Sermon XIII - Keep to the Institution of the Sacrament
Name should be sanctified; that thou art alive, and hast time to repent thee of this great evil of profaning the Name of God in this holy sacrament.
Sermon XIII Keep to the Institution of the Sacrament
LEVITICUS. 10:3
I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me.
There is one thing more about the sanctifying the Name of God in the sacrament which clearly concerns us, and that is:
To keep to the institution of the sacrament, for this is such a worship of God as depends merely upon institution, that is, upon a positive
Law, upon the will of God. There are some duties of worship which are natural that we may know by the light of nature they are due to God. But the sacrament is a duty of worship that is only by institution; and if God had not revealed it, we had not been bound to it. Therefore, in these duties of institution, God stands very punctual upon them; we must be very exact, neither to err on the right hand nor the left; to make any alteration in the points of institution. Now therefore, for the institution of this sacrament we find it in divers of the evangelists, in Matt. 26:26, there you shall find that Christ and His disciples they eat the sacrament together; and this was the way of it; they were together sitting at the same table; so it is called the Table of the Lord sometimes in Scripture; therefore that's the first thing that is according to the institution, that those that do communicate must come to the Table as near as they can; as many as
can set about it, and all to come as near as they can. And the reason is, because that otherwise you will not be able to attain the end why
God would have you come to receive; the end is to remember the death of Christ. Now except you be able to see the sight, to see what is done, to have your eye as well as your ear exercised, you do not fully accomplish the end that is appointed; for this is a sacrament that doth present to our eyes the death of Christ, and the great mysteries of salvation, and therefore it is according to the institution that every communicant must be where he may behold what is done, he must be where he may see the breaking of the bread, and the pouring forth of the wine. Certainly, it hath been a disorderly way, therefore, for people to set up and down in their pews everywhere in the congregation and for the minister to go up and down after them, so that they could see nothing, nor scarce hear anything. It is much for the attaining to the end of the institution for all communicants to look upon the breaking of the bread, and the pouring forth of the wine in the sacrament, and therefore all should come together, and there as many as can sit at His Table, or those that cannot, near to it.
And the rather because this is not only from the example of Christ that He did so, though that's somewhat, but because it hath a spiritual significance in it, and that's the reason that it should be done.
We find in Luke 22:26 the institution of the sacrament. Now mark upon their coming and being with Christ at the Table, saith Christ in verses 29 and 30, "And I appoint unto you a Kingdom as My Father hath appointed unto Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
He spoke it upon that occasion of the disciples sitting with Him at the table, when they did eat bread and when they took the cup. Upon that occasion, Christ spoke to His disciples and said, I appoint to you a Kingdom, and so sit on thrones judging at My table in My
Kingdom, and so sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, as if Christ should say, you can sit with Me at My table here, and know that this sitting with Me at My table it is but as it were a praeludium, a fore signification of the communion that you shall have with Me in
My Kingdom. You shall have that familiar communion with Me when I come unto My Kingdom, there to sit, as it were, with Me, to join with Me in My Kingdom judging the twelve tribes of Israel, even as you do now in that holy fellowship, join with Me in sitting at My table. This is the meaning of Christ, so that the gesture in the sacrament is not a mere indifferent thing; heretofore, it hath been thought unreasonable to contend for what gesture we should use.
Now that which hath been the institution of Christ and hath a spiritual significance in it is not indifferent, for not only the eating the bread and drinking the wine is significative, but the gesture whereby we have fellowship with Jesus Christ here, to signify that fellowship we shall have with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven, so that the people of God were deprived of a great deal of comfort, and of one special benefit of this holy sacrament, whereas they might not receive it sitting, whereas Christ saith that your sitting with Me here is a signification of your sitting with Me when I come into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Some say they must kneel because they may receive it with more reverence; certainly, were it a thing as some say indifferent, it were another matter; but for to say it is not reverence to sit, in that they accuse Christ Himself for want of reverence, as if He would appoint a way, or would have His disciples use any such way as were not reverent. Saith Christ, I intend by your very gesture to have this signified unto you, that though you be poor, wretched worms, yet even such is My love to you as you shall sit with Me when I come to My Kingdom and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And every time you come to My table and there sit at it, or about it, then you should be put in mind that there is a time, that though you be poor unworthy creatures, worthy to be among the dogs, yet the mercy of God is such unto us as He hath appointed us to have a familiar fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ when we come in His Kingdom to sit with Him, and even to judge the twelve tribes of Israel, yea to judge the whole world. For so saith the Scripture, shall not the saints judge the world? Now this hinders spiritual meditation and comfort
that the saints have, therefore, we are to look to the institution and to follow it; that is the first thing in setting with Christ at His Table.
