----- CHAPTER I: That God hath not, by any revelation of himself or attributes, engaged himself to g
particular persuasion.—How we are in prayer to act faith upon temporal promises, and how upon spiritual.
CHAPTER I
That God hath not, by any revelation of himself or attributes, engaged himself to give us the very particular blessing which we ask, and therefore we are not bound to pray with faith of assurance of obtaining it.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a ware of the sea, driven of the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.—JAMES 1:6–8.
The absolute necessity of faith in prayer he doth vehemently and peremptorily express.
1. Vehemently: He doth not say he shall obtain no great or large gifts or favours, but nothing, not anything, without this.
2. Peremptorily: 'Let not that man think;' let him not entertain so much as a thought that God will hear him; 'let him not think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.'
The apostle binds up our faith in prayer strictly unto such a belief as hath a not doubting or not wavering accompanying it, and under that resolute manner presseth it, as that on which the stress of all asking in faith in prayer should lie. He instanceth in one particular of wisdom for all other, but thereupon gives the same common rule for praying for anything else which we may think or make account to obtain. Thus extensive is his caution, reaching to anything, as those words shew: ver. 7, 'Let not that man,' namely, that wavereth, 'think he shall receive anything of the Lord.' He cannot regularly, or according to God's ordinary course which is set about praying, receive anything. God may hear us afore we ask, but if we think to
receive anything by prayer, it must be by praying in faith, 'without wavering.' So as this is proposed as a general rule holding in all prayers, that whatsoever we pray for, we 'pray in faith, nothing doubting.' But then here comes the difficulty, the last words immediately foregoing having been, 'Let him ask, and it shall be given him,' and these words coming next, 'But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting;' the coherence whereof would seem to carry it thus: let him ask in the faith and I confidence of this, that he shall receive the thing itself he prays for when and whilst he prays, nothing doubting but that he shall receive it, and otherwise he shall not obtain it.
The text thus understood, hath been a mighty stound and plunge to many poor souls, that have lived in a lower region and way of believing. If this be the case, will some say, then I never yet have prayed one faithful prayer in all my life. Nay, I have not prevailing assurance, that is, a faith with a nothing doubting; no, not for my own salvation, but am full of doubtings and sinkings of heart about that great point. I have not obtained so much in and by all the prayers I have hitherto made, and how much more may I say as to particular requests of what I stand in need of, that I never yet had this happiness to be able through faith to say I shall receive them afore I did receive them. Yea, those Christians that have assurance of their salvation, do find in experience very few of their petitions for particular mercies answered, wherein they have had a full forehand persuasion that they should receive the very particular.
It must therefore be looked upon as a case of very great moment and usefulness to resolve, and which requires a thorough discussion, to satisfy the many scruples about it.
The case I propound thus:
Whether it be a necessary requisite unto praying in faith for the obtaining any or every particular thing a Christian prays for, that he should pray in or with such a special faith and persuasion as
amounts to a not doubting that he shall certainly receive it, so as if he fall short of this persuasion of faith in prayer, he must not think to receive it?
First, I lay down this assertion:
That there is a true spiritual and effectual praying in faith, which doth obtain and prevail with the Lord, that yet is short of, and rises not up unto this special persuasion of faith without doubting, that I shall certainly receive the very particular I seek of the Lord.
Many pregnant instances and examples in Scripture might be alleged to prove this assertion, which I omit, because they may pertinently fall in, and will well mingle with several pieces of the discourse. I know also it is a commonplace head in our modern divines to handle, what it is to pray in faith, by the measure of which I might proceed to demonstrate this assertion; but this I decline now, for it will fall in with my following method. But I choose rather, for the clearer demonstration of it (for I know no better or more conducing and fairer way), to take a survey of the most essential things unto faith in prayer, and chiefly because, in so doing, it will not only prove, but withal discover the very foundation and intrinsecal grounds how and whereupon it comes to pass that such a special persuasion of faith in prayer is not of absolute necessity to obtain the blessing desired.
Now these essential things, &c., are two.
