of smooth waters to move on (if you will) a well-composed mind, the evidence of the Spirit, can neither be seen nor heard. Therefore these perturbations must be allayed by their opposite. Graces, (as I have showed) not quite taken away, with the Stoics, but they must be so tempered and allayed by grace, above the temper of the Platonists, that they may be as sinews to the motion of the Spirit, whereby evidence may be furthered, and not hindered. As for instance; an angry or wrathful disposition, is like choler, distasting or distempering the relish of the Spirit; or as the unnatural heat doth waste and consume the natural active heat that cometh from the heart; so the devouring heat of anger eateth up the evidence of the Spirit. The mind (as one saith) must be at peace in itself, if it look towards God: But if the heat of anger be turned into a holy zeal, tempered with discretion, it will consume that rubbish that lieth in the way of sense, and will be like a coach to carry the evidence or feeling of the Spirit to our Spirit in the time of prayer. Secondly, And so a habit of dulness or pensive heaviness, dulleth & flatteth the sense of the spirit in prayer, but a well set or moderate mournfulnesse, is that sowing in tears, which maketh us sensible in prayer to reap in joy. Lastly distracting and slavish fear doth weaken the sense of God's love towards us, but a reverend awe of the Majesty of God in prayer, will give thy soul assurance, that he is thy Father, and that by the power of the spirit, thou callest him so. Thirdly, As for the removeall of any reigning sin, I have spoke of it before, for continuance in that cannot stand with the Spirit of prayer; yea I am of that mind, that though David lost not the Spirit by his sin, it is probable that he prayed not scarce all the time that he lay in his sin. A third Mean to attain sense of the Spirit in prayer, is in thy disposition to the duty, and desire to be guided by the spirit, and not by the flesh & blood. In thine indisposition, or averse disposition, it will dissuade thee from praying at all, and that upon some show of probable ground, as that thou hast not the Spirit, thou canst not pray, God will not entertain it, If any be by thou mayst shame thyself, and bewray thee to be a man of no gifts; So thou hadst best let it alone till thou be fitted, God will accept of thy good intention, and better not pray at all, than not to pray excellently: But these, & the like be sophistical suggestions, whereunto if thou hearknest, thou neglectest thy duty, thou weaknest thy prayer by thy neglect, thou disacquaintest thyself with God, thou bewrayest a doting on thine own ability, thou interceptest God's opportunity of manifesting his strength in thy weakness, thou givest advantage to Satan, thou indangerest the very habit of prayer as much as in thee lieth; for from frequency of neglect thou mayst derelinquish the duty, or bring it to a bare presumptory performance. Lastly, there is nothing that weakeneth, depriveth, and opposeth sense more than this: for as a sedentary life; or sleeping after meat, bringeth a fat cold body to a Palsy or Lethargy, wherein sense and motion is often weakened or deprived; so the neglect of duty may endanger sense to a man's dying day. Therefore if thou canst not pray as thou wouldst, or as thou shouldst, pray yet as thou canst; God may be there and thou not aware of it: and when thou art least able, thou art most able; & when thou art most humble, thou art fittest for sense: & take this as the direction of the Spirit in many places besides the practice of the Saints: Eph. 6. 19 Pray always; Col. 4. 2. Continue in prayer: Rom. 12. 12. Watch and pray always: Luk. 21. 36 The meaning of which places we must not mistake (after the example of Euchytes the Psallian) that we must do nothing but pray, (for many evils would then arise) but that upon all occasions we should have something to say to God, especially as both ancient and modern observe, at the stinted times of duty, which though we change, yet we must not neglect or omit, whether private or secret. In a word, that of the Apostle in another case, though often by sin abused, will serve well here, 2. Tim. 4. 