The second thing in the institution is that the bread being taken by the minister is to be blessed, broken, and then to be given. Christ took it, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it; and the people they are to look upon all this; to look upon the ministers taking, blessing, breaking, and giving; and then the cup by itself. We find Christ in Matt. 26:27, He first blest the bread, and then He blest the cup distinctly by itself, saying, "This is My blood of the New Testament which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." And you shall observe that the text saith, "He drank it, and said, 'Drink ye all of it,'" so that this is not according to the institution for a minister to go up and down, and to give it into every man's hand. Certainly, this was not so from the beginning; this is a way of man's own devising for the bread and the cup to be given into every body's hand by the minister.
Christ did but give it once, He gave it to them all, and said, "Drink ye all of this," so it was done.
Quest. But you will say, is it not better for it to be given into every one's hand?
Answ. No, because that the giving of it once for all doth signify more fully the fellowship and communion that they have together; as at a table, it were a strange thing that every bit of meat must be given to everyone particularly; no, but the dishes must be set before them, and they must take it themselves. Indeed, if they be children, you cut every piece of meat and give it into their hands or mouths, but that's suitable to a fellowship at table and communion to have the meat set before them, being blest, and then for all to partake of it.
And besides this, giving it into everyone's hand, certainly, it came to us from a Popish and superstitious conceit of the Papists, for the Papists will give it into their mouths because the people must not defile it with their hands, and it was to bring more reverence to the
sacrament. Now there's a great deal of danger for to bring in men's devices for to cause more reverence; we are to look to the ordinance of Christ; He gave it once and said, "Drink ye of it," in general to them all, and so the ministers should do.
And besides, there is this in it more, and one would wonder that ministers should give it in particular and not in general to the Church. For by this means ministers might abundantly ease themselves of a great deal of charge and guilt; for upon this ground it will appear that a minister, though as an eminent officer, he is to look to his congregation that they be fit, yet the truth is, it concerns the Church as well to look who comes there, and likewise the minister I say, to look about him that he doth not say, "The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was given to thee," when he knows they are profane and wicked. It concerns the minister to look that he doth not tell a lie; but now when the minister gives it generally to the Church,
"Take, eat," and "Take, drink," he gives it particularly to no body.
Now then, his charge is divided to the Church, and if there be any body that is unworthy, let the Church look to it as well as he. Though he as an eminent officer, it is more especially in particular his duty than any others', heretofore the charge would lie much upon the minister. But the minister according to the institution should give the sacrament to no particular, but in general to the Church, and therefore if there were but any particular that the minister upon a particular knowledge did know to be naught, he might in great part discharge himself, as professing against this or that particular man; for it is not in his power alone to keep any from the sacrament, but if so be that he shall profess against such and such men, the Church must join with him to labor to keep them from the sacrament, and that is the next thing for the institution. Christ gave it not into any particular men's hands, but He gave it to all, saying, "Drink, and eat ye all of it."
A third thing that is to be observed for the institution of this, that all the while the communicants are taking, eating, and drinking the bread and wine, they should all of them, that while, have their
thoughts exercised about the death of Jesus Christ, for that's the institution, "Do this in remembrance of Me." There should be no action intermingled in the time of the receiving of the sacrament, nothing but minding the work that you are about, that is, to remember the death of Jesus Christ, and to discern the body of the Lord, not only when you take yourselves the bread and wine, but when you see the bread and wine broken or powered forth, and you see others taking the bread and wine, all that while, you should be thinking of the death of Christ, and discerning the Lords body, and consider what these outward elements do signify, and that they do seal the great benefit of the covenant of grace. Therefore, it is not according to the institution to be singing of Psalms in the meantime while the sacrament is receiving and so to have your thoughts about other things. Singing of Psalms in its due time is a good thing, but for you to do it at that time when as the death of Christ is presented before you, and Christ calls you to look upon His body, and to think upon what He hath done and suffered, this is no seasonable time of singing. And if you read the institution, you shall find that Christ, after all was done (the text saith) they sung an hymn, so that according to the institution it is after the action is done of eating and drinking, then for the Church to join together and sing a Psalm in the praise of God. And then they must mind all the same thing together, for that's the thing to be done in the sacrament, that look what one doth, all must mind together; for when one part sings, and the other are waiting for the bread and wine, this is not suitable to the holy
Table action, and that communion that God requires of us. Though the things in themselves are both good that are doing, yet when we are about this holy ordinance, being it is an ordinance for communion, all are to be doing the same thing at the same time; and so, when all have done eating and drinking, then for all to join together in singing to the praise of God.
