Part 41

(1.) Repentance: This is necessary, because we are sinners; and as such, are to come into the presence of God with confession, joined with supplication which must be made with a penitent frame of spirit; the contrary to which, is a tacit approbation of sin, and a kind of resolution to adhere to it, which is very unbecoming those who are pleading for forgiveness: Accordingly, when God promised that he would _pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications_, he adds, that _they shall look upon him, whom they have pierced, and mourn for him_, or for it, _as one mourneth for his only son; and shall be in bitterness, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born_: And that this shall be done by _every family apart, and their wives apart_, Zech. xii. 10. _& seq._ So when _the priests, the ministers of the Lord_, are commanded to _pray_, that _he_ would _spare his people_; they, are, at the same time, to _weep between the porch and the altar, to rent their hearts, and turn unto the Lord their God_, Joel ii. 13. 17. And when Israel is advised to _take with them words_, and instructed how they should pray, they are exhorted to _turn unto the Lord_; to repent of their seeking help from Assyria and Egypt, and of that abominable idolatry which they had been guilty of, Hos. xiv. 1, 2, 3, 8.

Now there are several subjects very proper for our meditation; which may, through the divine blessing accompanying it, excite this grace, when we are engaged in the duty of prayer; particularly the multitude of transgressions which are charged on the consciences of men by the law, that _every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God_, Rom. iii. 19. and especially the ingratitude which we have reason to accuse ourselves of, and our contempt of Christ, and the way of salvation by him, which is discovered in the gospel; and our having done many things in the course of our lives, which fill us with shame and sorrow, whenever we come into the presence of God, to pour out our hearts before him in this duty.

(2.) The next grace to be exercised in prayer is, thankfulness, in which respect prayer and praise ought to be joined together: Thus the Psalmist says, _Praise waiteth for thee O God, in Zion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed, O thou that hearest prayer_, Psal. lxv. 1, 2. That this is a part of prayer has been observed under a foregoing answer; in which we considered the many blessings that we have reason to be thankful for. I shall only add, at present, that it is matter of thankfulness, that we have liberty of access to God, in hope of obtaining mercy from him, as sitting on a throne of grace, who might have been forever banished from his presence, or have been brought before his judgment-seat as criminals, doomed to everlasting destruction.

Moreover, we are to bless him, not only that we have leave to come before him, but have often experienced that he has heard, and answered our prayers, and therein has fulfilled that promise, _I said not to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain_, Isa. xlv. 19. And that we may be brought into a thankful frame, we ought to consider,

[1.] The worth of every mercy; especially those that are spiritual, or accompany salvation; and this we may judge of by the price that was paid for it, which is no less than the blood of Jesus; which the apostle not only styles _precious_, but speaks of it as infinitely preferable to every thing that is _corruptible_, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. And we may, in some measure, take an estimate thereof by the worth and excellency of the soul, and as it is conducive to promote its eternal welfare.

[2.] We are also to consider every saving blessing, as the fruit and result of everlasting love, and as the consequence of God’s eternal design, in having chosen those, who are the objects thereof, to salvation in Christ, Jer. xxxi. 3. Eph. i. 3, 4. We must also consider these mercies as discriminating, whereby God distinguishes his people from the world, and herein glorifies the riches of his grace, in those who deserve to have been, for ever, the monuments of his wrath: We might here consider, as an inducement to this grace of thankfulness, the aggravations of the sin of ingratitude.

_1st_, It is a virtual disowning our obligation to, or dependence on God, from whom we receive all mercies, and a behaving ourselves in such a manner as though we were not beholden to him for them, or could be happy without him; as though we were self-sufficient, and did not look upon him as the fountain of blessedness.

_2dly_, It is a refusing to give him the glory of his wisdom, power, goodness, and faithfulness, which are eminently displayed in the blessings that he bestows.

_3dly_, It is disagreeable to the large expectations we have of those blessings he has reserved for his people, or promised to them, or that hope which he has laid up for them in heaven. Therefore we cannot but conclude that ingratitude argues a person destitute of that holiness which eminently discovers itself in the exercise of the contrary grace: Accordingly the apostle joins these two characters together, when speaking of the vilest of men, whom he styles, _unthankful, unholy_, 2 Tim. iii. 2.