2 Be instant in season and out of season; that is, whether it please or please not: So whether thou art disposed or not disposed, go to, and do it; the Lord hath bidden thee. The fourth Mean in Prayer to obtain sense, is the labouring in Prayer to bring home Christ sensibly to the soul: This is the Spouses desire, I would lead thee, I would bring thee into my mother's house: And thus she doth indeed; I held him and would not let him go until I brought him into my mother's house; which is no other but to bring him into the heart, where he dwelleth by Faith. As the Conduit-pipe bringeth home water from the Fountain to the Cistern, so the Conduit of Faith bringeth home the Fountain of living water, even Christ himself, to the Cistern of the heart. As the eye of Faith in Prayer looketh for Christ, so the hand of faith bringeth him home, for faith is a thrifty grace, bringing all riches home to the soul. The want of this thrifty course maketh want of sense in our suits to God; for as the light of God's truth bringeth home to the soul the Mountain of his holiness, so the Spirit of Prayer bringeth home the Lord to the soul of an humbled sinner. If a man could fill the Censer with odours, and the heavens with Groanens, and labour not in particular for this Union or Contract between God & his Soul, God may be there with little or no immediate sense of his presence: Look then to the plying of this; for this will make thee to remove every thing that may displease the faithful witness, or weaken sense. A fifth Mean to procure sense, is a due notice-taking of God & ourselves in Prayer: The knowledge of ourselves, Moral, Natural, and Spiritual, casteth us quite out of ourselves, and leadeth us (as one saith) as it were by the hand to the knowledge of God; by which reflection or circular knowledge we come to be vile in our own eyes: It casteth out and keepeth out sin, making the Spirit rejoice to bear witness with our Spirits, that our Prayers are as odours of incense in his nostrils. Again, the Spiritual knowledge of God's Excellency, Sovereignty, all-sufficiency of all his Attributes and works, worketh a lively sense in the Suitor, because the bare natural or supernatural knowledge of God, be it as may be, will never beget any sense without that anointing eyesalve. This knowledge then of God's Excellency will countervail the sense of thine own unworthiness, his Sovereignty will command the rebellion thereof: His All-sufficiency supplieth thy wants; all his attributes, yea, even his justice (in Christ) serveth for thy good; This knowledge giveth thee not only (with the heathen) some light to see God in his Creatures. The truth of this passage appeareth plainly in Abraham his suit to God for Sodom; I have taken upon me, or begun to speak unto the Lord, and I am dust and ashes, whereby a reflective knowledge of God upon himself, he seeth and acknowledgeth himself to be nothing: yet by this is not discouraged but rather encouraged to continue his request, renewing it to the number of nine times, which he could never have done without the sense of the Spirits approbation. Our coming short herein maketh us come short of sense in Prayer, for either we examine not ourselves, and empty not ourselves of ourselves as we should, till we be vile in our own eyes, & therefore the Lord will not let us know that he taketh notice of us, till we take better notice of ourselves; or on the contrary, we fix both our eyes upon our own unworthiness, vileness, and insufficiency, where finding no matter of feeling, we drench ourselves in tears of despair with S. john, because there is nothing found in us worthy to give testimony: Rev. 5. 4. But we look not up to the Lion's power, nor the worth of the Lamb's blood, by which the sealed evidence of the Father's good will is opened or broken up to us, by whom the Odours or Prayers of the Saints are carried up to the Father, and to the Father's presence, and evidence of his presence is brought down into the soul. And this is the means to make us sing that new song with triumphant joy and melody in our heart, having God in Christ to be all in all unto us, though we be nothing of ourselves. The sixth and last sense-procuring Mean, is a close and constant holy walking with God in all our Thoughts, Words, & Actions, both in our general and particular calling. The guidance of the Spirit, Praying by the Spirit, and Evidence of the Spirit (in some measure) go usually together; (I say usually) because sometime the two first may be without the last, and that for causes best known to God, as some sin past, prevention of some sin, as spiritual pride, or the like; or for the trial of the patience of the Saints, and their continuance in Prayer, trusting in the Lord, although he should kill them: And truly I may say for the comfort of such, that though it be not so sweet a condition as that which is joined with sense, yet it is as happy & as sure a condition as that which is carried by sense, if all means for sense be used. Hither may I apply that saying of our Saviour to Thomas, joh 20. 