10. Part 2, Chapter 1. Modifications: Importunity in Prayer
PART II PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.— 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
CHAPTER I. THE MODIFICATIONS OF PRAYER — IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYER.
HAVING despatched the discourse about the nature, sorts, and parts of prayer, we come to consider modifications of prayer, enjoined and implied in the word αδιαλειπτος which implies praying importunely, opportunely, and indefinitely. Some interpreters make account, that Paul has reference herein unto that speech of Christ, “that men ought to pray always, and not to faint.” So here, pray, αδιαλειπτος, without giving out, leaving off, or intermitting any space of time, which implies importunate praying, as that of the widow’s plying the unjust judge with earnest suit for justice, notwithstanding any seeming discouragements or denials. And, indeed, such as pray importunately, earnestly, and fervently, in God’s intent and account, pray continually, or without ceasing.
Now for our better handling this duty of praying importunately, let us consider, 1. Wherein importunity of prayer consists. 2. The qualifications of it.
3. The reasons enforcing it. 4. Some helps furthering it. 5. Some marks discovering that importunity of prayer which the Lord means.
1st. Wherein importunity of prayer consists? It consists
1. In the extensiveness and intensiveness of the mind and heart, and of each praying grace of a godly suppliant in his prayer. Our new translation renders that in Acts 12:5, by a like phrase as this in the text, “Prayer was made without ceasing,” but the word in the Greek is εκτενης; then was prayer made v1iich was stretched out upon the tenters; not so much, namely, in the length and largeness of the intercessions of such as put up the same, as n respect of the thoughts, holy affections, and exercise of the graces of the spirits of those godly suppliants in their prayer. So in Acts 26:7, prayer was one special piece of that service intended in that there mentioned, “Our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night.” The words are εν εκτενια in a “stretched out manner, serving God, I cried with my whole heart.” David’s whole heart acted in that prayer with all earnestness; his prayer was the common cry of all that was within him; his desire, love, hope, and all the graces of his spirit in his heart put forth themselves in his prayer. So “continuing instant in prayer; προσκαρτερουντες, continuing with all your might in prayer.” The acceptable prayer is δηεσις ενεργουμενη, an inwrought prayer. A prayer wherein all the active hands within the suppliant are set on work, according as there it is said of him: “Always laboring fervently in prayer for you, αγωνιζομενος, wrestling for you in prayers. A fervent suppliant does wrestlerlike, bend and writhe, and strain every joint of the new man in their souls; yea, of their whole mind and heart, so far as sanctified, that they may take all helps and advantages of the Lord to prevail with him in prayer. All our lines must meet in this center of prayer; our whole man must wait upon this as the creature of the Holy Ghost; as it will share in this blessing, so it must act in begging it; and then it will put on the garment of praises also for it. As before, the whole man went in mourning weeds in the want of that blessing; so the mercy will be sweetest to the whole man when it is in this holy manner employed in begging it; or if the mercjr be delayed, yet it can the more quietly sit down in the want of it, when it has used God’s means for it. A Christian that prays much, can want much, he has that inward peace that guards his heart and mind from discontent: “Make your request known to God, and the peace of God shall keep your hearts.”
