Why we are to pray ‘with all perseverance 2/2

  (1.) He usually pays them use for their forbear­ance.  The longer they pray, the more redundant the mercy is when it comes.  Such a mercy, that comes as an answer of persevering prayers, is compared to the husbandman’s gains at harvest, which abundantly recompenseth his whole year’s patience. ‘In due season we shall reap, if we faint not,’ Gal. 6:9.  The breast is filling for the child while the mother is sleeping.  God sometimes seems to sleep and forget his poor children that cry to him, but he is preparing the fuller mercy for them.

           (2.) Such mercies are got with longest and great­est difficulties, they come with sweetest manifesta­tions of divine love: ‘O woman, great is thy faith,’ Matt. 15:28.  This poor woman had not her request so soon granted as some others, but she lost nothing by it; for, with the recovery of her child—which was all her errand—she carries away with her a high testi­mony from Christ’s own mouth to the truth and emi­nency of her grace.  She who was at first called a dog is at last owned for a dear child.

           (3.) Such mercies as are the issue of persevering prayers, they are received usually with more joy and thankfulness than others.  Partly they are so, because the Christian's desires are more intense and sharp by long staying and earnest praying for them—and so he tastes more sweetness in the mercy, as he that comes hungry from a long journey at plough relisheth his food better than another that hath not whetted his appetite with any labour or exercise; and also because such mercies give disappointment to the Christian’s many fears, which their long stay occasioned.  When God is long a coming, we are prone to question whether he will come at last or no: ‘Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?  Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?’ Ps. 77:7, 8.  See how many sad thoughts gathered about this good man’s heart; which, though they did not overthrow his chariot of prayer, yet clog­ged his wheels, and made him drive with a heavy heart.  Now, for a mercy to break out of so dark a cloud, it must needs bring such a glory with it as to ravish the soul with joy and enlarge it into thank­fulness.  Those judgments amaze and dispirit sinners most which come after long peace and prosperity, when they think the danger is over and bitterness of death is even past; as in Haman’s case, who was sent to the gallows after he had vaunted how he was invi­ted to the queen’s banquet.  This strange turn of his affairs made it a double death to him.  So, mercies that surprise the saint after he hath prayed long, and can hear no tidings that they are on their way, O how it affects his heart with joy and gratitude!  The church had prayed ‘without ceasing’ for Peter in prison, but still he is there, even to the very time when Herod would have brought him forth—probably to his exe­cution.  Now, when he came himself to bring the joyful news their prayers were heard—while they were instant at the work—it is said ‘they were astonished,’ Acts 12:16.

           (4.) They were usually more holily used and im­proved.  For God holds his people long at prayer for a mercy many times for this very end—to prepare and season their hearts, that, when they have it, they may know the better how to employ it for his glory and their own good.  None are more careful to husband a great estate than those who are at most pains to get it. Hannah prayed long for a son, but none is given. This makes her add a vow to her prayer: ‘If thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life,’ I Sam. 1:11.  Happy was it for this good woman she had not her desire sooner.  If she had received him at first, haply she had never given him back to God again.  The Lord sometimes forbears to give a mercy to us, only to get us deeper into bonds to lay it out for him when we have it.

           (5.) The last advantage that comes to the Chris­tian by perseverance in prayer is, when the mercy is at last denied.  And it is this—it will enable and dispose him to bear the denial more meekly and holily than another.  He that is short‑spirited, and cannot wait on God for a mercy, will not easily submit to him in a denial; whereas, he that keeps up a spirit of prayer for it, when God comes to take away the subject of his prayer, will acquiesce, now he sees God hath fully de­clared his will in the thing.  David and Job are preg­nant instances for this.  Job lets not a day pass without prayer for his children; and how does the man behave himself when they are slain?  Doth he fret and fume?  Doth he curse God for making them a sacrifice for whom he had offered so many sacri­fices?  No; he meekly submits to his holy will; he opens not his mouth against him, but in praises to him.  So David, when his child was dead—for whom, while living, he ceased not passionately to pray—to show how well satisfied he was with divine provi­dence, he washeth his blubbered cheeks, puts off his mourning apparel, and goes to the house of God to worship, II Sam. 12:20. Prayer is a great heart‑easer; it breathes out those distempered passions which, being bound up in others, break out when God at any time crosseth them in their wills.