29. Thou believest because thou seest, blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed: So, blessed are those that continue in Prayer, though they want the sense of assurance in Prayer. But to the matter in hand, close obedience out of Prayer, bringeth good Evidence in Prayer, not only as the effect, or as the fruit evidenceth the tree, but it challengeth the Spirit of promise to be with us in Prayer, to give Evidence and Approbation to his own Work: For as remiss walking in a Christian (though not absolutely lose) doth in some sort quench the Spirit and damp the evidence thereof in Prayer; so a close, strict, and holy walking with God, doth quicken and rejoice the Spirit, for that it is ready with cheerfulness to give joyful evidence, when we go about its particular business of Prayer. This walking with God (for which the Patriarches and Saints were commended) is nothing else (as the Author to the Hebrews expoundeth it) but a pleasing of God by faith and obedience: Now when we thus please him, he (according to his covenant made to Ahraham and his seed,) is with us in our requests, by giving us contentment of assurance. But our want of this, maketh weakness of Prayer, and want of assurance: Many men's affections are led captive and their judgements; we presume our ways to be God's ways, when they are none of his; by being strict in one of the Tables, we take liberty to transgress the other: The harmony of the Spirit is distempered by our disordered passions; we bear false witness against God in denying the Saints their due, out of a partial humour, and therefore it is just with God to withdraw his testimony from our requests, though we eagerly desire it. Lastly, the hearts of the most professing, are so overcharged with the cares of this life, that the Spirit also is overcharged with the dulness & deadness of their Prayers, whereby the duty hath small force with it and the evidence is suppressed: Therefore look to thy walking in every particular, if ever thou meanest to attain to assurance in thy Prayer. Other means I might deliver for the obtaining of sense, as due Preparation to Prayer, a Habit of holy ejaculations, but I have already spoke of the former, and will only add this, Withdraw thyself from all impediments, & prepare thyself with a reverend awe to meet thy God: And for the later, These holy breathe, as air, keep and clear the fire upon the hearth, whereby sense is kindled when thou settest upon the work: Also for help in this particular, the frequent use of secret Prayer will do well; David (as I have showed) sought the Lord three times a day; we should of necessity be twice a day with God at the least, besides going unto him upon other occasions, as hearing of the Word, or others, remembirng also to double our Sacrifice on the Lord's Day. And so much for the Means, which if the Lord dispose thy heart to use conscionably, thou canst not but obtain some good measure of assurance, that thou prayest by the Holy Ghost. 4 How a man should hold on in the duty without the sense of the Spirit. THe fourth particular head of of this Treatise, Quaest. shall be the satisfying a demand: If one feel not the assurance of the Spirit in Prayer, with what comfort or encouragement shall that party hold on in Prayer, or should he resolve to give over Prayer, as jeremy resolved to give over preaching? For answer, Ans. let such a one neither resolve so nor do so: As for motives of encouragement thereunto; First, thou must do it in conscience to the commandment, joined with a promise, Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee: What greater trouble then to be without sense of assurance in Prayer, and when is deliverance nigher than in great trouble? Secondly, remember that he, to whom thou goest, is a loving, kind, and compassionate Father, who pitieth his children, and will not suffer them to cry always without an answer, he will not hide his face for ever. If evil parents will give good things to their children, yea, and that to evil children: much more will he who is goodness itself give better things to such as he hath made partakers of his goodness. Thirdly, take encouragement from earnest desire of God's face that he hath put into thy heart which he never meaneth to frustrate, for he granteth the desires of his children. Thou art as surely happy (as I have showed) though not so sensibly happy, in hungering and thirsting after sense, as though thy soul were filled with sense: These desires are his own, and he will crown his own works with mercy & tender compassion; keep then but open thy mouth and heart in Prayer, and assuredly as he hath promised