26. Part 3, Chapter 10. In What Way We Are to Conceive of God In Prayer

CHAPTER X. IN WHAT WAY WE ARE TO CONCEIVE OF GOD IN PRAYER. A tenth case is about the thoughts which we are to have of God, when we do pray, it being requisite that such as worship God in prayer, should in some measure be able to conceive of God whom they worship. We know what we worship.

Observe then these rules:—

1. Conceive not of God under any shape or resemblance. As God gave rules of worship to his people of old by voice; but in giving the same, he represented no similitude of himself unto them: so are his people in like manner to perform obedience to his commandments, without framing to themselves either inwardly or outwardly any similitude of God. In seeking the Lord we ought not so much as to think that the Godhead can be resembled any way to any other thing. This was one main rise of idolatry in practice, to make a mental idol of God; when men would not glorify God, in worshipping of him as such a one as he made himself known in his very works, even as an Almighty one, but would strain to fancy things of him beyond his revealed will, to seem to be men of profound and exquisite understandings: then they were given up to misshaped apprehensions and idolatrous practices. All things without God are finite, and too short a portraiture of an infinite Majesty. In all comparisons there must be some proportion and equality: now, unless we could equal God to any thing, how can he be likened to it.

2. Do not go about to comprehend in our minds his glorious essence, prying too far into his Majesty. His Godhead is one of the invisible things of God, and must no further be reached after by our shallow and dark minds, than as shining forth in the works and word of God. If we go further, we shall become vain in our imaginations. “Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?” we show ourselves in affecting such wisdom, to be but vain men. Jacob, when he was at prayer, was a little too busy herein, and too inquisitive after the name of the Son, or angel of God; and therefore is rebuked for asking his name: yet his weakness is passed over, and the Lord blessed him notwithstanding. But rather in our approaches unto God, conceive of him in his glorious attributes: conceive of him as one not to be fully known by us, and so pray to him. Moses did desire in prayer to have God show him his glory: his invisible being and majesty was too much for him to ask. God tells him, he could not see his glory and live; man’s finite understanding and spirit would be confounded therein, but his goodness, and name of grace are fitter objects for Moses to behold. When God came down to his people that they might worship him, he came down in a cloud, that their prying eyes or spirits might be bounded: the altar of incense, where the incense of prayer was to be offered, was before the veil that was by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat. God would have his servants to behold him in their prayers; but yet his mercy-seat was covered with cherubs’ wings, they might not pry too far: and, indeed, it is but an endless work; we may weary ourselves in this maze of the divine nature, but make nothing of our work when we have done. It is a fruitless work, no good comes of it, but amazement and discouragement: we shall but reflect upon ourselves as if we were very atheists: conceiving and believing nothing at all of God, when we go about to conceive more of him than is meet. When at any time the saints of God, out of a witty kind of reasoning of their deceitful hearts, persuading that it is meet that we should conceive of God, to whom we pray, do launch out in their slender skiffs into this vast ocean, without the compass of the Scriptures; now if any gust of temptation arise, how are they amazed, and know not where they are, nor how to get safe ashore again, having forgotten the work they intended at the first? and commonly the business of prayer is for that time left undone, being never at such a time performed to any purpose. Besides, the advantage we give to the enemy of peace and truth hereby, is great; and if no worse thing follow, yet we get a check from God for our labor, as Jacob, and Manoah, are reproved for asking after the name of that Angel, the Son of God, which was secret: “Why askest thou after my name, since it is secret?”

3. Conceive not God absolutely, as in Christ, and so merciful, gracious, and abundant in goodness and truth. We must look, as they of old, to the glory of God, in offering up our spiritual incense; but as in Christ, considered as mediator, who is that mercy seat; for so the Hebrew Capporeth, translated usually by the Septuagint, by the word Hilasterion, and approved by the Holy Ghost, Hebrews 9:5, which in Romans 3:25, is applied to Christ, whom God has set forth to be Hilasterion, the mercy-seat, or merciful covering, or propitiation for our sins; or that Capporeth, to which God’s priests must look when offering their incense of prayer. We are not taught in the Lord’s prayer to look at, or think of God absolutely, but relatively, as a father; namely, in Christ. Our thoughts of God must be suitable to our worship of him in prayer; which is coming to God, not immediately, nor absolutely considered, but by Christ: “Which come to God by him.”

4. Let us not too much beat our thoughts about particular and personal apprehensions of God, or conclude that we are atheists in defect thereof: but be satisfied in conceiving and believing that be is, and that he is a rewarder of such as seek him with such general apprehensions, as serve to keep the heart humble, awful, and attentive: namely, that he to whom we pray, is a God that knows all our secrets, our thoughts, wants, and sins: that he is with us wherever we are; and that we are in him, and live by him; that he observes in what manner we do any service before him; that he is a very holy God; that he comprehends us, though we cannot so fully comprehend him; and that therein lies our bliss. Let the awe and impression of God, either as most holy, or most wise, or most mighty, carry us as far along as the Lord helps, and then consider him under some one or other like notion; and in our prayers carry that along in our minds as far as we can; and if our spirits flag, notwithstanding, try them with thoughts of God under some other notion, as before mentioned.

5. Limit not God to our shallow comprehensions; but conceive of God as infinitely above all our conceivings, as Agur did: yet conceive of him to be one that is ready, yea, engaged to teach us to know him; and to do for us above what we are able to ask or think of him.

6. Let us with wisdom proportion out our conceivings of God, under such a notion of his name and nature revealed in his word, as is most suitable to that which we are about in prayer. When God had proclaimed divers attributes of his name, Moses does not go about to fill his mind with them all at once, but selects such a one as is most suitable to the request he has hereupon to make for himself, and for Israel; which was, that” God would pardon their iniquity,” which was suitable to one of the last mentioned branches of the name of his grace, namely, that he was “one forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.” We are to glorify God in prayer, according to what we know of him, especially to improve that of God’s nature, by which he has practically discovered himself to us; as we have found him by experience, and as we are convinced he has carried himself toward us: have we found the experience of his wisdom? pray to him as one infinitely wise: have we tasted of the fruits of his faithfulness? pray to him as such a one, and that part of his name wherein he has last held himself forth unto our hearts and spirits, in a convincing manner, and with which we are last affected most of all; worship him, and pray to him under that notion: but especially consider him in the glorious and precious dimensions of his love, “that we may comprehend with all saints what is the height, and length, and breadth, and depth, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.”

7. Let holy admiration be the issue of our thoughts of God, as in David, “‘Whither shall I go from thy spirit?” or glorious Deity; he looks at it as wonderfully filling all places: and he cannot express the thoughts of God towards him. And likewise let humility and reverence attend the same. So it was in Habakkuk’s prayer, wherein he is carried out to a glorious conceiving of God, his heart the while trembling. The incomprehensibleness of God, and his unsearchable excellency, must make men therefore fear him. Let our shallowness in conceiving of God drive us more out of ourselves, and abase us much that we know so little of him, and inflame us with desire after that time when we shall in a glorious manner conceive of him: we understand but as children, but in part, in comparison of that time when we shall know the Lord as we are known by him, according to the measure of our capacity.