Why we are to pray ‘with all perseverance 1/2

           Second.  I proceed to the second thing prom­ised, viz. to show why we must pray ‘with all perse­verance;’ which take in these particulars:—
           First.  It is strictly commanded.  ‘Pray without ceasing,’ I Thes. 5:17; that is, without fainting.  So our Saviour, Luke 18:1, ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’  Mark, not only that they might, but ‘ought.’  It is indeed a high privilege to us, and a low stoop in the high God, to give us leave thus to lie at his door, and to suffer the cry of our prayers to be ever sounding his ears.  We, I ma sure, could not like to have beggars knocking day and night at our doors; but so infinitely good is God, that he doth not only allow us this bold­ness, but also commands it,that the fear of a sin might move us, if the loss of a privilege will not.
           Second.  This perseverance in prayer is highly recommended.  Indeed perseverance crowns every grace and commends every duty.  It is not our faith and hope, but to ‘hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end,’ that God looks at, Heb. 3:6.  Not the seeming zeal and swiftness of our motion in the ways of God at our first start and setting forth, but the constancy of a well-breathed soul in holding on his course till the race be finished, that Christ commends: ‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed,’ John 8:31.  So in prayer.  Not the short spurts of an inconstant zeal, that begins to pray as they say the French do to fight —like thunder and lightning, but if the first charge carries it not, then they quail, and are quite cowed in their spirits.  No; it is not this soft metal, whose edge is thus easily turned, that God likes in prayer, but a zeal tempered and hardened so with resolution that makes it cut through all delays and difficulties.  This God highly commends.  It got Jacob the name of a prince, so nobly he behaved himself in this duty, holding it out till break of day with God, and then would not let him go till he had blessed him.
           Third.  It is that which God intends by his delays and seeming denials.  Why deals he thus with his people?  Surely it is to put their graces to the trial, whether they will quit the siege for a few repulses or fall on with more courage.  He holds his peace, to make them cry the louder; steps aside, to make them hunt more eagerly after him.  He lays blocks before the wheel of their prayers, to try their mettle how well they will draw, when it seems a dead pull, and the mercy comes not at their prayer.  Now two things God aims at by his people’s perseverance in prayer.  1. His own glory.  2. Their advantage.  These two are never severed.

1. His own glory.  What fairer occasion can the Christian have in his whole life to honour God, than by holding fast his integrity, and keeping his alle­giance to God firm, when he seems to be neglected, yea, forsaken of him?  Certainly God would never have put Job to so much trouble, nor have made him pray and stay so long for the gracious issues of his providence, but to glorify himself in the faith and patience of his faithful servant.  ‘Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord,’ saith the apostle James, ch. 5:11.  Truly, we could not have heard so much of his patience, if we had not heard so much of his troubles.  Had God put an end sooner to them, he might have found more ease, but not God more honour.  This was it that God was pleased with and counted himself highly honoured by —that Satan with all his wits and wiles could not make Job give over praying, much less fall of cursing God; no, not when God broke him with his tempest, and seemed not to regard him or his prayers.  It pleaseth us most when our prayers make the shortest voyage—when they are at heaven and back again with and answer quickly; but it glorifies God most when he lays an embargo—as I may so say—upon our prayers, that no answer comes from heaven to us, and yet we will send more after them, as Jacob did Benjamin after his other son, who was then prisoner in Egypt. When the poor soul will not be taken off the duty by any intervening discouragements, but presseth harder upon God from his seeming denials, this is indeed to give glory to God.  ‘Blessed is he that hath not seen, and yet’ thus ‘believeth.’
2. God, by his people’s persevering long in prayer before he gives in his gracious answer, intends their advantage.

         

THE CONSTANCY PROPER TO PRAYER - With all perseverance

These words, ‘with all perseverance,’ contain the fifth branch in the apostle's directory for prayer—the constancy proper to prayer—which I shall despatch briefly in these four heads.  First. By giving the importance of this phrase, ‘all perseverance.’  Second. By giving the reason why we are to pray ‘with all perseverance.’  Third. I shall cast in some considerations to move us to the duty.  Fourth. Wind up the discourse with a word of counsel and direction for the help of the weak Christian therein.
Importance of the phrase ‘with all perseverance.’   First.  Let us explain the importance of the phrase ‘with all perseverance.’  Here is perseverance, yea ‘all perseverance,’ required in prayer.  First. Let us inquire what is meant by ‘perseverance.’  Second. What is meant by ‘all perseverance.’
First.  What is meant by ‘perseverance.’  The word BD@F6"DJXD0F4H here used comes from 6"D­JÎH, the same with 6D"JÎH—a letter only transposed to melt the sound.  It signifies strength and victory; hence its compound BD@F6"DJ,D,Ã<, is to prosecute any business with an unwearied constancy till all dif­ficulties be conquered and the thing at last be ac­complished.  It is used for the diligence and labour of hunting dogs that follow the chase till at last they get the game pursued; it is applied also to lackeys that with great labour run after their masters and are at their hand in a journey.  In Scripture it is frequently applied to the duty of prayer, as Acts 6:4; Col. 4:2; Rom. 12:12, and signifies that invincible patience, courage, and constancy which a Christian is to show in up­holding this duty of prayer.
Question.  But are ‘praying always’ in the begin­ning of this verse, and this ‘praying with persever­ance,’ the same?  If not, wherein lies the difference?
Answer.  It cannot be thought the apostle, being giving directions for prayer, would let them interfere one with another, and in so short a space repeat the same direction over again in other words; the rest are all distinct, so therefore will we take these.  Calvin makes this to be the difference:—By ‘praying always,’ saith he, he exhorts us to pray in prosperity as well as adversity; and not then to intermit the practice of this duty because not driven to it by such outward pres­sing necessities.  But, by ‘praying with perseverance,’ admomet ne defatigemur, instandum esse alacri ani­mo; infracto studio continuandas esse preces, si non statim consequamur quod volumus—he admonisheth that we be not weary of the work; but continue instant and constant in its performance, though we have not presently what we pray for.  By ‘praying always,’ we are exhorted to the daily constant exercise of the duty of prayer, not to neglect the seasons the seasons for prayers as they return upon us.  By ‘praying with per­severance,’ we are pressed to bear up against discour­agements as to any particular suit or request we make at the throne of grace, and not to give over though we have not a speedy answer to it.  So that the former is opposed to a neglect of duty in its stated seasons, and the latter to a fainting in our spirits as to any par­ticular suit we put up.  We may keep our constant course of prayer, and yet not persevere in prayer for this or that mercy, which God withholds sometime for the exercise of our grace.
Second. I shall show what is meant by ‘all perseverance.’

