What it is to pray in faith 2/2

         Now this reliance of the soul hath a twofold way whereby it fastens on God like the anchor’s double hook.

         (a.) It takes hold on the power of God.  Thus Christ in his agony ‘offered up prayers and supplica¬tions with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,’ Heb. 5:7.  In prayer we open our case to God, declare how sinful, weak, shiftless creatures we are, and then we commit our cause to God.  Now as none will put that to another’s keeping which he thinks safe in his own hands; so neither will any deliver it to another whose ability he is not first persuaded to effect that which himself is unable to do.  See Eliphaz’s counsel to Job, ‘I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause,’ Job 5:8.  As if he had said, ‘If I were in your case I will tell you what course I would take, I would not look this way or that, but speedily haste me to the throne of grace, and when once I had told God my very heart, I would trouble myself no more, but commit my cause to him, and discharge my heart of the burden of all its troublesome thoughts.’  But under what notion would he do all this?  The next words will tell us, ‘Unto God would I commit my cause, which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number.’  First he would bottom his faith on God as able to do great things; and then, leaving his request lodged in the arms of such power, he doubted not but he should cast all care away and enjoy the serenity of his mind whatever his condition was.  Indeed, this is the first stone faith lays in her building.  And an error in the foundation will make the whole house stand weak.  Be sure, therefore, thou layest this bottom stone with thy greatest care.  O how unbecoming is it to have a great God, and a little faith on this great God!—a strong God, and a weak faith on his almighty power! Unbelief here ravisheth and offereth violence to the very light of nature, for ‘his eternal power and God¬head’ are known by ‘the visible things’ of the creation, Rom 1:20.  What is not he able to do that could make so goodly a fabric without materials, tools, or workmen?  Crucifige illud verbum potest ne?—obliterate that word ‘Is he able?’  Away with the question which so grates the ears of the Almighty: Can he pardon? Can he purge?  What cannot he do that can do what he will?

         (b.) It takes hold on the faithfulness of God to perform the promise.  We are directed, in committing ourselves to him, to eye his faithfulness: ‘as unto a faithful Creator,’ I Peter 4:19.  The saints’ faith hath been remarkable in staying themselves on this, while yet the mercy they prayed for lay asleep in its causes: ‘Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed,’ Ps. 65:1.  See, he stands with his instrument strung and tuned, ready to strike up and bring God in with the music of his praise when he shall come with an answer to his prayer, not the least doubting but that he shall use it upon that joyful occasion; for he speaks without ifs and ands—‘Unto thee shall the vow be performed, O thou that hearest prayer!’  And yet that good day was not come; for even then he cries out, ‘Iniquities prevail against me!’ So, ‘I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor,’ Ps. 140:12.  Why? how comes he so conf-dent?  ‘Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name,’ ver. 13.  As if he had said, ‘Thou hast a name for a gracious and faithful God in thy promise, and this thou wilt never suffer to be blotted by failing thy word.’  Christian, thou mayest venture all thou art worth on the public faith of heaven.  ‘His words are pure as silver tried seven times in a furnace.’  He that will not suffer a liar or covenant breaker to set foot on his holy hill, will much less suffer any one thought of falseness or unfaithfulness to enter into his own most holy heart.

         Question.  But how may I know when I thus act faith in prayer?

What it is to pray in faith 1/2

         First Requisite.  The person must be a believer. But this is not enough.

         Second Requisite.  There must be an act of faith exerted in the prayer, as well as the habit of faith dwelling in the person.  ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,’ Mark 11:24.  If the thing be not to be found in the promise that we desire, it is a sin to pray for it; if it be, it is a sin not to believe, when we pray for it, and that no small one, because thereby we both profane and ordinance and asperse the name of the great God.

         Question.  But what is it to pray in faith?

         Answer 1.  Negatively.  It is not to believe that the very thing in specie—or in its proper kind, that we pray for, shall be always given.  Christ prayed in faith and was heard, Heb. 5.  He believed not the thing in kind to be given neither was it; yet his prayer was answered.  Therefore, be sure thou learnest the right method of acting thy faith in prayer, which must be taken from the nature of the promise thou puttest in suit.  As water receives its figure—round or square —from the vessel it is poured into; so our faith is to be shaped by the promise.  If that be absolute—as things necessary to salvation are—then thy faith may expect the very thing promised; if otherwise, then thou art not to limit thy faith to the thing itself, but expect money or moneyworth; health, or as good as health; deliverance, or better than deliverance.  An absolute faith on a conditional promise—without an immediate revelation, which we must not look for—is fancy, not faith.  To commit a sin, not act a grace, this is to be free on God's purse without a grant; for we put more in the conclusion of our faith than is in the premises of the promise; and this is as bad divinity as logic.

