19. Part 3, Chapter 3. Good Things Suggested in Prayer

CHAPTER III.

GOOD THINGS SUGGESTED IN PRAYER. A third case of conscience about prayer, now to be considered of, is touching things materially good, which are suggested in prayer, how they should be discerned to be, or not to be delusions.

Before we lay down the marks of differencing these motions materially good, from those which are so formally, we must premise that such good things for the matter of the motions may be suggested and raised up in the spirit of a Christian, when praying to God, and yet not spring from the Spirit of God. Even such like motions may be raised from our own natural spirits, as far as they are carnal, and likewise they may be cunningly propounded by Satan. And because this to some may seem strange, that good motions should be suggested to God’s people, or to others, whilst exercised in so good a work, and yet the same not to come from a good spirit, let us evince it a little from Scripture examples and grounds. That such motions may come from our own hearts, as they are carnal, will appear by the character of man’s heart in itself considered, .and as far as natural: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Surely, if the heart could not play such a cheat as this, that speech would be too hyperbolical. When David sought God in and about his soul, he had experience of such seemingly friendly counsels to do this or that, to take this course for his succor and that, whereby the Lord’s displeasure might be removed; but by his complaint of them, it appears lie found them deceitful counsels; he is weary of such heart-counsels, saying, “How long shall I take counsel in myself?” When David was in so sad a case, one might think sad musings and thoughts being so suitable to his case, need not be suspected to be sinful; yet David perceived that those he had were tainted, and therefore chides his soul for them: “Why art thou so sad, O my soul?” When Asaph was crying to God in prayer in that sad condition, he had motions in his mind then, propounding grounds of comfort whilst he sought God; for he says, “I sought God, my soul refused to be comforted.” Again, at the same time, be had other motions crossing the former, and persuading that it was not for such a wretch as he, who had lost God’s favor, to take hold of comfort; and these motions prevailed against the other; for he says, “I sought the Lord, my sore ran, and my soul refused to be comforted.” Both motions had their probable grounds of equity and truth, but could not be both from a good principle. He had also in his prayer many thoughts of God’s past mercies to him, yet other motions and inquisitions are made in and by his spirit, which make him but the more troubled and overwhelmed amidst his complaints: “1 remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.” True it is, that the thoughts of God’s mercies, together with the serious musings of our vileness and unworthy walking, they work kindly, when they humble us, and break our hearts; but it is never of God that they should overwhelm us, as these did this good mail. The like might be said of such motions demanding, “will the Lord cast off forever?” “Is his mercy clean gone forever?” Though he does cast off, and his mercy be gone to sense at present, yet is it so forever? Was there any hurt in these? Yea, verily, Asaph’s own conscience being judge afterwards: “And I said, this is mine infirmity.” David has motions in his heart which put him upon that: “Lord, make me to know my end,” and it was materially a good thought which he expresses:

“Man at his best estate is vanity.” Yea, but David’s heart was too hot within him; it was distempered heat against the prosperity of the wicked at which he was troubled, and these were but the sparklings of that wildfire; he does as good as pray to hasten his own end; but he corrects himself presently: “But now, O Lord, what wait I for?” etc. He thinks it more needful to exercise faith and patience, than to be so hasty and discontented. Job uttered many things (out of the abundance of his troubled heart) before the Lord, which were materially good, but his heart did but carry him away in sundry of them. A heart transported by a distemper, may make religious motions, and put upon religious expressions. The spirit of good Moses, that man of God, suggested things considerable, and put him upon uttering the same before the Lord in prayer: “Have I conceived this people?” etc. “Whence should I have flesh to give them?” etc. “I am not able to bear this people alone;” yet verily, it appears that his spirit was not regular and spiritual therein, but carnal: “If thou deal thus with mc, kill me, I pray thee.” The spirit of the disciples moved them to pray as is mentioned: “Lord, wilt thou that we command lire to come down from heaven upon them, as Elijah did?” The ground and warrant seemed weighty and rational. The Samaritans did not receive him; yet they were deluded and mistaken, in listening to these motions of their own distempered spirits: “Jesus rebuked them, saying, Ye know not what spirit ye are of.” Whilst Jacob was praying so well: “As a Prince, saith the angel, hast thou prevailed with God.” Yet an unsuitable and unwarrantable motion, materially good, arises in his heart, whence that further request uttered by his lips: “Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.” A desire to know more of so glorious and gracious a one, as the Lord was, who would suspect that, or any thing which it moves? Yet verily, curiosity blended and mingled itself therewith; hence so checked: “Wherefore askest thou after my name?” Jeremy, whilst he is praying humbly, “Remember and visit me, take me not away in thy longsuffering;” yet behold a tincture of a distemper, though fair faced, arises therewith, and moves him to speak thus:

“Wilt thou be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail?” The disciples seem to themselves to have good ground for that desire and motion:

“Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?” but were transported with curiosity, and thence that secret check of Christ: “It is not for you to know the times.” And as man’s heart can thus sophisticate, so Satan can inject and suggest things materially good to our minds. Thus when Christ had been fasting in the wilderness, he suggests a piece of Scripture to his mind: “It is written He shall give his angels charge over thee,” etc. Thus whilst Joshua is before God, Satan can present to him his sins, and charge his heart and thoughts with them, and that groundedly, for Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and the Lord also adds, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee.” And what humble soul but would be ready to judge it meet to think of its sins? When to come before the Lord with that holy zeal of the church of Corinth, against the incestuous Corinthians’ sin. Satan by his wiles would be transporting the same beyond bounds of compassion and charity: “Sufficient is such an one’s punishment inflicted of many.” “So that contrariwise, ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest he be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.” “Lest Satan should get an advantage, for we are not ignorant of his devices.” The poor penitent Corinthian’s sin was very great, and his sorrow needed to be exceeding great, and he was moved to sorrow exceedingly, and is there any evil in this? Yes, a device of Satan to carry him out in his very sorrow for his sins, beyond all bounds: “The man Gabriel, an angel of light, brings a gracious message to Daniel in prayer.” Satan can imitate the like message at the like time, for “he can transform himself into an angel of light,” as his ministers can, like those of Jesus Christ, speak things materially good to the outward ear, which are formally satanical. The like legerdemain can that old deceiver play, in reference to our inward senses, verifying that “He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness, but a false witness deceit;” namely, when in pretence he holds forth righteous things. The saints are most endangered by such a white devil, being more aware of him when he speaks like himself. it was the devil in the poor possessed man, who had that motion in him, to do homage to Christ:

“When he saw Jesus afar of, he ran and worshipped him.” He also moved another such a like person to go to the synagogue, as outwardly to observe the Sabbath exercises: “Christ entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and taught;” and “There was there in the synagogue, a man of an unclean spirit.” The devil also could strongly move such a one to make for substance a goodly confession: “For the man cried out, saying, I know thee who thou art, the holy One of God.” But this was whilst the auditors should have been hearkening to Christ’s doctrine, and joining in his prayers, sanctifying the action. Whilst the Apostle and his company were at prayer, Satan moved the possessed damsel present to expressions in substance good, saying, “These men bring unto us the message of salvation, and are the servants of the most high God,” when praying dispositions in those there present had been more suitable. So that it concerns us the more to endeavor to a clear discerning of any such delusive motions, materially good, from such as are truly good and heavenly. A mistaken devil entertained for an angel of light, is most mischievous, and not easily excluded when once admitted. Such comfort or counsel slyly suggested, will not so soon be rejected; but being admitted for good, is apt to be maintained. The good witches (as they call them) which will tell men news of lost things, and how to right injuries done, are most mischievous, as bewitching and besotting the spirits of such as listen to their counsel; they are poisoners. Hence the devil’s instruments, heretics and schismatics, which propound Scripture grounds for what they hold forth, beguile and hurt more souls than other wretches; they bewitch people: “Who hath bewitched you?” These “flatterers spread a net for men’s feet.” Seven abominations are in the heart of Satan and his subtile instruments, “when they make their voice gracious;” as the Hebrew has it. If Satan could not, or did not set a good face upon his treacheries to men’s souls, and cover all with the mantle of good and pious motions, he would not so properly be said to “deceive the whole world.” But to come to the marks of distinction and of discerning of this highest strain of the sophistication of our spiritual enemies, through suggestions materially good.

1. Such motions, materially good, which steal away the heart from the duty of prayer in hand, though possibly the duty be carried on but in an overly manner, by reason of those motions, such are satanical; on the contrary, motions which tend to farther intentness thereon, they are of God. The Spirit of God is a faithful and wise guide, and uses not to lead the saints about, or in by-ways, but in straight paths, right on by all his motions. The Spirit of God leads the sons of God in a direct way of crying, “Abba, Father.” “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.” “Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when thou turnest to the right hand or to the left.” The Spirit moves nothing to draw us out of the way of God, but to put us into it; and being in it, to move us to keep on. When a man in prayer has his imagination working and exercised about good notions for godly discourse, for expatiating on some good subject, or meditation, or preaching; and that in such sort, as he cannot, and does not mind scarcely what he is saying or doing before God in prayer, these thoughts and motions are delusive.