1. By ‘allperseverance’ is meant such a perse­verance as holds out to the end—till God doth give the thing we pray for, or takes away the subject of our prayer, as he did in David’s case for his sick child by his death.  It is possible a soul may continue long, yet at last faint when it sees the time for answering still protracted.  God still stays, and no news of his com­ing, after many a despatch sent to heaven upon that occasion.  O it is hard to hold up our hands, with Moses, ‘to the going down of the sun!’  Christ com­plains how rare and scarce such a faith is to be found, when he bears long before he throws in the mercy prayed for.  ‘Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ Luke 18:8. Shall he find so much faith as to keep his people at prayer in expectation of his coming to their relief?
2. By ‘allperseverance’ is meant a perseverance of the whole man in prayer.  We must not only persevere to hold up the outward performance of the duty of prayer; but persevere to exert the inward pow­ers of our souls and their graces in the duty.  The duty may be kept up, and the heart be down in per­forming it.  The faith, zeal, and other graces of the soul may be gone or act but feebly.  Like an army that hath not yet quitted the field, but their powder and are even all spent; there they stand, and set a good face on it, but can do little or nothing to offend the enemy or defend themselves.  Thus many in afflic­tions pray still.  They have not yet given over the duty and run out of the field.  But alas! their faith fails and their heart quails; there is little life and vigour to be seen in the performance.  Here is some kind of perse­verance, but not this ‘all perseverance,’ which above all requires the perseverance of grace in its actings at the duty.  So we translate the word, Rom. 12:12.  What is here 'with perseverance,’ is there ‘continuing in­stant in prayer;’ the word is BD@F6"DJ,B@Ø<J,H. Some are ‘instant,’ but it lasts not.  If they find the mercy comes, they draw hard; but if their chariot of prayer be set, and after a pull or two the mercy comes not, their faith jades, and they give over the work. Others are constant, but not instant; they continue to pray, but pray themselves cold; they grow lifeless and listless in the work, as if they looked for nothing to come of it.  We must join both together, or expect benefit from neither.

Shall thy enemy be awake to seek to cut thy throat, and wilt not thou rise to save it?

           (3.) Consider wicked men are awake, and hard at work for Satan and their lusts.  The philosopher blushed that the smith should be up and have his hammer in his hand before he had his book.  O may it not put the Christian to shame! Consider how watchful the men of the world are to follow their worldly business.  Do they not rise early, and go to bed late, grudging the very time that is spent to re­fresh nature in the night with sleep, so bent they are upon their carnal projects!  The philosopher observed this, and shamed himself for suffering the smith to be at his anvil in the morning sooner than he was at his book.  O Christian! should it not make thee blush much more to see the whole town up and as busy as bees about a garden, one flying this way, another that way—and all to bring a little more of this world’s perishing pelf into their hive, out of which death, ere long, will smoke them, and force them to leave what with so much pains they have gathered for others they know not who, possibly their greatest enemies—while thou, Christian, sleepest away thy precious time, though thou art sure to carry thy gettings into the other world with thee,, and there enjoy the fruit of thy short labour here with everlasting glory!  Nay, con­sider how watchful the wicked are to take all oppor­tunities to pursue their works of darkness.  The adul­terer watcheth for the twilight to meet his minion; and wilt not thou watch unto prayer, that thou mayest fill thy soul with spiritual loves in communion with thy God?  The thief is up at midnight to get his prey; and wilt not thou break thy rest a little for to obtain a richer treasure than is to be found in the coffers of the richest princes that the world boasts of?  Shall these be at so much pains to satisfy their lusts, and thou take none to honour and enjoy thy God?  O what a shame was it to the heavy-eyed disciples that they could not watch to pray with their Master, when Judas that bold traitor was so wakeful to be up in the dead of the night to betray him into his murderers’ hands!

           (4.) Consider how short the time is that thou art desired to watch.  ‘Could you not watch with me one hour?’ saith Christ,’ Matt. 26:40.  Ere long, Christian, thou shalt be called off thy guard, and then thou shalt have all rest, though no sleep.  It is but for this short life thou art put to stand upon this hard duty; and is that so long?  Others do not count it so.  O how soon is a day, a year, yea a life, passed at play or sin?  The great complaint that such make is, ‘Time is short.’ They wish they could clip its wings, and take off the weights from this clock that make it post away so fast. Is time so short and sweet to spend in sin, and can it be tedious to thee to bestow it in devotion?  Why should an hour in the closet be thought by a saint long, when day and night spent in an ale-house is too short for the sinner?  But, above all, consider whether it be not better to watch and pray here on earth for a few days than to wake and roar in hell under endless and easeless torments!