1. The principal object of faith, which faith in praying eyes, and acts upon, to move God to bestow what he asks.
2. The proper genuine acts of faith in praying, which yet fall short of being assured I shall receive the particular mercy prayed for.
And my demonstration for both these is founded on this great truth, common to them both, that they do admit of a latitude: First, unto our faith in praying; and, secondly, unto God in answering; so that it is not necessary either that faith in its acting upon these objects should rise up to that assured persuasion that you shall receive, or
that God should grant you the very particular; but God and faith both have room and line enough left them; God to answer the prayer in some other thing, and faith to ask the blessing without such an assurance.
1. I begin my demonstration with the primary objects of faith in prayer (as our divines call them), which are these things in God which our faith in prayer treats with God upon, which faith presents to God, and pleads with God, and urgeth upon God that it may obtain; or which are the principal supports unto faith, that do strengthen it to continue to pray, and hearten it that it shall obtain.
And my diligent inquiry shall be, whether an acting on these in our prayers doth necessarily require and exact such a particular persuasion, &c.
Now the prime and principal objects of faith, by which it thus deals with God in prayer, are three.
(1.) Some special attributes of God, as his wisdom, power, mercy, which faith applies itself unto, and treats with God by.
(2.) The promises, general or particular, of such or such good things, which faith lays hold upon, and urgeth unto God to be fulfilled by virtue of those attributes.
(3.) The name of Christ, in which under the New Testament we are explicitly to put up all our prayers, as for which and whose sake God will bestow all he hath promised.
Now if there be a due application of the soul unto God in and through all these, according as the nature of these may require, then it is certain there is true faith, and a due acting of faith in prayer. For what is or can faith be other than a suitableness in its acting upon its proper object, for the glorifying of God thereby? All acts do receive their distinguishing kind and genuineness from their tendency and conformity to their objects, and so must faith; and it is true, genuine, unfeigned faith, when it puts forth such and such acts as its true and
proper object doth require. And it is certain, that to pray in and with such a faith, so levelled towards these objects, must needs be a praying in faith, and so must obtain.
Now the most bottom ground why a faith duly acting in prayer upon these objects, and pleading these motives, may yet fall short of a certain persuasion, 'I shall receive the very particular,' &c., lies in this one proposition.
Prop. That God hath not in the revelation of himself, through these objects to our faith, so bound up himself in, or by virtue of, any or all of these, though duly implored in prayer, that he will certainly give the very particular we shall ask in true faith on these, the nature of these things not absolutely or necessarily requiring it, as they are to us revealed.
And the inferences from hence will be, 1. That if God be not certainly bound up by any one, nor all of these therefore mentioned, then by nothing else, for these are those, and such as for which he is pleased and moved to grant all that he doth grant to us by prayer.
2. And hence it will follow, that if God be not necessarily bound up by these to give the very particular, that then our faith in prayer is not bound up to a certain persuasion, I shall receive that very particular; for our receiving must be from God's giving, and his declared intention in giving some way answerable thereto. And therefore, if God professeth not to be bound up to give, &c., our faith cannot be bound up absolutely to think we shall receive. And again, that must needs be acknowledged right faith, that treats with God in all and each of these, according to God's own intention in his revelation of all and each of them; for then God is truly sought to, when according to the tenor of his own will and revelation of himself.
And take notice, that the materials of the demonstration of this assertion proposed (which I shall carry through all these three places
mentioned), will serve also to direct and instruct us how to form and level our prayers aright, and teach us how to apply our faith to God's attributes and promises.
1. I affirm, that the attributes of God, to which faith is to apply itself in prayer, have reserved to themselves a latitude, or a liberty left unto God in what particular to answer our prayers, as shall be most for the glory of any of those his attributes which we implore. That God as represented to us by his attributes, and so his attributes, are the grand object of faith in prayer, appears by the prefaces unto all the eminent prayers recorded in the Old and New Testament, the saints therein taking into their prayers such or such particular attributes as had nighest conjunction with, and affinity unto, the particular things they pray for, as being the next and immediate cause of them, and so strengthen their faith for the obtaining that particular.