Now it may be this at first seems strange to many, yet certainly observe this; do but keep to the institution in the sacrament, though you may think it a more mean way, yet you will find a greater beauty in this ordinance than ever you found in all your lives; for the more
we keep to Christ's institution and mingle nothing of our own, the more glory, and beauty, and excellency doth appear in the ordinances of Jesus Christ. But when any man shall mix any of his own inventions, though he may do it to a good end and think to add to and put a greater luster upon the sacrament, the truth is, that which he thinks to be a greater luster, reverence, or honor put upon it, it doth rather take off the luster and glory of the sacrament; then are the institutions of Christ glorious when there is no mixture among them; thus we should sanctify the Name of God, in receiving this holy sacrament. You have had divers things propounded to you whereby you may come to know and easily to see that there hath been a great deal of dishonor done to this sacrament, and the beauty and glory of it hath been darkened, and the sweet that the saints might otherwise have received in plucking hath been exceedingly hindered. There is but one thing more that I shall propound to you, and that is the several meditations that we should meditate on in receiving of the sacrament; the most concerning meditations are suggested in the holy communion that are in anything whatsoever, more concerning, more efficacious, more various meditations we have suggested here than in any thing, and it is a great sign that men and women do not discern the Lord's body if so be their meditations be barren at that time. I will therefore suggest some nine or ten meditations that that ordinance of God may hold out very plainly and familiarly to every communicant, for the busying of their thoughts all the time that action is a doing.
Meditation 1. As first, that the way of man's salvation it was by a mediator, it is not only by God's mercy, God's saying that He is offended by sin, but He will be content to pass it by; no, but it is through a mediator. Now this meditation is suggested thus, when I see the bread and wine, if I discern what that signifies it will hold forth this to me that the way of man's salvation, it is not merely from hence that God saith, well, I will pardon them, and no more, but there is required a great work of God to make an atonement between sinners and Himself. This sacrament doth hold forth thus much unto
us, wherefore else have we bread and wine, but to signify that the way of our reconciliation it must be through a mediator?
Meditation 2. The second meditation is this, that this mediator that stands between God and us is verily and truly man; He hath taken our nature upon Him. The bread that puts us in mind of the body of Christ, and the wine of His blood, and therefore we are to meditate of the human nature of Jesus Christ; and this is a meditation that hath abundance that might spring out of it; what hath the Son of God taken our nature upon Him? Hath He body and blood and human nature upon Him? Oh, how hath God honored human nature? Then let me not abuse my body to lust, to wickedness, seeing that Jesus
Christ hath taken the body of man upon Him, human nature upon Him, let me honor human nature that is so nearly united to the divine nature; that's the second meditation.
Meditation 3. Here is presented unto us what this mediator hath done for the reconciling of us unto God, that His body was broken;
He Hath subjected Himself to the breaking of His body, and to the pouring forth of His blood for the reconciling of us. It is not merely
(as before) that God saith, I'll pardon them, but Christ undertaking to make peace between His Father and us, it cost Him the breaking of His body, and the pouring forth of His blood; this is a useful meditation. Oh, what should we be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ in our bodies, even to resist unto blood, seeing Christ hath been content to have His precious body broken, and His blood shed for us!
Meditation 4. Again, a fourth meditation is this, that here we come to see we have occasion of meditating of that the Scripture saith, that we are by the blood of God saved, it is the blood of God, they crucified the Lord of glory, that's the Scripture phrase. We should consider when we see the wine poured out, and so put in mind of blood, whose blood and whose body is this; it is no other but the body and blood of Him that was truly God, the second Person in Trinity. This is the great mystery of the Gospel, and this is very needful for us to be thinking of when we see the body broken and the
blood poured out. What, will the breaking of the body and shedding of the blood of a mere creature be sufficient to make peace between God and man? Surely no, therefore you must meditate whose body this is, and whose blood this is, it is the body and blood of Him that was God. It's true, God hath no body nor no blood, but the same person that was God had a body and blood; that body and blood was united unto the divine nature in a hypostatic union, and from thence it came to have an efficacy for to satisfy God, for to reconcile God and us together, this is the great mystery of godliness.
Meditation 5. Another meditation is this, when you see bread broken and wine poured out, oh the infinite dreadfulness of the justice of God! How dreadful is the justice of God, that coming upon His own
Son and requiring satisfaction from Him, that should thus break Him and bruise Him, that should have His blood, that should require such sufferings even from His Son! Dreadful is God's justice, the justice of God; it is to be feared and to be trembled at; here we see what is required for the sin of man, and nothing would be bated to Jesus Christ Himself.
Meditation 6. Another meditation is this, here I see presented to me what every soul that shall be saved cost; whoever shall have his soul saved he hath it saved by a ransom, by a price paid that is more worth then ten thousand, thousand worlds; thou slightest thine own soul, but if it prove to be saved, it cost more than if thousands of worlds had been given for thee; even the shedding of the blood of Christ, every drop of which was more precious than ten thousand worlds.