           (5.) Consider seriously how great a loser thou hast been already in thy heavenly trade for want of watching.  It is with the Christian as with some negli­gent merchant, who takes notice of some one loss of a round sum that befalls him—may be some hun­dreds at a clap.  At this he cries he shall be undone; but regards not the pence and shillings that he idly spends, nor considers his loss which follows upon his daily negligence.  Here his estate melts insensibly, and he is not aware of it; whereas, would he count what in this dribbling way is lost by retail, he might find it amounts to more than the other.  Thus the Christian sometimes is troubled for one great sin into which he hath fallen—and that not without reason —but withal, he observes not how he neglects this duty to-day, and negligently performs that at another time; how he now prays coldly for want of due prepar­ation, and what little fruit comes of another for want of watchfulness after it; whereby in time he falls low, though with an easy descent, step by step; whereas, if he could bring the several items of these his particular losses together, he would find them swell into a sad reckoning, except with these his losses he hath also lost—which is the greatest—the tenderness of his conscience.  Now, Christian, hast thou not a mind to thrive at last?  And shall a careless Christian add to his stock?  Did you ever go by the sluggard’s field and not find it overgrown with thorns?  Wouldst thou but be persuaded to make it thy business daily to watch thy heart—how thou prayest, and how thou walkest after thou hast been at prayer—thou shouldst find a blessed change in thy spiritual affairs.  This strictness will at first be uneasy, like a new suit; but every day that will wear off, and a sweet facility follow when thou shalt see thy gains come trowling in by it.  He that finds how well he is paid for his diligence by the increase of his estate, will not grudge the sluggard his ease when he shall see him walk by his door in rags. It was the saying once of a rich man, who, by God’s blessing on his diligence, had raised a vast estate, that at his first setting up in the world he got a little with much trouble, but afterwards he got his great gains with little trouble.  And thou, Christian, wilt find the same in thy spiritual trade.  Thy trouble will be most at first, but thy gains most at last; and the trouble less, because the way of godliness, by use and experience, will be naturalized to thee, and conse­quently become easy and delightful.

           (6.) Consider what others lose by thy not watch­ing.  He that lives in a town wrongs his neighbour as well as himself by not looking to his fence: thus one Christian may injure many by not keeping his own watch.

           (a) Thy very example is a wrong to others, for this sleepy disease is catching; thy loose conversation may make others so, as one learns to yawn of another. It s no small blessing to to live among active Chris­tians, whose zeal and forwardness in the ways of God is exemplary; this puts mettle in those that follow them; the heavenly holy conversation of a master is a help to the whole family.

           (b) Thou indisposest thyself for doing thy duty to them.  We are commanded to watch over one another in love, as those that are concerned in our brethren’s welfare.  Now, how unfit is he to watch over others that doth not watch himself? to ‘provoke to love and to good works,’ who needs himself the spur?  Can one asleep wake another that is so?

           (7.) Lastly, Consider Christ’s care over thee. Look upon him in his providence.  That eye which neither sleeps by night nor slumbers by day is thy constant keeper.  Consider him in his intercession. There he prays for thee, ‘watching thereunto with all perseverance.’  It is his trade and business in heaven, for he lives to make intercession for his saints.  Con­sider him in his Spirit.  What is he but Christ’s mes­senger sent as our guardian to take care of the saints in his absence?  In a word, consider him in the gospel ministry, which is set up for this very purpose, to ‘watch for your souls.’  Yea, every private saint hath a charge to be his brother's keeper.  This well consid­ered would make thee,

           (a) Watchful to promote his glory that so care­fully provides for thy safety.  What put David into such a rage against Nabal but the disrespect that his servants found at his hands to whom he had been so serviceable?  ‘In vain have I kept all that this fellow hath.’

           (b) It would make thee the more watchful over thy own soul, if thou hast so much ingenuity as to fear grieving thy God, who expresseth this tender care over thee.  What greater grief can the indulgent parent have than to see his child not mind his own good after all his care and cost laid out upon him?  He joys to see the money he gives him improved and in­creased by his diligence; but it breaks his very heart with sorrow when it is all wasted and squandered away by ill husbandry

The Christian’s guard or watch about prayer set for him 3/3

 (1.) Meditate of Christ’s coming to judgment. Surely thou wilt not easily sleep while this trumpet, that shall call all mankind to judgment, shall sound in thy ear.  The reason why men sleep so soundly in security is, because they either do not believe this, or at least do not think of it seriously so as to expect it. The servant that looks for his master will be loath to be found in bed, when he comes; no, sits up sits up to open the door for him when he knocks.  Christ hath told us he ‘will come;’ but not when, that we might never put off our clothes or put out the candle. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come,’ Matt. 24:42.  There are indeed negative signs concerning his coming to the general judgement of the world, by which we may know he will not yet come; as the fall of Babylon, the calling of the Jews, and other prophecies, that must be fulfilled; before which he will not come.  But there are none such, from which we may conclude that his coming to any of us in particular, to take us away by death, and summon us to our particular judgment before his bar, shall not yet be.  Thou art young; thou canst not therefore say thou shalt not die as yet.  Alas! measure the coffins in the churchyard, and thou wilt find some of thy length.  Young and old are within the reach of death’s scythe.  Old men indeed go to death; their age calls for it.  But, young men cannot hinder death's coming unto them.  Thou art rich, will this excuse thee?  Rich men indeed can get others to serve in their arms here, when their prince calls them forth to war; but ‘there is no discharge in this war.’  Solomon tells us ‘Thou must personally do this.  Thou art strong and lusty, thou canst not therefore say that death will be longer at work to fell thee down.  Some indeed he cuts down by chips in consumptive diseases —they die by piecemeals; others he tears up in one night, as a tree by a tempest.  O think of this, and thy sleep will depart from thee!