2. Importunity in prayer, consists in a frequent renewing of our suits, when we are at this holy work, early and late; the Psalmist was at it early, when he said, “My prayer shall prevent thee.” “I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried.” He was earnest in this holy work, who was at it so early; a lively Christian will be up in his spirit, and hard at this work, when drowsy professors are not stirring this way. And verily he must be up be- times, who prevents the Lord with his prayer, who is wont before we call to answer us. The importunate suppliant also will be late at it, come for bread at midnight, when he might have it inwardly suggested to him, that he comes unseasonably, as the parable holds forth. He will pray with the first and with the last too, he will pray again and again:
“For this I besought the Lord thrice.” His fresh suits freshen up the suppliant’s praying graces; put a new luster upon his faith, love, fear, zeal, holy desires, and the like. Sometimes the heart is more ripe for prayer than at other times; importunity tries conclusions, sees how our heart’s prayer-pulses beat at all times; the heart is sometimes more full of holy motions and workings, much more resolute, more fixed upon God and good, much more tender and sensible. Importunity takes all advantages of the heart of a Christian; an importunate suppliant is wont to be always taking the scales and balances into his hand, and in his thoughts puts in the mercies he pleeds and longs for, in the one scale; arid all his prayers, pleas, and tears for the same in the other. And perceiving the mercies to weigh down all his prayers, he then lays in more prayers and sighs, and yet alas, they are not weight, which makes him stifi to be laying weight after weight, prayer upon prayer, all his days. Prayer is the soul’s messenger, which it speeds to heaven, there to relate in the ears of its God and king, the various cases which do concern it; and as good speeding messengers are the most serious, and the most serious messengers speed best, so it is in the case of prayer; yea, as messengers are sent again and again, till their errand be fully told, and their business despatched, or sufficient order taken for it, so it is here. Prayer after prayer is sent up to heaven, until either the Lord do what is desired, or that which is equivalent to it; as in Paul’s case, he said unto me: “My grace is sufficient for thee; my strength is made perfect in weakness.” An importunate suppliant has the art of praying, and so has his divers spiritual topics, whence he frames variety of holy arguments and pleas in prayer, in which holy reasoning with God he has great spiritual eloquence, so that he is seldom nonplussed in prayer, but with sweet and apt variety, is again and again pressing upon the Lord for mercy; and when ordinary prayer seems not to prevail, importunity in prayer will be expressing itself in an extraordinary way, fasting shall be joined to crying mightily, and if our prayers alone prevail not, it vill make us go another way to work with God, even to set others on work to seek God with us and for us: “I sought him, but found him not.” “If you find my beloved, tell him I am sick of love.”
3. It consists in a holy impatience of delay; it makes a gracious suppliant to stand upon thorns; “the captive exile hasteth to be delivered.” The church is even sick of love for want of the desired presence of Jesus Christ: “Hear me speedily,” says David, “my spirits fail, lest I be like to one of those that go down to the pit,” it is even death to such to be delayed, much more to be denied, hence those frequent repetitions: “How long, Lord, how long? every day, week, or month, is as seven to importunity; love in the soul to the Lord, his favors and fellowship, keeps account how long he has held us off, and therefore calls upon the soul, Go again to him, renew thy suits; speak, why dost not thou speak for a speedy answer? and faith whispers the soul in the ear, Be not put off; the Lord hath that by him for which thou comest; it is not for his honor to bid thee go and come again to-morrow, when he hath that pardon, and peace, and grace by him for which thou comestt: yea, Satan and unbelief will be charging such present pay of spiritual debts, or else to prison; and therefore fears and jealousies are raised by them both in the saints, and many times will excite desires of speedy resolutions and answers from the Lord, what he means to do for them at these times.
4. It consists in a strong resisting of discouraging suggestions, tending to beat the soul off from prayer; if the answer from within be, Trouble me not, I am in bed, yet the suit is continued, and for importunity’s sake the friend arises, and supplies with bread. If the angel say to importunate, wrestling Jacob, “Let me go,” he says, “Nay, I will not let thee go till thou bless me.” He will hold fast whosoever says no. Let me alone, saith he to Moses, (or leave off thy prayer, as the Chaldee paraphrase reads it,) but the event showed he would not let him alone. Though God carry it towards his people sometimes as if angry, yet they pray; why art thou angry at the prayer of thy people? when his prayer is shut out, yet he knocks. “From the ends of the earth will I cry to thee; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Let his distances be never so great, he is resolved to cry after the Lord, and if he get but his head never so little above water, the Lord shall hear of him. One would think his discouragements such, that he were past crying any more, the waters entered into his soul; in deep waters the streams running over him; he sticketh fast in the mire where is no standing, (be is at the very bottom, and there fast in the mire,) he is weary of crying; yet he says, “But Lord, I make my prayer to thee;” and as he recovers breath, so breathes out fresh supplications to the Lord; if men or devils would be forbidding to pray, as the multitude sometimes did the poor blind man, to cry after Jesus, yet an importunate suppliant will cry so much the more, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” When distrust and distempers would be pulling such a suppliant by the sleeve, as he is