Before I fall into the particular instances of attributes to demonstrate my foresaid assertion, I shall again renew the memory of this, that it is the nature and property of faith, and that which God ordained it for, to apply and turn itself every way, to each and every attribute, according to the kind and nature of each, and according to that way and manner of dispensing and giving forth things to us, which each attribute doth hold forth, and in doing so it honours and glorifies that or those attributes, according to the nature and kind of each attribute and way in their affecting* things for us. And hence it comes to pass that faith in prayer is such a latitudinarian, that it is not bound up to a certain persuasion or belief, that it shall receive this or that very particular which it asks, and is bound to ask, and which particular promises, according to a man's sense of need, direct faith unto. And the reason is clear, because the kind or nature of these attributes, and the way and the manner of the dispensation of them, doth admit of a latitude in God's intention, in his engagement of those attributes, for the performance of the promises prayed for; and God for the glory of them, as became him, necessarily reserved a liberty how and in what particular to answer our prayers as shall be
most and best agreeable to the nature of the attributes, and for the manifestation of the glory of them. And hence if faith applies itself
(as so it ought) to God in pleading his engagement of any of those attributes, according to their kind, it must be with a reserve on faith's part, leaving God's performance unto his own latitude reserved. I only except what may and doth fall out sometimes, that God is pleased to give a special persuasion and assurance (as sometimes especially in spiritual things he doth), otherwise in the ordinary way and course faith must leave all to God, with submission to want the mercy sought when it shall be most for the glory of that attribute it hath or had recourse unto in prayer; for God's will disposeth itself in giving unto us, according as he intended the glory of such and such his attributes; and this (which is a sure ground in itself) gives measure to our prayers, and faith therein, and is a main foundation to decide this case.
(1.) We ought to apply ourselves unto God's all-sufficiency and power, with a firm assurance in it. But though as to his power he requires that we should confide in it to obtain the thing prayed for, yet he exacts not as to his will for us to believe that he will certainly effect it, but left that part rather unto an humble submission, whether he would do it, yea or no, for he would have that left to him.
Thus when the two blind men came to him, Mat. 9, who prayed vehemently to him—ver. 27, 'Two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us'—all the question that Christ asked them was this, 'Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this?' ver. 28. He says not, believe ye that I will do this, but only that I am able to do this; and doth your petition, that I would do this for you, proceed from a faith on my power, that I am able? 'They say unto him, Yea, Lord;' and they spake their heart as far as their faith went, and as far as Christ's question reached. And look, as Christ did not ask them, whether they did believe he would cure them, so neither did they express that they believed any such thing; he loaded their faith with no more but that of his power, and as to the belief of that, Christ was absolute to require it; but as to the belief of his particular will, for that particular thing, there is not a
word spoken. And yet Christ in answer to their faith in praying, approved their faith by saying, 'Be it to you according to your faith,' ver. 29;* for it came up to his demand, and the performance testified thereunto, that it was such a faith as he required, for thereupon their eyes were opened. And these were all the transactions that passed betwixt Christ and the men in that particular, and yet they obtained what they prayed for thereupon. Now, that which was faith sufficient in them to obtain by prayer will also be in us. And further, suppose this faith had not been put forth in the way of prayer, that is, if we suppose they had not prayed, but only believed this, yet it must be acknowledged that the same faith put into a prayer must needs be good, be as good faith to obtain. For look, what is true faith out of prayer, that faith if it be formed up into a prayer, doth according to the measure of it make prayer in faith; and so it all comes to this sum, that it is as if these blind men had explicitly said, Lord, we come to thee to be cured, and believe thou art able, which makes us come; and though yet we know not whether thou wilt, yet we come, and we leave that to thee. Now, would not this have been praying in faith?
And will not the circumstances of those transactions justify it to be so? Yes, without question; and yet I need not say how much it fell short of assurance that they should have the thing.