           (2.) Consider the devil is always awake.  Is it time for them in the city to sleep, when the enemy without watch, and may be are climbing the walls? Our Saviour takes it for granted, ‘If the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up,’ Matt. 24:43.  Of all the nights in the year he would not then have slept. Would Saul have slept in his trench, if he had thought David had been so near?  Or Sisera have lain down to rest, if he had seen the hammer and nail in Jael’s hand to drive through his temples?  ‘Hannibal is at the gates!’ was enough to wake the whole city of Rome, and call them to their arms.  And is not diabolus ad ostium—the devil is at thy door, enough to keep thee out of thy bed of sloth and negligence? What day in all the year is no term to Satan?  What place or company art thou in, that he cannot make a snare to thy soul?  What member of thy body, or faculty of thy soul, which is not in danger to be abused by him?  Hast thou not an inmate in thy own bosom that watcheth to open the gate to him? and is there not a constant correspondence between them? O how oft doth he beat us—as Bernard saith—with our own staff; and as the thief sometimes serves the traveller, binds us with our own garters!  Shall we not always watch to pray, when he watcheth to tempt? Shall not we keep our correspondence with God, and Christ, our allies in heaven, as he doth with our flesh that is his confederate?

The Christian’s guard or watch about prayer set for him 2/3

(1.) An unwillingness and backwardness to duty. If thou findest this, it appears thou beginnest to be heavy‑eyed.  When grace is wakeful, the Christian needs not many words to persuade him into God’s presence.  ‘Thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said, Thy face, Lord will I seek.’  therefore, conclude thou mayest that some vapours have fumed up from thy corruptions, to dull and deaden thy heart to the work.  He that would run to the door, when awake, at the first knock of his dear friend to let him in, may, when between sleeping and waking, let him stand too long.  This was the spouse’s case, and it lost her the company of her beloved.  It showed plainly she was in a sleepy distemper, in that she was so backward to duty; for that was the door that Christ would have met her at.

           (2.) Formality in prayer is a certain symptom that a sleepy distemper hangs about thee.  Grace awake is full of life and activity; at least it discovers itself by making the soul deeply sensible of its dead­ness and dulness.  Vigilantis est somnium narrare. saith Seneca—it shows the man awake that tells his dream, what he did in his sleep; and it proves the soul awake that can feelingly and mournfully confess his deadness.

           (3.) Prevalency of wandering thoughts.  In sleep, fancy and imagination rules and ranges without any control.  If thy thoughts range and scatter into imper­tinences in time of prayer, and meet with no check from thee, it shows thy grace, if thou hast any, is not well awake.

4. Particular.  Express a conscientious diligence at thy particular calling in the intervals of prayer. They that sit up to watch had some need of work to keep them awake.  Idleness is but one remove from sleep.  I cannot believe that he who lazeth a day awake in idleness, should find his heart awake to pray at night; for he hath that day lived in the neglect of a duty as necessary as this, and it is bad going to one duty through the neglect of another.  There is a gen­eration of men indeed, that under a pretence of watching and praying always, betake themselves to their cloisters, and renounce all secular employments, as if it were easy to put off the world as to change their clothes, and get on a cowl or a religious habit; but the world hath found those places commonly to have proved, not so much houses to pray in, as dens to draw their prey into.  It is more like that those who are pampered with sloth and fulness of bread should be eaten up with luxury and sensuality than with zeal and devotion.  The air, when still, thickens and cor­rupts; the spirits in our body are choked with rest; and the soul needs motion and exercise as much as either.  In spiritual offices it cannot hold out without intermmittings; therefore, God hath provided our particular callings as a relief to our spiritual devo­tions.  Only, our care must be not to overdo.  The same thing may quicken and weaken, wake us and lay us asleep.  No greater help to our religious offices than a faithful discharge of our particular calling; no greater duller of the Spirit of prayer than the same when inordinately pursued.  The same oil feeds the lamp and drowns it if excessively poured on.  Hold the candle one way, and the wax nourishes the flame; turn the other end up, it puts it out.
5. Particular.  Preserve a sense of thy spiritual wants.  As fulness inclines the body to sleep, so doth a conceit of spiritual fulness the soul.  When the belly is full then the bones would be at rest—the man hath more mind to sleep than work; whereas he that is pinched with hunger, his empty craving stomach keeps him awake.  If once thou beginnest to have a high opinion of thyself, and thy spiritual hunger be a little stayed—from a conceit of thy present store, and sufficiency of thy grace—truly then thou wilt compose thyself to sleep, and sing the rich man's lullaby to thy soul, ‘Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for may years; take thine ease.’  The Corinthians are a sad instance for this purpose.  ‘Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us,’ I Cor. 4:8.  Paul is now nobody with you.  The time hath been you could not be without his pains.  The hungry child did no more cry for the breast than you for the word preached by him.  But now your stomach is stayed, you are full and can live without him. Whereas, God knows, it was a fulness of wind of pride, not of solid grace.  It is the nature of grace to dilate the heart and make room for more, but of pride to cloy and glut the soul.  God hath long kept open house in England; the wine-cellar door of his ordinances hath not been shut upon us; we have had free access to drink, and that abundantly, of their sweet wine.  But, alas! may it not be for a lamentation to see how many are drunk with spiritual pride, rather than filled with grace, after so long an enjoyment of them!—insomuch that some have attempted to stave the very vessels from which they have drawn this wine!  Such are they that decry all ordinances, and would down with ministers and ministry; yea, who can live without public preaching and private praying also.  Others, not so mad drunk as the former, are yet fallen asleep under the tap; they have lost their first life in and love to ordinances; they sit with sleepy eyes and dead hearts under them.  Well, Christian, if thou wouldst keep thy soul awake for this or any other ordinance, take heed thou losest not the sense of thy wants. Begging is the poor man's trade.  When thou beginnest to conceit thyself rich, then thou wilt be in danger to give it over, or be remiss in it.
6. Particular.  Retire often to muse on some soul-awakening meditations.  We seldom sleep when we are thoughtful, especially if the thoughts we muse on be of weight and importance enough to intend and occupy the mind.  Indeed, idle trivial thoughts such as have nothing to invite attention, are given as a ready means to bring a man asleep—I mean bodily sleep. That Christian who neglects frequently to med­itate on spiritual things, and lets his thoughts walk all day in the company of carnal worldly occasions, I should wonder if he finds his heart awake at night to pray in a spiritual manner.  Give me therefore leave to present a few subjects for thy meditations to insist upon, and they will be as the brazen ball which some philosophers used to hold in their hand that they might not sleep too long, or as the alarm which men set overnight to call them up to their business early in the morning.