going to the throne of grace, and say, What, thou go thither? alas, poor tattered creature, wilt thou go thus in thy rags? Hath the Lord nothing else to do but to wait upon such as thou art? Dost thou, poor prodigal, think that he will be spoken with, by such an one as thou art? Go pay thy debts first to divine justice, thou knowest what an one thou art, and hast been. it is for such as are fruitful, faithful, zealous, mortified, self-denying, sincere, serviceable to God and others; such as have kept close to God, that have not run into such and such sins against light, such as can confidently stay upon God; and not for thee who hast failed in all these, to draw near to him. Yea, but strength and importunity in prayer will gather strength by these oppositions, these gusts will but kindle the fire of holy desires, and make them flame out the more in prayer; and conclude, that it concerns the soul the more to beg and seek for mercy. Sometimes the guilt of some, special sin would stop the soul’s mouth this way; but that also makes it complain the more, and press the harder for pardon. Sometimes the world in the occasions of it in your prayers, “that I am sick of love.” Such beggars wince not much for the barking, or for some snaps of doglike enemies to prayer, nor care such beggars what they are secretly termed, the worst name is welcome, so that they may have but the alms of mercy for which they come. They meet with many a wrench and many a crush, in pressing through crowds of discontentments, with their petitions to their King’s gracious throne; but earnestness of their desires, makes them quietly bear all. In those soul wooings of Christ, such like discouragements are all nothing, if at last they may but win Christ, and gain true spiritual fellowship with him; if they find such a pearl, they weigh not any cost they are at in seeking it. If they may but gain the passage of the strait gate to life, they can very well bear the dry blows they meet with, in fighting to enter in, as the force of that phrase, αγωνιζεσξε, holds forth fighting; as those of old in the Grecian exercises, some whereof were with fists and bats. Brave spirits are up in the soul, when a spirit of importunity in prayer is stirring, and they will make suppliants bear any thing; so much also the force of the word προσκαρτερεω, for continuing instant in prayer, holds forth; continuing therein with much patient bearing of incumbrances or molestations.
6. It consists lastly in being in a holy way, unsatisfied with smaller measures of blessings, pressing still on for more. Importunate Abraham has his additional requests to the former, when they are granted. So Moses, when heard for Israel’s pardon, so far forth, wants, and must have, the Lord’s gracious presence along with him; and then when that is granted, he wants a further light of God’s glory. And when he has got that, he has a further request for Israel again. Gideon has scarce ever done asking one sign of God’s gracious presence with him, after another granted him. Those earnests make them press harder for the receipt of further and larger sums of grace; those gracious recoveries make them to renew their suits and pleas; those tastes do but whet their appetites after more of such spiritual cheer; such first-fruits make them long the more for gathering in more of that blessed harvest; now and then a view and kiss of their beloved at their request, makes them more enamoured with love-desires after more.
Now of the second thing propounded. What manner of importunity is required? To which I answer, 1. Negatively. 2. Affirmatively. Negatively in two ways. 1. Look that it be not unseasonable importunity, but a seeking of Christ early, in the daytime of grace, but not in the evening, the close and ending of that day. “Thou shalt seek me early and not find me;” when the door of grace is shut, to cry, “Lord, Lord, open unto us,” it is in vain; when men have wearied out the Lord with knocking at their hearts, and with calls, and they answer not him, “They shall cry, saith the Lord, but I will not hear.”
2. Look that it be not an inordinate importunity, an importunity of some lusts, like Rachel wrestling, in prayer also, with great wrestling for a son.
How may inordinancy of affection or lust, be discerned to be the spring, and give rise to importunity in prayer?
1. When importunity in prayer for mercies which we want, is uttered with undervaluing of biessings we already have, or with discontentment at them. You fell a lusting, and wept: saying, who will give us flesh? We can see nothing but this manna. Like children, that whilst crying for an apple from their father’s hand, will fling away the cake that is in their own, and so get a whipping rather than an apple. This argues an inordinacy in such children.
2. When such importunity in seeking such or such things from God, is accompanied with a prizing of a very bad estate, in the enjoyment of the things we ask: as, we remember, say they, the flesh we did eat in Egypt. They are so eager for flesh, that Egypt itself, where they had such flesh, has now an honorable memorial with them, and they could even be glad of Egypt again upon condition they had but flesh enough as formerly. A place of bondage, a place where sacrificing to the Lord was an abomination to the Egyptians, would be a welcome place, with that desired flesh they crave. “The younger said, Father, give me the portion of goods which falleth to me.” He will have it though he should want his father’s presence, and the communion of his family, and be left to himself to shift for a living. The Israelites will have a king, though they are told from God that they will be in a far worse condition under their tyrannous usages, than ever they were under the government he appointed over them, even under their judges. “And you shall cry out in that day, because of your king which you shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, Nay, but we will have a king over us.” Like some young men, that against all their fathers’ wholesome admonitions will needs have such an one for their wife, and night and day solicit their father to let them have her; though told that they will undo themselves by it.
