12. Part 2, Chapter 3. Constancy in Prayer
CHAPTER III.
CONSTANCY IN PRAYER.
We come now to the third and last thing held forth in the modification of the practice of this duty of prayer, that it be without ceasing, that is, constantly. Now for this, consider,
1. What it is to pray constantly, or what is implied in it; and why we must so pray; and then we will make one brief use of it.
First, to pray constantly is, not to give out from praying; not to let God alone until he does bless us; to pray and not to faint; not to give God rest. To look to him in prayer, until that lie have mercy on us. May any true child of God give off prayer for a season?
Yea, verily: God’s own dear saints may be weary in praying, though not so weary of prayer. The duty itself is to them very desirable in itself: but the discouragements may be such in times of temptation, that they may be even afraid to go to God to seek his face: “I am weary with my groaning; I am weary of my crying;” yet he gave not off wholly, or not long. “But as for me, my prayer is unto thee.” If they give up for a short time solemn prayer, they cease not to be darting up ejaculatory prayers: “I said I am cast out of thy sight, yet will I look again toward thy holy temple.” When God in times of desertion seems to turn his back upon his saints, or they, through distrust, are as if turning their back upon him, yet they give many of these love casts of the eyes of their soul towards God; desires will be ever and anon stepping out of such a gracious heart to look after the Lord. That holy fire within the heart, though it blazes not out, yet will be ever and anon sending out these sparks. There are times wherein the saints are so spiritually sick of sin and of temptation, that their very speech fails them; even they have their spiritual wounds, and may lay awhile speechless; yet either they are making these holy signs in their fainting, or some of this holy breath is stirring. If Hezekiah cannot speak out in solemn prayer, yet can he chatter, and make these shorter holy mutterings of his heart, and these dovelike moans of his spirit: “I. am oppressed, O Lord, undertake for me.”
How comes it to pass that any such sad silence in respect of solemn prayer does at any time, befall God’s own people?
Sometimes through some dangerous fall into some heinous sin; as other speech is sometimes lost by bodily falls, so is this by such spiritual falls. So David, after his great fall into the sins of murder and adultery, lay speechless in this respect for a while:
“When I kept silence, my bones waxed old.” So dangerous declinings and backslidings in religion, occasion some temporary cessations of solemn prayer. Hence it is said, “Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, but hast been weary of me, O Israel.” “There is none that calleth upon thy name; that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.” Great guilt breeds great horror and despondency of mind and heart; which with unbelief blending itself, causes poor Christians even to give off prayer in their desperate fits. As heathen Tully said to his brother, I would pray to the gods for those things, but that they have given over to hear my prayers; or as desperate Saul, perceiving God answered him no more, will go to him no more to inquire. It is thus with the saints; so far as desperate despondencies grow upon them, and represent the Lord to their souls as all justice, they dare not come to him in these fits. Sometimes they pore, too much upon discouragements which they meet with in prayer within themselves as that they pray with so many distempers and distractions intermixed, and with so little life, or liberty of spirit, or comfort, or quiet, or faith, or good success, and the like; that as good never a whit, as never the better; and they are even loth sometimes to go apart to pray. And sometimes Christians fall into some such errors touching prayer, as for a time do take them off from it, imagining that God being a spirit, must be worshipped only in spirit and in truth; and so not by any bodily worship. That bodily exercise even in prayer profits not; that all outward forms of worship are abolished. That Christians must have some immediate light of the Spirit, and unwonted suggestions putting them upon prayer, if at any time they do set upon prayer. These and sundry like delusive principles, too rife in these latter days, make too great and too long interruptions with too many hopeful professors in this holy exercise of solemn prayer. To pray constantly is also to maintain praying dispositions; that though we actually pray not without intermission, or do nothing else but pray, as those fanatical Euthites of old, yet in the inward frame and bent of our heart, we cease not prayer. There is still a spirit in us, crying, Abba Father, Galatians 4:6, a disposing us upon all occasions to go to God as a Father in prayer. Christians of all sorts, both ministers and others, must have their vials full of prayers, ready still to pour them out, albeit they actually do not without intermission. They are to be ready evermore to offer up those holy odors, and that holy incense, though not always actually offering the same. The church in its members, must have honeycomb lips, ready to drop this sweet, wholesome honey of prayer, though they be not dropping the same every moment. And good reason is it why each gracious person should maintain always a praying frame in his heart; for a praying frame is a most childlike frame. If ever the love of sons and daughters of God be stirring in them, it is then; if ever their hearts are filled with holy awe of God, and faith in him, it is then; if ever they are ready to do any thing for God, it is then. The same spirit which is to them a spirit of adoption, acts in them as a spirit of prayer; and where there is a spirit moving to prayer, or to cry Abba Father, there is a spirit of adoption. Again, a frame of prayer is most sweet, calm, and comfortable: and thence opposed to the spirit of bondage, working fear; amazing, discouraging, sinking fear. But a breeding and feeding filial boldness and freeness with God, as a child with his father.