         Answer 2. Positively.  To pray in faith is to ask of God, in the name of Christ, what he hath promised, relying on his power and truth for performance, without binding him up to time, manner, or means.

         (1.) We must ask what God hath promised, or else we choose for ourselves and not beg; we subject God’s will to ours, and not ours to his; we forge a bond and then claim it as debt, which is a horrible presumption!  He that is his own promiser must be his own paymaster.

         (2.) To pray in faith is required that we pray in Christ’s name.  As there can be no faith but on a promise, so no promise can be claimed but in his name, because they are all both made to him and performed for him.  They are made to him, the covenant being struck with him: ‘In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began,’ Titus 1:2.  And there was none then existing but Christ to whom the promise could be made. So that, as the child claims his estate in right of his father that purchased it; so we come to our right in the promise, as heirs of and co heirs with Christ.  And as the promise was made to him, so it is performed for him, because his blood shed was the condition of the obligation upon which God acknowledged the debt to Christ, and bound himself to perform all the articles of the covenant to his heirs’ orderly claiming them at his hands in his name.  It is not therefore enough boldly to urge God with a promise: ‘Pardon, Lord, for thou hast promised it; grace and glory, for thou hast promised them;’ but we must, if we mean to lay our plea legally—I mean according to the law of faith—plead for these under the protection of his name.  Thus Daniel, that holy man, laid the stress of his prayer on Christ: ‘Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake,’ Dan. 9:17.

         (3.) To this praying in faith is required a relying on God, through Christ, for a gracious answer.  Let the former be done, and the creature fail in this, he prays not in faith, but takes the name of God and Christ in vain.  This act of relying is the taking hold on God in prayer, Isa. 64.  When mariners in a storm cast out their anchor, and it comes home again without taking hold on the firm ground, so as to stay the ship and bear it up against the violence of the waves, it gives them no help.  So neither doth a handless prayer that takes no hold on God.  Therefore you shall find that when a Christian speeds well in prayer, his happy success is attributed, not to naked prayer, but as clothed and empowered with this act of recumbency upon God.  ‘They cried unto the Lord,’ II Chr. 13:14.  Now see, ‘The children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers,’ ver. 18.  He doth but lie in prayer that doth not rely on God after praying.  What he seems to give with one hand to God he takes from him with another, which is no better than a mocking of God. By praying we pretend to expect good from him; by not relying we blot this out and declare we look for no such matter.

MISCARRIAGES in a praying saint which hinder his audience in heaven 5/5

 Hierome brings in the Christian here expostulating his cause with God, why he will not hear his prayer: Domine, quare nonvis susicpere munus meum? quid ad me attinet? non est in meâ potestate, si frater meus habet aliquid contra me—‘What is it to me, Lord, that my brother is offended with me?  I cannot help that; wilt thou not receive my gift for his fault?’  To whom he brings God thus answering—Et quid dicis male serve?  Intelligo animum tuum? Nihil habes?  Amas eum?  Quare ergo salvari eum nonvis?  Vade, roga eum, ne ille contra te habeat ut salvari possit—‘What is it, naughty servant, that thou sayest? I understand thy meaning.  What is it to thee?  Hast thou nothing against him?  Dost thou love him? Wherefore then wouldst not thou save his soul?  Go and beg of him to be at peace with thee, that thy brother’s soul may be saved.’  I speak the more of this particular, being sensible of what an hour, or rather age, of temptation we live in, by reason of the sad differences of judgment among Christians, which have distilled upon their affections so great a distaste one to another as exulcerates them into wrath and bitterness; yea, a wonderful cure it will be, if it can be prevented from ending in an irrecoverable consumption of love among a great part of this generation —especially considering what malignity is dropped into these church contentions by those national divisions also that have fallen in with them, and which drew so sad a sword among us, as for many years could find no other sheath but the bowels of this then miserable nation.  O what grudges, animosities, and heart burnings have these two produced!  The sword, blessed be God! is at last got into its scabbard of peace; but have we not cause to wish it had been cleaner wiped when put up, and not such an implacable spirit of revenge and malice to be found remaining among many of us, as, alas! is too common to be met with everywhere?  The storm without us is over, blessed be God! but is t not too high within some of our breasts?  The flood of national calamities is assuaged; but now the tide is down and gone, is there not a deal of this filth—to name no other—uncharitable jealousies, bitterness, wrath, and revenge, left behind upon our hearts?  Enough to breed another plague and judgment among us if a flood of national repentance does not wash away what the sea of war and other confusions have cast up!  But, if this were all the mischief they are like to do us, our case is sad enough; they will hinder our prayers.  For God will not accept such sacrifices as are kindled with the fire of wrath.