he will fill them with good things. Fourthly, comfort thyself with this thy desertion or want of sense; it may be it is not yet God's opportunity to show himself in the Mount, it may come in an hour which thou never didst look for. Fiftly, let the Wisdom of God stay thee in thy course, who hath all times and seasons in his hands, who knoweth when to shut and when to open: By which drawing his presence, he maketh thee to long the more after it, and the more thou wilt value it when thou hast it. Sixtly, let the examples of all God's children in this comfort thee: didst thou ever know or hear that ever any of them perished, but at length they found the thing they sought for? Lastly, let thine own experience teach thee to run thy race with patience, till thou dost obtain: For though thou hast not the sense of his presence, yet thou hast other fruits of his presence, as Holiness, Humility, Patience, Brotherly-love, Softness of heart, Tenderness of conscience, Psal. 4. Fear to displease, a Reverend awe of God, Hunger and Thirst after all righteousness. These, it may be, or some of these thou hast in a greater measure than some that have sense: But howsoever, these be the harbingers of sense, & where they take up the heart, there sense of assurance will be sure to lodge: Thou hast already that witness in thyself, namely the Spirit, and that Spirit will make thee know the things that are of God. 5 How such as want the the Spirit of Prayer should labour for it. THE fifth and last particular of this Treatise, is how men that want this Spirit of Prayer shall attain unto it; For all men have it not, not the elect till they be converted, although most think that every man in the face of the Church can pray, yet nothing less. It is true indeed that our blessed Saviour maketh intercession by his presence for the Elect, even before their conversion, witness himself; neither pray I for these alone, joh. 17. 20 but for them also that shall believe on me through their word: where the ancients observe, that Christ prayed not only for those that should hear the Apostles (for neither Abraham nor the Thief heard) but he prayed for all them that from the beginning of the world had believed or should believe: yet for all this he prayeth in none before they have the Spirit. Though Paul, an elect vessel, before his conversion had the Prayer of Christ, yet he prayed not for himself till he was transformed by the Spirit into the Image of Christ, by whose Spirit he began to pray, of the truth of whose Prayer Christ giveth this testimony; Act. 9 10. behold he prayeth: Unregenerate men may perhaps peruse this draught of Prayer, whereby as they come to see the necessity of Prayer, so they may discern the fallacy of the flesh and Satan's suggestions, in persuading men that they pray when they do nothing less, & hereupon they come to inquire, how they may attain to the true gift of Prayer? For answer, let them understand, first, that Prayer is no acquired gift by the industry of man, but an infused ability of the Spirit (as I have showed,) which God, out of the free motive of his love, poureth upon all and every one of his chosen, when he worketh that glorious change in them by the power of the Gopell. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth: So is every one that is borne of the Spirit. As this is spoken of the free and forcible mystery of man's conversion, incomprehensible by man's capacity, yet understood of faith; so this Spirit of supplication maketh free and forcible entry upon the heart of a convert, neither acquired, nor truly desired, nor understood by the best man in his natural estate, or most complete endowments, before his conversion. Further, since thou dost inquire also in thy case with those that came to job, what thou shouldst do, I answer, thou must know & ingeniously confess, that thou canst not pray at all; for men conceit that they can pray, when they can do nothing less: And this reachcheth not only to carnal professors, who hold it a heresy to doubt that they cannot pray to God, but also to close and formal hypocrites, yea temporary professors in the highest degree, whose hearts foully deceive them in this particular. The conceit of the proud Pharisee amongst the rest of his faults, that he could pray and none like him, spoiled him for ever from praying. To men so conceited that saying of the Physician well agreeth: When the minds of men are once taken up with false opinions, they make them not only deaf but also blind against the truth itself: yea further saith he, there is no tincture so indelible, staining the judgement of well ruled reason; for