3. When we ask things of God, that are unsuitable for our condition: as for the younger son to ask his father to have all at his own disposal, when no way fit to manage it. So for Israel in a wilderness to desire quails, a meat altogether unsuitable for their place and estate; so for James and John, to desire that one might sit at his right hand, and the other at his left hand in the kingdom of heaven, before they are fitted to suffer with Christ, or for him; to be riding on horseback ere they are able to go on foot.
4. When we are rashly importunate, as James and John were, “You ask ye know not what: “ they understood not what they asked; or as in that request for fire to come down from heaven, to consume those Samaritans, Christ told them, You know not what spirits you are of:they considered not from what spirit they were moved in that request. When we wait not for God’s counsel about what we are to ask; or not seasonably, before our hearts are grown inordinate with their desires: “They waited not for his counsel; they lusted in the wilderness.” When desires prevent, or outrun deliberate judgment, they are not right; or when Judgment, the mistress, must wait upon these her maids, there is disorder. When your princely mind must go on foot, whilst servantly affections ride on horseback, there is confusion; when understanding must only dance after affection’s pipes, there must needs be great miscarrying.
5. When we are not willing to wait the Lord’s leisure for the effecting of what we ask of him; but will be asking of him in ways full of hazard, or with means of our own devising to attain our desires. As Rachel, who wrestled in prayer for a child, but whilst delayed gave her maid to Jacob to attain her desire of a child; or like David, desiring the waters of Bethlehem which could not be had, without the lifeblood of such as fetched it. Like feverish persons, flying out of their beds for the drink they ask. The Israelites’ desire to go up to Canaan when God had said nay, was a lust. There were lusts in that king’s extraordinary seeking of God for supplies of bread, by fasting and prayer, 2 Kings 6:30, which in delays of supply, lets drive at the Lord himself. “Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer.” Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge: those breathings that are so short-winded, they are not divine inspirings.
6. When we keep not due proportions in our desires, being more importunate in corporal matters, and those of less consequence than in those spiritual matters of greatest concernment:like those who can howl upon their beds for corn and wine; and yet without heart to seek reconciliation with God. Lukewarm at the best in spiritual matters; a cake half baked. Like foolish children, hardly ever speaking of choice matters, and yet ever and anon filling the house with cries for rattles and baubles.
7. When we fly in the face of this or that creature, lay causeless blame upon such or such persons or things, if not answered of God, in things that we crave of him. Thus Rachel wrestled with God for a child, but whilst delayed, quarrels with Jacob:
“Give me children, or else I die.” Like distempered patients, angry with their attendants, because they may not have such or such things, though forbidden by their physician. Or like children falling out with the executors of their father’s will, because they do not at their times, in their ways and proportions, pay them in what they desire.
8. When our desires in prayer tend to the service of a lust, they spring from it. And if lust be last in execution of our desire, it is the end of it, and so the rest in intention. Our prayers are in their Genesis, as they are in their analysis. When their resolution and dissolution is into inordinacies, their beginnings were assuredly some inordinacy. Such prayers and desires as have earth and flesh for their center, were assuredly earthly and carnal in their principles: such as their Omega is, such was their Alpha. The prodigal who spent what he asked of his father upon harlots, surely had some inordinate lust, which set him on work to ask the same of his father. For this the Apostle James condemns these professors: “Ye ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.”
9. When the fruition of the things so earnestly desired, proves afterwards burdensome to us. How earnest is Lot for Zoar: “Is it not a little one? and my soul shall live.” But he is weary of Zoar: Lot went up from Zoar. Thus, to the Israelites, quails overearnestly asked, become loathsome. So did they at length cry out as much upon a king, as ever they did cry out for one. This passing from one extreme to another, argueth inordinacy in the heart. Now we come more briefly to answer affirmatively.
1. Let your importunity in prayer be caused and guided by faith: so it was with the Syrophenician woman. He says not, O woman, great is thy importunity, and yet it was such; but, great is thy faith; faith doth ballast the heart aright in prayer, and keeps the swift-sailing desires thereof in their due course.
2. Let it be with filial meekness and submission. Christ offered up prayers with strong cries and tears, but annexes, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”
3. Let it be done with suitable earnestness, and seriousness in holy endeavors, in the use of lawful means to attain our spiritual desires.