         5. Miscarriage.  The Christian’s prayer may miscarry for want of faith.  Prayer is the bow, the promise is the arrow, and faith the hand which draws the bow, and sends this arrow with the heart's message to heaven.  The bow without the arrow is of no use, and the arrow without the bow as little worth; and both without the strength of the hand, to no purpose. Neither the promise without prayer, nor prayer without the promise, nor both without faith, avails the Christian anything.  So that what was said of the Israelites, that they ‘could not enter Canaan because of unbelief;’ the same may be said of many of our prayers, they cannot enter heaven with acceptation, because they are not put up in faith.  Now faith may be considered with a respect to the person praying, or to the prayer put up.

MISCARRIAGES in a praying saint which hinder his audience in heaven 4/5

4. Miscarriage. The saint’s prayer may miscarry from some secret grudge that is lodged in his heart against his brother.  Anger and wrath are strange fire to put to our incense.  It is a law writ upon every gate of God’s house—every ordinance, I mean—at which we are to enter into communion with God, that we must ‘love our brethren.’  When we go to hear the word, what is the caveat, but that we should ‘lay aside all malice, envy, and evil speaking, and as new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word?’  The gospel will not speak peace to a wrathful spirit.  Anger and malice, like a salt corroding humour in the stomach, makes us puke and cast up the milk of the word, that it cannot stay with us for nourishment.  Is it the gospel supper thou sittest at?  This is a love-feast, and though it may be eaten with the bitter herbs of sin’s sorrow, yet not with the sour leaven of wrath and malice.  ‘When ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you,’ &c., I Cor. 11:18.  Now mark what follows, ‘this is not the Lord’s supper,’ ver. 20.  Christ will not communicate with a wrangling jangling company.  When such guests come, he riseth from his own table, as David’s children did from Absalom’s upon the murder of their brother Amnon, II Sam. 13:29.  And for prayer, you know the law thereof, ‘Lift up holy hands, without wrath and doubting,’ I Tim. 2:8—implying, that it is impossible to pray in faith and wrath.  Duobus modis oratio impeditur, si ad huc homo mala committit aut si committenti in se ex toto corde non dimittit—our prayer may be hindered two ways—by lying in any sin we commit against God; or, in wrath, by not forgiving our brother’s committed against us.  Those two in our Lord’s prayer cannot be divorced—‘forgive us, as we forgive.’  This is that ferrum in vulnere—iron in the wound, as the same father hath it, which makes our prayers as ineffectual to us, as the plaster is to the wound in which the bullet still remains.

         Now, the reason why God is so curious in this point, in because himself is so gracious; and being ‘love,’ can bid none welcome that are not ‘in love.’ The heathens had such a notion that the gods would not like the sacrifice and service of any but such as were like themselves.  And therefore to the sacrifices of Hercules none were to be admitted that were dwarfs.  To the sacrifice of Bacchus, a merry god, none that were sad and pensive, as not suiting their genius.  An excellent truth may be drawn from this their folly.  He that would like and please God must be like to God.  Now our God is a God of peace, our heavenly Father merciful; and therefore to him none can have friendly access but those that are children of peace, and merciful as their Father is.  O! watch then thy heart, that Satan’s fireballs—which upon every little occasion he will be throwing in at thy window —take not hold of thy spirit, to kindle any heart-burning in thee against thy brother.  If at any time thou seest the least smoke, or smellest the least scent of this fire in thy bosom, sleep not till thou hast quenched it.  Be more careful to lay this fire in thy heart aside, when thou goest to bed, than the other that is on thy hearth.  How canst thou by prayer commit thyself into God’s hands that night wherein thou carriest a spark thereof smothered in thy breast? Irasci, hominis, iram non preficere, Christiani est (Jerome)—as a frail man thou canst not hinder but such a spark may light on thee, yet if thou wilt prove thyself a Christian, thou must quench it.  Nay more, if thou wilt show thyself a Christian, and have thy prayer find God’s ear or heart open to it, thou must do thy utmost to quench it in thy brother’s heart as well as thy own.  It is not enough that thou carriest peace in thy heart to him, except thou endeavourest that he may be at peace with thee also.  ‘If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee,’ Matt. 5:23.

MISCARRIAGES in a praying saint which hinder his audience in heaven 3/5

         Question.  When shall I know that I aim at God or self in prayer?