Again, it is a most free, and best privileged frame of spirit; and hence also opposed to that servile frame. Is any free to pray, and free in praying? surely those cords of slavish distempers are broken in sunder. A praying frame is likewise a most evangelical frame: being redeemed from the laws, rigor, and confinement, we are most at liberty to address ourselves thus, as children to our heavenly Father: “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons: and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father.” A praying frame is also a most heavenly and gracious frame. A spirit of grace and spirit of supplication, or a spirit disposing to pour out holy supplications, are inseparable companions: “I will pour out upon them a spirit of grace and of supplication.” No grace is wanting, where a spirit of prayer is not wanting All and every grace is stirring, where that spirit of prayer is working. A praying frame is an humble frame of heart: the saints never mourn more savingly over their sins, even as crucifying the Lord Jesus, than when in such a frame. A praying frame is a believing frame, and a believing frame is a praying frame; then have they the most clear and effectual views of him whom they have pierced. To conclude this, a praying frame both furthers our delight in prayer, and makes it every way more easy and pleasant to us; that we are not so apt to give out through emergent difficulties or discouragements therein; yea, and it furthers the good success of our prayer with the Lord himself.
How may a believer maintain in himself a praying frame?
1. Let such as would hold up such a blessed frame in their hearts, be daily drawing from the flowers of God’s providences and promises, some spiritual sweetness; and then our spiritual combs will be dropping ripe. Dronelike professors, whilst they neglect this, and live upon an old stock of grace or comfort received, grow altogether listless to prayer; they have enough already, what need they ask more? But this beelike diligence in the saints will make their lips like the dropping honey-comb. And this is done mostly by daily meditation, whereby we do in a holy manner, sit and dwell upon, and draw out the sweet and sap which is in God’s words and works: “Consider my meditation,” that is, prayer. What David brought into the retired corners of his soul by holy contemplation, be dropped out in prayer. Meditation fills the vessel of a gracious heart, and prayer opens the heart and pours out the things therein. By meditation we beat the spices, and cut the offering to pieces, and lay them in order, fit to be offered, and then we are the fitter to offer the same up in prayer. Meditation digs and searches, and finds out the precious metals and materials, which being ready at hand, are the sooner and the better coined in prayer.
2. Let such be improving all praying motions and stirrings. We shall never hold on in prayer without ceasing, and in continual praising, unless we attend that counsel. Quench not the Spirit, even in any strong, warm, and lively motions also, which he may make that way in our hearts. David, who says that he gave himself to prayer, or as it is in the Hebrew, “I prayer,” as if made up of prayer, and doing little else but praying: he says also, “When thou saidst, Seek my face, my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” He did not slight or put off any strong motions of the Spirit in his heart to seek the Lord, but made faithful and fruitful improvement thereof. Christ puts the church upon it, to let him hear her voice, and she hath a request ready for him. And so, “Cause me to hear thy voice,” saith Christ to the church. She speaks in prayer: “Make haste, my beloved.”
3. Let such be oft and much in ejaculatory prayer: we may be sure to find our hearts in elevated frames, when we have been oft heaving and lifting at them. When we have been dealing with God just before, and have made so many short essays, we are the fitter to deal with him more solemnly. Moses was tampering and catching at the Lord thus, before he spake out so solemnly: “Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people?” etc. For God saith to Moses, “Let me alone.” When we have so oft whispered thus with God beforehand, we are the fitter to talk and speak out before him: “Hear my cry, attend to my prayer;” yet nothing expressed what he said; he was at it in ejaculatory crying and praying, and thence is so bent for more solemn prayer, expressed in the verses following: “From the end of the earth will I cry to thee,” etc. These running grasps and trips do much help our holy wrestling, praying art, and skill and courage; when we do in ejaculatory prayers oft sally. out upon our spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, we are the fitter to maintain a solemn fight against them in our more solemn prayers.
