The Communicant's Companion (continued)
and through the outer courts. In prayer, the soul ascends to God, and converses with him; and thereby the mind is prepared to receive the visits of his grace, and habituated to holy exercises. Even the blessed Jesus prepared himself for the offering up of the great sacrifice by prayer, a long prayer in the house, and strong crying's with tears in the garden. Three times was Christ spoken to, while he was here on earth, by voices from heaven, and they all three found him praying.—That at his baptism: "Jesus being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened."—That at his transfiguration: "As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered."—And that a little before his passion, when he was praying, "Father, glorify thy name," the voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it," &c. Saul of Tarsus prays, and then sees a vision; and afterwards, Cornelius had his vision when he was at prayer, and Peter his. All which instances, and many the like, suggest to us, that communion with God in prayer prepares and disposes the mind for communion with him in other duties.
2. Because this is the appointed way for fetching in that mercy and grace which God has promised, and which we stand in need of—In God is our help, and from him is our fruit found; and he has promised to help us and to give us "a new heart, to put his Spirit within us, and to cause us to walk in his statutes." "I will yet for all this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them." How can we expect the presence of God with us, if we do hot invite him by prayer? Or the power of God upon us, if we do not by prayer derive it from him? The greatest blessings are promised to the prayer of faith, but God will not give, if we will not ask: why should he?
But what must we pray for, when we draw near to God in this solemn ordinance? Solomon tells us, that both the "preparations of the heart in man,