(3.) Another grace, to be exercised in prayer, is faith. This implies an habitual disposition of soul, proceeding from a principle of regenerating grace, whereby we are led to commit ourselves, and all our concerns, into Christ’s hand, depending on his merits and mediation for the supply of all our wants, considering him as having purchased, and as being authorized to apply, all the benefits of the covenant of grace, which are the subject-matter of our supplications to him. More particularly, faith exerts and discovers itself in prayer,

[1.] By encouraging the soul, and giving it an holy boldness to draw nigh to God, notwithstanding our great unworthiness. If we are afraid to come into the presence of an holy God, and, destruction from him is a terror to us, if the threatnings he has denounced against sinners, such as we know ourselves to be, discourage us from drawing nigh to him, so that we are ready to say with Job, ‘Therefore am I troubled at his presence; when I consider, I am afraid of him,’ Job xxiii. 15. If his almighty power, that can easily sink us into perdition, overwhelms our spirits, and fills us with the utmost distress and confusion, so that we cannot draw nigh to him in prayer, considering him as an absolute God; we are encouraged by faith, to look upon him as our covenant God, and Father in Christ; and then all his divine perfections will afford relief to us. His sin-revenging justice is regarded by faith, as that which is fully satisfied by Christ’s obedience and sufferings; and therefore will not demand that satisfaction at our hands, which it has already received from our surety, who was ‘made sin for us’ though he ‘knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,’ 2 Cor. v. 21. His infinite power is no longer looked upon, as engaged to destroy us, but rather to succour us under all our weakness; and therefore, as Job says, ‘He will not plead against us with his great power; no, but he will put strength in us,’ Job xxiii. 6. We consider it as ready to support us under the heaviest pressures, and so enable us to perform the most difficult duties, and to overcome all our spiritual enemies, who would be otherwise too strong for us: So that this attribute is so far from discouraging us from drawing nigh to God in prayer, that, by faith, we behold it as delighting to exert and glorify itself, in doing those great things for us which we have in view, when we engage in this duty.

[2.] Faith discovers itself in prayer, by enabling us to plead, and apply to ourselves, the great and precious promises which God has given to his people in the gospel. As prayer cannot subsist without a promise, so we are enabled, by faith, to apprehend and plead the promises, and to say, ‘Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope,’ Psal. cxix. 49. And hereby we look upon God as ready to bestow the blessings which he has promised, and his faithfulness as engaged to make them good. Accordingly the Psalmist says, ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications; in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness,’ Psal. cxliii. 1. There is nothing that we want, or ought to pray for, but there are some promises, contained in the word of God, which faith improves and takes encouragement from in this duty: And since what we pray for, respects either temporal, or spiritual, and eternal blessings, these are looked upon by faith as promised; as the apostle says, _godliness has the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come_, 1 Tim. iv. 18. This might be very largely insisted on, and many instances given hereof, which are contained in scripture; but I shall more especially consider those promises which respect God’s enabling us to pray, and his hearing and answering our prayers, which faith lays hold on, and improves, in order to our performing this duty in a right manner.

_1st_, There are promises of the Spirit’s assistance to enable us to pray. This the apostle calls his _making intercession for us, according to the will of God_, in Rom. viii. 27. And our Saviour says, in Luke xii. 13. _If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?_

_2dly_, There are other promises that respect God’s hearing and answering prayer. Thus it is said, in Psal. lxxxvi. 7. _In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee for thou wilt answer me_: And elsewhere in Psal. cii. 17. _God will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer._ This is considered as being of a very large extent: Thus our Saviour says, in John xvi. 23. _Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name, he will give it you_: And in chap. xv. 7. _If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you_: Which universal expressions of God’s giving believers _what they will_, are to be understood of his granting their lawful and regular desires; and, indeed, faith will never ask any thing but what tends to the glory of God, and that with an entire submission to his will; though it is far otherwise with respect to those prayers that are not put up in faith.

Moreover God has promised to hear and answer all kinds of prayer, provided they proceed from this grace; particularly, united prayers in the assemblies of his saints, as he says to Solomon, after the dedication of the temple, in 2 Chron. vii. 15. _Mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place_; and those prayers that are put up to God in families, where a small number are joined together; though it be but _two or three_, Christ has promised to be _in the midst of them_, xviii. 20. not only to assist them in this duty, but to give them what they ask for. There are also promises made to secret prayer: Thus when our Saviour encourages his people to _pray to their Father, which is in secret_, he tells them, _My Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly_, chap. vi. 6.

Here it will be enquired, whether it be necessary in order to our praying by faith, that we be assured, at all times, that our prayer shall be heard.

To this it may be answered,

_1st_, That it is not our duty to believe that every prayer shall be heard; for God heareth not sinners, that is, those who are under the reigning power of sin, and consequently are destitute of the grace of faith; nor will he hear those _prayers_ that _proceed from feigned lips_: Thus it is said, _If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me_, Psal. lxvi. 18.