Third. The reasons -calling for importunity in prayer. We might name many; as the Lord’s importunity in calling upon us; the fiery, fervent nature of the Spirit of God in us; the importunity of the wicked in their desires; the prevailing force of such holy importunity with the Lord. But we shall insist upon this one reason, taken from the evil of carelessness, or remissness in prayer, which is cross to importunity in the same, which may suffice to awaken us all to the contrary duty of importunity. Let us only hint some particulars of the evils both of sin and sorrow which attend remissness in prayer Let us consider first the evils of sin in such careless prayer.
1. A careless prayer is a blind sacrifice: the mind of such an one that so prays, is not wont to consider what be does therein. He that is careless of the manner of his approach to God, looks not to his feet, considers not that he does evil.
2. It is a lame sacrifice; it is not a complete prayer. Like the sacrifices of those careless, slighty Jewish priests of old, such an one’s affections to God and good are corrupted. Their expressions in prayer are very unfit and unsuitable oftentimes unto what he is speaking of. Prayer in their mouth is as a parable in a fool’s mouth, which in expression is very unequal. The prayer expressions of a drowsy professor are like the speeches of one half asleep, half awake, full of impertinences. The mind also of such an one is crippled, halteth; witness the many distractions which constantly accompany such prayer. The mind of such being not serious in prayer, and taken up in talking with God, will easily admit speech with other objects, which will be calling the mind forth to mental discourses about theta whilst praying As it is in seeking of something which we have lost, if we mind it not seriously, we shall have trifles enough in view to draw our eyes to them; so is it in careless seeking to God in prayer.
3. Carelessness in prayer, breeds inconstancy and instability in prayer. Any occasion, yea, sometimes no occasion, shall cause a careless professor to neglect his praying. Any pretence that will serve to silence conscience, or any discouragement that will put by prying, is verified in such an one. “Will he always call upon God?” that is, he will not do it constantly. Their goodness in seeking God in prayer also, “is but as the early dew which goeth away.” Nor will it be only an occasional omission, but an habitual instableness in prayer, now off, now on; now having a mind, and now no mind, to pray; until at length such a one waxes weary of prayer, which did not call upon God, namely, seriously. “Thou hast not called upon me,” namely, importunately, “but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.” As it is with the sluggard, “Yet a little slumber, and yet a little sleep;” and as one sleep and slumber steals upon another, so one careless prayer begets another, at least a disposition thereunto; and one omission of prayer occasions another, though it may be an awakened conscience would fain have it otherwise; or as it is with a slighty workman, if he do but now and then forbear working, labor grows tedious to him, or at least he cannot hold out to any constancy in working. The like befalls him that is careless in praying; he cannot be constant. Such an one will rather run any hazards, to shift for comfort otherwise, than be constant in laboring in prayer for it.
4. Careless prayer rather strengthens than weakens the sins we pray against. When professors grow remiss in prayer, then corruptions presently gather head, and get the better. If Moses’ hands grow heavy and remiss in prayer, flying, wounded Amalekites will rally, and give a fiercer and more victorious charge. While a Christian soldier handles this weapon of prayer carelessly, he leaves an open mark for an enemy and lust to foil and wound him, if not mortally and irrecoverably. Should a Christian traveler, though like another traveler, with his pistols in his holsters, and his sword by his side, be well weaponed, yet if careless, and as good as asleep by the way-side, he is a fit prey to any lust to rob him of his treasure; or if suddenly awakened in conscience, to see his danger; yet he is but as one suddenly awakened in a kind of amazement, and hardly in case to fight against any such robber. Yea, careless prayer lays a Christian open to all manner of temptations. It even tempts that arch robber and murderer of souls, the devil, to be making a booty of such professors. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” The disciples’ carelessness of prayer, made the more ready way to Satan to tempt them to forsake their master. And it was an ominous presage to Peter in special, of his sad fall soon after. “Simon, sleepest thou? Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation.”
6. Supineness in prayer is an inlet to delusive fancies and conceits. The slightest Christians in holy performances are most haunted with groundless and vanishing joys and hopes, as is evident in hypocrites who are habituated in such a careless way of prayer, and other religious exercises. As it is with other persons who are between sleeping and waking, they are subject to dreams; so it is with such like Christians.