their arrogancy and ignorance combine themselves together: Even just so it is with men in this particular; yea I dare avouch that this conceit maketh such further off from prayer then profane Infidels that never offered to pray in all theit lives. It is related of a skilful Musician, that he took twice as much for teaching those that were evil taught, as for those that were not taught at all; because a false position in a science is a greater hindrance to the attainment thereof, than the pure privation of it: if ever then thou desirest to pray, confess ingeniously that thou canst not pray at all; know that thou art stark blind and lame, that thou mayst receive thy limbs and sight. In the next place, thou must lay to heart and be sensible of thy miserable and wretched condition, through want of this precious gift of prayer: this well considered will make thee at thy wit's end, and it will shake the sandy foundation of all thy endeavours, it will batter & take the fort of all thy vain confidence, it will cut the sinews of all thyself deceiving policy, it will faint the heart, and dead the very soul of all thy pale-faced hopes, it will embitter the sweetness of all thy ratsbane pleasures, it will mar the market of all thy possessions & treasures, it will bring off the hooks all thy jollity and mirth, it will make thee behold, as in a true glass, all thy jollity and mad mirth, it will let thee see the vanity of all thy great friends, favourites, supporters, lovers, acquaintance, yea the jovial companions. In a word, if thou wilt hold to it, it will give thee no rest till thou hast found some other footing for thy soul to rest on. To make all good, let me a little expostulate the matter with thee: What canst thou do in the day of thy distress, when trouble comes upon thee, like pain on a woman in childbirth? When thy conscience begins to roar, thy soul to faint, thy state to waste or be taken from thee by violence? Whither canst thou go? Wilt thou know what thou canst do? I know, & thou shalt know it, thou canst do just nothing for thyself that good is. If thou canst not pray, thou canst go no where at all out of thyself; to him thou canst not go that hath eternal life, for thou art not acquainted with him, thou hast no odours to fill the Censer, and therefore he hath nothing for thee but a Censer full of fire from the Altar to consume thee: here thou mayst know (if thou wilt) that thou art blind, and naked, miserable and wretched. But what is the remedy? where is the refuge? who is thy shelter in this thy distress? Surely if thou canst not pray, thou mayst look about thee, within thee, above thee, beneath thee, and find no remedy, refuge, or help: For thou hast no promise of all these in calling upon God, no promise of deliverance, as I have showed: yea instead thereof, thou hast the arrow of the Lords wrath drawn (even to the head) against thee; Ps. 50. 15. 79. 6. witness the Psalmist; power out thy wrathful heat against the heathen that know thee not, and upon the kingdoms that call not upon thy name. The very same phrase hath jeremy, calling them the Families that call not on thy name; jer. 10. 25. whether it be family, kingdom, or person, all is one. Further, what canst thou do for thy family, if famine, fire, plague▪ or fearful sickness come amongst them? If thou canst pray just so much as thou canst do for thyself, yea if they were all running to hell, which is worse than the former, thou neither canst nor wilt stay them, but rather hasten them thither. Observe this I beseech thee, as thou art husband or wife, parent or child, master or servant; what canst thou do for thy country, when the dismal day of calamity thickens in upon it as a cloud, and the evil threatened maketh haste. Deut. 32. 35. Though thou art the most civilised formalist in all the world, the closest hypocrite, the most glistering moralist, yea the most potent grandie for state and puissance in all the land, and yet canst not pray, thou makest many breaches, and openest many gaps to the betraying of the state and kingdom but thou canstnot for thy heart, by sword or counsel protect the State, from the least ensuing danger. An evil man may by God's employment be a fort or Cannon, yet he hath neither the promise nor any good by it: It is the poor wise man that by his wisdom delivereth the City, though no man regard him; for fools can do no good; & fools are all such as cannot pray: for they spend all time in learning strange language, but have never a word of the language of Canaan. Misery in sickness, & death with out prayer. Lastly, what canst thou do when sickness seizeth on the, and