Meditation 7. Again, from hence see what is the evil of sin, how great it is that hath made such a breach between God and my soul that only such a way and such a means must take away my sin. I must either have lain under the burden of my sin eternally, or Jesus Christ that is God and man must suffer so much for it. Oh, what meditations are these to take up the hearts of men!
Meditation 8. Behold the infinite love of God to mankind and the love of Jesus Christ, that rather than God would see the children of men to perish eternally, He would send His Son to take our nature upon Him, and thus to suffer such dreadful things; herein God shows
His love; it is not the love of God so much in giving you a good voyage, and prospering you outwardly in the world, "But, so God loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," and it pleased the Father to break His Son, and to pour out His blood, here is the love of God and of Jesus Christ. Oh, what a powerful, mighty, drawing, efficacious meditation should this be unto us!
Meditation 9. Those that are believers they shall be nourished to eternal life, so that there is no fear that ever a believer should quite fall off from God and die in his sin. Why? Because the body and blood of Christ is given unto him for his spiritual nourishment.
Though a believer be never so weak, yet seeing God hath appointed the body and blood of His Son for him to feed upon and to drink in a spiritual way, surely then the weakest in the world will be strengthened to go through all the hazards and dangers that there are in the world; 'tis this that strengthens believers to encounter with all kinds of dangers, it's this that preserves the weakest grace in a believer, namely the spiritual nourishment that God the Father hath appointed to them, even the feeding upon the body, and drinking the very blood of his Son; this is meat indeed, and drink indeed that will nourish to eternal life.
Meditation 10. The last meditation is this, when you come to this, seeing the bread broken and the wine poured out, you have an occasion to meditate of the whole New Covenant, the covenant of grace that God hath made with sinners, for so the words of institution are, "This is the cup of the New Testament." The New
Testament which is all one with the New Covenant, only different in this particular, it contains the substance of the New Covenant, but called Testament in this regard, to show that the Lord doth do all in the New Covenant, that is, He doth not only promise such and such mercies upon condition of our believing and repenting, but He doth
work believing and repenting, and works grace, and therefore the same thing that is sometimes called a Covenant is called a Testament. That is the will of God wherein the Lord doth bequeath
His rich legacies to His children, to those that shall be eternally saved so that all the good things in the Covenant of Grace they are bequeathed by way of testament as well as Covenant, and this is a mighty, comfortable meditation to the saints. For indeed, when they look upon the way of the Gospel as in a way of Covenant, why then they think this, this requires somewhat of our parts to be done, and indeed God will keep Covenant on His part, but it may be we shall not keep Covenant on ours, and so we may fail at last. But now when thou lookest upon all the good things in the Gospel dispensed in the way of a Testament, that is the will of God, the legacies that God doth bequeath to His servants, this is a mighty comfort to the soul, that all the precious things of the Gospel come to me in the way of a Testament, and that's the meaning of the new Testament, that is, the mercies of God in Christ coming now in the way of another administration than they did before. 'Tis not only new in respect of the covenant of works that God made with Adam, but new in respect of the administration; our forefathers, the patriarchs, they had the same thing in substance, but administered in a darker way, and many differences there are; but now when we hear of the New
Testament, there is presented unto us all the riches of the Covenant of Grace in the way of a legacy and in the administration of it with clearness, and with a great deal of mercy and goodness of God, the terror and harshness of the old administration being taken away.
Now these are the meditations by which we should labor to sanctify our hearts when we are receiving of the sacrament, and in the working of these meditations upon our hearts we shall come to sanctify the Name of God when we are drawing nigh to Him in that holy ordinance of His, thus for meditation.
The next thing when we are there must be an actuating of these holy dispositions that before we spoke of; 'tis not enough for a Christian to bring grace to the sacrament, but there must be a stirring of that grace at that time, or otherwise the Name of God is not sanctified in
the receiving of the sacrament, and above all graces the actuating of the grace of faith; 'tis not enough that thou beest a believer, but thy faith must act at that very instant, as thus.
First, when thou hearest the minister in the Name of Christ say thus, "This is the body of Jesus Christ which was given for you, take, eat," thou shouldest have thy faith so acting upon the mercy of God in giving Jesus Christ for the nourishment of thy soul to eternal life as if thou didst hear a voice from heaven saying, "Here is the body of My
Son given for thee particularly, take it and eat, apply it to thee, and so make Christ one with thee by faith, as the bread is made one with thy body when thou doest eat it."
