20. Part 3, Chapter 4. The Use of Means
CHAPTER IV. THE USE OF MEANS WITH PRAYER.
We are now to proceed to some other cases of conscience about prayer. A fourth case is, how far forth means are to be used together with our prayers? In answer whereunto, let us show,—
1. That means are to be used with prayer, and 2. How they are to be used. That means are to be used with our prayers, is clear in all instances of the suppliants of God in their prayers, and in Christ’s example also, using the means with his prayers. Nehemiah, as he prayed that he might be improved as an instrument of good to his distressed countrymen; so also did be use his interest in his Lord and Master the King, to further him therein, and when he was in hazard by reason of his enemies’ powers and policies, as he prays with the people, so he sets a watch: “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them night and day, because of them. Ezra and the rest had confessed the sins of the people,” but must use the means to reform the same: “Now when Ezra had prayed, Shechaniah answered, Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away the strange wives.” “Arise, for this matter belongeth to thee.” Abraham’s servant with his prayers for success in the business of procuring a wife for Isaac, uses the means to speed therein, he bestows bracelets upon her, when he began to perceive her to be the woman. Paul with his prayers that the “Philippians’ love may abound,” will use exhortations too for that end. Christ when to raise Lazarus, as he will pray, so commanded that the “stone be removed from the grave.” And with his prayers for the not failing of Peter’s faith, he uses that means of recovering words also.
Let us add three or four reasons why means must be used with prayer.
1. Because ordinarily God gives us the blessings which we seek of him in the use of means. If David pray for a victory over the Philistines, God will give it him, but he must listen to the noise in the tops of the mulberry trees, to know when he must fall on, a he must first fetch a compass, the better to lie in ambush. So he shall recover all, upon his prayer and inquiry, that the Amalekites took from Ziklag. But he will use means to come upon them where they are secure, by making use of the information of that Egyptian soldier of theirs whom they left behind: “Jacob shall prevail over Esau, having prevailed over God,” but will use the means by a large gift to pacify his brother’s wrath. Paul has a promise of the lives of all in the ship. Yet some means, as that of the boat must not be used, and other means more unlikely must be used for the safety of all, they that can swim must do it, and the rest get upon boards, and pieces of the wreck to the shore. “Not a bone of Christ shall be broken,” yet God ordained it that he should be dead, before they came to hasten his death by breaking his bones, as they did the others. “Of those that the Father gave me, have I lost none,” according as it is written. Yet will he use the means, that his weakly disciples may at that present escape that temptation of sufrering. God delights to bless the use of means as his own ordinance, he will be seen to be all in means, and over means, and will have his people discern the sweet accord between the first and the second causes.
2. Because the more costly and difficult mercies are to us, the more they are prized by us, and they abide the longer with us. Hezekiah has means pre. scribed for his recovery, which God could have wrought without them; but his recovery is thereby the more memorable. Abraham’s servant with prayer using sundry means, had made many more affecting observations of speaking providences for accomplishing his business, and did the more thankfully admire God therein, and repeat the same the more feelingly for others’ benefit. There are more conspicuous varieties of God’s wisdom, grace, power, and truth, in such a way. Both the means and the mercies which we obtain by prayer, with use of means, are more suitable to our condition here; when means are used by us, we are often minded of the mercies received thereby, by like cases and means occurring, and are fitter to remind others thereof occasion ally.
3. Because the saints using means with their prayers, are quietest and most at peace in the issues thereof, whatsoever they prove, and are strongly armed against objections impugning their fidelity to God, themselves, or others; being thereby also fenced against temptations to discontent. Hannah having prayed by herself, and having set good Eli also on work with God for her, is quiet. David, after he had with his prayers to defeat Ahithophel’s counsel, —“Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness,”— used means to escape Absalom’s bloody army, marshalling his own army for that end, how quiet lie is. In a psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom, he said, “I laid me down and slept,” he can then sleep as sweetly in his tent, as in his palace.
4. Because the saints using means with their prayers, are sure either of the good things they seek, or as good, and the Lord’s blessing upon them. Abraham’s servant Nehemiah and others had the very mercies they sought. Paul and Moses had the good of that which they sought. God gave not Paul the desired deliverance from the evil he complained of, but yet gives him grace sufficient to guard and support him against his temptations. Moses shall have all in a view at a distance, which they had who went into Canaan. David earnestly desired to have built God a temple; “It was in his heart so to do, and accordingly be made ready;” yet he must not build it; but God honored him in selecting his son Solomon to do it; and he further honored David with a glorious testimony of his gracious acceptance of such desires and endeavors of his to have done it, even as if he had actually done it; yea, he honored him with that divine discovery of all the platform of that goodly fabric; that, though Solomon shall erect it, yet David shall have the honor above him in all matters concerning the framing of it. Abraham is denied his desire in Ishmael, but is fully made up in the blessing upon Isaac, and Ishmael some way also fared the better for it.