         Answer.  This will commonly appear by the posture of our heart when God delays or denies the thing we pray for.  A soul that can acquiesce, and patiently bear a delay or denial—I speak now of such mercies as are of an inferior nature, not necessary to salvation, and so not absolutely promised—gives a hopeful testimony that the glory of God weighs more in his thoughts than his own private interest and accommodation.  A selfish heart is both peremptory and hasty.  It must have the thing it cries for, and that quickly too, or else it faints and chides, falls down in a swoon, or breaks out into murmuring complaints, not sparing to fall foul on the promises and attributes of God himself.  ‘Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not?’ Isa. 58:3.  Now, from whence come both these, but from an overvaluing of ourselves? —which makes us clash with God’s glory, that may be more advanced by these delays and denials, than if we had the thing we so earnestly desire.  God was more glorified in denying Christ himself his life, than if he had let that bitter cup pass without his tasting of it, which Christ, understanding fully, resigned himself thereunto, saying, ‘Father, glorify thy name; not my will, but thy will be done,’ John 12:28.  As if he had said, I would not save my life to lose thee the least of thy glory.  This is the copy we should all write after. Indeed, if our distempered hearts be so wilful and hasty as not to be content with what, and that when it pleaseth God also, he should not love us in gratifying such desires, for thereby he would but nourish such distemper, which is better cured by starving than feeding it.

3. Miscarriage. The Christian’s prayer may miscarry when, with his prayer, he joins not a diligent use of the means.  We must not think to lie upon God, as some lazy people do on their rich kindred; to be always begging of him, but not putting forth our hand to work in the use of means.  God hath ap¬pointed prayer as a help to our diligence, not as a cloak for our sloth.  Idle beggars are welcome neither to God’s door nor man’s.  What! wilt thou lift up thy hands to God in prayer, and then put them in thy pocket?  Doth not God forbid our charity to him that worketh not?  ‘We commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat,’ II Thes. 3:10.  And will he encourage that idleness in thee which he would have punished by us?  It is a good gloss of Bernard upon that of Jeremiah, ‘Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens,’ Lam. 3:41—qui orat et laborat, ille cor levat ad Deum cum manibus—he that prayeth, and is diligent in the use of means, is the person that lifts up his heart with his hands to God.  Look therefore, Christian, thou minglest thy sweat with thy tears, thy labour with thy prayers.  If thy prayer doth not set thee on work, neither will it set thy God at work for thee.  Is it a lust thou art praying against?  And dost thou sit down idle to see whether it will now die alone?  Will that prayer slay one lust that lets another—thy sloth, I mean —live under its nose?  As God will not save thy soul, so neither will he destroy thy sin, unless thy hand also be put to the work.  See how God raised Joshua from off the earth, where he lay praying and mourning for Israel's defeat, Joshua 7:10, 11: ‘Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned,’ &c.; ver. 12, ‘Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies,’ &c.; ver. 13, ‘Up, sanctify the people.’

         O how oft may God rouse us up from our knees, and say, ‘Why lie ye here with your lazy prayers?  You have sinned in not taking my counsel and obeying my orders.  I bade you watch as well as pray; why do you not one as well as the other?  My command obliges you to flee from the snare that Satan lays for you, as well as pray against it: therefore it is you cannot stand before your lusts.’  Moses durst not go to God with a prayer in behalf of sinning Israel till he had shown his zeal for God against their sin, and then he goes and speeds; see Ex. 32:25, compared with ver. 31.  Dost thou think to walk loosely all day, yielding thyself, and betraying the glory of the God, into the hands of thy lust, and then mend all with a prayer at night?  Alas! thy cowardice and sloth will get to heaven before thy prayer, and put thee to shame when thou comest on such an errand.

MISCARRIAGES in a praying saint which hinder his audience in heaven 2/5

2. Miscarriage. Though the subject matter of a saint’s prayer be bottomed on the word, yet if the end he aims at be not levelled right, this is a second door at which his prayer will be stopped, though it pass the former.  ‘Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.’ Take, I confess, a Christian in his right temper, and he levels at the glory of God.  Yet as a needle is touched with a lodestone may, being shaken, be removed from its beloved point, to which nature hath espoused it, though trembling till it again recovers it; so, a gracious soul may, in a particular act and request, vary from this end, being jogged by Satan, yea disturbed by an enemy nearer home, his own unmortified corruption.  Truly he is a rare archer that ever hits the white. Do you not think it possible for a saint, in distress of body and spirit, to pray for health in the one, and comfort in the other, with too selfish a respect had to his own ease and quiet?  Yes sure, and to pray for gifts and assistance in some eminent service, with an eye asquint to his own credit and applause, to pray for a child with too inordinate a desire that the honour of his house may be built up in him—I know none so seasoned with grace as not to be subject to such warpings of spirit.  And this may be understood as the sense, in part, of that expression: ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me, but verily the Lord hath heard me,’ Ps. 66:18.  For, to desire our own health, peace, and reputation, be not an iniquity —when contained in the banks that God hath set —yet, when they overflow, and are to such a height lift up as to overtop the glory of God, yea to stand but in a level with it, they are a great abomination.  That which in the first or second degree is wholesome food, would be rank poison in the fourth or fifth.