And then when thou commest to take hold of the bread, thou art to put forth an act of faith, faith being as the hand of the soul, and at that instant when thou takest the bread and puttest it into thy mouth to eat, thou shouldest stir up the act of faith afresh, laying more hold upon Jesus Christ. Look as once thou didst in thy first conversion, when Christ was presented to thee in the Word or in any other way, there was an act of faith drawn forth whereby thy soul did cast itself and roll itself upon Jesus Christ. So shouldest thou renew it; renew the same work of faith that thou didst find in thy very first conversion; and thereby thou shalt come to have renewed comfort in the renewing of that act. I might name thee other graces and dispositions, how there should be a stirring and an acting of them, only remember I leave all this point with this note, that grace is not enough for partaking the sacrament of the Lord's supper, except there be an actuating, and a stirring up of that grace. Many
Christians are careful to prepare and examine before whether they have grace or no; but at that time when they come to receive, then there is not a lively working and stirring of that grace, and so they come to lose the comfort and benefit of that ordinance. Thus, much shall suffice for this point of sanctifying God's Name in receiving the holy communion; I shall now come to the last point, which is the sanctifying the Name of God in prayer.
Sanctifying the Name of God in Prayer.
Now, this argument might take us up many sermons, but upon occasion of the days of prayer and humiliation, I have preached divers sermons about the point of prayer; therefore, I shall be brief, and only now reckon up together and set before your view the several things that are to be done for the sanctifying of the Name of God in prayer. First, for prayer in that we draw nigh to God, and it's a duty of God's worship that I suppose all of you cannot but acknowledge, and that it is a natural duty of worship. The other was instituted, but this is natural; it's natural for the creature to draw nigh to God in prayer, wherein the creature tenders up his homage to God, and manifests his profession of his dependance upon God for all good that he hath, and acknowledges God as the Author of all good, therefore this is worship, and it is a great part of worship. Prayer, it is such a part of worship as sometimes in Scripture it is put for the whole worship of God, "He that calls upon the Name of God shall be saved," that is, he that worships God aright. Jeremiah 10:25, "Pour out Thy wrath upon the heathen that know Thee not, and on the families that call not on Thy Name," that do not pray, that is, that do not worship Thee; there one part of worship is put for the whole, as being a principal part of the worship of God.
Surely, we must sanctify God's Name in prayer, for it is that that sanctifies all things to us; 1 Tim. 4:5, everything "is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer." And if the argument of Christ was right, as no question but it was, that the temple was greater than the gold upon the temple, because the temple did sanctify the gold; and the altar was greater than the offering that was offered upon it, because it did sanctify the offering; then prayer must needs be a mighty great ordinance; a greater thing than any other, because it sanctifies all things. The Word sanctifies the creatures, but prayer sanctifies the very Word unto our use, and therefore when we read the Word, we are to pray for a sanctified use of the Word. Prayer is a great ordinance, a great duty of worship that sanctifies all; prayer hath a casting voice (as I may say) in all the great works of God in the world,
the great affairs of the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of His power, and the Kingdom of Christ. I say prayer hath a kind of a casting voice, and doth order under God the great things of the world, they are according to the prayers of the saints, they bring down blessings upon the godly, they pour forth judgements on the wicked; the prayers of the saints, they are the vials that are poured forth in a special manner upon the heads of the wicked. Therefore, God's Name is to be sanctified in prayer.
It is to be sanctified first in preparation; Psalm 10:17, "Thou wilt prepare their heart; Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear." It is the Lord that prepareth the heart, and then He causes His ear to hear; and therefore in 1 Pet. 4:7, we are there required to "watch unto prayer"; men and women should keep a narrow watch over their hearts and minds, that they may not be hindered in their prayers, that they may be always in a fit posture to pray. Watch unto prayer, it is that that would help us against many temptations to evil. If I give way to such and such temptations it will hinder my prayers; I shall not have that freedom and enlargement in prayer as otherwise if I give way to such and such things, therefore, let me take heed of this, for it will hinder my prayers. As if the Apostle should say, this should be the care of Christians, then they are likely to sanctify the Name of God in prayer, if this be their great care that there is nothing in the world that shall hinder their prayers. O, let me take heed I do nothing to hinder my prayers; if I go abroad into company, and am merry and jocund, and there game and drink, and sport myself in company, will not this hinder my prayers? Will not this hinder the spiritualness of my heart in communion with God in prayer, when I come home at night? I appeal to you, have you had that freedom in prayer, afterwards?
Surely no, therefore, watch unto prayer.
Now for the preparation of the heart to prayer, we must understand either first, what is to be done in the course of one's life, or secondly, what's to be done just when one comes to prayer.
For the first, the course of one's life: labor to keep all things even and clear between God and your souls, that so you may not come with shackles about your legs; with guiltiness (I mean) upon your consciences; men that have given way to any base sinful way, when they come to prayer, the guilt of their hearts doth even sink them; but those that can keep their peace with God in the course of their lives, they have other manner of freedom in prayer than you that walk loosely and contract guiltiness upon your spirits.