4. Let such maintain in their souls that precious frame, poverty of spirit. That will teach us praying eloquence, help us much with praying arguments, and quicken up in us all praying desires, as we see persons pinched with extreme wants and penury: of all others, the poor oppressed ones, as the Hebrew is, have their hearts set and fitted by God for prayer:
“Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the poor, thou wilt prepare their hearts,” namely, to pray, “thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.”
3. To pray without ceasing, is to be very frequent in prayer; so we say, you are always doing thus or thus; we mean you are very often doing so. “Ye have asked nothing,” that is, but very seldom. Ask; that is, more frequently; frequent prayer keeps every grace active; frequent uttering our wants and ails keeps us humble; the often opening of our spiritual wounds keeps us tender; the more we trade with God about heaven’s commodities, the more it keeps up the price of them in our hearts; we then vend and utter them readily, in other parts of our holy conversation; and making quicker sale that way, we make the quicker return again to God for more.
How oft must we pray? As oft as opportunity is offered, as was said before. yet twice a day at the least, must be to us a time of praying. Hence the morning and evening sacrifice of old, unto which the prophet alludes, and calls it a seeking of God evermore, as held out in his tabernacle. The very birds, morning and evening, and some also, as the nightingale, in the night also, are in their manner lifting up their notes unto their maker and maintainer. “Give us this day our daily bread,” must needs imply a daily prayer for it; and as twice a day, at least, our bodies need supply of bread, so is it fit, that both body and soul be employed twice a day in solemn seeking of the Lord about that, and all other things which we need, or the blessing of the Lord thereupon.
Suppose a Christian take the seasons of morning and evening for family prayer; must he take the same seasons for closet prayer also?
We should, as much as in us lies, and the providence of God ministers opportunities of it, endeavor the same; one duty may not willingly be omitted because of the other. It has been proved that both are duties, and the saints will have respect to all God’s commandments. As a Christian is considered singly and absolutely, so secret prayer lies upon him; but as in relation to others, so also prayer with others is his duty: as his estate is, so is his bond of duty doubled. The carnal heart of man will more cavil, and startle at prayer by ourselves alone, than at that with others: our natures will less easily be strangers to services to which others are privy, as we see in hypocrites and familists, than to such as the Lord only beholds; but no wiles of our heart or Satan, should draw us from a commanded duty in Scripture. And indeed, we under the gospel should not be less in holy serving of God with our spirits, than those under the law, but rather more. Hence it is that the wooden or incense altars for the incense of prayer, is in Ezekiel typically represented to be much larger, under the times of the gospel than ever under the law. That under the law was a cubit in length, a cubit in breadth, and two cubits in height. That which Ezekiel sees in vision, is three cubits high, and two cubits long: the breadth is indefinite and unlimited, showing that the saints under the gospel would make much more improvement of the Lord Jesus, their holy altar, in prayer, and make use of his mediation and intercession by faith, in their heavenly supplications, for height more sublime, for continuance more stable and lasting than the saints of old were ordinarily wont to do. Hence a spirit of supplication promised in those days, not to be barely dropped, but abundantly to be poured out upon the saints.
4. To be constant in prayer, is to be in a course of prayer daily; implied also in daily prayer to be made for daily bread. Hence Paul enjoining praying always, joins persevering, or holding on our course in prayer: “Continue instant in prayer.” As for reasons why we ought to pray thus constantly, they are briefly these.
1. The Lord is very constant in calling upon us. He daily spreads out his hands to us; we may well be daily lifting up our hearts and hands to him.
2. Jesus Christ intercedes for us without ceasing; he ever lives to make intercession for us, coming unto God by him. It is all his work in a manner; therefore we may well be so much taken up with this business of prayer.
3. The main matters of our prayers are everlasting matters, and everlasting mercies call for incessant prayers: yea, the praises one day to be returned for answers of prayers, will b everlasting; and there would be some proportion of perpetuity in our holy prayers.