Another instance, more express than this, is in Mat. 8:2: 'Behold, there came a leper, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.' This faith of his was put forth in praying, for it is said 'he worshipped;' the other evangelist says 'he fell on his face.' It was an adoration, with supplication to be cured. He acknowledges him to be Lord of all diseases, even as that centurion had, who said, Si voles res acta est: If thou wilt, the thing is done.
Thus says the leper, 'Thou canst make me clean,' and in this latter he is positive, nothing wavering; but as to Christ's will, he puts an if to that, 'If thou wilt,' &c. Where, first, he manifests his desire and request, that he would cure him; yet, secondly, speaks as one not assured that Christ would do it; and, thirdly, as one that resigned up himself to his will, and left it to him to do as he pleased, having
'made first his request known' with a faith on his power; and though
he believes absolutely that he could heal him, yet he prays not absolutely that he would, but with a reference and submission to his will: 'If thou wilt.' Now, observe how abundantly Jesus Christ approved this faith as thus put forth in praying. 'I will,' says he, 'be thou clean' (it is the imperative). He had asked, 'If thou wilt,' with an if to that; but Christ answers him positively and absolutely: 'I will,' says he. 'Thou canst,' says the poor man; he speaks that absolutely of his power, and Christ speaks as absolutely of his obtaining: The thing is done, says he, 'be thou clean.' And the reason of this difference of believing on his power and on his will (that the one must be absolute, the other needs be but indefinite) is, because if we do not believe his power absolutely, that he is able to do the thing, we do not believe he is God, nor do we come to him and glorify God as God; but to believe he will, or that he will not, do a thing, or may not, this detracts nothing at all from his being God, but, on the contrary, exalts him in the acknowledgment of the liberty, dominion, and sovereignty of his will. And it is evident that our Saviour Christ puts the great pillar of faith upon believing his power: Mark 9:23, Jesus says unto the father of that child possessed with the devil, 'If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth;' and the father cried out, and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief;' for even belief of his power is not so full, without all wavering, but it may have an imperfection accompanying it. But I cite it for this, that faith is said to be omnipotent, as God's power is; faith on his power can do all that God can do, and this even in the point of pardoning sin. Moses hath recourse to the power of God, Num. 14; so that to believe that he is able to pardon, lying at the feet of his will, is good faith.
Obj. But you will say, Power is but an attribute only, and will our believing on one attribute thus obtain?
Ans. A believer's dealing with and applying himself to any attributes of God, that is effective of the thing, with a spiritual faith exercised upon it, is a prevailing faith in praying; and the reason is, because it engages all the attributes while it applies itself to one, although I do not explicitly think of the rest, even as to touch Jesus Christ
anywhere by faith, but the hem, conveys all Christ, and all of him. If I deal by spiritual faith with him to be justified, and no more, yet adoption, sanctification, and all follows; and as the apostle says,
Rom. 6, 'If we be planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be likewise in the likeness of his resurrection;' ver. 5, 'If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.' If we have one benefit, then all.
(2.) We have to do with God's mercy in praying in faith. I need not enlarge upon that, for it is our constant plea: Rom. 10:12, 'He is rich in mercy to all that call upon him.' It is spoken especially to what he is to men, in or upon their prayers, for it is to 'them that call upon him.' Now directly mercy will be acknowledged mercy in the glory of it, and that is to he free; that attribute, therefore, deserves a greater latitude yet as to particulars, wherein he will shew mercy; and is in that respect more regulated by his will than any attribute whatsoever. Mercy will be exalted as mercy, Isa. 30:18, and therefore in its freedom, which is the top glory of it; and therefore in that place where he himself gives himself the most full, absolute declaration of mercy, and the characters of his nature, Exod. 34; yet in the 33d chapter he prefaces thereunto, 'I will be merciful to whom I will.' If he is free to be merciful as to the persons, then how much more in the things wherein to be merciful. For of anything he hath to bestow, mercy is most his own, it is his riches, and he hath enough of them, and 'shall he not do what he will with his own?' And having such abundance and variety of them, if he doth not gratify us in one thing, he hath to do it in another, and hereby mercy is exalted, as you heard the prophet speak. And if it be thus then that attribute which our hope is most in, yet it doth not require a certain belief that we shall receive the thing we ask, but God himself reserves a liberty to himself, and leaves thereby a latitude to our faith.