death, the last enemy looketh ghastly in thy face? Then all thy worldly confidence, policy, hopes, pleasures, profits, possessions, joviallity, mirth, favourers, friends (and what not) shall forsake thee: then one groan or sigh from the spirit, would bring thee better news from God, then if all the Prince's Ambassadors in in the world should salute thee Master, or their Sovereign and sole Monarch of the world: But this Embassy of prayer being wanting, what woe will be wanting, yea thou mayst wish the hills and mountains to overwhelm thee and cover thee from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne; but all in vain, if the Lord put not words in thy mouth, whereby he may be entreated, thou shalt either dye desperately like judas, or with thy heart dying within thee, like Nabal: So consider this straight wherein thou art, & this may put thee further on to set thine eyes towards the Lord. But some desperately may object Ob. (for such there be) if the sense of ones state that cannot pray, set him so upon the rack, it were better for such a one to content himself with such prayers as have served him hitherto, then by meddling after a new strain of prayer to make life uncomfortable and death intolerable. For answer, Answer the remedy is worse than the disease; for if such a one see it not in time, he shall see it will be one time or other, yea it may be out of time, greater horror. I have been the larger in this particular, that the terror of a non-suppliant estate might hasten him out of it, yea I think verily if such men would look well upon it, it might be a mean to bring many out of it. Thou must resolve in the third place if ever thou wouldst pray to break off thy sins, and to part with thy profaneness; for as I have showed, a sinful course & familiarity with God cannot consist or stand together: A corrupt tongue or leprous throat maketh a harsh noise in the ear of God: Prov. 15. 29. remember that the Lord is far from the wicked, and though they cry to him he will not hearken to them; Fourthly, thou must avoid and abandon all profane, idle, and unprofitable company; for as thy living in a corrupt air, or with contagious bodies, will increase the habit of thy corrupt disposition, till thou be utterly consumed; so lewd and wicked company will more and more contaminate thy soul, and spirit, so that thy breath shall stink worse and worse in the nostrils of God: As the soul in the Law that touched any abominable unclean thing, Leu. 21. and ate of the sacrifice, was to be cut off from God's people, so the conversing and familiarity with unclean & cursed company, cutteth a soul off, & keepeth it off from familiarity with God in prayer; Prov. 4. 14 Therefore (saith the wiseman) Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not into the way of evil men: Ps. 26. 5. 6. The Prophet David, washing his hands in innocency, that he might compass the Altar of the Lord, abandoneth all vain persons, & resolveth not to sit or converse with the wicked: for as thou must avoid evil company, and hate them that regard lying vanities, Pro. 13. 20. so thou must associate thyself to the godly. He that walketh with the wise shall be wise; hate the evil (saith the Prophet) and love the good. Amos. 5. 14. The merely moral man doth counsel thee to converse with such as will make thee better, as men by constant conversing with natives of a Nation do learn the language of the nation; so by sorting thyself with beggars thou mayst happily learn to beg. Fiftly, thou must entreat the godly earnestly to pray for thee, and to beg thee of the Lord, esteem much of their prayers, which be of that efficacy to convert a sinner from his ways, and to save a soul from death, hiding a multitude of sins. If thus thou dost, and God affecteth the hearts of his people to pray for thee, there is good hope that thou shalt come to pray for thyself and for others also; for the Son of many prayers can hardly perish: but so long as thou dost scoff & mock at the prayers of the Saints, or hast them in light esteem, the spirit of prayer or supplication will not come nigh thee. Yet with this begging of the prayers of the Saints, thou mayst learn to beg thyself. The people of Israel desired Samuel to pray for them when they had sinned; but they prayed also for themselves; but Pharaoh desired Moses to pray again and again for him, but he would never learn to pray for himself, neither did he at all desire Moses his prayer, Exod. 8. 