THE WORK

OF

CHRISTIAN PRAYER.

XLV. LORD'S DAY.

Philip. iv. 6. Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

Q. 116. Why is prayer necessary for Christians?

A. Because it is that chief part of thankfulness which God requires of us; and also because God will give his grace and Holy Spirit to those only, who with sincere desires continually ask them of him, and are thankful for them.

Q. 117. What are the requisites of that prayer, which is acceptable to God, and which he will har?

A. First, that we from the heart pray to the one true God only who has manifested himself in his word; for all things he hath commanded us to ask of him; secondly, that we rightly and thoroughly know our need and misery that so we may deeply humble ourselves in the presence of his divine majesty: thirdly, that we may be fully

persuaded, that he, notwithstanding we are unworthy of it, will for the sake of Christ our Lord, certainly hear our prayer, as he has promised us in his word.

Q. 118. What hath God commanded us to ask of him?

A. All things necessary for soul and body: which Christ our Lord has comprised in that prayer he himself has taught us.

Q. 119. What are the words of that prayer?

A. "Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come,"

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HEN God commands, his children pray. "Lord, thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!" saith David, Psalm cxix. 4, 5. Thus Augustin also acted, when he prayed to God, saying, "Give me what thou commandest, and command what thou wilt, and thou shalt not command in vain." They esteem all God's commandments, and the whole law to be "holy, just and good," with Paul, Rom. vii. 12. They have an earnest inclination, and an insatiable desire to keep the commandments: "I opened my mouth, and panted; for I longed for thy commandments," saith that godly king, Psalm cxix. 131. They are exceedingly fearful and afraid of transgressing the law of the Lord, and they beseech him therefore to keep them from transgressing it, as the same man speaks, Psalm xix. 13. "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me." And Psalm cxix. 10, "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments." They cannot indeed preserve themselves, and they know by experience that they cannot keep the precepts of the Lord perfectly, though they esteem them so highly, and do so earnestly desire to keep them. But knowing the covenant promise of the Lord, that "he will cause them to walk in his statutes, and to keep his judgments and do them," according to Ezek. xxxvi. 27, therefore they apply to him in prayer, that he may perfect his promised strength in their weakness. I will adduce once more David's petition, as a proof of these observations: "Teach ine," saith he, Psalm lxxxvi. 11, "O Lord, thy way, I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy name." In this way doth the instructor also proceed; for when he would excite us to good works, as fruits of thankfulness, he taught us (1) The necessity of those works, in the xxxii. Lord's day. (2) The principle of them, to wit, conversion, Question 88-90. (3) The nature of them,

Question 91. (4) The rule of good works, Lord's days xxxiv-xliv. and now (5) Prayer, as a mean to assist us in doing good works; for having shown that even those who are converted cannot keep the law perfectly, and that they are therefore taught to pray unto God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, that they may be more and more renewed after the image of God, until they attain to the perfection, which hath been exhibited, after this life, Question 114, We say, having shown this, he proceeds to an explanation of

prayer.

Three particulars require our consideration here,

I. The nature.

II. The pattern, and

III. The necessity of prayer.

I. Before we exhibit the proper work of prayer, we must speak of certain particulars, which are previously required to prayer, with respect to him, to whom we must pray, to the person who prays, the things for which he must pray, and the disposition of mind with which he must pray.

We must pray to "none but the one true God, who hath manifested himself in his word." The Lord Jesus teacheth us this, when he saith, Matt. iv. 10, "The Lord thy God shalt thou worship, and him only shalt thou serve." Prayer is indeed a religious work, by which we acknowledge and honour God, as the most high, and infinitely perfect, as they who overcame the beast honoured the Lord with the song of Moses, saying, Rev. xv. 4, "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy for all nations ahall come. and worship before thee." He to whom we shall pray must be allsufficient, that he may be able to help; and allknowing, that he may know the thoughts, and hear the words of him who prayeth, afar off; and infinitely good, that he may be willing to help the needy and unworthy sinner; and so he must be "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think," Eph. iii. 20. The Papists, when they pray to the saints and other creatures, and the Socinians, when they pray to Christ, whom they esteem to be but a mere man, are guilty of idolatry, as we have proved upon the first commandment. And we must pray to God, as he hath manifested himself in his word; for otherwise we "worship we know not what," with the Samaritans, John iv. 22, and an unknown God," like the Athenians, Acts xvii. 23. the Lord God hath manifested himself in his word, as the Triune Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, therefore we must pray to him as such, and with such a becoming apprehension of him; for God

we

serve

Since now

cannot draw near to the sinner with his grace, neither can the sinner draw near to God with his prayers in any other way. That the Son and the Holy Ghost are God, coessential with the Father, and that we must therefore pray to them also, these are particulars which we have proved upon the thirteenth and twentieth Lord's days. Inasmuch now as the Triune God hath revealed himself by a special economy of grace, in which the Father comes with his favour to the sinner, through the Son and through the Holy Ghost, therefore we must also come by the operation of the Holy Ghost through the Son to the Father, and end in him with our prayers: "Through Christ we have an access by one Spirit unto the Father," according to Eph. ii. 18.