The Christian’s guard or watch about prayer set for him 1/3

           Third. The third thing I promised was to set the Christian’s watch for him, by giving some little coun­sel and help towards his constant performing this duty of watchfulness.  In doing this, we take the fol­lowing particulars.

1. Particular.  Harbour not any known sin in thy bosom.  Sin hath two contrary effects on the con­science, and both sad enough.  Either it fills the con­science with horror, or benumbs and stupifies it; it breaks the soul’s rest, or takes away its sense.  The latter is the more common.  Suffer the devil to anoint thy temples with this opium, and thou art in danger to fall into the sleeping disease of a stupid con­science; little list then thou wilt have to pray.  Or if it hath the other effect upon thee, thou wilt be as much afraid, as now thou dost little desire, to pray.
2. Particular.  Beware of any excess in thy affec­tions to the creature.  A drunken man, of all other, is most unfitting to watch.  Such a one will be asleep as soon as he is set in his chair.  Now all inordinacy of affection is a spiritual drunkenness.  Christ joins both together, ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares,’ Luke 21:34.  It is a pre­servative against drowsiness of spirit, that the day of the Lord might not take them napping.  And of the two, the drunkenness of the affection is the worse. He that is bodily drunk over-night, is sober by the morn­ing; but he that is overcharged with the cares or love of the world, rises as drunk as when he lay down; and how can he then watch unto prayer?  We have there­fore these two often joined together, ‘Let us watch and be sober,’ I Thes. 5:6; ‘Be ye therefore sober, and watch,’ I Peter 4:7.  Whatever the affection is, the in­temperance of it lays the soul under a distemper, and indisposeth it to prayer.  Is it sorrow?  Our Saviour finds his disciples ‘sleeping for sorrow,’ when they should have watched and prayed, Luke 22:45.  Is it love?  This laid Samson asleep in Delilah’s lap.  The heart of man hath not room enough for God and the world too.  Worldly affec­tions do not befriend spir­itual.  The heart which spends itself in mourning for worldly crosses, will find the stream runs low when he should weep for his sins.  If the cares of this life fill his head and heart he will have little list to wait on God for spiritual purposes.  It is no wonder that the master finds his servant asleep in the day, when he should be at work for him, if he sat up revelling all the night.

3. Particular.  Resist this spiritual drowsiness when it first creeps upon thee.  Sleep is easier kept off when approaching, than shaken off when it hath got possession and bound the senses.  This sleepy disease of the soul steals insensibly upon us, even as the night steps in by little and little.  When, therefore, thou findest it coming, rouse up thyself; as a man who hath business to do would start up from his chair to shake off his drowsiness.  Now thou mayst observe these few symptoms of this distemper invading thee.

Wherein watchfulness unto prayer consists 2/2

2) The Christian must watch in prayer.  It is not enough to watch the child that he goes to school, but the master’s eye must watch him in school; to be idle at school is as bad as to truant from it.  Thou dost well, Christian, to take care of thyself before prayer, and to see that the duty be not omitted; but wilt thou now leave it at the school-door?  Truly then all thy former care is to little purpose.

           (1.) Thou must watch thy outward man, and rouse that up from sleep and sloth.  If the body be heavy-eyed in prayer the soul must needs be heavy-heeled; the pen drops out of the writer’s hand when he falls asleep.  ‘Watch and pray,’ saith Christ to his disciples; he knew that they could not do that work nodding.  And yet, how many do we see at the very time of prayer in our congregations so far from watch­ing, in this sense, that they invite sleep to come upon them by laying themselves in a lazy posture?  Cer­tainly, friends, communion with God is worth keep­ing our eyes open.  Little do these drones think what contempt they cast upon God and his ordinance.  I wonder any can sleep at the worship of God and not dream of hell‑fire in their sleep.  But it is not enough to keep thy awaked, if thou sufferest it to wander. ‘Turn away mine eyes,’ saith David, ‘from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way,’ Ps. 119:37.