2. Such motions as come into the heart with such violence, that they occasion inward hurries of spirit by them, and thereby breaking off the very duty sometimes, though materially good, yet are delusive and satanical. As when in prayer strong motions are suggested, pretending to put us upon being affected with sorrow for some past evil, or fear about some evil impending, yet so, as the same are pressed and followed with such violence that they bend and tend to amazement and swallowing up of the spirits; these are delusive. Such were those motions of Asaph’s heart whilst seeking God, which so troubled him that he was overwhelmed: “In the day of my trouble I sought God;” and “I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.” Such were the motions to the humbled Corinthian, when so violent, that he was like to be swallowed up with overmuch heaviness about -his sinful and sad estate. Satan’s devices were in it for his own advantage: “Lest Satan get advantage, for we are not ignorant of his devices.” The Lord never uses to maintain contention to cause the spirits of his people to fail: “I will not contend forever, lest the spirit should fail before me.”

Nay, rather the Spirit of God uses, when such troublous motions grow strong and very heavy, to put under his hand to revive the saints’ spirits when ready to give out through such hurries of sad pressures of heart: “To revive the spirit of the humble, for I will not contend forever, lest the spirit should fail before me.” Hence that Psalms 94:1-23 : “In the multitude of my wretched thoughts, thy comforts delight my soul.” The Spirit of the Lord will indeed suggest motions of fear, but not such as tend to make us break off through their violence, but sweetly rather to draw us to hold on in the way of God: “I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.” He gently leads “his flock as a shepherd.” Yea, if the motions were to confidence in God, or joy in God, but with such violence as to drive men into strange ecstasies, they are to be suspected. So in motions putting upon just anger for the ground of it; but with so much violence, as not to be kept within bounds of godly moderation, and temperature of compassion. So in motions putting upon desires of something in its time, way, and proportion very desirable; but so all upon the spur, and with so much imperiousness upon the spirit, as though all present service of God, and all other thoughts, must forthwith give room and place to this motion; which is enough to prove the same to be delusive; the Spirit of God using to work regularly and calmly, even when he works most strongly. Sure it is, that it is not one and the same Spirit, that speaks to a man’s spirit, which, whilst it was but then called upon to speak to the Lord about such a business of weight, it is now in such haste and hurry called off to run a long tract of mental discourse, so hotly and so closely, with some other matter.

3. Such motions as are empty notions, carrying a show of Scripture language, but are not Scripture: haply some piece of Scripture joined with something else, whereof the main is left out. So the devil at the first sight seemed to suggest that Scripture: “He shall give his angels charge over thee;” but look it over again, and you shall see the main limitation of promise, “to keep thee in all thy ways,” is left out; as something is added of the devil’s own, in bringing this to back the temptation of Christ: “Cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee,” etc. Thus here is chaff mingled with God’s wheat. Yea, here is a pretence of a Scripture, when in the terms of it there was no such Scripture. Scripture in the devil’s or his instrument’s mouth, is as the “parable in the fool’s mouth.” Like to the legs of the lame, which are not equal, but halting. It is pretended, “Thus saith the Lord,” by the false prophets. They say, “the Lord hath said,” but God counts it all but chaff, a mere empty husk: “What is the chaff to the wheat?” They did but pretend the word and counsel of God, “thus saith the Lord;” it was not really so. “God sends (in a judicial way,) strong delusions, that they should believe a lie.” It were not a delusion, if better things were not held forth; yea, but in truth, it is nothing else but a very lie, though backed possibly with Scripture of truth wrested and abused. The devil’s imps, to seduce the better, pretend the liberty of Jesus Christ, but in truth, it is “servitude to the flesh.” So Satan himself would be beguiling Christians with his delusive shadows of God’s grace, counsels, comforts; but they who “hearken to such lying vanities, forsake their own mercy.” But things which the Holy Ghost suggests, are realities, regularities, solidities. The Spirit’s suggestions carry a real port of divine majesty and sovereignty, and many times in the very mentioning of them does he effect what he represented to the mind: “The Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime,” (and not barely hint it;) yea, so effectually, that a song of praise for it follows: “And his song shall be with me,” etc.