Irrational creatures are sometimes said to pray to God: "The young ravens, and the beasts of the field cry, and call mightily to God," Job xxxviii. 41. Joel i. 20. Jonah iii. 8. This is however not praying in the proper sense of the word, but it only intimates their danger and distress: but praying is the work of men, who can draw nigh to God, and present their requests to him in a rational manner. And prayer is especially the work of believers, who are reconciled to God, have an access to him, partake of the Spirit of grace and of prayer, and are acceptable to God with their prayers; "God had respect unto Abel, and then also to his offering: but unto Cain he had not respect, and then not to his offering neither," Gen. iv. 45. "We know," said the man, who was born blind, John ix. 31, "that God heareth not sinners; but if a man. be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth." James saith of no other, but "the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man, that it availeth much," James v. 17. The sinner, who is in his natural state, is obliged to pray on account of the supremacy of God, and his own dependance; but he is not able to pray aright: "his prayer becomes sin to him," Psalm cix. 7. The Lord God" hides his eyes, and shuts his ears" to the prayer of such a sinner, Isaiah i. 15. And since he hath never embraced the beloved Son of God, in whomhe is well pleased, therefore he cannot, and may not approach the Lord, as his reconciled God, who is a consuming fire to him. Shall such an one then forbear to pray?. God forbid. "The ploughing of the wicked is sin," saith Solomon, Prov. xxi. 4. May or shall they then forbear to plough? surely no; but the unconverted sinner must see that it is his duty to pray, that he may be concerned, and may from concern flee to the Mediator, upon the call of the gospel ; for he should thus obtain freedom, and an ability to pray well. But if he will persist in sinning, of what advantage will his praying be

to him? If he will "confess and forsake his sins, he will obtain mercy," according to Prov. xxvi. 13.

Man is exceedingly needy, ne is destitute of every thing, he possesseth nothing in himself, that can afford him satisfaction, but he must seek all things out of himself from the Lord by prayer. Yet he may not pray for all that he can desire, as that which opposeth the decree of God, and his revealed will, that all men may be saved, that he himself may be perfect in this life, and that he may obtain such and such things, in order to commit sin with them, or to consume them upon his lusts. This would be making a mock of God, as we do of men; but we must pray "for all things that he hath commanded us to ask of him." These all things are "all things necessary for soul and body." The things necessary for the soul are pardon of sin, sanctification, assurance, strength, preservation, and an increase of all grace. The saints prayed for these things, as we see particularly in David, and especially in the fifty-first Psalm. The things which are necessary for the body are health, meat, drink, clothing, and all that can conduce to the welfare of the body. We may, and ought to pray for these things, because we depend upon God, according to the body also: but to covet with an evil covetousness for our house, in order that we may set our nest on high, and to desire to be rich, is shameful and unjust; if we have food and rais ment, we ought there with to be content. And therefore, we may pray against riches, as well as against poverty, and desire of God only "the food that is convenient for us," as Agur the son of Jakeh did, Prov. xxx. 8. We ought also to take good heed, that we pray (a) more for the things that are necessary for the soul, than for those that are necessary for the body, Matt. vi. 33. John vi. 37. (b) More for things that relate to God, than for those that relate to ourselves: see this in the Lord's prayer. (c) More against sin, than against chastisement, Lam. iii. 39. (d) We must pray for grace with respect to the essence of it absolutely but for grace with respect to the increase and degrees of it, as also for things. which concern the body, we must pray conditionally, to, wit, if they will promote the honour and worship of the Lord, and will contribute to the furtherance of our salvation.

It is necessary, that the mind should be well disposed, in order that we may pray in such a manner, as is acceptable to God, and that he may hear us. (a) The mind must know through the Spirit the one true God, who hath revealed himself in his word, from that word, in all bis adorable perfections, that the soul, affected with lively apprehensions and contemplations of God, to whom she speaks, VOL. II.

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