           (2.) Thou must watch thy soul in prayer.  The soul is the man, and the soul in prayer is the very soul of prayer.  Watch what its ends and aims are, that it shoots not beside the mark.  Watch what strength and force thy soul puts to the work.  Our prayers miscarry by shooting short as well as wide.  In a word, thou must keep thy heart with all diligence from one end of the duty to the other, or else it will give thee the slip before thou art aware.  How oft, alas! do our souls begin to speak with God in prayer, and on a sudden fall a chatting with the world!  One while, our hearts are warm at the work, and we pursue hard after God with full cry of our affections; but in­stantly we are at a loss and hunt cold again.  Holy David was sensible of this, and therefore we have him in the midst of this duty begging help from God to call in his gadding heart: ‘Unite my heart to fear thy name,’ Ps. 86:11.

3. The Christian is to watch after prayer.

           (1.) By calling his soul to a review concerning the duty, how it was performed by him.  God himself, when he had finished the works of creation, looks back upon them, ‘And God saw every thing that he had made,’ Gen. 1:31; that is, he viewed his work, as an artist would do a piece he had drawn. He hath given us all a faculty to reflect upon our actions, and looks we should use it, yea, complains of those that do not ‘consider their ways and doings.’  Many duties de­pend upon this.  He that looks not back how he prayed, can he be humbled for the sins that cleaved to it?  And will God pardon what he takes no care to know, that he may show his repentance for them?  Or will he mend those faults in the next prayer which he found not out in the former?  No, but rather increase them.  We need not water weeds; let them but stand unplucked up and they will grow alone.  This is the sluggard whose soul will soon run into a wilderness, and be overgrown with those sins in prayer, which at last may choke the very spirit of supplication in him.

           (2.) By observing what is the issue and success of his prayer.  As he is to look back and see how he prayed, so forward to observe what return he finds of his prayer.  To pray, and not watch what becomes of our prayer, is a great folly and no little sin; like chil­dren that throw stones into a river, which they never look to see more.  What is this but to take the name of God in vain, and play with an ordinance that is holy and sacred?  Yet thus, alas! do many knock at God’s door—as idle children at ours—and then run away to the world, as they to their play, and think no more of their prayers.  Or, like Pilate, who asked Christ, ‘What is truth?’ and, when he had said this, went out to the Jews, forgetting what he asked.  Holy David did not think prayer such an idle errand.  ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up,’ Ps. 5:3.  First, he is careful to take his aim right in delivering this arrow of prayer, which he sends with a message to heaven, ‘I will direct my prayer unto thee.’  Then he is as careful to observe where his arrow lights, and what answer is made to it, ‘and I will look up,’ which amounts to as much as that expression, ‘I will hear what God the Lord will speak,’ Ps. 85:8, that is, to me, concerning the prayer which in those words immediately foregoing he had made, ‘Show us thy mercy, O lord, and grant us thy salvation.’  When the merchant hath sent his ship to sea, he is inquiring at the exchange after her, to hear how she got to her port, whether on her return, and with what lading.  When the husbandman hath cast his seed into the ground, then he comes every day al­most to see how it comes up.  This, Christian, is to watch unto prayer, to wait for answers to prayer. Mor­decai, no doubt had put up many prayers for Esther, and therefore he waits at the kings gate, looking what answer God would in his providence give thereunto.

Wherein watchfulness unto prayer consists 1/2

           Second. The second thing I promised was to show wherein the Christian is to express his watchful­ness in reference to this duty of prayer.  Take it in these three particulars.  1. He is to watch before prayer.  2. He is to watch in prayer.  3. He is to watch after prayer.

1. The Christian is to show his watchfulness be­fore prayer; and that,

           (1.) By watching for the fit season to pray in. We cannot be always on our knees.  We may serve God all the day, but worship him we cannot; this is a duty that requires some set times for its exercises.  Now it is our duty to watch for the season of prayer as the merchant watcheth for the exchange hour; he orders his other occasions so that by no means he may miss that.  Thus the Christian should endeavour to dispose his occasions so that his devotions be not shut out or crowded up into straits of time by his improvidence; no, nor interfere with other necessary duties.  Many a fair child is lost by an untimely birth, and good duty spoiled by being unseasonably performed.

           (2.) By keeping a strict watch over himself in his whole course.

           (a) By shunning all that may defile his con­science, and so render him unmeet for communion with God.  Thus the priest was to watch himself that he touched no unclean thing, God thereby signifying that he will have them to be holy in their lives that approach near to him in the duties of his worship.