And then, the second thing is to keep our hearts sensible of our continual dependance upon God; sensible how we depend upon God for whatsoever we are, whatsoever we have, whatsoever we do, for the blessing of all is from God. The beams of the sun do not so depend upon the sun as we upon God; that if He doth but withdraw
Himself never so little from us, we all sink down to nothing and perish forever; that soul that every day and hour is sensible of the infinite dependance it hath upon God for its present and eternal estate will be fit for prayer and that should be our care for to carry ourselves, as any hour in the day, or minute in the hour, we might be fit to go to prayer; and that is one meaning of that place in the Thessalonians, "pray continually." Not that every moment we should be praying, but that we should keep our hearts in a praying frame.
Some of you when you have let out your passions and are in a distemper, what, will you go to prayer now? Your conscience will tell you that you are not fit to go to prayer at that time; certainly if you be not fit to pray, you are not fit to live; you are in an ill condition at any time if you be not fit to pray; and there can be no excuse whatever that can be sufficient to plead for yourselves why you should not be fit to pray at any time; there is that continual dependance upon God for all, and that need you have of the blessing of God for everything, that there is reason you should be in a fit condition for praying at all times; but now when you come to prayer at the set time, then there should be a special preparation.
First, you should prepare yourselves by getting fresh and powerful apprehensions of the glory of God before whom you go; prepare by
meditation about the glory of that infinite God that you are now addressing yourself unto; possess yourselves with thoughts and meditations of the glory of the great God, that's the first.
Secondly, labor to get your hearts sensible of what you go for. I am now going to God, for what? For pardon of sin, or for assurance of His love; or for power against sin; or for such and such mercies; let me by meditation work my heart to be sensible of these things that I am going to God for, to set a due prior upon those mercies that I am praying for, and to get my heart affected with them.
Thirdly, labor to get your hearts separated from the world, and from all things that are here below in the world; and that should have been a third thing in the course of your lives, you should never let out your hearts to any creature, either to businesses or pleasures in the world so but that you may have command of your hearts to call them when you will; to call them in to God in prayer; and then when you come to prayer there should be an actual separation of your hearts from all things in the world; dedicating yourselves to God for this time, as one that hath nothing to do with the world, nothing to do with anything but this duty that now you are about; this is the preparation of your hearts to prayer in the course of your lives.
Now then for the prayer itself. First, we must consider of the matter of prayer. And secondly, of the manner of it.
First for the matter of it, we must look to it that it be according to God's will; 1 John. 5:14, "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us."
Therefore, for the matter we must be sure it must be good that we pray for; it must be for the glory of God; for the good of ourselves and the good of our brethren.
First, for the glory of God, that should be the chief matter that we are to pray for; so, Christ when He teaches us to pray, He begins the very first petition, Matt. 6:9, 10, "Hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom
come; Thy will be done." First begin with the glory of God, mind that in the chief place above all other things. God gives you leave to pray for outward things, but first for the glory of God, minding that before your own benefit, before the pardon of sin and your daily bread, how few do sanctify God's Name in this? People have little mind to pray, but when they are in outward afflictions, when they are upon their sick beds then they will pray, or at sea in storms then they will pray, then it seems that the main matter of your prayer is only for yourselves; but how hath the matters of the glory of the great God, and the good of the churches taken your hearts all this while? How have your hearts been affected with this, that the Name of God hath been so little sanctified in the world, and that the Kingdom of God hath not come, and that the will of God hath not been done, have these things taken up your hearts in prayer, the matters of the glory of God and the good of the churches, though yourselves have not any particular interest in them? If these things did but take up your hearts in prayer, then when you are at sea you would remember the cause of the churches, as much as yourselves; the Church is, as it were, in the midst of the sea, tossed up and down and in a great storm. Now why do not you pray as earnestly for the Kingdom of Christ among His churches as for yourselves when you are in a storm at sea?
Yea, and spiritual things should be the chief matter of your prayer; for they are the nearest to the glory of God; though God hath His glory from other things, yet spiritual things are nearest the glory of God. Now in these days of prayer, many will come to pray that they might be freed from danger, that they might have outward peace; this is good. But spiritual things are the chief things, and therefore the strength of your spirits should be thus poured forth to God. O, that I could get my heart to God, and the assurance of the love of God! O, that I could get the shine of His face! O, that I could get power over such and such corruptions.
And I beseech you observe this, that spiritual things may be prayed for absolutely, but outward things must be prayed for conditionally. I
may pray (and never put any condition in at all) that the Lord would pardon my sins, and help me against my corruptions, etc. But when I pray for the health of my body, I ought to pray, if this be according to Thy will, then restore me to the health of my body, or the health of my husband, or the health of my wife; but thou mayst pray, Lord convert the soul of my husband or the soul of my wife, without any condition at all. When your estates at sea are in danger, when you pray for them, you must make conditions; Lord, as thou seest best for me, so do thou deal with me. This shows the excellency that there is in spiritual things above outward things, surely spiritual things are more to be desired for they are to be prayed for absolutely, and the other to be prayed for only conditionally; that's for the first.