(3.) God's wisdom also reserves a liberty to itself, and gives line to faith: Isa. 30:18, 'The Lord will wait, that he may be gracious to you, and therefore will he be exalted that hath mercy on you: for the Lord is a God of righteousness: blessed are all they that wait for him.' The
meaning is, he is a God of wisdom, a wise God, he knows what is every way best, and therefore waits to be gracious in the best way, that his mercy may be most exalted; he waits not only the fittest season wherein to be merciful, but in what particular things most to gratify us, and will find out a time wherein it is best for us. Though a believer therefore coming to God, hath all the promises of God before him, and his own judgment is, that he hath more special need of such or such a promise, yet God's wisdom (who is a God of judgment, and also made all the promises), having much more all those promises afore itself, also considers for its own glory and its own good, in what, or by which promises to answer us; and as it is for the glory of his wisdom to order the passages of his providence, so as to be past finding out, so also his dispensations to his people in answer to their prayers, have much of the like variety, that he should not always do it one way. It is true God hath promised that he will withhold no good thing, but what that good thing is that shall be good for us, that he only is judge of, who as he is a Father, is termed also to be a heavenly
Father, whilst he sits in heaven, considering what to give us that is good for us: Luke 11:13, 'If ye then being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father,'
&c. Thou askest of him some earthly thing, as thou thinkest it best for thy need, but he answers thee as a heavenly Father: Mat. 6:32,
'Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.'
Earthly fathers know but what are earthly good things, and of them they give to their children such things as they judge best; but God judges as a heavenly Father, and so of what is best as in relation to heaven, and thy coming thither, and his thoughts are herein as far above earthly fathers as heaven is above earth. He hath also declared, that all things shall work together for thy good; but what particular dispensation shall work for good to thee, and how, this he says not, nor dost thou know. It may be the contrary to what thou desirest shall work for good, and that lies in his wisdom only to judge and dispose of, upon the glorifying of which in his own way thou must wait. So that wisdom reserves to itself a latitude, and it is meet it should, for the glory of itself, for there the glory of it lies. Hence, therefore, if faith applies itself as it ought unto God's wisdom,
according to the kind and way of dispensation of it, why then faith also must be left to a latitude too, and not be bound up to the particular that thou suest to him for, but must wait also on him for what his wisdom will judge best, and so indeed it is added, Isa.
30:18, that 'because he is a God of judgment, and waits thus to be gracious his own way, therefore blessed are those that wait on him,' i.e., that wait on him as such a God; a God of judgment; for waiting is but an act of faith continued.
(4.) A fourth thing about which it hath to deal with God in prayer is, the glory of God, and so it is to frame its petitions, not only for what shall stand with the glory of God, but what shall be most for his glory. The apostle shews, that faith of all other eyes God's glory, and treats with it: Rom. 4:21, 'Abraham was strong in faith, and gave glory to God.' And as it is the object of faith in common, so of faith in particular, as it is put forth in prayer, and which faith applies itself unto in praying. This we have in the Lord's prayer, in the close, 'For thine is the kingdom, power, and glory;' and in the first petition,
'Hallowed be thy name,' which is the measure of all that follows; and we are hereby taught to enforce all our prayers with this, as with which God is principally moved to grant us our requests, and which the soul in praying, if it prays aright, maketh use of as pleas unto God to grant those requests; and it is the highest plea, and most effectual way to obtain that faith hath, or can have, in praying.