           (b) By a holy care to observe and lay up the most remarkable passages of God’s providence to him, as also the frame and behaviour of his own heart to God all along the interval between prayer and prayer.  The want of this part of watchfulness is the cause why we are so jejune and barren in the performance of this duty.  It is no wonder that he should want matter for his prayer at night, and trifle in it with impertinences, who did not treasure up what passed in the day be­twixt God and him.  Though the minister be not mak­ing his sermon all the week, yet by observing in his other studies what may be useful for him in that work, he is furnished with many hints that help him when he goes about it.  Such an advantage the Christian will find for prayer by laying up the remarkable in­stances of God’s providences to him and of his carriage to God again under them; these will furnish him with necessary materials for the performance. The bag is filling while the kine are feeding or chewing the cud, and accordingly yields more plentily when milked at night.  Truly thus it is here.  That Christian must needs be most fruitful and plentiful in his devotions, when he comes to pour out his heart to God in prayer, that hath been thus filling it all the day with meditations suitable and helpful to the duty. Would he praise God?  He hath the preservations, deliverances, and assistances which God hath given into him at hand, in the commonplace‑book of his memory, which another hath lost for want of writing them down in this book of remembrance.  Would he humbly confess the sins of the day?  He presently recalls, ‘In this company I forgat myself and spake unadvisedly with my lips; in that enjoyment I ob­served my heart to be inordinate; this duty I omitted; that I was remiss and negligent in doing.’  Now what a wonderful help hath such a soul above another that walks at random to get his soul into a melting mourn­ful frame?  The eye affects the heart.  The presence of the object actuates the affection.  The sight of an enemy stirs up anger; the sight of a dear friend excites love, and puts a man into a sudden ravishment —whom, may be, he should not have thought on, if he had not seen him.  How can they mourn for the sins of the day at night who remember them no more than Nebuchadnezzar his dream?

           (c) By the frequent exercise of ejaculatory prayer.  He doth not watch to pray that never thinks on God but when he is on his knees; for, by this long discontinuing his acquaintance with God, he indis­poseth himself for the more solemn addresses of his soul to him.  Long fasting takes away the stomach. The Christian will find that the oftener he is refresh­ing his spirit with those little sips and short gusts of heaven, the larger draught he will be able to take when he returns to his set meal of morning and even­ing prayer.  For, by the means of these he will be se­cured from worldly affections, which exceedingly deaden the heart, and also be seasoned and prepared for further communion with God.  These short walks often taken keep the soul in breath for a longer journey.

Why the Christian is to watch unto prayer

           First.  I shall show why the Christian is to watch unto prayer.

1. Reason.  Because of the importance of the du­ty of prayer.  No one action doth a Christian meet with in his whole life of greater weight and moment than this of prayer is; and that in regard of God or himself.

           (1.) In regard of God.  Prayer is an act of religious worship; we have immediately to do with the great God, to whom we approach in prayer.  Now reli­gion is as tender as the eye; it is not a thing to be played with or handled without great care and heed­fulness.  Prayer is too sacred a duty to be performed between sleeping and waking, with a heavy eye or a drowsy heart.  This God complained of, ‘There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of me,’ Isa. 64:7.  He counts it no prayer where the heart is not stirred up and awake. No way can we more honour or dishonour God than in prayer.  O how then ought we to watch to this duty!

           (2.) Again, in regard of ourselves; for our beha­viour in prayer hath a universal influence into all the passages of our whole life.  As a man is in this duty so he likely to be in all the rest.  If careless in praying, then slighty in hearing, loose in his walking; he shall find that he miscarries in all his enterprises, is en­snared in all his enjoyments, baffled with every temp­tation, and discomposed at every affliction that meets him.  And the reason of all this is—because our strength both to do and suffer comes from God.  Now God communicates his assistance to his children in a way of communion with them.  They ask, and they have; they seek, and find; knock, and the treasury of mercy is opened to them.  Prayer is the channel in which the stream of divine grace, blessing, and com­fort runs from God the fountain into the cistern of their hearts.  Dam up the channel and the stream is stopped.  If the stomach doth not its office all the members want their nourishment.  If the trade fails in the shop there is but a poor house kept within.

2. Reason. Watchfulness is of as great impor­tance to prayer as prayer is to all our other duties. No duty can be despatched well without prayer, nor prayer without watching; for it is not prayer, but prayer performed in a holy spiritual manner, that is effectual.  Now, this cannot be done when the  is off his watch.  Take the Christian a napping, with his grace in a slumber, and he is no fitter to pray than a man is to work that is asleep.  Whatever a man is doing, sleep, when it comes, puts an end to it.  Sleep is the great leveller of the world, it makes all men alike.  The strong man is as unable to defend himself from an enemy in his sleep as the child.  The rich man asleep and the poor man are alike; he enjoys his estate no more than if he had none.  Thus the Chris­tian, while his graces are asleep, is even like another that hath no grace—as to the present use of them, I mean—he will pray as the carnal man doth, enjoy God no more in the duty than such a one would do. O how sad is this! and yet how prone are we to give way unto this drowsiness of spirit in prayer!  It creeps insensibly upon the soul, as sleep doth upon the body; the heart is gone before the Christian is well aware.  The more need therefore there is to watch against it.

           3. Reason.  Because Satan is so watchful against prayer, therefore it behoves the Christian to watch unto prayer.  Where should the strongest guard be set but where the enemy maketh his fiercest assault? This is the fort he batters and labours with all his might to beat the Christian from, well knowing the shot which gall him most come out of it.  What he doth otherwise against the Christian is on a design to hinder his prayers, I Peter 3:7, as an enemy falls upon one part of the city to draw their forces from another place which he chiefly desires to gain.  Indeed the soul never falls fully into his hands till it throws up this duty.  ‘Pray that ye enter not into temptation.’ Sometimes the city is taken, and the enemy is forced back again, by those in the castle which commands the city.  Prayer is like such a castle.  Sometimes the Christian hath nothing left him but a spirit of prayer, and with this he beats back the devil out of all his advantages, and wrings out of his hands his new-gotten victories.