In the second place we are to pray for our own good. God doth give us leave so to do, only here comes in a question.
Quest. Whether it be sinful to pray for afflictions, as sometimes some will be ready to do.
Answ. To that I answer, first, take it absolutely considered, we may not pray that God would afflict us, because affliction is in itself materially an evil thing, and a fruit of the curse, therefore we may not (I say) absolutely pray for it; but thus far we may pray for afflictions disjunctively, conditionally, comparatively.
Disjunctively thus, Lord, either grant unto me a sanctified use of such a mercy, or otherwise let me rather be without it; let me have a sanctified use of my sickness, or otherwise let my sickness be continued to me; thus, now you may pray for continuing in sickness.
Or thus, conditionally, Lord, if Thou seest that my heart be so vile and wretched that I will abuse (through my corruption) such and such mercies, Lord rather take them from me, and let me be without them; if Thou seest that there be no way to break this proud heart of mine but such a way, Lord, let that be Thy way to break it, if Thou seest it according to Thy will as the fittest way.
Then comparatively thus, Lord, rather let me have any affliction than sin, rather let me suffer loss of my estate than sin against Thee, than depart from Thee; anything Lord rather than sin. Thus, you may pray for afflictions, but not absolutely. You must not pray that God would send you afflictions absolutely, for you do not know your hearts; it may be if afflictions should come, your hearts may be as stubborn under your afflictions as they are now, for affliction hath no power in itself to do us any good.
And then for the good of others, for Christ teaches us to pray, Our Father.
There comes in here a rebuke of the wicked practice of divers in cursing, and then a question about it.
It is a wicked thing to use curses; but it's a most wicked thing to wish evil to others in a way of prayer; yet how many do so? Though it may be they do not think it, they speak to God and desire Him to bring such and such evils upon their neighbors, yea, sometimes parents upon their children. This is a wicked practice of men. What, is it not wickedness enough for thee to have any desire that there should any evil befall thy brother, but wilt thou dare to presume to call God to be an instrument of the execution of thy base sinful wrath, that God must be a drudge, as it were, to thy wrath and to thy passion? This is abominable wickedness. Any of you that ever have been guilty of this sin of cursing others, wives, children, servants, or friends, the Lord rebuke you for this sin; how far hast thou been from sanctifying
God's Name in prayer? Whereas, instead of sanctifying the holy Name of God, thou hast called God to be a servant, and a drudge to thy passion, God must be called to help the venting of thy passion.
Oh, remember this you that have been at sea, and have been angry, and things not going according to your mind, have fallen a cursing, and a wishing such and such evils might come upon those you are angry with; that's a kind of prayer, but it is a most fearful taking the Name of God in vain in the highest degree, and certainly God will not
hold him guiltless that shall so take His Name in vain; therefore be humbled for this sin.
Object. But you will say, do not we read in the book of the Psalms where many times the Prophet David doth curse the enemies of God and wishes evil to come upon them?
Answ. To that I answer, first, that the prophets, and those that penned the Psalms they had a prophetical spirit; and those places that you read that are in way of cursing, they are rather prophetical predictions of evil than direful imprecations; they are rather foretelling what shall be in a way of prophecy than wishing what should be.
Secondly, if they be wishing what should be, then I answer that those that were endued with such a prophetical spirit, they did know who were the implacable enemies of God and who were not, as David prayed against Judas so many hundred years before he was born; by a prophetical spirit, he knew that he was the child of perdition.
Indeed, if we could certainly know a man that were to be a cast-away eternally from God, it were another matter, as the Church in the time of Julian, because of his apostasy being so abominable, it was determined almost generally by them that he had committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, and upon that they cursed him. Now I say, those that had an extraordinary spirit that did know who these were, they might do it, but this is no example for us in an ordinary way to wish evil and curses upon others. But thus far we may do with the enemies of the Church.
First, we may curse them disjunctively; Lord, either take them out of the way, or keep them that they may not do such mischief in the Church. Or thus, conditionally, if Thou seest Lord that they be implacable, Thou knowest them, if so, let Thy wrath and curse pursue them; Lord Thou seest what evil they are set upon, and therefore, rather than they should attain their mischievous designs, let Thy wrath and curse pursue them. So, we may do it, but not
absolutely to curse any, though they should do us never so much wrong, we are called to blessing. But now in zeal to God, take heed that we be not carried on in our own passion, but being sure it is in a zeal to God; we may wish the curses of God to pursue those that God knows to be implacable. This is but an appealing to God, and not at all fastening it upon any particular persons that we know but leaving it unto God for the execution of it, and so in a zeal to the glory of God, we may do it, and we are warranted so to do by the second petition, Thy Kingdom come. For that petition that requires us to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ doth also require that we should pray against all means that hinder the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, so that every time that the Church prays,
Thy Kingdom come, or any prays, Thy Kingdom come, they do as much as say, O Lord, do Thou set Thyself against all the enemies of Thy Kingdom. If they belong to Thy election, Lord convert them, but otherwise Lord confound them. Now thus we see how we are to sanctify the Name of God in prayer, in regard of the matter of the prayer, but now for the manner of prayer. The most things I confess are there.