         Therefore, Christian, catechise thyself before thou prayest, O my soul, what sends thee on this errand?  Know but thy own mind, what thou prayest for, and thou mayest soon know God’s mind how thou shalt speed.  Secure God his glory, and thou mayest carry away the mercy with thee.  Had Adoni¬jah asked Abishag out of love to her person, and not rather out of love to the crown, it is like Solomon would not have denied the banns between them; but this wise prince observed his drift, to make her but a step to his getting into the throne, which he ambi¬tiously thirsted for, and therefore his request was denied with so much disdain.  Look that, when thy petition is loyal, there be not treason in thy end and aim.  If there be, he will find it out.

MISCARRIAGES in a praying saint which hinder his audience in heaven 1/5

HELLO GUYS, SORRY I WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. MY SON PASSED AWAY FROM THE BRAIN CANCER. THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR HIM. HE BECAME  A CHRISTIAN A FEW MONTHS AGO. THANKS VERY MUCH.  - I AM BACK NOW AND THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING

1. Miscarriage. When the thing prayed for is not according to the will of God.  We have not a liberty to pray at random for what we will.  The throne of grace is not set up that we may come and there vent our sudden distempered passions before God, or make any saucy motion to him that comes in our head. Truly then God would have work enough.  If we had promised to sign all our petitions without any regard to the subject matter of them, he should too oft set his hand against himself, and pass that away which would be little for his glory to give.  Herod was too lavish when he gave his minion leave to ask what she would, even to half of his kingdom.  And he paid dearly for it; he gave her that head which was more worth than his whole kingdom—for the cutting off his head lost him his crown.  No, we have to do with a wise God, who, to stop the mouth of all such bold beggars, that would ask what unbeseems us to desire, or him to give, hath given a law of prayer, and stinted us to the matter thereof: ‘When ye pray, say, Our Father,’ &c.  That is, learn here what you may pray for in faith to receive.  ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us,’ I John 5:14.

         Faith, without a promise, is like a foot without any firm ground to stand upon.  It was well Luther interpreted himself, when he said, fiat voluntas mea —my will be done—mea, Domine, quia tua—my will, Lord, because thine.  Now, the promise contains this will of God.  Be sure thou gatherest all thy flowers of prayer out of this garden, and thou canst not do amiss.  But take heed of mingling with them any wild gourd of thine own.  Remember the check our Lord gave his disciples when venting their vindictive passion in their prayer: ‘Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?...And he said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of,’ Luke 9:54, 55.  They had here an ex¬ample to countenance their act.  But that heroicus impetus, and extraordinary spirit by which Elijah and other of the prophets were acted, is not our standing rule for prayer.  That came in them from the Spirit of God, which in us may proceed from the spirit of the devil, which is implied in our Saviour's question, ‘Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.’  As if he had said, ‘You little think who stirred you up.  You had your coal, not from God’s altar, but from Satan’s furnace.’

         O! let us beware that we be not the devil’s mes¬sengers in going to God upon his errand; which we do when we pray against the rule or without a warrant. Belch not out thy unruly passions of anger there, presently to have thine enemies confounded—the disciples’ case; nor vent thy intemperate sorrow through impatience—as Job in the paroxysm of his trouble begs of God to take away his life in all haste. Take counsel of the word, and ‘let not thy lip be hasty to utter a matter before the Lord.’  Daniel’s method was the right, Dan. 9:2.  First, he goes to the Scripture and searches what the mind of God was concerning the time when he had promised his people a return out of their captivity, which having found, and learned thereby how to lay his plea, then away he goes to besiege the throne of grace.  ‘And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer,’ &c., ver. 3.  Art thou sick or poor?—in want of any temporal mercy? Go and inquire upon what terms these are promised, that thy faith may not jet beyond the foundation of the promise by a peremptory and absolute desire of them, for then thy building will fall, and thou be put to shame, because thou askest more than God ever promised.