_2dly_, It is not the duty of those who have the truth of grace, to believe that their prayer shall be heard, when, by reason of their infirmity, or the weakness of their faith, they ask for that which is unlawful, and not redounding to the glory of God and their real good.

_3dly_, If what we pray for may be for the glory of God, and redound to our advantage; yet it is not our duty to determine, with too great peremptoriness, that he will certainly grant what we ask for, immediately, or in that particular way which we desire; since he may answer prayer, and yet do it in his own time and way.

_4thly_, It is not our duty to believe assuredly, that God will give us all those temporal blessings that we ask for; especially if they be not absolutely necessary for us, since he may answer such-like prayers in value, though not in kind, and so give spiritual blessings, instead of those temporal ones, which we pray for; in which case none will say, that he is unfaithful to his promise, though we have not those blessings in kind that we desire: Therefore it is our duty, and the great concern of faith in prayer, to be assured, that as God knows what is best for us, so he will make good his promises, in such a way, that we shall have no reason to conclude ourselves to have been disappointed, or that we have asked in faith, but have not obtained.

I am sensible that there is a difficulty in the mode of expression used by the apostle James, in chap. i. 6, 7. _But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord_: By which, the apostle does not intend, that he who doubts whether his prayer shall be answered, cannot be said, in any sense, to pray in faith; for, as assurance of our salvation is not of the essence of faith, so that faith cannot subsist without it; in like manner assurance, or a firm persuasion that the very thing we ask shall be given, is not such an essential ingredient in prayer, as that we should determine, that for want of it, we shall receive nothing that is good from the Lord. Therefore, I conceive, that the apostle, by _wavering_ in this text, rather respects our being in doubt about the object of faith; or else our not being stedfast in the grace of faith, but praying with hypocrisy, as he illustrates it by the similitude taken from a _wave driven with the wind_; which sometimes moves one way, at other times the contrary; and he farther explains it, when he says, in ver. 8. _a double-minded man, is unstable in all his ways_; so that the person, whom he describes as wavering is the same with a _double-minded man_, or an hypocrite: Such an one cannot ask in faith; therefore the apostle does not hereby intend that no one can exercise this grace in prayer, but he that has a full assurance that his prayer shall be answered, in that particular way and manner as he expects.

_Obj._ 1. It is objected by some, that they have no faith; therefore since this grace must be exercised in prayer, they are very often discouraged from performing the duty of prayer.

_Answ._ That though the want of a prepared frame of spirit, for any duty affords matter of humiliation, yet it is no excuse for the neglect thereof; and as for prayer in particular, we are to wait on God therein, for a prepared frame of spirit, that by this means, we may draw nigh to him in a right manner, as well as for a gracious answer from him.

[2.] If we cannot bring glory to God by a fiducial pleading of the promises, or applying them to ourselves; we must endeavour to glorify him by confessing our guilt and unworthiness, and acknowledging that all our help is in him.

[3.] It is possible for us to have some acts of faith in prayer, when we are not sensible thereof, and at the same time, bewail our want of this grace.

[4.] If none were to pray but those who have faith, then it would follow that none must pray for the first grace, which supposes a person to be in an unregenerate state; nevertheless, such are obliged to perform this duty, as well as they can, and therein to hope for that grace which may enable them to do it as they ought.[109]

_Obj._ 2. It is objected by others, that though they dare not lay aside the duty of prayer, yet, inasmuch as they do not experience those graces, which are necessary for the right performance thereof, nor any returns of prayer, they have no satisfaction in their own spirits.

_Answ._ To this it may be replied;

_1st_, That there may be faith in prayer, and yet no immediate answer thereof. God herein acts in a way of sovereignty, whereby he will have his people know that if he grants their requests, it shall be in his own time and way. Therefore it is their duty to wait for him till he is pleased to manifest himself as a God hearing prayer, and thereby removing the discouragements that, at present, they labour under.

_2dly_, There are other ways by which the truth of grace is to be judged of, besides our having sensible answers of prayer. Sometimes, indeed, God may give many intimations of his acceptance of us, though, at present we know it not.

