[afes about Prayer. 59J §. 8. ~dl. 8. Ml•ft wt pray alwayes when tbt Spirit movetb "'• and only then, or M Rt;,{onguidt- ~·JI. 8. ttb U! l ' Anfrv. There are two forts of the Spiritr m?tionr : The one is by txlr(lortlinilry inJPitation or impulfe as he moved the Prvphett and Ap11ftlu, to reveal new Lawr or precepu or events, or to do fame affion1 without rcfpe& to any other command than the lnfpiration it fdf. This Chrifiians a.re not now to exp('d', bccaufc experience telleth us that it is ccafcd; or if any lhou1d pretend to 1t as not yet ceafcd, in the prediCtion of evnttJ, and direction in feme things otherwifc indiffcr~~t, yet it is moll certain that it is ceafed as to LegiflJtion : For the fpirit it felf hath already g1ven us thofe L 1 ws, which he hath declmd to be perfect, and unchangeable till the end of the world ; The other fort of the fpirits working, is not to mlke new Laws or Duties, but to Guide and quick_en us in the doing of that whi~h is our Duty before by the Laws already made. 1\nd thefe-are the mo· tions that all true Chrirtians mull now expect. By which you m1y fee, that rht: Spirit and Reafim are not to be here dif-joyned, much lcfs oppofed ; As Rea[on fufficeth not without the fpirit, being d"i( and afletp; fa the fpirit worketh not on the WiU but by. the Rea[on: .He mo<eth not a mm as a bean or flonc, to do a thing he knoweth not why ; but by tllummauon gtveth hun the founddl: Reafon for the doing of it; And D~<ty is firft Duty before we do it ; And when by our own fin we forfeit the fpecial motions or help of the fpirit, duty doth not thereby ceafe to be duty, . ngr our 'omiffion to be tin. If the fpiritof God teach you to difcen:. the.mcttefi feafon for prayer, by conhdcring your aA"iirs, and when you are mofi free, this is not to be denyed to be the work of the fpirit, becaufe it is rational ( as phan:nick enthufiafls imagine ) : And if you are moved to pray j 0 a crowd of bufinefs, or at any time when Reafon can prove that it is not your duty but your fin, the fame Rcafon proveth that it was not the fpirir of God that rr.oved you to ir : For rhe fpirit in the heart is not contrary to the fpirit in the Scripture. Set upon the duty which the {pie rit in the Scriptu1·t commandeth you, and then you may be fitre that you ~bry the jpirit : other~ wife you difobcy it. Yea if your hearts be cold, prayer is a likelyer means to warm them, than the orniffion of it. To ask whether you may pray while your hearts are cold and backward, is as to ask whether you may lab.;mr or come to the fire before you arc w.um. Gods fpirit is liker ·to help you in Dllty, than in the neglect ofir. . 9· 9· Q!tfi. 9· M.•y a '"'" pray th>t lwh no Dtfirc at aU of the Grace which he prayethfor l ~t}l $ An[w. No; bccauf< it is no prayer but D:ifembling ; and diifembling is no duty. He that asketh • • for thlt which he would not have, doth lye to God in his hypo<rilie. But if a man have but cold and common defires ( though they reach not to that which will p~ove them evidences of true grace,) he may pray •.nd exprefs thofe deGres which he hath. · 9· 1 o. Q;cfi. 10. May a ma• pray that doubttth of b~ intmft in God, and dare not caD him Father ~if!· 10 , M hi<Oildl An[w. l· There is a common Jntercfi in God, which all mankind haVe, as he is Good to aU, and as Prat. 4 z.. 9 ; his mercy through Chrift is offered to all : And- thus thofe that are not regenerate are his Children & li. i. by Creation, aod by participation of his mercy ; And they may both call him Father and pray to To"· •· 4: himfelf, though yet th~y are unregenerate. 2· God hath an interdl in you, when you have no I:;k-~'·9· fpecial intcreft in him: Therefore his command mufibe obeyed, which bklsyoupray. 3· Ground- 17 , ·~~:·u, lefs doubts will not difoblige you from your duty : elfe men might free themfelves from a!moll all Mal.'·'"' their obedien~;e• . 9· II· Qgefi. II• May awich.!d or unregwerate man pray, and~ he acctpted l Or i< not hi1 pray<r ~tjl. Il • abominable lo God ? An[r:v. 1. Awicked man M a wicked man, can pray no how butwick.!dly, that is, heaskethonJy AB:. tf.tr. for thiggs unlawful to be asked, or for lawful things to unlawful ends : and this is ftill abomi- : ;'· 2-7. nable to God. 2· A wick,gd man may have in him forne good that proceedeth from common If a. ' 5 ,t 6. grace, and this he may be obliged to exercife; and fa by prayer to exprefs his D,fires fa far as they pf 1 1. 14 •4• are good. 3. A wicked mans wicked prayers are never accepted : but a wicked mans prayers which are for good things, from common grace, are fo far accepted as that they are feme means conducing to his reformation, and though his perfon be fl:ill unjufiified, and thefe Prayers finful~ yet the total omiflion of them is a greater tin. 4· A wicked man is bound at once to Repent and Pray, Al1.8.22. lfa. 55· 6,7. And when ever Gods bids him ark._ for grace, he bids him defire grate: And to bid him Pra-,, is to bid hirh Repent and be of a better mind : Therefore thofe that reprove Minilh rs for ptrfwading wicked men to Pray, reprove them for perfwading them to Repentance and good defira. But if they Prfl.J without that Repentt~nct. which God and man ex. hen th~m ro, the lln is theirs : But all their labour is not lofl f their defirtJ fall fh0rt of faving fincerity : They arc under obligations ro many duties , which tend to bring them nearer Chrilt, and which they mJy do without fpecial Caving grace. §. 12· ~ell. 12. /VIay a wi~k_c~ man pray the Lcrd1 Prayer; or be rxborted to u[e it? ~tjl. 12• . 4~!fw. l· fhe f:ord~ Prayer 111 HS full and pwptr fenfe, mufl be fpoken by a Penitent, believing, Heb. 11. 6. Juflt_hcd ped(m : f or In the full fenfe no one elfe can call him Our Father, (chough in a limited 1\vlll, JO,J4• fenle the wicked m1y ) ; And they cannot defire the Glory. of God, and the coming of hit Kingdom, nor thed,,11.( of .hu w1U ·o~ E.zrth M Jt u_ m .Heaven, and th~s fincerely, wHhout true grace: (efpeciR aUy thcfe enem1ts of holmcfs, that thmk It too much flnctnefs to do Gods will on Earth ten rhouiAnd degrees lower. than it is done in H!!avcn.) Nor can they put up one Petition of that P.rayer. fincerely acc~rdmg to the proper ftnfe: no not to pray for their Daily bread, as a means of thm fupport wh1lc they are doiltg the wiU of God, and feoking tirfi his Glory acd his Kingdom. Gggp But
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