4. The Lord ceases not to bless us till we cease begging: but if we give up praying, he will forbear his wonted giving; so long as Abraham held on asking, the Lord held on answering. When Abraham left off communing with the Lord, he goes up from Abraham. If Joash be scanty in smiting with his darts, his victories over the Syrians are the less. Fewer spiritual wrestlings will issue iii fewer spiritual conquests. The oil of grace still runs, as long as there are empty vessels to receive the same. As sometimes Sir Walter Raleigh answered Queen Elizabeth’s demand, when he would leave begging of her: “Not till your majesty,” said he, “cease giving.” So should we, perceiving that whilst we seek the Lord, he is found of us. We should resolve to hold on seeking, and pray as long as we prosper in it.
5. Holy constancy in prayer, will be an argument of most integrity in it. The hypocrite will not pray always. They are elect ones which are so incessant in prayer; cry night and day. They are natural fruits to trees, which they bring forth constantly. So constancy in holy prayer argues prayer to be in a holy wise natural to us as saints, and that there is in us some praying nature. It is a beam of divine immutability, amidst variety of changes in other things, yet to be unchangeable in our way of holiness, and therefore of prayer. The saints, whatever their changes otherwise, yet are suppliants:
“From beyond the river of Ethiopia shall my suppliants come.” That is, my saints, my effectual called ones, which will be continually, even naturally, making holy supplications to me. If abroad, they are conscientious in prayer, and so likewise if at home. If free, then free to pray; if bond, yet the Lord’s free men to pray. In privileged and peaceable times they continue praying, and so they do in troublesome times; whilst the light of God shines in their tabernacles, and on their spirits, they labor in prayer; and so in darkness of temptations, afflictions, etc., they hold on praying.
6. Special and desirable benefits come by constancy in prayer. It is a special help against all worldly temptations. If we would not be charged with cares of this life, pray always. Men much in prayer with God, are ever the most weaned from the world. They have so many sweet discourses with God, that other talks with the world are more harsh and burdensome to them; they are so oft in speech with the spouse of their souls, that they cannot affect to speak familiarly with that harlot. They are so much in heaven that their spirits cannot be much in earth. They drive so gainful a trade in that celestial city, that they have little delight to be peddling elsewhere about trifles. They fare so well at their father’s house, that they care not for the devil’s husks, or the world’s scraps. It is likewise a means to escape the displeasure of God, which lights upon others; to escape that which comes as a snare, which takes and holds fast, and bruises, crushes, and kills others. Besides, it is a means to fit us for Christ’s second coming. Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of man. Persons much in prayer do so oft set up tribunals in their own hearts, so frequently make up just accounts with God in Christ, and so many times in their prayers make references of matters unto that day, that they familiarize with their judge, and in a manner facilitate the business of that day, so far as it concerns them. But here we might justly reprove such in our days, who have formerly been more constant in family, and possibly in closet prayer, but now leave it off, seldom or never pray in their closets, and will not join with others in prayer. This is charged upon hypocrites as their guise and garb: “Will he always call upon God?”
Whence comes it to pass that any faint, or grow weary, or cease from praying?
1. Many bring with them to prayer too many incumbrances, and they tire them; they cannot travel on to hold out in a course of prayer, when they carry so much luggage with them.
2. Many do but waste their time in prayer to no purpose, and so getting nothing by this their trade, they grow weary of it, and men shut up shop, as I may say. It is bootless, they perceive, and in vain for them to pray any longer.
3. Many have some secret wounds yet unhealed; they are annoyed with some malignant distempers of heart, with some predominant lusts, and so faint and give out. They began this holy course, and set out with others in this spiritual way, but cannot hold on with them; their hearts not being sound and right within them, they draw back, and that to perdition; their heart is lifted up, and not upright within them, and so cannot make any spiritual living of it. Their hearts not being sound in God’s statutes, they sustain the shame of apostasy.
4. Many do not sincerely receive and retain the holy food of their souls, the word of God, which would keep us in this path of a Christian’s course and race. Careless and unprofitable hearers will not, cannot hold on long, or with any life, a course of prayer. Whilst Christians are lively and fruitful in hearing the word, they are lively, fruitful, and constant in prayer; but they that give the bare hearing to the prophet’s words, minding other matters whilst they are hearing, are heartless and listless altogether in seeking unto God that they might live. “If our iniquities be upon us, and we pine away in our sins, how should we then live?” They think it loathsome to look, or speak to God about it.