(3.) The next grace to be exercised in prayer, is, love to God: This implies in it an earnest desire of his presence, delight in him, or taking pleasure in contemplating his perfections as the most glorious and amiable object. Desire supposes him, in some measure, withdrawn from us; or that we are not possessed of that complete blessedness, which is to be enjoyed in him; and delight supposes him present, and, in some degree, manifesting himself unto us. Now love to God, in both these respects, is to be exercised in prayer. Is he in any measure withdrawn from us? we are, with the greatest earnestness to long for his return to us, whose loving-kindness is better than life. Is he graciously pleased, in any degree, to manifest himself to us as the fountain of all we enjoy or hope for? this will have a tendency to excite our delight in him, and induce us to conclude that our happiness consists in the enjoyment of him. These graces are to be exercised at all times, but more especially in prayer, which is an offering up of our desires to God; in which we first press after the enjoyment of himself, and then of his benefits. And, as we are to bless and praise him for the discoveries we have of his glory, in and through our Lord Jesus Christ, in order to the securing our spiritual good and advantage; this is to express that delight in him, which is the highest instance of love.

(4.) Another grace to be exercised in prayer, is submission to the will of God; whereby we leave ourselves and our petitions in his hand, as being sensible that he knows what is best for us. This does not include in it a being indifferent whether our prayers are heard or no; for that is to contradict what we express with our lips, by the frame of our spirits. Whatever may be concluded to be lawful for us to ask, as redounding to our advantage, and is expressly promised by God, that we ought to request at his hand, in prayer; and if we pray for it, we cannot but desire that our prayer may be heard and answered; and this is not opposed to that submission to the divine will, which we are speaking of, provided we leave it to God to do what he thinks best for us, being content that the way and manner of his answering us, as well as the time of his bestowing those blessings which we want, together with the degree thereof; especially if they are such as are of a temporal nature, ought to be resolved into his sovereign will. Thus concerning the graces that we are to exercise in prayer.

There are other things mentioned in this answer, which are necessary to our exercising those graces, _viz._ our minds being enlightened, our hearts enlarged, and our having sincerity in the inward part.

[1.] There must be some degree of understanding, since ignorance is so far from being, as the Papists pretend, the mother of devotion, that it is inconsistent with the exercise of those graces, with which we ought to draw nigh to God in prayer. The affections, indeed, may be moved, where there is but a very little knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel; but they will, at the same time, be misled; and this can no more be called religious devotion than the words or actions of one that is in a phrenzy, can be called rational; therefore, as prayer is unacceptable without the exercise of grace, so grace cannot be exercised without the knowledge of the truth, as derived from the sacred treasury of scripture.

Here we might consider, that we must know something of God who is the object of prayer, as well as of all other acts of religious worship. We must also know something of Christ the Mediator, through whom we have access to, as well as acceptance with him; and something of the work and glory of the Holy Ghost, on whom we are to depend for his assistance in presenting our supplications to God. We must know our necessities, otherwise we cannot tell what to ask for; and also the promises of the gospel, otherwise we cannot be encouraged to hope for an answer.

[2.] In order to our exercising grace in prayer, we must have some degree of enlargedness of heart; that is, when every thing that tends to contract our affections, abate the ferfency of our spirits, or hinder that importunity which we ought to express for the best of blessings, is removed. Now our hearts may be said to be enlarged in prayer.

_1st_, When we draw nigh to God in this duty with delight and earnest longing after his presence, and an interest in his love, which we reckon preferable to all other blessings.

_2dly_, When we are affected with a becoming sense of his glorious perfections, and our own nothingness, in order to our adoring him, and coming before him with the greatest humility.

_3dly_, When we have suitable promises given in, and are enabled to plead them with a degree of hope, arising from the goodness and faithfulness of God, that he will fulfil them; and that more especially as we draw nigh to him as to a covenant-God.

_4thly_, When our thoughts and affections are engaged without wandering, weariness, or lukewarmness, and filled with importunity, agreeable to the importance of the duty, and our absolute need of the blessings we pray for.

[3.] In order to our exercising those graces, which are necessary for our drawing nigh to God aright in prayer, we must have sincerity of heart: This includes in it much more than what is generally so called, as opposed to dissimulation, in those who perform some good actions merely to be seen of men, or who take up religion to answer some base and vile end, which they have in view; in which respect a sincere person is one that is no dissembler: But that sincerity, which we are speaking of, consists in a person’s acting from a principle of grace implanted in regeneration; or when a person can appeal to God, as Job does, _Thou knowest that I am not wicked_, Job x. 7. that is, that there is no reigning sin, whereby my heart is alienated from, or set against thee. A sincere person is such an one as our Saviour describes, when he speaks of Nathaniel, and gives him this character, _Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile_, John i. 48. In this case a person’s heart and actions go together; and he may truly say, as David does, _attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips_, Psal. xvii. 1. Thus concerning the graces that are to be exercised in prayer, and what is necessary in order thereunto.