Now it is certain, that what that particular should be, which, as concerning my particular condition, should be most for the glory of God, that only is known to him, who as he knows our concernments and interests, so his own above all. We pray indeed for what we judge would be most for his glory, as concerning us, and make a great plea of it, and God highly accepts it from us, because it is what is best in our view and judgments; but he performs according to the riches of his own glory, according to his own destinies and vast purposes of glory to himself, so as a man may pray in the highest faith, and in the sublimest way, according to what he judges, and yet still not know certainly that he shall receive; for what is most for God's glory, God
only himself knows. It is true, indeed, that all the promises, which are the declarations of his will, are for his glory: 2 Cor. 1:20, 'All the promises of God, in him,' namely, Christ, 'are in him yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us;' there is none but doth tend to his glory, more or less, but the performance of which of them to my particular will be most for his glory, that still is reserved to himself.
And this attribute of his glory hath a mighty compass and room to answer thee in, by some promise or other, though yet it doth not give thee the particular thou desirest, according to that one particular promise which thou hast singled out to urge. Yea, as this gives a greater latitude than any of the former attributes, singly considered, and so therefore an answerable allowance must be given unto faith, in respect unto this attribute above all other; for what is and will be most for his glory, he alone is the sovereign judge of. 'Therefore,' says the apostle, Rom. 11:36, 'of him, and through him, and to him are all things; to whom be glory for ever.' That other royalty also of his kingdom, or of his being king, is appropriate and essential to him as he is God (Ps. 93:2, Ps. 74:12), which David's faith so often lays his foundation on in praying, and therefore is so arctly conjoined in the Lord's prayer with his glory; and therefore every son of his that comes to him as to his king (as David often did, when he says, 'My
God and my King'), as he hath great encouragement, because he is his king, who can do anything, so he must consider that his kingdom is of a vast extent, and that he hath many dominions, and an infinity of designs and ends towards persons of all sorts in those dominions, that he hath many irons in the fire, many concernments and ends of a greater breadth than what thy narrow desires or concernments are, especially as they are comprehended in the shallowness of thy understanding, for they are of a greater breadth than any one particular promise can or doth contain. In the administration of a kingdom, a favourite very near to his prince comes with a request to be gratified; he has had many large promises of all sorts given him, and his particular request in his view is but a small one, as the life of a friend that hath run into treason, or the like, and he thinks the grant of it will not be a prejudice to any of his prince's affairs; but that king having a large dominion, and many persons, yea, perhaps
parties and interests to deal with, this business and request of his may fall cross unto, and interfere with some very great interest of his own, which this favourite knows not of, and so he denies him his particular request, but yet takes care to gratify him in another, that shall be best for his particular. And as he hath a kingdom to administer, so he deals in politics, and hath more general ends than a subject can think of or imagine, and knows that which none of them can do; he hath a vast extent of affairs in that kingdom, and his honour is interested to see all things, as they shall tend to his more general ends; and thus it is much more with God, who is the King of kings, and the greatest that ever were are but as petty constables to him. He hath designs upon particular times, wherein the saints do live, which are part of the administrations of his kingdom, and he hath such designs in those times, as according to his ordinary providence he cannot do that for his people that live in this age, at this time, which he can and doth in another for them. General providences, or at least more general than thy particular, do cross often particular requests, whereof in the end we come to see a reason. This some understand (and I believe rightly) to have been
Baruch's case, Jer. 45. Poor man, he was miserably discomposed for the common calamity which Jeremiah had threatened: 'Thou didst say, woe is me now' (says God to him, ver. 3), 'for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow, I fainted in my sighing, and found no rest;' and he had besought God much for the averting of that calamity, the thoughts of which lay so heavy upon him and pressed him down; but especially, he had sought for a quiet condition for himself in these turbulent times to come, ver. 5, 'Seekest thou great things for thyself?
Seek them not.' What were the great things? what preferment, or honour, or riches? He was a man too godly to be so ambitious and worldly. No; he only desired to live in the land quietly, that he might have such a particular privilege, and he sought it for himself; it was a thing he sought for himself, as the text saith, he sought only quietem in communi inquietudine, quiet and ease amidst the common disturbance; and great things these were to seek, in respect of God's common providence at the time he lived in, ardua et difficilia, things hard and difficult to be done.* Therefore God tells him, ver. 4, 'That