6. Careless prayer is an inlet and sad forerunner of apostasy, if not seasonably redressed. The professors in Josias’ time, that so soon turned back from God, were such as did not seek God, namely to any purpose, but at most formally and carelessly. The foolish virgins, for fashion and form’s sake, go out to meet Christ in his ordinances, making it their great care to get so much oil of grace as would make them shine in religious exercises. Their oil at length failed them, and their profession and religious performances ended in a snuff, and in smoke.
Christians come not from one extreme of rash and hypocritical zeal arid fervency, to the other of utter contempt, and neglect of God arid good, but by this middling temper of slightness, from hot they come to be quite cold by this lukewarmness. When professors are once beginning to step from the height of fervency, they then haste downward apace, and if the Lord prevent not, they stay not till they fall into the bottomless pit. When Christians grow indifferent in their desires of grace, they grow as indifferent in their endeavors after it; and when once indifferent, whether they work for God or no, they are fittest to be hired to do some worse work. When Christians, through carelessness, in driving this holy trade of prayer, do not thrive but go down the wind amain, it is twenty to one but they will be taking up some other trade; it may be of covetous persons, or of time-servers, or of drunkards, or of adulterers, or of heretics, or opinionists, or the like.
Let us consider now of some evils of punishments and sorrow attending this; for this being in God’s account the guise of deceivers, “That when we have a male in our own flock,” as sometimes the Lord spake, we have serious spirits in other matters of the world, or the like; yet offer such an accursed thing as careless prayers, a curse of God is wont to attend it. God is wont to blast such in their spirits and gifts; so that their very gift of prayer is by degrees taken away from them; there is a secret moth that eats out the strength and beauty of it; and it is too often found, that while such are trifling about the greater matters of their souls, the Lord withholds his rich mercies from them, and while they are making some complimental suits to Christ, he at length will be wooed no more by them, and that sad curse of God threatened against them, “And the Lord will be no more named by any mouth of the men of Judah,” comes to be fulfilled in such loose-hearted professors. Prayer is cast out of their families and closets, as some refuse service, as is seen in these later days in too many; or if by some awakening afflictions sent upon them, they are roused; yet it is too often their just doom to be earnest indeed, but without any regard thereunto by the Lord: “They shall cry, but I will not hear.” But at best any degree of such a careless spirit in prayer, will become very grievous to us, if truly gracious. Whence that way of complaint, “There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.” It is as grievous to such souls to have their spiritual joints either bound or benumbed, as it is to men when their body has the palsy; when in prayer a gracious heart is ever reaching out to take an approaching mercy, and then through a little remissness the mercy is let slip, and the advantage at that time lost, it must needs be grievous to the godly.
Fourth, what means we should use to be importunate in prayer.
I answer, get the more abundant knowledge of God, and of ourselves, but especially acquaint ourselves with God’s friendly and merciful disposition towards us. He who was importunate for bread, knew he was at a friend’s door. Like the Syrians, hearing that the kings of Israel were merciful kings, quickened them to the earnest seeking of their favor. It will make a beggar earnest for an alms, when he knows where a bountiful person lives, who is not wont to send any beggar away empty.
2. Cherish the hope of the Lord’s mercy to us:
“Let them cry mightily to the Lord.” “Who can tell if God will turn and repent?” The possibility that the Lord was within hearing, and might open to the Ninevites, made them knock so hard at his door of grace.
3. Be sensible of our utter destitution of what we are to ask of God, and our inability to get it any other way: “Lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine is come, and I have nothing to set• before him.” “I perish for hunger; I will arise, and go to my father, and say, Make me as one of thy hired servants.” “My heart is desolate within me.” “My soul thirsteth after thee.” When all other means fail such spiritual beggars, and that only door of grace is left for their relief, or else they must famish, how earnestly will it cause them to knock there: “A voice of weeping and supplication was heard.” “Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills. Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.”
4. Account highly of the mercies we ask in prayer: “If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice after understanding.” “If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hidden treasure.” The church was sick of love, and used all means to find him; and no wonder, her beloved was the chiefest of ten thousand to her.
5. Take holy advantages of movings of the spirit in prayer, and of Christ’s approaches to us; opportunity helps importunity: “And behold two blind men sitting by the way-side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.” “And Jesus stood still and called them, and said, What will you that I do unto you?” “They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” When Christ by his spirit calls us to him, puts us upon asking, and when he stands still waiting to be gracious to us, let him not go till he bless us. When beggars come whilst a bountiful person is giving to the poor, or in dinner time, when food is stirring, they will not go away without something. So if we perceive the Lord ready to give, put in hard for a blessing.