8. till the hand of God was the second time upon him, for at the first he did not. A great many do never desire the prayers of God's people; if they desire them at all, it is not till God's hand be so heavy upon them, that they know not what to do. Sixtly, thou must attend the means of the word, read, preached and conferred upon, for thou shalt never learn to speak to God, except thou hearest God speak unto thee: he that turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be abomination; It is not a set manner in a secret corner, nor the best penned prayer that thou canst get by hart, without a diligent attendance on the word, especially preached, that ever will teach or enable thee to pray: For faith cometh by hearing; And because we believe therefore we speak: As the lame man in the Gospel lay still by the Pool of Bethesda (which was the means appointed for recovery) till the power of God had wrought upon him, so thou must still attend the means, till God smite the heart, unveil the eyes, touch and untie the tongue to this duty of prayer. Seventhly and lastly, inquire & learn of God's people, and they can tell thee what unvaluable profit, what sweet pleasures, what unspeakable consolation, what peace-passing understanding, what height of honour, what heaven of happiness, they find in this familiar conference, with God; ask and they will tell thee (as a Father observeth) that of all virtues they can find none but this compared to incense. Secondly, they can tell thee on experience, that it is the best guard against all assaults of Sin and Satan. All kind of Devils are kept out and cast out by this. When the evil Spirit came upon Saul, 1. Sam. 16. 23. David allayed and abandoned it by playing on his harp; that harp, saith one, was devout Prayer: Thirdly, if thou wouldst know what is the best trading, God's people will tell thee there is none like Prayer: For no state, time, place, person, or opposition, can intercept thrift if thou art disposed to pray; thou mayst ever be employing thy stock, and that with the return of increase; thou mayst gain more by Prayer, in one hour (as one saith well) than all the Merchants in the world in a thousand years. Fourthly, wilt thou know what is the very best physic? God's people can tell thee by experience, that none is like Prayer: It healeth the infirmities of the body, and the diseases of the soul, and the Prayers of the faithful shall save the Sickly, and the Lord shall raise them up, jam. 5. 15. and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him: Fiftly, if it be enquired what is the greatest honour that mortal man can obtain unto? Is it not this, for a man to talk familiarly with God as with his friend? And such honour have all the Saints, and they only: What honour were it for a poor, mean, despicable man to come to be so inward with a great Monarch to have his ear at his pleasure, and to go into the bedchamber when he list without repulse or interruption of any? So is it with God's favourites, how despicable, and despised soever they be amongst men: He that will be inward with God (saith one) let him pray frequently; let him read diligently; for when we speak with God, when we read or hear, God speaketh to us. Sixtly, if thou wouldst be provided of the best arms against thine enemies, of the best, safest refuge in distress, the speediest deliverance out of trouble, the Saints can assure thee upon experience, that there is none like this: witness Moses, Hester, jehosaphat and the rest. Seventhly, wouldst thou command all the arms of creatures, as heaven & earth and all the creatures therein, yea, even the Angels themselves, the people of God will teach thee, that Prayer is the only word of command. By this Elijah did open and shut the heavens; By this Moses tied and untied the hands of the Almighty; by this jacob made the Lord to stay with him, so that he could not depart till he had blessed him. Eighthly and lastly in a word, wouldst thou have a guide that might direct thee, and protect thee, assist thee, and never leave thee till thou art brought through this troublesome vale to the life of glory, the Saints can assure thee, that Prayer is the only mean to bring the guidance of the Spirit into the heart, and there to continue it, till thou comest to thy journey's end; these effects of Prayer who can choose but affect? Now if thou dost fall in love with the Fruits, thou mayst haply endeavour to get the Tree into the garden of thy soul, which will make all the ground fruitful. These rules being observed by thee, and the motives considered, thou art in a fair possibility, to come acquainted with God, by whose mercy & guidance I have been led along in this little Treatise: desiring for the Conclusion nothing but this, that God may have the honour, & his People the profit. FINIS.