What rules are to be attended unto, in our using means with our prayers?
1. Sanctify even the very means which you use, with prayer for a blessing upon them. So did Nehemiah, his petition to the king was sanctified by his petition to the King of heaven, “So I prayed unto the God of heaven, and then I said unto the king.” And those godly Jews sought God by fasting and prayer, for a right way of proceeding in their return into Judea. Asa will set the battle in array, as the means, but yet sanctify it by prayer, and yet then also profess, it is all nothing without the Lord: “We have no power, help us O Lord our God.” And, indeed, when Christians sanctify the means by prayer, they acknowledge God as all in all, even in the means as well as the end; this will prevent using unlawful means. If Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, and Jacob had done so, they had not used those poor shifts mentioned, which are no better than lying. Besides, it will prevent a blast upon that which means may bring about without such prayer, to sanctify the same; when we use means with success in our desires, without prayer, we either want the comfort of the thing attained, or it is unexpectedly snatched from us; or it is some way perverted to some unwarrantable use, or rather abuse thereof.
2. We must needs be choice, prudent, and pious in making use of the means we pitch upon, and as pious and prudent in the manner of using the same. Neither choose nor use any unlawful means, as Rachel and Sarah did, to give their maids to their husbands, to attain their desire of children by them. Or as David in danger at Gath, supplicating for deliverance, but scribbling too, as the means. Nor are we to use any unsuitable or unseasonable means, or lawful pertinent means unlawfully or unseasonably, but use lawfulest and likeliest means. As Mordecai with prayer used queen Esther’s interest with her husband, king Ahasuerus; and Jacob with his prayer, sends Esau a present, a gift using to prosper whithersoever it goes.
3. Let us see that there lie no fault or sin upon us, in such sort as might blast both our praying and means using also. As in Joshua’s crying whilst Achan’s sin lay upon the congregation, “Why criest thou? — Israel bath sinned.” So the Israelites for avenging that horrid crime of Benjamin, gather an army, and pray too; but for sins among them, and too much trusting to their numbers, twice blasted. Hence, when godly Ezra would use means for their safe return to Judea, he puts his company upon solemn humiliation of themselves before God, lest their sins might waylay them.
4. Use the means in faith. Set faith on work, as well in the use of means as of prayer. Nehemiah prays, sets a strict watch, encourages all sorts to fight, but all in faith: “Our God shall fight for us.” “Moses crieth,” and withal Moses uses means prescribed of God to pass through the Red Sea, “he stretcheth out his hand over the Red Sea to divide it;” but all this was in faith, looking through all their prayers, and all secondary means, unto the Lord as all in all. By faith they passed through the Red Sea. Asa sets the battle in array, and prays, but rests neither on his warlike power nor on his prayers, but on the Lord alone: “We rest on thee.” And, indeed, we have need to use means in faith, looking through means, and resting on the God of them, and on his promise for succeeding the same. Jacob prays, as well after he had pitched upon the means of pacifying Esau as before, and yet rests on the charge of God that he should return, and his promise, “That he will be with him and do him good,” and on that promise, “With men thou shalt prevail.” Use the means also in faith, respecting the warrantableness thereof, lest in that respect what is not of faith becomes sin to us. And let all be done in faith also, eyeing and owning God in all successes of prayers and means, as the chief, as all. So Exodus 15:1-27, “He hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and rider bath he thrown into the sea.”
5. Be diligent and patient in using means, waiting upon God for the success, as they do that dig for mines: “Our eyes wait on thee, as the eyes of the handmaid upon her mistress.”
6. In using means, be submissive. Bind not God to our praying or means, much less to this or that means, or manner, or season, either of the use, or of the success of the same; but leave all with the Lord, to do, delay, or deny as he please. Even Joab spake nobly herein to his brother: “Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for our God, and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.” This he spake after he had used all warlike means for a good success. David, though he so earnestly desired, and industriously endeavored to build a temple, and was denied the success as to himself, yet rests satisfied in God’s mind touching his son, and his acceptance of him for other service. So Paul denied of that he so earnestly begged and endeavored, rests quiet in God’s answer: “My grace is sufficient for thee;” saying: “Most gladly there’ fore will I glory in my infirmities.”
7. When means have been thus used with prayer, and yet do not succeed, search out the cause, be humbled for it, and redress it; find out the Achan that troubles Israel and execute holy vengeance upon him, and be not discouraged in using means, as Joshua uses stratagems to take Ai and the men thereof, who had the better of the men of Israel. So did Israel after their twofold defeat by Benjamin, humble themselves greatly before God, inquire his counsel, and use stratagems against Benjamin, and prospered. So Paul hindered oft from going to the Romans to do good among them, though he prayed and endeavored it, yet was ready to it still.