Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

Of Importunity in Prayer, and of doing as we would be done by.

MATT. VII. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Ask, and it shall be given you: Seek, and ye fhall find: Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh, receiveth: And he that feeketh, findeth: And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his fon ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a ferpent?

If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more Shall your Father which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even fo to them: For this is the law and the Prophets.

I

Na former paragraph our Saviour gave us fome directions how to pray, cautioned us against oftentation and vain repetitions in our prayers, and prescribed us a most excellent form, in which we may address our felves to God. Here his defign is to prefs us to a fervent and continual exercife of prayer, not only as a duty, but as a neceffary and fuccessful means of obtaining at the hands of God, all bleffings which we ftand in need of, temporal and eternal. And from God's dealing thus with us, like a tender Father readily anfwering our requests of all things needful for us, our Saviour takes occafion to recommend the like affectionate readiness amongst our selves, to all good offices one towards another, doing freely for others, what we our felves would think it reafonable they fhould in like cafes do for us. As if he had faid,

"WHATSOEVER ye have need of, apply your felves to God for it by importunate prayer, and he will furely anfwer your petitions, either in ແ kind, the very thing ye defire, or at least, in "quality, fomething which he knows to be really "fitter for you, and that will be more to your ad"tage. 'Tis fit that ye fhould own his power and "providence, by fuch an application; and those "who do, fhall tafte of his abundant goodness.

But if ye will not, ye may thank your felves "for his with-holding the bleffing from you. Or "if ye afk and have not, 'tis because ye afk amifs. "A faint and feldom requeft is only begging a de"nial; the Majefty of heaven expects to be wait"ed on with frequent, carneft, and humble peti❝tions; an unwearied and repeated diligence; and if ye thus follicit him, he will not deny you, for he has the affection and tenderness of a Father towards you. And what earthly parent is there,

"who,

"who, if his fon afk of him any thing neceffary "for life, will mock at the requeft, by giving him "an useless or an hurtful thing? If then, men, "who are finful creatures, paffionate, weak and "humourfome, have yet the tenderness to give "their children what is good and fit for them; "how much more fhall the infinite goodness of "God, whofe children ye are, do fo to those who "importunately pray to him for it? Now as this "loving-kindness of God is an encouragement to “ prayer, fo it yields a direction for your conduct "towards your neighbour. Since God fhews him"felf a compaffionate Father to mankind, in be"ftowing whatever they requeft, that is really fit "for them to have, ye ought to treat one another "as brethren, and do for others, whatever ye "could reasonably expect they should do for you, "were ye in their condition, and they in yours: "For this is the fum and fubftance of your duty, "with regard to men, and of all that the law and "the Prophets have faid upon it.

In this paragraph there are two distinct parts worthy of our farther confideration.

I. WHAT qualifications are requifite to make our prayers prevailing; or what is included in the notion of importunate prayer.

II. WHAT is the nature and extent of this rule, of doing as we would be done by, which is here called the law and the Prophets.

I. I fhall begin with the firft, the qualifications neceffary to make our prayers prevailing, or what is meant by importunity in prayer. Whatever view we take of our condition, whether with regard to foul or body, we find our felves in fuch a ftate of continual dependance upon God, (the exigencies of human life so many, our own inability to pro

vide for them, fo fenfible and apparent) that one would think even the worst of men fhould not need to be excited and perfuaded to prayer; yet it seems the best of men do need not only perfuafion, but encouragement to this duty. The reafon is, because though they know their wants, and that God, and he alone, is able to fupply them, they are confcious of fo much fin in themfelves, that naturally (and without a mediator) they have reafon to fear, he will not hear them. Chrift therefore, our great and only Mediator, as in other places he affures us of his interceffion, does here excite and encourage us to apply unto God, with affurances that if we do, we shall be heard. But then 'tis expected our prayers fhould be importunate, that we may fhew the deep fense we have of our own wants, our real defire that God would hear us, and our fteddy expectation that he will. In order to be accepted then, we are to pray with earneftnefs, and with continuance or perfeverance, both which are included in importunity.

FIRST then, We muft pray with earnestness. And this confifts chiefly in these two things, attention and affection.

(1.) IN attention. When we present our felves before the infinite Majesty of heaven and earth, to offer up our praises and petitions to him, what an infolence is it to trifle in that awful prefence; to have our eyes gazing about on every object that may divert them; our thoughts as little interested in what we fay, as if we were repeating only an idle charm? It is not enough furely to hurry over a form of words in prayer, our minds muft confider and attend to every fentence, with a clofe and ferious application. Divine worship is the exercise of many graces, the exercise of faith and hope, humility and love: And how can we exercife thefe when our minds are unconcerned? For thefe graces

are

are feated in the foul, which is only able to recollect and confider. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, muft worship him in fpirit, with the inward attention of the minds, as well as the outward pofture of their bodies, and motion of their lips. This therefore, being fo neceffary a qualification of prayer, yet fuch withal, as even the best difpofed minds find it hard enough to fecure, it has been thought very proper and good advice, that before we go to prayer, we fhould employ a few minutes in preparation for that duty, to recollect, compofe and fix our thoughts, and place them upon the right object, and reftrain them to it, becaufe variety of business, and objects, and circumftances, are very apt to fill our heads with a confufed train of imaginations, which impertinently diftract, and through the infirmity of human nature, are not cafily withftood by us. This certainly requires care and diligence in the best of men; but let the difficulty of attention to fuch as these, be no excufe for the profane and carelefs. There is a great deal of difference betwixt the diftractions in prayer, which good men cannot avoid, and those which bad men do not fo much as ftrive against, or endeavour to avoid. The former are properly failings and fins of infirmity, and will be pardoned by a merciful God, as fuch, because they are involuntary; but the careleffnefs of an irreligious mind that freely gives into diftractions and vain thoughts at fuch a Time, and allows the Eye to gaze about at random, and (which is too often the cafe) when, inftead of joining in the prayers and praises of the congregation, people are reading letters, talking over news, whispering remarks upon others, laughing, and giving themselves airs, or the like. This, I fay, is a grofs piece of profaneness, 'tis no infirmity, but a wilful fin, a contempt of the prefence of God, and a folemn ridicule of all religion. But,

(2.) SIN

« НазадПродовжити »