First, when we come to prayer, we must be sure to pray with understanding. 1 Cor. 14:15, "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and will pray with understanding also." God doth not love the sacrifice of fools; we must not come babbling to God in prayer to speak we know not what, and to multiply words we know not wherefore, but God doth require that those that come to prayer come with understanding, that they offer to God a rational, a reasonable, an understanding sacrifice; God is a Spirit, and He will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Now as it belongs to all other duties of worship, so especially in prayer, to know what we do when we pray, not to think to put off God with a mere empty sound; that's the first thing.
The second thing in the manner of prayer, it is the giving up all the faculties of our souls in it. I spoke to that in the worship of God in general; we shall apply it now particularly to prayer, the giving up
not only our understandings, but wills, thoughts, affections, strength in prayer. In 2 Chron. 20:3, it is said of Jehosaphat that he "set himself to seek the Lord," he did give his whole self to seek the Lord; we are to give our whole self and not to divide in prayer. Now this were an argument that indeed might well take up a whole sermon in showing the evil of the wandering of our spirits in prayer; we should take heed of the wandering of our spirits in hearing of the Word, and receiving the Sacraments, and so in prayer. The people of God are much troubled with the wandering of their thoughts both in Word and Sacrament, and it is their great burden and should be so, but I never hear any more complainings of the wandering of their spirits than in the time of prayer. The people of God are much pestered in their spirits with this evil, it is very grievous unto them, and many of them go under it as a grievous burden all their days. The chief burden that is upon their spirits is their wandering in prayers, so that if God should speak to them as He spoke unto Solomon, and bade him ask what He should give him, I verily believe there are many in this congregation that have already good assurance of God's love in Christ, if they had not that, that would be the main thing that they would ask. But having attained that, if God would speak from heaven and say, what shall I give you for yourselves, if He should ask you in the general, it may be you would ask something for the churches; but if it be for yourselves, you would put up this petition, oh Lord that I may be delivered from a wandering spirit in holy duties, and especially in the duty of prayer, that I may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with Thyself than ever yet I enjoyed. And they would account this to be a greater mercy than if God should give them to be kings or queens over the whole world. If God should put these two into the balance, either the whole world to possess or otherwise to have more free hearts in coming to God in prayer, and to be delivered from that that hath so much hindered their communion with God in prayer, they would despise and scorn the world in comparison of such a mercy as this is. Howsoever carnal hearts they think little of it, but those that are the servants of God they find it to be very grievous to them; but being the time is past, I
shall reserve that to speak yet a little more largely for the help of those that are under the burden of it.
I'll only speak one thing further now, and that shall be to those that are wicked and vile, that not only have vain wandering thoughts in prayer, but even in the very duty of prayer, many times have wicked and ungodly thoughts; how horrible are they? Unclean thoughts, murderous thoughts it may be, and most abominable. I confess even those that are godly may sometimes have some blasphemous thoughts cast into them, for the Devil is never more busy than at the time of prayer; but they rather come from the Devil than from the stream and corruption of their own hearts, which may be we may make out more clearly afterward; but now I speak to such as have most wicked abominable thoughts rising from the stream and corruption of their hearts, such thoughts as their hearts do close withal in prayer, and they can roll those thoughts about in their minds as a child will roll a piece of sugar in its mouth; and this is the wickedness of many men and women's hearts.
Take but this one note with you, that all those dreadful, vile, unclean, covetous thoughts of thine in prayer, they have been to God as if you had spoken them in words; thoughts to God are all one with Him as words are to men, for God is a Spirit, and the Spirit doth converse with God in thoughts as well as men do converse with men in words; and what a woeful guiltiness would have been upon you had you spoken such vile and wicked things to men as some times hath been in your minds, even when you have been praying to God, how would the company have even spit in your faces, and kicked you from them? None that have any face of godliness would have endured you in their company, and yet here's the evil of it, your hearts are not troubled, but you rise off your knees and away you go. Thou hast a cauterized conscience, a seared conscience that canst entertain such vile thoughts at any time without having thy spirit afflicted and going away with shame and confusion, as if the greatest evil had befallen thee; therefore, take heed of this.