4. Such motions apparently Scriptural, yet really suggested to cross other Scripture counsels, reproofs, comforts, commands, or threats; or coming cross to principles of faith, or light, or peace, and experience received from God, are delusive and satanical. Such were those suggested to Christ, whilst spiritually exercised in the wilderness. Crossing that Scripture:

“Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” It is a deluding spirit, it sets the blessed harmonious Scripture against itself. When Scriptures are set on the devil’s rack, by himself immediately, or by his instruments mediately, it is still devilish. They put them on the rack, as they do other Scriptures, though to the perdition of such hucksters. Thus the devil by the false prophet pretends divine authority, for that which was directly contrary to divine authority. Hananiah says, “Babel’s yoke shall be broken in two years,” and that the Lord says it; but God by Jeremiah says, No; and as Satan does thus mediately by his instruments, so he uses to do more immediately by himself. But the Spirit of God, being a spirit of truth, can suggest nothing but what is consonant unto truth: “What he heareth, that he shall speak.” And being a spirit of wisdom, he cannot speak contradictions to what himself indited and inspired, as he did the Scriptures:

“He is a witness.” “A faithful witness speaking the truth,” the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and the same constantly. As it is said of the true witness:

“He that heareth speaketh constantly.” I deny not but that in some extraordinary cases God may say to Abraham, “That in Isaac shall thy seed be called,” etc., and yet bid Abraham kill that his Isaac, before Isaac had any child, and so seemingly crossing his promise, yea, and his precept, too: “Thou shalt not kill.” But this was for trial’s sake: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.” Nor do such extraordinary cases cross the tenure of ordinary rules, which we are to attend, and by which we are to judge of the regularity or irregularity of suggestions or actions.

5. Such motions as 1eae no impression upon the mind, but are forthwith forgotten, they are delusive. Satan is sometimes compared to lightning. What lightsome motions he makes! They are but flashes soon gone. But the Spirit’s motions are abiding reflections of sun-like beams. Satan as a fowl will be present at religious exercises. (The fowls attending the sower, are interpreted the wicked one attending the ministers in their preaching, and hearers in their hearing the word.) But whatsoever flatterings he makes in men’s minds, they are but vagrant and transient movings; but it is otherwise with suggestions truly divine. When such a motion and word is spoken from heaven to Christ, “Thou art my son,” etc., and “the Spirit abideth upon him” too, that argued that it was il1deed a divine attestation. When in keeping the commandments of Christ from love to him, (as that command of Christ for prayer,) the Lord so shows himself and his gracious counsels to us, that he abides with us, the suggestions of such comfortable things to our hearts in prayer, are of God indeed: “I will manifest myself to him, we will come and make our abode with him.” When a word is so spoken once to us inwardly or outwardly, that it is heard twice by us, verily God spake that word to us indeed: “God hath spoken once, twice have I heard it, that power belongeth to God.” When Solomon is praying in his dream, and the while precious and sweet motions are suggested to him to ask ‘what God shall give him; and when he asks wisdom, it is said to him that lie has that granted, and more. This does not vanish as a dream, but leaves such an impression upon him, that when he awoke, the light, heat, and life thereof abides; so that he must go to Jerusalem, and offer sacrifice there, in regard thereof; this was indeed of God. So in that item of God to Paul whilst he was praying: “He said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness.” This so stuck with Paul, and so warmed him, that he breaks out thus: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,” and he rightly therefore concluded, that the Lord said thus unto him. “Whilst Jacob is wrestling with the Lord, it is told him, that he should prevail with men,” and the motion clave to him; and in confidence of the truth of it, he now dares to meet his brother, of whom before he was so afraid.

6. Such motions as leave the heart barren, when yet they swim aloft in the brain plentifully, are delusive; as those lying items suggested to the ear from Satan’s instruments, they please, but profit not: “Therefore they shall not profit this people at all.” So these of Satan leave the heart fruitless. Satan’s sweet bits nourish no more the soul, than those of that dissembling churl do the bodies of his guests. Like his sorcery of bringing a fair woman to another’s bed, which in the morning proved a carcass. Satan’s flattering motions, whenever suggested, are but as other flatteries, a pleasing song, and cheering blaze, but ending soon after in sadness and smoke:

“The song of fools is like the crackling thorns under a pot.” Like those that in seeking God, (“in their affliction they will seek me early,”) they had such motions of returning to God: “Come let us return to God;” and of following on to know him: “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord;” but “their goodness was like the early dew and clouds vanishing away.” So “in seeking God when be slew them,” they had motions materially good, stirring: “For they considered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. But their heart was not right with God, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.” It was then without force upon their hearts, which indeed were never sincere and serious, but deceitful. But when the Spirit moves upon the face of our souls in any ordinance, whether it be in and by motions of conviction, or consolation, it makes the spices flow out, it causes the various graces of God iii the soul to give their fragrant smell: “Awake, O north wind, and blow o south upon my garden, that the spices may flow out.” When Christ comes to us in prayer, or in any other of his holy ordinances by the motions of his Spirit, he comes “as showers that water the earth,” the force thereof mollifies our souls, and makes them fruitful.

7. Such motions as are various, confused, and independent one upon the other, or upon the present business which then we are in hand with in our prayers. Such, though they may be for the matter of them good, yet being not distinct, methodical, or seasonable, they are not from God’s Spirit, but from some other delusive spirit. Such items are not words upon the wheels, in due order, according to our particular suits, which are then in motion and agitation. Christ’s lips, when he speaks to us more immediately by his Spirit, or otherwise, “are as lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.” His words and motions come not in heaps but orderly, drop after drop, and pertinently; as of the same myrrhlike nature all of them, as he guides his truly wise servants, so that their tongue uses knowledge aright, so the fruit of his lips by his spirit flows forth aptly, dependently, in a right order, season, and maimer; but those of a delusive spirit, they are like sea waves, tumultuous, independing, in no certain course or channel.

8. Such motions materially good, as put us upon high thoughts of ourselves, and of our good estate, which heave up our spirits, are delusive, like those in Zedekiah, who was confident that the Lord moved him to speak: “Thus saith the Lord, saith he, and that his spirit had been with him,” yet see how proud he was, and how he despised Micaiah, who indeed was moved by God’s Spirit to speak: “He smote him on the cheek, saying, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speak unto thee?” The Spirit’s motions in prayer tend to humble rather. As iii Abraham’s praying, and saying, “which am but dust.” Those lily-like drops from Christ’s lips, of which we spake, are as myrrh; of abasing, and mourning use, as myrrh used about dead bodies to keep them from putrefaction.

9. Such motions materially good, suggested in prayer, as put us upon any breach of special relations, or duties of our callings, are delusive. As when Jonah thinks how merciful is God, and thence is put upon it to turn aside from his calling to pray at Nineveh: “O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? therefore I fled before unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” Or if a private man should be followed in prayer with Scriptures, urging him (as he thinks) to cast off civil subjection to higher powers: “Be not the servants of men;” or, “Then are the children free;” or if some private man should be moved in prayer very strongly, to kill such or such a wicked ruler, from Ehud’s example. Such like motions would be found to be delusive. The apostle, to prevent such abuses, says: “As free, but not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness.”

10. Such things materially good as are moved in prayer, either to justify some former evil thing in us, as Jonah in his prayer now mentioned. He revives in his mind those former thoughts of God’s gracious nature, as a plea whereby to have justified him in that refusal to obey his call to Nineveh: “O Lord, was not this my saying,” etc. Or when they are moved to ground some present distempered request in prayer, as that pretended humble motion of Job in prayer: “‘What is man, that thou visitest him?” brought in (as it may seem) to back his distempered desire not to live any longer in such misery: I loathe to live, my days are vanity;” and “what is man?” etc. So distempered Elias says: “He is no better than his fathers;” good, yea, but it is brought in to plead that God would dispatch his life: “O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers;” and this was delusive.

Lastly, when God in judgment orders it to some false and perverse seekers of him, that some things which they conclude to be good shall be suggested to them, whilst seeking him; but in judgment for some inordinacy, or hypocrisy in their requests, and so in wrath not in mercy. God had once told Balaam inquiring of him, that he should not go with Balak’s messengers, and yet out of his covetous mind, and desire of the wages of unrighteousness, he will go again to move him for his counsel about going: “Tarry ye here (says he to Balak’s second messengers) this night, that I may know what the Lord will say more to me;” and “God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them.” Balaam was inordinately set to go, and God, when he again inquires about going, does in judgment bid him go. For “The angel telleth him, Behold, I went to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me.” “Every one that putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire of him concerning me, I the Lord will answer him that cometh by myself, according to the multitude of his idols.” And as God deals judicially with such rotten-hearted ones inquiring after his counsel in the word, he in like sort deals with like persons inquiring after his counsel in prayer.