6. Improve former advantages gotten of God by prayer. “I will cry to God Most High, unto God who performs all things for me.” When we see crying will do, it will put us on not to spare for crying. Now in this holy search after experimental knowledge of God’s grace, we now and then light upon a smaller vein of such treasure, we will not spare any pains in digging; when in our daily wooing of Christ in prayer, we meet now and then with a smile and kiss, and love-token, it will make us follow our suit close.
7. Go about prayer as our only business, which then we have to do, engaging ourselves to attend it. Saints are spiritual solicitors by their calling as saints. That which made Abram so urgent in his request is this, “Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord.”
8. Chide ourselves sadly, and be seriously abased for any carelessness at any time in prayer, as the prophet complaining thereof: “We have not called upon thy name, nor stirred up ourselves to take hold of thee.” “Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear?” As Elisha was wroth with Joash for smiting but thrice, and then staying, saying, “Thou shouldst now have smitten five or six times.” Or as they did chide sleeping Jonah, when he should have been praying: “Awake thou sleeper, and call upon thy God.” So should we chide our careless spirits to awaken unto prayer.
9. Set the examples of the most importunate suppliants of God before our eyes: “Elias prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not.” A very dullard will pluck up his feet when he sees bow nimble his leaders are.
Lastly, take heed of all such things as are enemies and impediments to importunity. Such as are inordinate desires after other things; we cannot to any purpose follow several suits at once, in several courts; we cannot ply the world’s court and God’s too. The messengers are sent out another way which should importune heaven, and they. cannot be here and there too; whilst our winged desires are hastening after other things, we are slowest in moving heavenward with wings as angels.
2. Immoderate intentness, even upon our lawful occasions; when our spirits are even riveted to our occasions, they will not be easily got free for prayer, they must be even filed off again, no ordinary pulling at them will do: when we are too busy all the day long in speech with such occasions, they wil be calling even in prayer for a word with us.
3. Inconsiderate rovings of mind in the interims between our praying seasons; when we let our fleet thoughts fly hither and thither without restraint, they will not be so easily lured by us, and come at our call, to become fixed in prayer.
4. Admission of wandering thoughts in prayer, and too easy yielding to carelessness therein; they grow unmannerly bold, when in the least entertained.
5. Resting in graces and comforts received by prayer; we are sure to become remiss in praying the next time, if we feed our thoughts too much upon what we got the last time we prayed, or if careless once in prayer, because secretly thinking to make amends the next time, we shall be then also the more careless.
6. Misgiving apprehensions touching God and his grace. That thought, “What profit should we have, if we pray to him?” makes them careless of coming near the Lord. A petitioner must needs be heartless in his suit, if he think that the king is wroth with him. And a beggar has no mind to stand begging at a known churl’s door. To the last query, touching the marks of right and acceptable importunity in prayer.
I answer, we may discern our importunity in prayer to be acceptable; when our importunity is the importunity of a suppliant, of a beggar in spirit; when it is attended with much self-abasement, as the importunate Canaanite, who looked upon herself as a dog: “Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs under the table.” Importunate Abraham looketh at himself as dust and ashes.
2. When our hearts in prayer are well warmed, then the end of fervent prayer is attained; when our hearts wax warm by it, and the means is acceptably used, then God’s ends in the use thereof are attained.
3. When we are in special manner attent to the work we have in hand, so to the success thereof; as the woman that besought Christ in an acceptable way of importunity she was awake, for she picks out something for her holy advantage, even out of that word which• Christ let fall in way of answer: “It is not meet to take children’s bread, and give it to dogs:
Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” That prayer was full of holy pleas, and so are importunate prayers. And the prophet believes it was acceptable: “He will speak peace unto his people.” But withal, he was in a lilting posture after his answer, “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.”
4. When we are as earnest and serious in returning praises for mercies received and begged, as we were in begging for them. The Samaritan among the other lepers, also lifted up his voice with them, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us; and he is as earnest and loud in his praises: “And one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down at Jesus’ feet giving him thanks, and he was a Samaritan.” And Christ himself justifies his importunity as a fruit of his faith: “Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.”